*Question*
For good health, be sure to eat fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and lie as seldom as possible. A researcher is hoping this advice will someday take hold, based on results of a "science of honesty" study she completed. Half of 110 participants were told to stop telling major or minor ("white") lies for 10 weeks, while the other half (the control group) was given no special instructions about lying. The 110 people ranged from ages 18 to 71 and came from both sexes and all income levels. All came to a laboratory each week to complete health and relationship questionnaires and to take a test showing the number of major and minor lies they had told that week. When those in the no-lie group told three fewer white lies than in other weeks, they complained less of headaches, tenseness, anxiety and other problems than those in the control group. In addition, they reported that their close personal relationships had improved and their social interactions had gone more smoothly. "The link was that clear," said study author Anita Kelly, a professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. "Lying less was clearly associated with better health for those people." Previous research indicates that Americans average 11 lies per week, from the little white lies to save face or falsely praise others to major lies about serious matters. Kelly said her study differs from former studies because it didn't focus on how to detect a liar, but on the potential health consequences of telling lies. "People might recognize the more harmful effect lying can have on relationships, but probably don't recognize the extent to which it can cause a lot of stress," said Dr. Bryan Bruno at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. At the end of the study, some participants had created smart ways to avoid lying. Kelly noted that some realized they could simply tell the truth about their daily achievements rather than exaggerate , while others responded to a troubling question with another question to take the person's attention... The finding of the research is that _ . A) white lies help to improve relationships. B) few people realize lying harms their health. C) Americans tell 11 lies per week on average. D) Lying less results in better health mentally and physically.
**Answer**
D

*Question*
Arthur sat at the desk in his room, pencil in hand. He had to write a story for his English class by Friday. "! don't know what to write about, " he complained to his dog Toby, who was asleep at his feet. Arthur was talkative when speaking to his friends, yet he had trouble finding words when he had to write. By bedtime Arthur had drawn a picture of Toby smiling. He had drawn a tree with its branches blowing in the strong wind. He had also written a note asking his friend Lee to go to the movies on Saturday. But he had not written a single word of his story. On Wednesday, Mrs. Solomon, Arthur's English teacher, asked the class to turn in the first draft of their stories. His heart sinking, Arthur turned in the only work he had--the page with his name, the drawings and the note. Arthur wasn't surprised when Mrs. Solomon asked him to stay after class the next day. But he was surprised by what she said to him. " This is an attractive story, Arthur. The dog, the movie, the tree in the wind--I can't wait to find out how they all fit together. " "That isn't my story, Mrs. Solomon, " Arthur admitted. "I haven't been able to think of one yet. " "Oh, I think you have the seed of a story there, " Mrs. Solomon replied, "Look at your note and the pictures and see if a story comes to you. " That night Arthur sat at his desk, and this is what he wrote: "One Saturday Mike went downstairs to meet his friend Julio at the cinema. It looked as if it might rain, so Mike carried his umbrella. Suddenly a big storm blew in, bending the trees. The noise of the wind sounded like the barking of Mike's dog Toby. Toby really hated storms and barked whenever he wanted to be let inside. Then Mike realized that it wasn't the sound of the wind. It was Toby. The dog was running after him down the busy street, barking. The sound was filled with blame. Mike felt guilty because he had left Toby outside. He turned and headed home with Toby running beside him. Mike let Toby in the door just as the rain started to pour down. " Arthur had a story... What can we infer from the story? A) Arthur is a shy and quiet student. B) Arthur isn't very satisfied with his story. C) There will be a storm on Saturday. D) Encouragement is important in teaching.
**Answer**
D

*Question*
Many years ago,a French naturalist,the Count de Buffon,wrote some books about natural history.The books were a great success even though some critics did not like them.Some critics said,"Count Buffon is more of a poet than a scientist." Thomas Jefferson did not like what the Count had said about the natural wonders of the New World.It seemed to Jefferson that the Count had spoken of natural wonders in America as if they were unimportant. This troubled Thomas Jefferson.He too was a naturalist,as well as a farmer,inventor,historian,writer and politician.He had seen the natural wonders of Europe.To him,they were no more important than those of the New World. In 1788,Thomas Jefferson wrote about his home state,Virginia.While writing,he thought of its natural beauty and then of the words of the Count de Buffon.At that moment.Jefferson created a new word--belittle.He said."The Count de Buffon believes that nature belittles her productions on this side of the Atlantic." Noah Webster,the American word expert,liked this word.He put it in this English language dictionary in 1806,"Belittle--to make small,unimportant." Americans had already accepted Jefferson's word and started to use it.In 1797,the Independent Chronicle newspaper used the word to describe a politician the paper supported."He is an honorable man,"the paper wrote,"so let the opposition try to belittle him as much as they please." In 1872,a famous American word expert decided that the time had come to kill this word.He said,"Belittle has no chance of becoming English.And as more critical writers of America,like those of Britain,feel no need of it,the sooner it is forgotten,the better." This expert failed to kill the word.Today.belittle is used where the English language is spoken. What is the main idea of the text? A) How the word"belittle"came into being. B) The argument about natural wonders. C) Every word has a long history behind. D) Noah Webster supported Jefferson's idea.
**Answer**
A