The best swimmers tend to be tall and thin with long arms, long legs, long feet, and long hands. The size of their hands gives them great "water grasp", and only a very small hand movement keeps them afloat. They also have great strength, endurance, insulation against heat loss while in water below body temperature, thus better energy conservation, low resistance when in the water, and swimming stroke mechanics . Part of the reason why some people are better swimmers than others has to do with body density. The average person's body density is slightly less than that of water. Muscle has greater density than fat. Therefore, very muscular people tend to be poor at staying afloat. Bone has greater density than fat. Therefore, very skinny people tend to be poor at staying afloat. Good buoyancy is not necessarily the most important factor in good swimming, but it certainly helps. For example, great competitive swimmers--tall, thin, and usually more muscular than average--tend to have greater body density than average and less buoyancy. Many would not float very well if they remained motionless in the water. Their much greater "water grasp" makes up for it. www.ks5u.com The average woman contains a higher proportion of fat in her body than the average man, and the average man contains a higher proportion of muscle in his body than the average woman. Therefore, in general, women are better floaters than men. Compared with other competitive sports, the performance of women is closer to that of men in competitive swimming. "Buoyancy" is important because_. A) it helps people to be safer in water B) it can help people to swim better C) it can never be trained to get better D) it increases swimming length
B
(Question)
Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to cold cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and their consequences, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Cognitive researchers, who study various aspects of mental life, maintain that rewards often destroy creativity by encouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others. The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks creativity in grade-school children, suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. "If kids know they're working for a reward and can focus on a ly challenging task, they show the most creativity," says Robert Eisenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. "But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards." A teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Eisenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore failing grades. In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economies, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims. Which of the following can best raise students' creativity according to Robert Eisenberger? A) Assigning them tasks they have not dealt with before. B) Assigning them tasks which require inventiveness. C) Giving them rewards they really deserve. D) Giving them rewards they anticipate.
(Answer)
C
Ques: When I started a degree in English language, I hadn't intended to study abroad, not to mention starting learning German. But having recently returned from my year abroad in Germany, I can say that making the effort to learn the language really enriched my experience. With language translation technology advancing all the time, it's convenient to rely on Google Translate and smartphone apps without having to learn the language. But a second language shouldn't be a luxury . Researchers have discovered that much language learning can increase the size of your brain in as little as three months. From my own experience, learning the language lets you travel beyond the well-known tourist paths, gain a real student experience and widen your social network beyond the international circle. The process of learning German abroad was completely different from my language course at university, where students sat quietly and stumbled through spoken exercises. Instead, language learning abroad was energetic and part of my lifestyle - from chatting with sales assistants to preparing speeches with course mates. It meant being part of the local area. Visiting language exchange cafes - where international and German students meet to improve their European language - was a great way to practice in a relaxed space and meet a wide range of people. Not being afraid to make mistakes is important to learn a language. By giving up that comfortable phrase " _ " (I speak only a little German), I made progress and it was praised by friends and locals alike. Germany has a lively theater scene and learning the language meant I was able to get more entertainment and an understanding of German culture. Even when it comes to eating out, knowing the language works to your advantage. In more than a few traditional German restaurants, the English menus didn't contain all the dishes listed on the German menus. Learning the language has saved me from getting on the wrong train, after last-minute platform changes were announced in German. So why... What is the writer's opinion about a second language? A) It is not popular any longer. B) It costs a lot of money. C) It is practical and useful. D) It demands much brain to learn.
Ans: C
Ques:"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the baby' s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother's arms, she sighed , knowing that his life was to be unfortunate. He cried to his mum "A boy, a big boy... called me a freak ." He grew up, handsome. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. "But you might communicate with other young people," his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart. Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, "You' re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it' s a secret." The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared. Later he married and became a lawyer. One day, he asked his father, "Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her." "I do not believe you could," said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet." The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother' s casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to show the mother had no outer ears. "Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?" The best title for the passage would be _ . A) Mother's hair B) An unforgettable memory C) Who gave me the ears? D) Who is my best respectable person?

Ans:
C