The strong emphasis on educational achievement in China, Japan and other parts of South-East Asia may be coming at a heavy price. Researchers say that hard work at school plus the lack of exposure to outdoor light is damaging the eyes of almost nine out of ten students--with one in five at serious risk of visual impairment and blindness. The scientists say that young people need up to three hours a day of outdoor light, but many infants are also missing out as they nap during lunch time. Dr. Ian Morgan is the lead author of the study. "I think what's happened in South-East Asia is that we've got _ . We've got the massive educational pressures and we've got the construction of a child's day in a way that really minimises the amount of time they spend outside in bright light." The scientists say that genetic factors, long thought to play a big role in short-sightedness, are not as important as the environment. They point to Singapore as a place with several different racial groups, all of whom are now suffering high levels of short-sightedness. The authors suggest that compulsory time outdoors should be considered by educational authorities across South-East Asia as a way of dealing with the problem. By mentioning Singapore, the author intends to tell us that _ . A) genetic factors play a big role in short-sightedness B) it has several different racial groups C) all Singaporeans are shortsighted now D) the environment has greater effect on people's eyes
D
(Question)
Many people rely on a cup of coffee or two to wake them up in the morning or pick them up during the working day, but now a chemist has come up with a speedy alternative to crafting a cup of coffee. U.S. biochemist Ben Yu has created 'Sprayable Energy,' which claims to be the world's first caffeine - based topical energy spray. He said tired workers can spray a 'shot' of caffeine onto their skin without experiencing a strong buzz, loading up on unnecessary calories or being stuck with a nasty aftertaste like they might get from drinking energy drinks or coffee. The patent-pending caffeine spray is an odourless liquid that is absorbed through the skin and distributed through the body over a number of hours to deliver a caffeine hit that apparently lasts longer than guzzling a cup of coffee. Each small aluminum bottle of Sprayable Energy contains around 160 sprays - the equivalent amount of caffeine to 40 cups of coffee and the creators say it is a much cheaper way of getting a caffeine fix than popping to a cafe. The only active ingredient in the spray is caffeine, which can naturally enter the human body through the skin by passing through cell membranes as it is very similar to nicotine in structure. Each spritz of Sprayable Energy contains around a quarter of the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee, but apparently has the same effect as a full cup. The website said: 'The reason for this is our product not being ingested, isn't almost entirely metabolised by the liver before entering your system and becoming available to your body.''Thus, a smaller amount of caffeine can have just the same effect as a very large amount of caffeine ingested through an energy drink or cup of coffee. Sprayable Energy's website recommends that users apply the spray in places where they normally spritz perfume, such as the neck or wrists, but warns users not to exceed 20 sprays a day. It claims that after spraying the product on the skin, users will feel 'awake and focused without being over-stimulated', which is common... What can we learn about Sprayable Energy from the passage ? _ . A) A bottle of Sprayable Energyis cheaper than 40 cups of coffee. . B) Sprayable Energy lets users not worry about taking in unnecessary calories.. C) Sprayable Energy can be used at least 20 sprays a day D) The caffeine spray is a colorless liquid that is absorbed through the skin..
(Answer)
B
Ques: "Love your neighbor as yourself"is a saying familiar to most of us. It means that you must have he ability to love and accept yourself in order to form and keep satisfying relationship with others self-esteem means accepting yourself for who you really are, and believing that you are indeed a worthwhile person who is deserving of love and respect from others. Self-esteem is our sense of how good we feel about ourselves. It is based on our judgment of ourselves, not on other people's assessment, but simply on our own. Our self-esteem is not dependant on our talent. Some very ordinary people feel very good about themselves, while other extraordinarily high achievers hold low opinions of themselves. Self-esteem is the primary key to long-term stress management. Why? The first three sources of stress are: predictable life event, unexpected changes and build-up of daily stresses, These are much easier to handle when we believe in ourselves, A positive, healthy self-esteem gives us the "hardiness" to deal with the difficulties of life, and to see them as challenges to be met, rather than threats to be feared. The forth category of stress is entirely the result of a low self-esteem. It is the category of stress that is most common and tiring over the long run. This kind of stress cannot be overcome, or even changed, until the self-esteem problems that cause it are corrected. Learning to love yourself for who you are is the key to overcoming stress. Self-esteem comes form the self, and cannot be promoted by others. A person who feels that his self-esteem comes from the approval of those around him or her is bound to self-destruct , One cannot keep the level of "performance" required to please everyone else, especially if that performance disagrees with who you are and is simply a _ that makes you popular with the world. When the applause is gone, there is nothing left. Only those who can feel the strength of knowing who they are and those who can feel good about that will survive the stresses of life. Self-esteem is... What is the key to overcoming stress according to the passage? A) Removing yourself from stressful situation. B) Learning to love yourself for who you are. C) Facing the stress and dealing with it. D) Getting help from friends.
Ans: B
Ques:How the Grand Canyon was created remains one of the geology's greatest mysteries. Some evidence suggests that the process was a gradual one in which the Colorado River (which runs through the canyon) slowly cut deeper and deeper into the ground over millions of years. But volcanic rock samples taken from the canyon now suggest that the canyon was down-cut instead. Down-cutting is when a flood of water rushes over a landscape with enough force to cut deeply into the ground and leaves behind a canyon. Such a flood is usually released when a natural or man-made dam bursts. Robert Webb, a research geologist, says natural dams seem to have formed and broken across the Colorado River several times during the last million years. The dams were built when lava from the eruptions of nearby volcanoes flowed into the river. The lava hardened into hard rocks and blocked the river, causing it to back up and form a lake. Each time the lake grew so huge that it broke the rock dam, releasing a flash flood that furthered the down-cutting process and deepened the canyon. Down-cutting is not just an earthly event. Satellite photos sent back from Mars suggest that the process has happened there, too, say many other researchers. The photos, taken by the Mars Global Surveyor, indicate that an enormous lake existed on Mars 3.5 billion years ago. The lake spilled into a large nearby hole. One edge of the hole broke, releasing a flash flood that quickly carved out a grand canyon. The existence of down-cutting on Mars is just one more piece of evidence that the cold, dry planet was once warm and wet. The passage can be titled as _ . A) Lakes on Earth and Mars B) The Cause of Lake Formation C) The Force of Dam Breaking D) Canyons--Results of Flood Cutting

Ans:
D