Fifteen years ago.I entered the Boston Globe,which was a temple to me then.It wasn't easy geeing hired.But once you were there,l found.you were in. Globe jobs were for life-guaranteed until retirement.For 15 years I worked there--moving from an ordinary reporter to foreign journalist and finally to senior editor.I would have a lifetime of security.if I struck with it.Instead.I had made a decision to leave.I entered my boss's office.Would he burst into anger? I Wondered.He had a famous temper."Matt.we have to have a talk,"I began awkwardly."I came to the Globe When I was twenty-four.Now I'm forty.There's a lot I want to do in life.I'm resigning.""To another paper?"he asked.I reached into my coat pocket,but didn't say anything.I handed him a letter that explained everything.It said that I was leaving to start a new media company.We were at a rare turning point in history.I wanted to meet the challenge in the change."I'm glad for you."he said,quite out of my expectation."I just came from a board of directors meeting and it was seventy-five percent discouraging news.Some of that we Can deal with.But much of it we can't,"he went on."I wish you all the luck in the world,"he concluded."And if it doesn't work out,remember,your star is always high here." Then I went out of his office,walking through the newsroom for more goodbyes.Everybody was saying congratulations.Everybody--even though I'd be risking all on an unfamiliar venture:all the financial security I had carefully built up. Later,I had a final talk with Bill Taylor,chairman and publisher of the Boston Globe.He had turned the Globe into a billion-dollar business ."I'm resigning, Bill,"I said.He listened while I gave him the story.He wash't looking angry or disturbed either.After a pause,he said,"Golly,I wish I were in your shoes." When the writer decided to resign,the Globe was faced with _ . A) a trouble with its staff members B) a shortage of qualified reporters C) a wonderful business situation D) an unfavorable business situation
D
(Question)
Keeping fish as pets is a popular hobby. Fish take up little room, are inexpensive to feed, and provide an interesting and color1ful display in any room. A tank, or an aquarium , must be chosen carefully. Many new aquarium owners buy too many fish for their tanks. Fish cannot be crowded. Two fish can live comfortably in each gallon of water, only ten fish can live in a five-gallon tank. Can you see why a goldfish would not live long in a tiny , round bowl? If too many fish are kept together, they will not have enough oxygen or room to swim about freely. They will have more diseases. Also, some kinds of fish cannot be kept together. They will fight and may even kill one another. As your interest in fish grows, the number of fish you have may grow, too. Then you may want to _ in another tank. If you start with a ten-gallon aquarium, what kind of fish would be best? The two major groups of tropical fish are those that lay eggs and those that give birth to live young. If you want to raise young fish, guppies would be the best choice because they can produce many babies in a short time. You can buy fish and aquariums in most pet stores. Ask the owner to help you choose the right fish. You can also find many books about tropical fish in the library. What can we know from the passage? A) Very few people are interested in keeping fish. B) The size of your tank decides how many fish you can buy. C) Guppies are a kind of fish that are good at laying eggs. D) You can raise different kinds of fish together.
(Answer)
B
Ques: To the Editor, Re Why a Fallen Angel Is a Centerfold (Sunday Review, Nov. 6): I first met Lindsay Lohan in 1997 when she was 11 and I was the casting director of the film The Parent Trap. I was struck by her talent, fresh charm and innocence the moment I caught sight of her. She was, and remains, a gifted actress and a good human being. It is not for me to judge Ms Lohan's choices, or whether fame has been less than kind to her, but I have been greatly saddened by the way the media have chosen, with all gloves off and seemingly going with what could please them, to record her efforts and failures. She is a sentient human being, not a thing, not a product, not anything else to be sold. Charles McGrath makes several attractive points in his news analysis about the public demand which is impossible to satisfy, in a 24/7 news cycle forever changed by the Internet, to gossip about, and give nearly complete access to, celebrity or famous persons' lives. Perhaps people do feel better knowing that wealth and fame do not lead to a perfect life for everyone. Perhaps we admire famous people only to reject them without any pity or mercy when their behavior disappoints us. I find it ironic that Ms Lohan's decision to pose for Playboy for a monetary reward is considered to be morally questionable, while journalists and photographers gain profit by writing about and capturing images of her and other famous people. Perhaps when reporting on and reading about famous people who have lost their way, we will remember that those people are also very human people who, like us, make mistakes, endure misfortune and have a chance--in spite of media coverage--to begin a completely new life tomorrow. ILENE STARGER Brooklyn This letter was written mainly to tell the editor that _ . A) the public should bear famous people's mistakes B) the public should be especially strict with famous people C) the media shouldn't only satisfy the public's demands D) nobody can get both wealth and fame at the same time
Ans: A
If you are looking for a creative solution to a piece of work or a school assignment,don't lock yourself up in a quiet room. A new study suggests that moderate background noise is a better spur to creative thinking than the sound of silence,Time magazine reported. A paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research says that the perfect working environment should buzz with a little noise. Researchers found that test subjects were at their most creative when background noise was measured at 70 decibels,the level one might find in a busy coffee shop. A nearly silent environment(50 decibels)was too quiet. Turning up the volume to 85 decibels (a jackhammer tearing up the pavement outside your building) was counterproductive-the noise became a distraction. The researchers asked 65 students at the University of British Columbia,Canada,to perform various creative tasks while noises recorded at a roadside restaurant were played in the background. In one experiment,scientists asked participants to brainstorm ideas for a new type of mattress . Test subjects had the most successful discussions when the noise in the background was noticeable but not too loud. While a quiet environment may make it easier to read a book. the authors of the study say that moderate background noise creates just enough of a distraction to force people to think more imaginatively, without breaking their focus so completely that they can't think at all. Should we all head for Starbucks to get creative? Not necessarily. Researchers found limited work time surrounded by the low-level noise of a coffeehouse is what really stimulates creativity. Equally, working in a care environment isn't good for everybody. The productivity boost was most obvious among those who were naturally creative to begin with. Why is moderate background noise good for creativity? A) It relaxes people and stops them from getting bored. B) It can help people to focus on a subject. C) It can absorb sudden noises that cause distraction. D) It pushes people to use their imagination but doesn't reach a level that disturbs them.
D