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Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Until I was twelve years old, I thought everyone in the world knew about the grinnies, if I thought about the term at all -- which is unlikely. After all, everyone in my family used the word quite naturally, and we understood each other. So far as I knew, it was a word like any other word -- like bath, orchocolate, orhomework. But it was my homework which led to my discovery thatgrinnieswas a word not known outside my family. My last report card had said that I was a "C" student in English, and my parents, both teachers, decided that no child of theirs would be just an average student of anything. So nightly I spelled words aloud and answered questions about the fine points of grammar. I wrote and rewrote and rewrote every composition until I convinced my mother that I could make no more improvements. And the hard work paid off. One day the teacher returned compositions, and there it was -- a big fat, bright red "A" on the top of my paper. Naturally, I was delighted, but I didn't know I was attracting attention until the teacher spoke sharply, "Helen, what are you doing?" Called suddenly out of my happy thoughts, I said "Oh, I've got the grinnies!" The teacher and my classmates burst into laughter, and then I understood that grinnies were used inside my family. Other people were not so lucky. And it is really lucky to have the grinnies, an uncontrollable, natural state of great pleasure. Grinnies are shown on the outside by sparkling eyes and a wide, wide smile -- not just any smile, but one that shows the teeth and stretches the mouth to its limits. A person experiencing the grinnies appears to be all mouth. On the inside grinnies are characterized by a feeling of joyful anxiety. Grinnies usually last just a few seconds, but they can come and go. Sometimes, when life seems just perfect, I have occasional attacks of the grinnies for a whole day. The term originated in my mother's family. Her younger sister, Rose, who had deep dimples , often expressed her pleasure with such a grin that the dimples appeared... Question: What method does the writer use to explain "grinnies"? Options: A: Cause and effect. B: Examples. C: Comparison and contrast. D: Process.
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B

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Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Gallows humor may seem like a mistake, or at least in poor taste. But psychologists say that gallows humor can be an important way to relieve stress."Humor makes you feel in control and it can give you that feeling that everything is okay even when it's not,"says James M.Jones, a psychology professor at the University of Delaware. Psychologists say that just because you're laughing doesn't mean you're wasting time. Occasional tease among colleagues, particularly if it is associated with the job, can inspire creativity, departmental cohesiveness and performance. "There are a lot of stresses out there,"says Ed Dunkelblau, a psychologist in Chicago."Gallows humor is a way of making difficult things a little less difficult." This is as long as the humor is used for the right purpose. The main point of it should be inspiring people--not laughing at them. "Anything that would lift morale in terms of the company would be good humor,"says Thierry Guedj, a professor. You want to give your employees and co-workers a sense of belonging, so don't make observations that are aggressive. Most obviously, Dr. Guedj says, don't make comments about people's physical appearance or faith. If you have any doubt about its appropriateness, don't go through with it. Or you can take aim at the person that you know won't be offended : yourself. "If there's going to be a joke or story, it should be you,"Mr Dunkelblau says. "People with the ability to laugh at themselves can give other people permission to laugh at themselves, too,"Mr Jones says."And if you can laugh at yourself, you feel better about yourself." Question: According to the passage, gallows humor has the following functions EXCEPT _ . Options: A: leading to a big mistake B: reducing pressure C: making people more creative D: improving performance
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A

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Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Exercise is one of the few factors with a positive role in long-term control of body weight. Unfortunately, that message has not gotten through to the average American, who would rather try switching to "light" beer and low-calorie bread than increase physical efforts. The Centers for Disease Control, for example, found that fewer than one-fourth of overweight adults who were trying to lose weight said they were combining exercise with their diet. In rejecting exercise, some people may be discouraged too much by caloric-expenditure charts; for example, one would have to quickly walk hard three miles just to work off the 275 calories in one delicious Danish pastry . Even exercise professionals accept half a point here. "Exercise by itself is a very tough way to lose weight," says York Onnen, program director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Still, exercise's supporting role in weight reduction is vital. A study at the Boston University Medical Center of overweight police officers and other public employees confirmed that those who dieted without exercise regained almost all their old weight, while those who worked exercise into their daily routine maintained their new weight. If you have been sedentary and decide to start walking one mile a day, the added exercise could burn an extra 100 calories daily. In a year's time, assuming no increase in food intake, you could lose ten pounds. By increasing the distance of your walks gradually and making other dietary adjustments, you may lose even more weight. Question: What was confirmed by the Boston University Medical Center's study? Options: A: Controlling one's calorie intake is more important than doing exercise. B: Even occasional exercise can help reduce weight. C: Weight reduction is impossible without exercise. D: One could lose ten pounds in a year's time if there's no increase in food intake.
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C