Article: 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. Question: The main purpose in writing the passage is to _ . Yes or no, is the answer "call on the world to unite as one"?
No

Article: Some people in Manchester, Britain, will soon be paying for goods and services with so-called "smart" credit cards. These cards are more secure than the traditional magnetic-strip version and can be used to travel on buses, check bank accounts and do shopping. The Manchester project is one of the biggest smart card schemes in the world. Every time people use the cards on a bus or train, the fare is deducted (reduced) from the value of the card. When they have no credit left, the cards can be recharged at a local shop. A smart card looks just like a normal plastic card but it has a silicon chip in it. It is possible for the same silicon chip to perform a number of different functions, so one plastic card in your pocket could do a large number of different jobs. The card has much more memory space than a magnetic-strip card, so many more things can be recorded on it.There are two types of smart cards. One is the contact card which is used in the same way as a magnetic-strip card. Information is transferred by running the card through a narrow opening in an electronic reader. In the slot, electronic probes make contact with the magnetic-strip or silicon ship and read the information. The other type is the contactless smart card where the electronic reader communicates with the card by short-range radio waves. This makes the card quicker and more convenient to use because it does not have to leave your wallet. It is also more reliable as it is not easily influenced by scratches or dirt. However, the biggest advantage that smart cards have over magnetic-strip cards is that they are more secure. They are much more difficult to make than conventional cards and they have to be made by specially trained manufacturers. In addition, they have a large number of extra security features on them and if a smart card gets lost or stolen a quick phone-call to the distributor ensures that its individual number is made invalid and unreadable. This can be done more quickly than with a magnetic-strip card. Question: What are the advantages of smart credit cards over traditional ones? Yes or no, is the answer "all of the above"?
No

Article: Will you get a good job? What will you do? Many new graduates feel lost when they consider the endless list of career choices. They've invested a lot of money for their diploma and now an important question stares them in the fact. I've seen so many new graduates who do not know how to use the degree they have just earned. An example was Dave, who loved sports and had played baseball throughout his college years. He had his heart set on working for Nike. But he had never made clear in his own mind what kind of job he could do for Nike, so nothing ever happened. Another example was Allison, who was a history major. She wanted to work as an event planner but, unfortunately, no one hired her. Why? No experience. Failing to do some solid career exploration first or to get a clear idea of the types of jobs you can do is a big error that many college students make. After our suggestion, Dave and Allison both found their jobs. To ensure a brighter future, follow these effective strategies: -- Make educated career choices. Identify the job you want. Conduct research. Ask parents to advise you on actual job duties. Consider what your matured talents are, and look for positions where you can use them. -- Don't rely on the Internet. Networking is an effective tool -- be sure it's a job-hunting strategy you use. New studies from the Department of Labor state that only 4% of job-seekers found their job on the Internet. The fact is that 63% of all jobs are filled by contacts. -- Employers are making quick decisions. Most people lose the job in the first minute of the interview. It's deadly to let the employers focus quickly on how well you can perform the job. -- Practice your interviewing skills. Be ready for the tough questions by first writing out good answers to possible questions and having a role-playing interview with your friend. Question: In order to be well prepared for the interview, you'd better _ . Yes or no, is the answer "practice the interview for several times"?
Yes