Question: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: India was once part of the British Empire, but thanks to modern technology and a booming economy, it has turned the tables on its former colonial master. Indian tutors are helping to teach math to British children over high-speed Internet connections. Early results suggest the idea is improving exam results. But not everyone is happy at this "outsourcing" of tutoring. It's 3:30, and pupils at Raynham Primary School in London are gathering for their after-school maths lessons. Five time zones-- thousands of kilometers away--their math tutors are also arriving for class. High-speed Internet has made it possible for Indian tutors to teach British pupils in real time. Each pupil gets a dedicated one-to-one online tutor. The students work with activities on their computer screen and wear a headset and microphone to talk to their tutor. The class teacher, Altus Basson, says he has seen an improvement in results. "There are some children who've really rocketed in their results. Children who struggleto focus in class focus a lot better on the laptops. The real advantage is that each child gets a focused activity and a single tutor," he said. Such individualized teaching is the core idea of Brightspark Education, the company that provides the online tutoring, says founder Tom Hooper. "Children today feel very confident online; they feel very engaged; they feel very in control. And that's half the battle with education.Give them control, make them feel confident and enjoy their learning and you'll see them start to improve and embrace it," he said. Raynham Primary School is among the first in Europe to try online tutoring. At between $20 and $25 an hour, it's about half the cost of face-to-face coaching. But some people say an Internet connection is not enough of a connection for teaching and learning. Kevin Courtney is deputy General Secretary of Britain's National Union of Teachers. "We think, there's a really important emotional connection between a teacher and a child whether it's a whole class or whether it's... Question: What can we learn about Brightspark Education? Options: A: It shows a threat to teachers' jobs in Britain. B: It can take place of the regular teaching. C: It only pays attention to math teaching. D: It emphasizes the individualized teaching.
Answer: D

Question: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: My son has poliomyelitis and he suffered from it a lot. When he was young, my wife and I took him to see so many doctors and got different kinds of treatments. But still, he couldn't walk like a normal kid. So he was laughed at by his peers for his walking style. His tears burnt our eyes like sulphuric acid . Then, he became afraid of going to school. He wouldn't go anymore. One night, my wife had a breakdown and shouted at him, "I tell you, my kid, you might be like this forever. You are a freak in other people's eyes, and perhaps it would never change. But in my eyes, in your dad's eyes, you are not a freak! You are not! Even if you are, we love you and we will love you forever!" My son spoke nothing for two days. He didn't eat or sleep. We could read he was hurt. We hoped something wonderful would fall in our family. On the third morning, he struggled to walk to my car, with his school bag in his hand of course. He raised his head high and hugged me, saying "I want to go to school. Nothing will beat me." You know, from then on, he was never afraid of being mocked or despised anymore. If he couldn't avoid these looks, he chose to look at them in the eyes. Later, something nice really happened and my son went to MIT. When he was asked how he managed to bear the pressure, he said, "Because of my parents." My dear fellows, if you care too much about how other people look at you or what their opinions are, you will never become what you want to be. Question: The author's son was laughed at by his peers, because _ . Options: A: he didn't do well in his lessons B: he walked in a strange way C: he was from a poor family D: he often burst into tears
Answer: B

Question: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Daniel Hillel developed drip irrigation techniques. The techniques make farming possible in places where there is not enough water. Because of this, he won this year's World Food Prize. Hillel is using the techniques in his orchards near his home in Israel. Irrigating drop by drop -- called drip irrigation -- has changed agriculture by greatly reducing the amount of water needed. Farmers now rely on it in places from Spain, to Africa, to America. "We in California grow about 50 percent of the fruits and vegetables of the continental United States," says Jan Hopmans from University of California at Davis. "And these drip irrigation techniques make it possible." Hillel got his start in dry land farming in Israel's Negev Desert in the 1950s. "The key was making good use of water," he says. "There's much land. Water is limited." These farmers did not have the advantage of running irrigation water through channels to their crops. So Hillel and others gave plants just what they needed and just where they needed it. "The idea is to use water little by little," Hillel says. It worked so well that Hillel was soon traveling around the world, showing others how to do it. Experts say drip irrigation's importance is growing, as climate change and rising population make water supplies become few in many parts of the world. "This is where water use, climate change and crop production all meet at one point," Hillel says. "And this has been really the essence of my career." A career whose importance can be measured drop by drop. Question: What makes drip irrigation seem increasingly important? Options: A: Dry land farming. B: Environmental pollution. C: Food shortages. D: Water shortages.
Answer:
D