I came across an old country guide the other day. It listed all the tradesmen in each village in my part of the country and it was impressive to see the great variety of services which were available on one's own doorstep in the late Victorian countryside. Nowadays a superficial traveler in ruralprefix = st1 /Englandmight conclude that the village tradesmen still flourishing were either selling frozen food to the residents or selling old things to visitors. Nevertheless. This would really be a false impression. There has been smaller village commerce ,but its vigor is still remarkable. Our local grocer's shop, for example, is actually expanding in spite of the competition from supermarkets in the nearest town. Women prefer to go there and exchange the local news while purchasing, instead of purchasing up at a supermarket. And the shop owner knows well that personal service has a substantial cash value. His prices may be a bit higher than those in the town, but he will deliver anything at any time. His assistants think nothing of bicycling down the village street in their lunch hour to take a piece of cheese to an aged woman who sent her order by word of mouth with a friend who happened to be passing. The wealthier customers telephone their shopping lists and the goods are on their doorsteps within an hour. I also find it satisfactory because a village shop offers one of the few ways in which a modest individualist can still get along in the world without attaching himself to the big groups of industry or commerce. Most of the village shopkeepers I know, are individualists in their ways. For example, our shoemaker stares with a cold look at the pairs of cheap, mass-produced shoes taken to him for repair. Has it come to this, he seems to be saying, that he, a craftsman , work upon them. And he makes beautiful shoes for those who can afford such luxury . The writer considered the guidebook interesting because he found in it_. A) the names of so many of the shops in the village around B) many tradesmen serving local villagers in various ways C) the variety of services available in Victorian days in Britain D) information about jobs provided in his own and surrounding villages
B
(Question)
The United States is trying to improve an education system that produces millions of citizens who cannot read, write, or add--let alone finding their country on a map. In his first State of Union message since taking office a year ago, President George Bush promised to wipe out illiteracy in the next decade and declared that "by the year 2008, U.S students must be first in the world in math and science achievements. " They have a long way to go. American students were placed 14th in a recent general science test conducted in 16 countries. In a separate survey of chemistry students, the United States came 12 out of 14. In a mathematics test, they were last. According to Bush, there are 17 million illiterates in this country of 245 million people. Other estimates put the number as high as 23 million. In percentage terms, that ranks the United States alongside Nicaragua and below C], 'uba. "This nation," Bush said in his State of the Union address, "will not accept anything but excellent in education." Bush, who has declared himself "Education president", and senior officials of his administration are warning that the United States will be unable to compete in the world without an educated workforce. How to increase educational standards is a matter of debate in a country whose schools have no uniform national curriculum and are subject to a confusing variety of state and local controls. Most experts think that the problem lies at the elementary and high school' levels rather than with universities-but even their graduates show huge gaps in general knowledge. Among the root causes most frequently mentioned in education debates is the low respect in which U.S. society holds teachers-in contrast to Japan and Germany. In Japan teaching is a profession of high prestige and high pay. In the United States teachers are near the bottom of the society. By "the United States came 12 out of 14"(Para. 2), the author means A) the United States ranked 12th not 14th in the chemistry test B) the United States ranked 12th in the chemistry test conducted by 14 countries C) .the United States progressed from 14th to 12th in the chemistry test D) the United States ranked 12th in chemistry test and 14th in general science test
(Answer)
B
Ques: Have you ever wondered why stems grow upwards and roots downwards? Why plants always seem to turn, towards the light and climbing plants run up rather than down? The answer is simple:auxin,a chemical substance that controls growth in plants. Auxin gives away its secrets Auxin is a plant hormone . Darwin was already interested in it in the 19th century. Only in recent years, however, has the hormone started to give away its secrets ,thanks to intensive molecular research.Auxin is produced in the young,growing parts of plants and then transported throughout the plant-to a low -lying stem for example. The stem needs to straighten out as soon as possible to be able to absorb the topside,resulting in the underside growing faster and the stem straightening out. For the same reason, plants in front of windows will always turn to the light . This active regulation of auxin transport allows plants to take ideal advantage of local and changing conditions. A new means of transport for auxin? The transport of auxin through the plant plays a vital role. And ,from all appearances,it is not a simple matter. The researchers identified an important new link and means of transport for auxin: PILS proteins . PILS proteins are vital for auxin-dependent plant growth and adjust the intracellular storage of the hormone. It is exactly this compartmentalizing of auxin that seems functionally important for the various developmental processes. Growing crops more efficiently: the right amount of auxin in the right place Higher auxin levels at the right moment and in the right place result in better growth and greater harvest. Better adjustment of auxin levels would make plants grow more efficiently. The researchers hope to contribute to the development of more efficient growing processes by continuing to sort out auxin transport processes. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage? A) Why Plants Grow Towards the Light? B) Darwin's Dream Has Come True C) How Did Scientists Find Out the Secret? D) A New Way of the Growing of Plants
Ans:
A