Recently Cathy Hagner sadly finds that life for her and her three children is set to permanent fast-forward. Their full school day and her job as a lawyer's assistant are busy enough. But Hanger also has to take the two boys to soccer or hockey or basketball while dropping off her daughter at piano lessons or Girl Scout Club. Often, the exhausted family doesn't get home until 7 pm. There is just time for a quick supper before homework. In today's world, middle-class American and British parents treat their children as if they are competitors racing for some finishing line. Parents take their children from activity to activity in order to make their future bright. It seems that raising a genius has become a more important goal than raising a happy and well-balanced child. "Doctors across the country are reporting a growing number of children suffering from stomachaches and headaches due to exhaustion and stress," says child expert William Doherty of the University of Minnesota. Teachers are dealing with exhausted kids in the classroom. It's a very serious problem. Many children attend after-school clubs by necessity. But competitive pressures also create an explosion of activities. They include sports, language, music and math classes for children as young as four. "There is a new parenting trend under way which says that you have to tap all your child's potential at a young age; otherwise you will let him down," says Terry Apter, a Cambridge-based child and adolescent psychiatrist . "It isn't entirely new: there have always been pushy parents. But what was previously seen as strange behavior is now well accepted." The writer's opinion about after-school clubs is that _ . A) activities in the country are too competitive B) children should attend four clubs at a time C) clubs should have more subjects for school children D) some clubs result in competitive pressures
D
The surprising experiment I am about to describe proves that air is all around you and that it presses down upon you. Air pressure is a powerful force. When you swim underwater, you can feel water pushing on your body. The air all around you does the same. However, your body is so used to it that you do not notice this. The pressure is caused by a layer of air called the atmosphere. This layer surrounds the Earth, extending to about five kilometers above the Earth's surface. The following experiment is an easy one that you can do at home. But make sure that you are supervised , because you will need to use matches. Now for the experiment. What you need * hard-boiled egg without the shell * A bottle with a neck slightly smaller than the egg * A piece of paper * A match Method 1) Check that the egg will sit firmly on the neck of the bottle. 2) Tear the paper into pieces and put them into the bottle. 3) Light the paper by dropping a burning match into the bottle. 4) Quickly sit the egg on the neck of the bottle. Result Astonishingly, the egg will be sucked into the bottle. Your friends will be amazed when you show them the experiment. But be careful when you handle matches. Why it happened? As the paper burns, it needs oxygen and uses up the oxygen (air) in the bottle. The egg acts as a scale in the neck of the bottle, so no more air can get inside. This reduces the air pressure inside the bottle. The air pressure must equalize, so more air from outside must enter the bottle. The outside air presses against the egg, and then the egg is pushed into the bottle! This proves that air is all around and that it is pressing down on us. How did the egg get into the bottle? A) The oxygen inside the bottle sucked the egg in. B) It became soft without the shell. C) The neck of the bottle was wide enough. D) The outside air pressure forced it into the bottle.
D
Q: A man in a very splendid restaurant started to take off his jacket. Seeing this, the head waiter ran to his table and said, "I'm afraid I must ask you to keep your jacket on, sir, for it is not good manners to do it in such a smart restaurant." "Now listen", said the man, "I'll let you know that the Queen of England gave me permission to remove my jacket here." "The Queen of England?" said the waiter in great surprise. "Sure," replied the man, "When I was in England last month, a friend of mine who had a very important position took me to see the Queen. It was rather hot, so I started taking my coat off. The Queen looked over and said, 'You may do that in the United States, but you may not do it here.' So I got the Queen's permission, right?" It is certain that the story happened _ . A) in England B) in the Queen's party C) in America D) in a poor restaurant
A: C
Q: Malaysia's Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad has been retired. But he didn't go quietly. In his final speech, he blamed the Jewish people for the problems between Israel and the Palestinians. "The Jews have taken land of the Muslims," he said. "What if part of America was given to the Jews as Israel? Would the Americans let it happen? Of course not." His words angered many western governments, but Mahathir doesn't care. "I like to speak my mind," the 77-year-old explained. "Sometimes people don't like it. But that is what leadership is all about." Loved by some and disliked by others, his 22 years in power have seen great changes in Malaysia. He has taken it from being one of Asia's poorest countries to the world's 18th largest trading nation. It is also a peaceful country with native Malaysians living alongside minority groups. Chinese make up a quarter of the population, while a further 7.4 percent are of Indian origin. Teenage girls wearingMuslim1headscarves happily walk around large stores as ethnic Chinese playmah-jong2in nearby cafes. But Mahathir has made enemies at home and abroad and some people will be glad he has gone. The US was unhappy when he often blamed it for globalization. Meanwhile, critics say that he has limited the freedom of the Malaysian people in order to stay in control of the country. Despite this, he is a hero to leaders in Southeast Asia as well as those in theIslamic3world. "He marked out the path to success for developing nations in the region to follow," said Thai President Thaksin Shinawatra. Now he just wants to enjoy his retirement and insists that he will not take on a special role in government. "I'm a nobody," he said. But many Malaysians do not agree with this. Notes: 1 Muslim adj. 2 mah-jong n. 3 Islamic adj. Choose the best answers according to the above: The best title of this passage would be _ . A) A Religion Enthusiast B) Mahathir's Political Policy C) Mahathir Is Malaysia D) Hero of the World
A: C