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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Across the planet there are millions of people who engage in some type of meditation, the practice of concentrating and clearing the mind to bring the body into a state of peace, at least a semi-regular basis. For some, particularly among practitioners of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, this is _ of their religious practice. For others, particularly in Western cultures, meditation tends to be a response to stress. With the world economy approaching meltdown and people worried about their job or their ability to keep their home, it's a way for people to attain a state of peace of mind and well-being. For those interested in taking up the practice, instruction in meditation for beginners can be found in literally thousands of sources. One of the most popular styles of mediation in the West, with classes offered in most major cities, is called Transcendental Meditation. TM, as it is known among its practitioners, first came to worldwide attention when the Beatles began practicing it in 1967. For direct, guided, personal instruction in meditation for the beginner, TM may be the hallmark. Part of the confusion about how to practice meditation effectively is due to the fact that there are literally hundreds of techniques championed by various groups and individuals. As a general principle, it might be said that all meditation techniques seek to have the practitioner attain a state of consciousness that is different to our ordinary state of awareness. They attempt to train people to clear their minds and achieve a sense of inner peace. It sounds simple enough, but of the huge number of people experiment with meditation, very few are able to maintain its practice over the long haul. In most cases, this is due to frustration over the inability to experience any dramatic, instantly recognizable effects. This is quite a sad state of affairs, that so few these days are willing or equipped to persist in something that doesn't provide immediate life-changing results. It reflects a culture in which demands... Question: The goal of meditation is _ . - to clear the mind - to practice a religion - to develop a technique - to carry out an experiment
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to clear the mind

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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Carrie had had enough. She placed a note on the kitchen table, picked up her bags, and then made her way to the bus stop. "Hi, mum," she said after arriving at her house. "What have you done?" she asked, noticing Carrie's luggage in the hallway. "Oh, mum, I've left him. I couldn't bear any more." Shocked, her mum didn't know what to say, so she went to make some coffee. Next day, Carrie had a visitor. "Carrie, please don't do this to me. Come back home?" Tom begged. But was she listening? She ignored him and stepped back inside the house. The weeks went by and Tom became very depressed. There seemed little point in carrying on without her. Then one night he got into his car and drove to a nearby seaside town. After abandoning the car, he walked towards a big stone by the sea. Looking over the edge he saw the waves crashing into the bottom of the rock. His body was shaking -- then he jumped. Carrie was mad when she found out. She paced up and down smoking a cigarette. Her eyes were full of tears. It wasn't all his fault that he had become so bad tempered. He had been finding it difficult looking for another job. She then threw the cigarette to the ground, wiped away the tears and made her way up the long passage and into a room. "Don't you ever, ever do anything like that again,"she said in a temper to the person in the room. "I won't,"Tom said, looking up at her from his hospital bed. Luckily for him, someone had seen him jump and dived in to save him. Question: Why did her Mum go to make some coffee? - Because she knew her daughter liked coffee very much. - Because her daughter asked for comfort. - Because she didn't know how to comfort her daughter. - Because she didn't want to say anything.
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Because she didn't know how to comfort her daughter.

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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: You know eating fruit and vegetables is virtuous. But did you know it can also make you look good? People who increased their intake over just six weeks developed a healthy glow and appeared more attractive, researchers found. Scientists at St Andrews University found eating them subtly increased yellow and red pigments in the volunteers' skin. They monitored the food intake of 35 people and took pictures of their faces, arms and hands using a sensitive camera at the start, and after three and six weeks. Increasing their intake of greens by 2.9 portions a day was found to make the person look healthier and an extra 3.3 portion could enhance their attractiveness, when their photographs were rated by others. Fruit and vegetables are rich in carotenoids , which are known to protect against cell damage from pollution and UV rays, and can also prevent age-related diseases including heart disease and cancer. But while it was known eating extreme amounts of certain vegetables such as carrots could turn skin orange, it was not known a small increase was perceptible to others and was seen as _ . A camera measured changes to the skin's redness, yellowness and lightness, and found it significantly changed in people who naturally increased their intake. These changes were not evident at three weeks. Using light sensors, the researchers showed these red and yellow hues(,) were linked with the levels of carotenoids in their skin. There are hundreds of carotenoids but those thought to have the most dramatic effect are lycopene which gives tomatoes and red peppers their red color1 - and beta-carotene found in carrots as well as broccoli, squash, and spinach. Skin color1 is also affected by chemicals called polyphenols , found in apples, blueberries and cherries, which cause blood rush to the skin surface. Question: The red and yellow color1s were related to _ in their skin. - the contents of intake - the levels of carrots - the time of eating fruit and vegetables - the amount of carotenoids
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the amount of carotenoids