A lot of us lose life's tough battles by starting a frontal attack--when a touch of humor might well enable us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who hit a traffic jam on his way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum about being late on the job. Although there was a good reason for Sam's a being late--serious illness at home--he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn't work any longer. His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech. Yes, the boss was, Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room ; everyone was hard at work. Sam's supervisor came up to him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand. "How do you do!" he said. "I'm Sam Maynard. I'm applying for a job. Which, I understand, became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?" The room exploded in laughter. The supervisor _ a smile and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard had saved his job--with the only tool that could win, a laugh. Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected , means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying "no", criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it's the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum. Which of the following statements can we infer from the passage? A) Many lose life's battles for they are lacking in a sense of humor. B) It wasn't the first time that Sam came late for his work. C) Sam was supposed to come to his office at 8:30. D) Humor is the most effective way of solving problems.
B
(Question)
This site , all-birds. com, is about bird watching. Enjoy your browsing. There is much to learn and see. Bird Watching Equipment Some items that might make bird watching more enjoyable are binoculars ( ) , a camera, some kind of system for keeping notes, and maybe a back pack. Birders often keep lists of the birds they see along with notes about the habits. There is some great bird log software that will let you keep records on your computer. For more details on choosing binoculars see our Binocular -Optics page. Clothes If you are walking through a wooded area just wear clothes you would wear on any hike or field trip. You are best off wearing clothes with dull colors that mix into the background. Greens, browns, and grays are good. Avoid fabrics that rustle easily. Depending on the birds you are watching you may want to get rain gear, rubber boots and warm clothing. For birds such as owls that you might look for in the evening a strong flashlight is also handy. Choosing a Bird Field Guide Take a good field guide to identify birds. Look for clear color pictures that make it easy to recognize one bird from another. Next to each picture should be detailed descriptions of each bird's anatomy, habits, and what it eats. The guide should have information about what habitat each species uses. Many guides have maps showing the range of different birds along with their migration patterns. Where and When to see Birds Learning the habitats of birds in your area will increase the number of birds you see, and make your birding more enjoyable. If you know that Meadow larks are likely to be in open grassy areas, and dippers are forage along stream beds, you may be looking for them if you are in those types of habitats. Edge areas where different types of habitats meet will likely have more species in them. You are more likely to see specific birds at certain times of the day. For example songbirds are easier to see two to three hours after dawn, or just before sunset. This is when songbirds are most actively feeding. ... Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage? A) A stick in the yard may scares birds off when you are photographing them. B) It will be wise for birders to hire a guide for themselves. C) Birders have to bring some notebooks to keep records of birds' habits. D) A flashlight will come in handy when you look for owls.
(Answer)
D
What is your earliest childhood memory? Can you remember learning to walk? Or talk? The first time you watched a television program? Adults seldom call back events much earlier than the year or so before entering school, just as children younger than three or four seldom remember any specific, personal experiences. A variety of explanations have been suggested by psychologists for this "childhood amnesia". Now Annette Simms, a psychologist of Riverdale University, offers a new explanation for childhood amnesia. According to Dr. Simms, children need to learn to use someone else's spoken description of their personal experiences in order to turn their own short-term, fast forgotten impressions of them into long-term memories. In other words, children have to talk about their experiences and hear others talk about them. Without this verbal reinforcement , children cannot form permanent memories of what they have experienced. So why should personal memories depend so heavily on hearing them described? Dr. Simms presents evidence that the human mind organizes memories in that way. Children whose mothers talk with them about the day's activities before bedtime tend to remember more of the day's special event than those whose mothers don't. Talking about an event in this way helps a child to remember it. And learning to organize memories as a continuous story is the key to a permanent mental "autobiography " of important life events. Dr. Simms suggests that we humans may be biologically programmed to turn our life experiences into a novel. The key to creating this mental life story is language, says Dr. Simms. "Children learn to talk about the past," she says. "Talking to others about their short-term memories of the past leads to the establishment of long-term memories." One way it does this is by helping a child to recognize that the retelling of an experience is just the experience itself, recreated in the form of words. The child learns that this "word-description" of an experience can then be stored in... To form permanent memories of their experiences, young children need to _ . A) talk about them with others B) grow older than three or four C) write a story in their own language D) have a good relationship with their parents
A