*Question*
Every Sunday morning, as most people line up outside neighborhood breakfast spots, watch TV news shows, or head for church, Chloris Noelke-Olson is tuning up  her fiddle .  She is preparing to enjoy bluegrass music the old-fashioned way: with friends, at home, for free. " To be able to play with other people face to face and have that sort of connection, it is spiritual," Ms Noelke-Olson said of the weekly house concerts in Chicago she participates in. " It's like a good conversation with instruments---something that doesn't seem to happen much any more because everyone is chatting on their cellphones." She is among a growing group of Americans who are finding it pleasant to get away from the digital grid , at least temporarily. While there is no exact data to track how many people are forming knitting groups, hosting house concerts, or organizing family game nights, it is possible to connect the dots between the rising price of entertainment and the rising sales of board games and craft supplies. In the past two years, the prices for restaurant meals, concert tickets, and movie tickets all increased. At the same time, board games sales rose 6 percent, while total toy sales decreased 3 percent. These trends are expected to continue because of the struggling economy. Instead of equipping their homes with expensive home entertainment systems, consumers are more likely to pick up the old-fashioned way: eye-to-eye. Families are rediscovering ways to come together that have nothing to do with high technology. "People are turning inward to build an enjoyment time for family and home," said Linda Bettencourt, an interior designer in San Francisco whose customers typically live in million-dollar homes. Over the past six months, Ms Bettencourt has been hired to redesign living space to promote the kind of connectivity that doesn't involve wires. " The big game table is back," she says. "People want to sit around and see each other's face rather than facing a flat-screen TV." Linda Bettencourt has been hired to   _  . A) design expensive homes for the rich people B) give people advice on connectivity C) design living space for people D) help people to save money
**Answer**
C

*Question*
Look at the keyboard of any standard typewriter or computer."Q,""W,""E,""R""T"and"Y"are the first six letters.Who decided on this arrangement of the letters? And why? People tried for centuries to invent the typewriter.In 1714 in England,Henry Mill filed a patent for a machine called An Artificial Machine Or Method for the Impressing or Transcribing of Letters,Singly or Progressively one after another, as in Writing,whereby all Writing whatsoever may be Engrossed in Paper or Parchment so Neat and Exact as not to be distinguished from Print.That machine probably didn't sell because no one could remember its name! The first practical typewriter was patented in the United States in 1868 by Christopher Latham Sholes.His machine was known as the type-writer.It had a movable carriage,a lever for turning paper from line to line,and a keyboard on which the letters were arranged in alphabetical order. But Sholes had a problem.On his first model,his"ABC"key arrangement caused the keys to jam when the typist worked quickly.Sholes didn't know how to keep the keys from sticking,so his solution was to keep the typist from typing too fast.Sholes asked his brother-in-1aw to rearrange the keyboard so that the commonest letters were not so close together and the type bars would come from opposite directions.Thus they would not clash together and jam the machine.The new arrangement was the QWERTY arrangement typists use today.Of course,Sholes claimed that the new arrangement was scientific and would add speed and efficiency.The only efficiency it added was to slow the typist down,since almost any word in the English language required the typist's fingers to cover more distance on the keyboard. The advantages of the typewriter outweighed the disadvantages of the keyboard.Typists memorized the crazy letter arrangement,and the typewriter became a huge success.By the time typists had memorized the new arrangement of letters and built their speed,typewriter technology had improved,and the keys didn't stick as badly as they had at first. The author thinks the machine invented by Henry Mill could not be sold because  _  . A) it was difficult for people to accept new things B) there were great disadvantages of the key board C) the machine could not be distinguished from print D) the name of the machine was too long
**Answer**
D

*Question*
Perhaps you will visit New York one day. You might be a student there. Here is some advice. Get a good map of the city. It will also have subway and bus maps. Remember the directions--uptown, downtown, east and west. Feel the excitement of New York .Have fun! NEW YORK CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU Address:90 East 42nd Street,N.Y.100017 Telephone:6871300 TIMES SQUARE INFORMATION CENTER Address:43rd Street between Seventh Avenue and Broadway Telephone:5938983 TRAVELERS' AID SOCIETY Address:204 ast 39th Street,N.Y.10016(central office) Telephone:6790200 TRAVEL INFORMATION:NEW YORK SUBWAYS AND BUSES Telephone:3301234 OTHER TELEPHONE NUMBERS The weather:WE 61212.The time:ME 71212 Emergency (Police,Fire,or Ambulance):911 or "0" for operator A doctor:8971000 USEFUL BOOK Seeing New York; The official MTA Travel Guide,published by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. If you lose your passport in New York, you may probably get help from   _  . A) CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU B) TIMES SQUARE INFORMATION CENTER C) USEFUL BOOK D) TRAVEL INFORMATION
**Answer**
A

*Question*
There is a large percentage of Asian people in the US. They're hard working, respectful but strange sometimes. If you don't understand the culture, you will get some problems with them. Asian people are different from any other cultures if you think you know them, you might want to think again. How are they different? When it comes to most Asian culture, respect is everything. You can do anything you want but don't disrespect an Asian man. You will get some real consequences afterward and especially if he is your boss. It's something called " _ " in the Asian culture. It's ridiculous sometimes but it's their culture. Sometimes their culture can come in between their relationship at work. Asian people might expect a lot of respect from their co-workers when their co-workers just see them as an equal. Americans are very different from Asian people. If you're Asian, you might want to understand the American culture and even adapt to their culture if you work with them. It will be easier for you since you're in their countries. Imagine an American working in China, expecting Chinese co-workers to get along with him when he criticizes them straight out on every single matter in front of everyone. I think they will take him outside and take care of him. It just doesn't work that way with Asian people. If you're an American boss giving your Asian employee a review, you will see that they will have a problem with your negative remarks. They will think that you don't like them, disrespectful, and want to get rid of them; when in fact, you're just doing your job. Of course, it's not fair for you as an American boss but just expect that it can be something that is on your Asian employee's mind. The Americans can't get along well with the Asians probably because  _  . A) their cultures are different B) they don't like each other C) both of them are too proud D) they have different political views
**Answer**

A