The other day I heard a few local musicians talking: "I hate all the pianos in this town and I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They cannot even understand rhythm .""Nobody wants to pay musicians anything. I'm sick of all the people who want you to play without paying you."... One younger musician said, "There are a couple of clubs who want me to play for a few nights a month, and I'm trying to find other places to play. I'm also planning to join in several summer festivals this year." I really liked what the younger musician said so I made friends with him. Attitudes are important. Whether they're positive or negative , they're all rubbing off on you. If you're around people who are always complaining or blaming others, it is possible that you will start doing the same as well. If you spend lots of time with people who don't support your dreams, it is time to take a look at the people you call "friends". There is an easy exercise you can try. Make a list of the people who you often stay with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don't become friends with people who fall below that standard. The choice is always yours to make. Of course, this exercise is entirely different from making friends only for the good of oneself. We really should try to help and spend time with those who are working towards a goal or dream. The musicians' conversation at the beginning is to show that _ . A) musicians' living conditions are not good B) people in that town have poor taste in music C) different people have different attitudes D) young people are more likely to succeed
C
Sooner or later, most students are to take some form of English examinations. Often the more successful students are better prepared. However, sometimes students who do well have better test taking skills. These abilities really have nothing to do with understanding English better. They are skills that make taking the test easier, and therefore provide better results. Here are some very important--and often ignored--guidelines to taking a test successfully. Do not insist on completing each question before going to the next. This is extremely important. Remember one question may only be worth one point! You will become nervous when you fail to find out its answer, making you lose your concentration and leading to worse results. However, answering the questions you are sure you know results in your being more relaxed and feeling more confident. Go through the test a second time working out the answers to more difficult questions. Sometimes questions asked are answered in later questions asking for different things. Usually(but not always) a strong first impulse means we know the answer and we don't really have to think about it too much. Going back to think about it usually makes you unsure and often causes a mistake. This is very common, so be very careful! If you don't know the answer, write something. If you are answering a 4 possibility multiple choice question you will still have a 25% chance of being correct! Taking a test is as much for you as is for your teacher, so never cheat. If you cheat, you don't help yourself in the long run. When taking an exam, you are advised _ . A) to first answer the questions which are easier to you. B) to depend on your first impulse to answer the questions. C) to search the test paper for all the answers to the questions. D) to give up the questions whose answers you don't know.
A
Q: According to decades-long research, women who took low to moderate daily doses of aspirin had a reduced death rate, especially from heart disease. The research, based on data from a major trial that has tracked almost 80,000 women since 1976, found that women who reported using aspirin on a regular basis had a 25 percent lower risk of death from any cause than women who didn't take the drug. The risk of death from cardiovascular disease was 38 percent lower for aspirin users, and there was also a 12 percent reduction in cancer deaths that took effect after a decade of aspirin use, the researchers found in their report based on the Nurses' Health Study. However, an accompanying editorial in the journal cautioned that the results were open to debate and far from definitive. The dissenting editorial was based on results of an earlier trial by the Women's Health Study, which followed almost 40,000 women for 11 years and found no reduction in overall deaths. Therefore, the new findings "cannot overcome the accumulated evidence that aspirin is not particularly effective for the primary prevention of death from cardiovascular disease in women." "This is a complicated issue," said Dr. Andrew T. Chan, leading author of the new report. "We understand that aspirin has potential health benefits, but who would aspirin therapy be appropriate for?" There are "areas of disagreement that need further study" before that question can be answered, Chan said. But there is information from the two large studies and other trials that can help guide women and their physicians, he said. And anyone who is thinking about daily aspirin "should really talk with doctors about the benefits and risks." The new report clearly benefits the women suffering A) heart disease B) cancer C) lose of memory D) aspirin side effects
A: A
Although he will always be remembered for starring "Superman," the greatest role of actor Christopher Reeve's life was as a champion of sufferers of spinal cord injuries and an supporter of stem cell research. Unlike the man of steel, he wasn't faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than an engine and he couldn't leap tall buildings in a single bound. But the courage and determination Reeve showeed in trying to overcome his paralysis from a 1995 horse-riding accident went beyond any of the achievements of the comic book hero. "He became a real-life Superman. His heroism, his courage was extraordinary," Colin Blakemore, the chief executive of Britain's Medical Research Council said. "Like many people who suffer some terrible injuries, Christopher Reeve was totally changed by that experience and brought the kind of energy and enthusiasm that made him successful as a film star to an entirely different issue, with huge effect." Reeve, 52, died of heart failure on October 10, 2004 after having treatment for an infected pressure wound without realizing his dream of walking again. But in the nine years since his accident, he made personal progress to regain respect and admiration, founded the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, a non-profit research organization, and used his fame to raise millions of dollars for research into spinal cord injuries. He also provided hope and inspiration to other patients and made speeches to support scientists to be allowed to conduct stem cell research in the hopes of eventually curing paralysis and other illnesses such as diabetes and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. "He has been our champion. If you think of spinal injuries, you automatically recall a picture of Christopher Reeve," said Paul Smith, executive director of the Spinal Injuries Association in England. It is because of Reeve that spinal cord injuries and stem cell research are so widely discussed, according to Smith. The fact that it happened to Reeve showed it can affect anyone, even Superman. Reeve... Which of the following words can best describe the characteristics of Reeve? A) strong-willed and caring B) tough and persuasive C) caring and reliable D) sympathetic and considerate
A