The Brown Bear My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly. Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, "Dad! The bear is right behind us!" An agreesive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back---- the sign of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger. I held my camera tripod in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long. Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear. The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break. Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five to six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back toward the forest, before returning for another attack----- The first time I felf panic. Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I'm proud that my family reminded clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome. The brown bear approached the family in order to _ . A) catch shore birds B) start an attack C) protect the children D) set up a barrier for itself
B
There are probably no people on Earth who like to gossip as much as the British. If prying into other's lives were an Olympic sport, then Team GB would surely take the gold medal. And when the British can't watch the lives of real people, they have another source of entertainment to fall back on--the soap opera. British soap operas are very different to US TV dramas. For one, they are normally longer running. The two most popular, Coronation Street and East-enders, have been running for 48 and 24 years respectively. Both are broadcast several times a week, so remarkably there have been more than 7,000 _ of Coronation Street. The most obvious difference is that, unlike US dramas, the British soap operas focus on the real world. There is little glamour , the stars are rarely rich, and they normally have boring jobs. Perhaps the appeal is that the lives of the characters often mirror the lives of the audience--but with some drama added. This means the viewer can relate to the characters and feel the pain and happiness they go through on the show. Because these soap operas last for decades, the cast is ever changing. The shows rarely focus on one or two main characters. Like the real world, people come and go all the time. However, there are exceptions. Coronation Street's William Roach, 76, has played the role of Ken Barlow since the very first episode of the show in 1960, and he is still a regular. The choice of which soap opera you follow is often cultural: People from the north of British tend to watch Coronation Street as it is set in Manchester. People from the south generally prefer East-enders, which is set in the east of London. The show is generally considered grittier and is aimed at a younger audience. One characteristic of British operas is that _ . A) the characters play the same role for a long time. B) the characters in the play often change C) people don't know what will happen next D) there is only one or two characters in them
B
(Q).
Getting enough sleep on a regular basis is one important way to protect the health of your heart. Poor sleep is associated with a range of cardiovascular problems, including high blood pressure, heart attack, and heart failure. Both men and women are at increased risk for these conditions. But we continue to learn that when it comes to health problems associated with sleep, the particular risks to men and women are not always the same. A new study suggests that for women who already have heart disease, poor sleep may be particularly dangerous to their heart health. Research indicates that poor-quality sleep--and waking too early in particular--is associated with increased inflammation among women with heart disease. There was no similar association found for men, suggesting that women with heart disease and sleep problems may be at particular risk for inflammation that can be damaging to the heart. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco investigated the relationship between sleep quality and inflammation linked to coronary heart disease. They also sought information about how an association between sleep and inflammation might differ between men and women. Their investigation included 980 men and women at first, and 626 completed the 5-year study. All of those included were suffering for coronary heart disease. The average age of men in the study was 66. Women were slightly younger, with an average age of 64. Researchers measured sleep quality by asking participants to rate their sleep over the previous month. They also asked for reports of some of the most common sleep problems, including difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking frequently throughout the night, and waking too early in the morning. After 5 years, researchers repeated tests for inflammation and once again sought reports on sleep quality and sleep problems. When they analyzed data for both men and women together, researchers found no links between inflammations and sleep quality. However, when they... The researchers did the study _ . A) to find a cure for women with heart disease B) to know what contributes to inflammation C) to look into the relationship between sleep quality and inflammation D) to track the lifestyle of men and women
(A).
C