The Internet has revolutionized our lives to such an extent that for most people, the global network has become more than just a tool but rather an indispensable aid in everyday life. More and more people go online as wireless networks have brought the Internet closer and closer: it's on our mobile phones, in our cars and TV sets, in hospital surgery rooms and in fishing boats that battle the waves of the Atlantic. And this revolution has brought along with it a new way of shopping. Both big and small, e-commerce websites have literally flooded the Internet by the hundreds of thousands. Anything you can buy from a brick and mortar store you can also buy online: from food and clothes to guns and bombs, no matter what you're looking for, you're bound to find the right online store with just a few clicks of the mouse. This revolution has sent cold trembles down the backbones of brick and mortar business owners. And what was their reaction? They've opened online stores to go hand in hand with their conventional businesses. Nowadays, every "Mom and Pop's" cheesecake store also has a website. In a recent survey, 68% of small business owners have stated that they are scared of being put out of business by the powerful flood that e-commerce has become. So it's no wonder many of them have decided to join the revolution and establish some kind of an online presence even though most of them have stated that they dislike the Internet. But do the big players have reasons to be afraid? Are we going to start seeing ghostly, deserted Wal-Marts across the country? Probably not in the near future but the day will come when most people will just stop shopping offline anymore. A trip to Wal-Marts wastes time, burns gas and sometimes adds a few extra dots on the stress counter. The recent advancements in mobile technology and the introduction of mobile phones with improved web capabilities has even made some people order their groceries when they get out from work and have them delivered at their doorstep by the time they get... What is Para. 1 mainly about? A) The popularity of mobile phones. B) The great impact of the Internet. C) The importance of the Internet. D) The function of the global network.
B
(Question)
If you have ever been discouraged because of failure , please read on. Usually, achieving what you set out to do is not the important thing. Let me explain. Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch. "What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors. "We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" one of the brothers answered excitedly. The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders , worms and a lot of insects. He removed the lid and showed the wonderful contents to the visitors who were laughing at them. Then he said quietly and confidently, "Even if we don't dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!" Their goal was far too difficult, but it made them dig. And that is what a goal is for--to make us move in the direction we have chosen. In other words, it sets us to digging! But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. But when you fall short of your aim, perhaps you can say, "Yes, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!" And I believe it is the joy in the journey, in the end, that truly matters. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A) Digging a hole all the way through the earth is impossible. B) The writer thinks that the two brothers will reach their goal one day. C) A goal is something that makes us want to dig holes. D) Everyone can succeed if he sets a practical goal.
(Answer)
A
Ques: Parents say that honesty is the best policy, but they regularly lie to their children as a way of influencing their behavior and emotions, finds new research from the University of Toronto and the University of California. Surprisingly little has been published on the subject of parental lying, so Gail Heyman, professor of psychology at the University of California, Diem Luu, a former student of the University of California, and Kang Lee, professor at the University Toronto, set out to explore the under - researched phenomenon.They asked US participants in two related studies about parents lying to their children - either for the purpose of promoting appropriate behavior or to make them happy. In one of the studies, many parents reported they told their young children that bad things would happen if they didn't go to bed or eat what they were supposed to.Other parents reported inventing magical creatures.One explained, "We told our daughter that if she wrapped up all her pacifiers like gifts, the fair would come and give them to the children who needed them." In the other study, the researchers surveyed college students'recollections about their parents'lying and obtained similar results: parents often lie to their children even as they tell them that lying is unacceptable. The researchers refer to this practice as "parenting by lying"."We are surprised by how often parenting by lying takes place," said LEE.Though Heyman thinks that there are occasions when it is appropriate to be less than truthful with a child, she urges parents to think through the issues and consider alternatives before using lies." Children sometimes behave in ways that are disruptive or are likely to harm their long - term interests," said Heyman."It is common for them to try out a range of strategies, including lying, to stop them.However, parents should be concerned about the possible long - term negative consequences tochildren's beliefs about honesty." Parents usually _ when their young children don' t go to bed properly. A) turn off the bedroom lights and play some music B) shout at them loudly C) shut the door and let them alone D) make up some magical creatures to let them believe
Ans: D
I was telling my boy Sonny the story of the hare and the tortoise . At the end I said, " Son, remember: Be slow and steady , and that will win the race. Don't you think there's something to learn from the tortoise?" Sonny opened his eyes wide, "Do you mean next time when I'm entering for the 60-metre race I should wish that Billy, Tony and Sandy would all fall asleep halfway?" I was shocked, "But the tortoise didn't wish that the hare would fall asleep!" "He must have wished that," Sonny said, "Otherwise how could he be so foolish as to race with the hare? He knew very well the hare ran a hundred times faster than he himself did." "He didn't have such a wish," I insisted. "He won the race by perseverance , by pushing on steadily." Sonny thought a while. "That's a lie," he said. "He won it because he was lucky. If the hare hadn't happened to fall asleep, the tortoise would never have won the race. He could be as steady as you like, or a hundred times steadier, but he'd never have won the race. That's for sure." I gave up. Today's children are not like what we used to be. They're just hopeless. According to the passage, who do you think learnt a lesson? A) The tortoise B) Sonny C) The hare D) Sonny's father
D