Getting away for a short time always seems like a great idea--until you have to pack. The rule is: pack light. Here are some tips to help you pack. Organize Yourself Make a list. Think of what you need from your head to your toes. When you've done this once, it'll be easier next time. Start Small Consider buying small-size samples of shampoo, toothpaste, and other items at your local store. Make sure they are all sealed tightly. In an emergency, you can purchase them at your destination. But remember that the time you spend buying things at your destination will reduce your visiting time. The Clothing Dilemma Choosing which clothes to bring is probably the hardest packing decision to make. Think once again from head to toe -- hat, shirts, jeans, sneakers, etc. Once you've picked out what you want to bring, think carefully. Do you really need that extra pair of jeans? If so, fine. Don't try to fool yourself. You are the one who will be left holding the bag. Weather is an important factor in your packing. If it's cold, you could wear a jacket, a sweater, a regular shirt, and a T-shirt. Layering up will keep you warm and it will leave more room in your bag. Roll up your casual clothes instead of folding and laying them flat. This leaves more room to pack other things, and keeps your clothes fairly wrinkle-free. Remember how much easier it will be to carry your bag! This text would be most helpful to a reader who is _ . A) going on a vacation B) shopping for luggage C) moving to a new home D) hosting relatives for a visit
A
(Question)
Most cellphone companies design models especially for kids. But parents are usually the ones buying the phones. According to a July 2012 study, 56% of parents of children aged 8 to 12 have given their children a cellphone. The number goes up with age. The study just proves what many people already guessed: many kids, if not most, have their own cellphones. According to a recent survey, 12 is the magic number. It is the most common age for kids to get their first cellphone. But 13% of children aged 6 to 10 already have one. People who are for kids' using cellphones, including many parents, notice that cellphones help kids keep in touch with their friends and families. They believe that cellphones are an important tool in a dangerous situation. Kids can reach their parents at all times. And some people say having a cellphone helps teach kids to be responsible. Some cellphones designed for kids can be set to only work when parents approve . What's the harm in that? But other people are worried about the health and safety effects of kids' cellphones. They believe that kids with cellphones will spend less time playing outside with friends, and that sending text messages or making phone calls while doing homework makes it difficult for kids to concentrate. They say that kids are spending too much time texting instead of talking to each other. "Our brains developed to communicate face to face," says Gary Small, a teacher at the UCLA School of Medicine, in California. "A lot of this is lost with texting." Another worry is cyber bullying , which is on the rise as more kids use e-mail and text messages to communicate. And some experts are worried about possible health risks. They worry that energy waves produced by cellphones could be harmful to young people. To be safe, parents should not let them talk long on the phone. Cellphones can be bad for kids because _ . A) kids spend too much time playing games B) kids reduce personal communication C) kids don't want to do their homework at home D) cellphones have a bad influence on kids' brains
(Answer)
B
Ques: It was late in the afternoon, and I was putting the final touch on a piece of writing that I was feeling pretty good about. I wanted to save it, but my cursor had frozen. I tried to shut the computer down, and it seized up altogether. Unsure of what else to do, I yanked the battery out. Unfortunately, Windows had been in the midst of a crucial undertaking. The next morning, when I turned my computer back on, it informed me that a file had been corrupted and Windows would not load. Then, it offered to repair itself by using the Windows Setup CD. I opened the special drawer where I keep CDs. But no Windows CD in there. I was forced to call the computer company's Global Support Centre. My call was answered by a woman in some unnamed, far-off land. I find it annoying to make small talk with someone when I don't know what continent they're standing on. Suppose I were to comment on the beautiful weather we've been having when there was a monsoon at the other end of the phone? So I got right to the point. "My computer is telling me a file is corrupted and it wants to fix itself, but I don't have the Windows Setup CD." "So you're having a problem with your Windows Setup CD." She has apparently been dozing and, having come to just as the sentence ended, was attempting to cover for her inattention. It quickly became clear that the woman was not a computer technician. Her job was to serve as a gatekeeper. Her only duty, as far as I could tell, was to raise global stress levels. To make me disappear, the woman gave me the phone number for Windows' creator, Microsoft. This is like giving someone the phone number for, I don't know, North America. Besides, the CD worked; I just didn't have it. No matter how many times I repeated my story, we came back to the same place. She was calm and polite. When my voice hit a certain decibel , I was passed along, like a hot, irritable potato, to a technician. "You don't have the Windows Setup CD, ma'am, because you don't need it," he explained cheerfully. "Windows came... It can be inferred from the passage that the differences between the Global Support Centre and the local repair shop lie in all the followings except _ . A) efficiency B) location C) setup CDs D) attitude
Ans: C
Ques: This is a true story of how my car got stuck in water and how a stranger helped me during the worst rain storm. Last Sunday, the sky was grey when I woke up. The weather report said rain was coming, but I couldn't stay home just because of rain. Around 8:00 am I had a doctor's appointment. It wasn't raining then. At 9:00 I left the doctor's office to drive to work, and it was raining hard. I just had to go about 5-6 miles down one main road to get to a nearby school, where I could stay until the rain ended. Unfortunately, the road in front of the school was flooded, and my car stopped in the middle. "Who is going to save me?" I wondered. I shut off the engine and turned on my flashers . I called 911. They were not helpful. I called my husband, even though he couldn't come and help me. I was also very close to a police station. But I never saw even one police car. I decided to get out of the car, since it was still pouring. My best decision of the day had been to wear rain boots. I took my umbrella and quickly got out and ran across the street to a shelter. Before long, a tow truck happened to pass by the street. The driver kindly offered to help me. At that moment, I really needed car pulled out quickly, so I trusted the stranger. He pulled my car and drove me home. After he had dropped my car off, he also helped me check the engine. He said the engine was most likely flooded, but fortunately there was no water inside the car. Although many years have passed, I still remember that stormy day and the warm-hearted stranger clearly. How did the stranger help the author? A) He lent his car to her. B) He pulled her car out of the water. C) He drove her to school. D) He helped her fix her engine.
Ans:
B