Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: prefix = st1 /Gland, Switzerland - Rivers on every continent are drying out, threatening severe water shortages, according to a new WWF report. The report, World's Top Rivers at Risk, released ahead of World Water Day (22 March), lists the top ten rivers that are fast dying as a result of climate change, pollution and dams. "All the rivers in the report symbolize the current freshwater crisis, which we have been signalling for years," says WWF Global Freshwater Programme Director Jamie Pittock. "Poor planning and inadequate protection of natural areas mean we can no longer assume that water will flow forever. Like the climate change crisis, which now has the attention of business and government, we want leaders to take notice of the emergency facing freshwater now not later." Five of the ten rivers listed in the report are in Asia alone. They are the Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Ganges and Indus. Europe's Danube, the America'sLa Plataand Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, Africa's Nile-Lake Victoria andAustralia's Murray-Darling also make the list. Dams along the Danube River -- one of the longest flowing rivers in Europe -- have already destroyed 80 per cent of the river basin's wetlands and floodplains. Even without warmer temperatures threatening to melt Himalayan glaciers, the IndusRiverfaces scarcity due to over-extraction for agriculture. Fish populations, the main source of protein and overall life support systems for hundreds of thousands of communities worldwide, are also being threatened. The report calls on governments to better protect river flows and water allocations in order to safeguard habitats and people's livelihoods. "Conservation of rivers and wetlands must be seen as part and parcel of national security, health and economic success," Pittock adds. "Emphasis must be given to exploring ways of using water for crops and products that do not use more water than necessary." In addition, cooperative agreements for managing shared resources, such as the UN Watercourses Convention, must be ratified and given... Question: We can easily learn from the passage that _ . Options: A: the fresh water crisis will be out of control soon B: Asia is facing the most severe challenge of water shortage C: to better protect river flows and water allocations is the only solution D: fish populations are of vital importance to national economic success
Ans: B

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything else. Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack. The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming. Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking. A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, and reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plate piled with food. The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large.Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well. The food especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill . The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat. One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grilled chicken pieces served with either rice or bread.Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, a kabob consisting of grilled beef. Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious.It is a place that should not be overlooked. Question: When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it _ . Options: A: is splendidly decorated B: has pleasant smells of kabobs C: is crowded with dining tables D: looks like a common restaurant
Ans: B

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: A British-designed electronic newspaper which is made of plastic and no larger than a table mat is to enter the market next year. The new newspaper was conceived by Cambridge University scientists. They came up with the idea of replacing silicon chips with plastic ones. it is being developed by Plastic Logic, a company based in Dresden, Germany. "It looks just like a table mat, and is as light as a magazine. But you can download hundreds of newspapers at the touch of a button, and read them quite safely," the BBC reported on its website. The plastic paper is produced in a safe "clean room" at the Plastic Logic factory, which opened last month as the world's first plastic-electronics factory. Every part of the product, from the screen to the electronics, is made of plastic. And it is described by engineer Dean Baker as "top quality". Baker says the plastic newspaper could help solve the problem of waste material associated with traditlional newspapers. "There's a huge amount of waste . We have paper distributed all over the country each day and then thrown into the bin. This doesn't need to happen any more. All of the copies could be made electronically and stored on a single e-reader with the appearance of paper." he says. People can expect to see the plastic newspaper next year, the BBC says. Question: What's people's attitude towards the electronic newspaper according to the BBC? Options: A: Hopeful. B: Doubtful. C: Disappointed. D: Worried
Ans: A

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The saying that children don't like reading any more has been proved untrue. A new study finds that 75 percent of kids between five and 17 say that although they love technology, they still want to read books. The Kids & Family Reading Report also says that 62 percent of kids prefer reading printed books rather than those on a computer.At the same time, those who search an author's website or use the Internet to find books by a particular author, are more likely to read books for fun every day. The study also once again proves that the time kids spend reading books for fun decreases after the age of eight and continues to drop through the teen years.The report is a follow-up to a 2006 study.But this time the focus is on the role of technology and when kids' interest in reading starts to drop. "Despite the fact that after the age of eight more children go online daily than read for fun daily, high frequency Internet users are more likely to read books for fun every day," says Heather Carter, a writer of the report. One in four kids between five and 17 say they read books for fun every day and more than half of kids say they read books for fun at least two to three times a week.One of the key reasons kids say they don't read more often is that they have trouble finding books they like - a requirement that parents underestimate . The study also finds that parents have a strong influence on kids' reading, but only about half of all parents begin reading to their kids before their first birthday.The percent of children who are read to every day drops from 38 percent among five-to eight-year-olds to 23 percent among nine-to 11-year-olds - exactly the same time that kids' daily reading for fun starts to drop. "Parents' engagement in their child's reading from birth all the way through the teen years can have a great influence on how often their children read and how much they enjoy reading," adds Carter. Question: What can we learn from the text? Options: A: Children don't like reading any more after the age of 8. B: Most children like reading as well as going online. C: All kids like reading e - books instead of printed ones. D: Most children like going online instead of reading.
Ans:
B