Environmental activists in South Korea are condemning a government plan to hunt endangered whales for scientific research. They believe the plan is part of an effort to restart commercial whaling activities. Such activities are banned in many countries. South Korea announced the proposal in July at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Panama. The head of the South Korean delegation   said the plan was needed to answer questions about minke whale populations. He said the hunt would take place near the South Korean coast. But he did not say how many of the animals would be caught. The International Whaling Commission has yet to make a decision on the South Korean plan. The organization banned commercial whaling in 1986 because of concerns about the survival of whale species. But now, some South Korean fishermen say they are facing a threat from minke whales. They say these animals are eating what would have been their catch. The plan was immediately condemned by anti-whaling nations. Wildlife activists also criticized the proposal. Han Jeong-hee works in Seoul for the environmental group Greenpeace."It's really regretful to hear that the South Korean government is, like, considering conducting scientific whaling. Scientific whaling is just, like, thinly disguised commercial whaling. And, you know, we are of course against all commercial whaling. Japan's the only country that is doing scientific whaling at the moment and South Korea is just trying to follow that." Apart from the plan in South Korea, an aquarium   in the American state of Georgia also wants to import eighteen beluga whales from Russia. The United States currently has 31 beluga whales. They are living in six aquariums and marine parks. Four of them are at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The Georgia Aquarium has asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for permission to import the beluga whales. If it was approved, aquarium officials would send some of the animals to the other facilities. The Georgia... What's the best title for the passage? A) Should whales be hunted or watched? B) Should commercial whaling be banned? C) Are whales safer in research institutions? D) Are whales to blame for fishermen's loss?
A
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Scientists found that sleeping considerably improves our creativity. After taking a nap people are able to think faster and put more imagination into their thinking. Besides, if we dream, the thinking abilities are improved even more. Researchers consider that sleeping on a problem in most cases leads to elucidation . They say when a person enters a phase called Rapid Eye Movement (REM) during sleep, _ increases the effect. Such phase takes place right before we awake and according to scientists it helps our brain make links between unrelated subjects. In the study, led by Professor Sara Mednick, scientists made a conclusion that the REM was "important for assimilating  new information into past experience" in order to find solutions to creative problems. Prof. Mednick is a psychiatrist at the University of California. Her study involved the analysis of 77 adults. Each participant was given several word-associated creative tasks. All tasks were given in the morning, with participants being shown a number of groups of 3 words, for example: cookie, heart and sixteen. They were asked to come up with a word that would be associated with all three given terms--like sweet. Sometime later, after some participants were allowed to sleep, they were asked to perform the same tasks and some new ones. It is worth mentioning that while some people slept, researchers used brain scans to see the type of sleep each participant entered. When given the same tasks, participants, who took a nap, were able to give more varied solutions, some of which were much better than they gave earlier. But when given new tasks, researchers found that those who entered REM sleep had a 40 percent better result compared to the performance they showed in the morning. What can we know from this passage? A) Taking a short nap is good for your thinking during the day. B) Sleeping has three processes which is good for creativity. C) Each adult was allowed to sleep after the task was given. D) REM is a process taking place right after we awake when we nap.
A
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Thousands of years ago, people only ate food that was grown near their homes. Some kinds of food were only grown in one place, so people from other places didn't know about them. When Europeans first traveled to Central and South America in the 1500s, they discovered strange kinds of food that they had never seen before. Today, these are grown in a lot of different countries and they're sold in supermarkets all over the world. They don't seem strange any more! Potatoes were first grown in the Andes in South America. In 1586, they were taken to Europe by explorers . In 1719, they were taken to North America. Before 1719, nobody in North America had ever seen or eaten a potato. Today each American eats more than 60 kilos of potatoes a year. Tomatoes were also first grown by native  Americans. When European explorers visited the south of America in 1500, they took tomato seeds  back to Europe. Soon, tomatoes were grown in Europe, but people in England didn't eat them. At that time, a lot of English people thought that tomatoes were  _ ! Chilies  have been eaten in Central and South America for more than 8,000 years! In the 1500s, chilies were taken to Europe by explorers. Today, they are grown in hot countries all over the world. People in Central and South America have eaten chilies for more than  _   years. A) 1,500 B) 1,586 C) 8,000 D) 1719
C
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Student Residences Banbury House   Tel: 564839 Enjoy mixing with other students in comfortable accommodation ? 10 minutes' walk to the university district and close to all main bus stops. Single and double rooms. All cleaning services offered. Please bring your own bedding. Three Seasons    Tel: 445987 We can provide all types of accommodations for all types of single students. Rooms are fully furnished with bedding and there are four bathrooms each floor. Meals provided. 20minutes' walk to the university and city center. First Stop       Tel: 223300     Suitable for new students. We provide double rooms. If you wish, we can offer help in finding a suitable person to share a room with. All washing and cleaning services offered at extra charge. Large canteen  and three bathrooms on each floor. Sturtin Hotel      Tel: 876333      Located in pleasant countryside surroundings. We offer scenic views and old-world attractiveness. Relax after a long day by swimming in the pool or using the exercise gym. Separate study rooms; bar & restaurants available. No children. Downtown Digs     Tel: 882312 Do you worry that you'll not have enough money to see the term through? Don't waste it on expensive housing. This is a hostel   run by students. No references and no rules. Shared bathroom, dormitory accommodation. 30 minutes' walk to the university and city center. Hilton Hostel        Tel: 846241 It is not quite the Hilton Hotel but all rooms are fully provided with meals, bedding and cleaning services included. 5minutes' walk to the university and bus stops to the city downtown. Minimum stay period of six months. Singles only. If you want to live as close as possible to the university, you'd better choose  _  . A) Banbury House B) Three Seasons C) Downtown Digs D) Hilton Houstel

D
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