The tradition of birthday parties started in Europe a long time ago. It was feared that evil spirits were particularly attracted to people on their birthdays. To protect them from harm, friends and family members would come to stay with the birthday person and bring good thoughts and wishes. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to keep away from the evil spirits. This is how birthday parties began. The following are some countries' birthday traditions: Canada---Putting butter on the nose. In Atlantic Canada, the birthday child's nose is put butter on for good luck. China---Noodles for lunch. The birthday child pays respect to his / her parents and receives a gift of money. Friends and relatives are invited to lunch and noodles are served to wish the birthday child a long life. England---Money cakes. Certain symbolic objects are mixed into the birthday cake as it is being prepared. If your piece of cake has a coin in it, you will be rich. Ireland---Birthday bump . The birthday child is lifted upside down and " bumped" on the floor for good luck. Italy---Pulling ears. The child's ears are pulled as many times as how old he / she is turning. Japan---New clothes. The birthday child wears new clothes to mark the occasion. New Zealand---Birthday claps. After the candles are hit, the happy birthday song is sung loudly and often out of tune and then the birthday person receives a clap for each year he / she has been alive and then one for good luck. The United States---Cake, candles and the birthday song. A cake is made, and candles are put on top based on how old the person is. The birthday traditions of New Zealand and the United States share all the following in common EXCEPT _ . A) birthday cake B) birthday candles C) birthday claps D) birthday song
C
LOS ANGELES--The advice offered from any other 82-year-olds might have made young people yawn and roll their eyes. But when former South African President Nelson Mandela advised two dozenprefix = st1 /Los Angelesto take education seriously, his audience was listening. The famed old man said to the young people that if they expected to improve the lives of others in the future, they must work at improving their own lives now. "Education is one of the most important weapons you have," Mandela advised, "it will place you in a far better position to serve yourself and your community." "The point is, he was young once and rebellious once and he kept his dream alive, just as you each have dreams." ExplainedSouth Africa's ambassador to theUnited States, Sheita Sisulu, as she introduced Mandela to the young crowd. Asked for specific advice about changing society by 21-year-old Ahmed Younis, Mandela suggested that somehow helping arouse more American interest in foreign affairs might be a start. "There is an impression that Americans, in general, have not followed international developments properly," Mandela said, "I'm not making that statement myself, but there are serious political analysts who say Americans are not well informed as to what has happened in the world." 22-year-old Omari Trice said Mandela left him full of passion. "He's a person who set the tone for an entire nation." said Trice. "You go away feeling you need to be Superman in order to get things done." Trice said. Nelson Mandela makes the point in his speech that American youth leaders should _ . A) improve their own lives B) go to college for better education C) put more importance on education D) become interested in foreign affairs
C
Q: When did you last go outside for sports? Some students might need a while to remember. But for students in Yangzhou University it is easy to remember as they need to run in the morning at least three times a week during their two terms. The university even uses fingerprint punch-in clocks to manage students' records. However, some students still try to skip morning running. To them, sports are just not important enough. Now colleges are seeing a change in the student lifestyle from outdoor enthusiasts to indoor couch potatoes and Internet addicts. The Internet and various on-campus services, from food delivery to laundry, are leading to a student culture of staying in dormitories. A student can have every need met without leaving the dormitory. In the past two years Zhang Yi, 20, a junior majoring in law at Yangzhou University, has never been outside for sports except during physical education class. "I don't think there is anything wrong with sleeping late in the morning and wanting to stay in the dormitory in my spare time. I have more fun doing things on my computer than playing on the sports ground in wet clothes." said Zhang. "With social networking sites, online games and micro-blogging added to already tight schedules, sports are often the last thing to be considered." said Cheng Jie, 21, a senior majoring in civil engineering at the Southeast University in Nanjing. But Jin Yinghua, a professor at Beijing Sports University, said that sports are not only for keeping fit, but also an irreplaceable "education" for students. Sports are not only a way for students to train their body, but also an important way to learn responsibility, teamwork and devotion. The best title of the passage would be _ . A) Morning running at colleges B) A new college life C) Sports losing attraction D) P.E. class at colleges
A: C
(Q).
Paying a higher price than usual for a ticket to see a film in 3D is the annoyance of many a cinema-goer's life. But there may be a benefit to doing so, as a study has found that 3D films exercise the brain and improve short-term functioning in a similar way to brain-training tests. The research found that people who watched a movie in 3D improved cognitive skills, compared to those who watched it in 2D. The research was led by neuroscientist Dr Patrick Fagan from Goldsmiths University in London. More than 100 people took part in the experiment, where participants watched Disney filmBig Hero 6in either standard format or RealD 3D. They also carried out a brain-training-style test before and after seeing a section from the film. The test covered memory, reaction times and cognitive function and the results were compared later. According to the research, which was carried out in partnership with science group Thrill Laboratory, participants experienced a 23 percent increase in cognitive processing, as well as an 11 percent increase in reaction times. Dr Fagan said that the results showed enough of an improvement in brain function to suggest that 3D could play a part in improving brain power in the future. "These findings are more significant than you might think," he said. "It is a fact that people are living longer and there is a noticeable decline in cognitive brain function in old age which can worsen future quality of life. There has never been a better time to look at ways to improve brain function. The initial results of this study show that 3D films may potentially play a role in slowing this decline." A second part of the experiment involved those watching the film being fitted with headsets that scanned brain activity and this too showed heightened activity when watching 3D. According to the results, participants were seven percent more engaged with what they were watching, adding to argument that 3D movies are more like watching real-life--something Professor Brendan Walker from Thrill Laboratory... The text is most likely to appear in _ . A) a sports newspaper B) a biology textbook C) a science magazine D) a film review
(A).
C