Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Stephen Hawking knew what he wanted to do by the time he was eight years old. His parents lived in London where his father was researching medicine. He did not want to follow his father as his parents hoped. Mathematics was not available at University College, so he did physics instead. Stephen was interested in studying the universe. When he was 21, however, he was told that he had ALS --an incurable nerve disease, which affects walking, speaking, breathing, swallowing, and many other things. The doctors predicted that he had only a few years to live, but he didn't die. Instead, as his physical condition became worse, Hawking became more well-known in scientific circles. Hawking himself said that his disease was a big reason why he focused his attention on what turned out to be his real strength: theoretical research. "What the doctors said made me determine to get the most from life, and life was no longer boring for me," Hawking says today, speaking from his wheelchair through a computer. In 1988, Stephen Hawking published a book called A Brief History of Time. The book tries to explain many of Hawking's physical and mathematical ideas and calculations without using maths. The book became a best-seller. His later books are Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays and most recently in 2001, The Universe in a Nutshell. Of the three, the first one was made into a film in 1991. Hawking says, "Nowadays, muscle power is out of date. What we need is mind power --and disabled people are as good at that as anyone else." Question: Which one of Stephen Hawking's books was made into a movie? Options: A: The Universe in a Nutshell. B: Black holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays. C: On the Shoulders of Giants. D: A Brief History of Time.
Ans: D

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: One of the most widely accepted, commonly repeated assumptions in our culture is that if you exercise, you will lose weight. I exercise all the time, but I still have gut fat that hangs over my belt when I sit. Why isn't all the exercise getting rid of it? It's a question many of us could ask. More than 45 million Americans now belong to a health club, up from 23 million in 1993. We spend some $19 billion a year on gym memberships. Of course, some people join and never go. Still, as one major study -- the Minnesota Heart Survey -- found, more of us at least say we exercise regularly. And yet obesity figures have risen sharply in the same period: a third of Americans are obese, and another third count as overweight by the Federal Government's definition. Yes, it's entirely possible that those of us who regularly go to the gym would weigh even more if we exercised less. But like many other people, I get hungry after I exercise, so I often eat more on the days I work out than on the days I don't. Could exercise actually be keeping me from losing weight? The popular belief that exercise is essential for weight control is actually fairly new. As recently as the 1960s, doctors routinely advised against too much exercise, particularly for older adults who could injure themselves. Today doctors encourage even their oldest patients to exercise, which is sound advice for many reasons: People who regularly exercise are at significantly lower risk for all manner of diseases -- those of the heart in particular. They less often develop cancer and many other illnesses. But the past few years of obesity research show that the role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly over-evaluated. "In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless," says Eric Ravussin, exercise researcher at Louisiana State University. Many recent studies have found that exercise isn't as important in helping people lose weight as you hear so regularly in gym advertisements or on shows likeThe Biggest Loser -- or, for that matter, from... Question: According to the writer, people might gain weight because _ . Options: A: they have the habit of going to the gym regularly B: they eat the same food when they do not exercise C: they exercise less than required by doctors D: they eat more after they exercise
Ans: D

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Scientists have claimed a milestone in the drive for new energy--development of the first practical artificial leaf, an advanced solar cell that imitates the process,called photosynthesis ,that green plants use to make sunlight and water into energy. "A practical artificial leaf has been a dream of scientists for decades,"said Daniel Nocera,who led the research team."We believe we have made it.The artificial leaf shows particular promise as an inexpensive source of electricity for homes of the poor in developing countries. One can imagine villages in India and Africa soon purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology." The leaf is like the shape of a poker card but thinner.Placed in water in a bright sunlight,it could produce enough electricity to supply a house in a developing country with electricity for a day by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, which are stored in a fuel cell to produce electricity. The"artificial leaf"is not a new concept.The first artificial leaf was developed more than a decade ago by John Ttlrner.However, it was impractical for wider use,as it was composed of rare,expensive metals and was highly unstable with a lifespan of barely one day. Nocera's new leaf overcomes these problems.It is made of inexpensive materials that are widely available,works under simple conditions and is highly stable.Laboratory studies showed that it could operate continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity. The key to this breakthrough is Nocera's recent discovery of several new powerful, inexpensive catalysts,which are able to accelerate the chemical reaction under simple conditions.Right now, Nocera's leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural leaf.Yet he is optimistic that he can boost the efficiency of the device much higher in the future. Question: The passage is most probably from _ . Options: A: a science fiction story B: a fairy tale book C: an advertisement for solar products D: a science news report
Ans: D

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Effective environmental protection laws and other measures have led to the improvement of water quality in Tai Hu lake in prefix = st1 /JiangsuProvince. The news was announced by officials from the provincial environmental protection bureau, which has just conducted an inspection of the lake area. By the end of September, about 80 per cent of industrial pollutants met required standards and the lake is expected to be cleaner by the end of the year, officials said. According to targets set by the State Environmental Protection Administration, all polluting enterprises must meet set standards by the end of this year or they will be shut down. The Taihu Lake area, which surrounds the cities of Suzhou, Wuxiand Changshou, is one of the most economically developed areas in the country and has long enjoyed a reputation as the "land of fish and rice" However, the quality of water in the lake has been deteriorating at an alarmingly rate in recent years, which has caused concern from the government and local people. Pollution is so high mainly because people do not have enough environmental awareness and have put economic benefits ahead of their surroundings. Economic development in the area has been rapid with hundreds of factories being built. But officials say most of these do not have the anti-pollution equipment or measures they should have. Because of the lack of waste treatment facilities, wasted water and other rubbish from residential areas in nearby towns and villages flow into rivers which are connected to TaihuLake. This also contributed to the lake's pollution. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the provincial and local governments began to tackle the problem. Experts were invited to offer suggestions and laws and regulations were issued. All newly built factories and enterprises in the lake area were required to install necessary anti-pollution facilities before they can go into operation. Also, some wasted water treatment works will be built in the three cities. Question: We can know from the text that the Taihu lake area is a place where _ . Options: A: the water in the lake was very clear B: the factories are trying their best to protect the water C: the economy has been developed best in the country D: the people and the government are paying more attention to the pollution.
Ans:
D