The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched roof cottages around a church, a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white, the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings--these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside. Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practised in the British Isles. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too. Thatching is a solitary craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practised toady has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, keeping and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter. In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often unwilling to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to get the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat. People in developing countries also live under thatch because _ . A) thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction B) thatched roof houses are the cheapest C) thatch is an effective defense against the heat D) they like thatched houses better than other buildings
B
(Question)
Peter Jackson, currently one of the world's most well-known directors and the unofficial face of the entire nation of New Zealand, was born on October 31, 1961 in Pukerua Bay, New Zealand. He liked to take photographs, so a family friend bought the young Jackson a super 8mm camera. He has been a filmmaker even since. At age nine he even attempted to remake his favorite film, King Kong, using his own stop-motion effect. Unlike many of the filmmakers working today, Jackson never went to film school. Instead he created his own short films with the help of family and friends. He was turned down for a job at the National Film Unit, New Zealand's government agency that produces tourist films about the country. With that avenue closed, Jackson began working other jobs to support himself, while shooting shorts on the weekend. One of these weekend films, expanded from its original ten minutes length into a feature film. The project took four years to complete (1983-1987)and was called Bad Taste. After the success of Bad Taste, Jackson became recognized as a director and the door to fame and fortune was opened. He gave up his job at a local photographer's shop and became a well-known director of horror-movies. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is obviously a huge landmark in Jackson's career, not only did the films become some of the most commercially successful of all time, _ His digital effects company, WETA Digital, became one of, if not the most respected effects company in the world; similarly, Jackson has also expressed an interest in returning to his roots and directing some lower-budget splatter films again. The purpose of the passage is to _ . A) show us Peter Jackson is a most well-known directors B) tell us there is a famous person in New Zealand C) introduce some information about Peter Jackson D) tell some film stories made by Peter Jackson
(Answer)
C
Ques: When I saw a big handmade signboard "Welcome Yuxin" at the airport,I knew I had found a caring family at the other side of the world -- the United States. My host mom had already decorated my room for me. There was a doll on one side of the room,and a bookcase full of books on the other -- they had heard I loved reading. Mom had also prepared a keyboard for me,since she knew that I played the piano. My life in the family did not go so well at first. Because I am the only child in my family in China,I was not used to having two younger kids -- Zachary and Grace--running around me yelling all the time. Mom had a serious talk with me about this problem on a Sunday afternoon. She told me,"You can't just come home from school every day,go to your room and do your homework. You need to be a part of this family. You need to play with my kids for at least an hour. " This rule was very annoying at first. I did not have much experience playing with children. However,the more time I spent with the kids,the more I grew to love them. We played games and read books together. I even taught them Chinese. Thanks to Mom's rule,I began to feel like I was really part of the family. Mom also inspired me to live a healthier life. She got up early every morning to go running. On weekends,she took the whole family to visit parks or go camping. I did not like sports much when I was back home,but now I love to join all kinds of sports. I am healthier and more confident too. With my American family,I found joy and laughter. I learned to live with energy and optimism ,thanks to the care and responsibility of my loving American parents. What can we infer from the passage? A) Yuxin's life with her American host family went very smoothly from the beginning. B) The host mom cared about Yuxin's overall development. C) The host family's two children didn't like Yuxin at all. D) Yuxin didn't notice what the host family did for her.
Ans: B
April sales figures show a disappointing month for Wal-Mart. The world's largest retailer reported a big drop in sales last month--its worst decline in nearly 30 years. As VOA's Mil Arcega reports, Wal-Mart is not alone. A three and a half percent drop in sales does not seem like much. But for a company that sells more than $300 billion worth of goods every year, analysts say it is significant. Alan Murray, the managing editor of the Wall Street Journal, says the drop represents Wal-Mart's biggest decline since 1979. "There are a number of things going on. Part of it is early Easter, so some of those sales got moved into March. Part of it is bad weather." But it may also signal a trend. Across the board, retailers from Target to JC Penny and the Gap, reported weaker sales in April. Analysts say the decline suggests high gasoline prices and the slowing prefix = st1 /U.S.housing market are finally catching up with consumers.Murraysays there may be other factors at play. "Wal-Mart is not doing what it used to do very well. It made an attempt last year to sell clothes to high scale retailers. That didn't work. It had to back off. It's remodeling its stores. That's not working very well," says Murray. To bring customers back, some say Wal-Mart needs to go back to its marketing basics. Retail analyst Dana Telsey says that means low priced goods in a friendly retail environment. "I think Wal-Mart is working to enhance its image. It could always be better. Going back to its roots is a way, that hopefully, customers will become familiar with it again." Wal-Mart is one of the biggest economic indicators in the retail industry. As the world's largest profit making enterprise, Wal-Mart's yearly revenues represents about 2.5 percent of total economic activity in the U.S. According to the passage, the followings are all reasons for Wal - Mart's sales declined in April except _ . A) cheaper goods B) unfriendly shopping environment C) early Easter and unpleasant weather D) high gasoline prices and the slowing housing market
A