TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you're given an article, a question which often contains a blank and four options (associated with "A", "B", "C", "D"). Your task is to find the correct answer (from the given options) for the question from the given article and return one of the options from "A", "B", "C", and "D". Do not generate anything else apart from one of the following characters: "A", "B", "C", "D". There is only one correct answer for each question.
PROBLEM: Article: Amazingly, US crime figures have been falling for 20 years now. Of course, the big question is, why? And can any lessons be learnt? One reason could be the fall in the demand for the drug crack. During the 1980s, drug-related crimes soared, mostly caused by desperate crack users. However, according to professor Blumstein, co-author of The Crime Drop in America, news of the dangers of crack use caused its decrease and led to a fall in the number of drug-related crimes. Some say that the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy in many cities has helped lead to a fall in crime. In New York City, for example, mayor Rudy Giuliani imposed strict and automatic punishments for all crimes, including minor offences such as graffiti and littering. Many believe this has had a very strong deterrent effect. Another reason could be smarter policing strategies. Anti-theft measures and educating the community about car theft has helped see a drop in crimes in many areas. Also, the use of crime mapping schemes that can discover identify crime peaks in different parts of the city has helped police target hotspots. Another reason could be that more criminals are now behind bars. Sociologist John Conklin (from Tufts University) says a significant factor behind the fall in crime in the 1990s is the simple fact that many criminals are in jail. In his book Why Crime Rages Fell, he says sentencing was merciful in the 1960s and 1970s, when crime rose. But then more prisons were built and more offenders were imprisoned. Some have linked the fall in violent crime to a decline in children's exposure to lead in petrol. Jessica Wolpaw Reyes says, "Even low to moderate levels of exposure can lead to behavioral problems, reduced IQ, hyperactivity and youth crimes. You can link the decline in lead between 1975 and 1985 to a decline in violent crime 20 years later." Others say that the drop in crime has something to do with birth rates. According to statistics, birth rates peaked between 1957 and 1961, and the proportion of men in the US in their late teens and early 20s (the so-called "criminal age") was highest in the late 70s and early 80s. However, as time went on, the proportion of people in this age group decreased. Others claim that videogames have helped. A recent study has suggested that these games are keeping young people off the streets and therefore away from crime. Advocates of this argue that any effects the games may have in encouraging violent behavior is _ by the fact that the games keep potential criminals indoors and in front of the television. Some argue that the widespread use of camera phones makes some criminals think twice before committing a crime and getting filmed doing it. Also, many believe that the mass use of CCTV has also had an effect. Finally, some say that petty theft just isn't worth it any more. The resale value of second-hand goods such as televisions, cameras or clothes is now so low (or even non-existent) that most people see no point in stealing. So, what do you think?
Question: By writing this article, the writer intends to tell us _ .
Options: (A) the amazing fact that US crime figures are going down (B) the recent statistics showing that crime rates are falling in the US (C) the answers to the question why US crime figures are falling (D) the special policies adopted by the US police that help a drop in crime

SOLUTION: C

PROBLEM: Article: Abby Subark is a mother of two from Boston. "For my kids, I'm nervous. I don't know if they'll be able to achieve their American dream." She may be right. More than hard work or education, the best way to get rich in America is to be born rich. It is the case that somebody who is in the upper third of income, poor scores, in the bottom on tests when they are in eighth grade, is more likely to go to college and finish college than a poor kid with the top scores. That's what the working persons' children are up against. The Economic Policy Institute finds it would take a poor couple with 2 children 9 or 10 generations to achieve middle class status. That's about 200 years. The hallmark of American opportunity has always been the ability to do better than your parents. But compared with similar developed countries, the United States ranks fifth out of six for so-called intergenerational mobility . If you look at the mechanisms for upward mobility that were so readily available 50 years ago, they are becoming out of reach, like plentiful factory jobs with good wages and affordable education and health care. White families are twice as likely as blacks to be upwardly mobile. For most people in America today, _ If you started in the middle-income class, about 40 to 45 percent of what you are making right now is due to the fact that your parents were in the middle-income class. The rest is up to you. But for the millions of people who find themselves below the poverty line and the millions more who are the working poor, their starting point for the American dream leaves them painfully far away from the middle class.
Question: The main idea of the passage is _ .
Options: (A) How the middle class comes about in the U.S. (B) It's hard to realize the American dream for the poor. (C) Wealth and social status depend on family background. (D) Upward mobility in America is never easy.

SOLUTION: C

PROBLEM: Article: Different colours can affect us in many different ways, according to Verity Allen. In her new series ' Colour me Healthy', Verity looks at the ways that colours can influence how hard we work and the choices we make. They can even change our emotions and influence how healthy we are. "Have you ever noticed how people always use the same colours for the same things ?" says Verity. " Our toothpaste is always white or blue or maybe red. It's never green. For some reason we consider green products as being a bit unacceptable. It's the same for businesses. We respect a company writing its name in blue or black, but we don't respect one that uses pink or orange. People designing new products can use these ideas to influence what we buy." During the four-part series, Verity studies eight different colours, two colours in each programme. She meets people who work in all aspects of the colour industry, from people designing food packets , to people naming the colours of lipsticks . Some of the people she meets clearly have very little scientific knowledge to support their ideas, such as the American " Colour Doctor" who believes that serious diseases can be treated by the use of coloured lights. However, she also interviews real scientists who are studying the effects of green and red lights on mice, with some surprising results. In a word, it's an interesting show, and anyone who watches it will probably find out something new. But because Verity goes out of her way to be polite to everyone she meets on the series, it's up to the viewers to make their own decisions about how much they should believe.
Question: The main purpose of the text is to provide information about _ .
Options: (A) a television host (B) a new television series (C) how colours influence us (D) the popularity of a recent television show

SOLUTION:
B