A study by St.. Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog, AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents. The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents. Dr. Andrew Smith led the Stanford University team that built a home-assistance robot. "If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots, some day they could be not just our assistants, but also our companions," he said. To test whether residents responded better to Sparky, a trained dog, or the Sony-made robotic dog, researchers divided 38 nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St. Louis. One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky; another group had similar visits with AIBO; a control group had no contact with either dog. The groups' respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits. After two months, both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached. Most of the elderly regarded Sparky, a 9-year-old dog, as an audience for their life stories, said investigator Marian Banks. "He listened attentively, wagged his tail, and allowed them to pet him," said Banks, who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago. Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature. Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him. He would respond by wagging his tail, vocalizing, and blinking his lights.. "AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him," said the study's author, Dr. William Banks, "He's an attractive sort of guy. He gives a feeling of being personal, not just a robot." What would be the best title for the passage? A) Robots Serve People Better Than Thought B) No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots C) Advanced Technology Used to cheer up the Elderly D) Robots and Dogs Can Equally Cheer up the Elderly
D
(Question)
Why do men die earlier than women? The latest research shows that the reason could be that men's hearts go into rapid decline when they reach middle age. The largest study of the effects of aging on the heart has found that women's longevity may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose their pumping power with age. "We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20-25 percent between 18 and 70 years of age," "Within the heart there are millions of cells that enable it to beat. Between the ages of 20 and 70 , one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men," . What surprises scientists is that the female heart sees very little loss of these cells. "This gender difference might just explain why women live longer than men," said Goldspink. The team has yet to find why aging takes a greater toll on the male heart, said Goldspink.. The good news is that men can improve the health of their heart with regular exercise. According to the passage, the UK scientists have known that _ . A) women have more cells than men when they are born B) women can replace the cells that enable the heart to beat C) the female heart loses few of the cells with age D) the female heart never loses the pumping power with age
(Answer)
C
Ques: The date was like any other day in his life. After school Michael walked past the shop on the street corner. He stopped to look at the front row of shoes. And he felt sorry for himself. He really wanted to have them for his birthday. He sadly walked away and thought of what to tell his mother. He knew she would give anything he liked if she could. But he also knew very well she had little money. He decided not to go home immediately, as he looked worried and his mother would notice it. So he went to the park where he sat on the grass. Then he saw a boy in a wheelchair. He noticed that the boy moved the wheel with his hands. Michael looked at him carefully and was surprised to see the boy had no feet. He looked down his own feet. "It is much better to be without shoes than without feet." He thought. There was no reason for him to feel so sorry and sad. He went away and smiled, thinking he was more lucky in life. Michael went into the park because he _ . A) didn't want to worry his mother B) didn't like his mother to notice him. C) looked worried and his mother had noticed it D) was thinking of how to get the pair of shoes.
Ans: A
(Q).
Long long ago, there lived in England a king named Midas. He was a greedy man and loved gold better than anything else in the world. One day, he asked a god to give him more gold. The god decided to punish him and said, "Your wish is _ already. Everything you touch will turn to gold." Midas was very happy when he heard this. The next morning, he got up early to test his skills. When he touched his bed, it turned to gold. "Gold!" cried Midas, laughing like a little boy, "It works." Not only stones, flowers, and the furniture in his house turned to gold, but, when he sat down to table, so did the food he ate and the water he drank. He was unhappy now. Just then his daughter ran up to him. Midas touched her hand. At once she became a gold statue ! A last, he begged the god to free him from his wish. "Go to the river and bathe in it." said the god. So Midas did, and the water took away his golden touch. What can we learn from the story? A) It is the early bird that catches the worm. B) Do not put all your eggs in one basket. C) God does not always bring happiness. D) A bird in hand is worth two in the forest.
(A).
C
Ques:I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness. Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more long-lasting emotion. Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends. I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to exciting parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells "happiness". But in memoir after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children, and long-time loneliness. The way people hold on to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually decreases their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain. As a result, many people avoid the very efforts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, charitable work and self-improvement. The main purpose of the text is to _ . A) describe the difference between happiness and fun B) show the true meaning of happiness C) encourage people to pursue fun activities D) advise people to find their real life

Ans:
B