When Mrs.Joseph Groeger died recently in Vienna,Austria,people asked the obvious question,"Why did she live to be 107?" .Answers were provided by a survey conducted among 148 Viennese men and women who had reached the age of 100.Somewhat surprising was the fact that the majority had lived most of their lives in cities.In spite of the city's image as an unhealthy place,city living often provides benefits that country living can lack.One factor seems to be important to the longevity of those interviewed. This factor is exercise.In the cities it is often faster to walk short distances than to wait for a bus.Even taking public transportation often requires some walking.Smaller apartment houses have no elevators ,and so people must climb stairs.City people can usually walk to local supermarkets. Since parking spaces are hard to find,there is often no alternative to walking. On the other hand,those who live in the country and suburbs do not have to walk every day.In fact,the opposite is often true.To go to school,work,or almost anywhere else,they must ride in cars. A conclusion that can be drawn from this passage is that _ A) air pollution is not serious B) anyone can live to be 107 C) country people should move to the city D) walking is a healthful exercise
D
(Question)
A cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night; it was wonderful to see, wonderful to hear him; he was more satisfied in making shoes than anyone else. His neighbor, on the contrary, who was rolling in wealth, sang but little, and slept less. He was a banker; when by chance he fell into a sleep at day-break, the cobbler awoke him with his song. The banker complained sadly that God had not made sleep a saleable product, like foods or drinks. Then he visited the cobbler and asked him, "How much a year do you earn, Master Gregory?" "How much a year, sir?" said the merry cobbler laughing, "I never count my income in that way, living as what I like from one day to another; somehow I manage to make the ends meet throughout the year; each day brings its meals." "Well then! How much a day do you earn, my friend?" asked the banker continuously. "Sometimes more, sometimes less; but the worst of it is that a number of days occur in the year on which we are forbidden to work, so we won't earn any money during these days, without which our earnings would be better." The banker, who was laughing at the cobbler's simplicity, said that "In the future, I will satisfy what you want. Take the hundred coins, preserve them carefully, and make use of them in time of need." The cobbler was very delighted and fancied that he possessed all the wealth which the earth had produced in the past century for the use of mankind. Returning home, he buried his money and his happiness at the same time. No more singing; he lost his voice. The banker could now have a sound sleep. However, at that moment, the cobbler realized that what he acquired now was the source of sorrow. Sleep broke up with him; and cares, suspicions, and false alarms took its place. All day, his eye wandered in the direction of the treasure, even at night, if some naughty cats made noises, he would think somebody was robbing him. At last, the poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor; "Give me back," said he, "sleep and my voice, and take your hundred coins." At last, what happened to the cobbler? A) He worried about his money day and night. B) He buried all the money and was very happy. C) He wondered how to use all the money. D) He realized the source of his sadness and returned the money.
(Answer)
D
Ques: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have given $500,000 to help the town of Joplin --a town near the Mississippi River, where Pitt's mother went to school recover from a huge tornado that struck on May 22, 2011. The couple made the donation through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation on Thursday to help rebuild the town of Joplin after about 30% of the buildings were destroyed by the tornado. Over 150 people were killed. "The Joplin community faces great challenges ahead," said Brad. "Having spent most of my childhood there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient. "The locally based Community Foundation of the Ozarks will be working shoulder to shoulder with these Joplin citizens for long to rebuild their lives. We, too, hope to further help with these rebuilding efforts." "Last year 42 million people worldwide were hurt by natural disasters," added Angelina. "So often, these disasters seem far away; but now, the need is right here at home for thousands of people. Our hearts go out to the families in Joplin who have lost so much." The Community Foundation of the Ozarks was founded in 1973 and has since grown to include 43 branch community foundations. The Foundation's task is to improve the quality of life in the Missouri Ozarks area through resource development, community grant making, working together, and public leadership. "We had a call in the first day or two afterward from an organization representing them," said Brian Fogle, president of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. "They made several calls afterwards, but we learned that they made a donation. Where did the disaster most probably happen? A) in Britain B) in the USA C) in Australia D) in China
Ans: B
Question: No country in the world has more daily newspapers than the USA. There are almost 2,000 of them, as compared with 180 in Japan, 164 in Argentina and 111 in Britain. The quality of some American papers is extremely high and their views are quoted all over the world. Famous dailies like the Washington Post or the New York Times have a powerful influence all over the country. However, they are not national newspapers in the sense that The Times is in Britain or Le Monde is in France, since each American city has its own daily newspaper. The best of these present detailed description of national and international news, but many tend to limit themselves to state or city news. Like the press in most other countries, American newspapers range from the "sensational" which feature crime and gossip , to the "serious", which focus on factual news and the analysis of world events. But with few exceptions, American newspapers try to entertain as well as give information, for they have to compete with the attraction of television. Just as American newspapers satisfy all tastes, so do they also try to attract readers of all political parties. A few newspapers support extremist groups on the far right and on the far left, but most daily newspapers try to attract middle-of-the-road Americans who are moderate . Many of these papers print columns by well-known journalists of different political and social views, in order to present a balanced picture. As in other countries, American newspapers can be either responsible or irresponsible, but it is generally accepted that the American press serves its country well and that it has more than once courageously exposed political scandals or crimes, for instance, the Watergate Affair . The Newspapers drew the attention of the public to the horrors of the Vietnam War. Many American newspapers attract readers of different political preference by_. A) supporting extremist groups from time to time B) inviting middle-of-the-road Americans to write articles for them C) avoiding carrying articles about extremists D) printing articles representing different political viewpoints
Answer:
D