Read the article and select the best answer. Article: In the UK, a group of campaigners have declared the last Saturday in November as National Buy Nothing Day. "Our message is clear: shop less, live more!" says organizer Michael Smith. "The challenge is to try simple living for a day. Spend time with family and friends, rather than spending money on them. Anyone can take part, provided they spend a day without spending." On Buy Nothing Day, they take to the streets to tackle consumers . They dress as pigs to symbolize greed . They offer to cut up credit cards and hand out shopping bags with the words "another useless thing I don't need" written on the side. Some hold street parties to show shoppers that it is possible to have fun without spending money. Others go into shops and put notes saying "don't buy me" inside clothes and shoes. Some protestors are working against powerful forces. Many retailers and manufacturers depend on Christmas sales for most of their profits. Around two thirds of GDP in the West is made up of consumer spending. If this drops, many people will lose their jobs. At least that will make it easier for them to buy nothing. And there is also the risk that the campaigners will be seen as killjoys, who want to stop people enjoying themselves. "There's a fun side to this," says Michael Smith. "To some it's a protest, but it's also a street party. We're not saying that people are bad because they go shopping, but we need get the message across for people to consume wisely. And after we're finished, we'll probably go for a drink." Question: Why do a group of people in the UK choose Saturday as National Buy Nothing Day? Options: A: Because they have enough food at their homes. B: Because it is the season for shopping. C: Because they have run out of money at that time. D: Because it's popular to live a simple life.
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: If you are looking for the place that has everything, there's only one place to visit, and that's New York. It's a whole world in a city. The World of Theatre: All of New York is a stage. And it begins with Broadway. Where else can you find so many hit shows in one place? Only in New York. The World of Music: Spend an evening with Beethoven at Lincoln Centre. Swing to the great jazz of Greenwich Village. Or rock yourself silly at the hottest dance spots found anywhere. The World of Art: From Rembrandt to Picasso. From Egyptian tombs to Indian teepees. Whatever kind of art you like, you'll find in New York. The World of Fine Dining: Whether it's roast Beijing duck in Chinatown, or the finest French coq au vin found anywhere, there's a world of great taste waiting for you in New York. The World of Sights: What other city has a statue of Liberty , a Rocketfeller Centre or a Bronx Zoo? Where else can you take a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park, only in New York. Question: What the writer really wanted to do is to _ . Options: A: try to persuade readers to pay a visit to New York B: give readers some information about New York C: supply readers some wonderful programmes in New York D: help readers to get a better understanding of New York
A

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Children who grow up in households where books are plentiful go further in school than those without books, a new study finds. This book benefit was seen across countries, and held regardless of the parent's educational back-ground, father's occupation or the political system of the country, the researchers say. The results, based on data from 73,249 people living in 27 countries, including the United States, show that having a 500-book library boosted a child's education by 3.2 years on average. "You get a great effect for your books," said study researcher Mariah Evans, a sociologist at the University of Nevada, Reno. "It's quite a good return-on-investment in a time of scarce resources." For years, educators have thought the strongest predictor of attaining high levels of education was having parents who were highly educated. But according to the findings, a good-sized book library is just as good as university-educated parents in terms of increasing education level. "Even a little bit goes a long way," in terms of the number of books in a home, Evans said. Having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education, and the more books are added, the greater the benefit. In some countries, such as China, having 500 or more books in the home propels children 6. 6 years further in their education. In the United States, the effect is less, 2.4 years. But, Evans points out that 2.4 years is still a significant advantage in terms of educational achievement. For example, Americans who have some college or an associate's degree, but not a bachelor's degree, earn an average of $ 7,213 more annually than those with just a high school education. Those who attain a bachelor's degree earn $ 21,185 more each year, on average, than those with just high school diplomas. Having books in the home is twice as important as the father's education level, and more important than whether a child was educated in China or the United States. Question: What was the author's purpose of writing the passage? Options: A: To display the close relations between jobs and books. B: To reveal the good effect of focusing on diplomas. C: To show the differences in education levels in different nations. D: To show the importance of books in the home.
A: D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Winter Travel Adventures "Let it snow, let it snow!" You have found your home for all adventures, icy, snowy and white! Discover breathtaking sights while cross-country skiing and snow mobiling, or uncover new lands for skiing, and find the _ to snowboard. Informative links below will get you on your way to a winter wonderland journey. Seniors Head South for Winter A feature article on the annual migration of Winter Texans and Snow Birds heading to warmer places for the winter. Resources for Texas, Florida, Southern U.S and international destinations are included. Skiing and Snowboarding adventures You either love it or hate it, strapping a pair of boards to your feet and thrusting yourself down a snow-covered mountain at a speed of 60 miles per hour. If downhill running is your adventure game, connect with the best resources for adventures, vacations, ski trips and destinations. Cross-country Skiing Adventures All ages can find pleasure and exercise on a good pair of cross-country skis. Discover the winter back-country on your next adventure. Connect with adventure opportunities, outfitters, equipment sources, destinations and more. Snowmobile Adventures Take to the snow-covered backcountry and discover white adventures where only snowmobiles can take you. You can find information from a resource center about adventure tours, group tours, clubs, equipment, destinations, best trails and more. Snowshoe Adventures Foot power proves to be the ultimate dependable transportation, and that applies to winter trekking through the backcountry. A good pair of snowshoes can get you to places when nothing else can. Question: The purpose of this text is to _ . Options: A: introduce some of the famous scenic spots B: introduce the hottest spots to snowboard C: provide readers with several choices of traveling. D: provide information of different travel agencies
C