(Q).
While the history of technology can be traced along many lines, one of the most amazing development is that of photo technology, the technology of light.From the prehistoric invention of fire to laser beams and fiber optics , light has "continually occupied the minds of inventors".Their inventions fall into two groups: the use of light to help us see better and more interestingly, the use of light for purposes of communication. The use of light for communicating is one of the major directions that technology has taken ever since the middle of the nineteenth century.From still photography to motion pictures to television (with a development from black - and - white to color1 imagery in each), photo technology has had a great effect upon mass communication and mass education.Unlike the printed words, visual images have more impact because they are more immediate.They copy reality in a way that the printed words cannot.Unlike letter shapes, they are not abstract; unlike words, they require no symbolic interpretation by the mind.Combined with the widespread and uniform spreading of such images, photo technology affects the thinking of vast audiences and shapes their view of reality. Millions of Americans are affected by the commercially - inspired electronic manipulation of artificial images.We call it "entertainment" and can't wait to get more. As the number of commercially available television channels grows, the viewer's freedom of choice increases, but so does the burden of that choice.Increasingly he is faced with a sea of in formation and is asked to make quick choices. More significantly, the ease and rapidity of mass communication has created a supply of information greater than it can readily be absorbed.Flooded in the sea of information, the individual struggles to swim through it. The passage is mainly about _ . A) the history of technology B) the speed of mass communication C) the influence of light on communication D) the great number of television channels
(A).
C

(Q).
Several parents and children escaped the summer heat and enjoyed a refreshing "Leap Into a Good Book".About 30 children and parents gathered as volunteers for both agencies. After the readings,refreshments were offered and children and parents were given books,a gift bag and a bookmark with information on adult literacy programs. Learn to Read of Northwest Florida Inc.and Even Start coordinated the event with hopes that combining their programs will help target functionally illiterate adults and their families.A functionally illiterate adult is one who has reading skills below a seventhgrade level.That often means they have difficulty filling out job applications,understanding a lease,reading medication labels or to their children. Merelin Hernandez,9,a fourthgrader at Warrington Elementary School,understands the importance of reading.She also says it makes her happy when she is bored."Reading helps me go to another grade,"she says."I feel proud when I get a B because then I know I am reading well."Monae Walker,7,a student at Oakcrest Elementary School,says reading teaches her and makes her happy. Learn to Read of Northwest Florida Inc.provides oneonone tutoring for basic reading and writing skills to adults 16 and older who are not in school.Tutors go through a 12hour workshop and tutor their students 3 hours per week.The program currently has 150 active tutors. Even Start is a family education program at McMillan Learning Center,which offers adult education classes and infant,toddler and prekindergarten services at no cost to families.Linda Harris,a teacher in charge of the Escambia Even Start program,says the program equips parents so they can help their children. According to the passage,Monae Walker _ . A) was attending the oneonone tutoring B) was a schoolleaver C) was having a good time there D) read books with her parents
(A).
C

(Q).
I have a rule of travel: never carry a map. I prefer to ask for directions. Foreign visitors are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don't have names. In Japan, people tell landmarks in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, " Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and pass a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop." In the countryside of the American Midwest, usually there are not many landmarks. There are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distance. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, " Go north two miles, turn west, and then go another mile." People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map. They measure distance by means of time, not miles. "How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh," they answer, "it's about five minutes from here." You say, " Yes, but how many miles away is it?" They don' t know. People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because visitors seldom understand the Greek language. Instead of giving you the direction, a Greek often says, " Follow me." Then he will lead you through the streets of the city to the post office. Sometimes a person doesn't know the answer to your question. What happens then? A New Yorker might say, " Sorry, I have no idea." But in Yuchatan, Mexico, no one answers " I don't know." People in Yucatan think that " I don't know" is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A visitor can get very lost in Yucatan. However, one thing will help you everywhere---- in Japan, in the United States, in Greece, in Mexico, or in any other places. You might not understand a person's words, but maybe you can understand his body language. He or she will usually turn and then point in the correct direction. Go in that direction and you may find the post office. In which place do people tell distance by means of time? A) Japan. B) Los Angeles. C) Greece. D) Yucatan.
(A).
B