(Question)
Have you ever been stuck for hours on a hard math problem? If you sat there for some time you might eventually solve it, but scientists say that daydreaming might be a much better way to tackle difficult tasks. In fact, daydreaming has long been misunderstood. It's considered to be a bad thing and often associated with laziness. "We're harsh on ourselves if we catch ourselves mind wandering," says Professor Kalina Christoff from the University of British Columbia in Canada. But the truth is that some of the most important scientific discoveries came about because scientists allowed their minds to wander. For example, Albert Einstein began his theory of relativity when he daydreamed about riding a beam of sunlight to the edge of the universe. And now, research has shown that normal people can also improve their problems solving ability in the same way, reported The Telegraph. In a study, 145 people aged between 19 and 32 were asked to list as many unusual uses as possible for everyday objects. Some of them were given a 12-minute break while the others were not allowed any break from the task. People on the break did not simply relax--some of them were told to carry out a tiring memory task while others did an easier task. Scientists found that people who did the easier task were daydreaming a lot. They thought about personal issues in the past or in the future because their mind was at ease. After the break, all participants were asked to return once again to the task of listing unusual uses for everyday objects. It was found that daydreamers improved their performance by 40 percent, while all the other people, including those who didn't have a break and who did tiring tasks during the break, performed the same as before. "People think that when the mind wanders away, it just gets turned off--but we show the opposite," explained Christoff."A more playful attitude might allow you to call in more resources ." So when you are struggling to solve complicated problems, it might be better off if you switch to a... . It was believed that daydreaming _ . A) had something to do with imagination B) had been misunderstood for a long time C) was a waste of time when the mind was shut off D) was a good way to relax and solve problems
(Answer)
C

(Question)
How should one invest a sum of money in these clays of inflation ? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate. Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market. Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques. I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life. "The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound. It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands. Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people's wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control. This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves ." Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time. Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of clay according to the beating of their own hearts. They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout tire time. So it seems that the first clocks were human beings. However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time. They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun. They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour- glasses, and invented water-clocks. Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past. Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home. After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in air antique clock and... The purpose of the passage is _ . A) to introduce the culture of antique clocks B) to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks C) to compare different ways to make a future profit D) to explain convenient and reliable ways of telling time
(Answer)
B

(Question)
One day, John Randolph rode on his horse to a town many miles from his home. The road was strange to him, so he traveled very slowly. When the night fell, he stopped at a nice roadside inn for accommodation .The innkeeper welcomed him. A fine supper was prepared. The innkeeper talked about the weather, the roads, the crops. However, his guest ate silently. Next morning after breakfast, Mr. Randolph paid his bill and was ready for his journey. Leading his horse to the door, the innkeeper said, "Which way will you travel, sir?" Mr. Randolph looked at him and answered, "I've paid you my bill. Should I pay you anything more? I travel the way I wish to go." But not far from the inn, to his surprise, there were two ways. He searched for a while but there was no sign to help him. The innkeeper was still standing by the door. He called to him: "My friend, which road leads to Lynchburg?" The innkeeper answered, "Sir, you have paid your bill and don't owe me a cent. Travel the way you wish to go. Good-bye!" As bad luck would have it, Mr. Randolph took the wrong road. Though out of his way, he lost much time, all because of his rudeness. John Randolph traveled slowly because A) it was rainy B) the horse was tired C) the road was strange D) the time was early
(Answer)
C