Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: studying 20 minutes a day for 20 days. You'll start with the basics and move on to more complex reading comprehension and critical thinking strategies. Please note that although each chapter can be an effective skill builder on its own, it is important that you proceed through this book in order, from Lesson I through Lesson 20. Each lesson builds on skills and ideas discussed in the previous chapters. As you move through this book and your reading skills develop, the passages you read will increase both in length and in complexity. The book begins with a pretest, which will allow you to see how well you can answer various kinds of reading comprehension questions now, as you begin. When you finish the book, take the posttest to see how much you've improved. The text is divided into four sections, each focusing on a different group of related reading and thinking strategies. These strategies will be outlined at the beginning of each section and then reviewed in a special "putting it all together" final lesson. Each lesson provides several exercises that allow you to practice the skills you learn. To ensure you're on the right track, each lesson also provides answers and explanations 'for all of the practice questions. Additionally, you will find practical suggestions in each chapter for how to continue practicing these skills in your daily life. The most important thing you can do to improve your reading skills is to become an active reader. The following guidelines and suggestions outlined will familiarize you with active reading techniques. Use these techniques as much as possible as you work your way through the lessons in this book. Question: According to the passage, the pretest aims to - tell you where your starting level is - arouse your interest in using the book - illustrate the structure of the text - introduce the test-taking techniques
tell you where your starting level is

Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Hilton Shanghai, the city's first international hotel, has been recognized as a top business hotel in Shanghai for its convenient location and outstanding facilities for more than 20 years. However, the hotel's newly appointed general manager Gerd Knaust says it is the people that make the hotel successful. More than 380 employees have been working with the hotel for more than 15 years. Some of them have personal relationships with customers. ''It's a people-relation business,'' Knaust says. ''They really tell me about the stories in the last 15 years. It's something very nice to listen to. It's also a lasting memory for the guests.'' In fact, over the years, some of the guests have stayed in the hotel 200 or even 300 times. Knaust, who has been working in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years, started his career as a chef in Germany. During his early 30s, Knaust already moved to the top in the culinary field as director of kitchen of Hyatt Regency Cologne in Germany. After holding several general manager positions in Mandarin Oriental hotels, Knaust joined Hilton International as the general manager to open the Conrad and Doubletree by Hilton at Haitang Bay, Sanya in 2010. When he was appointed as the general manager of Hilton Shanghai in November, he not only was heavily involved in recruitment, sales and marketing strategies but also he worked closely with the food and beverage team to develop the hotel's restaurant concepts and menus. ''I believe that we should offer quality and healthy food.'' he says. Knaust believes that a hotel must value the customers' comments on Ctrip, Trip Advisor and other platforms, etc. ''It keeps us more on guard to be 100 percent professional,'' he says. Question: Why do business travelers choose Hilton Shanghai? - Because of its location, facilities and good service. - Because it is in Shanghai. - Because its general manager is excellent. - Because some customers are the staff's relatives.
Because of its location, facilities and good service.

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Does money buy happiness? Not! Ah, but would a little more money make us a little happier? Many of us smirk(,) and nod. There is, we believe, some connection between financial fitness and emotional fulfillment. Three in four American college students--nearly double the 1970 proportion-- now consider it "very important" or "essential" that they become "very well off financially". Money matters. But a surprising fact of life is that in countries where nearly everyone can afford life's necessities, increasing wealth matters surprisingly little. The connection between income and happiness is "surprisingly weak," observed University of Michigan researcher Ronald Inglehart in one 16-nation study of 170,000 people. Once comfortable, more money provides diminishing returns . The second piece of pie, or the second $100,000, never tastes as good as the first. Even lottery winners and the Forbes' 100 wealthiest Americans surveyed by University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener have expressed only slightly greater happiness than the average American. Making it big brings temporary joy. But in the long run wealth is like health: its complete absence can create suffering, but having it doesn't guarantee happiness. Happiness seems less a matter of getting what we want than of wanting what we have. Has our happiness, however, floated upward with the rising economic tide? Are we happier today than in 1940s, when two out of five homes lacked a shower or tub? Actually, we are not. Since 1957, the number of Americans who say they are "very happy" has declined from 35 to 32 percent. Meanwhile, the divorce rate has doubled, the teen suicide rate has increased nearly three times, the violent crime rate has gone up nearly four times, and depression has mushroomed. Economic growth has provided no boost to human morale. When it comes to psychological well being, it is not the economy. I call this soaring wealth and shrinking spirit "the American paradox." More than ever, we have big houses and broken homes, high incomes and low... Question: According to the passage, people do well in making a living but don't _ . - have any primary aim - know how to spend money - know how to enjoy life - keep in touch with other people
A: know how to enjoy life

Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Take Action for a Better World: Volunteers Needed Six months' preparation in Denmark: Africa studies, team work combined with social work risk group teenagers. Six months' community work in Malawi in people to people projects: Child Aid, HIV/AIDS Fights and Teacher Training. Qualifications:18 years, hard-working and social engagement. Please contact us by email:takeaction@betterworld.com Part-time Work with Exchange Students YOUTH International is a non-profit high school foreign exchange student organization. We welcome teenagers from over 80 countries worldwide and provide host families. The Community Representative is a part-time position designed for people with a strong desire to do something rewarding in the community and earn some extra money. Applicants best suited for this work should enjoy teenagers, have a strong interest in cross-cultural communication, and feel comfortable networking. Full training and support will be provided through branch offices throughout the U.S Positions available in most states. If interested, please email staff@youth.org or call 888-123-9872. International Summer Job Hi, I'm an ESL student in China. I'm 20, quiet and polite, and I speak reasonable English. I am looking for a summer job in an English-speaking country. I can teach Chinese or do house and garden work, and cook Chinese dishes. Can anybody offer me a Job? I don't need to earn much, just enough in 2 months (July-August) to pay for my return ticket to China. My goal is to improve my English and see a bit more of the world. My email is : ram3462@hotmail.com Call for Native Speakers of English I am looking for native speakers of English to join in an experiment. This experiment is carried out over the Internet. You don't need any specific knowledge other than understanding and speaking English at a native level. The first task will take you around 15 minutes. After this task, you can decide whether you want to continue the experiment. The tasks involve reading texts and designing questions and answers. If you... Question: If Mrs. Black in the U.S hopes to learn some Chinese at home, she may contact _ . - takeaction@betterworld.com - ram3462@hotmail.com - club3864@hotmail.com - staff@youth.org
ram3462@hotmail.com