(Question)
My conscience was pricked again on a tour of Venice in 2010. I had taken refuge  from the crowds in a quiet canal-side cafe. Outside the cafe was an old woman kneeling on the ancient cobbled stones, begging. Steady streams of tourists were walking past her. A lone young back-packer stood away from the throng drinking something, but I noticed he was also observing the woman. A tourist group glanced at the woman and walked on. Another group of tourists arrived and, again, walked past her. The backpacker watched. Then, as I prepared to leave, I stopped at the sight of the backpacker stepping forward and placing some money in the woman's cup. He did this rather ostentatiously , just before the arrival of another tourist group. I watched as the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. Having been shown the way, other tourists followed suit and added more coins to the woman's cup. The young backpacker repeated this process in front of the next tour party going past. Once again, the subtle peer  pressure worked on the tourists, who all added coins to the cup. His work done, the young man walked over to the old beggar woman, patted her shoulder and said, "I hope that helps a bit." I don't know if the woman understood his English or realized what had just happened, but I did. I placed some money in the woman's cup and continued my travels, light-hearted after witnessing such an astute act of caring. Before the backpacker dropped some money in the woman's cup, the tourists   _  . A) didn't notice the woman B) gave a little money to the woman C) all showed pity for the woman D) walked by without giving any money
(Answer)
D


(Question)
Gray hair is simply a part of the normal aging process, and the rate you go silver is genetically predetermined. Going gray is not associated with earlier death, and premature graying is not, generally speaking, a sign of an illness or ill health in younger adults. There are, however, some specific health conditions associated with gray or white hair, but for most of us, going gray is just a fact of life.  Hair color1 comes from the pigment melanin , which determines your individual shade. Hair without any melanin is pure white. The pigment is produced in cells called melanocytes, which inject pigment into the hair. At some point in everyone's lifetime, these cells slow down and eventually stop producing color1. Scientists have yet to identify the exact mechanism by which melanocyte cell death occurs.  A study of more than 4,000 women and men from 20 countries determined that about 75% of people between the ages of 45 and 65 have some gray hair. In general, people of European descent gray earliest followed by Asians and Africans. It's interesting to note that a lucky 1 in 10 has no gray hair by retirement age. Beginning at age 30, your chances of having gray hair go up 10-20% per decade.  It may feel like you have more grays after a stressful event, but that's probably because middle age is basically a series of anxiety-ridden events. Between working, raising kids, and caring for older parents, the "sandwich" years of 45-65 can be stressful, especially for women. They are also when we naturally start to look older.  At this point, there is still no silver bullet to keep away the grays. Which is not among the reasons for hair turning gray according to the passage? A) Being physically weak. B) Stress from different sides. C) Death of melanocyte cell. D) Genetic factors.
(Answer)
A


(Question)
Women are on their way to holding more than half of all American jobs. The latest government report shows that their share of non-farm jobs nearly reached fifty percent in September, 2009. The job market continues to suffer the effects of last year's financial crash. On the one hand more women have entered the labor market over the years, and on the other hand the economic recession   has hit men harder than women. In October the unemployment rate for men was almost 11% compared to 8% for women. Industries that traditionally use lots of men have suffered deep cuts. For example, manufacturing   and building lost more jobs last month. But health care and temporary employment services have had job growth. Both of those industries employ high percentages of women. Thirty years ago, women earned sixty-two cents for every dollar that men earned. Now, for those who usually work full time, women earn about eighty percent of what men earn. And a recent study from the University of California, Davis, reveals that women hold fifty-one percent of well-paid management and professional jobs. Yet the study also shows that men still hold about nine out of every ten top positions at most companies. The results have remained largely unchanged for five years. Also, a new research paper in the journalSex Roleslooks at the experiences of women who are the main earners in their families. Rebecca Meisenbach at the University of Missouri in Columbia interviewed fifteen women. She found that they all value their independence and many enjoy having the power of control, though not all want it. But they even feel more pressure and worry. That is partly because of cultural expectations that working women should still take care of the children. Also, men who are not the main earners may feel threatened. Which of the following is a reason why women have a larger share of jobs? A) Women workers are paid less than men. B) More women now have higher education than men. C) The economic recession has affected men more than women. D) Industries that traditionally use lots of men now need more women.
(Answer)

C