Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: The Marches were a happy family. Poverty, hard work, and even the fact that Father March was away with the Union armies could not down the spirits of Meg, Jo, Amy, and Marmee, as the March girls called their mother. The March sisters tried to be good but had their share of faults. Pretty Meg was often displeased with the schoolchildren she taught; boyish Jo was easy to become angry; golden-haired schoolgirl Amy liked to show up; but Beth, who kept the house, was loving and gentle always. The happy days passed and darkness came when a telegram arrived for Mrs. March. "Your husband is very ill," it said, "come at once." The girl tried to be brave when their mother left for the front. They waited and prayed. Little Beth got scarlet fever when she was taking care of the sick neighbor. She became very ill but began to recover by the time Marmee was back. When Father came home from the front and at that joyful Christmas dinner they were once more all together. Three years later the March girls had grown into young womanhood. Meg became Mrs. Brooke, and after a few family troubles got used to her new state happily. Jo had found pleasure in her literary efforts. Amy had grown into a young lady with a talent for design and an even greater one for society. But Beth had never fully regained her health, and her family watched her with love and anxiety. Amy was asked to go and stay in Europe with a relative of the Marches. Jo went to New York and became successful in her writing and had the satisfaction of seeing her work published there. But at home the bitterest blow was yet to fall. Beth had known for some time that she couldn't live much longer to be with the family and in the spring time she died. News came from Europe that Amy and Laurie, the grandson of a wealthy neighbor, had planned to be married soon. Now Jo became ever more successful in her writing and got married to Professor Bhaer and soon afterwards founded a school for boys. And so the little women had grown up and lived happily with their children,... Question: It can be inferred from the passage that the March family had _ . - both happiness and sadness - wealthy neighbors - more girls than boys - a lot of rich relatives
both happiness and sadness
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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: IMAGINE that your parents have bought you the most advanced robot. He looks like a real person. He talks to you and plays with you. He can even think for himself and figure out what you need. It may feel as if you have a considerate new brother who keeps you company all the time. But come to think of it, can you really trust him? Ever since the first robot was created decades ago, scientists have kept thinking about the task of making robots more like humans. However, as they have gotten closer to that goal, doubts have grown. According to the BBC, Japanese robot designer Masahiro Mori argues that the more lifelike robots become, the more humans feel a connection to them. But once they become too similar to humans, people begin to feel uncomfortable. This theory is what led to the creation of a brand new robot in Switzerland earlier this month. Roboy, as the new machine is called, has various human-like abilities such as hand-shaking and bicycle-riding, but instead of a skin-like covering, Roboy is wrapped in shiny white armor that clearly shows its robot status. "As long as people can clearly see that the robot is a machine, even if they project their feelings into it, then they feel comfortable," Rolf Pfeifer, the creator of Roboy from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, told the BBC. But the problem that people have with robots is not just with the way they look. It also has to do with the roles that they play in our lives. A survey last year of European Union countries showed that 88 percent of those interviewed agreed that robots are "necessary as they can do jobs that are too hard or dangerous for people", such as space exploration and war fighting. But when it comes to taking care of children, 60 percent said that robots should not be allowed to participate, because as robots become more advanced and complicated, parents may tend to hand over too much responsibility to them. No matter what, robots will soon enter our homes, Pfeifer said. What is not yet clear is whether they will act more like... Question: What is the purpose of the text? - To introduce the newly-invented robot, Roboy. - To discuss problems related to designing robots. - To explore the roles robots will play in our future lives. - To argue what kinds of robots appeal to people more.
To discuss problems related to designing robots.
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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: When people hear that I'm the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, they all have the same question: How did a 22-year old woman row a 19-foot boat for 70 days through high winds and crashing waves? Well, the biggest difficulty for me wasn't physical. By the time I decided to do the ocean row, I had already biked 3,300 miles cross-country, run across the Mojave Desert, and swum the 325-mile length of the Allegheny River. No, the tough part would be mental: How would I handle the loneliness, the boredom of the vast sea? I set off on January 3, 2010. I set my sights on getting past the quarter-way mark, which would take about 20 days. Day 20, January 22, was gray and cloudy. _ I was suffering from terrible loneliness. I hadn't seen landing over two weeks. Every day was beginning to feel the same. Eating, rowing, sleeping, watch the sky, watch the ocean. Then, around sunset, I saw something move on the horizon. They were dolphins! They circled my boat. Suddenly I felt so grateful. They had come to help me celebrate, just when I needed them. I rowed at full strength for the next 20 minutes with the dolphins around. By the time we went our separate ways, I was no longer lonely. Better yet, I knew I would be okay. I did make it, all 2,817 miles. I hit the coast of Guyana, South America, on March 14, after 70 days and five hours at sea. My ocean row raised $70,000 for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, which funds drinking water programs around the world. I know some athletes spend the entire journey imagining the end, and that helps them get through. But for me, the secret is to focus on the moment, where you experience the personal growth -- those moments of awareness of being connected to the sun, the weather, and the waves. And, on the best day of my life, those dolphins, which freed myself from terrible loneliness. Question: Which is the step taken as part of preparation for the tough row? - swimming the 325-mile length of the river - answering the same question raised by people - running 3,300 miles cross-country - biking across the Mojave Desert
swimming the 325-mile length of the river
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