For more than 40 years, scientists have sought to learn how well human beings can adapt to long periods in space. The International Space Station continues to provide valuable knowledge about spaceflight. But an earlier space station, Skylab, helped make the current space project possible. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield sang aboard the International Space Station on May 12, 2013. His music video has become extremely popular. The astronaut played his own version of David Bowie's song Space Oddity. He performed while floating weightlessly, with images of planet earth and space appearing in the window behind him. Chris Hadfield recently returned home after nearly five months on the space station. For him, the long flight produced a hit video on YouTube and no major physical problems. But 40 years ago, scientists did not know how humans would react to long-term spaceflight. To find out, NASA, the American space agency, launched Skylab in May, 1973. Over nearly a year, three teams of astronauts visited Skylab for stays of between 28 to 84 days. They learned how people react to extended periods in space. Gerald Carr commanded Skylab 4. He spoke at a NASA event marking the 40th anniversary of Skylab's launch. He said that the loss of the body's muscle mass was a main concern. Astronauts on Skylab used exercise equipment to stay strong. The astronauts spent their workdays carrying out experiments, including biomedical research. Marshall Porterfield is the director of NASA's Space Life and Physical Sciences Division. He says the Skylab astronauts' understanding of their own ability to deal with long-term spaceflight continues to help current astronauts. NASA says the next step for life away from Earth is a year-long space station mission, set for 2015. Which of the following best describes the physical condition of Chris Hadfield after his return? A) Worse. B) Better. C) Normal. D) Weaker.
C
(Question)
In the past few decades, Japanese cuisine has acquired global appeal. Japanese restaurants have sprung up almost all over the world. In Kyoto, the Heihachi Tea House boasts a 430-year-old tradition that the owners have kept all in the family. The tea house has been operated by twenty generations of the Sonobe family. The Heihachi Tea House, in the northern part of Kyoto, is one of the city's oldest business establishments. It is said to have opened in 1576. The present owner, Sonobe Heihachi, who is also the chef, represents the 20th generation of the Sonobe family to oversee the tea house. Sonobe Heihachi, restaurant owner, said, "During the middle of the Edo era, from 1603 to 1868, it became customary for commoners to dine in mat rooms. The Heihachi Tea House specialized in a dish comprised of rice with barley . It then became an inn and a little later, a restaurant." Like every other chef, Sonobe Heihachi's day often begins at the market where he personally selects ingredients that will be served to his customers. The restaurant specializes in a style of cuisine known as Kaiseki Ryori--possibly the ultimate in Japanese cooking. It offers both fresh and ocean fishes on its menu, including bream and eels. The owner's son Sonobe Shingo is also an accomplished chef. His skills include the elaborate cutting of a "daikon" radish into strips. Later they will be shredded into thin strands to form part of the garnish for sashimi. Sonobe Shingo admits that when it comes to the small details of running the business, father and son have different ways of thinking. Sometimes they clash. But they share a passion for what they do and continue to preserve an innovative and deeply rooted culinary tradition. The main idea of this passage is about _ . A) Japanese tea house keeps a 430-year-old tradition B) Sonobe Heihachi and his son Sonobe Shingo C) Japanese restaurants springing up almost all over the world D) Sonobe Shingo's skills in cutting of a radish into strips
(Answer)
A
Crossroads International How does Crossroads work? Crossroads is a resource network. We take goods Hong Kong doesn't want and give them to people who badly need them. We collect those goods and give them out in the welfare arena in Hong Kong, Mainland China, elsewhere in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. So Crossroads is just that: a Crossroads between need and resource. Who do we help? The welfare agencies we help do not run on large budgets . They are grass-root groups who have seen a need and tried to meet it. They can't get the job done without back-up, though, so our task is to help them do their task. Our warehouse is full of goods, from computers to high chairs, clothing to books, stationery to medical provision, cupboards to dinning sets. They send us a list of their needs and we try to match it with the resource we have in stock. How do we operate? Crossroads itself also operates on a low budget. We do not buy the goods we send. They are donated. Similarly, rather than raising funds for freight ,we ask transport companies to donate their services. Nobody in our organization receives a salary. Even our full-time staff works on a voluntary basis. Those that donate goods and services: *Factories*Manufacturers *Hospitals *Hotels *Householders *Offices *Other Charities *Transport Companies *Educational Institutions One resource that we are always in need of is people. While we receive large quantities of goods and there is never a short supply of requests for them, we are always in need of hands to help sort and prepare them for shipping. What can I do? We are always in need of people. We have a lot of tasks. If you are volunteering regularly, we can offer work in some of the following categories, some of the time. You are welcome to number your top three choices and we will do our best to accommodate them. *Clothing categorization *Sewing *Toy categorization *Furniture handling *Driving *Book categorization *Household goods categorization *Office work *Electrical goods categorization *Book keeping... From the above brochure, we can conclude that _ . A) people who work at Crossroads get low pay from it B) Crossroads doesn't give goods directly to the people who need them C) You can do whatever you like if you offer help at Crossroads D) Crossroads has collected more goods than needed
B