Everybody loves to play board games sometimes, but it is surprising to know how long this pastime has been in existence. Some of the earliest board games are over 5,000 years old. The oldest is probably Senet, an American Egyptian game which has been found in burials from before 3000 BC. The game involves an element of luck, and so it was thought by the Ancient Egyptians that those who won the game were protected by God. For this reason, games of Senet were often buried alongside the dead body, to be used on the dangerous game board is set out as a grid of three by ten rows, and uses two sets of at least five pawns. The actual rules are unknown, although some historians have proposed rules which were used in the Senet sets available today. The Royal Game of Ur, also known as the Game of Twenty Squares, is another ancient game which dates back to the First Dynasty of Ur, in 2600 BC Mesopotamia. It was played with two sets of seven counters, one black and one white, and three four-sided dice . Although the ancient rules are unknown, a stone tablet has been found which describes a reliable record of how the game was played in 177-176 BC. Both Senet and The Royal Game of Ur probably came into existence long before the game backgammon ,which itself has a long history. The game of Nard, which existed in Iran in around 3000 BC, used two sets of fifteen counters, four dice and same board as the one used in backgammon today, although the initial starting positions and rules are different. Similar games were played in Ancient Rome and India. The text is meant to introduce _ . A) a common origin of board games B) several kinds of earliest board games C) the unknown rules of board game D) the newly discovered board games
B
(Question)
Swaying palm trees,turquoiseblue water and sugarwhite sand make beach lovers sigh with delight.But not all beaches have those ingredients.The most interesting beaches come in different shapes,sizes and colors. Those who want beauty and something unique can go to the Seychells' La Digue Island.Large granite rock formations overlook beautiful,whitesand beaches.The pinkishgrey rocks look like sculptures that have been forgotten on the beach.Tourists traveling to La Digue Island to see the unique rocks will also discover one of the world's most beautiful islands. Hawaii's Big Island has one of the rarest beaches of all--a beach made up entirely of green sand.The sand,which is formed by dark green crystals called olivine ,is deposited by volcanic activity.Green Sand Beach lies on the slopes of the world's largest active volcano,Mauna Loa. One of the world's most unusual beaches lies on the island of Santorini,Greece.The sand on Red Beach gets its reddish color from the red volcanic rocks that make up the cliffs around the beach.Tourists flock to see the red sand,making Red Beach one of Santorini's most popular beach destinations. Black sand makes up the huge beach of Karakare.Through the years,volcanic sand mixed with iron ash to form this black beach on New Zealand's wild,west coast.Many have seen Karekare in the movie The Piano and the TV show Xena:Warrior Princess. With all the beautiful beaches in the world,beach lovers have lots of choices.But for those ready for something different,a unique beach vacation might be just the ticket! What can we learn from the passage? A) Different beaches have different colors. B) Different places have different beaches. C) White sand and the blue water is the main characteristics of beaches. D) People have many choices for beach vacations.
(Answer)
D
Ques: Salt plays an important role in our daily diet. Even a small reduction in salt in the diet can be a big help to the heart. A new study used a computer model to predict -how just three grams less a day would affect heart disease in the United States. The result: Thirteen percent fewer heart attacks. Eight percent fewer strokes. Four percent fewer deaths. Eleven percent fewer new cases of heart disease. And two hundred forty billion dollars in health care savings. Researchers found it could prevent one hundred thousand heart attacks and ninety-two thousand deaths every year. The study is in the New England Journal of Medicine. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo at the University of California San Francisco was the lead author. She says people would not even notice a difference in taste with three grams,or one-half teaspoon, less salt per day. The team also included researchers at Stanford and Columbia University. Each gram of salt contains four hundred milligrams of sodiu , which is how foods may list their salt content. The government says the average American man eats ten grams of salt a day. The American Heart Association advises no more than three grams for healthy people. It says salt in the American diet has increased fifty percent since the nineteen seventies, while blood pressures have also risen. Less salt can mean a lower blood pressure. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leading an effort called the National Salt Reduction Initiative.The idea is to put pressure on food companies and restaurants. Critics call it government interference. Mayor Bloomberg has already succeeded in other areas, like requiring fast food places in the city to list calorie information. Now a study by the Seattle Children's Research Institute shows that the calorie information on the menu can influence what parents order for their children. Ninety-nine parents of three to six year olds took part. Half had calories between the two groups for foods that the parents would have chosen for themselves. McDonald's menus clearly showing... Which of the following might be the best title for this passage? A) Relationship between Salt and Health B) Less Salt Can Mean Being More Healthy C) A Survey on People's Regular Diet D) Mayor Michael Bloomberg and His Health Project
Ans: B
Ques:In a recently published book, I came across some exercises with interesting names such as fishbone diagrams, lotus flowers and clustering. As I used these exercises in my classes, I noticed that students were interested. They said more and wrote more. They enjoyed expressing their ideas and sharing them in groups. They were no longer passively _ , but actively taking part in the lesson. I find that creativity can act as a way to increase participation and improve fluency. Creativity has become a popular word in recent years. Scholars in arts, psychology, business, education and science are all working to get a deeper understanding of it. Robert J. Stemberg is a creativity specialist and Yale professor of psychology. He defines creativity as "the ability to produce work that is both new (original) and appropriate(applicable to the situation ) ". This definition is useful, as we want our students to use language in a new way and to use it correctly and properly. Mot scholars say there are two types of creativity: big "C" creativity and small "c" creativity. Big "C" creativity refers to genius level thinking that results in artistic masterpieces and scientific breakthroughs. Small "c" creativity refers to everyday level thinking that can be used in any situation our emphasis is on the latter. While it goes without saying that any of our students could go on to be the next Picasso or Edison, our aim is to help students produce more ideas and use language in a new way. The main purpose of the passage is to _ . A) show how useful the book is B) explain what creativity is C) discuss how one can be creative D) tell what teaching aims at

Ans:
B