Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: When my students ask me why I live in a tiny house, they ask it in light of all the "sacrifices "I an making. They know that I have moved from a large apartment in the city to a small custom-built home on wheels in the backyard woods. They know I _ running water, Internet connection, sewage , and reliable phone reception. However, it was possible for me to be truly happy while living with very few material things. My body responded well, in health, fitness and mood, to a schedule more consistent with the natural day and night cycle. Observing the daily sunset, hosting friends for days at a time, reading, writing letters to my families and friends and exploring natural wonders in my spare time all were free and invaluable experiences. What was necessary to my survival proved to be a rather short list-healthy food, clean and drinkable water, heat source, weather-protecting shelter, weather-suitable clothing, equally important friends and mental and physical stimulations . When I returned to life in the US, I couldn't help but sense a deep and uneasy belief that life suddenly changed. I felt disconnected with many things- the earth, others, my food source, my waste disposal, the natural cycle of my body and the productive interests. These are the things I once cared for but now find myself too busy to enjoy. How was it that I was earning literally 40 times my Peace Corps salary and was less healthy, satisfied and intentional in my daily schedule? I found myuself asking-what is it to be rich anyway? Therefore, last August I let go of most of my possessions and moved into a tiny house on wheels because I wanted to see if I could live a more enjoyable lifestyle. So far so good. No inconvenience has made up for the many positive benefits that continue to come from this change in lifestyle. I believe that I have made the right decision. Question: What interested the author most when living in the tiny house? Options: A: The natural living schedule. B: Busy and invaluable experiences. C: The happiness of the simple life. D: The very few material possessions.
A: C

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Well, more and more companies are beginning to create products and services for teenagers. The Disney Company sells the Hannah Montans television show, music, film and merchandise to teenagers and their parents. You can get everything from branded lunchboxes and mobile phone covers, to monthly fan magazines and clothing. The High School Musical series of films is also intended for a teenage audience. So, it's all about sales, which tells us teenagers must have more money, freedom and influence upon their parents than they've ever had before. UK teenagers never used to be worried about spending money on clothes and fashion accessories . That's changed. Now, they are much more fashion conscious and concerned about their image. In a world of television programmes that promise overnight success and fame at a young age (for example, the shows Britain's Got Talent and American Idol), some people think it's extremely important to look fashionable. So what does teenage fashion look like? Well, it's quite horrible really, but then I'm a bit too old to appreciate it, I suppose. It's lots of brightly coloured materials, particularly pink, and usually plain, not patterned. There are plenty of bows, necklaces and bracelets , too. It's all very cute , if that's your taste. Surely none of the above is a good thing, is it? Can it really be healthy for us to encourage kids to be like adults at such a young age? Are we stealing childhoods in return for a bit of profit? Well, the UK government is certainly concerned, and for that reason has strict laws preventing companies from explicitly marketing their products and services at children. Even the rest of UK society is concerned. Now that people are aware of the problem, there is a popular backlash against the exploitation of children by commercial marketing. Question: The author of the passage _ . Options: A: supports teenage fashion quite a lot B: is fond of brightly colored materials that are to his taste C: thinks it illegal to make profits by selling things to kids D: is strongly against marketing products and services at children
A: D

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: China is now sending more college students to study in the United States than any other country. A new report shows a 23 percent increase in the number of Chinese students coming to the U.S. The latest edition of the annual Institute of International Education(IIE)and another US institute found a 5 percent rise in the number of international university students in the US compared to one year ago. There are now over 157, 000 Chinese students at U.S. colleges and universities. Aisa accounted for four of the top five countries and regions to take advantage of the US higher education system. "Increased numbers of students from China, particularly at the undergraduate level, largely accounts for the growth this past year," the report stated. "They really enroll in a full range of US higher education," said Peggy Blumenthal, senior counselor to the president of IIE, the group that made the report. "20 years ago, students from China only knew of a handful of US insitiutions, but now, they are enrolling in our community colleges, in our small liberal arts institutions, in the research universities. Really spread across the country," she said. Chinese mainland was in the number one spot, while India was the number two country of origin. South Korea was third and Canada was number four. China's Taiwan held the number five spot. Saudi Arabia was in sixth with a 44-percent increase, while Japan was seventh, down 14 percent. Blumenthal attributes the increase in the number of Chinese students heading to US colleges to limited university places in China, as well as a feeling from students and their parents than they want a "unique" educational experience. China's family planning policy, says Blumenthal, has also meant that families can concentrated resources on a single child. The University of California at Los Angeles has one of the largest Asian student populations of any college in the United States. Question: Which of the following is right according to Peggy Blumenthal? Options: A: The number of Chinese students going to the US has increased by 23%. B: The University of California has contributed to Asian education greatly. C: Chinese student populations in the US mainly consist of undergraduates. D: Chinese students know more about US higher education than before.
A: D

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: There have always been laws against copying other people's ideas. However, when copying was only limited to copying something by hand, problems were solved easily. The solution was always the destruction or removal of the copy. Nowadays, the rise of the Internet has made the issue of intellectual property more complicated. Almost every bit of information can be cut and pasted with a few clicks of a mouse. Many art forms such as writings, films, and music need new protection to ensure that people do not simply transfer them for free. Online illegal copying has been blamed for a huge reduction in the sales of many records because it is hard to convince people to buy something that they can get for free. Even the ideas behind traditional games, such as Scrabble, have been used without the owners' permission. Old laws have been struggling to keep up. While music companies have been successful in persuading courts that action should be taken against people who illegally download music, the law is difficult to carry out. Furthermore, intellectual property rights vary widely from country to country, so it's up for debate which laws apply. Finally, there is the fact that many people simply do not see the act as theft , since once the work has been digitized there is no clear physical object to steal in the first place. All of these issues mean that companies involved with intellectual property -- ideas or easily digitized information -- are fighting desperately to get people to pay for the information they use, rather than paying for an object like a CD that they use. While the companies have sometimes been successful, the practical barriers to full protection seem _ . Finally, all that concerned parties can do is hope that their few successes scare off others and try to find new ways of making money. Question: Why do writings, films, and music need protection? Options: A: They are very expensive. B: They are impossible to copy. C: It is easy to make CDs, books, and movies. D: They are easily able to be transferred when in digital form.
A: D