Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Awareness Weeks have become a regular part of Britain's cultural landscape over the past few years. They started back in 1957,when one charity , Christian Aid, decided to make all its money-raising efforts on one time of year. It was thought that by doing this they would get more publicity for their cause. They were right, and soon other charities and campaign groups followed them. These days, most donations to charity are not collected on the streets. So instead of just asking for money, charities prefer to spend their time "raising awareness"--spreading knowledge of the work they do or the cause they support. They also compete with businesses and trade groups who use awareness weeks as marketing campaigns for their products. There are now 500 awareness weeks held every year in the prefix = st1 /UK. No week goes by without one group or another trying to make the British public aware of something, with most held in May or October. The danger with all these awareness weeks is that people start to become cynical .Take National Smile Week, it seems like a great idea. Let's all make each other's life a little bit happier with a friendly smile. But really it's just a group of dentists and cosmetics companies trying to sell us toothpastes. It's enough to make you want to start National Forget About It Week."People feel that many awareness campaigns are just marketing exercises," says Ms Ormiston, who edits the Awareness Campaign Register, a newsletter which encourages people who run Awareness Weeks to become more aware of each other."But 90 per cent of campaigns are run by traditional charities or not for groups to make money." "There's still no official group for awareness campaigns," says Ms Ormiston."People can do what they like, whatever the size of their budgets or their public relations machines allows." This situation has led to calls for laws to stop real charities having their efforts overshadowed by marketing campaigns. This could be done by making the two groups hold their weeks at different... Question: What's the writer's view on Awareness Weeks? Options: A: National Forget About It Week should be held to stop awareness weeks. B: National Smile Week is a great idea to improve people's life. C: National Weak Awareness Week can help people better understand awareness weeks. D: Awareness Weeks should be stopped because of marketing campaigns.
Ans: C

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Like all big cities, Paris has a traffic problem: lots of cars, lots of traffic jams and lots of pollution from exhaust fumes . So the city began a scheme to improve the situation. Under the Velib scheme('Velib' comes from velo liberte, or 'bicycle freedom') , people can take a bicycle, use it for as long as they want, and then leave it at the same or another bicycle station. The first half-hour on the bike is free, but if you don't return it after 30 minutes, you have to pay. But it's only [?]1 a day or [?]29 a year! The bicycles are heavy (25 kg), and they are all grey and have baskets. There are about 20,000 of them in the city, and around 1,450 bicycle stations. So there are a lot more Velib stations than the 298 subway stations! Paris is not the first city to have a scheme like this. But not everybody thinks it's a great idea. One Parisian said, "These bicycles are only for short journeys. If people want to travel across the city, they won't use a bicycle -- they'll still use their cars." A city spokesman said, "The bicycle scheme won't solve all our traffic problems, of course. But it might help reduce air pollution. Traffic, together with factory fumes, is a big problem. There aren't any simple answers to traffic problems and pollution in cities. But unless we do something now, there will be more traffic jams and temperatures will continue to rise, so the problems in our environment will get worse. The bikes might help people to lead a healthier life, too." Question: What can we learn about the Velib scheme? Options: A: Its bikes have no baskets. B: Its bikes are light and colorful. C: People must return the bike to the same place after using it. D: It owns more stations than the subway.
Ans: D

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: There is a Web site called the "World Database of Happiness." It combines and analyzes the results of hundreds of surveys from around the world that have been conducted on life satisfaction. Most of the findings are predictable, but a few are surprising. The database makes it clear that there is not a strong connection between material wealth and general contentment. It is a cliche to say that money can't buy happiness, but the old saying seems to be supported by research. Many people still cling to the belief that gaining riches will be the answer to all their problems, yet they are probably mistaken. Studies have been carried out on people who acquired sudden wealth, such as lottery winners. In most cases, after the initial joy had worn off, people were not left with a sense of lasting happiness. In fact, they tended to revert to the way they felt before they became rich. Previously contented people continue to be contented, while those who were miserable before sink back into misery. If material wealth does not bring happiness, then what does? Perhaps happiness has something to do with where you live. The authorities at the World Database on Happiness have surveyed levels of happiness in different countries. Apparently, people in America, Canada, and Singapore are very happy; people living in India and Russia, not surprisingly, are not happy. Other surveys consistently point to the importance of relationships. Family relationships in particular seem to be the key to long-term contentment. The Web site suggests that falling in love and having children are two of the situations that bring the greatest happiness. Nowadays people look to technology as an alternative source of satisfaction. People increasingly spend more time alone watching TV or surfing the Internet rather than spending time with family. Can technology truly make people happy? It is too difficult to tell, but one thing is sure: If the Web site's research is accurate, time spent with your family is a better investment than time spent making money. Question: What's the author's attitude towards technology according to the passage? Options: A: Technology is the key to happiness. B: Technology has nothing to do with happiness. C: Technology can guarantee the long-term contentment. D: The author is not sure about the relationship between technology and happiness.
Ans: D

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: There is no such thing as "the perfect parent" and everyone has to learn how to educate their children. Parents may be annoyed by their kids and yell at then, but they should be careful not to yell at the children. Children need to be loved and cared for. They need positive encouragement, which will help them believe that they can succeed in their lives. This will also give them opportunities to explore and try out new things. If parents yell at their children, the emotional development of them can be badly affected. Though parents think they are protecting their children at all times, the children will not feel safe when they are yelled at. It can be a very bad experience for children. This can make it difficult for children to enjoy parents' presence if they are being yelled at. A person needs to be a good listener and also should learn to give others a chance to talk. When a child grows up with parents who often yell, this will not happen. When parents often yell, their children will also learn the same thing and they will find it natural not to listen to anyone. The confidence of a child is built up by his or her parents. There is no doubt that yelling will only decrease their confidence level. The words used while yelling can affect them greatly. They will not want to do anything without asking for their parents' permission. Question: Which is the best title of the passage? Options: A: Be a perfect parent B: Don't yell at your children C: Parents should learn how to educate the children D: Parents should protect their children
Ans:
B