Ques: Article: Chinese President Hu Holds Telephone Talks With Bush Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday spoke over phone with George W. Bush about international cooperation to cope with the ongoing global financial turmoil . The leaders exchanged ideas about the planned international financial summits and strengthening international cooperation to stabilize the financial markets. Bush said the prefix = st1 /United Stateshopes to make joint efforts with the international community to seek measures to overcome the crisis and maintain the stability of the world economy. Hu, for his part, said Chinahas noted the measures taken by theU.S.government to stabilize the domestic financial market. The measures are conducive to the stability of the world economy and financial markets, Hu said. The Chinese government has taken a series of important measures to _ the financial crisis and maintain the stability of financial and capital markets, as well as ensure steady economic growth, he added. The government of Chinawill continue to assume a responsible attitude toward the Chinese people and people of other countries, and to work closely with the international community to maintain the stability of the global economy and financial markets, President Hu said. (Xinhua News Agency October 21, 2008) Question: Which of the following is NOT true? Yes or no, is the answer "Bush wishesChinato take the lead in coping with the present crisis."?
Ans: Yes

Ques: Article: At first sight, you would think the collection of hundreds of color1ed shards could be a work of abstract art. But the objects are the contents of the stomach of a sea turtle that lost its battle with plastic pollution. Environmentalists examined the stomach of the turtle found off the coast of Argentina. What they found is the symptom of the increasing threat to sea turtles from a human addiction to plastic. Sea turtles often mistake plastic items for jellyfish or other food. Ingesting ocean pollution can cause a digestive blockage and internal cuts. The result can be dangerous, followed by death. Humans produce 260 million tons of plastic a year. When those products are pulled into the sea's currents, the plastics are just broken into smaller pieces which are consumed by marine life at the bottom of the food chain. An examination of a green turtle found off Florida discovered that, over the course of a month, the animal's faeces had contained 74 foreign objects, including "four types of balloons, different types of hard plastic, a piece of carpet-like material and two 2-4 mm tar balls." "The oceans have become on giant refuse bin for all manners of plastics. All sea turtle species may be seriously harmed. " according to the biologists Colette Wabnitz, from the University of British Columbia. "The symptom of this growing crisis can be seen inside and on sea turtles as well as their oceanic and terrestrial habitats. It is urgently necessary to directly confront the source of plastic pollution, redesign packaging and rethink the very idea of 'throwaway culture'." Almost all marine species, from plankton to whales, have ingested plastic. But, even in small quantities, plastic can kill sea turtles, the biologists said. Fifty out of 92 turtles found dead, stranded on the shorelines of Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil, had ingested a "considerable amount of man-made _ ". Question: The author mentions the "throwaway culture" probably in a(n) _ tone. Yes or no, is the answer "ironic"?
Ans: Yes

Ques: Article: Duke Ellington is known as one of the most important composers of his time, and his work has been enjoyed for more than 80 years by music lovers all over the world. During his lifetime Ellington turned musical sounds into many compositions, mostly in the style known as jazz. The Early Years Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington, D. C. It wasn't until Ellington was a teenager that his interest in music grew. He taught himself to play the piano by listening to local piano players. Sometime around 1916 Ellington began playing the piano at high school parties. Ellington realized that he enjoyed entertaining people with his music. He soon became a very popular musician, playing at parties and other events in the Washington area. Young adults seemed especially delighted by the modern pieces he composed. Success in New York In 1923, when Ellington was almost 24 years old, he joined The Washingtonians, a five-piece group of musicians in Washington, and became the group's leader in early 1924. In 1927 Ellington and his orchestra won an engagement at Harlem's famous Cotton Club. For the next three years, his orchestra played at the Cotton Club nearly every night. The Influence of the Cotton Club Working at the Cotton Club encouraged Ellington's creativity. Since the shows changed every six months, he was challenged by the need to continually develop new material. He had to compose a wide variety of music to accompany the various acts in the Cotton Club shows and to adapt that music to the strengths and weaknesses of the players in his orchestra. By 1928 the popular nightspot began radio broadcasts. From the broadcasts Ellington and his orchestra gained a national reputation. On the Road As Ellington's popularity increased, he realized that his orchestra could do well on concert tours. They left the Cotton Club in 1931 and toured America and Europe almost continually for the next 43 years. In addition to touring, Ellington made recordings and continued to compose music. Duke Ellington played the... Question: We may infer from the passage that _ . Yes or no, is the answer "Ellington had a great effect on the world of music"?
Ans: Yes

Ques: Article: Group buying is one of the fastest growing trends in South Africa today. Industry leaders are confident the growth potential remains strong since group buying is location-specific. Start-up costs are low and profit room remains high, so many sites continue to receive invested money despite widespread criticism and Facebook's decision to _ deal business due to privacy concerns. In the early stages of all industries, some companied fail because they cannot compete with stronger companies in difficult economic conditions. To deal with difficult conditions, an alarming number of businesses are developing group buying websites in places like China and India, so the increase of group buying in South Africa is nothing more than a natural progression into the international mainstream. The group buying concept is fairly new and consumers have accepted this concept because they can now make full use of the rich information available on the Internet. Group buying is convenient and easy so it works. Anyone can view a site, join a mailing list, subscribe to RSS or print out a coupon . The current group buying structure offered by the industry leaders works although there are still challenges to overcome. Perhaps, the future of group buying is tied to the joining together of social media and mobile devices. Mobile devices are with us wherever we go and almost everyone is using some type of social media site like Facebook or Twitter to stay informed. Using GPS and social media technology to provide real time location-specific promotions would be beneficial to every consumer looking for the best deals in town. Pause for a moment and think about it! What is better than signing on to your phone while having fun in town and you receive a real time information that your favorite shop across the street is offering a killer dial? The future of the group buying in South Africa is bright and we can expect to see more advanced approaches to this concept in the future. In addition to the technological advances consumers will see the... Question: What does the passage mainly tell us? Yes or no, is the answer "Group buying in South Africa"?
Ans:
No