Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: The temperature is rising again in the Arctic. The sea ice area has dropped to one of the lowest levels on record, climate scientists reported last week. "The new Arctic Report Card tells a story of widespread and continued effects of a warming Arctic," said Jackie Richter-Menge of the US's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. "This isn't just a climatological effect. It impacts the people that live there," she added. Scientists concerned about global warming focus on the Arctic because that is a region where the effects are expected to be felt first, and that has been the case in recent years. There was a slowdown in Arctic warming in 2009, but in the first half of 2010 warming was near a record pace. The monthly readings were over 4 degrees Celsius above normal in northern Canada, according to the report card. The report card was prepared by 69 researchers in eight countries. Researchers said last winter's big snow storms that struck some Northern countries were tied to higher Arctic temperatures. "Normally the cold air is bottled up in the Arctic," said Jim Overland of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "But last December and February, winds that normally blow west to east across the Arctic were instead bringing the colder air south," he said. "As we lose more sea ice... warming in the atmosphere can create more of these winter storms," Overland said. There is a powerful connection between ice cover and air temperatures, Richter-Menge explained. When temperatures warm, ice melts. When ice melts it shows darker surfaces underneath , which absorb more heat. "That, in turn, causes more melting and on the cycle goes," she said. In September the Arctic sea ice extent was the third smallest in the last 30 years, added Don Perovich of the US Army Laboratory. He said the three smallest ice covers have occurred in the last four years. Question: Scientists care so much about the warming in the Arctic region because _ . - the climate in the Arctic doesn't change much - global warming effects are most serious in the Arctic region - there has been a major decrease of Arctic warming in recent years - by studying the region they can make predictions about the future impact of global warming
A: by studying the region they can make predictions about the future impact of global warming

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Liz had been bleeding for a long time! She was my closest professional colleague and good friend at the time when we worked in an IT company. It was her first day back at work after an operation and I thought she should have taken a few more days to recover. Realizing that we couldn't stop the bleeding, we headed to the emergency room and spent hours there waiting to be seen. After the treatment, I drove her to my apartment. I had to leave her in my apartment while I dashed off to take a final exam for a very important course I was taking. Upon my return, we decided Liz was in a good enough condition to sustain a trip back from my Northern Virginia apartment to her home in Maryland. Although it was nearly midnight and we were both exhausted, we still decided to set off. Unfortunately, in a not particularly safe part of town, we heard my car make a strange noise, and then ti was shaking violently as we drove along. Quickly, I stopped the car in the road and found a tire had blown out. Not knowing how to change a tire and feeling scared, I was trying out to figure out what to do next. Liz, weak from losing all that blood all day and weighing only about eighty pounds to begin with, came out and tried to help me. I had to scream at her to get back in the car and relax. Within seconds, a taxi pulled up behind us. A huge man appeared and began walking toward us. I felt that the blood drained out of my face and I nearly fainted in fear. "Got a flat tire, girls?" he asked. "Yes," I answered in a trembling voice. In no time at all, the man changed the tire for us and rushed off back to his taxi. He refused any payment and did not even tell me his name. He would never know how badly we needed his services that particular evening. And I, with a grateful heart, will never forget his kindness. Question: The author thought that Liz was bleeding because _ . - she worked too hard in an IT company - she had an operation but didn't rest enough - she hurt herself in the workplace carelessly - she had a long trip from her house to the company
A: she had an operation but didn't rest enough

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: A Frenchman went to a small Italian town and was staying with his wife at the best hotel there. One night, he went out for a walk alone. It was late and the small street was dark and quiet. Suddenly he felt someone behind him. He turned his head and saw an Italian young man who quickly walked past him. The man was nearly out of sight when the Frenchman suddenly found that his watch was gone. He thought that it must be the Italian who had taken his watch. He decided to follow him and get back the watch. Soon the Frenchman caught up with the Italian. Neither of them understood the other's language. The Frenchman frightened the Italian with his fist and pointed at the Italian's watch. In the end the Italian gave up his watch to the Frenchman. When he returned to the hotel, the Frenchman told his wife what had happened. He was greatly surprised when his wife pointed to the watch on the table. Now he realized that by mistake he had robbed the watch and it was the Italian's. Question: One night he went out for _ alone. - a ride - a walk - a drink - rest
A: a walk

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Scientists from China, Sweden and the United Stated have developed a high-producing rice that can reduce methane emission , a major greenhouse gas blamed for global warming, from rice fields, according to a paper published on the latest issue of Nature. By inserting a barley gene into rice, Sun Chuanxin and his colleagues created SUSIBA2 Rice, which stores more starch in the section of the rice above ground, according to a paper published on the latest issue of Nature.This means the grains will have more starch while the root will exude less nutrients that will later be turned into methane by microbes in the soil, Sun, who works with Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, told Xinhua. "It solves two major problems mankind faces at one time: environmental degradation and the need for increased grain output," Wang Feng, another scientist, said, adding that the rice can cut methane discharge by more than 90 percent during summer and more than half during autumn, as "the rice displays a greater emission reduction effect in high temperatures." Meanwhile, small-scale trials have also suggested an increased output: a single plant of the new breed has 300 more grains with a starch content 10 percent higher. Wang said the team is working on applications for the rice in different areas, seasons and using different farming techniques. "It's still far away from mass application, but at least we see the light of hope." Human-induced methane, though less abundant than carbon dioxide in the air, is responsible for 20 percent of the global warming effect. Rice paddies are the largest single source of methane linked to human activity. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, China produces 209 million tons of rice in 2014, or 28 percent of the world's total of 734 million. Question: What can we learn from the text? - Scientists will soon grow the new rice in large areas - Human-related methane contributes most to global warming - China may contribute greatly to global warming reduction - Rice fields will be reduced all over the world
A: China may contribute greatly to global warming reduction