Ques:Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Their cheery song brightens many a winter's day. But robins are in danger of wearing themselves out by singing too much. Robins are singing all nightas well as during the day, British-based researchers say. David Dominoni, of Glasgow University, said that light from street lamps, takeaway signs and homes is affecting the birds' biological clock, leading to them being wide awake when they should be asleep. Dr Dominoni, who is putting cameras inside nesting boxes to track sleeping patterns, said lack of sleep could put the birds' health at risk. His study shows that when robins are exposed to light at night in the lab, it leads to some genes being active at the wrong time of day. And the more birds are exposed to light, the more active they are at night. He told people at a conference, "There have been a couple of studies suggesting they are increasing their song output at night and during the day they are still singing. Singing is a costly behaviour and it takes energy. So by increasing their song output, there might be some costs of energy." And it is not just robins that are being kept awake by artificial light. Blackoiids and seagulls are also being more nocturnal. Dr Dominoni said, "In Glasgow where I live, gulls are a serious problem. I have people coming to me saying `You are the bird expert. Can you help us kill these gulls?'.During the breeding season, between April and June, they are very active at night and very noisy and people can't sleep." Although Dr Dominoni has only studied light pollution, other research concluded that robins living in noisy cities have started to sing at night to make themselves heard over loud noise. However, some birds thrive in noisy environments. A study from California Polytechnic University found more hummingbirds in areas with heavy industrial machinery. It is thought that they are capitalising on their predators fleeing to quieter areas. Question: What is the researchers' concern over the increase of birds' song output? - The environment might be polluted. - The birds' health might be damaged. - The industry cost might be increased. - The people's hearing might be affected.

Ans:The birds' health might be damaged.
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Ques:Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Zoe Chambers was a successful PR(Public Relations) consultant and life was going well--she had a great job, a beautiful life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. "The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through," she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismiss me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life." Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, then months later, she is still on the farm. "The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless." Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London I was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all I need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and on of Kathy's wonderful dinners." Zoe says she has never bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been teaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing-watching a lamb being born is unbelievable. She says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now " Question: How does Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage? - Tiresome and troublesome. - Romantic and peaceful. - Mentally exhausting but healthy - Physically tiring but rewarding

Ans:Physically tiring but rewarding
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Ques:Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Qi Baishi (1863~1957) is one of the best-known contemporary Chinese artists. His life shows he achieved success by combining talent with hard work. He was born in a peasant family. At 11 he was sent to learn carpentry  . Through his work he got to know some local scholars. One of them, Hu Shenyuan, offered to teach his painting and poetry. During this period he earned his living by painting portraits and selling his works. Gradually he developed a reputation as an artist as well as a carpenter. In those years he devoted himself to poetry, calligraphy  , and seal-carving. Although he admitted he was a versatile   artist, his own criteria   of his successes placed poetry first, seal-carving second, calligraphy third, and painting last. From 1902 to 1916, Qi toured the country five times, and he left his footmarks in many cities, such as Beijing and Hongkong. The trips broadened his vision and changed his style. In 1917 he settled down in Beijing, where he met many artists and scholars, and made friends with Chen Shizeng. Chen advised him not to  _ early masters and to form his own style. Through long years of practice, Qi Baishi evolved a distinctive personal style. The subjects of his painting were wide and various, and the flowers, birds, fish, prawns  , and insects he painted are most admired by his public. To improve his technique of painting prawns, he raised some at home and frequently observed their movements. He wrote in his diary about how he had changed his method of painting prawns: "At first my prawns owned a reasonable similarity, then they became even more realistic, and finally light and dark color1s became properly contrasted. These are the three changes." Qi Baishi was able to portray the same object in either the xieyior thegongbistyle. When he painted a dragonfly in a detailed manner, he even drew the veins   in its wings. When he adopted a  , free style, he used only a few dry, expressive strokes to form it. What is fascinating about his work is that in some pictures both methods are used. Question: Which of the following is Qi's fascination about his works? - He could draw many animals in a painting. - He drew the veins in a dragonfly's wings. - He could draw different colours of prawns. - He could use the xieyiand thegongbistyles in a painting.

Ans: