Do you know about a series of books that say they are for dummies? These American selfhelp books have been translated into more than thirtynine languages including Chinese, Arabic, Russian, French, German, Greek and Spanish. "Dummy" is a word for a stupid person. The dummy books are not really for stupid people. They are designed to show people how to do something they may never have tried before, like painting a house or learning a language. The books all say in a funny way that they are for dummies, such as WorldHistoryforDummies, RabbitsforDummies, ChineseCookingforDummies, andWeddingPlanningforDummies. The first such book,DOS forDummies, was published in 1991.It helped people learn how to use the DOS operating system for computers. Since then, more than one hundred and fifty million dummy books have been sold. The dummies.comwebsite explains the idea behind the books. It says that they show that people can be taught to do anything. First they can make fun of ideas that are difficult to understand. Then they show how the information can be interesting and easy. he publishers say that the books do not provide more information than necessary. They give readers just enough information to do what they want. They say that the dummy books give the best and easiest way to do something. And the books use simple and easy language. There are more than one thousand different dummy books. A report in NewYorkTimessays that the topselling dummy books are those that explain technology and personal finance. The publishers say that the bestselling dummy books are those providing information many people need--like information about diseases,education and cooking. People interested in opera,car repair and wine can also find dummy books to help them. And there are even more dummy books to come. The publishers say that they publish about two hundred new dummy books every year. According to NewYorkTimes,we know that books on _ sell best. A) diseases and education B) opera and car repairing C) technology and personal finance D) cooking and world history
C
(Question)
James knew the decision was not going to be an easy one to make as he sat on the hill near the small town that he lived in. There was no one he could turn to for advice. His only sister lived away and he hardly ever saw her and when his sister came over, they always ended up in an argument. It had been a hot day and James's clothes seemed to stick to his body. He had felt terrible for weeks and he was just tired of feeling sick. He had started vomiting after he would eat anything and he knew that something would have to be done. After going to the doctor, he was told to come back in a few days. The next three days had gone by slowly and it was time for his visit to the doctor. He had been shown into the doctor's office and James knew it was bad news. The end result was he had stomach cancer. James sat on the hill looking down at the town and wonder what he would do. Taking out his phone, he dialed his sister's number and told her the bad news. She started to cry and said, "If anything happens to you, I will be alone in this world." Marie, his sister said, "You are moving up here and you will live with me until you get back on your feet, so go home, pack up and I will be there to get you in two days." He smiled and said, " _ sounds wonderful, but I still haven't decided if I am going to have the surgery or not?" Hearing this, she softly whispered, "Of course you are having the surgery. I will pick you up in two days. I love you." James knew the final word was still up to him and he would think about it because this was a decision that wouldn't come easy to him. What is the message expressed in the passage? A) Health is not valued till sickness comes. B) Blood is thicker than water. C) Each day brings its own bread. D) Good health is above wealth.
(Answer)
B
Question: There is a big question making the rounds among the parents at my daughter's class. Should the kids refer to the parents' friends as "Mr. Jones" or "Mrs. Smith", rather than using their first names? I was quite shocked, having come from a home where it would have been unheard of to refer to one of my parents' friends by their first names. This was reserved for only the closest of family friends and s, and even they always had "Aunt" or "Uncle" in front their name. Respect is something that is earned. Unlike many of the other virtues we try to nurture in our kids, respect is a bit more complicated. It is not only necessary when dealing well with others, but the virtue of self-respect is critical for kids to succeed and feel good about themselves and their choices throughout their lives. There are several factors that can have a big impact on kids and their ability to be respectful. The first one to consider is manners. Calling adults by their surnames, setting proper examples during sporting events and while driving, and how we talk to each other in our homes all can have an enormous effect on a child's concept of respect and how important it is. Many of these seemingly trivial ideas have become almost outdated, but one should seriously consider the value of these ideas before casting( ) them aside. It is easy to become unaware of these behaviors. Try to keep track of how often your child is subjected to this kind of disrespect. The media, as you may have guessed, plays a large part in the increase in disrespect. Movies are equally to blame, with a PG movie often containing an abundant amount of _ language. These factors and others all contribute to an alarming increase in disrespect in society. If we don't step in and change course, we will find living in a morally respectful culture unlikely. What does the author think of kids' referring to parents' friends by their first names? A) It is common in his family. B) It is OK if the friends are close. C) Such behavior lacks respect. D) Such behavior sounds funny.
Answer:
C