From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain hat one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motorcar! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen. It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motorcar often brings out a man's very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving. The surprising thing is that society smiles so kindly on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten. It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some of the things... The attitude of the author is _ . A) ironical B) critical C) appealing D) aggressive
B
(Question)
It is not clear who first fried potatoes in hot oil. However, it is widely agreed that French fries were prepared as early as the 1700s in Europe. Most people believe that it was the Belgians , instead of the French, who invented "French"fries. They think that French fries got this name from the cooking word "to french" --- to cut green beans into long thin strips . When Thomas Jefferson traveled to France, he enjoyed the deep-fried potatoes very much and brought them home with him. Ever since he served French fries to his guests at a Whitehouse dinner in 1802, the dish has become very popular in America. In the summer of 1853, an American Indian called George Crum worked as a cook at Moon Lake Lodge, a hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York. He was good at making French fries. One evening, a dinner guest found Crum's French fries too thick and sent them back to the kitchen. Crum then cut and fried some thinner French fries, but _ . This time, the cook got angry. So he decided to play a trick on the guest. He finally made fries that were too thin to eat with a fork. To his surprise, the guest loved the browned, paper-thin chips. The browned chips, then called Saratoga Chips, became one of the most popular dishes of the hotel. Soon they were being sold, first in local restaurants, then throughout New England. How were Saratoga Chips invented? A) They were introduced by Thomas Jefferson. B) A guest told a cook how to make the chips. C) A cook made them only to play a trick on a guest. D) A cook invented them in order to attract more guests.
(Answer)
C
Ques: In 1865, a creative engineer, John Roebling, decided to build a bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge experts throughout the world thought that this was impossible and told Roebling to forget the idea. However, Roebling thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington that the bridge in fact could be built. With great excitement and inspiration, and great hardships before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge in 1869. The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. prefix = st1 /Washingtonwas injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move. In spite of his handicap,Washingtonwas never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever. Now all he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By touching his wife's arm with that finger, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife. For 13 years Washingtontapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, telling the engineers what to do, until the bridge was finally completed. To build a bridge between New York and the Long Island _ . A) was a dream of many bridge experts B) was a terribly difficult task C) was supported by the American government D) sounded creative to many bridge building experts
Ans: B
When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write and illustrate my own books. Half the students sneered. The rest nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. "Don't be silly, only geniuses can become writers," the English teacher said, "And you are getting a D this semester." I was so humiliated that I burst into tears. That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the Capri's Weekly newspaper. To my astonishment, they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed it to my teacher and fellow students. They laughed. "Just plain dumb luck," the teacher said. I tasted success. I'd sold the first thing I'd ever written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck, that was fine with me. During the next two years I sold dozens of poems, letters, jokes and recipes. By the time I graduated from high school, with a C minus average, I had scrapbooks filled with my published work. I never mentioned my writing to my teachers, friends or my family again. They were dream killers and if people must choose between their friends and their dreams, they must always choose their dreams. I had four children at the time, and the oldest was only four. While the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months, just like a baby. A month later Crying Wind, the title of my book, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and Braille and sold worldwide. I appeared on TV talk shows. I traveled from New York to California and Canada on promotional tours. My first book also became required reading in native American schools in Canada. People ask what college I attended, what degrees I had and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: "None." I just write. I'm not a genius. I'm not gifted and I don't write right. To all those who dream of writing, I'm shouting at you: "Yes, you can. Yes, you can. Don't listen to them." I don't write right but I've... When the writer graduated from high school, _ . A) he had become a famous writer B) he had made progress in his studies. C) his classmates and teachers changed their attitudes towards him D) he decided he wouldn't become a writer
B