Annie slept in the front of the seat with her father drove through the darkness. "We're almost there!" Dad announced cheerfully. "Soon well be observing and counting owls at the state park." Yawning, Annie nodded and smiled. The time was 4:30 a.m. Looking out into the darkness, Annie remembered learning in school that most owls are active at night, when they hunt for food. During the day they sleep in hard-to-find spots. "Dad, why do you need to count owls?" she asked. "It's important for the scientists to have current information about bird populations," he explained. "We want to know which birds have decreased in number and whether any new kinds of birds are coming into a certain area. You and I will write down the kinds of birds that we see today and keep a record of how many times we see each kind. The we'll send out a report to a scientific organization that is collecting about birds from people all over the county." Dad pulled into the parking lot of the state park. Then, with flashing in hand, they began their hike into the woods. Annie zipped up her coat and tried to keep from trembling. She had not expected the morning to be so frigid. Luckily her gloves were in her pocket. Suddenly Annie's father stooped and gestured for her to be still. Obeying, Annie did not take another step. She thought she heard a low crying up head. "That's certainly a screech owl," her father whispered. "Let's get a look at it." After looking more closely, Annie could see that it was a small owl. Sensing danger, the owl narrowed its eyes and pulled its feathers tightly against its body. Annie carefully wrote down in her notebook that they had seen a screech owl. Walking a little farther, they came to a tall oak tree. "This looks like a perfect spot to attract owls," Dad said. "I'm going to play a recording of common call of the barred owl. Maybe we can get one to answer.' Annie could hardly believe her ear. The recorded all sounded as if the bird were asking, "who cooks for you?" Moments later Annie thought she heard a return... What would be the best title? A) The Owl Count B) A Study on Owls C) Observation of Birds D) A Cheerful Early Morning
A
(Question)
People often view the "last" moments of an event positively simply because they signal the end of an experience, say experts. University of Michigan researchers found that even if an experience is painful or negative, but ends on a good note, people will consider it to be positive. "Endings are powerful," said Ed O'Brien, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan. O'Brien and colleague Phoebe Ellsworth, the Frank Murphy Distinguished Professor of Law and Psychology, conducted a chocolate tasting experiment with 52 college students to test the theory. Volunteers could taste five different Hershey's Kisses chocolates--milk, dark, cream, caramel and almond - but did not know in advance how many pieces they would eat or the type. Participants rated how much they enjoyed the chocolate and described each flavor so that the researchers could record the order in which the randomly selected treats were eaten. Volunteers were assigned to the "next" or the "last " condition by chance. In the "next" condition, the experimenter said "Here is your next chocolate" before offering each chocolate, including the fifth. For the "last" condition, the experimenter said "Here is your last chocolate" before offering the fifth chocolate. These participants rated the fifth chocolate more enjoyable than volunteers in the "next" condition. As predicted, participants who knew they were eating the final chocolate of a taste test enjoyed it more. In fact, when asked to pick their favorite chocolate, the majority of "last" participants chose the fifth - even though the flavor of the fifth was randomly chosen. They also rated the overall experience as more enjoyable than volunteers who thought they were just eating one more chocolate in a series. O'Brien says these findings may have far-reaching implications. For example, the last book or film in a series or the last speaker in a symposium may receive _ praise. The last job applicant, meanwhile, may look more qualified. Which of the following is the best title for the article? A) "Last" is the best. B) Why "last" matters most. C) It is the last step that is the hardest. D) He who laughs last laughs best.
(Answer)
A
Ques: Once in a blue moon, there is one on New Year's Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue - the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial neighbor. A full moon occurred on December 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown. The New Year's Eve blue moon will be visible in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. For partygoers in Australia and Asia, the full moon does not show up until New Year's Day, making January a blue moon month for them. A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month - a blue moon - occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028. "Blue moons have no astronomical significance," said Greg Laughlin, an astronomer at the University of California. "'Blue moon' is just a name in the same sense as a 'hunter's moon'(a full moon in octorber) or a 'harvest moon,'" Laughlin said in an e-mail. The popular definition of blue moon came about after a writer for Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946 misinterpreted the Maine Farmer's Almanac and labeled a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. In fact, the almanac defined a blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons. Compared with the hunters moon, the blue moon _ . A) is more beautiful B) is rarer C) is larger D) is brighter
Ans:
B