They say money doesn't grow on trees. But it certainly appears to do so on the mysterious coin-studded trunks dotted around the UK's woodland. The strange phenomenon of old trees with coins fixed firmly all over their bark has been spotted on trails from the Peak District to the Scottish Highlands. The coins are usually knocked into felled tree trunks using stones by passers-by, who hope it will bring them good fortune. These fascinating spectacles often have coins from centuries ago buried deep in their bark and warped by the passage of time. The tradition of making offerings to gods at wishing trees dates back hundreds of years, but _ . It used to be believed that god's spirits lived in trees, and they were often decorated with sweets and gifts -- as is still done today at Christmas. The act is like tossing money into ponds for good luck, or the trend for couples to attach "love padlocks" to bridges and fences to symbolize lasting romance. Some pubs, such as the Punch Bowl in Askham, Cumbria, have old timbers with splits in them into which coins are forced for luck. There are seven felled tree trunks with coins pushed into them in the picturesque village of Portmeirion, in Wales. Meurig Jones, an estate manager at the tourist destination, told the BBC, "We had no idea why it was being done when we first noticed the tree trunk was being filled with coins. I did some detective work and discovered that trees were sometimes used as 'wishing trees'. In Britain it dates back to the 1700s -- there is one tree somewhere in Scotland which apparently has an old coin stuck into it. " He said that a sick person could press a coin into a tree and their illness would go away. If someone then takes the coin out though, it's said they then become ill. We haven't made it known at all, it's just happened," he added. "It's quite amazing really." In Scotland, there is also a legend about a kissing tree. If a young man could drive a nail into a tree with one blow, he earned a kiss from his sweetheart. Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage? A) Who Says Money Doesn't Grow on Trees? B) Do Trees with Some Coins Become Valuable? C) Is It Really Amazing to Have Coins Fixed into Trees? D) What Is the Purpose of Knocking Coins into Trees?
A
Sir Emest Shackleton was not only a great explorer, but also an intelligent man. He once found himself and two of his men at the top of an icy mountain ridge . They had no way to get down to its side. Their destination had been the tiny Whaling Station of strummers, near the South Pole. Shackleton knew if they didn't get down from the ridge, no one would ever hear from them again. Shackleton knew there was only one thing to do. He explained that they would all have to slide down. He instructed the two men to wind their ropes into a coil .Then each of the men sat down on a coiled and slid down the icy slope into the darkness. When they found themselves at the bottom, unhurt, Shackleton said, "You know, we shouldn't do that kind of thing too often." The laughter broke the tension all the men were feeling. They arrived later than expected, but safely at the Whaling Station. They did not get _ when they got to the bottom. A) hurt B) ached C) burned D) damaged
A
Q: If December 26's tsunamis have taught us anything, it is that nature does not recognize national boundaries . The same can be said of a lot of many other problems facing human beings. Global warming, for example, will affect the whole world. Similarly, diseases like AIDS or SARS can spread rapidly from country to country. At no other time in human history has it been so urgent for humans to recognize that they need to learn to stick together. If they don't, the chances are that they will soon find themselves alone. What will it take to get humans to take this truth seriously? Disaster seems to be a good way of _ . The tsunamis, for example, have opened the hearts of countless numbers of people all over the world who offered their immediate help. But why can't they come together to avoid a disaster that they know will occur if they do not act in time? One of the reasons is a lack of imagination. Most people can readily understand, for example, how rising global temperatures can melt the polar ice-cap, raise sea-levels, and greatly change global weather. But these changes will not occur overnight. And people find it difficult to imagine changes that will occur in stages, slowly, and over years. So they pay little attention to the problem. They hide their heads in the sand. They think that something, somehow, will come to make the problem disappear. The Indian Ocean tsunami killed tens of thousands of people and left millions homeless. Diseases may kill many more if clean water supplies are not provided in time in the disaster areas. But already the disaster has revealed some good things: One, there is more goodwill and kindness in the world than we are likely to believe. And two, the world is indeed capable of coming together as one in the face of the disaster. We pray that some of this spirit runs over into 2005. There are many disasters -- man-made, not natural ones -- that might be avoided if the world can learn to stick together. In the passage, the following disasters are mentioned EXCEPT _ . A) tsunami B) earthquake C) global warming D) SARS
A: B
(Question)
Asia has long tradition of tea- drinking. And China is no exception. However, lately more and more Chinese people are turning to a different drink. Coffee has become an increasingly popular choice of Chinese people living abroad and in the country's huge cities. It is also a popular crop among those living in the mountains of southern Yunnan Province. In big cities such as Beijing, coffee shops seem to be on nearly every major street corner. These shops are not just selling drinks from Starbucks, the world-famous coffee company. Coffee businesses from South Korea, Taiwan, HongKong and Britain are also operating in China. Tea-drinking is steeped in the culture and traditions of many countries, like China and Japan. But is that changing? Are young people from Asia now choosing a cup of coffee instead of tea? BeiBei Su is from China. She has been living in the United States for the past eight years. Before that, she lived in Italy for two years. Ms. Su says she likes tea better than coffee. But she adds that may not be true among the young generation in China. Many young Chinese people drink coffee socially --when meeting with friends. Yang Lin lives in the U.S. but comes from an area in China famous for growing tea. She used to only drink tea while in China. But now, she says, she drinks both and for different reasons. Yang Lin says that drinking coffee for her is a social event. She and her co-workers like to sit in a cafe and talk over a cup of coffee. Voyo is another Chinese woman who now lives in Washington, D.C. She says that after moving to the U.S. Her tastes changed. We would call her a coffee _ , someone who now chooses to drink coffee. With more people drinking coffee, many see an economic opportunity for Chinese -grown beans. China-grown coffee could be a money- maker even if most of the coffee on sale in China is imported. What does the author mainly introduce? A) Chinese people have long tradition of tea-drinking. B) More and more Chinese are choosing coffee to drink C) People in big cities like drinking coffee better than tea. D) More Asian people are turning to different drinks.
(Answer)
B