Liz Parle can't drive. "I did try to learn," says the 24-year-old, Birmingham-born cafe owner, "but I failed my test a few times." Then she moved to London, where running a car can be a nightmare. Instead she cycles everywhere. "It's cheap, keeps me fit, and is of course better for the environment." _ In Britain, the percentage of 17- to 20-year-olds with driving licences fell from 48% in the early 1990s to 35% last year. The number of miles travelled by all forms of domestic transport has remained unchanged for years. Meanwhile, road traffic figures for cars and taxis, having risen more or less every year since 1949, have continued to fall since 2007. Motoring groups put it down to oil prices and the economy. Others offer a more fundamental explanation: the golden age of motoring is over. "The way we run cars is changing fast," says Tim Pollard, associate editor at CAR magazine, "Car manufacturers are worried that younger people in particular don't like to own cars like we used to in the 70s, 80s, or even the 90s, they were owning things for shorter periods. As hi-tech research and development budgets try to keep pace with the iPhone generation, Pollard says carmakers are also coming to terms with less possessive buyers. This has led to a different ownership and rental schemes such as Streetcar, Zipcar and Whipcar. In response, the latest deals from the big carmakers are very unlike your usual deals. "Peugeot , for instance, has launched a European project called Mu," says Pollard. "You become a member and can then rent whichever Peugeot best suits your mobility needs that day. So you can borrow a truck to move house at the weekend.' Other car manufacturers are studying similar ideas. What measures will carmakers take to deal with the situation mentioned in the passage? A) They will improve the quality of the cars. B) They will lower the prices of the cars. C) They will give the car buyers more gifts, such as iPhone. D) They will open more rental services of cars in the future.
D
A new study says one part of the human brain may become smaller as the result of a condition known as jet lag. Jet lag results from flying long distances in an airplane. Jet lag interferes with a person's normal times for sleeping and waking. People with jet lag may feel extremely tired for several days. They also may have problems thinking clearly and remembering. Kwangwook Cho is a researcher at the University of Bristol in Britain. He reported the findings of his jet lag study in the publication Nature Neuroscience. The study involved twenty young women who worked for international airlines. The women had served passengers on airplanes for five years. These flight attendants flew across many countries and at least seven time zones. In the study, the flight attendants had different amounts of time to recover from jet lag. Half the women spent five days or fewer in their home areas between long flights. The other half spent more than fourteen days in their home areas. Mister Cho took some fluid from the women's mouths to measure levels of a hormone that increases during stress. He tested them to see if they could remember where black spots appeared on a computer screen. And he took pictures of their brains using magnetic resonance imaging. This is a way to measure the size of the brain's temporal lobes. It was found that the women who had less time between flights had smaller right temporal lobes. This area of the brain deals with recognizing and remembering what is seen. The same group performed worse and had slower reaction times on the visual memory test. And their saliva samples showed higher levels of stress hormones. Mister Cho says he believes the brain needs at least ten days to recover after a long trip. He says airline workers told him their ability to remember got worse after working on planes for about four years. Other studies have shown that increased feelings of stress can cause a loss of cells in the part of the brain that controls memory. Scientists say more tests are needed to study the... It is inferred that more tests need to be done because _ . A) the conclusion was questioned by many scientists B) scientists fear that his research is not done properly C) every scientific conclusion needs the support from many tests D) the woman who were studied in the research were not healthy
C
Q: Living with other students can be a wonderful experience. Here are a few tips for student accommodations that can help ensure a great experience and build lifelong friendships: Screen your roommates carefully if you are given a choice. Combining the living spaces of several students into one location can be exciting and rewarding experience for the outgoing students. If you are on the shy side, or prefer a quiet group to study with, pick quieter roommates. Divide the bills evenly. Some students are far less responsible than their roommates and tend to let their part of the finance slide. Dissatisfaction is quick to build when everyone has to pay the bill for a fellow student who can't seem to pay his/her share of the money. Carry your part of the load. Everyone has to clean the bathroom and the kitchen sometime. Don't avoid your part of responsibility. Student accommodations can get messy and it involves everyone to keep them tidy and healthy. Think about someone else before you think about yourself. Put your roommates interests above your own. Life will be far enjoyable when everyone is concerned about the feelings property and studies of each other. Be open and honest. Hostilities and frustrations may cause problems that can't be fixed. Everyone brings different standards and expectations to group living and it's in everyone's best interest to put them into the open. Disagreements can be managed more warmly when your are willing to be both open and listen to others. The role "carry your part of the load" means every room member should _ . A) avoid making too much noise B) take turns to keep the room tidy C) take care of others when they are ill D) avoid staying up and oversleeping
A: B
(Q).
Any introduction to Peking Opera would not be complete without telling of Mei Lanfang. During his stage life, he combined the traditions of the past with his own creations, shaping a style of his own and giving birth to "The Mei Lanfang School". He was also the first artist to introduce Peking Opera to an overseas audience, making it popular to the world. Mei Lanfang began his stage life at the age of 8. His teacher said he showed little hope because of his boring eyes. To improve this, he exercised them day after day. Thanks to his efforts, he managed to change his dull eyes into a pair of bright and expressive eyes and win national fame before the age of 20. In over 50 years on the stage, Mei Lanfang played no less than 100 different characters in the performance. He also wrote many new plays, designing the dances himself. The many dances he created form part of the great treasure that he left to Peking Opera. In 1930, Mei Lanfang started on a successful US tour. There his brilliant performances impressed the audience, making them realize that Peking Opera was a theatrical form of great value. What is the main idea of the passage? A) The history of Peking Opera. B) Mei Lanfang's early stage life. C) The performance of Peking Opera by Mei Lanfang. D) Mei Lanfang's great contributions to Peking Opera.
(A).
D