Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: In her new book, "The Smartest Kids in the World," Amanda Ripley, an investigative journalist, tells the story of Tom, a high-school student from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who decides to spend his senior year in Warsaw, Poland. Poland is a surprising educational success story: in the past decade, the country raised students' test scores from significantly below average to well above it. Polish kids have now outscored(......) American kids in math and science, even though Poland spends, on average, less than half as much per student as the United States does. One of the most striking differences between the high school Tom attended in Gettysburg and the one he ends up at in Warsaw is that the latter has no football team, or, for that matter, teams of any kind. That American high schools lavish more time and money on sports than on math is an old complaint. This is not a matter of how any given student who plays sports does in school, but of the culture and its priorities. This December, when the latest Program for International Student Assessment(PISA) results are announced, it's safe to predict that American high-school students will once again display their limited skills in math and reading, outscored not just by students in Poland but also by students in places like South Korea, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Singapore, and Japan. Meanwhile, they will have played some very exciting football games, which will have been breathlessly written up in their hometown papers. Why does this situation continue? Well, for one thing, kids like it. And for another, according to Ripley, parents seem to like the arrangement, too. She describes a tour she took of a school in Washington D.C., which costs thirty thousand dollars a year. The tour leader--a mother with three children in the school--was asked about the school's flaws . When she said that the math program was weak, none of the parents taking the tour reacted. When she said that the football program was weak, the parents suddenly became concerned. "Really?"... Question: Tom decides to spend his senior year in Poland because _ . - there are striking differences between the 2 countries - Polish kids are better at learning - sports are not supported at schools in Gettysburg - he intends to improve his scores
he intends to improve his scores
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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Drunken driving -sometimes called America's socially accepted form of murder--has become a national epidemic . Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers,adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years. A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with 0.10-blood alcohol content or roughly three beer glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manly image and judges were in most courts,but the drunken killing has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies,especially concerning young children,that public opinion is no longer so tolerant. Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21,reversing a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18,the number of people killed by 18-20 years old drivers more than doubled,so the state recently upped it back to 21. Reformers,however,fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop 'responsible attitudes' about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink. Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests in many areas already,to a marked drop in accidents,some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks. A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was 'obviously drunk' and later drove off the road,killing a 9-year-old boy. As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state,some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years national prohibition of alcohol that began in 1919,which President Hoover called the 'noble experiment'. They forgot that legal prohibition didn't stop drinking,but encouraged political corruption and organized crime. As with the booming drug trade generally,there is no easy solution. Question: In America, public opinion about drunken driving has changed because _ . - judges are no longer tolerant - new laws are introduced in some states - the increasing number of traffic accidents has got the attention of the public - drivers do not appreciate their manly image any more
the increasing number of traffic accidents has got the attention of the public
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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: We are seeking for qualified and experienced candidates to join our fast growing team for the following positions at Ratchathewi (Head Office), Pracha - Uthit (site), Pantai Norasing (site), Thepharak (site), and a few other incoming projects in Bangkok. *Project Managers -Degree in Civil / Structural Engineering -Minimum 7 years' working experience in similar capacity, preferably in building construction. -Ability to plan and execute works, keep deadlines, control cost and implement continual quality improvement -Possess leadership attributes, good interpersonal and follow-up skill to motivate subordinates and develop team spirit -Possess a valid driving license *Accounting Officer --Degree in Accounting --Minimum 1~2 years accounting experience --Knowledge of accounting packages & spreadsheets *Account Executive / Finance Executive --Degree in Accounting --Preferably 3 years' accounting experience VAT, Withholding tax compliance & submission --Knowledge of accounting packages & spreadsheets --Expert at English and Thai spoken or written --Ability to handle full set accounts *Senior Admin. Asst. --Minimum 5 years experience in Building Construction company is preferable. --Computer literate with knowledge in Microsoft Office --Good command of both written and oral English compulsory. --Female preferred *Site Supervisor --Diploma / Certificate in Building or Civil Engineering --Minimum 5 years' working experience in building construction or precast concrete manufacturing --Able to work independently and co - ordinate work effectively All positions mention above requires candidates with good command of both written and oral English. Interested candidate, please send your application stating full qualification, work experience and expected salary together with a copy of transcript and a recent photograph to the address below: ASCE Construction Limited. 503/19E K.S.L. Tower (11TH Floor), Sri-Ayudthaya Rd., Thanon Phayathai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 TEL: - 02642-6272 , 02642-6120 FAX: - 02642-6273 E-MAIL:... Question: Most of the positions require the following EXCEPT _ . - a suitable degree - certain working experience - professional computer knowledge - a good command of English
professional computer knowledge
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