The United States covers a large part of the North American continent. Its neighbours are Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. Although the United States is a big country, it is not the largest in the world. In 1964, its population was over 185,000,000. When this land first became a nation, after winning its independence from England, it had thirteen states. Each of the states was represented on the American flag by a star. All these states were in the eastern part of the continent. As the nation grew toward the west, new states were added and new stars appeared on the flag. For a long time, there were 48 stars. In 1959, however, two more stars were added to the flag, representing the new states of Alaska and Hawaii. Indians were the first people of the land which is now the United States. There are still many thousands of Indians now living in all parts of the country. Sometimes it is said that the Indians are "the only real Americans". Most Americans come from all over the world. Those who came first in greatest numbers to make their homes on the eastern coast of North America were mostly from England. It is for that reason that the official language of the United States is English and that its culture and customs are more like those of England than those of any other country in the world. Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A) The States of America B) The Language of America C) The United States of America D) The Culture and Customs of America
C
(Question)
More than one million children in the United States do not go to school. Instead, they learn at home. Most often, their parents are their teachers. Educational companies, libraries and the Internet provide many families with teaching materials. Parents choose home schooling for several reasons. Some choose it because of their religious beliefs. Others say it provides more time for the family to be together. They say the home offers a better place for learning. Some parents believe home schooling avoids learning. Some parents believe home schooling avoids problems of _ schools. Critics, however, say children need to attend school with other children. All fifty American states and the District of Columbia permit home schooling. Some states do not require much preparation by parents or testing of children. Other states have more requirements for home schooling. Home schooling in the United States began when the country was established. In farm areas, people often lived far from a school. Widespread home schooling took place until about the middle of the nineteenth century. Then, in 1852, the state of Massachusetts passed the first law requiring children to attend school. Over the years, the American public education system strengthened and grew. By the 1960s and 1970s, however, some Americans believed that traditional education was not helping their children. So a number of parents began home schooling. Home schooling expert Linda Dobson says many people have helped the movement grow. She says many kinds of people have joined the movement. These include rich people and poor people. They represent many races, religions and political beliefs. Ms. Dobson says the number of home-schooled children has increased an estimated fifteen to twenty percent each year during the last fifteen years. Home schooling in the United States now is _ . A) facing many difficulties B) struggling C) growing fast D) decreasing in large numbers
(Answer)
C
Ques: Before I spoke to his school, Matt was waiting for me. He sat in his wheelchair barely able to move. As soon as he saw me he started smiling. He could not talk but I pretended the sharks were eating his cereal and his laugh melted the hearts of everyone walking by. One of the teachers told me that he was actually very smart, he just could not control his muscles due to a childhood disease. He was happy and very popular at his school-his'parents' love and encouragement made all the difference. On the contrary--at a book signing session, I met a girl by the name of Anne. She walked up with her mom with a bright smile. Anne asked about my book with a slur in her speech indicating a slight head-injury. I told her about it and she smiled the whole time and asked me to sign one for her. I did. Five minutes later, I heard a voice from Anne's father, "you know you will not understand the book. You can't read well enough. You aren't smart enough." He said it so loudly that people were staring in their direction. She was ly crushed and her bright smile was now replaced with a look of total despair. He pried the book from her and brought it back to me and asked me to take it back. I asked him if he would allow me to purchase the book for Anne. He said no with a heartless response. I thought back to Matt. He could not speak, walk, run or play but was actually very happy and even doing well in school because of the love and encouragement of his parents. Anne on the other hand had a slight learning problem and may never know happiness of success because of a stern father. What kind of parent are you? The truth is that whatever you are telling your kids-makes the difference between their success or failure in life. What is Matt's problem? A) He is blind. B) He isn't smart enough. C) He suffers a muscles' disease. D) He can't speak and read.
Ans: C
We spend a quarter of our lives asleep. Sleep is necessary for the body to rest, yet our brains continue to process information. Studies have shown that students are more successful when they sleep after studying-instead of pulling all-nighters-because the brain reviews information learned. Similarly, dreaming is an opportunity to work out emotional problems and form thoughts and memories. About 25 percent of the time spent sleeping is spent in rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep. This type of sleep is known for when dreams occur, but it also helps energize the brain and body. Researchers have found two important factors regarding humans and sleep: basicsleep need and sleep debt. Basic sleep need is the amount of sleep we need to have regularly to perform at our best. Sleep debt is the loss of sleep. A few studies say that most adults function best with a basic sleep need of seven to eight hours a night. The problem is that sleep debt also factors in, just because that you meet your basic sleep needs a few nights of the week doesn't mean it cancels out the effects of one night's sleep debt. Of course, everyone is different and some people require more or less sleep than the standard basic sleep need. But the real problem lies in what lack of sleep does over the long period to people who either does not meet his or her body's needs or for one reason or another doesn't get enough regular sleep. It is more possible for these people to have motor vehicle accidents, weight gain and risk for heart disease or diabetes and may be at increased risk for psychological conditions such as depression or drug abuse. Sleeping too long also can be associated with depression and poor health. The best title for the passage is _ . A) Why We Need Sleep B) REMSleep and Basic Sleep C) Sleep Causes Problems D) How Much Sleep We Need
A