Among the more colorful characters of Leadville's golden age were H. A. W. Tabor and his wife, Elizabeth McCourt, better known as "Baby Doe". Their history is fast becoming one of the legends of the Old West. Horace Austin Warner Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. Then he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. "Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here." he said. As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville's fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store, which sold everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco. It was his custom to " _ " prospective miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or "grub", while they looked for ore , in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered. He did this for a number of years, but no one that he aided ever found anything of value. Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two miners came in and asked for "grub". Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. "Oh help yourself. One more time won't make any difference," He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the "Pittsburgh Mine," made $1,300,000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment. Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barren hillside just outside the town for $117,000. This turned out to be even more fabulous than the Pittsburgh, yielding $35,000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew.... Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? A) Tabor's Life. B) A legend of the Old West C) Lead Makes Leadville's Fortune D) The Best Investment
B
(Question)
Even as Google plans to test its fleet of self-driving cars on public roads this summer, its business model remains a bit of a mystery. By 2025, as many as 250,000 self-driving vehicles could be sold each year globally, according to a study by an industry research firm. "Vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button could transform mobility for millions of people," said Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving car project. For now, Google has no plans to sell any of its self-driving cars. They are strictly for research. But they will hit public roads this summer near Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California. Previous testing has taken place only on closed courses. The cars are built to operate without a steering wheel, accelerator or brake pedal. "Our software and sensors do all the work," Urmson said. "The vehicles will be very basic -- we want to learn from them and adapt them as quickly as possible -- but they will take you where you want to go at the push of a button." The prototype are the first of a 100-car fleet the tech giant is building. In the long run, Urmson sees a future of safer roads -- the majority of auto accidents are caused by human error -- and fewer traffic jams. Robotic cars could also shuttle people who can't drive because of age or illness. Google has said that self-driving cars could launch new business models in which people buy the use of vehicles they don't own. The company has already tested other types of self-driving cars on public streets, including modified Lexus sport-utility vehicles, under a special permit program by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that requires a human driver at the controls. The state has issued six other companies permits to operate such cars, including Delphi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Tesla, Bosch and Nissan. The vehicles that will be tested on open roads this summer will have removable steering wheels, accelerators and brake pedals to allow "safety drivers" to take control if needed. Google says... The passage informs us that self-driving cars _ . A) have already passed necessary tests B) have been purchased by some companies C) will be able to communicate with drivers D) will probably decrease traffic jams
(Answer)
D
Ques: Two brothers, Herbert and James, lived with their mother and a cat named Edgar. James was particularly devoted to the cat, and when he had to leave town for several days, he left Herbert careful instructions about the pet's care. At the end of his first day away, James telephoned his brother, "How is Edgar?" "Edgar is dead." Herbert answered. There was a pause. Then James said, "Herbert, you're insensitive . You know how close I was to Edgar. You should have broken the news to me slowly. When I asked about Edgar tonight, you should have said, 'Edgar's on the roof , but I have called the fire department to get him down.' And tomorrow when I called, you could have said the firemen were having trouble getting Edgar down, but you were hopeful they would succeed. Then when I called the third time, you could have told me that the firemen have done their best, but unfortunately Edgar had fallen off the roof and was at the veterinarian's . Then when I called the last time, you could have said that although everything possible had been done for Edgar, he had died. That's the way a sensitive man would have told me about Edgar. And, oh, before I forget," James added, "how is mother?" "Oh," Herbert said, pausing for a moment, "She's on the roof." Why did James say his brother was insensitive? A) Because he told him the news directly. B) Because he killed their pet. C) Because his mother was on the roof. D) Because he missed the truth about the cat.
Ans: A
Man has a big brain. He can think, learn and speak. Scientists once thought that men are different from animals because they can think and learn. They know that animals can learn--dogs, rats, birds can learn. So scientists are beginning to understand that men are different from animals because they can speak. Animals cannot speak. They make noises when they are afraid, or angry, or unhappy. Apes can understand some things more quickly than human, one or two have learnt a few words. But they are still different from us. They cannot join words and make sentences; they cannot think like us because they have no language. They can never think about the past or the future. Language is a wonderful thing. Man has been able to build a modern world because he has language. Every child can speak his own language very well when he is four or five--but no animal learns to speak. How do children learn? What happens when we speak? Scientists do not know. They only know that man can speak because he has a big brain. Scientists now know _ . A) how children learn to speak B) what happens when men speak. C) why apes can learn a few words D) man's brain helps him to learn to speak
D