What will man be like in the future----in 5000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time. Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is relatively short period of time, so we may assume that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain's capacity. As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change to the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger. Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over very long period of time it is likely that man's eyes will grow stronger. On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life. But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald. Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions similar to our own. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A) future life is always predictable B) human beings hope for a change in the future life C) human beings will become less attractive in the future D) Less use of a bodily organ may lead to its degeneration
D
(Question)
Owning a personal island is a luxurious treat one can imagine. New Holland Island $400 million, 18 acres Roman Abramovich Investment Banker Located in Saint Petersburg Canal in Russia, the island takes its name after its resemblance to areas in Amsterdam. The owner plans to turn it into a cultural center. The new look of this island is expected to be revealed in another six years. Musha Cay Island $150 million, 700 acres David Copperfield Famous magician World-famous magician David Copperfield has developed the island located in the southern part of Bahamas into a magical resort with adventures, treasure hunts, luxurious apartments, and water sports. All these, for $32,250 a night! Mago Island $10 million, 5,400 acres Mel Gibson Actor Interestingly, this island is almost the size of a small country! Mel Gibson does not plan on developing it into a resort, thus keeping its natural beauty. Mosquito Island $15 million, 120 acres Richard Branson Investor This island is rich in eco-diversity and is also one of the rich rainforest places. Branson plans to make this island the most eco-friendly and develop the biodiversity of this island. James Island $19 million, 780 acres Craig McCaw Cell phone pioneer Craig McCaw plans to develop the island, but not at the cost of losing its natural beauty. Smoking is banned on the island, and only electric bikes or cars are used for transport. All power lines are laid underground. The island also has a golf course designed by the excellent golf champion Jack Nicklaus. Allan Island $13.5 million, 292 acres Paul Allen Investor The island is reportedly named after a hero, and Paul Allen plans on building a vacation home here. However, his vacation home was built on another island nearby. So, the Allan Island now has only a caretaker's small house without electricity. And it is up for sale. Hands anybody? If you want to buy a personal island, you should pay a visit to _ . A) the Mago Island B) the Mosquito Island C) the Allan Island D) the James Island
(Answer)
C
Ques: The first ancient Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in 776 BC. Coroebus won the only event at the Olympics. This made him the first Olympic champion in history. Then the Olympic Games developed and continued to be held every four years. In 393 AD, the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, put a stop to the Games. In 1892, a young Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin suggested starting the Olympic Games again but failed. Two years later, Coubertin organized a meeting with 79 people representing nine countries. At this meeting he got what he wanted. All the delegates at the meeting voted for the Olympic Games. They also decided to have Coubertin found an international committee to organize the Games. This committee became the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Demetrious Vikelas from Greece was chosen to be its first president. Athens was chosen for the revival of the Olympic Games and the planning began. The first modern Olympic Games opened in the first week of April, 1896. Since the Greek government didn't have enough money to build a stadium, a wealthy Greek man, Georgios Averoff, donated over $100,000 to repair the Panathenaic Stadium built in 330 BC.Since the Games were not well publicized internationally, athletes were not nationally chosen but rather came by themselves. Some athletes were tourists who happened to be in the area during the Games. What can we know about the first Olympic Games? A) There was only one event in it. B) It opened in the first week of April 1896. C) Coroebus was the first man to take part in it. D) It was stopped by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I.
Ans: A
Ques: Something that has always interested me about Abraham Lincoln is, not surprisingly, his sense of humor. As far as I can tell, he's the first American President to have one. That's because the term"sense of humor" really wasn't in common usage until the eighteen-sixties and seventies. In the eighteen-forties and fifties, it was called"the sense of the ridiculous," and didn't have the positive connotations that"sense of humor" has today. Back then, what was ridiculous was what invited ridicule . Funniness and cruelty went hand in hand. Of course, they still do a lot of arm-in-arm walking in our day as well. Lincoln's humor was very different because, for one thing, it was actually "humor"as what the word meant in his time. We don't make the distinction between "wit "and "humor"anymore; but in the nineteenth century people did. Wit was unpleasant and offensive while humor was pleasant and sympathetic. It's the difference we note now when we distinguish between "laughing with" and "laughing at". Lincoln was much more about "laughing with" than "laughing at". And when "laughing at, " it was often himself he was teasing. In the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, when Douglas accused Lincoln of being two-faced, Lincoln replied, referencing his plain looking, "Honestly, if I were two-faced, would I be showing you this one?"And, in a way, Lincoln's face itself tells us much about his sense of humor. You can comb through thousands of photographs of politicians, soldiers, and the like from Lincoln's time and not find a single smile. True, the long exposures required for photographs of that time made smiling difficult. Yet Lincoln alone, as far as I can tell, overcame that difficulty. Interestingly, while having a sense of humor, or at least the appearance of one provided by comedy writers has become a necessary characteristic for an American President in our time, in the nineteenth century, too much humor was considered problem. And that was the case for Lincoln. A journalist covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates... What might the writer think of the journalist covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates? A) His comment accurately reflected his time B) He created a false picture of Lincoln C) He was prejudiced and self-centered D) He was brave to point out Lincoln's weakness
Ans:
A