It's not Christmas Day yet. But wherever I go on the streets, I see shops selling Christmas trees and all kinds of beautiful decorations, waiters wearing Christmas hats; I hear children singing Christmas songs on broadcast; I get messages of Christmas's best wishes from friends. I just got quite confused again, since when have Chinese begun celebrating Christmas Day? What do these people celebrate it for, the birth of Chris? But we all know that most of Chinese are not Christians, they don't even know the origin of Christmas Day, and they celebrate it for no reason. I don't celebrate Christmas Day or any other western holidays since I'm not a Christian and nor am I a westerner. I don't know what Christmas really means. Anyway I can't get reasonable answers from my friends. Some of them think they would like to just take this chance to enjoy themselves regardless of the meaning of the festival. Some of them think I'm an old-fashioned girl, a _ who doesn't appreciate the spirit of Chinese cultural tolerance  and understanding of other cultures. Well, if it is about cultural tolerance, why don't we ever celebrate the month of Muharram, or festivals of colours in India, or Fiestas Patrias in Mexico? I really appreciate cultural exchanges and communications with all nations, but I don't think this is what it's about. People are celebrating more and more western festivals while ignoring our traditional ones. Is it part of globalization ? Do people in other non-western countries also celebrate Christmas? It can be inferred from the passage that the writer   _  . A) is an old-fashioned girl B) doesn't like festivals at all C) prefers western festivals to Chinese festivals D) prefers Chinese festivals to western festivals
D


(Question)
At a primary school in a small town in the east of South Carolina, second-grade teachers Carneau and Lynne are convinced that separating primary boys and girls produces immediate academic improvement in both genders   David Chadwell, South Carolina's coordinator  of single gender education says, " Boys and girls learn,hear and respond to their surroundings differently. We can teach boys and girls based on what we now know." Male and female eyes are not organized in the same way,he explains. The composition of the male eye makes it sensitive to motion and direction. " Boys interpret  the world as objects moving through space," he says. The male eye is also drawn to cooler color1s like silver and black. It's no accident that boys tend to create pictures of moving objects instead of drawing the happy color1ful family,as girls do in class. The female eye,on the other hand,is drawn to warmer color1s like red, yellow and orange. To attract girls, Chadwell says, the teacher doesn't need to move as much as in boys' class. Using descriptive phrases and lots of color1s in presentations or on the blackboard gets their attention. Boys and girls also hear differently. " When someone speaks in a loud tone,girls interpret it as yelling, " says Chadwell. " They think you're mad and can shut down. " Girls are more sensitive to sounds. He advises girls' teachers to watch the tone of their voices. Boys' teachers should sound more forceful, even excited. A boy's nervous system causes him to be more cautious when he is standing, moving, and the room temperature is around 6.Stress in boys,he says, tends to increase blood flow to their brains, a process that helps them stay focused. Girls are more focused when they are seated in a warmer room around 75degF. Girls also respond to stress differently. When exposed to threat and conflict, blood goes to their guts  ,leaving them feeling nervous or anxious. These differences can be applied in the classroom, Chadwell adds. " Single gender programs are about maximizing the learning." What is David Chadwell's attitude towards separating primary boys and girls while learning? A) Worried. B) Concerned. C) Supportive. D) Uninterested.
(Answer)
C


Ques: Sales of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, a hot item in consumer green tech, are expected to grow by more than 50% in North America during 2013. Actor William Shatner, who is no stranger to futuristic tech, recently purchased two e-bikes for him and his wife.  I've been shopping for an e-bike now for a few weeks, and I've had my eye on the folding electric bike. I've had folding bikes in the past and love the convenience of being able to throw my bike into my car. The e -bike market is ready to go mainstream in the U.S. The price for e-bikes has come down greatly in recent months. At one time, most e-bikes with good components and proper weight were in the $3,000range. Now you can find reasonable quality e-bikes in the $1,000range. With gas prices at all-time highs, e-bikes are an attractive, low-cost option to gas efficient vehicles. E-bike owners are finding that they are great for commuting to work, as  traditional bikes can be a problem with office dress and sweat. People who use e-bikes range from commuters to casual cyclers who like a little help with hills and wind,to those who decided to save money on buying a motor bike.These are not for the serious road cycler or professional mountain biker. If you're considering all e--bike, it pays to do some research first.Cheaper e-bikes are going to be heavier and have less battery--power.Higher priced bikes will be made from lighter materials and have better batteries. Another consideration is local motor vehicle laws.For example,according to US federal law,as long as your electric bike is under 750 watts and does not go over 20 MPH then it is a bicycle and not a motor vehicle.Most consumer e--bikes in the $1,000 range don't fit the motorized vehicle description. Which of the following may not contribute to the e-bike's going mainstream? A) The price for e-bikes has come down greatly. B) E-bikes are much cheaper to use than gas vehicles. C) The local motor vehicle laws are not strict enough. D) Some folding e-bikes are convenient to put into a car.
Ans: A


Question: Grammar is the system of a language. People sometimes describe grammar as the "rules" of a language; but in fact no language has rules. If we use the word "rules", we suggest that somebody created the rules first and then spoke the language, like a new game. But languages did not start like that. Languages started by people making sounds which evolved   into words, phrases and sentences. No commonly-spoken language is fixed. All languages change over time. What we call "grammar" is simply a reflection   of a language at a particular time. Do we need to study grammar to learn a language? The short answer is "no". Very many people in the world speak their own, native language without having studied its grammar. Children start to speak before they even know the word"grammar". But if you are serious about learning a foreign language, the long answer is "yes, grammar can help you to learn a language more quickly and more efficiently." It's important to think of grammar as something that can help you, like a friend. When you understand the grammar (or system) of a language, you can understand many things yourself, without having to ask a teacher or look in a book. So think of grammar as something good, something positive, something that you can use to find your way---like a signpost  or a map. Except invented languages like Esperanto . And if Esperanto were widely spoken, its rules would soon be very different. What is the author's attitude towards grammar learning? A) He is against grammar learning. B) He is in favor of grammar learning. C) His attitude is objective . D) His attitude is unknown to us.
Answer:
C