*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season. "Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money buying at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology." Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group's latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products. "Here in 2012, $252 on average-the technology spend for consumers this year." From tablet computers to smartphones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. "It's kind of hard to make a decision." Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple's biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199. "The hardware inside is more powerful than what's in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple's maps." Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. "If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don't really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest group of apps that's where the iPad and Apple's ecosystem shines the most." Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera. "You can literally take a picture, upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things." Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content... Question: If you've discovered that a certain device you bought at Best Buy is more expensive than one at another store, _ . Options: A: you are sure to get double the amount you paid B: you can return the device and get your money back C: the store will return the price differences D: the store will lower the price within 30 days
**Answer**
C

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Thirteen-year-old Greg Hoffman had been begging his parents for an iPhone all year. So on Christmas morning he was thrilled to find the object of his desire under the tree, but there was a _ . The phone came with an 18-point set of terms and conditions that he had to agree to before the phone could be his. And the agreement did not come from Apple or the phone provider, it was from his mother. His mom, Janell Hoffman, included a contract along with the iphone that listed eighteen conditions or rules that Greg has to follow if he wants to keep it. Some of the rules limit the time he can use the phone; not after 7:30 p.m , and he can't take it to school. He also has to promise not to send "hurtful" text messages and e-mails to people; give his passwords to his parents, and always answer the phone when his mom or dad calls. Greg also has to use his own money to replace the phone if it's broken or lost Janell says the idea behind the contract is to teach her son to have a sense of responsibility and to learn to "co-exist with technology, not be ruled by it'. She told him not to use this technology to lie, fool, or cheat another human being. Most of the terms do not just apply to the iphone, but to life. She also advised him to, "keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you," "Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without Googling." "You are growing up in a fast and ever changing world. It is exciting and enticing. Trust your powerful mind and giant heart above any machine. I hope that you understand it is my job to raise you into a well rounded, healthy young man that can function in the world and coexist with technology, not be ruled by it," "I love you. I hope you enjoy your awesome new iPhone. Merry Christmas!" Question: Which of the following may NOT be one of the 18 rules? _ Options: A: Do not use this technology to lie, fool another human being. B: Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads "Mom" or "Dad". Not ever. C: I will always know the password. D: Take it to school but turn it off or silence it while having classes
**Answer**
D

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The values of artistic works, according to cultural relativism , are simply reflections of local social and economic conditions. Such a view, however, fails to explain the ability of some works of art to excite the human mind across cultures and through centuries. History has witnessed the endless productions of Shakespearean plays in every major language of the world. It is never rare to find that Mozart packs Japanese concert halls, as Japanese painter Hiroshige does Paris galleries, Unique works of this kind are different from today's popular art, even if they began as works of popular art. They have set themselves apart in their timeless appeal and will probably be enjoyed for centuries into the future. In a 1757 essay, the philosopher David Hume argued that because"the general principles of taste are uniform in human nature,"the value of some works of art might be essentially permanent. He observed that Homer was still admired after two thousand years. Works of this type, he believed, spoke to deep and unvarying features of human nature and could continue to exist over centuries. Now researchers are applying scientific methods to the study of the universality of art. For example, evolutionary psychology is being used by literary scholars to explain the long-lasting themes and plot devices in fiction. The structures of musical pieces are now open to experimental analysis as never before. Research findings seem to indicate that the creation by a great artist is as permanent an achievement as the discovery by a great scientist. Question: According to Hume, some works of art can exist for centuries because _ . Options: A: they are results of scientific study B: they establish some general principles of art C: they are created by the world's greatest artists D: they appeal to unchanging features of human nature
**Answer**
D