In 1918, after four years of war which had left millions of people dead, the people alive began to look for a better and happier world. The cinema supplied an answer. For little money, people could forget their unhappy lives and dream of better ones. In the years between 1918 and 1939, going to the cinema became the most popular family free-time activity. Hollywood in America, made more films than any other film center in the world. The warm climate and long hours of sunlight meant that film-making was easy and quite cheap. This was also a rich part of America and there were many businessmen who wanted to make money from the film industry. At first short cowboy films were popular because they added excitement and adventure to people's lives. Later comedy films were made so that people could laugh and forget their troubles. Charlie Chaplin was probably the most liked of all comedy actors. Which, according to the writer, is true? A) Hollywood made more films than some film centers in the world. B) Many businessmen came to Hollywood in order to make films. C) Hollywood was not the biggest producer of films in the world. D) No other film center made more films than Hollywood did.
D
The Tories would allow children to go to school for ten hours a day and on Saturday mornings to improve the performance of poorer pupils and help working parents. Schools spokesman Michael Gove declared plans yesterday to give disadvantaged children more classroom time to help them catch up. Longer school days could also be popular with parents who struggle to fit 3pm school finishing times around work, he said. Mr. Gove gave out the success of a U.S. plan where teenagers from poor backgrounds attend school from 7.30 am to 5pm. "I believe that having children in school for longer, particularly if they come from disadvantaged backgrounds can help them to achieve more in academy, " he told the annual conference of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in Manchester. He pointed out that it was up to schools alone to decide whether to open longer, or at weekends. But he was greeted with laughter from delegates when he said the plan would really work only with the active support of teachers. ATL general secretary, Dr Mary Bousted, said, "The last thing we need to be doing at the present time is increasing teachers' working hours. Teachers already work the most unpaid overtime of any public sector profession. If we want Saturday schools then we need more teachers doing the extra hours, not the same teachers working longer and becoming tired." Meanwhile Mr Gove's idea is likely to alarm those concerned about the erosion( )of family time. Margaret Morrissey, founder of the lobby group Parents Outloud, said, "What we should be doing is supporting these children within the school week." According to the passage, which of the following is true? A) Each school in that area has to open longer or work at weekends. B) Parents who can't pick up their children on time support the action. C) According to Gove, the teachers there agree to longer school days. D) The new plan will undoubtedly help poorer pupils catch up with others.
B
Q: This year's World Food Prize will honor two leaders of hunger-fighting groups based in the United States. The winners are David Beckmann of Bread for the World and Jo Luck of Heifer International. They will share the prize of 250,000 dollars. The World Food Prize usually goes to researchers or top policy officials. This is the first time it will recognize the work of nongovernmental groups. Heifer International provides donated animals and training to farmers in 50 countries. Jo Luck remains president until next year. Under her leadership, the group's budget grew from less than 10,000,000 dollars to more than 130,000,000 dollars. Jo Luck, "People pass on their gifts of not just animals but also gifts of training and leadership. We have seen cases where we have been gone 5 and 10 years and we go back and they have developed roads and built schools, and they have other communities receiving the animals and the training. You just give them those resources and that training and opportunity, and you cannot hold them back." She told the story of a woman from a poor village in Zimbabwe. A family member helped send her to school in the United States with earnings from a donated milk goat. She received a doctoral degree. Jo Luck, "That is what a goat did. That is one example. The animal is only the catalyst . That is the beginning of many other things that follow." David Beckmann became president of Bread for the World in 1991. He is an economist and a Christian clergyman . Bread for the World organizes people from religious and non-religious groups to write, call and visit members of Congress . The purpose is to support measures to improve the lives of the poor. David Beckmann points to big increase in American development assistance. He said, "I think that would not have happened without the support of hundreds of thousands of people and churches that are part of Bread for the World and that keep the pressure on their members of Congress." The prize committee also credited his efforts with helping to increase aid... What has David Beckmann done to deserve the prize? A) He has trained farmers in 50 countries. B) He has made a great contribution to science. C) He has led Bread for the World for more than 20 years. D) He has aimed to support measures to improve the lives of the poor.
A: D
"Hey, do you know what? Today is May Day!" my sister announced. "Do you remember the May Day baskets we used to make with colored paper and paste?" I recalled that my sisters and I would run around our neighborhood delivering the baskets brimming with spring flowers. We would place them on a doorstep, knock on the door, then run away. It was delightful to look around a bush and watch our friends open their doors and pick up the colorful gift,wondering who had left it out for them. I clearly remember the May Day of the year that I was in fifth grade. That year I was faced with a challenge involving one of my dearest friends. She lived right across the road from our family, and we had walked together to school nearly every day since first grade. Her interests were starting to change from the interests that we had shared together. A new family had recently moved into our small town,and Pam was spending more and more time at their house. When my mother asked me if I was going to take a May Day basket to Pam's house, I responded angrily, "Absolutely not!" My mom told me that I would have many other friends throughout my lifetime. "But Pam was my very best friend ever," I cried. Mom wiped away my tears and told me that circumstances change and people change. She explained that one of the greatest things friends can do is to give each other a chance to grow, to change and to develop into what we want to be. And sometimes that would mean that friends would choose to spend time with other people. I could express my forgiveness by giving her a May Day basket. It was a hard decision, but I made an extra special basket of flowers with lots of yellow because that was Pam's favorite color. I asked my two sisters to help me deliver my basket of forgiveness. As we watched from our hiding place, Pam picked up the flowers, and said loudly enough for us to hear, "Thank you, Susie, I hoped you wouldn't forget me!". What lesson can we learn from the story? A) Friends won't forget each other in life. B) We can grow up even without friends. C) There is no forgiveness in true friendship. D) We can't expect too much from our friends.
D