For the people living in the Nile Basin,the river is their life. This 6,825 km waterway,whose watershed covers three million square kilometers,flows through mountains,woodlands,lakes and deserts. Its potential for fishing,tourism and shipping is great-but so are its challenges. Water shortage,already serious in Egypt and Sudan,will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well. Today,about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living. Within the next 25 years,the district's population is expected to double,adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture. The frequent drought adds to the urgency. Water quality is also a problem. Precious soil is washed out to sea. Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution. Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils. Water-borne diseases remain unchecked. In areas where it's hot and damp, _ grow so fast that they choke off lakes,dams and other sections of the river,making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward. Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day. They've seen the river change course,and their only source of water thickened with mud. They're very poor and have few choices. But a new program,the Nile Basin Initiative(NBI),is offering very practical assistance. The program is more than just a water-management project. It's a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them. These are whole ecosystem problems,calling for united solutions .Half the Nile Basin's countries are among the world's poorest nations; yet,somehow,they must find the resources,skills and political will to overcome these challenges. The program NBI is mainly aimed at _ . A) preventing water pollution B) changing the river course C) improving living conditions of the poor D) preventing land from becoming desert
C
(Question)
As a new driver with little experience behind the wheel, having to turn into another lane to avoid a careless driver talking on a cellphone is not something that I am prepared for. According to theNew England Journal of Medicine, an accident is four times more likely to happen than normal while you are talking on the phone. Therefore, I hold the view that using a cellphone while driving should be outlawed(......). Cars are two-ton weapons and should be treated as such. When drivers put a key in the engine, they are taking on the responsibility of being a driver. Answer the phone while driving is like taking the safety off a gun -- at any moment something could go wrong and change a life forever. A few countries, including Australia, Great Britain, Spain and Israel, have _ the damage that cellphone use can cause. According to Tom Alex of The Des Moines Register, people who talk on cellphones while driving are just like drunk drivers. They are likely to make a deadly mistake, causing them to hurt themselves or someone else. Some may think that cellphone are helpful when you need directions or are in an emergency situation. Although I agree, I believe the safest way to use your phone is to pull over to the side of the road first. Some may think that hands-free phones are less dangerous, but studies have shown that the danger remains the same with these. Using a cellphone while driving should be outlawed. One small mistake could change your whole life. Please don't let that happen -- stay off your cellphone while driving. According to the writer, _ . A) drivers should slow down while talking on the phone B) cellphone talking while people are driving is more dangerous than drunken driving C) drivers should be encouraged to use hands-free phones while driving D) using a cellphone while driving should be forbidden
(Answer)
D
Ques: Wilderness activity week, Finland Set off on a really wild adventure to Finland, where night is a distant memory during the endless days of summer. From your cottage, set high in the hills above Koli National Park, you can explore a perfect wilderness, and pull over at a lakeside beach whenever you like a dip . Horseriding in the Tarn France Learn to ride, or perfect your horse-riding skills at Les Juliannes in the Tarn Valley. Activities include everything from show-jumping to hacking through the rolling hills and medieval villages. Between sessions, you can relax by the pool, cycle along the country lanes or roam the grounds. Guests stay at a rural 17th-century farmhouse. Learn to sail in Greece Sunvil Sailing has live-aboard learn-to-sail breaks off the island of Lefkas that are designed for both the complete novice as well as those with a degree of sailing. If you join in Wilderness activity week, Finland, the most unusual thing you will see is _ . A) a national park B) a cottage high in the hills C) a perfect wilderness D) summer days without night
Ans: D
Ques: Last December, I performed 30 shows in 11 days. I knew it would be a tiring tour before I set off, but I just wanted to be there to support our men and women. From the minute I walked onstage the afternoon I arrived at the army, the soldiers were cheering, singing along at the top of their voices. I had done hundreds of concerts, but it was my first time to perform for _ . Looking at the smiling faces of these soldiers --- some of them only teenagers --- I felt great joy moving through me. They were the loveliest fans I had ever met. Then, from out of nowhere, words came into my head. "I want to play you something new ... a song just came in my head minutes ago. It's calledHere with Me," I told them. Cheers rang out. As I sang, I could see the tears in some of soldiers' eyes. I finished to thunderous applause. At theautograph part afterward, one of the soldiers took out a picture of a high school student. "This is my girl. You know, I miss her so much," he said. "That new song you sang ... it meant so much to me. Those were the words I've always wanted to tell her. I realized that the song wasn't about me and that it was, in fact, a gift for these men and women. I played it in every concert after that, always with the same unbelievable reaction. On the long plane ride home I kept thinking about the soldiers I'd met. They risked their lives every day to defend our country, yet they were grateful for a simple concert. I decided to record the new song to thank our men and women inuniform . The passage is most probably written by a(n) _ . A) dancer B) teacher C) singer D) official leader
Ans:
C