In Los Angeles, drivers spend sixty-one hours every year stuck in traffic.These drivers know all too well how bad the traffic can be."There're too many cars, and you can't move around a lot." Professor Cyrus Shahabi also knows about traffic jams.He lives more than 65 kilometers from his office at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles.He is always late even with the help of a navigation system. He decided to develop a program called ClearPath for that.He says his program uses historical data to predict traffic conditions even before the driver leaves the house. "What's unique is that we use a lot of data that's currently become available including traffic data, weather data, and we analyze that so that we can predict what's going to happen in front of you when you leave home." Professor Shahabi says his system does more than just respond to current traffic conditions.With ClearPath, he says, a driver can decide what time he wants to leave, and ClearPath will give the fastest route.It looks at the entire road network, including surface streets as well as highways, before the driver hits the road.Professor Shahabi hopes to have ClearPath available nationwide and overseas once they can collect traffic data from other cities. "I always thought thatLos Angeles had the worst traffic, but now I know that Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, believe it or not, Singapore, Hong Kong certainly are examples that can immediately use this." Professor Shahabi hopes to share this new technology with companies that already have navigation systems, such as Google and Apple. What's Professor Shahabi's attitude toward his invention? A) Disappointed. B) Proud. C) Optimistic. D) Worried.
C
Part-time jobs for 15 and 16 years olds Waiter / Waitress A job as a waiter or waitress is a good choice for 16-year-olds. Not only can one earn $9-$12 an hour, but they can also get the tips . Most people that visit a restaurant don't just have good food. They come here to relax and have a good time. Besides serving food quickly, a young waiter who talks to them politely with a smile on his face will make the diners enjoy their time at the restaurant. Work in a library If one is fond of books, working in a library is another suitable choice. Besides the pay is good, it offers a lot of free time when students can actually sit down and finish their homework. So on returning home, they would have time to hang around with friends or just relax. So working in a library is an excellent part-time job for teens, especially for school students. Internet jobs There are many ways of making money through online jobs like clicking on advertisements, visiting sites and signing up with them. However, such online jobs don't pay well. A better Internet job for teens is to complete online surveys. These are quite simple surveys that usually ask one about his/ her opinions and ideas. Many companies use these ideas to make products designed for teenagers. What does the writer think of the job as a waiter/waitress? A) It needs a period of training. B) It pays much more than other jobs. C) It can improve one's leadership skills. D) Making diners comfortable is part of the job.
D
Q: A Book Review--The Snake-Stoneby Berlie Doherty The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages. The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James' swimming coach says to him: "You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going." The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents . Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters inThe Snake-Stone, James' parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically. The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James' foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, "the snake stone" which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: "Take good care of Sammie. It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there. The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger's door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discoveryThe Snake-Stonealso provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster... The snake stone in the novel is _ . A) a stone with an address on it B) a clue left by the birth mother C) a gift from the swimming coach D) a fossil left by the foster parents
A: B
Q: Everyone is busy nowadays.It's hard to find time for anything.From the time we wake up in the morning until the time we go to bed, it's hard to find 30 minutes to simply be by yourself.If you are married with children, I know you can relate to what I am saying. I would love to have a few days when I come home to an empty house with peace and quiet. There are days when you wish everyone on the other side of the door would simply disappear for about an hour so you can come home and relax without having to start dinner, bathe children, iron clothes for the next day. In fact, finding time to be by yourself is totally necessary if you wish to live a happy, and purpose driven life. If there is noise going on around you it's impossible to hear the quiet voice that speaks inside of us--that guides us and gives us direction on which path we should take and that is no good. Most of the stuff that we need- to get done, does nothing towards our personal development.If you simply let life direct you, you will find that there is never time to take simply for yourself. Yes, you can schedule a vacation every now and then and that is great. No matter how busy your life may be, spend time each day by yourself to think and reflect on life and listen to that inner voice. So by yourself! Go somewhere you won't be disturbed by the children, the _ , the phone, the television, the radio, or your emails. Go somewhere you can have total peace and quiet.Pick a time that is convenient for you. Who does the writer intend to write to? A) Students. B) Married women. C) Children. D) Husbands.
A: B