It's the place where smart people make smart machines work even smarter. It's also in the heart of sunny California, a great place to start a family and raise kids. What could be better? But something is happening to their children. Up until the age of two they develop normally. But then everything seems to go backwards. The children become locked into their own small world, unable to communicate at all. They call it the "curse of Silicon Valley," but the medical name for the condition is autism . It used to be thought that autism was a kind of mental illness. Now doctors are sure that it is a neurological disease transmitted genetically. It seems that the people leading the communications revolution are having children who cannot communicate at all. But even the parents have trouble communicating. Asperger's Syndrome is a mild version of autism. People who have it are highly intelligent and often brilliant with numbers or system but have no social skill. This very combination of symptoms makes Asperger's sufferers into ideal computer professionals. The Asperger's sufferer has always been a well--known figure in popular culture. He or she was the eccentric but dedicated scholar or the strange uncle or auntie who never married. But the high numbers of such people in Silicon Valley mean that they can meet others who understand them and share their interests. And while they might not be personally attractive, they can earn truly attractive amounts of money. They can get married and have kids. Unfortunately, many of the children of two Asperger's parents seem to be developing serious autism. There is little anyone can do. It takes hours of work just to make autistic child realize that anyone else exists. And there is no cure in sight. Some argue that no cure should be found. "It may be that autistics are essentially different from normal people, but that these differences make them invaluable for the evolution of the human race," says Dr. Kirk Whilhelmsen of the University of California. "To eliminate the genes... What can we know about Asperger's Syndrome according to the passage? A) Asperger's sufferers are ideal computer professionals. B) Asperger's sufferers never get married and have children. C) Asperger's sufferers are ashamed of themselves and locked into their own world. D) Asperger's sufferers can be beneficial to society if they are cured.
A
(Question)
Mom's birthday present? It may be a difficult thing for some people, but for me, it is an easy thing. Mom loved flowers, so every year I sent her flowers. Actually she had a bed of irises in the backyard of her small, Indiana farm. They were beautiful. "Take some," she said, "Dig some up and plant them on the side of your own house." But in my yard they became lacking in energy. A year passed, then two, but not one flower appeared. I cut back all their green leaves. I was tired of seeing them so lonely. Finally, I dug the irises up and threw them away. About that time Mom died unexpectedly. My sister and I sold the farm. I never went back to see the irises. I just couldn't bear seeing another family living in our home--Mom's home. Autumn came, then winter. The following spring, as Mom's birthday approached, I struggled with the question of how to remember her. I stared out the window and saw a few stubborn irises in my side yard sprouting , --tall, thin but flowerless. Because of seeing them, I decided to order flowers as I always did on Mom's birthday, and send them to my sister. I wished so badly I could still send flowers to Mom. But that was impossible. In the morning of Mom's birthday, I was in my car ready to work. Something in the yard caught my eye. The irises! One had bloomed with flowers, big, showy and purple, as lovely as they ever had been on Mom's farm. I smiled and turned my eyes upward. I could no longer send flowers to Mom. But somehow, she'd been able to send them to me. What troubled the author? A) She didn't know how to grow irises. B) She regretted they had sold Mom's farm. C) She didn't know what to do in memory of Mom. D) She couldn't bear others living in Mom's home.
(Answer)
C
Ques: Most people hate change, which is sad since we often go through intense changes in life. And for some of us, even the smallest changes can upset our day. So the question is: Why do most of us find making adjustments to our lives so hard? Fear of change is nothing new. Over a century ago, the Parisians were unhappy over a particular addition to their city: the Eiffel Tower. In fact, the citizens were so angry about the plans for the tower that they protested its construction. As strange as it may seem, their anger was completely natural. They were given no choice about the huge change that was going to be made, so they became angry. But we get upset over changes even when we do have a say in the matter and think about them carefully. Changes are brought about every day by the decisions we make: which school to attend, which job to take, whom to marry. Voluntary changes also make most of us uneasy because we don't know how those changes will affect our future. People have discovered that the key to overcoming the fear and anger associated with change is to be flexible . When they are flexible, people can adapt to new situations more easily. Being flexible is especially important in the 21st century as technology makes change occur faster than ever before. Those who oppose change, especially with technology in the workplace, may find themselves out of a job. When change comes, and you have no choice but to face it, embrace it. A positive attitude helps a lot. In fact, the change may turn out to be the best thing for you. That new job you got may end up being much better than your old one. You may make the best friends of your life in the new city you moved to. Don't merely focus on how you feel about change; instead decide to accept the change. The change is the reality, and it's up to you whether the change will be a success or a failure. According to the passage, it can be inferred that what won't disturb us are _ . A) the changes that have agreement with one's will B) the small changes we meet in our daily life C) the changes whose effect we can predict and control D) the changes that we discuss or consider thoroughly
Ans: C
It would be hard to find a person in America who has never eaten a hamburger, but this popular food was not originally made in America. The original hamburger can be traded back to the Middle Ages, when Russians ate raw meat that was scraped and shredded with a dull knife and formed into patties , It was called Tartar steak. This was the first step in a long series of developments that eventually resulted in hamburger as we know it today. German sailors picked up the raw meat delicacy in their contacts with Russians and brought it back to their home port of Hamburg. But the people there were unused to eating raw meat , so they broiled the outside of the Russian steak; thus the hamburger steak was born. The hamburger steak was brought ot America in the nineteenth century immigrants. Louis Lasssen, a cook in New Haven, Connecticut, modified the hamburger steak by sandwiching it between two pieces of bread. But the true American hamburger came into existence in St. Louis at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904. A harried cook at the fair quickly slapped broiled beef patties between buns and served them to a demanding crowd, which gulped them down joyously. At first this new food creation was made from scraps of poorer cuts of meat that were not used for anything else, but before scrapes were not enough. The demand for greater quantities of hamburger could only be met by using more and better cuts . Hamburger stands sprang up all over the country, and a side industry of condiments , such as ketchup and relish, grew The writer talks about the emergence of the hamburger by _ . A) describing the changes step by step B) retelling Russian folk tales C) describing eyewitness accounts D) showing that other foods changed too .
A