Mars Was Not Always Bitterly Cold Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have reported evidence that Mars was warmer and wetter long ago than it is today.  The Caltech scientists say they have directly _ the temperature of Mars four billion years ago. At least, they established the surface temperature on part of the planet at that time. The researchers say it is the first such evidence to be discovered and presented. The Caltech scientists say carbonate  minerals formed on Mars at about eighteen degrees Celsius. They reached the finding after studying a meteorite  that had its beginnings near the Martian surface. Today, the average temperature on Mars is sixty-three degrees below zero Celsius. The finding was reported on the website of the National Academy of Sciences. Caltech Assistant Professor Woody Fischer helped to prepare the report. He says eighteen degrees Celsius is not especially cold or hot. He says this makes the finding extremely interesting. Knowing the temperature can give scientists an idea of the climate on Mars long ago. It can also help them decide whether the planet had liquid water. Spacecraft orbiting Mars have shown what appear to be rivers, lakebeds and mineral deposits. These pictures suggest that, at one time, water did flow there. Mars Rover vehicles and other spacecraft have confirmed the information. Caltech Geology Professor John Eiler was another writer of the report. He says knowing the temperature of Mars from long ago provides valuable information. It shows that early in the planet's history, at least part of Mars could support a climate like that of Earth. The meteorite the scientists examined is one of the oldest known rocks in the world. It is called the Allan Hills meteorite. Its name came from the place in Antarctica where it was found in 1984. The meteorite is believed to have blown loose from the Mars' surface when another space rock struck its "home." How did the scientists reach the finding? A) By studying Allan Hills meteorite. B) By using spacecraft orbiting Mars. C) By studying minerals gathered on Mars D) By studying a meteorite on the Martian surface.
A


I opened my new patient's chart and headed for her room. My son, Eric, had just brought home a disappointing report card, and my daughter, Shannon, and I had argued again about her getting a driver's license. For the next eight hours I wanted to throw myself into helping people who I knew had much more to worry about than I did. Rebekah, mother of three lovely little girls, was only 32, admitted for chemotherapy after breast-cancer surgery, When I gave her an injection, Rebekah shut her eyes tightly and murmured a prayer until it was over. Then she smiled and squeezed my hand. "Before you go, could you get my Bible from the table?" I handed her the worn book. "Do you have a favorite Bible verse?" she asked. "Jesus wept. John 11: 35." "Such a sad one," she said. "Why?""It makes me feel closer to Jesus, knowing he also experienced human sorrow." Rebekah nodded thoughtfully and started flipping through her Bible as I shut the door quietly behind me. During the following months, her hospital stays became frequent and she worried about her children. One day when I entered her room, I found her talking into a tape recorder. She picked up a notebook and held it out to me. "I'm making a tape for my daughters, " she said. I read the list on her pad: starting school, confirmation, turning 16, first date, graduation. While I worried how to help her deal with death, she was planning for her children's future. She usually waited until the early hours of the morning to record the tapes so she could be free from interruptions. She filled them with family stories and advice,trying to cram a lifetime of love into a few precious hours. Finally, every item in her notes had been checked off and she entrusted the tapes to her husband. I often wondered what I would say in her place. My kids joked that I was like an FBI agent, with my constant questions about where they'd been and who they'd been with. Where, I thought, are my words of encouragement and love? It was three o'clock one afternoon when I got an urgent call from the... Which of the following scenes was most likely to be seen at Nan's home before she met Rebekah? A) The family sat down in a circle and shared an interesting story. B) After dinner, the children either went out or shut themselves up in their rooms. C) The son was the headache of the parents while the daughter their comfort. D) When Eric did poorly at school, the parents comforted him and cheered him up.
B


Q: One day a teacher was giving her young students a lesson on how the government works. She was trying to explain the principle of income tax  . "You see ," she began , speaking slowly and carefully , "each person who works must pay part of his or her salary   to the government . If you make a high salary, your taxes are high. If you don't make much money, your taxes are low ." "Is that clear?" she asked. "Does everyone understand the meaning of income tax?" The students nodded. Are there any questions?" she asked. The students shook their heads. "Very good!" she said." "Now, I would like you to take a piece of paper and write a short paragraph on the subject of income tax." Little Joey was a slow learner. He had lots of problems with spelling and grammar, but this time he at least seemed to understand the task.. He took his pen and after a few minutes, he handed the teacher the following composition: Once I had a dog. His name was Tax.  I opened the door and in come Tax. The students were asked  _  . A) to write a composition on "income tax" B) to answer some questions on income tax C) to say something about income tax D) to explain the principle of income tax
A: A


(Question)
By the middle of the 19th century, newspapers were becoming the primary means of spreading and receiving information. The period between 1890 and 1920 is known as the "golden age" of print media. Broadcast radio came onto the media scene in the 1920's. Newspapers were forced to re-evaluate   their role as society's primary information provider. Like the new media technologies of today, the development of a low-cost, convenient media source produced results that radio would greatly affect the newspaper industry.  No sooner had newspapers adapted to radio than they were forced to re-evaluate themselves because of a new and more powerful medium: television. Between 1940 and 1990, newspaper sales in America dropped from one newspaper for every two adults to one for every three adults. Some newspapers, like USA Today, responded to the technological advancements by using color1 and the "short, quick and to the point" stories that are usually featured on television. The technological revolution of today is creating new challenges and opportunities for traditional media. Never before has so much information been so accessible   to so many. By the end of the 1990s, about 700 traditional media had websites; today there are thousands. The amount and speed of information on the Internet is  _ , but it has not signalled the end of the newspaper's existence . Newspapers in print remain a popular and powerful medium for the reporting and analysis of events that shape our lives. It is reported that one billion people in the world read a newspaper every day! We can infer from this passage that   _  . A) newspapers still play an important part in our life B) the "golden age" of print media refers to the 19th century C) radio took the place of newspapers completely in the 1920's D) newspapers can never catch up with the modern means of media
(Answer)

A