From babies to body builders, we all have muscles. They grow, they bulge , they stretch they stretch and sometimes they even painfully pull. But for all the work they do for us, we are still unable to crown one as "the strongest muscle." Instead, a few muscles could claim the title, depending on how strength is measured. If the title goes to the muscle that can exert the most force, the victor would be the soleus , according to Gray's Anatomy . Without this muscle, we wouldn't be able to stand, walk, run or shake our bodies on the dance floor. If the soleus was not continuously pulling, we would always be falling over ourselves (although some of us tend to do that from time to time anyway). But perhaps the title should go to the muscle that exerts the most pressure. Pressure is different from force -- pressure takes into account the area over which a force is exerted. The muscle that takes the prize for delivering the greatest amount of pressure is the masseter, or the jaw muscle, according to the book "Clinical Oral Science" (Reed Educational and Professional Publishing, 1998). In 1986, Richard Hofmann of Lake City, Fla., achieved a bite strength of 975 pounds (442 kilograms) for two seconds, setting a Guinness Record. Talk about jaw dropping! The jaw is able to clench and chew because of the masseter muscle. Others may argue the muscles used in childbirth are the most powerful. When it comes to versatility, perhaps the tongue is the strongest muscle. Its combination of elasticity and forcefulness gives us the ability to speak, eat and kiss - all things very desirable on a first date. However dexterous it may be though, its power does not match that of muscles such as the soleus. If slow and steady wins the race, the heart is certainly a _ for the title. When it contracts, the muscle pumps about 2 ounces (59 milliliters) of blood, and is constantly working over a lifetime. Beating about 40 million times a year, a person's heart will beat approximately 2.5 billion times by the time of their 70th birthday. According to the passage, _ . A) Without the soleus, we could still stand, walk, run or shake our bodies on the dance floor B) a few muscles could be the winners, according to different measures C) the muscles used in childbirth are the most powerful D) tongue is the strongest muscle for delivering the greatest amount of pressure
B
Last Friday, I was coming home late after spending time with friends and thought I'd go down to the $99 cent pizza place. On the way, I saw a man sitting on the stairs alone there. I'd seen him before every day I run late to work, but this time I had no place to rush off to. There was something about him, a quiet manner, different from many of other homeless people I had seen in New York City. I walked past him, went to the pizza place, and those 10 seconds waiting in line was enough to practice stepping outside of my usual, familiar flow. So with a few slices in hand, I went back to join him. I asked him if he was hungry. He said yes, but not for pizza because it made him uncomfortable. He'd rather have a few bucks for chicken and rice since it was easier on his stomach. It's funny, in that moment, he became more real to me. This man I had seen almost every day was someone with specific conditions, needs, and experiences. We exchanged names and ended up talking for a little over an hour that night as Kevin told me stories from his life, how he had done things when "he was younger and didn't know any better" and how he tried to make amends but too much time had passed. He shared his views on the value for young adults to learn the history of other people. He talked about his one wish being in his 60's before he leaves this earth, which is to share his story with the teenagers and young adults so they could avoid the mistakes he went through. Throughout the conversation, he eventually got his chicken and rice and gifted me a rose he had been carrying. Shortly afterwards, I made my way home, thinking to myself, "I met an amazing homeless person". The homeless man refused pizza because he _ . A) did not feel very hungry at that moment B) had something wrong with his stomach C) preferred some chicken and rice to pizza D) might feel ashamed to be given something
B
Q: President Xi Jinping announced Thursday that China will cut its military by 300,000 troops, a significant reduction in one of the largest militaries in the world and a move that the Chinese leader called a gesture of peace. "The great renewal of the Chinese nation requires efforts of one generation after another," Xi said in a speech at Tiananmen Square remembering the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific. "Having created an impressive civilization of over 5,000 years, the Chinese civilization will lead to an even brighter future," he said. Xi's announcement came as China staged a massive military parade in central Beijing, sending a stream of troops, tanks, and ballistic missiles down a major east-west street as fighter jets flew overhead with multicolored smoke. Xi's speech kicked off the parade. An estimated 12,000 troops--about 1,000 of whom hailed from Belarus, Cuba, Tajikistan, and other countries-marched along the 10-lane Chang'an Avenue from the commercial center wangfujing to Tiannmen Square, about 1.5 miles away. They were joined by 200 fighter jets and 500 pieces of military hardware, including tanks and ballistic missiles. Representatives from 49 countries were in attendance, including Russian leader Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and U. N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Rory Medcalf, head of the national security college at Australian National University, said the Beijing may have decided to cut 300,000 troops "in the name of efficiency and cost saving." Xi conducted a "troop inspection" after his speech, riding down Chan'gan Avenue in a Chinese-made Hongqi parade car. On Thursday morning, China's popular microblogging site Sina Weibo filled up with 350 million comments related to the parade. While many users expressed their love of their country and pride, few posts were filled with criticism. "The soldiers are too serious," wrote one user. Others complained about the cloud of gray exhaust that followed a column of tanks. Why did China make the military reduction? A) For the efficiency and cost saving. B) For the peace of the whole the world. C) For the celebration of the end of World War II. D) For the renewal of the Chinese civilization.
A: A
(Question)
Dinner, for the English people, is the richest meal of a day and is, different from Chinese dinner, a very formal meal. Many people even wear special clothes for dinner. So if you are asked out to dinner, you must find out whether you are expected to wear a formal suit. You would feel upset if, when you got there, you were the only person in ordinary clothes. Dinner is generally served at about half past seven. All the members of the family sit down together and are on their best behavior. The guest of honor will sit on the right of the lady of the house. There are two schools of thought as to the seating of the hostess. One is that she sits at the foot of the table but this may mess up the man-woman-man setting order. The other way is for the guest of honor to sit at the foot and the hostess to sit on his right. The wife of the guest of honor will sit on the right of the host. This is subject to change according to the wishes of your employer. During the meal when conversation is carried on, you should try to get into conversation with the person on your right or left, but you should not try to talk to someone who is a long way from you. Don't forget to drop your hosts a thank-you note or make a brief phone call. If you and your parents go out to dinner, _ . A) you will sit on the right of the housewife B) your father will sit on the right of the housewife C) your mother will sit on the left of the housewife D) all of you will sit on the left of the housewife
(Answer)
B