Archaeologists have discovered 45 ancient Egyptian tombs in Lahoun, Egypt. The site is about 70 miles south of Cairo, Egypt's capital. In most of the tombs they found a decorated painted wooden coffin. Each one captains a mummy . In one tomb, 12 coffins from around 1500 B.C. were found piled on top of one another, so the actual number of mummies comes to 57. The oldest tombs that were discovered date back to around 2750 BC. The discovery will give scientists more information about Egypt's ancient religions. Egypt's archaeology chief, Zahi Hawass, said many of the mummies were covered in cloth with drawings of ancient Egyptian gods. The cloth is also decorated with texts from the Book of the Dead and scenes featuring ancient Egyptian gods. The book contains instructions and information that ancient Egyptians thought would help dead people deal with difficulties that they would come across in the afterlife. Abdel Rahman El-Aydi is the head of the archaeological team that made the discovery. He said some of the tombs were decorated with religious texts. The ancient Egyptians believed these texts, like the Book of the Dead, would help the dead person to cross through the underworld. The recent discovery of the 45 tombs isn't the first in Lahoun. Last year, some 53 stone tombs dating back to various ancient periods were found in the same area. How many tombs have been discovered in the same area in the past two years? A) 45. B) 98. C) 70. D) 57.
B
(Question)
The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand---a system of rapid handwriting, and now it's threatening to finish off handwriting as a whole. When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2011, just 15% of the most 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive .The rest? Block letters. And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of US students who no longer get much handwriting instructions in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive. At Keene Mill Elementary School in Springfield, all their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. Older students who never mastered handwriting say it doesn't affect their grades. There are those who say the culture is at a crossing, turning from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost form of communication, does it matter? It was at University of Virginia that researchers recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert, written in his unique script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say, because their authenticity can be confirmed. Students also find them more fascinating. The loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive opportunity missed. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better-a lifelong benefit. It doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills. At some schools in Prince George's County, elementary school students use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive letters in third grade. There are always going to be some kids who struggle with handwriting because of their particular neurological wiring, learning issues or poor motor skills. Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding. The example of Handwriting Without Tears helps to argue that _ . A) the schools are responsible for the loss of handwriting B) the loss of handwriting is a cognitive opportunity missed xKb 1.Com C) it doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills D) the culture is turning from the written word to the typed one
(Answer)
C
Ques: NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences in nightmares. Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce, or possibly wipe out, the effect of painful memories. In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are wiped out. They are not sure to what degree people's memories are affected. The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it. Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories. "Some memories can ruin people's lives. They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "This could relieve a lot of that suffering." But those who are against the research say that maybe the pills can change people's memories and changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity. They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past. "All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were terrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure we want to wipe those memories out, "said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist. We can infer from the passage that _ . A) people doubt the effects of the pills B) the pill will certainly stop people's emotional memories C) taking the pill will do harm to people's physical health D) the pill has already been produced and used by the public in America
Ans: A
How much can environment affect intelligence? In one study, striking increases in IQ occurred in 25 children who were moved from an orphanage to more stimulating(,) environments.The children, who were all considered mentally retarded and unadoptable, were moved to an institution where they received personal attention from adults.Later, these supposedly retarded children were adopted by parents who gave them love, a family ,and a stimulating home environment.The children gained an average of 29 IQ points.For one child, the increase was an amazing 58 points.A second group of initially less "retarded" children, who stayed in the orphanage, lost an average of 26 IQ points. Other encouraging results can be found in early childhood education programs, which provide stimulating intellectual experiences for disadvantaged children.In one study, children from low-income families were given enriched environments from early infancy through preschool.By age 2 their IQ scores were already higher than those in a control group.More important, they were still 5 points higher seven years later.High-quality enrichment programs such as Head Start can prevent children from falling behind in school. A particularly striking environmental effect is the fact that 14 nations have shown average IQ gains of from 5 to 25 points during the last 30 years.These IQ boosts, averaging 15 points, occurred in far too short a time for genetics to explain them.It is more likely that the gains reflect environmental forces, such as improved education, nutrition, and living in a technologically complex society. What's the main idea of this passage A) Retarded children cannot improve their IQ's. B) Orphanages are full of mentally retarded children. C) Environmental factors influence a child's IQ. D) Early childhood education programs are important.
C