For the Travel section, writers and editors selected special items to profile from a dozen cities. Brussels: Chocolate. Nearly half the chocolate consumed in the world is eaten in Europe, and Belgium--with average consumption of 14.99 pounds per person a year--certainly covers its fair share. While Brussels, the country's capital, is home to hundreds of chocolate makers, what makes a visit necessary is the rich heritage of traditional chocolate makers. Budapest: Paprika The job of preparing Hungarian paprika was once considered too dangerous for mothers to do. A woman who touched her children upon returning from work risked burning them, so only the elderly and unmarried were allowed the delicate task of separating the skin from the flesh. But by the early 20thcentury, sweeter varieties and a machine turned paprika into a common feature of all Hungarian cuisine. Lisbon: Tiles Is there a bluer country than Portugal? The blue sky and Atlantic Ocean embrace the land. The blue moods of Fado, the dark folk music, form the national soundtrack. And all across Portugal, the typically--blue designs of azulejos--ceramic tiles--are spread across churches, castles, palaces, university halls, parks. The result is a beautiful land of Christian saints, Portuguese kings, historical glories, aristocrats at leisure, seascapes and so on. Madrid: Guitars Walking into one the Madrid's storied guitar makers' workshops can feel like stepping into the past. Curly wood shavings, from the palest pine to ebony, fall onto the floor as artisans turn some humble wood into works of art. It's painstaking work--all done by hand--with classical guitar models and the methods of making them changing little over the last century. What's the similarity of the four items? A) They're all treasures of a city. B) They all date back several centuries. C) Their production processes are all painstaking. D) They all win popularity in most European countries.
A
(Question)
Buster Brown was a thief and a good one too, he thought. He'd never been caught by the police because he never took chances. He was always prepared for any unforeseen event or emergency. Confidently, he stood outside the house of his intended victim and read the sign on the front gate of the house. "Don't worry about the dog--be aware of the owner!" it said. Buster smiled and found his way in. The house looked quite normal outside, but inside it was very _ with fascinating objects on show. As he began putting them into his bag, a dog came into the room. It stopped when it saw Buster, then wagged its tail madly and went over to him, licking his outstretched hand. "Good boy, "Buster whispered. "What a great guard dog you are--trying to lick me to death." Satisfied he'd made friends with the dog, Bluster began to wander round the house, choosing items to put in his bag. His skilled eye picked out only the best antiques :a pair of silver candle holders, a silver tea-and-coffee service, etc. . His new friend, the dog, sat and watched, as if wondering what was happening. "Well, boy," Buster whispered, finally. "That might do. Any more and I won't be able to carry it! " He swung the heavy bag onto his shoulders, just as the lights came on, nearly blinding him. He shielded his eyes with his hand. "You're a very silly person," the figure in the doorway said, his voice dry and dust. As the man came closer, Buster could see he was well dressed. His face seemed familiar, but Buster couldn't quite place where he had seen him before. "You should have taken more notice of the sign outside," the man rasped. "I knew about this attempted robbery last week and I also know you will end up behind bars for 20 years. Fancy trying to rob the house of the world's greatest fortune -teller!" Why was Buster so confident? A) He was not afraid of dogs. B) He knew the owner of the house lived alone. C) The house had no security alarm . D) He had never been caught by the police.
(Answer)
D
Ques: Although hurricane season doesn't begin until June 1, a Pacific storm has already struck. El Salvador, which was ruined by a Caribbean storm in 1995, was hit by Hurricane Adrian on Friday. This is the first Pacific-born hurricane to ever reach land in this Central American country. Some 14,000 people left from the western coast of El Salvador. The storm weakened as it crossed land, heading east. Heavy rains created deadly flooding problems in the hurricane' s wake. Adrian is the first Pacific storm of the season. It reported maximum continuous winds of 75 miles per hour, the minimum strength of a hurricane. A Category 3 hurricane, Adrian also caused damage and flooding in Honduras. It is expected to break up before reaching the Caribbean Sea on the eastern coast of Central America. Hurricane season typically begins June 1 and lasts through November 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted seven to nine hurricanes for the 2005 season. "It is difficult to make any kind of an exact prediction of how many of these will strike land," NOAA administrator Conrad Lautenbacher said. He predicts two to three hurricanes will strike the U.S. this season. Last year, six of nine hurricanes reached Category 3 strength or higher. Four of those hit Florida within a six-week period. Altogether, Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne caused more than $40 billion in damage in the Sunshine State. This year' s forecast is based on ocean temperatures. Warmer temperatures produce more tropical storms, which can then turn into hurricanes. "The issue, really, this year is the unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic," said Frank Lepore of the National Hurricane Center. The passage implies that _ . A) hurricane season comes early this year B) every hurricane formed in oceans could cause great damage to the land C) hurricane often comes in winter and spring D) tropical storm is more severe than hurricane
Ans: A
One potential problem with allowances is that children's responsible behavior can become about earning the allowance rather than the intrinsic value of their family responsibilities. For example, if you pay your children for taking out the rubbish, they see this chore as a job that they should be rewarded for instead of a responsibility they must fulfill as part of the family. But giving children an allowance for weekly chores is not necessarily bad. You are rewarding them for fulfilling their family responsibilities, but it is not for a specific act. It is an appreciation of their commitment to your family values. You are also conveying another important message that their actions have consequences: if they do good things, good things happen. They also learn a lesson about the market economy, namely that work is rewarded. Allowances can also be used as punishment and to teach children lessons about family values. For example, if your children join a group of kids smashing pumpkins on Halloween, a part of a reasonable punishment might be to require them to pay the families out of their allowance to replace the pumpkins. Thus, your children learn that bad behavior has financial consequences. Meanwhile, by relating the punishment to the misdeed, you ensure that your children see the connection and learn the value lesson. How much allowance should you pay your children? The precise amount depends on your family's financial situation, the cost of living and your children's needs. Children can start to earn a weekly allowance as early as 5 years of age. An increase of $ 1 per week for each year of your children's lives is realistic until they reach their mid-teens. When they begin to drive and date, you can calculate their expenses and establish a reasonable allowance that covers their needs. When your children join a group of kids smashing pumpkins on Halloween, _ . A) you should give them some allowances to pay for the pumpkins B) they should be rid of their opportunity to celebrate Halloween C) you should ensure your children see the connection with their lessons D) they should face the consequence of losing their own money
D