Every day from the time we wake up until the time we go to bed, we are bombarded with information from all sides, from TV, radio, newspapers and books; from family, friends, and colleagues. As a new cable television subscriber, I am ly amazed at the quantity and varying levels of information quality on cable television. Including the networks, there are eight TV "news" organizations vying to provide us with all the information we can possibly absorb. Newspaper, magazines, books, radio, the Internet, email, snail mail, and the telephone all compete for our attention and our minds. At the office conversations around the water cooler and coffee maker serve to spread even more items of information. There is valuable information out there about the world we live in, on topics as varied as health, safety, traffic, nutrition, business, finance, philosophy, nature, science, weather, history and the human condition. There is also a large amount of misleading and outright false information, not just on controversial subjects such as politics and religion but on any topic one can think of, including all of the topics mentioned above. With all this information coming at us from all directions, how does one sift through it all to sort out the facts from the fiction, the truth from the lies, the more important from the less important? Should we turn off the TV, cancel our newspaper subscriptions, disconnect our phones and modems to become information "hermits"? Probably not. A better method of sifting through the information wave without being overwhelmed and confused is to become a skeptical inquirer-or skeptic-with regard to the surrounding world. By "skeptic"-I do not mean a cynic-a person who rejects new ideas simply because they are new. A skeptic is one who questions the validity of a particular claim by calling for evidence to prove or disprove it. Skepticism is a method, not a position. It is a provisional approach to all factual claims. In terms of processing information, a skeptic needs to be able to grasp... What does the author say is the more reasonable approach to processing the information wave? A) A skeptical approach. B) A subjective approach. C) A cynical approach. D) A philosophical approach.
A
(Question)
A Chinese actor's divorce from his wife, over her alleged extramarital affair, has social media buzzing, with posts about the subject gaining over five billion views. Wang Baoqiang announced online on Sunday that he was divorcing his wife, Ma Rong, and sacking his agent, Song Zhe. He alleged that his marriage broke down after his wife had an affair with his agent, and that she had also transferred the couple's joint assets. Ma has hit back at Wang, accusing him of abandoning their family. The topic has sparked a debate about relationships and divorce. It seems Wang's situation has struck a chord with many - which could explain the number of views, which are high even by Chinese standards. The divorce quickly became a top trending topic in China. According to micro blog Sina Weibo, posts with the hashtag "Wang BaoQiang Divorce" have been viewed over five billion times. Chinese netizens seem to have rallied around Wang, with topics like "Wang Don't Cry" "Wang We Support You", quickly trending after news of the divorce spread. Statistics by Weibo showed that 47% of netizens' posts condemned Ma for her affair, saying it had shattered her family. But why are they so interested? what is it about this one that's got all of China ruffled up? Some people feel that this divorce seems to fit a certain trope - of a beautiful but ordinary girl marrying a rich but less good-looking man. It is not uncommon to hear the belief that a couple has to "match" at every level - be it in status, or physical appearance - for a relationship to work out. Wang and Ma's split has many people wondering if uneven matches are unlikely to succeed. A lot of social media discussion has also centred around divorce, and in particular how people can protect themselves. Wang has alleged that his wife transferred and hid some of the couple's assets. They're a wealthy couple - their assets, according to Chinese media, include nine flats, a BMW car and various luxury goods. As a result, people are debating the importance of protecting individual... What is the text mainly about? A) Wang Baoqiang announced online that he was divorcing his wife, Ma Rong, B) Uneven matches are unlikely to succeed. C) It is important to protect individual assets, even after marriage. D) Why a celebrity divorce has aroused netizens' interest.
(Answer)
D
Ques: Farmers can produce more by planting several different crops in the same field.But their success depends on which crops they plant together and how they mix them in the filed.In the past, the only way the farmers could learn which crops grow best together is to plant them and wait for the results.Now, however, a computer can give them answers.A new computer program written by Dr John Vanderwell of Michigan University can tell a farmer which plants grow well together and which do not.It can tell him how to plant the different crops; if he should plant each in a separate row, or mix the crops in the same row.It can tell the farmer how changes in planting each of the crops will affect the production of all of them.And it can tell him which plants can help reduce losses from diseases. It seems the new computer program can NOT tell us _ . A) whether we should grow cotton and tomato together B) how we should plant cotton and tomato together C) what will happen if we grow potato, instead of tomato, together with cotton D) how we can grow rice in the tomato field
Ans: D
Question: To swim across the English Channel takes at least nine hours. It's hard work and it makes you short of breath. To fly over the channel takes only twenty minutes as long as you're not held up at the airport, but it's an expensive way to travel. You can travel by hovercraft if you don't mind the noise and that takes forty minutes. Otherwise, you can go by boat, if you remember your sea-sickness pills. All these means of transport have their problems, and the weary traveler often dreams of being able to drive to France in his own car. "Not possible, you say. Well, wait a minute. People are once again considering the idea of a channel tunnel or bridge." This time, the great London Council is looking into the possibility of building a channel link straight to London. A bridge would cost far more than a tunnel, but you would be able to make a journey by rail or by car on a bridge, yet a tunnel would provide a rail link only. Why is this idea being discussed again? Is Britain realizing the need for links with Europe as a result of joining EEC?Well, perhaps, the main reason, though, is that a tunnel or bridge would reach the twenty square kilometers of London's discussed dockland . A link from London to the continent would stimulate trade and revitalize the port, and would make London a main trading center in Europe. With a link over the Channel, you could buy your fish and chips in England and be able to eat them in France while they are still warm! From the lines we can see that people crossed the Channel by _ in the past. A) air B) boat C) swimming D) A, B, or C
Answer:
D