*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Cooking is an important skill with an interesting history. Every culture has their own types of foods and methods of cooking. Most cities and towns have local specialties and dishes. Families often have special recipes and meals that nobody else knows how to cook. Food comes in almost as many shapes, sizes, and varieties as people do. And behind every meal and every dish there is a cook. In many cultures, especially in the West, cooking has traditionally been a task more often performed by women than by men. Today, however, it would be foolish to say cooking is only for females. Even though people are becoming busier and busier with their jobs, more and more people are cooking, including men. People cook to relax, to save money, to eat healthier foods, or just to eat tastier foods. This activity has become so popular that in the United States there is a television channel that does nothing but teach you how to cook. The internet has made it easier and easier to get all kinds of recipes. Because of globalization more types of spices and ingredients are available to more people at cheaper prices. This has helped contribute to new types of foods, dishes, and styles of cooking. Simply put, cooking is on the rise. In most places you can survive without knowing how to cook. But in my opinion if you don't know how to cook, you had better know somebody else that can cook, or life just won't be as enjoyable. Question: Why is cooking becoming more popular? - Because people are richer now than they were in the past. - Because they can control what they eat and be healthier. - There are many reasons for the increase in popularity. - Cooking is relaxing.
**Answer**
There are many reasons for the increase in popularity.

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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Drink drivers could be prohibited from driving under the influence if new technology from Nissan is introduced. The Japanese car maker has developed a new odor detection system designed to prevent drivers from operating a car if they are over the legal limit. The system works by using a series of sensors to detect the level of alcohol the driver has consumed. A high-sensitivity alcohol odor sensor is built into the gear stick , which is able to detect the presence of the driver's palm as he or she attempts to start driving. If the alcohol level detected is above a pre-determined limit, the system automatically locks the transmission , immobilizing the car. A voice alert is also issued via the car navigation system telling the driver that he or she is over the limit. Extra sensors are also placed in the driver and passenger seats and a warning is issued if these sensors detect the presence of alcohol in the air inside the vehicle cabin. While still in the developmental stage the concept of drink driving detectors being built into cars has generally been welcomed by many drivers. Nissan said the technology is part of a project aimed at halving the number of fatalities and serious injuries in Nissan cars by 2015 compared to 2005 levels. Question: The detection system works _ . - by detecting the smell of alcohol in the vehicle cabin - by measuring the volume of the alcohol in vehicle cabin - by detecting the weight of the school in the vehicle cabin - by using a car navigation system
**Answer**
by detecting the smell of alcohol in the vehicle cabin

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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: 350 million yuan in one week puts famous actress Zhao Wei at the top of the list of most profitable female directors. Before her the place belonged to Xue Xiaolu, the director of Finding Mr. Right, which hit Chinese screens early this year. With the box office success of So Young, people are once again turning their nostalgic eyes to youth -- an era of passion and pain, of hope and heartbreak. The reason why youth is such a soft spot for many people is that its intangible nature cannot be truly grasped until it is lost. "It is the period between education and employment, between dependence and independence,"says Zhang Yiwu, professor of Chinese literature at Peking University. But Jiang Chuling, the writer of So Young, says youth shares many similarities with home. When you leave home, you start missing it. "I think youth is meaningless for young people. Only when you look back does it acquire a special meaning," she says. For Zhang Yueran, 31, who is regarded as one of the country's most promising young novelist, "heroism in youth" was a cultural asset of people born in the 1970s, but it was swept away by the materialism that is so common in today's world. Nostalgia for the post-1980s and post-1990s generation, according to Zhang Yiwu, comes from their frustration and anxiety. Born into the most affluent society in 100 years, this generation of single children is not as tough as their predecessors. "They have very high expectations toward life and their disappointment and frustration with reality is huge," says Zhang. "So they turn to the past for comfort, even though they are still young. " So Young tells a love story set in the 80s and 90s. The idea of reflecting about past time has helped the film win a lot of appreciation. One audience member said, "I think the story can really bring back memories for a lot of people. It's got something we've all experienced, but can lead us to different feelings. " "Everyone experiences youth and every generation considers their youth to have been special. But actually,... Question: We can infer from the passage that _ . - Zhao Wei took the first place in film profit - the film has been very popular among teenagers - So Yong is a film which is hard to understand - people often celebrate their growth with a ceremony
**Answer**
the film has been very popular among teenagers

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: An African proverb says that a single hand cannot tie a bundle. Everyone needs companions to help them sail through the rough seas of life. Even the strongest and richest person still needs friends. Our money and strength would have no value if we had no friends to share with us. The best friendship is a give-and-take relationship. We need the support of our family, friends and the community. In turn we also give support to the society, our friends and our family. The word "friend" has many meanings. It could be the bus driver who takes you to and from work every day. It could be a parent, a colleague, a wife or husband, a brother or sister, or even the unknown person who helped you just once when you could not find your way. Real friends share not only our happiness but our sorrows as well. This may explain why we have the expression "a friend in need is a friend indeed". Friendship is like the sunshine that keeps us warm. It is like the refreshing raindrops on the fields that give the farmers hope of a good planting season. Without friends our life would be like a desert where our only friend would be loneliness and sadness. The most fortunate person is the one who has friends from all levels in the society. A driver might find friends not only among his colleagues but among farmers, bankers, traders, students, politicians or teachers. We should never forget our old friends when we make new ones. We should treasure each of our friends whether poor or rich, beautiful or not. Each friend is _ in his or her own way. And all together, they enrich life and make it very colourful. Question: An unknown person can be a friend as well when _ . - he helps you with what you need - he is told how to find his way - he becomes one of your family - he is a driver taking you from and to work
**Answer**
he helps you with what you need