Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Scientists have tried to come up with biological explanations for the difference between boys and girls. However, none were believable enough to explain the general picture. As one scientist points out, "There are slight genetic differences between the sexes at birth which may affect the subjects boys and girls choose. But the difficulty is that by the time children reach school age, there are so many other effects that it is almost impossible to tell whether girls are worse at science and maths, or they've been brought up to think of these subjects as boys' 'territory' ". Statistics show that in mathematics, at least, girls are equal to boys. A recent report suggests that girls only stop studying mathematics because of social attitudes. One of the reports' authors says, "While it is socially unacceptable for people not to be able to read and write, it is sill acceptable for women to say that they are 'hopeless' at maths. Our research shows that, although girls get marks which are as good as the boys' , they have not been encouraged to do so." The explanation for the difference, which is very clear during the teenage years, goes as far back as early childhood experiences. From their first days in nursery school, girls are not encouraged to work on their own or to complete tasks, although boys are. For example, boys and not girls, are often asked to 'help' with repair work. This encouragement leads to a way of learning how to solve problems later on in life. A further report on maths teaching shows that teachers seem to give more attention to boys than to girls. Most teachers who took part in the study admitted that they expect their male students to do better at mathematics and science subjects than their females students. All of this tends to encourage boys to work harder in these subjects, gives them confidence and makes them believe that they can succeed. Interestingly, both boys and girls tend to regard such 'male' subjects like mathematics and science as difficult. Yet it has been suggested that girls... Question: What would be the best title for the text? - Who's afraid of Maths at all? - Are Boys Cleverer than Girls? - Boys are Better at Maths than Girls by Birth - Maths - A Difficult Subject
Are Boys Cleverer than Girls?

Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson River must remember the Catskill Mountains. They are a branch of the great Appalachian family, and can be seen to the west rising up to a noble height and towering over the surrounding country. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple, and print their beautiful shapes on the clear evening sky, but sometimes when it is cloudless, gray steam gathers around the top of the mountains which, in the last rays of the setting sun, will shine and light up like a crown of glory. At the foot of these mountains, a traveler may see light smoke going up from a village, In that village, and in one of the houses (which, to tell the exact truth, was sadly timeworn and weather-beaten), there lived many years ago, a simple, good-natured fellow by the name of Rip Van Winkle. Rip's great weakness was a natural dislike of all kinds of money-making labor. It could not be from lack of diligence ,for he could sit all day on a wet rock and fish without saying a word, even though he was not encouraged by a single bite. He would carry a gun on his shoulder for hours, walking through woods and fields to shoot a few birds or squirrels. He would never refuse to help a neighbor, even in the roughest work. The women of the village, too, used to employ him to do such little jobs as their less helpful husbands would not do for them. In a word. Rip was ready to attend to everybody's business but his own. If left to himself, he would have whistled life away in perfect satisfaction but his wife was always mad at him for his idleness . Morning, noon, and night, her tongue was endlessly going, so that he was forced to escape to the outside of the house , the only side which, in truth, belongs to a _ Question: The hero of the story is probably _ . - hard-working and likes all kinds of work - idle and hates all kinds of jobs - simple, idle but very dutiful - gentle, helpful but a little idle
gentle, helpful but a little idle

Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: At present, in many American cities especially, many teachers in the public schools say they are underpaid. They point to jobs such as secretary or truck driver, which often pay more to start than of a teacher. In many other fields, such as law, medicine, computer science, a beginning worker may make more than a teacher who has taught for several years. Teaching has never been a profession that attracted people interested in high salaries. It is by history a profession that has provided rewards in addition to money--the satisfaction of sharing knowledge, of influencing others, of guiding young people. But in the past several years, there are more difficulties in teaching, for many, than there are rewards. Unruly students, especially in big cities, large classes and a lack of support from the public in terms of money and understanding have led many public school teachers to leave the profession. As a result, many of the best students, who would have chosen teaching as their life career in the past, are going into other fields. Another reason for this change in teacher candidates is the changing status of women in the United States. Until the late 1960s and 1970s, one of the most popular choices for women was teaching. But as other professions, such as law and medicine opened up to women, women stopped pouring into teacher training programs. Thus, a major pool of excellent candidates for the teaching profession dwindled. Bit by bit government officials and others realized that the status of the teacher had suffered. They talked about change. But the change in a vast society like the United States is not easy. People's attitudes have formed over many years, and sometimes change takes many years. Question: Many public school teachers turn to other professions because _ . - the unruly students and large classes - the difficulties of teaching as well as a lack of money, support and understanding - the attracting power of other jobs - a lack of satisfaction of sharing knowledge and influencing others
the difficulties of teaching as well as a lack of money, support and understanding