Is there a connection between a nation's contributions to international aid programs and the happiness of its citizens? According to a study of nine European donor   countries, there is a direct relationship between the level of foreign aid and level of happiness in the UK and France but for other European countries there seems to be no link. Full details of the analysis and its conclusions are published this month in the journal Global Business and Economics Review. Mark Arvin and Byron Lew of Department of Economics, Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, have investigated the old proverb that it's better to give than receive. Previous research has suggested that for individuals giving money to worthy causes brings more happiness than spending it oneself. Elizabeth Dunn and colleagues at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, found that people said they were much happier if they were spending money "pro-socially" -- that is on gifts for others or on charitable donations -- rather than spending it on themselves. Whether this proposal translates to the national level is open to question, but Arvin and Lew hoped to confirm that it is indeed the case by looking at the foreign aid disbursements   of nine donor countries in Europe and using general measures of happiness among a nation's citizens. Their statistical analysis hoped to reveal whether happiness levels could predict levels of aid offered. "Our results reveal that for two important European donors, France and the UK, the aid-happiness link is a positive causal relationship from happiness to aid," the team says. "In addition, for France, there is also a positive causal connection from aid to happiness. This leads  us to suspect that aid and happiness are likely both naturally born -- at least for some countries." The researchers point out that it is not surprising that there is a different effect in countries other than the UK and France because there are different attitudes towards foreign aid. Some nations have smaller public parts... It can be inferred from the passage that   _  . A) any country can get greater happiness from giving at any time B) there is a negative connection from aid to happiness for European countries C) giving money brings more happiness than spending it on himself or herself D) the same effect exists in countries other than the UK and France
C
------
Each new school year brings fresh reminders of what educators call the summer learning gap.Some call it the summer learning setback.Simply speaking,it means the longer kids are out of 'school,the more they forget.The only thing they might gain is weight. Most American schools follow a traditional nine-month calendar with winter and spring breaks and about ten weeks of summer vacation.Some schools follow a year-round calendar.They hold classes for about eight weeks at a time,with a few weeks off in between.The National Association for Year-Round Education says there were fewer than 3,000 such schools at last count.They were spread among forty-six of the fifty states. But many experts point out that the number of class days in a year-round school is generally the same as in a traditional school.Lead researcher Paul von Hippel said,"Year-round schools don't really solve the problem of the summer learning setback.They simply spread it out across the year. Across the country,research shows that students from poor families fall farther behind over the summer than other students.Experts say this can be prevented.They note that many schools and local governments offer programs that can help. But calling them "summer school" could be a problem.The director of the summer learning center at Johns Hopkins,Ron Fairchild,said research with groups of different parents in Chicago and Baltimore found that almost all strongly disliked the term "summer school".In American culture,the idea of summer vacation is connected to beliefs about freedom and the joys of childhood.The parents welcomed other terms like "summer camp," "extra time" and "hands-on learning." Compared to traditional schools,students in the year-round ones   _ A) perform better and have more learning gains B) have much less time for relaxation every year C) have generally the same number of class days D) hold more classes with more free weeks off
C
------
In Britain and other countries,young people sometimes take a"gap year",a year off between high school and college.This idea never gained a big following in America.Recent news reports have suggested that interest may be growing,though there are no official numbers. Charles Deacon,.Dean of Admissions at Georgetown University in Washington,D.C.,estimates that in the current first-year class of 1,600 students,only about 25 decided to take a year off.He says this number hasn't changed much over the years. Mr.Deacon says the most common reason for taking a"gap year"is to have a chance to travel,but he says international students may take a"gap year"to meet requirements at home for military duty. Some high school graduates see a year off as a chance to recover after twelve years of required education,but it can also give students a chance to explore their interests.Students hoping to be doctors,for example,could learn about the profession by volunteering in a hospital. Many colleges and universities support gap-year projects by permitting students to delay their admission.Expels say students can grow emotionally and intellectually as they work at something they enjoy. The Harvard admissions office has an essay on its Web site called"Time Out or Bum Out for the Next Generation.''It praises the idea of taking time off to step back,think and enjoy gaining life experiences outside the pressure of studies.It also notes that students are sometimes admitted to Harvard or other colleges partly because they did something unusual with that time. Of course,a gap year is not for everyone.Students might miss their friends who go on directly to college,and parents might worry that their children will decide not to go to college once they take time off.Another concern is money.A year off,away from home,can be costly. Holly Bull's job is to specialize in helping students plan their gap year.She notes that several books have been written about this subject.She says these books along with media attention and the availability of... The essay"Time Out or Bum Out for the Next Generation."suggests that  _  . A) every student must take a"gap year"before applying for a famous university B) some famous universities encourage students to gain more life experiences C) taking a'gap year'Can make students free from life learning D) the stress of studies does harm to the students' health
B
------
Museums in Atlanta Atlanta, Georgia is a great place for visitors seeking a little culture. There are Atlanta museums of all kinds, to interest adults and children. The history of the area is a fascinating one and it is documented in many of the museums. There are also collections of art and science based institutions and displays from the natural world. The city is famous for many reasons, one of them being the World of Coca-Cola Museum. It's a worldwide product with a long history and the collection contains memorabilia  and handmade objects. Some of the documents go back to 1905. Visitors can see how a bottling _ operates and there are films about the history of the company. This Atlanta museum has a Pop Culture Gallery that shows paintings with the Coca-Cola image. At the end of the tour, visitors can buy a souvenir at the gift store. The Atlanta History Center,established in 1926, is most well-known for its civil war collection. There is also the exhibition of folk arts and the displays on the history of golf in the US. The state is also proud of its famous daughter, novelist Margaret Mitchell. The Margaret Mitchell House and Museum was founded in the house that the author shared with her husband from 1925 until 1932. It was here that she wrote her great book, Gone with the Wind. Much of this Atlanta museum is focused on the 1939 Hollywood film of the book. Families and school outings are fortunate in having the Fernbank Science Center. It serves the local educational community and the public also enjoys the displays. There are a wide variety of exhibitions, including a collection of dinosaur skeletons, an electron microscope and a Apollo spacecraft. The museum also has an impressive botanical collection. The Georgia Aquarium  is the largest one in the world and almost all the tourists place it high on their travel plan when visiting the city. There are numerous species to see and learn about. The highlights include whale sharks, electric fish,  Japanese spider crabs, Californian sea lions and African... Visitors who go to Pop Culture Gallery can see   _  . A) exhibition of folk arts B) pictures of sea animals C) collections of the civil war D) paintings with the Coca-Cola image

D
------