LONDON(Reuters)--Quiet please--Britain's Queen Elizabeth is preparing to have her swans counted. Buckingham Palace has announced that the annual Swan Upping, a tradition dating back to the 12th century which involves a counting of the swan population on the River Thames, will be conducted by the Queen's official Swan Marker from July 20 to July 24. "With the assistance of the Queen's Swan Warden, Professor Christopher Perrins of the University of Oxford, the swans and young cygnets   are also assessed for any signs of injury or disease," Buckingham Palace said in announcing the count. The process involves the Swan Marker, David Barber, rowing up the Thames for five days with the Swan Warden in traditional wooden boats while wearing special scarlet uniforms and counting, weighing and measuring swans and cygnets. It may seem strange, but it is very important to the Queen. According to custom, Britain's queen or king owns all unmarked, mute   swans in open water, but the Queen now exercises the right only on areas of the Thames and its nearby  _  In medieval   times, the Swan Marker would not only travel up the river counting the swans, but would catch as many as possible as they were sought after for banquets and feasts. This year, the Swan Marker and the Swan Warden are particularly keen to discover how much damage is being caused to swans and cygnets by attacks from dogs and from  abandoned fishing tackle  . It is also an important year because Queen Elizabeth has decided to join her team of Swan Uppers for part of the census. She will follow them up the river and visit a local school project on the whole subject of swans, cygnets and the Thames. "Education and conservation are essential to the role of Swan Upping and the involvement of school children is always a rewarding experience," Buckingham Palace said. In medieval times,   _  . A) swans were better protected than now B) a lot of swans were killed by dogs C) swans were a delicious dish on royal banquets D) common people could catch the swans
C


(Question)
Make some noise on May 7 for Music Monday.People in the U.S. and Canada will be celebrating the day by singing and playing musical instruments together. Music Monday is the first day of National Wanna Play Music Week,which runs from May 7 to 13.The National Association of Music Merchants(NAMM) organizes the weeklong celebration every year.This marks the seventh year the organization is teaming up with Canada's Coalition for Music Education(CME),the group that started Music Monday. "It's a day to fill the skies with music and bring young people together in song," CME Executive Director Holly Nimmons said. The CME started Music Monday in 2005.It is held every year on the first Monday of May.It was created to help people realize the importance of music education programs in schools and in communities.The day also celebrates the benefits of playing music for people of all ages. NAMM researches the effects of music on children.They found that playing music has positive effects on thinking skills and on confidence.It also teaches selfdiscipline  and helps kids bond with their peers ."Learning musical skills can also help in your studies of other subjects,such as math,reading and language," Lora Bodmer,who works at NAMM,said. Their studies show that music can also help people form friendships and connect with different groups.Nimmons says anyone can join in on the day,not just those who are musically gifted."I think that we all have the music in us,and it's a matter of confidence," she said."Sing with other people or beat drums,just enjoy the music." Participants can turn on the radio to join the fun.Each year a song is assigned to Music Monday.This year the song is "Tomorrow Is Coming" by Luke Doucet.The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation(CBC) will be playing the tune at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.People across North America will play or sing the song at the exact same time.The performance is meant to connect people through melody .More than 700,000 students took part in the concert last year. Schools,afterschool... What can we learn about Music Monday? A) National Wanna Play Music Week begins on Music Monday. B) People can't sing every day except on Music Monday. C) Music Monday will last at least seven days. D) Students can enjoy music on Music Monday freely.
(Answer)
A


"When studying foreign speech, don't forget about body language," Anne Merritt said. Something as simple as a smile can show friendliness in one culture, embarrassment in another, impatience in a third. Even silence means different things in different places. If you want to avoid making some mistakes when traveling abroad, you should pay attention to the following.  Touch Britain, along with much of Northern Europe and the Far East, has a "non-contact" culture. In those countries, there is very little physical contact  in people's daily talks. Even brushing someone's arm by accident is the reason for an apology. However, in the high-contact cultures of the Middle East, Latin America, and southern Europe, physical touch is a big part of daily life. What's more, there are different standards for who touches whom and where. In much of the Arab world, men hold hands and kiss each other in greeting, but would never do the same with a woman. In Thailand and Laos, it is taboo  to touch anyone's head, even children's. In South Korea, elders can touch younger people with force when trying to get through a crowd, but younger people can't do the same. Eye contact In most Western countries, frequent eye contact is a sign of confidence and attentiveness . We may think that a conversation partner who looks away is either not listening to us or lying. Of course, this is not the standard around the world. In many Asian, African, and Latin American countries, the unbroken  eye contact would be considered impolite and rude. These cultures consider avoiding eye contact a sign of respect for bosses and elders. In these parts of the world, children won't look at an adult who is speaking to them, and nor will employees look at their bosses. In Britain, when people are talking, they usually_. A) avoid eye contact B) brush the others' arms C) avoid physical contact D) apologize for their mistakes

C