There is a time when Karyn Bosnak couldn't pay a $59 bill at the grocery store. She was officially broke. She didn't have enough money to get on the subway, but she looked rich. She was a television producer, earned $900 a week, and had a closetful of designer labels like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. But she also had a $20,221.40 credit card bill and an empty bank account. Karyn decided that it was time for a change. She built a website and simply asked people to help her out by sending her a dollar or two. On the site, Karyn honestly explained her situation. "If 20,000 people gave me just $1, I'd be home free." Amazingly, it worked. Her website was visited by more than a million people. Although most donors just gave a few dollars, one generous donor sent $1,000. She was on TV and in newspapers and magazines. She was offered a book deal and a movie contract. And of course, she was able to pay off her credit card debt. She also sold her designer clothes on eBay. In her closet, where the Gucci purse once sat, Karyn keeps all the letters that people have sent her. It's hard to understand why so many people helped a total stranger pay off her huge credit card bill. Karyn explains, "I was just honest about what happened; I didn't make up some sob story about saving the world." Her donors think it's funny and original, and view it less as a charity than as an entertainment site. Imitators have appeared all over the Internet, some with extremely selfish requests for things like a BMW or a house. Actually, Karyn was not the first person to put up a website asking strangers for money. The practice has a name: "cyber-begging." Most sites receive little traffic and even less cash. Karyn also had thousands of enemies and critics. People sent her hate mail and scolded her on websites. Karyn says she never let this anger bother her. "They are probably jealous they didn't think of it." She explains. What can we learn about cyber-begging? A) It encourages beggars to be honest. B) Its main purpose is to help the poor. C) It was first started by Karyn Bosnak. D) Most of the time it draws little attention.
D
(Question)
Scientists studying the impact of climate change on the Arctic need to consider ways to reduce their own carbon footprints , says Ryan Brook, a researcher who regularly flies north to study the health of caribous .He calls on scientists to show leadership by examining and sharing ways to reduce the impact of working in polar regions. "The importance of the research is not at question here. It is important to our understanding of and adapting to climate change. But we need to think about better approaches," says Brook. "This is an issue for all scientists, though polar researchers often travel particularly long distances using commercial air travel. We also rely extensively on small aircraft, icebreakers, and snowmobiles, all of which produce large amounts of carbon." Brook studies the health of caribou herds in Nunavut and Northwest Territories. He works with northern wildlife managers. This work typically takes him north five or six times per year and when he calculated his own carbon footprint, he was not happy with the result. "My research footprints are about the same as the annual footprints of an average Toronto resident. Basically, I have two footprints -- my own personal life, which is moderate, and my research footprint." Climate scientists can rightly argue that Arctic research is a specialized field and the community of scientists who travel north is relatively small. Even if all scientists working in the north reduced their carbon emissions, it would not make a big impact on the global scale. For Brook, it's the option that matters. There are ways researchers can reduce the amount of carbon they use. Some helicopters use less fuel than others. Solar and wind power are alternatives to gas-fired generators. And while carbon offsets don't reduce the amount of carbon emitted, they are an easy first step. "There aren't necessarily any easy answers, but we need to start talking about it," says Brook. "This is particularly important for the next generation of scientists being trained and I hope to see... What did Brook find when he calculated his own carbon footprints? A) His carbon footprints are more than the annual footprints of a Toronto resident. B) His personal life footprints are more than the annual footprints of a Toronto resident. C) His research footprints are about the same as his personal life footprints. D) His personal life footprints are more than his research footprints.
(Answer)
A
Crossroads International How does Crossroads work? Crossroads is a resource network. We take goods Hong Kong doesn't want and give them to people who badly need them. We collect those goods and give them out in the welfare arena in Hong Kong, Mainland China, elsewhere in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. So Crossroads is just that: a Crossroads between need and resource. Who do we help? The welfare agencies we help do not run on large budgets . They are grass-root groups who have seen a need and tried to meet it. They can't get the job done without back-up, though, so our task is to help them do their task. Our warehouse is full of goods, from computers to high chairs, clothing to books, stationery to medical provision, cupboards to dinning sets. They send us a list of their needs and we try to match it with the resource we have in stock. How do we operate? Crossroads itself also operates on a low budget. We do not buy the goods we send. They are donated. Similarly, rather than raising funds for freight ,we ask transport companies to donate their services. Nobody in our organization receives a salary. Even our full-time staff works on a voluntary basis. Those that donate goods and services: *Factories*Manufacturers *Hospitals *Hotels *Householders *Offices *Other Charities *Transport Companies *Educational Institutions One resource that we are always in need of is people. While we receive large quantities of goods and there is never a short supply of requests for them, we are always in need of hands to help sort and prepare them for shipping. What can I do? We are always in need of people. We have a lot of tasks. If you are volunteering regularly, we can offer work in some of the following categories, some of the time. You are welcome to number your top three choices and we will do our best to accommodate them. *Clothing categorization *Sewing *Toy categorization *Furniture handling *Driving *Book categorization *Household goods categorization *Office work *Electrical goods categorization *Book keeping... Which of the following is not the choice if you decide to offer help? A) Driving B) Fundraising C) Furniture handling D) Teaching
D