For the people living in the Nile Basin,the river is their life. This 6,825 km waterway,whose watershed covers three million square kilometers,flows through mountains,woodlands,lakes and deserts. Its potential for fishing,tourism and shipping is great-but so are its challenges. Water shortage,already serious in Egypt and Sudan,will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well. Today,about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living. Within the next 25 years,the district's population is expected to double,adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture. The frequent drought adds to the urgency. Water quality is also a problem. Precious soil is washed out to sea. Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution. Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils. Water-borne diseases remain unchecked. In areas where it's hot and damp, _ grow so fast that they choke off lakes,dams and other sections of the river,making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward. Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day. They've seen the river change course,and their only source of water thickened with mud. They're very poor and have few choices. But a new program,the Nile Basin Initiative(NBI),is offering very practical assistance. The program is more than just a water-management project. It's a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them. These are whole ecosystem problems,calling for united solutions .Half the Nile Basin's countries are among the world's poorest nations; yet,somehow,they must find the resources,skills and political will to overcome these challenges. What would be the best title of this passage? A) People's life in Egypt and Sudan B) Frequent drought in Egypt and Sudan C) The poorest countries in the Nile Basin D) The ecosystem problems in the Nile Basin
D
(Question)
When Jackie Robinson walked onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York, on April 15, 1947, he changed baseball forever. As the first African American to play in the Major League in modern times, many believe he changed the country forever. Robinson was born in 1919. He lived in a time when rules controlled what African Americans could do. He was a top athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball. But playing for a major League team was off limits to Robinson because of his race. Branch Rickey, president and manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, signed (......) Robinson in 1947. He believed that Robinson not only had the skills, but the courage to face the challenge of becoming modern baseball's first black player. It wasn't easy. Robinson sometimes faced boos from fans. But he became a star, anyway. In 1962, he became the first African-American player chosen to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2005, he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award Congress can give to an American. By breaking baseball's color barrier , Robinson opened the door for many to follow his footsteps, not only in baseball, but in other areas of life as well. After he stopped playing the game, Robinson worked as a manager for a coffee company. He wrote a newspaper column . He also started a bank. Before Jackie Robinson, no African-American players could _ . A) play baseball B) play in the Major League C) play football and basketball D) watch Major League games
(Answer)
B
Ques: Dog owners now have a little help understanding their furry friends . A new device called Bow-Lingual "translates" dog barks into English , Korea or Japanese. Bow-Lingual's Japanese inventors spent much time and money analyzing dog barks . They found that dog noises can be broken down into six different emotions : happiness , sadness , frustration , anger , assertion and desire . Part of the Bow-Lingual device hangs on the dog's collar . The other part is a handle-held unit for the owner . When the dogs barks , the unit displays translated phrases . Some people have scoffed at Bow-Lingual. "Who would pay US$ 120 to read a dog's mind?" they ask . But those who have purchased Bow-Lingual praise the device . Pet owner Keiko Egawa , of Japan , says it helps her empathize with her dog , Harry . "Before we go to the park , he always says he wants to play," says Egawa , "and after a walk , he always says he is hungry." Bow -Lingual is not yet available in Chinese . So you'd better keep studying Studio Classroom , or soon your dog may know more English than you do ! This passage is mainly talking about _ . A) Bow-Lingual's inventors B) dog barks and their different emotions C) talking dogs D) a little help for dog owners
Ans: D
In 1986, when Monty Reed was a member of the Army Rangers ( ), he had an accident. "It was a night jump, and we were jumping low," he recalls. "We were training. Somebody got too close to my parachute ."The parachute below blocked Reed's air and his parachute failed to open. Reed crashed a hundred feet to the ground, breaking his back in five places. The next morning, Reed could not move. "Doctors said it was likely that I would never walk again." Reed stared out of his hospital window, wondering what the future would be like. It was the saddest moment of his life. "The experts are telling me my body doesn't work! What am I supposed to do?" he thought. To distract himself, he picked up a book: Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. The science-fiction describes a set of man-made muscles that would allow people to carry 2,000 pounds. He thought that if he could build something like that, it might be able to lift him out of his wheelchair. So he began his project and finally succeeded in building a set of robot legs. Several years later, he made an amazing recovery and was able to get up and walk away from his wheelchair. He even jumped out of an airplane again to celebrate. Reed wanted to do something for others with the second chance that life had given him. He has now perfected the robot legs that can get the injured, the elderly and the paralyzed out of their wheelchairs. Now he has started his own company to make the legs. "I've seen them compete in marathons and go swimming and mountain climbing," he said. "So never give up!" We can learn from the passage that Monty's goal is to _ . A) become a famous writer like Robert Heinlein B) return to the Army Rangers and continue with his jumps C) compete in games and marathons and go swimming D) help more patients in wheelchairs to recover
D