In Africa, listening is a guiding principle .It's a principle that' been lost in the constant chat of the Western world .From my own past experience , I noticed how much faster I had to answer a question during a TV interview .It is as if we have completely lost the ability to listen .We talk and talk , and we end up frightened by silence . Everywhere, people on the African continent write and tell stories. Even the nomads who still live in the Kalahari Desert are said to tell one another stories on their daylong wanderings, during which they search for roots and animals to hunt. A number of years ago I sat down on a stone bench outside the Teatro Avenida in Maputo, Mozambique, where I worked as an artistic consultant. It was a hot day, and we were taking a break, hoping that a cool gentle wind would move past. Two old African men were sitting on that bench, but there was room for me, too. In Africa people share more than just water. Even when it comes to shade, people are generous. I heard the two men talking about a third old man who had recently died. One of them said, "I was visiting him at his home. He started to tell me an amazing story about something that had happened to him when he was young. But it was a long story. Night came, and I decided that I should come back the next day to hear the rest. But when I arrived, he was dead." The man fell silent. I decided not to leave that bench until I heard how the other man would respond to what he'd heard. Finally he, too, spoke. "That's not a good way to die--before you've told the end of your story." What separates us from animals is the fact that we are storytelling creatures and we can listen to other people's dreams, fears, joys, sorrows, desires and defeats--and they in turn can listen to ours. Many people make the mistake of confusing information with knowledge. They are not the same thing. Knowledge involves the interpretation of information. Knowledge involves listening. Many words will be written on the wind and the sand, or end up in store. But... The passage mainly talks about _ . A) the experience of the author B) the art of listening in Africa C) the importance of storytelling D) the life styles of Africans
B
(Question)
There are several reasons for hair loss in women. However, in most cases, treatment is quite effective. Female hair loss patterns in women are not as easily recognizable as they are in men. A woman may experience it temporarily due to pregnancy or illness, although they may experience it for other reasons. Hair loss can be due to a variety of factors, including a genetic tendency (which is not genetically linked to just one parent--both parents contribute to the tendency to lose hair). Women who are experiencing hair problems seem to have more limited choices than men. There are some female hair loss treatments that are available such as the Tricomin System which is a topical treatment that is nutrition based. Shen Min for Women is another natural treatment that contains herbs that are said to stimulate hair growth and even restore hair that is graying to its natural color1. The majority of the popular, prove hair loss treatments are only intended for men and are not suitable for women. True, a woman's hair issue is different from a man's. The biological makeup is different and the needs are different. Women have different needs and their bodies react in different ways to environmental changes, physical illness and even the treatments that are available. There are many natural treatments such as vitamin and mineral supplements that are said to stimulate hair growth, but, for the most part, these claims are currently unproven. One of the first and most important factors to effectively treating is to get a diagnosis from a doctor. Talk to your doctor about any symptoms that you may be experiencing in addition to the thinning hair. Stress, weight loss or gain, illness and depression, all of these can be contributing factors. The reasons for the differences between the female and male hair loss problems do not include_. A) The biological structure and composition of the hair B) The wants and needs C) The reactions and responses to the outside changes D) The approach to taking exercise
(Answer)
D
Ques: Today, I will tell you a story about AbdulRahman, a friend of mine, who was the victim of the big name DHL. I am sure that 90% of you have at least heard of it. It is known for being the best company when it comes to shipping. It is thought to be fast ,reliable and safe. AbdulRahman's brother bought him a mobile phone while he was in the United Kingdom. He wanted to send it to him here in Kuwait . AbdulRahman specifically asked him to send it through DHL. He trusted the company that much, as most people do. But in the end, even though the company told him that it would take up to 5 days for the phone to arrive at AbdulRahman's door, he never received it. And after two weeks of him calling them and hearing the same response "We will investigate the matter, and let you know of our decision by next week. We might pay you back up to 50% of the item's cost." So they are not paying him the full price of the thing they have lost, or as we think, they have stolen. We have reason to think that way, because according to the records, the mobile phone went "missing" while it was in a "sorting facility" of the company. Last Tuesday, they stopped telling him "We are investigating the matter" and officially said, "We ended the investigation. Your shipment is missing." We are still waiting to hear their "decision" about whether they will try to make it up to him, by "maybe" paying him up to 50% , and nothing more. What does the writer think of DHL's response to the case? A) It is quick and in time. B) It is not bad. C) It is disappointing D) It is late but satisfying
Ans: C
Jeffrey Bezos, founder, president and chairman of the board of Amazon.com, was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His mother's ancestors were early settlers in Texas, and over the generations had acquired a 25,000 acre farm at Cotulla. Jeffrey spent most summers of his youth working with his grandfather on their farm. Jeffrey showed intense and varied scientific interests at an early age. He set up an electric alarm to keep his younger sisters and brothers out of his room and changed his parents' garage into a laboratory for his science projects. After he graduated from Princeton University with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering, Jeffrey Bezos found employment on Wall Street, where computer science was increasingly in demand to study market trends. He rose quickly, becoming a senior vice president, and looked forward to a bright career in finance, when he made a discovery that changed his life, and the course of business history. In 1994, there was still no internet commerce to speak of. One day that spring, Jeffrey Bezos observed that Internet usage was increasing by 2300 percent a year. He saw an opportunity for a new circle of commerce, and immediately began considering the possibilities. Bezos founded Amazon.com in 1994, setting up the original company in his garage. The company was called Amazon for the seemingly endless South American river with its numberless branches. It started as an online bookstore but soon diversified to all kinds of products. His work with Amazon eventually led him to become one of the most excellent dot-com entrepreneurs. He was namedTimemagazine's Person of the Year in 1999. In 2008, he was selected byU.S. News & World Reportas one of America's Best Leaders. Bezos' Amazon has become "the Earth's biggest anything store". Amazon.com is now called "one of the smartest strategies in business history". Today, Jeffrey Bezos lives north of Seattle and is increasingly concerned with charity activities. "Giving away money takes as much attention as building a... Which of the following isn't mentioned in the passage? A) How hard Bezos studied in Princeton University. B) "Amazon.com" only sold books in the beginning. C) Bezos not only devoted his life to Internet commerce but also to charity. D) The reason why Jeffrey Bezos decided to found Amazon.com.
A