Do you want to see the effects of global warming? Then head north. Recent studies indicate that the North Pole could be underwater during the summer in less than 10 years, instead of coated in thick sea ice. But seeing the Arctic terrain up close isn't easy, unless you're handy with a dogsled. Steger is going to take all of us there. Steger, 64, is a great polar explorer. He was the first person to make a dogsled trip to the North Pole, and is also a devoted environmentalist who was early to ring the alarm bell on global warming. Steger is about to lead a team of six young adventurers on a 1, 400-mile, 60-day-long dogsled trip across Ellesmere Island, in the Canadian Arctic. The sea ice in that region should still be frozen. "We want to take our audience to the front lines of global warming, " says Steger. The team will be uploading videos, stories and photos to the website _ as they march along, allowing armchair adventurers and kids in classrooms to follow their progress day to day. Steger's team will include some already-famous young explorers. Sam Branson, 22-year old, is an experienced Arctic traveler. Also on the journey will be 27-year-old Norwegian Sigrid Ekran. Last year Ekran become only the second woman in history to win Rookie of the Year for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. What they will see may be surprising. Even Steger doesn't know exactly what to expect. Climate change has already reshaped the geography of the Arctic. "Within a decade or less, it's going to be impossible to reach the North Pole by dog team, without flotation , "says Steger. Why does Steger NOT know what they will see during their trip? A) Because it will be the first time for him to go that far north. B) Because the sea ice in that region should still be frozen. C) Because the geography there has changed due to warmer temperatures. D) Because they will go there by boat instead of by sledge.
C
(Question)
I have had all kinds of interesting neighbors since the early days of my life. When I was a baby I would stand in my wooden crib and watch the world go by through the window. Some neighbors watched me watching the world go by with by big, wondering eyes and found me very interesting. They used to call me "the beauty at the window". The early neighbors I could remember were from the second house I lived in. Peter and Paul were twins. We went to play school together although they were a year older than me. I well remember the Alsatian they had which ran into me when I was invited to their fifth birthday party. Needless to say, I was well-known for my loud screams after the party. But they said the pet was scared of my screams and didn't appear until the party was over. Peter and Paul were the first boys who encouraged me to climb the gate. I could never tell the difference between boy and girl behaviors--I just did what I thought was fun. Not only did I have a great time performing that first climb, I also got my skirts dirty, and was criticized by my mother. The Japanese neighbors I had living in this same house were my favorite, as they introduced me to sea-salt baked shrimps which were so crisp that you could eat the shrimp totally. They gave me some seaweed for my birthday. Thankfully, no other member in my family enjoyed the seaweed as I did. Perhaps what my mother used to joke to me was true, that I was picked up out of the dustbin that belonged to a Japanese home. Maybe sometimes it is difficult to find good neighbors in this society. But all it takes is a spark to get a fire going. I have decided to be that spark wherever I live and pass love on to my neighbors. We can guess "the Alsatian" in the twin brothers' home is _ . A) a small child B) an interesting toy C) a dog D) a bicycle
(Answer)
C
Asia-Pacific consumers are the world's largest group of online shopping lovers and many rely on Internet reviews when making purchases, research firm Nielsen said this week. The firm said 35% of consumers in Asia-Pacific used over 11% of their monthly spending to make online purchases, compared to a global average of 27% of consumers. South Koreans were the heaviest online buyers in Asia, with 59% directing more than 11% of their monthly spending to online purchases, followed by 41% in China, Nielsen said in a report. A further 31% of Asian consumers use between 6% and 10% of their monthly shopping purchases to buy items online. More Asia-pacific consumers also intend to buy online in the next six months than those from other regions, with South Koreans and Chinese the most likely to make such purchases. Among the purchases consumers in the region are likely to make in the next six months are books, clothing, shoes, airline tickets, electronic equipment and hotel reservations. "Technology and the Internet will very likely basically change how and where shoppers spend their money and interact with sellers," said Pete Gale, a managing director at Nielsen's Retailer Services. "We are seeing a strong trend in markets like Korea, where a significant population of online shoppers buy essentials such as groceries, cosmetics and nutrition supplies over the Internet." Nielsen said opinions posted online were important in Asia-pacific customers' decisions to buy products such as cosmetics, cars, software and food. Asia-pacific consumers were also the most likely to share dissatisfaction at a product on the Internet compared with consumers elsewhere. "The increasing accessibility of the Internet and unbelievable popularity of social media and online discussion forums mean today's brands have nowhere to hide, " said Megan Clarken, Asia-Pacific managing director at Nielsen's online division. Nielsen said in June that social media such as Facebook and Twitter or blogging sites had become powerful tools influencing what... What influences Asia-Pacific consumers most when making purchases online? A) Other buyers' comments B) Powerful online tools C) The varieties of online item D) The price and the way to play
A