Today, traditional opinions about men still exist. A man has to be strong, brave, sports loving and manly. Anything less would not be considered manly. Sports such as football, basketball and boxing all tend to be men's sports. However, the dance of ballet is considered _ because it requires nice movements. This tradition is shown in the movie, Billy Elliot. Billy Elliot is a movie that protests against this traditional view of men. Billy Elliot is an eleven-year-old boy that has a natural talent for ballet dancing, but his father will not allow it. Billy's father wants him to take up boxing and become stronger, but Billy goes against his father's wishes and takes up ballet dancing. This difference of opinion makes Billy sad. What's more, his friends also laugh at him. After saving enough money, his father sends Billy to a weekly boxing course; however, Billy doesn't enjoy boxing because he always loses in matches and is often hurt. His ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson thinks that men or women should not be judged by the activities they like to do, so she tells Billy's father that although he wants his son to make a good living, he should let his son do what he loves to do because he has a talent for it. When his father finally realizes the truth, Billy is surprised. In the end, with the help of his father, brother and all the people around him, Billy goes to the Royal Ballet Academy in London and becomes a very successful ballet dancer. From Billy's story, we can see that _ . A) children should accept their parents' opinions B) we should try to fight against traditional opinions C) men and women play different sports D) parents should let their children do what they are interested in
D
Ice sculpting is a difficult process . First , ice must be carefully selected so that it is suitable for sculpting . Its ideal material is pure , clean water with high clarity . It should also have the minimum(=least) number of air bubbles. Perfectly clear ice blocks weighing 140 kg and measuring 100 cmx50 cmx25 cm are available from the Clinebell Company in Colorado . Much larger clear blocks are produced in Europe and Canada or harvested from a frozen river in Sweden . These large ice blocks are used for large ice sculpting events and for building ice hotels. Another difficulty in the process of ice sculpting is time control . The temperature of the environment affects how quickly the piece must be completed to avoid the effects of melting . If the sculpting does not take place in a cold environment , then the sculptor must work quickly to finish his piece . The tools used for sculpting also affect when the task can be finished . Some sculptures can be completed in as little as ten minutes if power tools are used . Ice sculptors also use sharp chisels that are specifically designed for cutting ice . The best ice chisels are made in Japan , a country that , along with China , has a long tradition of magnificent ice sculptures . Ice sculptures are used as decorations in some cuisines , especially in Asia . When holding a dinner party , some large restaurants or hotels will use an ice sculpture to decorate the table . For example , in a wedding banquet it is common to see a pair of ice-sculpted swans that represent the union of the new couple . What kind of ice is ideal for sculpting ? A) Ice from ice hotels . B) Ice from clean water . C) Ice with lots of bubbles in it . D) Ice weighing over 100 kilograms .
B
Q: Protagoras was among the great teachers of ancient Athens. He taught many subjects, including the laws of argument and the right use of language. It is said that he was the first teacher to accept money for his services. A student, Evalthus, heard of this famous teacher and asked him to give him lessons. However, Evalthus didn't want to pay for his lessons at once, and after some discussion it was finally agreed between them that Evalthus should pay only if he won his first case in the court. For if he won, it would prove that he had been taught well. The lessons began and Evalthus proved himself to be a good student. But he refused to pay Protagoras anything at the end of his studies. Protagoras therefore took Evalthus to the court and told the judges that he wanted his money. He explained that he must be paid whether he won or lost the case. "Whatever you decide," he declared to the judges, " I must be paid. For if you decide in my fovor , then I win the case, and so I must be paid . But If you decide against me, then Evalthus has won his first case in the court; according to our agreement, he must pay his lessons. Therefore I shall get my money whatever happens." The Athenian judges found no fault in it, so they asked Evalthus to reply. "No, it's quite clear," said Evalthus, " that I need not pay. If the judged decide in my favor, then I have won the case, and I need not to pay. But if Protagoras wins, then I have lost my first case. Therefore, according to our agreement, I do not have to pay. So I need not pay in any event." As both arguments appeared to be faultless, the judges were unable to come to a decision. They therefore ordered the two men to appear before them again one hundred years later. Why did the judged ask Protagoras and Evalthus to come to the court one hundred years later? A) They couldn't make a decision. B) They needed to think it over again. C) They wanted to make fun of them. D) They wanted more money from them.
A: A
(Question)
BEIJING - China's railway rates for freight and passenger transport will continue to be set by the government, announced a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, on Friday. Cao Changqing, head of the NDRC's department of price, said that the country will continue to implement government-set or government-guided prices for the railway sector after the China Railway Corporation (CRC), a State-owned company that takes over the commercial functions of the former Ministry of Railways (MOR), went into business on March 17. Cao said the railway sector, constituting China's main public transport facilities, is a key basic industry. Its pricing scheme is concerned with both the sector's normal operation and development, as well as the daily traveling and vital interests of the general public. The state will be very cautious in making any price adjustment in the railway sector, taking into account various factors including operation, construction, public acceptance and coordinated development with other modes of transport, according to the NDRC official. Under Chinese law and regulations, hearings will be held before adjustments in the basic passenger train ticket fare, Cao said. In China's latest railway reform, endorsed at the just-concluded annual session of the country's top legislature, the former MOR was dismantled into two parts, with the newly created CRC carrying out business functions and a state railways administration fulfilling administrative functions. We would most probably read this passage on the newspaper about _ A) News B) Entertainment C) Society D) Financial
(Answer)
A