Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Daniel stays home on workdays.He starts his personal computer in order to connect with the office which is about three hundred miles away in another city.After work, he puts on his headphones, watches a movie on his home video recorder, or plays baseball on the computer.On many days, Daniel doesn't talk to any other human beings, and he doesn't see any people except the ones on television.Daniel is imaginary, but his lifestyle is very possible.The inventions of modern technology seem to be cutting us off from contact with our fellow human beings. The world of business is one area in which technology is separating us.Experts say, for example, that many people will soon be able to work at home.With access to a large central computer, employees such as office clerks, insurance agents, and accountants could do their jobs at display terminals in their own homes.They would never have to actually see the people they're dealing with.In addition, the way employees are paid will change.Workers' salaries will be automatically paid into their bank accounts, making paper checks unnecessary.No workers will stand in line to receive their pay or cash their checks.Personal banking will change, too.Customers will deal with machines to put in or take out money from their accounts.Many companies and consumers have already changed the way they sell or buy products.E-commerce, or business done on the Internet, is becoming more and more popular.This, therefore, makes it possible for people to do shopping without going out of their homes. Another area that technology is changing is entertainment.Music, for example, was once a group experience.People listened to music at concert halls or in small social gatherings.For many people now, however, music is an individual experience.Walking along the street or sitting in their living-rooms, they wear headphones to build a wall of music around them.Movie entertainment is changing as well.Movies used to be social events.Now, fewer people are going out to see a movie.Many more are choosing... Question: After work, Daniel likes to _ . Options: A: listen to music at the concert hall B: watch a movie in his living-room C: chat with his friends on the net D: play baseball with his workmates
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: I usually doubt about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago.While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, 1 was struck by a report which concluded that today's children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children between 9 and 17 have a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago. Why are America's kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place. Given that _ , adults can still do plenty to help the next generation to cope. At the top of the list,nurturing is a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress. To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later.They will then have more time for face-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep. Limit the amount of virtual violence your children are exposed to. It's not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news. Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale. Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you deal with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable,but it doesn't have to ruin your life. Question: According to an analysis, compared with normal children today, children 50 years ago _ . Options: A: were less isolated physically B: were probably less self-centered C: probably suffered less from anxiety D: were considered less individualistic
C

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Machines in the home have a short history. Sewing machines, washing machines and tumble dries are common enough today, but a hundred years ago few people could even imagine such things. However, inventors have designed and built a wide range of household machines since then. In most cases the inventor tried to patent his machine, to stop anyone copying it. Then he tried to produce a lot of them. If the machine became popular, the inventor could make a lot of money. In 1790 the first sewing machine was patented. The inventor was an Englishman called Thomas Saint. There was nothing to match his machine for forty years, and then someone built a similar device. He was a Frenchman, Bartelemy Thimonier. Neither of these early machines worked very well, however. It wasn't until 1846 that an inventor came up with a really efficient sewing machine. He was an American, Elias Howe and his machine was good enough to beat five skilled sewing women. He didn't make much money from it, however. The first commercially successful sewing machine was patented by Isaac Singer five years later. Today, we take washing machines for granted, but there was none before 1869. The revolving drum of that first machine set a pattern for the future, but it was crude by today's standards. The drum was turned by hand, and needed a lot of effort. Eight years passed before someone produced an electric washing machine. The world had to wait even longer for a machine to dry clothes. The first spin-drier was another American invention, patented in 1924; but it was 20 years before such machines were widely used. It was yet another American, called Bissell, who introduced the carpet sweeper. He patented the original machine back in 1876. It didn't pick up dirt very well, but it was quicker than a dustpan and brush. Thirty-six years later, even the carpet sweeper was old-fashioned: modern homes now have a vacuum cleaner with an electric motor to suck the dust. Question: According to the article, modern inventors _ . Options: A: follow the pattern of the first revolving drum but improve it much B: only imitate the first washing machine C: power the first ever-made washing machine by electricity D: have to wait for the first spin-drier for a long time
A: A

(Question)
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Almost every day we come across situations in which we have to make decisions one way or another. Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people in the world, in rich and poor countries, choice is a luxury, something wonderful but hard to get, not a right. And for those who think they are exercising their right to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion, a false idea created by companies and advertisers hoping to sell their products. The endless choice gives birth to anxiety in people's life. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item that is not really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods bought in almost every family are not really needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trusted into the hands of the professionals, lifestyle instructors, or advisors. It is not just the availability of the goods that is the problem, but the speed with which new types of products come on the market. Advances in design and production help quicken the process. Products also need to have a short lifespan so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The typical example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed makes selection a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing: no choice, no anxiety. Question: By using computers as an example, the author wants to prove _ . Options: A: advanced products meet the needs of people B: products of the latest design flood the market C: competitions are fierce in high-tech industry D: everyday goods need to be replaced often
(Answer)
B