Some people are pessimistic when they think about the future. They say that a hundred years from now, we will have used most of the earth's resources. We will have polluted our seas badly, and be unable to eat fish from them. We will have made the air so dirty that we will need to wear masks. The world's population will have doubled, and we will have used all the countryside for housing; there will be no farmland left. Other people believe that Man adapts very easily. They have a different idea of the future. How, in their views, will people be living in a hundred years' time? One architect believes that Man will move off the land. He suggests that the city of the future will be a huge, pyramid-shaped building, which will be floating on the surface of the sea. About 5,000 families will be living there, and the building will contain shops and schools as well as homes. By living on the sea, we will give the farmers more land to grow crops. As for oil, people will no longer need it: we will be heating our homes with power from the sun. And we will not be short of minerals, because there are plenty under our oceans. At the moment, we do not have the technology to get them out. But, in a hundred years' time, the optimists say, the new sea cities will be using these resources. What will be in the shops in the year 3000? What will people be wearing? How will people be traveling? Scientists who make predictions about the future suggest that, by the year 3000, shops will no longer exist. Computers will have replaced them, and people will order goods from home. People will be wearing very light, thin clothes. By this time, scientists will have invented a fabric that keeps us cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. As for travel, the experts say that most people will be using public transport. Electric cars will be traveling through the streets day and night. Anybody will be able to stop one and use it. An interesting picture. Unfortunately, we will not be there to see if these predictions come true. Optimists suggest that _ . A) all the land will be too polluted to be cropped on B) pyramids will be the most commonly-used houses C) people will be using the power from the sun instead of oil D) we will be short of materials even though we get them from under the oceans
C
(Question)
There are many commonly held beliefs about eyeglasses and eyesight that are not proved facts. For example, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weaken the eyes. But there is nothing to show that the structure of eyes is changed by wearing galsses at a young age. Wearing the wrong galsses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that only children can develop loss of sihgt if they have the wrong glasses. We have all heard some of the common myths about how eyesight get bad. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained . Eyestrain also resulsts from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. But, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not harm eyesight all the time. Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced from one person to another . It is quite difficult to connect aneyeball to a new brain.And it is impossible to replace a whole eyeball to a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced now. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, some day it may be possible to replace a full eyeball. From this passage one can conclude that _ . . A) doctors are still learning things about eyesight B) headcaches are usually caused by eyestain C) people should wear glasses as soon as possible D) people only believe things that are proved facts
(Answer)
A
Ques: It is often said that politeness costs nothing. In fact, it seems that a little more could save businesses PS5 billion every year. Frequently hearing the phrase "thank you" or "well done" means the same to staff as a modest pay rise, researchers say. Praise and encouragement also makes employees more likely to work hard and stay in their jobs, saving on the cost of finding replacements. A third of 1,000 workers surveyed by the famous firm White Water Strategies said they did not get thanked at all when they did well----and a further third said they were not thanked enough, meaning they were less likely to put themselves into work and were more likely to look for employment elsewhere. The final result is around PS5.2 billion in lost productivity from employees who would raise their interests in work if they felt more appreciated, White Water claimed. According to the company, praising staff has the same motivational kick as a 1 per cent pay rise - and works out much cheaper for bosses. Three out of four employees said that regular acknowledgement by their bosses was important to them, but only a quarter said they were actually given as much praise as they felt they needed. The survey found that those blue-collar and manual workers were less likely to be given any recognition for doing well. In regional terms, Scottish staff felt most undervalued. Four out of ten workers said they were never thanked and eight out of ten said they would like more praise. However, workers in the North-East are less impressed by being praised by the boss, as only 69 per cent said they felt the need to be told "well done" regularly. Older employees and women need the most praise, according to psychologist Averill Lemmon. What would be the best title for the passage? A) Politeness is very important in our daily life B) The words "well done" are useful as a pay rise C) Several ways to make workers work hard D) Workers and their bosses
Ans: B
Are you a bookworm? Is your head stuck in a book for long? If so,that's a good thing.There are many benefits to reading.Getting into a good novel improves our literacy .But who or what encourages us to pick up a book and start reading? Of course,when we are young,our parents and teachers inspire us by introducing us to characters that we love--or love to hate.And there are the authors--the people who invent and write about these characters.Good writing can really catch our imagination. One modern-day children's author is J.K.Rowling,who's known for her books about the wizard,Harry Potter.Last year she was named as a'literacy hero'for her part in improving people's love of reading.The UK's National Literacy Trust awarded her the title for"turning a generation of children into readers." The Trust also honoured schoolchildren,a librarian and teachers for their effort in trying to get people to read.The actor, Henry Winkler, who has dyslexia ,was also named for the books he has written about a boy with learning difficulties. Reading books is more than an enjoyable pastime;it can also help people in difficult circumstances.The author Pat Winslow worked as a writer in prisons and found reading and discussing stories helped prisoners reflect on their patterns of behaviour.She says"Very often we would have discussions about the moral compass of a character, what was the motivation of somebody, why did they behave that way?" Today I like to read factual books such as biographies,where you get an insight into the lives of important and well-known people.I also enjoy looking at travel books and learning about journeys and new destinations.It's a good substitute if you can't visit in person. But the main benefit of reading is the improvement it brings to our literacy.The more we do it,the better we get and who knows--one day you may become the next Tolstoy,Jackie Collins or even William Shakespeare. Why was the author J.K.Rowling called a'literacy hero'? A) For her struggle against unfortunate life. B) For her inspiring children to love reading. C) For her experience of learning difficulties. D) For her well-known books of Harry Potter.
B