In today's fast paced, high stress world people are working longer hours than ever, and often exhaust themselves at day's end in front of the television to relax enough to begin again in the morning.However, television watching, for most people, does not really lower stress.Studies show that TV viewing more than an hour or so actually creates stress and, especially in women, may lead to the blues.Most individuals are unaware that doing some exercise after work makes them more energetic since it increases energy levels. Wise use of free time does not mean getting an advanced degree, although the mental encouragement gained through education is unbeatable in keeping your mind active.Learning new things nearly always adds a spark to your daily life, especially if it is a favorite topic, such as sport, fashion, or art.Also, look through your bookstore or library to find books on your interests.Try to replace a half hour TV watching with reading. It is reported that in the United States recently, many individuals have as few as two good friends.Long work hours and car _ act to separate people from each other.This separation is deadly.Find ways to meet people at the end of the day and on weekends.Often this can be best done by combining activities, such as by joining a walking group to get both exercise and companionship.Taking a class will lift your spirits and allow you to meet others with similar interests.Hobbies are great for reducing stress and provide another opportunity for social interaction. Using your free time to aid your health may include these elements and many more, such as going to concerts and spending time with family.Overall, the key is to spend less free time being passive.The best ways to use free time are to be mentally and physically active, spend some time outdoors, and interact with other people on a regular basis. What can we learn from the passage? A) Watching television may cause women to feel depressed. B) Finding interests and hobbies in common means taking a class. C) Going to concerts is the best way to make you mentally active. D) Getting an advanced degree in education always lights up your life.
A
(Question)
Massachusetts-based Merriam-Webster Inc. said "w00t" reflects a new direction in the American language led by a generation raised on video games and mobile phone text-messaging. It's like saying "yay," the dictionary said. "It could be after a triumph or for no reason at all," Merriam-Webster said. Visitors to Merriam-Webster's Web site were invited to vote for one of 20 words and phrases selected from the most frequently looked-up words on the site and submitted by readers. Merriam-Webster President John Morse said "w00t" reflected the growing use of numeric keyboards to type words. "People look for self-evident numeral-letter substitutions: 0 for O; 3 for E; 7 for T; and 4 for A," he said. "This is simply a different and more efficient way of representing the alphabetical character." Online gamers often replace numbers and symbols with letters to form what Merriam-Webster calls an "esoteric computer hacker language" known as "l33t speak." This translates into "leet," which is short for "elite." One Web site, www.thinkgeek.com, already sells T-shirts with the word "w00t" printed on the front. Runner-up was "facebook" as a new verb meaning to add someone to a list of friends on the Web site Facebook.com or to search for people on the social networking site. "Truthiness" was the word of last year picked by Webster. A separate survey of words used in the media and on the Internet by California-based Global Language Monitor produced a different set of winners last week. "Hybrid" took top honors as word of the year with "climate change" the top phrase. Runner-up was "surge," based on the "surge" of 30,000 extra U.S. troops deployed to Iraq since mid-June, followed by the word "Bluetooth," a technology used to connect electronic devices via radio waves. "The English language is becoming more and more a globalized language every year," said Global Language Monitor president Paul Payack, noting that this year's list included words also selected from India, Singapore, China and Australia. In which column of the newspaper could this passage be read ? A) in Leisure Highlights B) in News Review C) in Home&World D) in Culture
(Answer)
B
Ques: Throughout history, people are now aware that Australian cuisine was based on the old British cooking which was handed down by the first settlers. Modern Australian cuisine, however, has been heavily influenced by Australia's Asian and Southeast Asian neighbors. The trend, motivated by the government health programs, is towards low-fat healthy cookery including low-fat meat and lightly cooked colorful, steamed or fried vegetables. Besides, like many English families, in many Australian homes, a widespread tradition of having roast turkey, chicken, and ham for Christmas lunch or dinner still remains. Basically speaking, breakfast is comparatively light for most Australians. But in the colder regions porridge or meals similar to the full English breakfast may be consumed. In recent years, however, most Australian people prefer light breakfast in order to control their weight. The light breakfast commonly consists of cereals, toast and fruit. A heavier breakfast will frequently include fried bacon, eggs, mushrooms, etc. Drinks consumed at breakfast include tea, coffee, milk or juice. The meal in the evening is the main meal of the day for most Australians. When consumed at home, it is often eaten with members of _ The dishes served will vary widely according to the tastes and background of the family. A typical Australian restaurant might offer sandwiches, chicken or other meat-based dishes and cakes. In recent years, take-away food is becoming popular in Australia. American style chain restaurants are common including Subway, KFC, and Mcdonald's. With the high portion of immigration from the Middle East,South and Southeast Asia,Korea,China and other countries from all over the world to Australia,any authentic and high-quality restaurants are run by first and second generation immigrants from these areas. From the passage, we can learn that _ . A) fewer and fewer immigrants enter Australia every year B) Subway is a chain restaurant and it is from the South America C) home cooking is becoming more and more popular in Australia D) Asian and Southeast Asian countries have a great impact on the modem Australian food.
Ans: D
Question: Pocket Tape-Recorders "Family and Home Magazine" test what's on the market now. 1)Pearlcorder S702 $64 This simple model at the bottom of the Olympus range scored the most points for its excellent quality of recording. Background noise hardly affects the sound and recording from a pocket is perfectly possible, but it doesn't turn off automatically. Tape length: 30 minutes per side. Weight: 240g. 2)Sony M9 $49.95 Small and very good looking, sony's latest offering scored most for appearance. Sounds clear, but there is slight machine noise. The big control buttons are a great improvement on some of the complicated little controls on other tape-recorders. Doesn't switch off automatically but a red light shows if the machine is still running. Tape length: 60 minutes per side. Weight: 195g. 3)Sony M400 $115 Lots of little control buttons that make a noise and are difficult to use . Recording was good but machine noise lost points. Tape counter and automatic switch-off when tape has finished recording or rewinding are useful. Tape length: 60 minutes per side. Weight: 230g. 4)Imperial OEM. MC $29.95 Cheap and simple compared with the rest, but recording was good as long as there was no background noise. Use only its own make of cassette. No light to show it is on; no fast forward button and the record button makes a loud noise. Tape length: 30 minutes per side. Weight: 285g. 5)Philips 585 $80 Handsome and simple to use, but recording is very poor at more than the recommended distance of 5 cm-designed for dictation. No recording light. Tape length: 15 minutes per side. Weight: 220g. Which machine is unsuitable for general use? A) Pearlcorder S702 B) Imperial OEM MC7 C) Sony M400 D) Philips 585
Answer:
D