Question: My name is Ralph and I am 42 years old. I work in a factory that I enjoy very much. On May 27, 1999, I was working on an automatic machine. While working my hand was pulled into the machine and my middle finger on my right hand was ripped off. I had surgery to replace what was left of the finger and now I have a finger that is almost as long as my index finger. Over the years I have been very blessed for a full and healthy life. Most of all, blessed for having my wife. We have grown together and grown in our faith. Life is going to go on with or without my finger. I was not going to let this take over my life and I pushed to go back to work and got light duty. This was where my lesson began. When I returned to work, I started getting comments and some teasing from people asking me if it was worth losing my finger over a pack of cigarettes. Someone started a rumor that I had dropped a pack of cigarettes and reached down to pick them up and that is how I lost my finger. This is not true. This rumor hurt more than losing my finger in that machine. Everyone was called in to a meeting to resolve this matter and get the story straight. I had to share my lesson. We can ruin a person's life by just a few bad words. There is an old saying that I will never forget: So please remember to watch what you say. According to the author, his index finger on his right hand is almost as long as _ . A) his middle finger on his right hand B) his middle finger on his left hand C) his thumb on his right hand D) his thumb on his left hand
Answer: A

Question: He wrote that the "human mind is capable of excitement without the application of gross and violent stimulants ". And it appears that simply reading those words by William Wordsworth proves his point. Researchers at the University of Liverpool found the works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth and the like had a beneficial effect on the mind, lifting the readers' spirits by catching their attention and leading to moments of self-reflection. Using equipment, they examined the brain activity of volunteers as they read pieces of classical English literature both in their original form and in a more simplified, modern translation. And, according to the Sunday Telegraph, the experiment showed the more "challenging" works set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the ordinary versions. The research also found poetry, in particular, increased activity in the right hemisphere of the brain, an area concerned with "autobiographical memory", which helped the reader to reflect on and reevaluate their own experiences in light of what they had read. The academics said this meant the classics were more useful than self-help books. The brain responses of 30 volunteers was monitored in the first part of the research as they read Shakespeare in its original and "modern" form. In one example, volunteers read a line from King Lear, "A father and a gracious aged man: him have you madded ", before reading the simpler "A father and a gracious aged man: him you have enraged ". Shakespeare's use of the adjective "mad" as a verb caused a higher level of brain activity than the straightforward translation. "Reading classics is not just a matter of style. It is a matter of deep versions of experience that promotes the cognitive ability," said Prof Davis, who will present the findings at the North of England education conference in Sheffield this week. In what way did the researchers make their conclusion? A) By questionnaire. B) By online chatting. C) By lab experiment. D) By telephone interview.
Answer: C

Question: The days of a pain-free visit to the dentist may not be far off. This is thanks to a little Japanese woman in a pink sweater, named Simroid. With a limited vocabulary, Simroid, the 160cm-tall robot is happy to feel your pain. Simroid is designed to be used at medical colleges. She has realistic looking skin, eyes, and a mouth fitted with replica teeth. Her chest also rises and falls as if she is breathing. Simroid releases a clear "ouch!" whenever a trainee dentist presses her teeth too hard with a tool. And she gives a reassuring "that's better" when the drill hits the right place. "We want to use the robots to train dentists to worry about whether patients are comfortable, and not just focus on medical techniques," said Naotake Shubui, a professor at Nippon Dental University inprefix = st1 /Japanwho helped develop Simroid. The robot was one of hundreds of cutting-edge devices on display at the world's biggest robot exhibition last week inJapan. As scientists improve the design of robots, they could soon be serving tea to office workers or directing shoppers. Today's robots look and act much like the humans who invented them. InJapan, robots can already be found working as home helps, office receptionists and security guards, as well as on the factory floor. There were more than 370,000 industrial robots in use inJapanin 2005, according to a report by Macquarie bank,40 percent of the world total, with 32 robots for every 1,000 workers. The economy ministry believes that the Japanese robot market will be worth more than $52 billion by 2025. Human work is being helped, and even replaced, by mechanical efficiency in almost every area, from golf-bag carriers to public toilet cleaners. But many scientists believe the age of the service robot is not far off. It will arrive once machines are capable of connecting with humans on an emotional level. Judging by theTokyoexhibition, _ has already begun. Simroid is designed to _ . A) aid dental trainees to focus on their medical techniques B) train dentists to be able to share patients' feelings C) help patients relax during dental surgery D) serve as the dentists' assistance during dental surgery
Answer:
B