Astronomers say they are on the point of finding planets like Earth orbiting other stars, which is a key step in determining if we are alone in the universe. A top NASA official and other leading scientists say that within four or five years they should discover the first Earth-like planet where life could develop, or may have already. A planet close to the size of Earth could even be found sometime this year. At the annual American Astronomical Society conference this week, each discovery involving so-called "exoplanets" --those outside our solar system -- pointed to the same conclusion:Quiet planets like Earth where life could develop probably are plentiful. NASA's Dew Kepler telescope and a lot of new research from the suddenly hot and competitive exoplanet field caused noticeable buzz at the meeting.Scientists are talking about being at "an incredible special place in history" and closer to answering the question. "Are we alone? For the first time, there's an optimism that sometime in our lifetimes we're going to _ that," said Simon Worden,an astronomer who heads NASA's Ames Research Center. "If I were a betting man, which I am, I would bet we're not alone." "These are big questions that reflect upon the meaning of the human race in the universe," the director of the Vatican Observatory, the Rev. Jose Funes, said Wednesday in an interview at this week's conference. Worden told The Associated Press: "I would certainly expect in the next four or five years we'd have an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone." What's an exoplanet? A) It's a planet like Earth B) It's a planet outside our solar system. C) It's a planet orbiting the sun D) It's a planet where life have developed.
B
(Question)
The "melting pot" in American cuisine(. ) is a myth, not terribly unlike the idea of a melting pot of American culture, notes chef Dan Barber. "Most cultures don't think about their cuisine in such monolithic terms," he says. "French, Mexican, Chinese, and Italian cuisines each consist of dozens of distinct regional foods. And I think 'American' cuisine is moving in the same direction, becoming more localized, not globalized. " American cuisine is shaped by the natural wealth of the country. Having never faced agricultural hardship, Americans don't have to rely on rotating crops, such as the Japanese, whose food culture now showcases buckwheat alongside rice, or the Indians, or the French and Italians, who feature beans alongside wheat. "That kind of negotiation with the land forced people to incorporate those crops in to the culture," says Barber. And so eating soba noodles becomes part of what it means to be Japanese, and eating beans becomes part of what it means to be French. So if what we eat is what we are, what are Americans? Well, meat. "If Americans have any unifying food identity, I would say we are a mostly white meat culture," says Barber. "The protein-centric dinner plate, whether you're talking about a boneless chicken breast, or a 16-ounce steak, as an everyday expectation is something that America really created, and now exports to the rest of the world." Every single culture and religion uses food as part of their celebrations, says Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of the FEED Project and The 30 Project, which aims to deal with both hunger and overweight issues globally. "The celebratory nature of food is universal. Every season, every harvest, and every holiday has its own food, and this is true in America as well. It helps define us." Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article? A) American cuisine is healthier than other cuisines. B) American cuisine hasn't changed much over time. C) Americans use food as part of their celebrations. D) Americans are quite proud of their own cuisine.
(Answer)
C
Ques: "Developed and developing nations can learn from each other seeking a low-carbon economy. In terms of energy saving and green economy, China doesn't _ developed nations," said Zhou Changyi, director of the energy saving department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. "While we can learn many aspects from developed nations, they also should learn something from us, such as water conservation," Zhou said in a speech during the new Path of China's Industrialization forum at the ongoing China International Industry Fair. He said industrialized nations and China are dealing with different issues to fight climate change. The United Kingdom, for example, is concerned about transport, buildings and new energy in reducing carbon emissions. For China, the most urgent task is how to realize new type of industrialization and avoid mistakes that other countries made when they industrialized. Swiss power and automation technology group ABB called for a stronger focus on product life-cycle assessment, or LCA, which is used to study the environmental impact of a product from the research and manufacturing stage through its usage and recycling. Tobias Becker, head of ABB' s process automation division for North Asia and China, said LCA is an effective tool in helping manufacturing industries to reduce carbon emissions. LCA shows that industrial customers should focus on a product's environmental impact throughout its life-cycle instead of on its initial investment. Richard Hausmann, North East Asia CEO of Siemens, said, "The color of future industrialization is green. " The Germany company recently announces that it wants to receive orders worth more than 6 billion Euros ( US 8. 8 billion) for intelligent power networks, Smart Grid, over the next five years. Siemens has set a 20 percent market share target for the global smart grid business. A smart grid delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers using digital technology, advanced sensors specialized computers that save energy, reduce costs and... _ about Smart Grid isn't mentioned in the text. A) Small in size B) Low-cost C) Energy-saving D) Security
Ans: A
Ques:Money spent on advertising is money spent as well as any I know of. It serves directly to assist a rapid distribution of goods at reasonable prices, thereby establishing a firm home market and so making it possible to provide for export at competitive prices. By drawing attention to new ideas it helps enormously to raise standards of living. By helping to increase demand it ensures an increased need for labor, and is therefore an effective way to fight unemployment. It lowers the costs of many services: without advertisements your daily newspaper would cost four times as much, the price of your television license would need to be doubled, and travel by bus or tube would cost 20 per cent more. And perhaps most important of all, advertising provides a guarantee of reasonable value in the products and services you buy. Apart from the fact that twenty-seven Acts of Parliament govern the terms of advertising, no regular advertiser dare promote a product that fails to live up to the promise of his advertisements. He might fool some people for a little while through misleading advertising. He will not do so for long, for mercifully the public has the good sense not to buy the inferior article more than once. If you see an article consistently advertised, it is the surest proof I know that the article does what is claimed for it, and that it represents good value. In the passage, which of the following is not included in the advantage of advertising? A) Securing greater fame. B) Providing more jobs. C) Improving living standards. D) Reducing newspaper cost.

Ans:
A