Everyone knows the story of Benjamin Franklin's famous kite experiment. He  was a man of many gifts and interests. His natural curiosity  about things  made him try to find ways to make them work better. Although he made important discoveries, Ben didn't "invent" electricity. He did, however, invent the lightning rod   which protected buildings and ships from lightning damage. In America, most people warmed their homes by building a fire in a fireplace even  though it was kind of dangerous and used a lot of wood. Ben said that he had another better way. His invented an iron stove which allowed people to warm their home less dangerously and with less wood. The stove that he invented is called a Franklin stove. Ben also set up the first fire company and the first fire insurance company in order to help people live more safely. As the postmaster, Ben had to find out the best way for delivering  the mail. He went out riding in his carriage  to measure  the routes and needed a way to record the miles. He invented a simple  _ for it. In his old age, Ben retired from business and public service and wanted to spend  his time reading and studying. He found, however, that his old age had made it difficult for him to reach books from the high shelves. Even though he had many grandchildren to help him, he invented a tool called a long arm to reach the high books. The long arm was a long wooden pole with a grasping claw at the end. Later, other famous inventors, like Thomas A. Edison and Alexander Graham Bell,  would follow in Ben's footsteps by trying to find ways to help people live better. Today's curious thinkers are keeping Ben's traditions alive by inventing new and improved ways to make things work. Benjamin Franklin invented a long arm in order to   _  . A) replace his disabled arm B) play games with his grandchildren C) get books from the bookshelf more easily D) clean and tidy his house and the bookshelf
C


Miss sending letters? Try Lettrs! This new service brings back the art of letter writing by marrying it to the Internet. Lettrs, a new site, is attempting to bring back the old-fashioned idea of letter writing by providing a space that feels a little bit like a writing desk. Of course, there'll be purists who say that to truly enjoy letter writing you must do it on fancy letter paper and envelope in the mail is part of the fun. And if you're into that sort of thing, go for it. But I can't be the only one who is now so much faster at typing that writing by hand is painfully slow. Nor can I be the only one who likes to write on a whim   when I'm going to be on a crowded train or airplane, both of which are situations where writing on the computer is far easier. The site tries, pretty seriously, to approximate  what it's like to have your very own writing desk and paper to choose from (which comes in various prints and colors) as well as corresponding types of prints and cursive writing   that come out on your screen as you write. There's also a "desk drawer" for letters you've already sent, a "fridge" to post letters publicly, a "kitchen counter" for letters you have just received, and "shoebox" to store your letters in. And if you need inspiration there are even old-style letters that are great examples of the kind of correspondence people used to send. Lettrs is such a great idea, because you get the best parts of communicating online (typing rather than writing, the speed, no lost mail, and it's free! ) with the nice parts of a letter-the sense of sitting down to write, quietly, to one person in a meaningful way. Who would you write to? A Lettrs user can find a newly received letter in or on a"  _  ". A) desk drawer B) fridge C) kitchen counter D) shoebox
C


Q: The word "conservation" has a thrifty meaning. To conserve is to save and protect, to leave what we ourselves enjoy in such a good condition that others may also share the enjoyment. Our forefathers had no idea that human population would increase faster than the supplies of raw materials: most of them, even until very recently, had the foolish idea that the treasures were "limitless" and could "last forever". Most of the citizens of earlier generations knew little or nothing about the complicated and delicate system that runs all through nature, and which means that, as in a living body, an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to all the others. Fifty years ago, nature study was not part of school work; scientific forestry was a new idea; wood was still cheap because it could be brought in any quantity from distant woodlands; soil destruction and river floods were not national problems; nobody had yet studied long-term climatic cycles in relation to proper land use; even the word "conservation" had nothing of the meaning that it has for us today. For the sake of ourselves and those who will come after us, we must now set about correcting the mistakes of our forefathers. Conservation should be made part of everybody's daily life. To know about the water table   in ground is just as important to us as a knowledge of the basic math formulas . We need to know why all watersheds   need the protection of plant life and why the running current of streams and rivers must be made to give their full benefit to the soil before they finally escape to the sea. We need to be taught the duty of planting trees as well as of cutting them. We need to know the importance of big, grown trees, because _ In a word, it should be our goal to restore as much of the original beauty of nature as we can. According to the author, the greatest mistake of our forefathers was that  _  . A) they had no idea about scientific forestry B) they had little or no sense of environmental protection C) they were not aware of the importance of nature study D) they had no idea of how to make good use of raw materials
A: B


(Question)
Have you ever noticed that the more you have the more you want? Let's face it. Thinking our life is good enough doesn't come naturally to many people. When we have high expectations of everything in life we will run into disappointment. Only when we are aware that needs are different from desires can we live with satisfaction. Here are a few ideas to help you be happier with what you have and who you are. Focus on what you are thankful for. Most people want things to be better than they are, or when things are going well, we forget to appreciate what we have. Learn to reflect on how much better things are than they could be. Focus on what you are thankful for. Write down 5 things you are grateful for right now. When we hold onto regrets from decisions we have made, it can really poison our well-being. Many people regret something they can no longer change, which ends up holding them back from moving forward in a more positive manner. What happened in the past is done and gone, so work to stay present and be mindful of the current moment to find more joy and fulfillment. When we use other people as the measuring stick for our personal success and quality of life we are likely to be less satisfied. Social comparisons can provide useful information when we try to learn from others, but they also hold our perspective in a discontented position. Compare yourself less with others so you can be satisfied more. When you are focused on your big ambitions and future goals you might _ the daily pleasures that surround you. Learn to slow down and absorb the wonder and beauty around you. Stay present and focus on the task you're undertaking at the moment. Don't let the life pass you by because you're always on the go and distracted by ambition. Practice looking at life through the lens of contentment and it will become more natural. How can we live with contentment? A) To change our lifestyle. B) To have a motivation in life. C) To give less attention to what we are grateful for. D) To realize the difference between needs and desires.
(Answer)

D