(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Nuclear weapons were first developed in the United States during the Second World War to be used against Germany.However, by the time the first bombs were ready for use, the war with Germany had ended and, as a result, the decision was made to use the weapons against Japan instead. The real reasons why bombs were dropped on two heavily populated cities are not altogether clear.A number of people in 1944 and early 1945 argued that the use of nuclear weapons would be unnecessary, since American Intelligence was aware that some of the most powerful and influential people in Japan had already realised that the war was lost, and wanted to discuss a Japanese surrender .It was also argued that, since Japan has few natural resources, a blockade by the American navy would force it to surrender within a few Weeks, and the use of nuclear weapons would prove unnecessary.If a demonstration of force was required to end the war, a bomb could be dropped over an unpopulated area like a desert, in front of Japanese observers, or over an area of low population inside Japan, such as a forest.Choosing this course of action might decrease the loss of further lives on all sides, while the power of nuclear weapons would still be adequately demonstrated . All of these arguments were turned down, however, and the general agreement was that the quickest way to end the fighting would be to use nuclear weapons against the centres of population inside Japan.In fact, two of the more likely reasons why the decision was reached seem quite shocking to us now. Question: According to Paragraph 2, a blockade would have been successful because Options: A: Japan had to import most of its natural resources B: Japan would not be powerful enough to beat a blockade C: an attack would probably destroy Japanese resources within a few weeks D: the Americans could defeat Japan's navy since it was short of resources
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A

(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Hollywood is on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Worried about an industry wide writers' strike, struck by a series of theater-chain bankruptcies , burdened with unreasonable corporate profit, requirements and seemingly incapable of producing consistently creative movies, the American film industry is in a period of soul-searching. There's little doubt it will survive this crisis. But most insiders agree there is disease at both ends of the business--where film are produced, and where they're shown---that may take years to overcome. While annual box-office income increases for nine straight years, largely due to increased ticket prices, the number of actual tickets sold declined for the second year in a row. The construction boom has added nearly 10,000 theaters(more than 200,000 more seats) in the last five years. But due to a static audience base, eight major chains have gone into bankruptcy and several others are in terrible financial situations. In fact, insiders say, Hollywood is now in a business it does not want to be in. "There's a general problem in that the companies that have the most consistent output of material are least interested in what they're making," says former 20thCentury Fox CEO, Bill. And, Bill adds, "We're in a period where movies are getting bigger and more costly and less interesting and fulfilling to an audience." Today the studios are under the stress to increase profit margins for their corporate parents, and profit margins are hard to control in a business whose products are seen as impulse buys . Other business can increase profits by cutting costs--buying cheaper material, or making the candy bar smaller. Not Hollywood. "What we're cutting is risk," says the head of one major studio, who asked not to be named, "And risk is what great film has always demanded." While the studios are avoiding risky concepts, their competitors in the home entertainment business have been expanding the boundaries of the imagination. It was this pressure---in electronic games, the Internet,... Question: What has directly caused major theater-chains in terrible financial situations? Options: A: Bigger movies B: More costly movies C: Increased ticket prices D: More theaters but an unchangeable audience base
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D

(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: On the last day before Christmas, I hurried to a store to buy some gifts. While looking in the toys section,. I noticed a small boy of about five years old, pressing a doll against his chest.Keeping on touching the hair of the doll, the boy murmured sadly, "I don't have enough money.What can I do?" I walked towards him and asked him curiously who he wanted to give the doll to. " It is the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas.She was so sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her." I told him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all and not to worry.However, he replied sadly, " No, Santa Claus cannot take it to where she is now.I have to give the doll to my mother so that she can give it to her when she goes there." His eyes looked so sad while saying this. " My sister has gone to be with God.Daddy says that Mommy will also join God very soon so I think that she can take the doll with her to give it to my sister." My heart nearly stopped. The boy looked up at me and said, " I told Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet.I asked him to wait until I come back from the store." Then, he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing.He told me, " I also want Mommy to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me, I love my Mommy and I wish she didn't have to leave me but Daddy says that she has to go and join my little sister." Then he looked at the doll again quietly with sad eyes. I quickly reached my hand into my pocket, saying, "What if we checked again, just in case, to see if you have enough money?" Question: We can safely say _ . Options: A: Santa Claus would bring the doll to the girl B: the story happened in winter C: the boy was with his father at the store D: the author met the boy accidentally
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D