How men first learned to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters we call words. The power of words, then, lies in their combinations - the things they bring up before our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases. Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts, but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and feelings. This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make our speech silly and rude. The secret of a writer's success is the use of words that _ . A) recall to us the glad and sad events of our past B) are arranged in a creative way C) are as beautiful as music D) agree with certain literary style
A
Large areas of the Amazon rainforest were grassland until just 2,000 years ago when it has been found. Researchers say the find gives new light on the Amazon's history - and show it was a savannah rather than the high forest it is today. They believe much of the area was grassland until a natural shift to a wetter climate about 2,000 years ago let the rainforests form, according to a study that challenges common belief that the world's biggest tropical forest is far older. The arrival of European diseases after Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492 may also have sped up the growth of forests by killing the local people farming the region, the scientists wrote in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "The dominant ecosystem was more like a savannah than the rainforest we see today," John Carson, lead author at the University of Reading in England, said of the findings about the southern Amazon. The scientists said that a shift toward wetter conditions, perhaps caused by natural shifts in the Earth's orbit around the sun, led to growth of more trees starting about 2,000 years ago. The "findings suggest that rather than being rainforest hunter-gatherers, or large-scale forest clearers, the people of the Amazon from 2,500 to 500 years ago were farmers," the University of Reading said in a statement. Carson said that perhaps a fifth of the Amazon basin, in the south, may have been savannah until the shift, with forests covering the rest. In one lake, Laguna Granja, rainforest plants only took over from grass as the main sources of sediments about 500 years old, suggesting a link to the arrival of Europeans. And understanding the forest could help solve puzzles about climate change. The Amazon rainforest affects climate change because trees soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide as they grow and release it when they rot or are burnt. Brazil has sharply slowed deforestation rates in recent years. Brazil slows deforestation rate because Brazil . A) wants to have more land for farming B) intends to help prevent global warming C) wants to turn the rainforest into savannah D) attempts to understand what causes climate change
B
Q: High-tech gadget shows draw throngs of excited consumers each year in the United States, Japan, Europe and the Arabian peninsula. Though many people are already surrounded with all kinds of smart electronic devices, some always need one more -- better and smarter than the previous one. At electronic shows, visitors flock around the newest tablet computers, cameras, 3D television screens, even small robots, dreaming of taking one home. Consumers spend hours waiting in lines and spend hundreds of dollars to be among the first to get the latest smart phone. The modern world seems to _ shiny expensive objects that keep us connected, help us navigate, record our thoughts and memorable events, and even talk to us. So infatuated, we no longer merely "own" our gadgets -- we have relationships with them, according to clinical psychologist and life transition therapist Francine Lederer. "It's a lot easier to have, right, a one-sided relationship with your computer, your phone, than it is with a live person. So that at the end of the day, you don't need to worry about somebody being angry with you, you don't need to worry about getting blamed for anything," she said. Magical devices Although having a thousand Facebook friends may be perceived as equivalent to having a thousand real, authentic friendships, Lederer said in reality it is not so. "It comes down to a lot of the internal stuff. How we feel about ourselves, our own sense of self-esteem, our self-worth, a lot of those things," she said. But gadgets are magical. They fascinate us the same way we are intrigued by a magician's trick, said psychology professor at the University of the South Pacific, Robert Epstein. "If you don't know how they're doing it, that's very fascinating and intriguing. But if they do it 10 times or 20 times or 100 times, it gets boring and you want something else. That's why magicians do not repeat the same trick over and over again," he said. Plugged in, isolated Epstein, former editor-in-chief of Psychology Today magazine, said he is... Why do people like to have relationships with gadgets? A) Because they are cleverer. B) Because they will not have burden with the gadgets. C) Because they have no feelings. D) Because they are easier to operate.
A: B
Q: The riches in the world are not found in the famous gold and diamond mines,where many men and women are digging for them.Most riches in the world are found in the cemeteries and grave yards,buried with people's dreams,aspirations,and unfulfilled potential.Why is it so? Countless men and women died without ever having the courage to follow their own paths.Maybe because they were afraid to violate some kinds of social norms, maybe because they were afraid to be alone,or maybe simply because they preferred to settle for the familiar.They went to the graves,with a song that would never be heard,a piece of poetry never be written, a dance step never be initiated and a heart full of dreams and aspirations,leaving behind a life full of potential yet no legacy. Michael Jordan,one of the greatest athletes once said,''I can fail,but I cannot afford not to try." Life remains a beautiful journey if we learn to take that step and to work that path.Every challenge and defeat in the process becomes a light post that sharpens the vision and shapes the direction forward. "In my world nothing goes wrong,"said the great Indian sage Nmaja Dhahta Majraj.We must learn to trust the greatness within all of us and know that each of as is here to bring our unique contribution to the universal monument.If each of us learns to dance to the music we only can hear, society as a whole will evolve naturally and spiritually toward love,peace and happiness,and will be void of jealousy,envy and discrimination. And Henry David Thoreau would say, "If a man does not keep pace with his companions,that is because he hears a difierent drum.''And one truly believes that the path to success and happiness passes through the dancing to such a unique drumbeat.Therefore,do not die with the music still playing inside you. How is the passage organized? A) Topic--Argument--Explanation B) Topic--Examples--Conclusion C) Introduction--Comparison--Discussion D) Introduction--Explanatton--Examples
A: D