Colin walked slowly home from school. He looked across the hills at the little Irish fishing village. It did not seem like Christmas Eve. Perhaps this was because it still had not snowed. But Colin knew there was another reason--a reason he did not dare whisper even in his heart.  He looked toward the sea. There was no ship. And seven days ago his father's fishing boat hadn't gone home in time. "I'll bring you a small sheep dog from the Shetland Isles," Colin's father told him the morning he left. But now it was Christmas Eve. Colin looked toward the lighthouse, high on the hill. For seven days, there had been no light to guide his father's ship.  Colin pushed open the door of his cottage. "We'll need more peat   for the fire, Colin," said his mother as he entered. "It has burned itself out. And it's near time to light the Christmas candle. Everybody in Ireland lights a candle on Christmas Eve, even when there's sadness in the house. It shows that your house and heart are open to strangers. I've two candles, one for each of us. If you gather some peat, we'll be ready for supper soon." Colin nodded and went outside.  He led their donkey up the hill. But while he was staring at the lighthouse, Colin had an idea. He came to the lighthouse and knocked on the door.  Mr. Duffy, the keeper, opened the door. "What's up, young man?" "Mr. Duffy," said Colin, "what did you use to light the lighthouse?" "Well, we used an oil lamp. But we've no oil to burn." "Maybe kerosene   would do," suggested Colin.  "Well, I suppose," Mr. Duffy thought. "But you wouldn't find even a little spare kerosene in this village. Everyone is so poor ..." Colin was gone before Mr. Duffy could finish his sentence.  He ran back to the cottage. Then he ran out with four buckets. Colin could see candles glowing in nearly every cottage in the valley. A candle on Christmas Eve meant that a stranger would be welcome and given whatever he asked. He didn't stop running until he came to the first house.  "Could you spare me just a half cup of kerosene... How did Mr. Duffy react to Colin's suggestion? A) He thought it was rather wasteful. B) He thought it was quite impractical. C) He thought it was well worth trying. D) He thought it was far too dangerous.
B
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Researchers are placing robotic dogs   in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people's depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. "No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated  ," Edwards points out. "The problem is how we promote (......) that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution." In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner. "I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice," says a seventy-year-old lady. "When I'm watching TV, he'll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own." The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns. "At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry, " Beck says. "But it's amazing how quickly we have given up that belief." "Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters' blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people's minds. " The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may   _  . A) cure certain diseases B) keep old people active C) change people's beliefs D) look more like real dogs
B
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LG Electronics, the world's fourth largest cell phone producer, has added another feature to the mobile phone-reading books for the visually impaired . The company started marketing the model, the LF1300 on Sep.18.No other people but the blind and visually-impaired with a certificate  can buy the talking phone at sales shops of LG Electronics. "The LF1300 is the world's first mobile phone that is capable of reading books for the print-disabled, who otherwise could not enjoy them.This is not about making money but about continuing to put froth efforts to reduce the digital difference for the disabled," LG Vice President said. Its users can download about 300 audio books from the Internet site of LG Sangam Library to their phones for free in two ways. One is to access the digital library's Website on a computer designed for the blind to get the audio books and transfer them to cell phones. The other is to download the digital books directly with cell phones through the wireless net work by touching a hot key on the LF1300 phone. On top of its unique feature of reading books, the LF1300 is no worse than the pupular top-line phones in both outlooks and frnctionalities . The phone is armed with an MP3 player and a Bluetooth headset, enabling users to listen to the music or talk without a cord. The user interface  of the LF1300 is also designed for the blind,enabling phone users to control it through a voice guidance system. However, because the phone's internal mimory of 17MB is small even for a single audio book file, which takes up 80MB on average, a high-volume external memory is a must for the talking book services. What can be learned from the passage? A) This is the first time LG company has done something for the disabled. B) Phone users don't have to pay much to download the digital books. C) LF1300 has a less attractive outlook than any other top-line phone. D) The disadvantage of LF1300 is that it has too small internal memory.
D
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Eating too much fatty food, exercising too little and smoking can raise your future risk of heart disease. But there is another factor that can cause your heart problems more immediately: the air you breathe. Previous studies have linked high exposure  to environmental pollution to an increased risk of heart problem, but two analyses now show that poor air quality can lead to heart attack or stroke  within as little as a few hours after exposure. In one review of the research, scientists found that people exposed to high levels of pollutants  were up to 5% more likely to suffer a heart attack within days of exposure than those with lower exposure. A separate study of stroke patients showed that even air that the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers to be of "moderate"  quality and relatively safe for our health can raise the risk of stroke as much as 34% within 12 to 14 hours of exposure. The authors of both studies stress that these risks are relatively small for healthy people and certainly modest compared with other risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure. However, it is important to be aware of these dangers because everyone is exposed to air pollution regardless of lifestyle choices. So stricter regulation by the EPA of pollutants may not only improve environmental air quality but could also become necessary to protect public health. What can we learn from the text? A) Eating fatty food has immediate effects on your heart. B) The EPA conducted many studies on air quality. C) Moderate air quality is more harmful than smoking, D) Stricter regulations on pollutants should be made.

D
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