Ques: We have entered a new age of embedded , intuitive  computing in which our homes, cars, stores, farms, and factories have the ability to think, sense, understand, and respond to our needs. It's not science fiction, but the dawn of a new age. Most people might not realize it yet, but we are already feeling the impact of what's known as the third wave of computing. In small but significant ways it is helping us live healthier and more secure lives. If you drive a 2014 Mercedes Benz, for example, an "intelligent" system tries to keep you from hitting a pedestrian. A farmer in Nigeria relies on weather sensors that communicate with his mobile device. Forgot your medicine? A new pill bottle from AdhereTech reminds you through text or automatic phone messages that it's time to take a pill. Technology is being integrated  into our natural behaviors, with real-time data connecting our physical and digital worlds. With this dramatic shift in our relationship to technology, companies can adapt their products and services. To understand how revolutionary the third wave is, we ought to consider how far we have come. The first wave began when companies started to manage their operations through mainframe computer systems over 50 years ago. Then computing got "personal" in the 1980s and the 1990s with the introduction of the PC (personal computer). For the most part, computing remained immobile and lacked contextual awareness. In computing's second wave, mobile computing and the smartphone took center stage. Billions of people, some of whom might not have had access to clean water, electricity, or even housing, were connected. Developers created applications and provided consumers with access to just about everything through their phone at the cost of a monthly data plan. As the third wave keeps developing, designers must meet the demands of consumers who want to experiment with new technology. Historically, designers have focused their attention on a product's form and function. While that still matters, of course, the... What can we conclude from the passage about the new age we are facing? A) There's a shift of attention from people's physical worlds to their digital worlds. B) There's closer relationship between technology and people's natural behaviours. C) People live more happily with the convenience brought by advanced technology. D) People become lazier with the products that can think and respond to their needs.
Ans: B

Ques: A few days ago, I was sitting in a Thai restaurant enjoying a meal when I got on a phone call from a friend I hadn't spoken to in a long time. In my enthusiasm and excitement, I talked quite louder than usual voice and in Spanish, my mother tongue. A few minutes into the call, an old lady sitting at the table beside mine got up, seemingly offended, and asked the restaurant staff to relocate   a table as far away as possible from this man who seemed to be impolite. I sank in my seat out of embarrassment. I ended the call soon afterwards and felt the urge to apologize. Before getting up, I looked around to see where she was and she was at the table farthest away from me. I noticed that the lady was alone and staring out the window. I found a tinge   of sadness or anxiety and perhaps a desire for aloneness and peace. But I had obviously destroyed it minutes earlier. Right then I abandoned my plan for a conventional apologetic gesture. Seeing those funny smile cards in my wallet, I took one out and wrote some words to express my apology. On signing my restaurant bill, I asked a waiter to secretly charge the lady's meal to me and hand her the smile card instead of her bill. Did she take it the wrong way, I wondered? Did she get confused? Did she refuse the anonymous   offer? And so on. I just waited and felt nervous to learn the outcome. To my pleasant surprise, things turned out the best possible way. The waiter approached me in a joy, telling me, "In the many times she had dined here before, I had never seen the old lady smile as she did when receiving the smile card and the $0 bill. She thanked me even though I explained that someone else did the job." The old lady changed her seat mainly because of   _  . A) her private phone call B) the author's loud voice C) the views out of the window D) the restaurant staff's mistake
Ans: B

Ques: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the eleventh largest nation in Europe. England, Wales and Scotland make up the island of Great Britain, which takes up most of the Britain Isles. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are mountainous. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland. Plains and valleys cover much of England. The British climate is mild. About 58 million people live in the United Kingdom. Few other countries are so crowded. Four out of five people live in cities such as Belfast, Glasgow, and London. London is the capital. Great Britain grows half of the food it needs. Its industries help to pay for the food that is bought from abroad. The United Kingdom manufactures a wide range of goods. Service industries, such as tourism, that provide services rather than producing goods, are increasing. Traditional industries, such as coal mining, are declining. There are many mountains in   _  . A) Northern Ireland, Scotland and England B) England, Wales and Scotland C) Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland D) Northern Ireland, Wales and England
Ans: C

Ques: If you walk around any large city, you'll find a coffee shop on every corner. Many shops offer comfortable sofas, large screen televisions and sometimes even live music. More and more teenagers are hanging out there. My pre-teen has already done so after school once a month, but she always orders fruit juice. I think she would drink coffee sooner or later, so I started doing some research online. I found that coffee in moderation   could be safe, but one thing that was constant online was the chance of becoming addicted to coffee. Coffee is one step up from soda but still not as dangerous as energy drinks or alcohol. Still, any addiction is hard to break, so I needed to come up with a plan that would protect my child. Coffee shops offer a safe place for teenagers to hang out. As like anything else you let your children do, you need to set limits. Drinking coffee while socializing once or twice a week won't cause a severe caffeine addiction. However, you should avoid allowing a cup of coffee every morning and ensure they get adequate sleep each night, which will make them less likely to feel the need to drink coffee. As parents, we have responsibility to set a good example. If you're addicted to caffeine, it's time to start monitoring your intake. If you drink much water and keep healthier drink options in your fridge and at your dinner table, your teenager will follow you. I drink much water and so do both my children. _  As a mother, I'm ready to allow my child to try coffee and we'll talk about it and discuss the pros and cons of consuming this. I feel open communication is vital in helping them make good decisions. Although the decision to drink coffee doesn't pose the same dangers as underage drinking, it still deserves a thoughtful conversation. The author began to do research on coffee in order to   _ A) offer some good advice to coffee shops B) guide her daughter to drink coffee properly C) stop her daughter hanging out in coffee shops D) let her daughter believe that fruit juice is healthy
Ans:
B