Read the article and select the best answer. Article: surging commodity prices could worsen poverty in many poor countries, the International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday. A new IMF study, seeing the effect of soaring oil and food costs, said many poor and developing countries would likely have to change their economic policies in response to soaring commodity prices. "Some countries are at a dangerous point," warned IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn. "If food prices rise further and oil prices stay the same, some governments will no longer be able to feed their people and at the same time keep stability in their economies," Strauss-Kahn said. The IMF chief called for a "broad cooperative approach" to help handle higher oil and food prices, and said the IMF stood ready to assist countries in need. Strauss-Kahn said the international community would also have to play a role in helping to reduce the effect of commodity price shocks which have caused protests in some countries. European truckers have blockaded major roads to protest fuel prices in recent weeks and food riots have occurred in Cameroon, Bangladesh, and Somalia among other countries in recent months. "Poor countries that are highly dependent on food imports are particularly vulnerable to rising food prices," the IMF report said. Anti-poverty campaigners are concerned that rising commodity costs could roll back advances made through anti-poverty campaigns in recent years, particularly because poorer families tend to spend much more of their household income on food. The IMF report found that poor households are most affected by food price inflation and "warned that the share of undernourished people in developing countries could rise rapidly above the current 40 percent of total population". Energy and food values are still rising and the IMF said its research suggests "the problem is worsening". The Washington-based fund said it is working closely with its member countries to help reduce inflationary pressures taking into account countries' specific needs. The report said that... Question: What's the main idea of the passage? Options: A: IMF takes measures to reduce the effect of commodity price shocks. B: Surging commodity prices cause protests in some countries. C: Rising oil and food prices may worsen poverty in developing countries. D: Global food markets need to be kept open.
C

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D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Health insurance is a great concern to Americans now. It's likely that many Americans lack health insurance with the economy having no sign of picking up. The National Academy of Sciences reported Thursday. "Unless health insurance is made more affordable, the number of uninsured Americans is likely to continue growing over time," said Mary Sue Coleman, co-chairwoman of the committee that wrote the report. The report is the first six planned by the institute of Medicine over two years. The series is planned to find out who lacks health insurance and why, and determine what the consequences are and provide the groundwork for debate on how to correct the problem. The institute is part of the academy, a private organization supported by Congress to advise the government of scientific matters. This first report seeks to draw a picture of the millions who lack insurance. It does not offer any recommendations. "Much of what Americans think they know about the uninsured is wrong," said Dr. Arthur Kellermann, a public health professor at Emory University Schools of Medicine in Atlanta, who also worked on the report. The Census Bureau reported last month that 38.7 million Americans went without coverage for all of 2000, compared with 39.3 million the year before, thanks to the booming economy. Experts say the trend is likely to reverse this year, given that the economy was slowing even before the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks. "Unfortunately, the recent economic slowdown might have reversed the modest gains in coverage for shorter periods." The report said that with insurance costs rising, more employers and individuals may conclude they are unable to afford coverage. Premium increases were often absorbed by employers in the strong economy of the 1990s, but that may not continue as the economy softens, the report said. The panel found that about 13.6 million of the uninsured work for employers that do not offer health insurance. Individually purchased coverage may be prohibitively costly. Question: According to Mary Sue Coleman, one way of keeping the number of insured Americans from continuing to increase is _ . Options: A: setting up a special fund B: raising employers' salaries C: reducing taxes D: reducing insurance cost
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: What's On? _ 7.30pm-1.00am Free at the Cyclops Theatre Do you know who's playing in your area? We're bringing you an evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract ? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He's going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce you music. _ 8.30pm-10.30pm Comedy at Kaleidoscope Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He's the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks . _ 5.00pm-7.30pm Wednesdays at Victoria Stage This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years' experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny. _ 8.00pm-11.00pm Pizza World Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta . Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine. Question: When will Charlotte Stone perform her songs? Options: A: 5.00pm-7.30pm. B: 7.30pm-1.00am. C: 8.00pm-11.00pm. D: 8.30pm-10.30pm.
C