Ques: The Internationa1 Space Station allows astronauts to live in space for extended amounts of time, enabling them to explore the outside universe and conduct many experiments. However, nothing like that exists for our oceans, and thanks to the high water pressure, ocean researchers are able to explore what lies undersea for very short periods of time. They are therefore never able to fully explore the deep inside areas of our oceans. However, if French architect Jacques Rougerie has his way, that will change soon. Jacques has designed a ship that will allow researchers to spend a long period of time observing the sea life and conducting experiments. The huge l67ft. ship, named 'Sea Orbiter', consists of two areas--one above the water where the scientists and crew will live, and a lower pressurized deck  , where scientists will be able to spend as much time as they wish. Since it is powered by sea currents and wind, he expects it to drift   along the oceans slowly, taking about two years to _ the globe. Jacques will make their life as comfortable as possible in the ship. Besides being equipped with the latest sailing tools and communication equipment, the ship will also have a gym, a television and a DVD player! And these guys will not be eating freeze-dried food like astronauts. Instead, Jacques, an accomplished chef, plans on cooking them delicious meals every day. The biggest problem to this giant ship is the cost, which is expected to be over $500 million--per ship! However, Jacques, who strongly believes that the secrets of our oceans may be the key to solving global warming and a vital supply for food and medicine in the future, is confident he will be able to convince governments all over the world to help out, and expects to start construction on not one, but four or five of these amazing ships soon! Why can't ocean researchers explore the deep oceans for a long time? A) Because they can't stand the high water pressure. B) Because it's too cold in deep ocean. C) Because time for experiments is too limited. D) Because it's dangerous to observe the sea life.
Ans: A

Ques: Malaysia is a country of exciting beauty, with a tropical  climate. Malaysia's weather is hotter in the lowlands and cooler in the mountains and highlands. Temperatures vary between 20 and 30 centigrade. Rainfall can be expected at any time, with an average of between 200 and 260 centimeters. The Malaysian population consists of Malays, Chinese, Indians and Eurasians. Its main religions are Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Christianity. Its national language is Malay. English is widely spoken and is used all over the country. Other languages spoken in Malaysia are some Chinese dialects, Tamil, Portuguese and Arabic. Malaysia is an exciting and fascinating place for tourists, with something special planned throughout the year. The natural attractions are plentiful, with magnificent mountains lying in green, large stretches of sandy beaches and hospitable and friendly people. Malaysia's economy is the most advanced in this part of the world. The annual income is M$1, 680, one of the highest in the whole of Asia. Malaysia is the world's leading exporter of rubber, tin, tropical hardwood, palm oil, pepper, tea, coffee and cocoa and has vast resources of oil. Malaysia's capital is Kuala Lumpur in the southwest of the Malay Peninsula. Kuala Lumpur arose in the 1860s when tin was discovered, grew and spread very quickly. It became the state's capital within forty years of its founding. Now it is home to over one million inhabitants , about 56% of whom are Chinese, 28% Malays and the rest are from anywhere and everywhere. Though Malay is Malaysia's national language,   _  . A) over half of its population speak Chinese B) English is also a popular language C) people don't know Malay D) it's only spoken by Malays
Ans: B

Ques: Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic  of sleepiness in the nation."I can't think of a single study that hasn't found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to," says Dr.David.Even people who think they are sleeping enough would probably be better off with more rest. The beginning of our sleep-deficit(lack)crises can be traced back to the invention of the light bulb a century ago.From diary entries and our personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night."The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on the farm, and it was dark." By the 1950s and 1960s, the sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and 8 hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock."People cheat in their sleep, and they don't even realize they're doing it," says Dr.David."They think they're okay because they can get by on 6.5 hours, when they really need 7.5, 8 or even more to feel ideally energetic. " Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researches say, is the complexity of the day.Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community increase, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on their programs."In our society, you're considered dynamic if you say you need only 5.5 hours' sleep.If you've got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition." To determine the consequences of sleep-deficit, researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier."We've found that if you're in sleep deficit, performance suffers," says Dr.David."Short-term memory is weakened, as are abilities to make decisions and to concentrate." People in the 18th and 19th centuries slept about 9.5 hours a night because   _  . A) they had no electricity B) they knew what was best for their health C) they were forced by their parents to do so D) they were not so dynamic and ambitious as modern people are
Ans: A

Ques: Tokyo: The world's oldest man, retired Japanese silkworm breeder Yukichi Chuganji, died in his home at the age of 114, on Monday. Family members found him dead on his mattress. Born on March 23, 1889, Chuganji worked as a silkworm breeder and bank employee after leaving school. He also served as a community welfare  officer. He had been in god health, talking daily with his family members. Washington: Every American dislikes people who talk on cell phones while driving, even those who do that kind of act. In the State of New Jersey, 84 percent of 968 cell phone owners said in recent telephone survey that they would support a state ban  on the use of cell phones while driving. However, 42 percent of cell phone owners also said they used the devices "very often" or "sometimes" while driving. Although most agree that the banning is good, only 38 percent believed such a ban would be easy to enforce . New York: A woman in the US who was being attacked by a dog said she was saved from further harm when her 13-year-old daughter distracted the dog by screaming "You want a piece of me?" and kicked it repeatedly in the head. Jane Howell said she and her daughter, Elizabeth, were taking a walk around the neighborhood on Saturday evening when they came across he big dog, unchained. The main idea of the second news is   _  . A) most Americans don't like cell phone B) a ban on the use of cell phones has been made C) few people use cell phones while driving D) using cell phones while driving will be banned because most Americans don't like it
Ans:
D