Infiniti, Nissan's luxury brand, continues to show off ideas for the future. The Q80 Inspiration here in Paris is an excellent piece of work, perhaps a concept elegant enough to make us forget that Infiniti's former Hong Kong-based president, Johan de Nysschen, moved to take over General Motors' Cadillac car brand in July and Infiniti chairman Andy Palmer is the new CEO at Aston Martin, the British luxury car brand. The Q80, if it becomes reality, will be brought to market by Infiniti's new boss, former BMW (another famous car brand )executive Roland Kruger. He should focus on this, at least until he is head-hunted to another company. The Q80 Inspiration is a low and sexy four-door fastback, and it is also a showcase for technology - from autonomous driving to eco-friendly power trains. Here in Paris, the Infiniti people say the hybrid drive in this concept suggest exactly where the brand is going in the future. The company says the Q80 speaks to how Infiniti plans to pull people into more expensive cars - cars that compete with the Porsche Panamera, for instance. Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti Executive Design Director, said the car "delivers feminine elegance and muscular menace in equal measure and strikes big in terms of styling, craftsmanship, choice of materials and attention to detail." Most importantly, for luxury cars buyers who are increasingly puzzled by all the technology, the designers focused on making things simple. "There is a tendency with modern design that every time you add interior features and technology you add complexity," said Albaisa, pointing to the concept's easy-to -understand -and -operate infotainment interface. As for power, the Q80 Inspiration gets 550 horsepower from a twin turbocharged 3.0-litre V-6 combined with a hybrid electric power train. Fuel economy could be as good as 5.5 litres/100 km. Who will take charge of the launch of the Q80 Inspiration? A) Andy Palmer B) Alfonso Albaisa C) Johan de Nysschen D) Roland Kruger
D
Two recent studies have found that punishment is not the best way to influence behavior. One showed that adults are much more cooperative if they work in a system based on rewards. Researchers at Harvard University in the United States and the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden did the study. They had about two hundred college students play a version of the game known as the Prisoner's Dilemma. The game is based on the tension between the interests of an individual and a group. The students played in groups of four. Each player could win points for the group, so they would all gain equally. But each player could also reward or punish each of the other three players, at a cost to the punisher. Harvard researcher David Rand says the most successful behavior proved to be cooperation. The groups that rewarded it the most earned about twice as much in the game as the groups that rewarded it the least. And the more a group punished itself, the lower its earnings were. The group with the most punishment earned twenty-five percent less than the group with the least punishment. The study appeared last month in the journal Science. The other study involved children. It was presented last month in California at a conference on violence and abuse. Researchers used intelligence tests given to two groups. More than eight hundred children aged two to four the first time they were tested. More than seven hundred children aged five to nine. The two groups were retested four years later, and the study compared the results with the first test. Both groups contained children whose parents used physical punishment and children whose parents did not. The study says the IQs--or intelligence quotients--of the younger children who were not _ were five points higher than those who were. In the older group, the difference was almost three points. Murray Strauss from the University of New Hampshire worked with Mallie Paschall from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Professor Strauss has written extensively about... Which could be the best title of the passage? A) Punishment B) The Best Way to Influence Behavior. C) Punishment or Reward: Which Works Better on Behavior? D) Two Recent Studies.
C
Q: BEIJING - A research team led by Chinese scientists have discovered dietary modulation of gut microbiota can alleviate both genetic and simple obesity in children. The findings of the team, led by Zhao Liping with Shanghai Jiaotong University, Yin Aihua with the Guangdong province children's hospital, and Tang Huiru with Chinese Academy of Sciences, have been published on EBioMedicine, a renowned medical journal co-sponsored by Cell and The Lancet in July. The team identified bacterial genomes specifically for producing obesity-related metabolites , and said an improved gut microbiota can significantly help to treat genetic obesity such as Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). Beginning in childhood, PWS affected kids develop an insatiable appetite, leading to chronic overeating and obesity. The scientists used a diet therapy with beneficial gut bacteria on trial patients and found considerable _ appetite, weight loss and improved health conditions on the patients. The paper concluded dysbiosis of gut microbiota is highly related with both genetic and simple obesity in children, implicating dietary modulation of gut microbiota a potentially effective treatment method. Which of the following factors contributes to child obesity ? A) dietary modulation of gut microbiota B) beneficial gut bacteria C) an improved gut microbiota D) dysbiosis of gut microbiota
A: D
(Q).
Bay Village Branch, 502 Cahoon Road, 440-871-6392. The Egyptian Pyramids, 7 p. m. Sept. 17. Join us as Don King, a long-time student of Egyptology, discusses the pyramids and presents the possible theories of the construction, design and mysteries surrounding these ancient wonders. Join us as local Bay Village resident, Tom Bell, discusses his book "My Dad Is a Freak: a Memoir", 7 p.m.Sept. 27. Fairview Park Branch, 21255 Lorain Road, 440-333-4700 or cuyahogalibrary. org. Dress for Success, 7 p. m. Sept. 17. First impressions count. Some job recruiters use appearance to determine self-esteem, respect, confidence and organizational skills. Learn how to dress to emphasize your strengths and improve your employ ability. Registration required. Music Study Groups, 1:15--2:45 p. m. Wednesdays, Sept. 19--Nov. 28. Explore current concert music performed by The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall through informal lectures and listening. Classes are designed for both new and experienced music lovers and are led by Dr. Rose Breckenridge. Practical Herbs, 7 p. m. Oct. 3. Famous doctor Sarah Hurt will talk about growing, drying and storing herbs and how to use them. Registration required. North Olmsted Branch, 27403 Lorain Road. 440-777-6211 or cuyahogalibrary. org. Job Club, 1:30--3 p. m. Tuesdays. Join Jim Hansen for helpful tips on resumes, job search strategies and interviewing. Anyone who is job hunting or looking to change careers is welcome. War of 1812, 7--8:45 p. m. Sept. 17. This year marks the 200thanniversary. Professor Catherine Rokicky From Cuyahoga Community College will give a presentation about the war, and immediately following we'll discuss the book "Mr. and Mrs. Madison's War: America's First Couple and the Second War of Independence" by Hugh Howard. Registration required. Olmsted Falls Library, 7850 Main St. , Olmsted Falls. 440-235-1150 or cuyahogalibrary. org. Family Story-time, 7--7:30 p. m. Wednesdays, through Nov. 27. Join us for rhymes, songs, finger-plays and a story or two. For children... In order to help yourself find a new job soon, you'd better go to _ . A) Bay Village Branch and Fairview Park Branch B) North Olmsted Branch and Olmsted Falls Library C) Fairview Park Branch and Olmsted Falls Library D) Fairview Park Branch and North Olmsted Branch
(A).
D