Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies like computers and smartphone, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic skill. However, while today's educators are using more and more technology in their teaching, many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful---both in school and in life. Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it's important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand. Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks---both on a computer and by hand. The study, published in 2009, found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete sentences and had a faster word production rate. In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student's writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to know well they can write. "Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active which helps us access our vocabulary, word meaning and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas." Berninger said. Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe "those words in the mind written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen," the study said. Seeing the words in the "mind's eye" helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, says Berninger, but also to spot spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct then over time. "In our computer age, some people believe that we don't have to teach spelling because we have spell checks," she said. "But until a child has a functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won't have the knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer." Question: Berninger's study published in 2009 _ . Options: A: focused on the difference between writing by hand and on a computer. B: indicated that students prefer to write with a pen and paper. C: found that good essays are made up of long sentences. D: discussed the importance of writing speed.
Ans: A

Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. 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: What can be inferred from this passage? Options: A: Music and films will be unnecessary in the future. B: New laws are necessary but difficult to put into practice. C: The Internet is likely to become more important in the future. D: Laws are just a way for greedy companies to control their products.
Ans: B

Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Today I find myself in one of the safest cities in the world, Singapore. But the truth is, even here in Singapore, security cannot be taken for granted. It is a small nation that has no natural resources to speak of, even something as basic as water is constantly threatened to be cut off by Malaysia. Months after the September 11thattacks on US oil, a plot to bomb American soldiers near their military base in Singapore was uncovered by the local authorities. The United Nations has tried for more than half a century to architect peace for the world. But it has clearly failed. The grand horrors of the World Wars may have stopped but only in the forms they had existed before. When the enemy is unseen and there are no front lines, have we in fact created a more peaceful and secure place? Where have we gone wrong? Perhaps it is because the international body has never understood that peace was, is, and will never be something it can manage. Not recognizing this truth, the methods it provides are often short-lived and some even dangerous. Solutions for threatening situations tend to require the countries to carry out economic and political reforms so that they will become idealized democratic society like America or Britain. The UN fails to consider that hundreds of years of evolution gave rise to these strong democracies. So the result is further chaos and corruption, worse for all. Actually, an international organization or a government cannot possess peace to give away, but there are those who do possess it. Those who own peace are us, as individuals who cherish life, not our own but all others'. The act of achieving peace lies in us when we choose to respect social and cultural differences and appreciate that all our lives are fragile. Question: The author mentions Singapore to point out that _ . Options: A: Singapore isn't rich in natural resources B: Singapore was involved in catching those who launched the September 11th attack C: Singapore also has problems with security D: Malaysia possesses a threat to Singapore
Ans: C

Ques: I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: Travelling and even living abroad can be great for broadening your horizons and learning about different cultures. However, after returning home from being abroad for a long period, many people can suffer from the problem of reverse culture shock. Reverse culture shock is a condition that happens when you return home and find things have changed greatly from how you have remembered them while you are away. It develops feelings of anxiety, hostility and boredom. One of the biggest change people encounter when returning home after spending a great deal of time abroad is that their relationships with friends and family are not as familiar as they once used to be. While reverse culture shock is a very common condition, there are actually many ways you can deal with and lessen the effects of this condition. Posting a regular blog, or updating your status on Facebook or Twitter, can really help to keep your friendships with people back at home. The best thing about posting regular updates is that your friends and family always know what you are getting up to, so they won't be surprised by the changes they see in you when you do finally return home. You could even ask close family and friends to keep you updated on life at home so you are not left feeling shocked by changes that might happen while you are away. If you are left feeling a bit upset that none of your friends want to hear all about your amazing travel stories when you get home, then why not try sharing the world with them by writing online travel reviews. For those who are considering travelling abroad, your experiences could prove very useful, and may even encourage them to do some of the things you are lucky enough to have experienced while you were away. Question: The biggest advantage of your posting regular updates is that _ . Options: A: you can make friends easily B: you can keep up with the changes at home C: your family and friends will know when you return D: your family and friends can know about your changes
Ans:
D