(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The Atacama Desert is located just west of the Andes, a 1000-km strip of land next to the Pacific Ocean. In spite of its location beside the sea, several studies have shown that this region is the driest place in the world. In the Antofagasta Region of the desert, the average annual rainfall is just 1 mm and some weather stations have never received rain at all. Atacama is so _ that the surrounding mountains that reach up to 6885 m, have ly no glaciers! In the region, the river beds have been dry for over 120,000 years. However, unlike the Sahara Desert,Atacama is surprisingly not that hot. It has an average daily temperature between 0'C and 25degC! If you find that surprising, you'd be shocked to find out that this desert has lakes! When there was rainfall in the region (many year ago), this accumulated water created what we now know as the Salt Lakes. The name of these lakes was given as a result of the effect of the Atacama environment: the long dry period makes the water evaporate ,resulting in the higher concentrations of salt in the remaining water. This region has been tested by scientists to see if life is present in the Atacama soil with the same instruments that would be used to detect life in the soil on Mars! As a result of the soil's similarites to that of Mars,the Atacama land is used to test instruments for future Mars missions. In addition, the region has been used in movies as a set for filming Mars scenes, most famously in the television show Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets. The Atacama Desert is truly a unique place, due to its lack of rain as well as its similarities to Mars. You would think that this place would be a bare ghost town , but think again! Many people have lived here for centuries, giving this desert its own culture and economic significance. Question: Compared to the Sahara Desert,the Atacama Desert is _ . Options: A: smaller B: wetter C: less famous D: less hot
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D

(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his vast fortune , largely to the cause of global health , during the course of his lifetime . With an estimated worth of more than $ 40 billion , according to Forbes , the project will be no small feat for Gates . Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $ 24 billion to address global health issues , Gates said that eventually his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except "a few percent left for the kids." So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest ? Gates believes that "the equality of opportunity" in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world . Improving the health of the populations , he says , has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially successful . "National borders allow inequalities ," said Gates : "We all need to take a more global view , rather than just saying my country is doing well . We have to step up these health issues , knowing how few resources are going into them ." Gates said that both his parents set an example for him as a child . His father , William H. Gates , was the head of the local Planned Parenthood , and his mother , Mary , volunteered for the United Way . As he gathered his fortune , Gates knew he would eventually want to give back as well , but he didn't expect to devote himself whole-heartedly to one project until he was about 60. However , Gates , 47 , began to question his ability to wait that long . "It seemed there was a real time urgency," Gates said . "I started to think , How many lives could I save before then ?" Question: Bill Gates believes that one important way of developing poor countries is _ . Options: A: to set up more foundations for them B: to aid them with natural resources C: to put more effort into the health issues in them D: to help them take a more global view
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C

(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: It was a cold December, and Mrs. Bell wanted to do a lot of shopping. She waited until it was Saturday, when her husband was free, and she took him to the shops with her to pay for everything and to carry for her what she had bought. They went to a lot of shops, and Mrs. Bell bought everything she could think of. She often stopped and said, "Look, Peter! Isn't that beautiful?" "All right, my dear. How much is it?" answered Mr. Bell, and then he took money out to buy it for her. It was almost dark when they came out of the last shop, and Mr. Bell was tired. He was thinking about a nice drink by the side of a warm fire home. Suddenly his wife looked up at the sky and said, "Look at that beautiful moon, Peter!" Without stopping, Mr. Bell answered at once. "All right, dear. How much is it?" Then he took his wallet out of his pocket. Question: Mrs. Bell did shopping _ . Options: A: alone B: together with her husband C: every day D: in the morning
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B