Read the article and select the best answer. Article: 2010 was a good year for American farmers. They earned about eighty-two billion dollars. That is almost one-third more than that they earned last year. And it is twenty-six percent higher than the ten-year average. Values for grain and oilseed crops are up about three percent from last year. The value of animal production is up by almost seven percent. In 2011, farm exports are expected to break the all-time high set in 2008.The Agriculture Department says exports in 2011 could top one hundred and twenty-six billion dollars. The largest buyer of agricultural products is expected to be Canada. But farm exports to China are predicted to come within five hundred million dollars of Canadian purchases. Secretary Vilsack says countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East are also buying more from American farmers. Poor growing conditions overseas played an important part in higher prices for American crops in 2010.Charlotte Hebe brand is chief executive of the International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council in Washington. She said drought conditions had a big effect over the summer. She said,"There were horrible weather problems, not just in Russia but also in some of the other former Soviet Union countries." Wheat prices rose after Russia stopped wheat exports,although Russia later eased the ban ."Wheat used to be America's top crop. What's interesting,though,is that wheat production has actually become less over the past few years because corn has become the most popular crop,"said economist Charlotte Hebebrand. Corn is mostly fed to animals. But Miss Hebebrand said with the recent increase in wheat prices, American farmers might plant more wheat again. Corn and wheat are the two largest crops supported by the government. Question: We know that compared to 2009,in 2010 American farmers----. Options: A: planted less corn B: planted morn crops C: planted morn wheat D: earned more money
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: British Summer Time runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. In the depths of winter the nights in the UK are anything from 15-19 hours long. Longer nights mean frost and fog are more likely to form. Twice a year the clocks change, forward in the spring and then back again in the autumn. But why? It happens twice a year. We all change our clocks and watches by one hour. In the spring, we add an hour, and go onto what is called British Summer Time, while in the autumn, we do the reverse, and return to Greenwich Mean Time. Why bother? It's all to do with saving the hours of daylight, and was started by a guy called William Willett, a London builder, who lived in Petts Wood in Kent. Basically, he figured that you could improve the population's health and happiness by putting forward the clocks by twenty minutes every Sunday in April and do the opposite in September. Economics His idea was not taken up, even though a "Daylight Saving Bill" was introduced some five years before the outbreak of World War One. But once the war started, it was considered wise to economics, to promote greater efficiency in using daylight hours, and in the use of artificial lighting. And so in 1916, "Daylight Saving Time" was introduced. Even though most countries abandoned this after that war, some eventually decided that it was a good idea, and most of these nations began to keep it throughout the year. Experiment Since 1972, Britain has decided to go with Greenwich Mean Time in winter, and British Summer Time in Summer. But back in 1968, Britain tried a four-year experiment by advancing time one hour ahead of GMT throughout the year. But those living further north, particularly in Scotland, found it most unsatisfactory, with dark mornings for much of the year, and the experiment was dropped. Question: What is the real meaning of the last sentence of the passage? Options: A: Nobody in the UK likes the idea. B: All things need arguments. C: The British are fond of arguments. D: Different views of the idea still exist.
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: As the economy begins to recover, salary increases should do the same. In the past few years, employers have raised workers' salaries by about 4 percent per year--except for 2009, when the figure dropped to a historically low 2.1 percent, according to a survey of World at Word. About one-third of companies froze raises altogether. For 2010, World at Work's survey projects an average salary increase budget of 2.7 percent, a figure that shows the situation has improved but the job market is still weak. Between 10 percent and 15 percent of companies said they would freeze raises--far fewer than in 2009, but still more than in most years. How can you get a raise? Avalos and others offer the following tips: * Do your job well. This means producing high-quality work, of course, but also keeping the big picture in mind. "It really comes down to positioning yourself as a high performer, somebody who is aware of business goals and helps the company meet their goals as an organization", Avalos said * Be visible. When times are tough, some workers think. "I'm going to hunker down and hope that nobody notices me, because I don't want to be on a layoff list," said Richard Phillips, owner of Advantage Career Solutions. This is a mistake, because you're unlikely to get a raise if no one knows what you have accomplished. "If anything, what you want to do is be more visible." * Make your boss's life easier. This means everything from having a good attitude to taking on extra tasks. If you don't know how you can help your boss, ask. * Ask for a raise. Talk to your boss and present your case: Here's what I've done, here's how it fits with the company's goals, and here is why I think it's worth a salary increase. In some cases, even if your company has an official raise freeze, you can get a raise if you make good case. If the answer is no -- or if you're not ready to ask directly -- Phillips suggests asking, "What would you like to see from me that would put me in line for a raise?" A question like this can improve your... Question: If you want to get a raise, the most important thing you should keep in your mind is to _ . Options: A: have your job done well B: be visible everywhere as possible as you can C: ask your boss for a raise directly D: change your job
A