Americans are proud of their variety and individuality,yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform,whether it is the uniform of an elevator operator or the uniform of a fivestar general. Why are uniforms so popular in the United States? Among the arguments for uniforms,one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian clothes. People have become conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears a uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse,a policeman,a barber,or a waiter to lose professional identity than to step out of uniform? Uniforms also have many practical benefits. They save on other clothes. They save on laundry bills. They are taxdeductible .They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes. Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms,the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it,without change,until retirement. When people look alike,they tend to think,speak,and act similarly,on the job at least. Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are longlasting,often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain(,),requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes. According to the passage, people wearing uniforms _ . A) are usually helpful B) have little or no individual freedom C) tend to lose their individuality D) enjoy greater popularity
C
I had been rather proud of myself when my friends and family got the ticket, whether it was for speeding, parking or stop sign violations . It was something that happened to others. But last Friday I joined _ . I was asked to do a new project last week. On Friday morning on my way to work, I suddenly remembered that I had spent the past six weeks without considering that I had a week's vacation planned during that time. I was very disappointed with myself for not remembering it. The truth is that I was not paying enough attention to my driving and I did not come to a complete stop at the stop sign in front of a school. I was so distracted that I didn't even notice I had a policeman on my tail with his lights flashing. Finally I looked in my mirror and caught on. The policeman was rude and took my papers. Fortunately, I had everything up to date and since I had never had a ticket before, there was nothing for him to do but write me a ticket. While I was sitting there in the seat of "shame", I felt bad. If I had been that distracted and a child had run onto the road, perhaps I would have not reacted as well as I could have. It was a wake-up call. People at work asked me if I tried to talk my way out of it . Frankly, it never occurred to me. I felt sorry. Now I no longer have a clean driving record. Please be careful out there, as a moment's distraction can lead to tragedy. What is this passage mainly about? A) The writer's most unforgettable experience. B) How the writer got her first ticket. C) An accident caused by the writer. D) Why the writer is always so careful.
B
Q: I wandered into the small store where I usually buy milk, when the store owner received a call from a customer. The customer and his wife had shopped there several months earlier. He noticed that his wife really liked one thing in the store, so he wanted to buy it as a surprise. But the customer was in Tennessee, far away from the store which was in Maine. What was more, he had been to the store several months earlier, and it was difficult to believe that the store owner would remember him, or what he was looking for. The store owner took a few close-up photos with her camera, and e-mailed them to the customer on the computer. The customer looked at the photos, and decided which one he wanted. They talked and discussed a price over the phone. She took care of the credit card transaction online, and promised the gift would be shipped out that afternoon. The store owner was really smart. She was willing to push herself to find new ways to make the transaction actually happen. And it did work. However, it was the first time she had ever done it. I was amazed that the store owner discovered a creative solution that could lead to a new way of doing business. I was impressed by what she did---so easily, but how difficult it is for many of us to make that leap . I'm not just talking about technology, but about learning how to adapt to change. Most people hate or fear change unless they get to know exactly what change needs to be made. However, we should realize that challenge and opportunity go hand in hand. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? A) The owner often did business by using her camera. B) The customer had ever been to the store before. C) The owner and the customer discussed the price on the computer. D) The gift was sent out by train that afternoon.
A: B
(Question)
Although the 2008 US presidential elections are still a long way off, candidates are already getting ready for the campaigns ahead. For the Democrats , the two leading candidates are a surprising pair. The first is Hillary Clinton, 60, the wife of former President Bill Clinton. The second is Barack Obama, 45, a Harvard educated senator . It is the first time that the leading presidential candidates for a political party are either a woman or black. The energetic pair has certainly gotten people's attention. But the question remains, is America ready for either one? It's not a simple question to answer. For the past 220 years, Americans have elected only white males to the nation's highest office. That can hardly be called a tradition of diversity. However, many people believe that 2008 will be the year that this changes. "The white men that have been running the country recently have done such a bad job, at home and abroad, that maybe now is the time for a change," said Dorian Cool of San Francisco, California. The polling numbers seem to back up his opinion: 86 percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified woman. An impressive 93 percent say they would vote for a black man if he seemed right for the job. These numbers are much higher than they were just 20 years ago. They may suggest that Americans are ready to be led by a different type of person. Still, there is a lot to overcome. Although women represent 51 percent of the American population, there are only nine female governors out of 50. Out of 100 senators, only 16 are women. The numbers are significantly lower for blacks in office. Since the American Civil War, only two blacks have been elected governor and only three have been elected to the Senate. Surely both candidates face difficult odds, but never before has there been so much support for either a female or a black candidate. As Barack Obama himself said, "There is not a black America and a white America, a Latino America and an Asian America -- there's the... Many people expect the 2008 US presidential elections to _ . A) be nothing special B) bring great changes to America C) be a common political campaign D) change the tradition of diversity
(Answer)
B