New Yorkers are gradually getting used to more bicyclers on those hot blue City Bikes.But what about local bike shops? Is City Bike rolling up riders at their expense? At Gotham Bikes in Tribeca,manager W.Ben said the shop has seen an increase in its overall sales due to the bike-share program."It's getting more people on the road,"he said.James Ryan,an employee at Danny's Cycles,said City Bike is a good option for people to ease in a city famous for its traffic jams."They can try out a bike without buying one."he said. Rentals are not a big part of the business at either Gotham Bikes or Danny's Cycles.But for Frank's Bike Shop,a small business on Christopher St.,the bike--share program has been bad news.Owner Frank Arroyo said his rental business has decreased by 90% since City Bike was rolled out last month.Arroyo's main rental customers are European tourists,who have since been drawn away by City Bikes. However,Ben said the bike--share is good for bike sales at his shop."People have used the bike--share and realized how great it is to bike in the city,then decide that they want something Dicer for themselves,"he noted.Andrew Crooks,owner of NYC Velo,at 64 Second Ave.,said at first he Was concerned about bike--share,though,he admitted,"I was happy to see people on bikes.It seemed like a great idea,but one that would be difficult to implement ."Crooks said he worried about inexperienced riders' lack of awareness of biking rules and strong negative reaction from non--cyclists.However,he said.it's still too early to tell if his business has been impacted.While it's possible that bike--share will cause a drop in business,Crooks thought that the idea was a positive step forward for New York City. Why is the bike--share program bad news for Frank's Bike Shop? A) It is hard to implement the bike--share program. B) Its customers have been drawn away by City Bikes. C) Its bike prices have to be lowered again and again. D) It has to compete with the city's bike rental shops.
B
Space is where our future is -- trips to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Most people would think that aside from comets and stars, there is little else out there. But, since our space journey started we have left so much trash there that scientists are now concerned that if we don't clean it up, we may all be in mortal danger. The first piece of space junk was created in 1964, when the American satellite Vanguard I stopped operating and lost its connection with the ground center. However, since it kept orbiting around the Earth without any consequences, scientists became increasingly comfortable abandoning things that no longer served any useful purpose in space. It is estimated that there are now over 500,000 pieces of man-made trash orbiting the Earth at speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour. The junk varies from tiny pieces of paint chipped off rockets to cameras, huge fuel tanks, and even odd items like the million-dollar tool kit that astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn Piper lost during a spacewalk. The major problem with the space trash is that it may hit working satellites and damage traveling spacecraft . Moreover, pieces of junk may collide with each other and break into pieces which fall back to the Earth. To avoid this, scientists have invented several ways for clearing the sky. Ground stations have been built to monitor larger pieces of space trash to prevent them from crashing into working satellites or space shuttles. Future plans include a cooperative effort among many nations to stop littering in space and to clean up the trash already there. Which of the following statements is true about space junk? A) It is huge, heavy machines. B) It never changes position. C) It floats slowly around the Earth. D) It may cause problems for space shuttles.
D
Q: Your chair is your enemy. That is the conclusion of several recent studies. Among people who sit in front of the television for more than three hours each day, those who exercise are as fat as those who don't. So what's wrong with sitting? The answer seems to have two parts. The first is that sitting is one of the most passive things you can do. Compared to sitting, standing in one place is hard work. To stand, you have to tense your leg muscles, and engage the muscles of your back and shoulders; while standing, you often shift from leg to leg. All of this burns energy. You may think you have no choice about how much you sit. But this isn't true. Suppose you sleep for eight hours each day, and exercise for one. That still leaves 15 hours of activities. Even if you exercise, most of the energy you burn will be burnt during these 15 hours, so weight gain is often the cumulative effect of a series of small decisions: Do you take the stairs or the elevator? Do you walk to the corner store, or drive? But it looks as though there's a more sinister aspect to sitting. Some evidence suggests that when you spend long periods sitting, your body actually does things that are bad for you. Lipoprotein lipase is a molecule that plays a central role in how the body processes fats. Low levels of lipoprotein lipase are associated with a variety of health problems. Studies in rats show that leg muscles only produce this molecule when they are actively being moved. The result is that when you sit, an important part of your metabolism slows down. You may also have a higher risk of suffering from diabetes . Some people have advanced radical solutions to the sitting syndrome : replace your sit-down desk with a stand-up desk, or watch television in a rocking chair. But whatever you choose, know this. The data is clear; look out for your chair. The author mentions lipoprotein lipase mainly to _ . A) show that it plays a big part in keeping us healthy B) tell us that it isn't produced while we are sitting C) suggest that we should take less exercise to be healthy D) prove sitting for long is bad for our body
A: D
(Q).
Course A: Understanding computers 1. A twelve-hour course for people who do not know very much about computers but need to learn about them. You can learn what computers are, what computers can do and cannot do, and how to use them. 2. Course fee: $75, from June 1 to June 28, 9~12am every Sunday. 3. Equipment fee: $10. 4. Teacher: Joseph Saunders, professor of computer science at New Urban University, with twelve years of experience in computer field. Call 67801642 or 67801643 for more information. Course B: Learning to speak French 1. A course with a small class of less than 20 people, twice a week. Your French level is tested in the first class. Then you can begin practicing at one of eight different skill levels. This allows you to learn at your own speed, and prepares you to learn through situations of real life with a funny and easy method. 2. Course fee: $200, from June 1 to June 25, 4~7pm every Monday and Thursday. 3. Personal tutoring fee: $100. 4. Teacher: From the first day on you can have your own personal French teacher that corrects your exercises and assists you along the course, who has successfully taught French course before. Phone 67353019 for more information. Course C: Learning to swim 1. A course for people who have interest in swimming. We offer morning and afternoon classes, where swimming knowledge will be taught. Then you can gain swimming skills through practicing in water. 2. Course fee: $150, from June 9 to June 29, 10am~4pm every Tuesday and Friday.. 3. Personal tutoring Fee: $100 4. Teacher: Teachers from sports college and experienced swimming-loves. Very close to the Central Park. For further information call 67432308. If you want to take Course A, you need to go _ learn something about computers. A) twice every week B) three times a week C) four times altogether D) every Sunday afternoon
(A).
C