*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Have you ever walked to the shops, only to find when you get there that you've completely forgotten what you go for? Or have you struggled to remember the name of an old friend? For years, we've accepted that a forgetful brain is as much a part of aging as wrinkles and grey hair. But now a new book suggests we've got _ all wrong. According to The Secret Life Of The Grown-up Brain, by science writer, Barbara Strauch, our brains actually get better with age. In fact, she argues many new studies have found that the brain hits its peak between our 40s and 60s --much later than previously thought. Furthermore, not losing many brain cells as we age, we preserve them, and even produce new ones well into middle age. For years it's been accepted that the brain, much like the body, got worse with age. But the longest, largest study into what happens to people as they age suggests otherwise. This continuing research has followed 6,000 people since 1956, testing them every seven years. It has found that, on average, they performed better in cognitive tests in their late 40s and 50s than they had in their 20s. Specifically, older people did better in tests of vocabulary, spatial orientation skills, verbal memory (how many words you can remember) and problem solving. Where they were weaker was in numeracy (how quickly one can multiply, add, subtract and divide) and the speed at which they could move. However, with harder tasks, such as problem-solving and language, we are at our best at middle age and beyond. In short, researchers are going to come up with scientific evidence that we do get wiser with age. Question: What is the author's purpose of writing this passage? - To suggest ways to preventing aging. - To help us know more about brain cells. - To introduce a new research about aging. - To tell us that we can get wiser with age.
**Answer**
To tell us that we can get wiser with age.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: World Book Day is a celebration of all things wonderful about books for all ages, with author events, school fancy-dress parades and a PS1 book token given to all school children under 18. It is a yearly event on 23rd April, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) to promote reading. In the United Kingdom, the day is recognized on the first Thursday in March. On 3rd March 2016 children of all ages in the UK will come together to appreciate reading. Sometimes, reading a modern novel can be tough ( Booker Prize winner The Luminaries runs to 832 pages! ), especially if reading is not your strong suit. In fact, one in six people in the UK never pick up a book because they've experienced difficulties or are out of the habit of reading for pleasure. The Galaxy Quick Reads series are designed to introduce reluctant readers to bestselling short funny novels, which bring the joy of reading without demanding hours of concentrated time. They cover a range of subjects, from romance to comedy. Jojo Moyes's Paris For One is a romantic adventure in which 26-year-old Nell books a weekend away to Paris with her lazy, neglectful boyfriend. When he fails to turn up, she is alone in the city. That is, until she meets Fabien, who shows her the charms of the French capital -- in more ways than one. Adele Geras's moving story Out In The Dark was set in World War I, in which young Rob came back from the battlefields. Determined to find the officer's widow to return the photo of her and their daughter that the captain kept with him, he traveled several thousand miles but never gave up. Dead Man Talking is a fantastic tale of Pat, who had a terrible fight with his best friend, Joe, ten years ago -- but now hears that Joe is dead, and he must attend his funeral. But Joe is not going quietly that very night -- he's lying in his coffin being very chatty indeed. Question: If you lack confidence in your reading skills, you will probably avoid reading _ . - The Luminaries - Paris For One - Dead Man Talking - Out In The Dark
**Answer**
The Luminaries

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: The New York Philharmonic came to an unexpected stop on Tuesday night when an audience member's cell phone started ringing and wouldn't stop. Conductor Alan Gilbert was nearing the end of Mahler's Ninth Symphony when the interruption began. As eh New York Times writes, the symphony, "contains some of the most spiritual and peaceful music ever written." As the cell phone continued to ring, the iPhone's signature ringtone, Gilbert stopped the entire performance. And yet shockingly the phone continued to ring. "Nothing happened," Gilbert told the Times, "Nobody was to blame for it. It was unbelievable." Gilbert said minor cell phone interruptions have become common and rarely _ a live performance. The Philharmonic does what it can to remind to audience to turn off their cell phones before the performance begins. But the audience and performers stood by in astonished silence as Gilbert asked the offender to silence the phone, only to hear it continue. Mr Gilbert said audience pointed out two people sitting where the sound was coming from. "They were staring at me firmly," he said of the couple. Eventually, the man put his hand in his pocket and the ringing stopped. The conductor said he asked the man if he was sure the phone was quieted. "Then he nodded his head," Mr Gilbert said. People in the hall had been shouting for the sound to stop. Mr Pelkonen reported that they yelled: "Thousand-dollar fine!" "Kick him out!" "Get out!" Once the phone was finally silenced, Gilbert apologized to the audience. They responded with cheers and applause . And the performance continued. Question: What does the writer of this passage intend to imply? - It's not acceptable to carry an iPhone to a concert. - It's rude to attend a concert with the phone ringing. - It's necessary to quiet the phones when the performance is over. - It's common for a conductor to make an apology to the audience.
**Answer**
It's rude to attend a concert with the phone ringing.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Next time you hear a funny joke you'd better not laugh too hard. According to a paper published by the British Medical Journal, laughter isn't always the best medicine. Sometimes it can even be harmful. Professor Robin Ferner from the University of Birmingham, one of the authors of the study, found that bad things could happen to people who laughed too much. He says: "We found people with heartbeat problems which had stopped their heart, we found people who had fainted, and we found people who'd dislocated their jaws or burst their lungs." It seems that laughing can be no laughing matter. But it's not all _ . Professor Ferner says there are benefits to laughing when you want to lose weight, for example. Yes, that's right: laugh and be slimmer! Professor Ferner explains that: "You use energy when you laugh, you move your diaphragm , you expand your lungs, and both those things can be helpful." According to the research, laughing for a quarter of an hour can burn up to 40 calories, and if you laughed all day you'd use up about 2,000 calories, which is what most people consume in a day. But don't do that or you might end up with a painful jaw. Ouch! Or you might find people looking at you in a funny way. But I don't want to finish this article leaving you feeling desperate. Laughter comes naturally for most of us. Babies begin to laugh at around 3-6 months. So give in to your sense of humour and keep smiling. Life is short anyway. Question: Laughing too much may cause the following harmful results EXCEPT _ . - heart stop - diaphragm movement - lung burst - jaw dislocation
**Answer**
diaphragm movement