Hanukkah Hanukkah is a Jewish festival. It is celebrated on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev , which is usually sometime in December. It is often called the festival of lights. The festival celebrates the time, over 2,000 years ago, when the Jewish people fought against an emperor who would not let them follow their own traditions and religion. When the Jewish people won back their temple in Jerusalem, they found there was only enough holy oil to keep the sacred light burning for one day. However, to their surprise, this small amount of oil kept the light burning for eight days and nights, until the people had time to make more oil. At the center of the Hanukkah celebrations is a candlestick (called a Menorah) that holds nine candles. On the first night of Hanukkah the first candle is lit, and each day this candle is used to light another candle, until on the eighth day, the last day, all the candles are lit. During Hanukkah, people go to the synagogue to pray and to remember the miracle of the holy oil. Hanukkah is a time for family and friends to come together. People exchange gifts and greeting cards, and children go to parties. Parents often give their children money at Hanukkah. Potato cakes, called latkes, are a traditional Hanukkah food. What does the Menorah remind Jewish people about? A) The war that they fought 2,000 years ago. B) The God that they honored best. C) The miracle of the holy oil that happened 2,000 years ago. D) The church they built 2,000 years ago.
C
(Question)
Scientists can determine someone's favorite food from their shape. They have discovered that the arrangement of taste buds on the tongue varies for different body types. The scientist team examined 1,000 British adults and divided them into three physiologically recognized body types--ectomorphs, endomorphs mesomorphs. They determined that a person's body type indicated where they were likely to have the most taste buds - on the sweet, bitter or salty areas of their tongues. The study showed that ectomorphs, who make up one in three of the population, usually have a small delicate shape, have a sweet tooth but hate bitter foods. Mesomorphs, who make up 20percent of the population, usually have a muscular shape and prefer salty and bitter foods but dislike sweet foods. Half the British population are endomorphs with soft, rounded bodies, and they like most foods. The findings showed that for two in three people food preference was a physiological rather than a psychological choice. Body shape expert Simon Bradshaw, who takes change of his team, said, "It appears that simply by looking at a person's body shape we can make sure about their taste preferences." But Catherine Collins, of the British Dietetic Association said, "It is difficult to tell whether our body shape dictates the food we like, or the food we like dictates body shape. _ people who prefer most types of foods will be fatter and people who are the endomorph shape tend to find it more difficult to lose weight." This message is mainly about _ . A) a study that body shape has something to do with taste buds B) how to lose weight C) a report on body shape and favorite food D) how to determine one's body shape
(Answer)
A
Ques: John Denver has got international fame as a pop star, songwriter, actor and environmental activist ( ). Songs like Take Me Home, Country Road, Rocky Mountain High and Annie's Song have become very popular. But less than thirty years ago, John Denver was a young man with little more than a fine voice, a guitar, and a dream. Growing up in conservative family, he was not believed to drop out of college and head to Los Angeles, where the music scene was flowering. Nor was he believed to succeed. In Take Me Home, John Denver talked about the story that shaped his life, with the story of the rich inner journey of a shy Midwestern boy. With honesty and cleverness, he wrote about his childhood, the feeling of moving to Los Angeles as the 60s came, his first lucky breaks, his first songwriting success with leaving on a Jet Plane and finally got a world fame. He also wrote about his relationship with his first and second wife, as well as his parents, his children, his partners through his life and his friends. Honest and rich in the book that only a natural-born storyteller could write so well, Take Me Home is very good from the beginning to the end. It's like spending a few days with a good friend. This passage is probably about _ . A) a book written by John Denver B) the life and cause of John Denver C) how to write pop songs D) what Los Angeles was like
Ans: B
Few people find it easy to refuse a bargain (a product sold at lower price). But bargains are not always what they seem. Some sales and bargains are good deals, but not all are. Here are some pointers to help you tell the difference between real bargains and bad deals. Sometimes a product is on sale for "below producer's cost". Watch out for this kind of "bargain". Why would anyone want to sell a product for less than it cost to make it? Before buying, you should find out why it is being sold at a loss to the producer. Is it damaged? Is it out of style? Does it come with any guarantee ? Another pointer is to read price tags on sale items carefully. For example, a price tag in a store may say " regular price $16". The regular price is the price of the item before the sales started and after the sale ends. The regular price is only for that store, however. In another store, the price could be lower. A price tag may also say "original price $ 16". That means at one time the item sold for $16 ------even as much as five years earlier! For example, the original price of pocket calculators was high when they were introduced. Now the price is much lower. Showing the original price would be misleading. Finally, be careful how you use cents-off coupons . A coupon can save you money only if you intend to use the item. The price of an item may not be the same at different stores. So use the coupon at the store with the lowest price. Don't forget to add any sales tax to the item before you figure out the "cents-off' price. The purpose of the author to write this article is _ . A) to show that there are no real bargains B) to warn readers that some sales are not bargains C) to sell a certain product D) to warn readers not to spend money on bargains
B