Q: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: My students often tell me they don't have "enough time" to do all their schoolwork. My reply is often brief -You have as much time as the president. I usually carry on a bit about there being 24 hours per day for everyone, and suggest that "not enough time" is not an acceptable explanation of not getting something done. Once in graduate school, I tried to justify myself to one of my professors by saying that I was working. His answer to me was, " _ . What's important is the quality of your work." Since then I have had time to reflect on the "hard worker" dodge , and I have come to some conclusions - all relevant to the issue of how much time we have. If you look at the matter analytically, you can identify two parts of the problem. There is, of course, the matter of "time", which we can think of as fixed. Then there is the issue of "work" during that time, which can vary in intensity. But, as my professor suggested, it's not diligence but the quality of the product that is important. That led me to a new idea, the quality of work. That concept is perhaps best explained by a sign I once saw on the wall in someone's office - Don't work harder but work smarter! There's a lot of sense in that idea. If you can't get more time, and few of us can, the only solution is to improve the quality of work. That means thinking of ways of getting more out of the same time than we might otherwise get. That should lead us to an analysis of our work habits. Since "work" for students usually means "homework", the expression "work habits" should be read as "learning habits". Then, as a smart student, you will seek to improve those skills that you use in study, chiefly reading and writing. If you learn to read better and write better, there are big benefits that pay off across the board in all your studies. Question: The main purpose of writing the passage is to give _ . Options: A: information B: encouragement C: criticism D: advice
A: D

Q: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: In the past, writing wasn't very common in West Africa. In fact none of the major early civilizations of West Africa developed a written language. Arabic was the only written language they used. The lack of a native written language does not mean that the people of West Africa didn't know their history, though. They passed on their tradition orally. An oral history is a spoken record of past event. The task of remembering and telling West Africa's history was given to storytellers. The storytellers of early West Africa were called griots. They enjoyed high social status because the people of West Africa were very interested in the deeds of their ancestors. Griots helped keep this history alive for each new generation. The griots' stories were both entertaining and informative. They told of important past events and of the accomplishments of distant ancestors. For example, some stories explained the rise and fall of the West Africa empires. Other stories described the actions of powerful kings and warriors. Some griots made their stories livelier by acting out the events like scenes in a play. In addition to stories, the griots recited proverbs, or short sayings of wisdom or truth. They used proverbs to teach lessons to the people. One West Africa proverb warns, "Talking doesn't fill the basket on the farm." This proverb reminds people that they must labor to accomplish things. It is not enough for people just to talk about what they want to do. In order to tell their stories and proverbs, the griots memorized hundreds of names and events. Through this memorization process the griots passed on West African history from generation to generation. However, some griots confused names and events in their heads. When this happened, the facts of some historical events became distorted. Question: The text is mainly about _ . Options: A: why storytellers appeared in West Africa B: an unusual profession in West Africa C: how the griots helped preserve history D: the early civilization of West Africa
A: C

Q: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Teddy Bears have been a very popular children's toy for many years. Most adults can remember their first stuffed bear, and over the decades these toys have become nearly a symbol of their childhood. However, children are not the only ones with whom these toys have become popular, as many adults make it a habit to collect these toys as well. The Teddy Bear first became popular during the early 20th century and was associated with then President Theodore Roosevelt. The story can date back to a hunting trip that President Roosevelt had taken where he was invited to be the one to shoot a black bear that had been tied to a tree. Being a crazy outdoors lover and hunter, Roosevelt refused to kill the animal because he believed that shooting the helpless bear was unsportsmanlike and wrong. This story quickly spread through newspapers across the country, and in the end inspired the introduction of a stuffed toy called "Teddy's bear". These toys became popular soon after first introduced, and within ten years, they were being produced by dozens of companies around the world. Within a generation, these stuffed bears were "the" toy to have, and have always been within children's toy boxes ever since. They are most often mass-produced in factories in order to keep up with the high demand. However, there are still companies that take great pride in their handmade designs; and while handmade teddy bears are often preferred, they are also generally more expensive than their mass-produced ones. Today, these bears and other similar toys generate well over a billion dollars a year in profits for the companies that make them. Walk through just about any toy store in America and you will find dozens of different teddy bears lining the shelves. Question: According to the passage, we can know President Roosevelt _ . Options: A: didn't like hunting B: enjoy being special C: was not brave enough D: was fair and respectable
A: D

Q: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: There's been a lot of talk about white-and-blue collar workers, and you may have even heard of gold collar workers, but lately a new color of collar is making its way into China's urban vernacular --green. Green collars say no when work is life and life is work. They choose to get out of the fast lane , and explore new ways of living "green". Living green doesn't mean someone is working as an environmentalist, biologist or scientist. Instead it is more of a lifestyle choice. A typical green collar is well educated like a white-collar but physically tough like a blue-collar, likely born in the 70s or 80s of the last century and living in one of China's big cities, with a monthly income well above 5,000 yuan (about US $700). The life of a green collar may go something like this; Turn off the mobile phone after work, eat only healthy food rich in vitamins, go on hikes every weekend, and like to help _ Green collars even have their own club. In Beijing, the Green Collar Club is for people who share a "be happy, healthy and helpful" spirit. The club often holds charity parties and uses the donations for environmental protection and poverty relief projects in China. "They are successful in their careers, but do not miss the pleasures in life. They have a lot of money, but do not fall slave to it." said Zuo Shiguang, one of the founding members of the club. Question: What 's Zuo Shiguang's attitude towards green collars? Options: A: Appreciative. B: Doubtful. C: Negative. D: Neutral.
A: A