Where do dogs come from? Gray wolves are their ancestors. Scientists are pretty consistent about that. And researchers have suggested that dogs' origins can date back to Europe, the Near East, Siberia and South China. Central Asia is the newest and best candidate, according to a large study of dogs from around the world. Laura M. Shannon and Adam R. Boyko at Cornell University, and an international group of other scientists, studied not only purebred  dogs, but also street or village dogs. Dr. Shannon analyzed three different kinds of DNA, Dr. Boyko said, the first time this has been done for such a large and diverse group of dogs from 38 countries. And that led them to Central Asia as the place of origin for dogs in much the same way that genetic studies have located the origin of modern humans in East Africa. The analysis, Dr. Boyko said, pointed to Central Asia, as the place where "all the dogs alive today" come from. The data did not allow precise dating of the origin, he said, but showed it occurred at least 15,000 years ago. Greger Larson of Oxford University, who is leading a large international effort to analyze ancient DNA from fossilized bones, said he was impressed by the study. "It's really great to see not just the number of street dogs, but also the geographic breadth and the number of remote locations where the dogs were sampled," he said in an email. He also praised the sampling of different kinds of DNA and the analytic methods. Dr. Larson, who was not involved with the study, said he thought the Central Asia finding required further testing. He said he suspected that the origins of modern dogs were "extremely messy" and that no amount of sampling of living populations will be definitive. He said a combination of studies of modern and ancient DNA is necessary. According to the research on a large number of dogs, we can know  _  . A) dogs mainly lived in Europe and the Far East B) dogs would like to live in Central Asia C) dogs' ancestors come from gray wolves D) the Near East has many gray wolves
C

There is a place where Christmas lives all year long. It is called Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The family-owned business calls itself the world's largest Christmas store. The late Wally Bronner started the business in 1945. Wayne Bronner, Wally's son, is president and CEO of what is now a multi-million dollar corporation. He learned the business from an early age. Some of his best memories are traveling to other countries with his father to find new products for the store. Bronner's sells more than 50,000 holiday products from 70 nations. Half of the products cost less than ten dollars. Wayne Bronner says the demand for small objects to hang on Christmas trees has expanded over the years. People spend more time, effort and money into decorating their homes with these ornaments, lights and religious scenes. Bronner's is famous for its nativity scenes which show the birth of Jesus Christ. Michigan has the nation's highest unemployment rate. Bronner's has been affected by the recession, too. But not in reduced sales. Wayne Bronner said: "Even though people are spending less, we're having more people visit here. And as a result we've actually had a sales increase." Bronner's success is also linked to community cooperation and investment. Frankenmuth is a town of 5,000 people in eastern Michigan's farm country. The town was settled by Bavarian Germans in the 1800s. It has kept its traditions alive in buildings and restaurants.  Bavarian cultural themes and Bronner's huge store bring 3,000,000 visitors a year. The town is the most popular place for tourists in the state. Bronner's business is aimed at a single day of the year. But that is not too different from other businesses.  "About half of our business is done in the last quarter of the year, in the last three months. And actually when you compare that with most retailers, that follows the same pattern." Wayne Bronner says the family's long-term planning and willingness to reinvest profits has developed the company into what it is... Bronner's success lies in the following EXCEPT  _  . A) community cooperation and investment B) the family's long-term planning C) aiming its business at a single day of the year D) the willingness to reinvest profits
C

The desire for a better life is sometimes so big that it makes people leave their countries and their families and work in other countries. They know that they will have to face difficult moments, that they won't be able to communicate with the persons around them, and that they have to work in illegal conditions to get the money they need for their families, but they all take these chances and they hope they will succeed. On the other hand, there are people who immigrate   just for the sake of the people they love. They leave their families to make other families with the people they love. Women go to meet their men who have chosen other countries to start a new life, even if they miss their families and friends. Maybe they don't have a place to work but they are able to wait to see what destiny   has for them. There are also the cases of the people who are forced to leave their countries because of a war which threatens their lives. They'd rather start from the very beginning again than risk putting their lives in danger. When well-developed countries see that their homeland is being "invaded" by lots of immigrants, they set new laws that make immigration harder. As a result of this, many illegal immigrants cross the borders and are eager to work, although they are paid only half the amount of money native workers receive for the same kind of job. The opinions of the local people are varied and they range from total refusal to complete acceptance. Immigrants in countries which have large communities of them are fighting for the recognition of their social rights and for equal treatment. Many immigrants have managed to be fully accepted by the communities where they live and have managed to change the opinions of the local people about them. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? A) Some immigrants are still fighting for their rights now. B) Immigrants are never accepted no matter how hard they try. C) Native people usually earn more money than illegal immigrants. D) The local people have different attitudes toward immigrants.
B

Many years ago, I went through a tough time. One afternoon, I picked my girls up. It was late when we returned home. I went to unlock the door and found my key wouldn't go in. I kept trying while my daughter went to get a flashlight. When she returned with it we found somehow the lock had been "stuffed" with sunflower seed shells. Thinking that one of the neighborhood children had been up to no good, I really didn't give it much consideration. I found all windows were locked up tight. So I returned to the back door. Oh my God, I will never forget the shock of that moment. The house was empty! Other than a few things remaining on the back porch, everything was gone! Then I heard a car pull into the driveway and found two policemen walking up. They inquired why I had broken into the house. They then asked me for proof that I lived at that address, so I asked them to wait a minute while I went to get my rent receipt and identification from inside the house. I explained the matter to them and showed them the door lock. I could tell from their actions and tone of voice that they thought I was breaking into an empty house for somewhere to sleep. I asked a neighbor for the phone number of house owner and the officer made a call. The owner was quite shocked to hear my story. She said that my roommate had been going through an eviction  process with the court when I moved in with her and had lost the case. She had been ordered to move by 10 am on that date. The court order had been issued the same day I had paid her 1/2 of the rent and a deposit of $300,000. The owner was very kind and understanding but there was nothing she could do. The house had been rented already and the people were to move in the following weekend. The officers let me go and I went to gather my girls into the car. They were both exhausted and old. Also very frightened, because they thought their mamma was going to jail. I had to pull over because the tears took control. I couldn't believe it! Everything we owned was gone, I had used up all our... When the writer came into her house, she must feel    _ A) excited B) confused C) shocked D) frustrated
