A board game is a game played on a pre-marked surface or "board" according to a set of rules. Board games have been played in most cultures and societies throughout history. Do you think of yourself as a bit of an expert at board games like chess or Go? Maybe you're not quite as good as you think. New research from the University of Manchester and Oxford suggests complex games like these are impossible to learn fully. They may even be too complex for the human mind to understand. Researchers studied two-player games, to try and understand the strategies which people use to make decisions during the game. Some games with two players are simple, with only a small number of possible moves. Players can quickly work out the best strategy but that means the game soon becomes boring. It gets more interesting when there are many possible moves. That's why people are so fascinated by complex board games like chess or Go, or some card games. But what the researchers found was that with difficult games, players find it hard to work out the best strategy and their actions become less reasonable. This research is part of the field called game theory: the study of human strategic decision-making. Much thinking on how people play complex games is based on something called "the balance point", which is when players have a perfect knowledge of what they are going to do and of what their rivals are going to do. When you add more than two players then of course the game becomes even harder to understand. Trading on the stock market is an example of a complex multi-player game. In which section can we read this passage in a newspaper? A) Culture B) Discovery C) Career D) Campus
B
(Question)
Switzerland is famous for its watches. However, this country didn't invent the watch. It was the British who did it. Here is a story of how the watch was brought to Switzerland. Many years ago, an Englishman was traveling to Italy, on his way he stopped in a small town in south Switzerland. This Englishman traveled in a carriage inside which there was a carriage watch. This was the earliest kind of watch. A native shop assistant happened to see the watch. He wondered what it was and asked the Englishman about it, "it is a carriage watch," said the man. "This machine tells the time but now it isn't working." At once the shop assistant offered to try to repair it. So the traveler handed him the watch. The assistant was a very wise man. So it was not very surprising that he managed to repair it. He even remembered how it was made. As soon as the traveler had gone on his journey, he made a watch exactly the same type. Thus the watch-making was started in Switzerland. Today Swiss watches are sold in stores all over the world. The carriage watch was a machine which _ . A) was put in the carriage B) wasn't working C) told people time D) had to be repaired
(Answer)
C
Ques: A lady named Mary from California flew to Japan, in her favourite jeans and a casual jacket, to give her first speech. Fourteen hours later, four perfectly dressed Japanese gentlemen greeted her at the airport. Smiling and bowing low, they handed her their business cards. With her bag in one hand, Mary took their cards with the other. She thanked them, glanced briefly at the cards, and put them into her jeans pocket quickly. When the five of them arrived at the hotel, they invited Mary to tea in the lobby . While sipping tea, the gentlemen presented her with a small gift which she eagerly opened. She was thrilled with the gift and shouted excitedly, "Oh, it's beautiful!" At this point, the four Japanese gentlemen stood up and, bowing only very slightly, said "Sayonara" and left immediately. Poor Mary was left astonished. What did she do wrong? Everything! Her jeans were the first _ . Even if you're coming off a bicycle in Japan, you do not meet clients casually dressed. The second mistake was Mary's handling of their business cards rudely. In Japan, the business card is one of the most important communicative tools. It is always presented and accepted respectfully with both hands. However, Mary put their cards away much too quickly. In Japan, people use business cards as a conversation starter. You chat about each other's cards and work and do not put theirs away until they gently and respectfully place yours in safe keeping. Putting it carelessly into her jeans pocket was the ultimate disrespect. Then, the fourth horror of horrors was that Mary should not have opened the gift in front of her clients. In a land where saving face is critical, it would be embarrassing to discover the gift they gave was not as nice as the one they received. What is worse, Mary hadn't even given them a gift! What lesson can we draw from this story? A) Think twice before you take any action. B) When in Rome, do as the Romans do. C) To save time is to lengthen life. D) One false move may lose the game.
Ans: B
Sunshine Sports Center One of the most modern sports centers in town, the Sunshine Sports Center is not just a sports club but much more! With a swimming pool for adults and teens, and a smaller one for children, our center has something for all the members of the family.Parents can relax while children play in the water.For anybody who is interested in competitive sports, football and basketball courts are the ideal places to work off stress. Whether you just want to keep in shape, lose some weight or build your strength, there's the super-modern equipment and three personal trainers to look after you and answer your questions.They can also give you general advice about healthy eating and dieting. Lessons It doesn't matter if you're five or eighty-five, there's something for you at the Sunshine Sports Center! We offer personal training in all sports if you want it, but there are also group lessons for all sports if you prefer teamwork. Kids and teenagers Take advantage of our special offer for younger members.For members between five and sixteen years old, there are special lessons in water polo, competitive swimming and diving.There are many classes for all levels of swimmers, with a lifeguard on duty from 9:00 am when the pool opens until it closes at 7:00 pm. Social events Sunshine Sports Center is not only for sport! You can enjoy a delicious meal at our restaurant or have a milkshake with your friends on the balcony overlooking the swimming pool and the courts.In addition, there are lovely gardens where families or friends can have a picnic! To celebrate a birthday, there is no better place than the Sunshine Sports Center. So, come on Sign up for Sunshine Sports Center today! The main purpose of the passage is to _ . A) explain the rules of the sports center B) show the benefits of sports C) persuade people to play sports D) attract people to the sports center
D