On Jan 23, 2012, I was aboard a ship on the Yangtze River, listening to the sound of fireworks and eating plate after plate of dumplings. On Sunday Feb 10, 2013, I was preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year again - in London's Chinatown. It was raining. It was cold. But ever since I left Beijing in August, I had promised myself I would celebrate Chinese New Year - if only to help with my Beijing "homesickness". Central London was dressed up for the occasion. There was a stage for a big fireworks display for the evening. Even so, it wasn't like my real Beijing chunjie. Even buying a baozi didn't cheer me up. It cost about 10 times as much as the real thing does in Beijing and got stuck to its rain-ruined paper bag. Cold, wet and depressed, I ran into a shop for shelter. Suddenly, there it was. Between the packets of dried meat and fish, the bags of rice and the smell of dried noodles in this little Chinese supermarket, I had found home. An hour later, I hurried into my house with bags of frozen jiaozi, packets of sauce and a large bottle of vinegar. I boiled water, tore open the packets, grabbed my chopsticks and settled down to a feast. This, I thought, is a Happy Chinese New Year. I even watched the fireworks on TV. After all, why face the British weather when I can bring China home in one bite? Why did the author watch the fireworks on TV? A) She didn't want to get wet and cold again. B) The square is far away from where she lives. C) She doesn't like fireworks very much. D) She was too hungry to go out.
A
(Question)
Owning a smart phone may not be as smart as you think. They may let you surf the Internet, listen to music and snap photos wherever you are... but they also turn you into a workaholic . A study suggests that, by giving you access to emails at all times, the all-singing, all-dancing mobile phone adds as much as two hours to your working day. Researchers found that Britons work an additional 460 hours a year on average as they are able to respond to emails on their mobiles. The study by technology retailer Pixmania, shows the average UK working day is between nine and ten hours, but a further two hours is spent responding to or sending work emails, or making work calls. Almost one in ten admits spending up to three hours outside their normal working day checking work emails. Some workers confess they are on call almost 24 hours a day, with nine out of ten saying they take work emails and calls outside their normal working hours. Nearly two-thirds say they often check work emails just before they go to bed and as soon as they wake up, while over a third have replied to one in the middle of the night. Ghadi Hobeika, marketing director of Pixmania, said, "The ability to access millions of apps, keep in contact via social networks and take photos and video as well as text and call has made smart phones valuable for many people. However, there are _ . Many companies expect their employees to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and smart phones mean that people cannot get away from work. The more constantly in contact we become, the more is expected of us in a work capacity ." The text is probably taken from _ . A) a scientific report B) a financial report C) a newspaper D) a travel journal
(Answer)
C
Ques: In recent years, temperatures in the polar areas are rising faster than anywhere else on Earth. As a result, the ice and the snow are melting at record-setting rates. One result is that sea levels are rising around the world, putting animals and people at risk. A sheet of ice acts like a huge mirror, reflecting the sun's energy. But ocean water, which is darker than ice, absorbs a lot of it. This causes the ocean to warm, which in turn speeds up ice melting and which leads to even more open waters. The cycle continues until all the ice is gone. "As the ice melts, water flows into the oceans, making them less salty. That, along with warmer water temperatures, can harm the creatures that live in, under, and near the ice," says zoologist Michael Stoddard. "Cold-adapted animals -- including polar bears, foxes, hares, and seals -- also need ice for travel and survival." "Most species of fish, sea spiders, and many other animals and plants that live in the waters of Antarctica don't live anywhere else," Stoddard says. "Many of them have special proteins in their bodies keeping them from freezing to death and have other adaptation to the cold that has yet to be explored." Therefore, experts are urging us to reconsider the way we live. The fuels that we burn in cars, power stations, and factories are largely to blame for the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are trapping overmuch heat in our atmosphere. If we can produce fewer of these gases, we can help save the polar ice. "Even small things would make a difference, if everyone did them." Michael Stoddard says, "That's what we have to figure out in the near future to help save the polar ice and thus protect the oceans and us." Which of the following statements is TRUE? A) Polar bears are expanding at a high speed. B) Experts advise people not to use fuels at all. C) Wildlife worldwide is in the process of dying out. D) Global warm is putting animals and humans at risk.
Ans: D
Ques: In recent years, there has been a steady attack on salt from the doctors: salt is bad for you--regardless of your health. Politicians also got aboard. "There is a direct relationship," US Congressman Neal Smith said, "between the amount of sodium a person consumes and heart disease, circulatory disorders, stroke and even early death." Frightening, if true! But many doctors and medical researchers are now beginning to feel the salt scare has gone too far. "All these remarks and cry about salt is unnecessary," Dr. Dustan insists. "For most of us it probably does not make much difference how much salt we eat." Dustan's most recent short-term study of 150 people showed that those with normal blood pressure experienced no change at all when placed on an extremely low-salt diet, or later when salt was reintroduced. Of the hypertensive patients, however, half of those on the low-salt diet did experience a drop in blood pressure, which returned to previous level when salt was reintroduced. "An adequate to somewhat excessive salt intake has probably saved many more lives than it has cost in the general population," said Dr. John H Laragh. "So an opinion that the whole population should avoid salt makes no sense." Medical experts agree that everyone should practice reasonable "moderation" in salt consumption. For the average person, a moderate amount might run from four to ten grams a day, or roughly 1/2 to 1/3 teaspoons. One to two grams of salt would come from the natural sodium in food. The rest would be added in processing, preparation or at the table. "Na is not your enemy," says Comek's Dr. Laragh. "Salt is the No.1 natural component of all human tissue, and the idea that you do not need it is wrong. Unless your doctor has proven that you have a salt-related health problem, there is no reason to give it up." What is the experts' advice for average people on salt consumption? A) They should increase salt intake through sodium pills. B) They should avoid salt as often as possible. C) They should consume 1/2 to 1/3 teaspoons of salt a day. D) They needn't care about how much salt they consume.
Ans:
C