The US will seek to expand its own oil production in an attempt to reduce dependence on imported oil and bring down fuel prices , President Obama says . New contracts for exploration will be signed in non-protected areas of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico. In his weekly speech , the President insisted the US could reduce its need for imported oil and improve safety. Using his speech to tell Americans that he understood their concerns about rising prices, President Obama focused particularly on the price of fuel, which has risen in recent months. US consumers have historically enjoyed cheap fuel , but have seen prices rise in recent months even though US oil production in 2010 reached its highest level for seven years. Although the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was serious, Mr Obama said the Gulf remained a key part of the country's future energy supply. The President's proposals come after Republicans introduced a series of proposals that would expand and speed up oil and gas production. The White House has criticized the Republican proposals for safety reasons , but Mr Obama was clear in his speech that he felt safety and environmental standards could be maintained even though production might rise. " I believe that we should continue to expand oil production in America --even as we increase safety and environmental standards ,"he said. "As a nation, we should be investing in the clean, renewable sources of energy that are the solution to high gas prices." Mr Obama has previously called for a step-change in energy policy, saying the US must move towards getting 80%of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. Mr Obama thinks the Republican proposals are _ . A) Not safe enough B) Not environmentally friendly C) Practical D) Clear
C
(Question)
When a customer came into a Mexican restaurant in Georgia with an unusual request, a selfless waiter didn't hesitate to help him out. A disabled man with no hands who ordered a meal at Cinco cle Mayo Mexican Grill in Douglasville on Sunday afternoon hoped someone might be able to help him eat his lunch. Server Alex Ruiz, 22, was more than happy to help as he sat opposite from the man and helped him enjoy his meal. The heartwarming moment was captured in a photo by one of Ruiz's workmates, Crystal Figueroa. She posted it on the restaurant's Facebook page. "He's a great person," Figuero, 24, whose father manages the restaurant, said. "He's always so nice, and the fact that he just came out of nowhere and helped a man he doesn't even know have a meal says everything. That just shows the person that he is. One of Figueroa's friends, Reginald Widener, also witnessed the moment and posted the photo on his Facebook page. "This seriously hit me right in the soul," Widener wrote. The waiters did not get the name of the man. He had never eaten in the restaurant before, according to Figueroa. But Ruiz jumped at the chance to help. "I just feel like people should see that there're still good people out there," Figueroa said. "It was just a happy moment." Why did Alex Ruiz help the man eat his lunch? A) The man was rich. B) The man had no hands. C) They knew each other. D) He is Alex Ruiz's father.
(Answer)
B
Ques: At any given time, hundreds of postcards are in transit across the world as strangers communicate through a movement called Post-crossing. Emma Delaney says it's a sad day when there isn't a postcard in her mailbox. She doesn't have a bunch of friends travelling overseas at the moment ---- she's just really active in the underground hobby of Postcrossing. "I've sent over 3,000 postcards, but I've been doing it for close to seven years," she says. "My husband, generally appreciative of my hobby, is sometimes frustrated by the amount of cardboard hanging around the house or in my car." Postcrossing is a hobby where strangers send each other postcards across the world. You register on the website, list your interests and preferences for postcards, then receive an address of a stranger on the other side of the world to send a postcard to. "I tend to send a lot of postcards of the local area because people are interested in where you're from and what you do," Emma says. From Uzbekistan to Belarus and Kazakhstan to Moldova, Emma has a growing collection of photos from around the world. The postcards have helped shape her international travelling too. "I didn't travel overseas until I was 32 and a lot of the locations we chose for our honeymoon were selected because of the postcards I'd received." "Some people see sending mail as being a bit boring and unfashionable, but Postcrossing is popular and lots of people are fascinated that I do it.," The Postcrossing project has just celebrated its eighth birthday and has over 400,000 active members in 215 countries. The group says they've delivered over 18 million postcards. And while postal workers aren't supposed to read people's postcards, Emma says she's happy for them to do so at her post office in Shellharbour. She even encourages her correspondents to say hello to the Australia Post staff. "It's a hobby that I continue to do because I find it enjoyable and relaxing." The Postcrossing project _ . A) delivers both postcards official letters. B) was set up a couple of years ago in Australia. C) has granted membership in 215 countries all over the world. D) receives more public approval compared with sending mail.
Ans: D
Government statistics recently showed that in the UK, more than 3,000 people a year experience electric shocks in their home. A smaller number of people are killed after contact with power lines outside the home. Electric shocks can cause a person's heart or breathing to stop, can also cause burns and are potentially fatal. It is essential for people to learn basic first aid techniques to deal with such emergencies. What to do? If you are the first person to reach someone who has had an electric shock, don't touch them! If they are still holding the appliance that has given them shock (e.g. a hair dryer), unplug it or turn off the power at its source. _ If you can't turn off the power, use a piece of wood, like a broom handle or a chair, to separate the victim from the appliance or the power source. You may even be able to do this with a folded newspaper. The victim must remain lying down. If they are unconscious, victims should be placed on their side. But they should not be moved if there is a possibility of neck or spine injuries unless it is absolutely necessary. It is essential to maintain the victim's body heat, so make sure you cover him or her with a blanket before you do anything else. If the victim is not breathing, apply mouth-to-mouth resuscitation . Keep the victim's head low until professional help arrives. If the electric shock has been caused by an external power line, the dangers to the victim and to anybody providing first aid are much greater. If you can't turn off the power, you cannot separate the victim from the appliance or the power source by using _ . A) a folded newspaper B) a blanket C) a broom handle D) a chair
B