Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems -- both legal and educational -- for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers. Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly. One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the "throwaway" youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets. Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education. One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be _ . A) the homeless children are too young to be counted as children B) the homeless population is growing rapidly C) the homeless children usually stay outside school D) some homeless children are deserted by their families
D
(Question)
Smoking is the single worst thing you can do for your health. Fortunately, it's never too late to get the benefits of quitting. If you've tried to quit before and failed, it's time to make up your mind and try again. Smoking is responsible for one of every five deaths. That includes 29% of all cancer deaths, 87% of all lung cancer deaths, and nearly 20% of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. But long before smoking kills you, it ages you. You can see for yourself that smoking accelerates the drying and wrinkling of the skin. But there are less obvious effects as well. Indeed, smoking takes years away from your life. Nearly half of all chronic smokers die an average of 20 to 25 years before their time. Besides an early death from cancer or heart disease, smoking can cause lung disorders. People who smoke over a pack a day have almost three times the risk of contracting pneumonia than that of nonsmokers. By lowering levels of estrogen in men and women, smoking speeds bone less. If a woman smokes a pack of cigarettes every day, she will enter menopause with 5 to 10% less bone mass than a nonsmoker. The good news is that no matter what your age is or how long you've smoked, you'll live longer if you quit today. The Coronary Artery Surgery Study examined nearly 2,000 long-term smokers over age 54. Those who quit had significantly lower death rates six years later than those who didn't. Even the oldest ex-smokers had a higher survival rate. Not only will live longer if you quit, you'll feel better, breathe easier, and find that you have more energy. You'll have fewer respiratory infections,headaches, and stomachaches. What's more, you'll save money. Your clothes and breath won't smell unpleasant any longer. And your habit won't annoy--or threaten the health of --the people who live and work with you. What is the passage mainly about? A) The ways of quitting smoking. B) The harm of smoking to people. C) The benefits of quitting smoking. D) The relationships between smoking and diseases.
(Answer)
C
Steven Jobs was born on February 24,1955,in San Francisco,California,and was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs.In 1961 the family moved to Mountain View, California.At that time people started to refer to the area as "Silicon Valley". As a child, Jobs preferred doing things by himself, not interested in team sports or other group activities.He enrolled in the HewlettPackard Explorer Club. There he saw his first computer at the age of twelve. He was very impressed, and knew right away that he wanted to work with computers. At that time almost all computers were so large that one could fill a room, and so costly that individuals could not afford to buy them.Advances in electronics, however, meant that the parts of a computer were getting smaller and the power of the computer was increasing. By 1980 the personal computer era was well underway.Apple was continually forced to improve its products to remain ahead, as more competitors entered the marketplace. Apple introduced the Apple III, but the new model suffered technical and marketing problems.It was removed from the market. Early in 1983 Jobs unveiled the Lisa.It did not sell well,however, because it was more expensive than personal computers sold by competitors.Apple's biggest competitor was International Business Machines (IBM). By 1983 it was estimated that Apple had lost half of its market share ( part of an industry's sales that a specific company has) to IBM. In 1984 Apple introduced a revolutionary new model, the Macintosh.The Macintosh did not sell well to businesses,however.It lacked features other personal computers had, such as a corresponding high quality printer. The failure of the Macintosh signaled the beginning of Jobs's downfall at Apple. Late in 1988 the NeXT computer was introduced, aimed at the educational market.The product was very userfriendly,and had a fast processing speed, excellent graphics displays,and an outstanding sound system.Despite the warm reception,however, the NeXT machine never caught on. It was too costly, had a... Which of the following statements is RIGHT? A) All the computes used to be large enough to fill a room. B) Before 1980, Apple was not successful in the field of personal computers. C) Steven Jobs was born in Silicon Valley. D) Apple and IBM competed for sales of personal computers.
D