Nearly 600,000 Americans lost their jobs this past month, pushing the nation's unemployment rate to 7.6 percent. But not all of those fired workers are sitting at home, reading the job advertisements and waiting for the phone to ring. Thousands of people are returning to school, making public colleges and universities among the few bright places in the disappointing US economy. At a time when many Americans have had their work hours cut or have even lost their jobs, Sherian Huddleston is working overtime. She works at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) where she oversees the enrollment of new students. The university's population grew by 800 students this term --an increase of 4 percent over last spring's enrollment. Huddleston says seeing the enrollment rise in a failing economy is not unexpected. "When people are out of work," she points out, "they will ask 'What else can I do?' or 'What other careers can I follow?' They will often return to school if they have not completed a degree before." Older returning students aren't the only ones increasing the enrollment at MTSU. Huddleston says she's also seeing an increase in student transfers . "Students who went out of state, or even within the state, to more expensive schools are transferring to public schools to make use of the lower cost of going to school here," she explains. Many students are transferring to public schools mainly because _ . A) public schools provide better education B) public schools offer better jobs to their students C) they don't want to be influenced by the falling economy D) the cost of public schools is lower and they can save money
D
Vans, Keds, Dollies--they sound like the names of rock bands, but if you have teenagers, you'll know they're actually the latest in teenage footwear. But experts are now warning that the current shoe fashions will be causing teenagers discomfort in the short term and storing up years of foot, knee and back pain in the future. Here, the experts identify the problems caused by teenagers' shoe choice. KEDS/VANS Slip-on shoes with elastic sides are particularly popular among teenage boys-with Keds and Vans the most sought-after brands. The main problem is that they are just too flat--so flat that the heel, which strikes the ground first, also becomes damaged and painful. BALLET PUMPS The worst shoes of all are such light and thin dolly shoes. The problem is partly their flatness, as with Keds and Vans. However ballet pumps, which have no string or heel, have other specific problems. "As the shoe has no fastening device, it relies on the toes to keep the shoe on, causing an awkward gait ,this leads to short-and long-term problems such as calluses ,heel and knee pain." WEDGES AND STILETTOS These shoes can also cause problems with gait, They may look good, but the heels on these are so high they can force the wearer's body weight forward, making them very unstable. Teens who wear these shoes regularly are also in danger of joining those millions of women with constant back pain. SCHOOL SHOES So what do podiatrists have on their wish list, especially for everyday wear? Something in a natural, breathable fabric, with a string to hold it on, with a small heel and a deep toe-box that does not press the toes, such as Clark's, Marks & Spencer or Rhino. If your teen insists on wearing 'bad' shoes, get them some simple foot orthotics in the shoes. These support and correct the movement of the foot and, properly fitted by a podiatrist, can often transform their walk and halt the damage. From this passage we can infer_. A) trendy shoes may ruin teenagers' health B) fashionable shoes all have orthotics in them C) experts are strongly against wearing popular shoes D) podiatrists are expert at producing branded shoes
A
(Question)
Like many languages spoken by people, Ayapaneco is dying. Only two people in the world still speak it, and they won't talk to each other. Spoken in Mexico for centuries, Ayapaneco is one of 68 surviving languages in the mainly Spanish-speaking nation. The two speakers are Manuel Segovia and Isidro Velazquez. Though they live only 500 meters from each other in the village, the two men seldom talk to each other. Daniel, an American expert, who is working to make a dictionary of Ayapaneco, says the two men "don't have a lot in common," and that Segovia can be "active" while Velasquez tends to mind his own business and stay at home. While Segovia still speaks to his wife and son in Ayapaneco, neither of them can manage more than a few words. Velasquez hardly speaks his native tongue any more. Daniel is working to preserve the language in dictionary form before its last surviving speakers pass away. According to Daniel, Ayapaneco and the other languages began dying out with the introduction of public Spanish education in the mid-20thcentury. For decades, local children weren't allowed to speak anything else. Many people to cities, starting in the 1970s, also helped the dying out of native languages. Ayapaneco is the name given to the language; Segovia and Velazquez call it "Nuumte Oote", which means "true voice". Neither man, however, speaks the same language. The dictionary will contain two versions of the language when it comes out later this year. Those behind the dictionary aren't the only ones trying to save Ayapaneco. The National Language Institute plans to hold classes so that Segovia and Velasquez can pass on what they know to children. It is thought that there are about 6,000 languages spoken on earth and that about half will disappear over the next 100 years. Let's hope the "true voice" isn't one of them. From the text we learn that the author _ . A) agrees that it is natural that Ayapaneco should die out B) thinks Daniel's effort to preserve Ayapaneco won't work C) thinks highly of Ayapaneco and wants people to learn it D) hopes that Ayapaneco will not die out in the future
(Answer)
D