Suppose you are a visitor in the land of Mongolia , some friends ask you to eat with them. What kind of manners do they want you to have? They want you to give a loud "burp " after you finish eating. Burping shows that you like the food. In some countries, if you give a loud burp, you are told to say "Excuse me, please." In many places people like to eat together. But in some parts of Polynesia it is bad manners to be seen eating at all. People show good manners by turning their backs on others while they eat. What are manners like in an East African town? People try not to see you. They are being polite. You may see a friend. He may not see you at all. If you are polite, you will sit down beside him. You will wait until he finishes what he is doing. Then he will talk to you. Manners are different all over the world. But it is good to know that all manners begin in the same way. People need ways to show that they want to be friends. It is good manners for people in East African towns _ . A) to sit down beside others and wait for them to talk B) to say "hello" to others on the street C) to try to talk to others when they are working D) never to speak to anyone on the street
A
(Question)
Thanks to a young waiter, I only recently discovered that a friend of 20 years was once a yo-yo virtuoso . "Oh, stop it!" Jackie said when I started laughing during our dinner. "I was, too. And I knew how to 'Walk the Dog.' " "Wow, really?" said our waiter, Jumario Simmons, flashing a big smile at us. "Don't encourage her," I said. "What else could you do?" he asked. "I did 'Round the World,'" Jackie said, now ignoring me completely. "That cradle thing, too." I'd asked Jumario what he did when he wasn't waiting on tables. The 24-year-old waiter was so smart that I knew there had to be more to his story. It turns out that he won a regional yo-yo competition last year. He also gives free lessons to kids. "It gives them something to do," Jumario said. "Keeps them off the streets." One of the great things about eating out is the table talk with strangers, which reminds us that everyone has a life and a name. But the other day I heard that some restaurants are ending this talk between diners and servers. I listened to the reporter describe how their improvements are allowing customers to text orders from their tables to speed up service. The reporter got my attention with this sentence: "Five minutes after typing 'I'm at table 3', a meal arrives at the table." But there wasn't a "please" with this order, which should have been a request, by the way. If you've ever waited on tables, you know that the last thing you need is yet another way for a customer to be unpleasant. Most servers are constantly mediating between customers' requests for substitutions and overworked cooks' accusations of treason. Except at high-end restaurants, servers also have to hover like mothers of preschoolers so that we might consider them worthy of a large enough tip to lift their pay to minimum wage. Texting a server from a table a few feet away is equal to moving our fingers and shouting, "Hey, you!" It was rude in 1957, and it's rude now. You won't ever find me texting a waiter or waitress. From the passage, the author's attitude towards texting a server from a table is _ . A) indifferent B) negative C) curious D) positive
(Answer)
B
Ques: What's in a name? Well, apparently, our general happiness. Psychologists say that what we are called has a direct connection with our well-being . 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 might due to the association that others made with the name. Hearing the name Judy may make them think of actress Judi Dench or TV presenter Judy Finnigan, people who are seen as 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 becomes shaped to fit it. 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 happiest, while those called Ruth and Carly are 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 characteristics. This, in turn, influences parents when they choose names for their babies," said Dr Holmes, "however, names connected with ordinary people are seldom chosen for their babies". What's the main idea of this passage? A) How to choose a good name for babies. B) How to achieve success by changing a good name. C) The relation between names and success. D) The relation between names and happiness.
Ans: D
Are you ever so worried about something that you even have a headache or can't sleep at night? Do you ever feel a stomachache during a test? If so, then you know what stress is. Stress is what you feel when you are worried about something. When you are under stress, you may feel angry, sad, scared, or afraid --all this can give you a stomachache or a headache. In modern society, most people are under the higher stress than ever before. There are different kinds of stress. Some kinds of stress are good and others are bad. Good stress may happen when someone asks you to answer questions in class or when you have to give a report. This kind of stress can help you to finish things better. Under this stress, you will find yourself have more motivation and energy to study. However, bad stress can happen if the stress lasts too long. You may not feel well if a family member is sick, if you're having problems at school, or if anything else makes you upset every day. That kind of stress isn't going to help you. The best way to keep stress away is to have a balanced life. If you get enough sleep and food, and if you exercise and leave time for fun, you'll feel less stress. Which of the following is RIGHT according to the passage? A) Different kinds of stress will help you with the study a lot. B) Having a balanced life is the best way to keep stress away. C) You may not feel well if your parents are talking about things. D) You may feel angry, sad, or afraid when you are doing something.
B