Bedazzling with their bright colors and eye-catching displays, fireworks light up our night skies during the holidays. However, these crowd-pleasers can have some damaging side effects. Once a firework is set off, it only takes a couple of seconds before smoke, dust and harmful chemicals are let out into the atmosphere. The loud booming noises are caused by gunpowder. While the sounds may excite some people, they can be frightening to domestic and wild animals--as well as some humans. The pretty colors you see are a result of more chemicals. Barium, added to make green, is known for its poisonous and radioactive qualities. Blue comes from copper compounds. Cadmium, lithium and lead--all found in fireworks--have been linked to diseases, such as allergies and skin rashes in both humans and animals. Acid rain has been linked to gases given off by fireworks, which sometimes go beyond the toxin limits of the United States Clean Air Act. Once all those chemicals come back down to the ground, they can cause problems too. Debris from the fireworks falls to the ground, where animals can burn their paws or noses on piping hot pieces. Humans also are at risk of stepping on or picking up something sharp or hot. Meanwhile, debris that finds its way into waterways can damage animal habitats and water supply sources. Instead of setting off fireworks, try to come up with some new ways for fun. Here are some ideas to get you started: * Sky lanterns--a tradition that originated long ago in the most-populated Asian country. * Party crackers--a favorite in the United Kingdom--give you noise and surprises without the mess of fireworks. You can make your own or buy eco-friendly crackers. * Want noise excitement with less volume? Consider a fireworks sound recording beforehand or break out the party horns and blow up a storm! What can be concluded as the writer's attitude towards fireworks? A) It is not allowed to set off fireworks except during the holidays. B) Fireworks should be banned and replaced by some other means. C) Night is the best time to set off fireworks and see the pretty colors. D) You cannot set off fireworks unless you come up with new ways.
B
Twelve years ago, when I was 50,I wondered what 60 or 70 would be like? I looked around and saw only one style of living. It's not fair, I thought. Young people have so many styles to choose from, but older people have just one choice. So I decide to do something about it , something practical. I worked on my fitness by joining exercise classes in town. A few years later, my husband and I moved to a retirement community, and I wanted to teach aerobic classes. The community center wouldn't give me a room to teach in, so I had to walk around and find any available empty room. One day, the community center staff came to me and asked if I would help with the entertainment for a Hawaiian luau they were putting on. I said yes. Then I talked five other ladies into dancing with me. We performed the hula and a war chant and brought the house down. Someone had a camera and took pictures, and then sent them to our local paper. We got requests for more engagements, which in turn led to more publicity and yet more engagements. Soon we had invitations from all over the country. The Dancing Grannies were born! I think the real secret of the Dancing Grannies is out attitude. I was raised extremely poor ---no-food poor. If we wanted toys we had to make things up to play with ,so I learned early to be very creative. And you know,I think being poor was one of the best things that ever happened to me because I learned to look for treasures. That's what I'm still doing today--looking for the treasure in growing old. I'm getting better and better. It's true that _ have to be treated a bit differently, with a little care, but they still have a beauty of their own. What made the writer learn to look for treasures? A) Being active B) Being creative C) Being rich D) Being poor
D
Q: The iPhone, the iPad, each of Apple's products sounds cool and has become a fad . Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter "i" - and many other brands are following suit. The BBC's iPlayer - which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet -adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear - popular in the US and UK - that plays music and video is called "iTeddy". A slimmed-down version of London's Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name "i". In general, single-letter prefixes have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use. Most "i" products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent's "i", it's no surprise that they've selected this fashionable name. But it's hard to see what's so special about the letter "i". Why not use "a", "b", or "c" instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King's College, London, "i" works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses "i", no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. "Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn't have one clear definition," he says. "However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability." adds Thorne. Clearly the letter "i" also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason. Along with "Google" and "blog", readers of BBC Magazines voted "i" as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade. But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with "2000" in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared. Nowadays, the "i" term often reminds people of the products which are _ . A) recyclable B) environmentally friendly C) advanced D) portable
A: D
*Question*
Some disabled people use a special card when they park their cars. These are called disabled placards, which are removable signs that can be hung from the rear-view mirror of a car. These placards are only supposed to be for disabled people. These placards are meant to help disabled people in a number of ways. They allow the person to park in special parking spaces. They can also be used when disabled people are being dropped off or picked up. Disabled people can even use them to park without having to pay. Parking officials think that some people are cheating. Not all people who have these placards are disabled. Today, one in sixteen drivers in California carries the sign. There are a lot more people who have disabled placards today than ten years ago. An official from the DMV says that there are many reasons for the increase. As people get older, they may develop health problems and need to have one. There are also other reasons why more drivers have them today. Finally, there are a number of people who have them that should not. Last year the DMV cancelled more than 25,000 permits. They found that lots of people who had the disabled placards had died. These permits are no longer valid. Some people are worried that the system is being abused. They are worried that access to the program could be limited because of the misuse. More rules could make it harder for people with real disabilities to get these placards. We learn from the passage that _ . A) disabled placards will be stopped by the government B) some people will be punished for breaking the law C) some disabled people will be forbidden to use disabled placards D) some rules will be made related to disabled placards
**Answer**
D