Without most people realizing it, there has been a revolution in office work over the last ten years. Before that time, large computers were only used by large, rich companies that could afford the investment. With the advancement of technology, small computers have come onto the market, which are capable of doing the work that used to be done by much larger and expensive computers, so now most smaller companies can use them. The main development in small computers has been in the field of word processors , or WPS as they are often called. 40% of British offices are now estimated to have a word processor and this percentage is growing fast. There are many advantages in using a word processor for both secretary and manager. The secretary is freed from a lot of daily work, such as re-typing letters and storing papers. He or she can use this time to do other more interesting work for the boss. From a manager's point of view, secretarial time is being made better use of and money can be saved by doing daily jobs automatically outside office hours. But is it all good? If a lot of daily secretarial work can be done automatically, surely this will mean that fewer secretaries will be needed. Another worry is the increasing medical problems related to work with visual display units . The case of a slow loss of sight among people using word processors seems to have risen greatly. It is also feared that if a woman works at a VDU for long hours, the unborn child in her body might be killed. Safety screens to put over a VDU have been invented but few companies in prefix = st1 /Englandbother to buy them. Whatever the arguments for and against word processor are, they are a key feature of this revolution in office practice. According to the writer, the main feature of the revolution in office work over the last ten years is _ . A) the saving of time and money B) the use of computers in small companies C) the wide use of word processors D) the decreasing number of secretaries
C
American schools do not have separate classes for boys and girls. If boys want to cook or to sew, they can learn these things in classes that are no longer just for girls. If girls want to repair cars, they can now learn this in school. Most students like to have boys and girls on the same baseball team. Many boys and girls dress alike in school. They were blue jeans and sport shirts. Some have long hair and some have short hair. Sometimes a boy has longer hair than a girl. Even the language is different. Students learn to say fire fighter instead of fireman, police officer instead of policeman, and letter carrier instead of mailman. A person does not need to be a man to fight a fire or to deliver the mail. Most people think that these changes are good. They give all people an equal chance to be happy and to do what they want to do with their lives. Fathers like to tell their sons that they can grow up to be president. Today, mothers can tell the same things to there daughters. What does "mailman" mean? A) Milkman B) Postman C) Writer D) Reporter
B
Q: Sports are all about change. A team gets better. A kid practices more and swims a personal best or learns a new move on the basketball court. In 2006, two things happened that got me thinking about change--in sports and in life. One of them is tennis champion Andre Agassi, who retired in 2006. Agassi was a terrific player who won 60 titles, including eight major championships . But his greatest accomplishment might have been how much he changed during his career. When he was young, Agassi was a show off who seemed to care only about himself. He didn't train very hard, but he won matches because of his tremendous talent. Eventually, though, injuries and his bad attitude caught up with him. He fell from No.1 in the world ranking to No.141. So Agassi changed. He trained harder and became a world-class player again. More importantly, he changed as a person. He was nicer to fans and opponents . He stopped thinking just about himself and started thinking about others. Through his Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, he raised more than $60 million to help disadvantaged kids around his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. He even started a school, the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, for at-risk kids. At the start of a new year, lots of people promise themselves they will change. They might _ to get in good physical shape, do better in school or be nicer to others. Changes such as those can be difficult. But they do happen. Just remember Andre Agassi: It wasn't easy, but he changed, and changed for the better. What do you know about Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation? A) It is intended to help at-risk kids. B) It is a charity school set up by Agassi. C) Some disadvantaged kids can get help from it. D) Agassi runs it with his prize money.
A: C
(Q).
Jeanette Rankin was born on a ranch in Montana,USA in 1882.In those days,Montana was still a frontier state,and life there was hard.Men and women shared the difficult outdoor work.But young Jeanette noticed men and women were not equal in many ways.For instance, at election time, women were not allowed to vote.Jeanette thought this was not fair, and several years later, after graduating from college, she realized how to help change the situation. First, she joined with other women.and gave speeches through the state.Thanks to their years of efforts, Montana women were finally allowed to vote.This experience changed Jeanette's life.She wanted do work for the welfare of women and children everywhere.She was now well-known throughout Montana, so she decided to run for the US Congress.In 1916,she became the first woman in the Congress of the United Staters. Just six days after Rankin first attended Congress in 1917,American President Wilson called for a vote to go to war against Germany, as German submarines attacked American ships during World War I.When Jeanette was called upon to vote,she said,"I want to stand by my country, buy I cannot vote for war.I vote no."Forty-nine other congress members also voted no,but she was the person who was criticized most.Newspapers said her decision came from weakness and she was anti-American. In the Second World War, Japanese warplanes attacked the American base at Pearl Harbor in 1941.The time came again for the US Congress members to vote for or against going to war.Everyone was waiting for Jeanette Rankin to vote, who rose and said,"As a woman, I can't go to war, so I refuse to send anyone else".Out of 471 members,she was the only member who voted against war.After that,she received thousands of letters.Most people criticized her, but some praised her for her courage. Shortly before she died in 1973, she was asked if she regretted voting "no"to the two wars."Never,"she answered."If you are against war,you're against war regard less of what happens." Today, in the US... When Jeanette Rankin was young,_. A) women were not allowed to work with men B) women had no right to vote C) women could not go to college D) women could not deliver speeches in public
(A).
B