President Xi Jinping announced Thursday that China will cut its military by 300,000 troops, a significant reduction in one of the largest militaries in the world and a move that the Chinese leader called a gesture of peace. "The great renewal of the Chinese nation requires efforts of one generation after another," Xi said in a speech at Tiananmen Square remembering the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific. "Having created an impressive civilization of over 5,000 years, the Chinese civilization will lead to an even brighter future," he said. Xi's announcement came as China staged a massive military parade in central Beijing, sending a stream of troops, tanks, and ballistic missiles down a major east-west street as fighter jets flew overhead with multicolored smoke. Xi's speech kicked off the parade. An estimated 12,000 troops--about 1,000 of whom hailed from Belarus, Cuba, Tajikistan, and other countries-marched along the 10-lane Chang'an Avenue from the commercial center wangfujing to Tiannmen Square, about 1.5 miles away. They were joined by 200 fighter jets and 500 pieces of military hardware, including tanks and ballistic missiles. Representatives from 49 countries were in attendance, including Russian leader Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and U. N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Rory Medcalf, head of the national security college at Australian National University, said the Beijing may have decided to cut 300,000 troops "in the name of efficiency and cost saving." Xi conducted a "troop inspection" after his speech, riding down Chan'gan Avenue in a Chinese-made Hongqi parade car. On Thursday morning, China's popular microblogging site Sina Weibo filled up with 350 million comments related to the parade. While many users expressed their love of their country and pride, few posts were filled with criticism. "The soldiers are too serious," wrote one user. Others complained about the cloud of gray exhaust that followed a column of tanks. What is mainly talked about in the passage? A) China decided to cut its military forces. B) World leaders attended China's military parade. C) China sowed its weapons to the world. D) China held a military parade in Beijing.
D
(Question)
Along with the Great Pyramid of Giza. The Sphinx is one of the most studied ancient monument of mankind's history. The whole complex of Giza, composed of the Sphinx, the Great Pyramid, other pyramids, and distinct structures, definitely holds the key to understanding advanced past civilizations. In the examination of the mystery of the great Sphinx we run into a similar situation. The Egyptians wrote very little about the construction of the Sphinx. However, the Egyptians, Romans, and Arabs did write accounts concerning its numerous restorations, which will be discussed later in this article. In addition, it should be said that other cultures had their form of a Sphinx. For example, the Greek Sphinx was a female with a human head, breast, and the body of a feminine lion. Now there are basically two schools of thought on the origin, the age and the builder of the Sphinx in Egypt. The traditional view of Egyptologists is that Pharaoh Khafre of the Fourth Dynasty built the Sphinx along with the Great Pyramid around 2,500 BC. The evidence is that the face of the Sphinx is thought to look like Pharaoh Khafre. This theory makes the Sphinx about 5,000 years old according to Dr Zahi Hawass, director of Giza Saqqara of the Egyptian Antiquities Organization. The other school of thought doesn't believe that the Egyptians built the Sphinx, but thinks that it was built by an advanced civilization before the Egyptians. The Egyptians came later and built their tombs and temples along the sides of these great structures. This school of thought has been around for hundreds of years, but new buildings give it more _ . Recently, Graham Hancock , the author of the famous book Finger-prints of the Gods and some American scholars have presented certain evidence that challenges the traditional thought on the Sphinx. They present proofs that may cause a rethinking of the so-called fact used to determine who built the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of Giza and for what purpose. Their proofs consist of basically two pieces of... Which of the following is the main purpose of the passage? A) To show the importance of the Sphinx. B) To tell us two views on the origin of the Sphinx. C) To introduce an advanced civilization to us. D) To explain some mysteries of the Sphinx.
(Answer)
B
Ques:Statistically, air travel is by far the safest way to travel, and you can make flying even safer, just by following these simple rules. As your chances of being involved in an air accident are practically nil , many of these tips concern what you should and shouldn't do to make your journey safer when you are airborne . Fly on non-stop routes Most accidents occur during the takeoff, climb, descent and landing phases of a flight, so flying non-stop reduces your exposure to these complex procedures. Choose larger aircraft. w.w.w.k.s.5.u.c.o.m Although small aircrafts have very good safety records, _ with more than 30 passenger seats are designed to comply with much stricter regulations and are tested more regularly to make sure they still comply. Also, in the unlikely event of a serious accident, larger aircraft provide a better opportunity for passenger survival. Pay attention to the pre-flight safety briefing The information may seem repetitious , but it's worth listening to the flight attendants. And even if you've flown before, it doesn't mean you know everything about the aircraft you're on, such as the location of the closest emergency exit. Store things safely Never put very heavy articles in the overhead storage bins. They may fall out when someone opens the bin and cause injury. Also, the bin may not be able to hold heavier objects during turbulence . Keep our seat belt fastened while you are seated Cabin crew always tell you this, but it's important. You would be seriously injured if the plane hits unexpected turbulence. Always fasten your seat belt if you are told to. _ of flying is this: If you are told to do something, do it first and ask questions later. Let the flight attendant pour your hot drinks Flight attendants are trained to handle hot drinks like coffee or tea in a crowded aisle on a moving aircraft, so allow them to pour the drink and hand it to you. Never ask to take a coffee pot from one of them. What is the overall reason for these air safety tips? A) What to do in the event of a crash. B) How to avoid turbulence. C) How to improve safety while you are flying. D) How to avoid injury.

Ans:
C