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I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: "Did you hear what happened to Adam last Friday?" Lindsey whispers to Tori. With her eyes shining, Tori brags, "You bet I did. Sean told me two days ago." What are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happens to be yours truly, Adam Freedman. I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren't very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip . I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group. An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic--breakups, troubles at home, even dropping out--that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicer the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, bur cruel lies can cause pain. If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don't. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the "in group". In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority . Gossip can also have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do's and don'ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student... Question: An important negative effect of gossip is that it _ . Options: A: breaks up relationships B: embarrasses the listener C: spreads information around D: causes unpleasant experiences
(Answer)
D

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I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: People say time is .But to what.I do know that sometimes time"seems"to be moving slower.Remember Christmas Eve when you were a child? It was the longest night of the year.It lasted forever! And now it seems like I just paid my bill yesterday...and it's due again! People tell me all too frequently...I need more time! Oh ,really?...Mother Teresa, Michelangelo,and Helen Keller all had 24 hours a day.Look what they did with their time! Is it that we need to manage our time better...or our priorities ?You've heard the expression"first things first."The first step in understanding the power of time is to understand that it is limited.Why is it then that some people get a lot more done? We know the answer.They use their time smartly. One day an expert on time management was speaking to a group of students and announced a quiz.He pulls out a wide-mouthed jar.Next,he places about a dozen fist-sized rocks,one at a time , into the jat, until no more will fit."Is it full?"he asks."Yes,"responds the class."Oh really?"he asks.So he takes out a bucket of gravel . which he manages to work down into the spaces between the larger rocks."Is it full now?"he asks. Wising up,one answered,''Probably not."Sure enough. he takes out a bucket of sand,which he pours into the empty spaces."Is it full now?"he asks."N0 1"reply the students confidently.So he takes a glass of water and fills it in.Then he asks,"What is my point?'' One said,''No matter how full your schedule is,if you try really hard,you can always fit some more things into it!" "No,"the speaker replied,"It tells us if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all.'' What are the big rocks? The things you should put in to your jar first. The rich don't get 25 hours and the poor don't get 23...we all get the same.Let's use them wisely! Invest your time wisely! Question: What do"the big rocks"in this passage refer to? Options: A: Difficult points. B: Advantages C: Minor things D: Focuses
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D

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I'm taking a test and have to guess the right answer to the question after the article. Article: "I can't concentrate." "My mind wanders when I try to study." Lack of concentration is one of the most common complaints heard at school. We all have the ability to concentrate. Think of the times when you were attracted to a super novel or the times when you were playing your guitar or piano. But at other times your mind races from one thing to another. Here are some tips. Rest from time to time. Remember to take short breaks. Lectures are usually 50 minutes long, and that's about the length of time most people can direct their attention to one task. But that's just an average. Your concentration time might be shorter (20-35 minutes) or longer (perhaps 90 minutes).When you take a break, you get more oxygen to your brain! When we sit for long periods, blood tends to be pooled in our lower body and legs. Get up and walk around the room for a couple of minutes. As a result, more oxygen is carried to the brain and you can concentrate better. _ If you study one subject for a long time, you may find it hard to concentrate. Many students improve their concentration by changing one subject to another every one to two hours. In this way you can pay more attention to something that's different. Reward yourself. Give yourself a reward when you've completed a task. The task might be small, such as staying with a difficult paper until you've finished. But giving yourself a reward can help you be more interested in doing other tasks. Increase your activity level. Your concentration wanders more easily if you just read an article straight through. Instead, take the heading for each part and turn it into a question. For this part, that would be, "How can I increase my activity level while studying?" Then study that part to answer that question. Do this routinely. The questions give us a focus for each part and increase our involvement . Question: The writer wrote the passage to _ . Options: A: encourage us to try to concentrate B: teach us how to concentrate while studying C: give us the reasons for a lack of concentration D: list the benefits we can get from concentration
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B