Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: The US recession has opened up the biggest gap between male and female unemployment rates since records began in 1948, as men bear the blow of the economy's decline. Men have lost almost 80% of the 5.1 million jobs since the recession started, pushing the male unemployment rate to 8.8%. The female jobless rate has hit 7%. This is a dramatic change of the trend over the past few years, where the rates of male and female unemployment barely differed, at about 5%. It also means that women could soon overtake men as the majority of the prefix = st1 /USlabour force. Men have been badly hurt because they dominate those industries that have been affected: 9 in every 10 construction workers are male, as are 7 in every 10 manufacturing workers. These two sectors alone have lost almost 2.5 million jobs. Women, in contrast, tend to hold more stable jobs and make up 75% of the most unaffected sectors of all: education and healthcare. "It protects them a little bit and softens the blow," said Francine Blau, a labour market economist at CornellUniversity. "I think we are going to see this pattern until the recovery." The widening gap between male and female joblessness means many US families are totally reliant on the income the woman brings in. Since women earn on average 20% less than men, that is putting extra stress on many households. Question: What does Francine Blau really mean by his words? - Most households in the USdepend entirely on the female income. - The female superiority in certain sectors may continue for the moment. - Men won't dominate industries like building and manufacturing as they once did. - Little difference existed between the rates of male and female joblessness in the past.
The female superiority in certain sectors may continue for the moment.

Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: If English is not your first language, it is a good idea to take English language classes to improve your written and spoken communication skills. There are many ways to learn English. You can learn from a book, a DVD, on the Internet or by attending classes. One of the most successful ways to improve your English is to join a course in a country where English is widely spoken. The more you practice, the more you will learn. But why learn the English language? English is an important language for anyone who is planning to travel or become involved in business. Many people love travelling, but if their English is poor, it can be difficult to understand signs, read directions and make themselves understood. Before travelling, it is important to understand the culture and customs of the places you visit. Learning basic English before you travel will help you to understand these customs and avoid mistakes that could be embarrassing. When you are travelling, you will also enjoy meeting new people. If you can speak English, you will have a better chance of being able to communicate with the people you meet. Many of your new friends will speak English and others will have English as a second language. Without English, your friendships will be limited as you travel around the world. If you are involved in business, it is important to be able to communicate in English. The Internet, world travel and modern communication systems have made the world seem like a much smaller place. These days business people interact with customers and other business people from all over the world. That makes your English language skills more important than ever. There are many English language courses that major in business communications. Improving your English skills is one of the best things you could ever do to increase your chances of business success. Question: What kind of people is English important to according to the passage? - Travelers. - Teachers. - Students. - Language experts.
Travelers.

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: How do you feel about watching other people work? Nothing is more refreshing on a warm summer day than watching someone else work. Right now,I'm sitting on my porch and watching young Beth baling the big field on top of the hill.She's been haying that field for over ten years.I know:I put her on the tractor when she was just twelve years old. She picked a great day for baling.It's not too hot,and there's a nice breeze.On Monday,when she cut the field,it was so hot I thought the corn would start popping in the field.Didn't stop her,though.She just stuck that big hat on her head,wrapped a wet handkerchief around her neck,and set to work.I remember when I would have done the same thing. While I'm here sucking a lemonade,Beth is driving the "hay train",a tractor pulling a baler and an old wagon.You'd think someone her size would never be able to see over the tractor.But somehow she manages.When she's finished,her tracks are very straight. The whole time she's haying,that dog of hers is working just as hard,running along beside her like he's afraid she'll drive away without him.Beth sure knew what she was doing when she trained him. The way the machine works is pure poetry.Each row is pushed into shape.When just enough hay is in a bale,it is wrapped up and fastened together.A second or so later,the bale comes flying out and into the old wagon.The person who invented that machine sure was some kind of genius. That's not to say it works perfectly.Every once in a while a bale misses the mark,especially when you are turning the machine at the end of a row.That means,of course,that you have to go back and pick up those bales and throw them into the wagon. I can remember when Beth's mother was her age.She looked an awful lot like Beth does now.Makes a man proud to see his daughter and granddaughter taking such good care of themselves. Well,I suppose I should get up and fill this glass again.Not much fun sitting here with an empty glass. Question: Before thrown into the wagon,the hay must be _ . - tied up - dried up - cut up - lined up
A: tied up

Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: You do not need every word to understand the meaning of what you read. In fact, too much emphasis on separate words both slows your speed and reduces your comprehension. First, any habit which slows down your silent reading to the speed at which you speak or read aloud, is inefficient. If you point to each word as you read, or move your head, or form the words with your lips, you read poorly. Less obvious habits also hold back reading efficiency . One is "saying" each word silently by moving your tongue or throat; another is "hearing" each word as you read. These are habits which should have been outgrown long ago. The beginning reader is learning how letters can make words, how written words are pronounced, and how sentences are put together. Your reading purpose is quite different, which is to understand meaning. It has been supposed that up to 75% of the words in English sentences are not really necessary for expressing the meaning. The secret of silent reading is to find out those key words and phrases which carry the thought, and to pay less attention to words which exist only for grammatical completeness. An efficient reader can grasp the meaning from a page at least twice as fast as he can read the page aloud. He takes in a whole phrase or thought unit at a time. If he "says" or "hears" words to himself, they are selected ones, said for emphasis. Question: This passage is mainly about _ . - improving eye movement - reading more widely - changing poor reading habits - reading as fast as you can
reading as fast as you can