Article: Today is Sarah's birthday. She is seventy-five. We asked a few old friends to dinner. Like most elderly people, I suppose, we spent most of the evening talking about old times. Thirty years ago, the village used to be a quiet place. Now it has changed. Every Sunday hundreds of cars pass through the village at what I think a dangerous speed. They make the village almost as noisy as the streets of a large town. As a boy I enjoyed riding on the backs of the farm horses. Things are different now. Today there are very few horses working on the farms. The farm workers today drive tractors, not horses. A man is not of much use on a farm unless he knows all about machines. Now almost every house in the village has a TV set. Is it a good thing for children to spend the evening sitting in front of a TV set? When I was young I did not waste my time indoors. I would spend the long summer evenings outdoors. I would play with my friends, go fishing or walk by the river. When my grandchildren asked me the reason why I haven't bought a TV set, I tell them there are many books I still want to read. I can't find time for both reading and watching TV. Question: I would rather _ than _ . Yes or no, is the answer "do some reading; watch TV"?
No

Article: According to the latest research in the United States,men and women talk such different languages that it is like people from two different cultures trying to communicate.Professor Deborah Tannen of Georgetown University has noticed the difference in the style of boys' and girls' conversations from an early age.She says that little girls' conversation is less definite than boys' and expresses more doubts.Little boys use conversations to establish status with their listeners. These differences continue into adult life,she says.In public conversations,men talk most and interrupt other speakers more.In private conversations,men and women speak in equal amounts--although they say things in a different style.Professor Tannen believes that,for women,private talking is a way to establish and test intimacy(,).For men,private talking is a way to explore the power structure of a relationship. Teaching is one job where the differences between men's and women's ways of talking show.When a man teaches a woman,says Professor Tannen,he wants to show that he has more knowledge,and hence(,)more power in conversation.When a woman teaches another woman,however,she is more likely to take a sharing approach and to encourage her student to join in. But Professor Tannen does not believe that women are naturally more helpful.She says women feel they achieve power by being able to help others.Although the research suggests men talk and interrupt people more than women,Professor Tannen says,women actually encourage this to happen because they believe it will lead to more intimacy and help to establish a relationship. Some scientists who are studying speech think that the brain is pre-programmed for language.As we are usually taught to speak by women,it seems that the brain must have a sexual bias in its programming,otherwise male speech patterns would not arise at all. Question: In the opinion of the writer,women encourage men to talk more because . Yes or no, is the answer "it will lead to more intimacy and help to establish a relationship"?
No

Q: Article: The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the earth. Most of it will miss our planet, but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the earth. On 17 July, a piece of 4 kilometers wide comet enters the Earth's atmosphere with a massive explosion . About half of the piece is destroyed, but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the seabed. Huge waves are created and spread outwards form the hole. The wall of water, a kilometer high, rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned . Before the waves reach South America, the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina. Earthquakes and volcanoes ash set off in the Andes Mountains. The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean. The cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes. Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won't escape for long. Because of the explosions, the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero. Crops are ruined. The sun won't be seen again for many years. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later, no more than 10 million people remain alive. Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the earth. The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space. The dinosaurs couldn't live through the cold climate that followed and they died out. Will we meet the same end? Question: Why can't the northern half of the earth escape for long? Yes or no, is the answer "Because the light and heat form the sun cannot reach the earth."?
A: No

Article: Su Hua is studying at Cambridge, UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security. Her friend, Kate, found this article and sent it to her. www.zxxk.com Introduction A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps. Basic Security Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddles . Locks Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shop. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike shop. Marking Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include your postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle. Registration There are a number of companies who will mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you. Finally Keep a record of the bicycle yourself: its make, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it, this will prove the bicycle belongs to you. Question: The main purpose of this article is _ . Yes or no, is the answer "to suggest ways of keeping your bicycle safe"?
No