(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: When a magazine for high school students asked its readers what life would be like in twenty years, they said: Machines would be run by solar power. Buildings would rotate so they could follow the sun to take maximum advantage of its light and heat. Walls would "give light" and "change color with the push of a button." Food would be replaced by pills. School would be taught by electrical impulse while we sleep. Cars would have radar . Does this sound like the year 2000? Actually, this article was written in 1958 and the question was, "what will life be like in 1978? The future is much too important to simply guess about, the way the high school students did, so experts are regularly asked to predict accuately. By carefully studying the present, skilled businessmen, scientists, and politicians are supposedly able to figure out in advance what will happen. But can they? One expert on Cities wrote: Cities of the future would not be crowded, but would have space for farms and fields. People would travel to work in "airbuses", large all-weather helicopters carrying up to 200 passengers. When a person left the airbus station he could drive a coin-operated car equipped with radar. The radar equipment of cars would make traffic accidents "almost unheard of". Does that sound familiar? If the expert had been accurate it would, because he was writing in 1957. His subject was "The city of 1982". If the professionals sometimes sound like high school students, it's probably because future study is still a new field. But economic forecasting, or predicting what the economy will do, has been around for a long time. It should be accuate, and generally it is. But there have been some big mistakes in the field, too. In early 1929, most forecasters saw an excellent future for the stock market. In October of that year, the stock market had its worst losses ever, ruining thousands of investors who had put their faith in financial foreseers. One forecaster knew that predictions about the future would always be subject to... Question: How many examples does the author offer to describe the future life? Options: A: Three B: Four C: Five D: Six
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B

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Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Recently, we've been talking about how we need better teachers. There's no doubt that a great teacher can help in a student's achievement but here's what some new studies are also showing: We need better parents. Every three years, the organization called O.E.C.D. organizes exams as part of the Program for International Student Assessment , or PISA, which tests 15-year-olds on their abilities to solve real problems. America's 15-year-olds have not done as well as students in Singapore, Finland and Shanghai in the PISA exams. To better understand the reasons, the PISA team, starting with four countries in 2006, and then adding 14 more in 2009, went to the parents of 5,000 students. They interviewed them about how they raised their kids and then compared it with the test results for each of those years. Two weeks ago, the PISA team published the main findings of its study: Fifteen-year-olds whose parents often read books with them during their first year of primary school get much higher scores in PISA 2009 than students whose parents don't often read with them or not at all. Parents' concern for their children is strongly connected with better results in PISA. According to Schleicher, the leader of the team, just asking your children how their school day was and showing great interest in their learning can help a lot. It is something every parent can do, no matter what their education level. The study found that getting parents concerned about their children's learning at home is more powerful than parents attending parent-teacher meetings, volunteering in classrooms, taking part in money-raising, and showing up at back-to-school nights. To be sure, nothing can replace a good teacher. But let's stop putting the whole responsibility on teachers. We also need better parents. Better parents can make teaching more effective . Question: The study was done in _ countries in total in 2009. Options: A: 4 B: 14 C: 18 D: 40
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C

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Read the article and select the best answer. Article: It's slimbudget time in Las Vegas Las Vegas? It's where halfprice flights are wide open and where reservations are easily booked on a moment's notice. Tourism is down, so rooms are plentiful, as well as inexpensive. Getting there: The best way to get there from McCarran Airport is to exit the baggage claim through Door 11 and check in at any number of shuttle booths. Shuttle vans that run between the airport and the Las Vegas Strip cost $6 for a oneway trip. Leaving Las Vegas:Many Vegas vacationers are eager to get there and slow to leave. So take the "redeye" back home. Most redeye flights leave around midnight, leaving you with an extra night of gaming, and fun without added expense of a higher hotel charge. You can sleep the whole way home. Romantic getaway: Las Vegas is no longer all about gaming. The artwork at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is certainly comparable to that at the Louvre. Speaking of Paris, take a trip up the Eiffel Tower at ParisLas Vegas. The Eiffel Tower Experience costs just $10($7 for kids) and is unquestionably worth the price of admission. For an intimate evening, don't hesitate to book reservations at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Get an impressive nighttime view of the Fountains at Bellagio by asking for seating alongside the floortoceiling windows. This is truly a oneofakind finedining experience. Details:www.parislasvegas.com. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes:Casinos can appear very close together, but actually may not be. Know the tram systems that run up and down the Strip. Most tram lines are free. Shows:Purchase show tickets at one of the many "Half Priced Show" booths on the Strip. You can experience a unique show each night of your stay. Need a look at what's playing when you'll be there? Visit www.booklasvegasshows.com. Buffets:In Vegas you can take anything to the next level--including eating. Seven casinos on the Strip have teamed up to bring you an amazing deal:seven buffets--breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner--all for just $44.99 within a 24hour period.... Question: If a couple and a 5yearold child want to take the Eiffel Tower Experience, they have to pay _ . Options: A: $10 B: $20 C: $27 D: $34
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C