Q: Plan on traveling around the USA? There are a number of outstanding websites that can make your American dream come true. www.101usaholidays.co.uk This is the latest offering that features 101 holiday ideas to the USA. It's a diverse selection, ranging from touring in the footsteps of Martin Luther King to a golfing break in Arizona and a cycling and wine-tasting trip in California's Napa Valley. Narrow down what you're looking for--whether by price, region, theme and who will be traveling--and then just the photos of the relevant holidays remain on view. It's a really clever design. http://byways.org The National Scenic Byways Program covers 150 memorable roads. Some are natural scenic routes, such as Route 1 along the California coast. Others focus on history (such as Route 66) or man-made attractions (the Las Vegas Strip). For each, you're provided with a map telling the route's length and how long is allowed. www.oyster.com This is the best website for reviews of hotels in US cities and tourist sites. There are photos of each hotel. Importantly, these are not promotional photos provided by the hotels, but more honest and revealing ones taken by inspectors. From the 243 hotels reviewed in New York, you can narrow down what you are looking for by locations, facilities and styles, or just pick out a selection of the best. http://seaworldparks.com SeaWorld in San Diego can make dreams come true, but the price is not affordable for the majority of people. So turn to long-established http://seaworldparks.com, giving big discounts on tickets, hotel and dining at SeaWorld. The text is probably from   _  . A) a science report B) a news article C) a travel brochure D) a book review
A: C


Q: Here is some information about several famous local bakeries  in Indiana, the US. They serve as a social gathering place for locals. Maple Lane Bakery At 8260 S. State Rd. Claypool, IN. (574) 566-2917, it offers a variety of cooked pies, cookies, and bread. With 20 years' experience Maple Lane Bakery has specialized in the making of pies. The menu includes peach pie $7.19, berry pie $ 7.70, apple pie $7.19 and banana pie $6.99. Feel free to place an order at least 24 hours in advance. Betty's cakes & Candy Shop At 816 E. Winona Avenue Warsaw, IN. (574) 269-1231, it specializes in cakes and offers cookies and candies. The chocolate cookies are sold at $ 8.99 a dozen. Betty's cakes & Candy Shop, started half a century ago, specializes in wedding cakes and birthday cakes. Buying a cake from Betty's will not disappoint you as they are always excellent. Crepes' Quality Bakery At 217S. Cavin Street Ligonier, IN.(260) 894-3024, this third generation bakery is located downtown Ligonier. It offers cookies and cupcakes, and specializes in rolls and bread. If you plan to buy cookies for the office or work area, you had better get there early as the building workers arrive just before 5:00 am waiting for the doors to open. Olympia Candy Kitchen At 136N. Main Street Goshen, IN. (574) 533-5040, it has been welcoming visitors for almost a century in its unchanged location in downtown Goshen, Indiana. Its tradition began in 1912 when Greek Nicholas began making his own chocolates. Today this family-owned operation offers all kinds of candies and boxed candies. If you need an order, you should call ahead of time to see if they can meet your request. The author wrote this passage mainly to   _  . A) warn customers to order bakeries in advance B) make the bakeries better known to readers C) tell readers some travel information D) persuade more people to eat pies
A: B


Q: Almost one - fourth of all personal spending in theprefix = st1 /United Statestakes place during the holiday season. There are gifts to give this month for Christmas, Hanukkah and the African American celebration of Kwanzaa. The traditional shopping season began last Friday, after Thanksgiving Day. Personal spending represents two-thirds of the economy, so holiday sales are especially important. Reports on November results have just come out. Wal-Mart is the biggest seller in the world. The company had expected growth of two to four percent in November, fueled by sales on "Black Friday."  The day after Thanksgiving is called that. Storekeepers used to record profits   in black ink and losses in red ink. A day in the black means a return to profit.  The National Retail Federation estimated   in September that holiday sales would increase four and one-half percent this year. Holiday sales increased five percent last year, after poor sales the year before.  The business group estimated that Americans will spend 220,000 million dollars this season. It says they spent just over 10 percent of that last weekend.  Also, it says more Americans for the first time this season plan to use a debit card than a credit card for purchases. A debit card, also called a check card, is linked to the money that a person has in a bank. In other words, users must have the money before they can spend it.  About thirty - five percent of shoppers said they would mainly use debit cards, compared to 30 percent for credit cards. Financial experts say this change might mean that more people want to keep to a budget this holiday season. From the passage, it can be inferred that_. A) holiday sales seem to increase year by year B) credit cards and debit cards are the same thing C) it is the first year that people have used debit cards for purchases D) storekeepers used to record profits in red ink and losses in black ink
A: A


Q: Desert plants fall into two sorts according to the way they deal with the problem of surviving drought. There are the drought--avoiders--those which persist  only as seeds, ready to spring up when it rains, to flower quickly and produce another crop of seeds, and to die again. There are also the drought--resisters--those which have evolved various methods for strong water, locating underground water, or reducing their need for water by such devices as shedding their leaves. The drought--resisters are perennials ,they manage to live from one rainy season to another, slowly growing bigger and bigger. Of these, the succulents  is a small but interesting fraction . They may store water in their leaves, in their stems, or in underground containers.    In the American deserts the best--known succulents are the cacti . They come in a wide range of sizes, from 50--foot tall giant saguaros  to tiny round cacti about the size of a thumb--nail. They take thick, cylindrical  or even spherical forms, thereby exposing a minimum of evaporating surface to the air and light. They are leafless, except in youth, and then the leaves are small. Typically their surfaces are spiny, discouraging thirsty animals, and channeled like an accordion , so the fleshy stem may expand quickly when the plant drinks and contract slowly as it uses up the water. The root system is widespread and shallow, with good reason; only about 3 per cent of the rain that falls on the desert penetrates to any significant depth into soil. The passage gives us an impression that   _   . A) the desert plants are shaped in a way as if them were designed by somebody on purpose B) more water is needed in desert so that more desert plants can grow there C) more lands will be turned into desert if we do not try harder to save water in our daily life D) the cacti are the most famous desert plants in America

A: A