What's in name? Well, apparently, our general happiness. Psychologists say that what we are called has a direct connection with our happiness. Those called Judy and Joshua are the happiest, while Lynn or Ben is likely to be the unhappiest, according to research. Psychologist Dr David Holmes found that this can cause the association that others make with the name. Hearing the name Judy may make them think of actress Judi Dench or TV presenter Judy Finnigan, and people who are considered good-natured and happy. On the other hand, people think Paulines are unhappy because of the character Pauline Fowler from the TV programme East Enders. The research claims that this association influences the person with the name and so their personality is shaped to fit in. Dr David Holmes said, "This also has some relation with the original meaning of the name, for example, the original meaning of Judy is 'praised'." Certain names also work well in certain aspects of life. In the workplace Richard and Judy are the happiest, while those called Ruth and Carly are the happiest in relationships. At the other end of the scale the unhappiest workers are Stuart and Liz, with the unhappiest in relationships being Frank and Harriet. Dr Holmes said, "The relation we have with certain names, particularly important namesakes , also shapes how we see ourselves and so may have an effect on our confidence. Names are like product brands in having a powerful effect on attitudes and should therefore be chosen with care." "Other names are connected with being brave, outgoing or serious. Therefore, many celebrities change their names to ones which reflect these characteristic. This, in turn, influences parents when they choose names for their babies," said Dr Holmes, "while names connected with ordinary people are rarely chosen for their babies." The author may continue the passage with _ . A) names and product brands B) famous people's names C) names and personality D) parents' choices of baby names
D
NEW YORK-- Picking a Christmas tree takes most people a few minutes, or a couple of hours if they head for the woods. Dave Murbach needs 11 months. Almost every day of every year, Murbach's thoughts turn to vision of a perfectly shaped evergreen tree that will take everyone's breath away. Murbach is the man responsible for finding the towering tree that makes more attractive Manhattan's Rockefeller Center each Christmas season. "I'm always looking for a tree," the center's chief gardener says. "I look for it even when I go to the beach in the summer. It' s like a homework assignment hanging over your head." And if he gets it wrong, there's nothing hiding it. "Every day it's up, 400,000 people go by, and 2.5 million people watch the lighting celebration on television,"he says. This year's tree, a 74-foot Nomy spruce from Richfield, Ohio, flown to New York on the world's largest cargo plane, was lighted on December 2. The arrival of the tree leads in the Christmas season in New York -- a tradition dating back to 1931, when the workers building Rockefeller Center put up a small tree with ornaments . The search for the next year's tree starts soon after the old tree is chopped up for wood chips and horse-jumping logs. Murbach has three standards: The tree must be at least 65 feet high, at least 35 feet across and leaves dense enough not to see through. That's not as simple as it sounds. Though forests are full of evergreens, few get enough sunlight or space to fill out. And branches in snow regions often break under the weight, making trees unbalanced. Back at the office, he sorts through hundreds of letters from people offering their trees, many addressed simply to "Mr. Christmas Tree Man." Though there was occasional anxiety attack and sleepless night, Murbach knows the effect the tree has on people: "It's for bringing people together, attempting to bring together people you love. That's what I hope it sets off." But Murbach says he's always too worn out to celebrate Christmas. What kind of person do you think Murbach is? A) A person always ignoring his family. B) A person full of love. C) A person devoted to his work. D) A person with great anxiety.
C
Q: It is commonly known that Japan went from a 19th century national economy to a 20th century global economy in a time span of 30 years between 1945 and 1975. What is less known is that Japan, understanding that fast, efficient transport was the key to a global economy, was the first country in the world to introduce the "Bullet Train". Kawasaki Heavy Industries was duly appointed the manufacturer and the first high speed train went "on line" in 1964. The Shinkansen, as is known in Japan, made its first journey between her capital and Osaka, a distance of 301 miles, at a speed of 132 mph. The next country to introduce high speed trains was France. SNGF, the public rail system in France, was losing passengers to other forms of transport and introduced the "TGV" (Train a Grande Vitesse) to counteract the trend in 1981. As a result of Opec controlling the oil market in 1974, the train was designed to be powered by gas turbines. It ran on a specially built track between Lyon and Paris. Eight years later another TGV was introduced, this time between the coast and Paris. Soon, France became the most rail efficient country in the world with high speed train connections to Belgium, London, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands. There was another positive element that resulted from the introduction of high speed trains. Between 1964 and 1991, Japan's Shinkansen had transported in excess of three billion passengers without there being a single fatal accident and eleven years after France introduced the TGV, it still had a 100% safety record. This statistic has never been equaled by the traditional slow moving trains in any country. China has become the fourth country to produce such trains, after France, Germany and Japan. China's first domestically produced bullet train with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour has rolled off the production line. Equipped with highly-efficient power system, the currently fastest train in China is also energy efficient. When the train is running, it can transfer kinetic... Which of the following advantage(s) belongs to bullet train? A) Speedy and energy-wasting. B) Slow but secure. C) Fast and safe. D) Crowded and expensive.
A: C
(Q).
This column is part of a series on websites that are useful for English language learning.Activities for ESL Students Includes various types of tests, exercises and puzzles designed to help people studying English as a second language (ESL).The activities include grammar, vocabulary and idiom tests at easy, medium and difficult levels.The specially designed Chinese-English vocabulary tests can help Chinese memorize English words. http://a4esl.org/ Interesting Things for ESL Students Contains a comprehensive list of audio clips from the Special English programs of Voice of America (VOA).The list covers news of all kinds on VOA.The listening and vocabulary exercises and the word list designed with the clips will help English learners improve listening ability and increase vocabulary. http://www.manythings.org/voa/ World-English This site provides a list of radio or TV channels offering English news clips.It includes the BBC radio program clips from England, CNN and ABC news clips from the US, and other news clips from other English-speaking countries.Click on the links and you will be taken to channels where you can listen to clips.This is a good way to practice listening. http://www.world-english.org/listening.html Listen to English Offers a large number of materials for English learners to practice listening.The materials include business English, English literature, history, movies, and politics.Students can improve their English while enjoying the beauty of the English of literature, songs, movies, and news in different countries. http://eleaston.corn/listen, html According to this passage, you had better listen to clips of _ programs to learn more English words. A) VOA B) BBC C) CNN D) ABC
(A).
A