Ques: It is one of the most annoying words in the English language and it seems there is no escaping it. The word "huh?" is in worldwide use, a study found. Researchers discovered that languages spoken in countries from Ghana and Laos to Iceland and Italy all include "huh?", or something that sounds very like it. They said that while the study may sound silly, the word is an absolutely necessary part of speech. Without it and similar words, it would be impossible to show that we haven't heard or understood what had been said and this would lead to constant misunderstandings. But while other words used in the same context, such as "sorry" or "what", vary widely across languages, "huh?" remains unchanged. The Dutch researchers carefully studied ten languages from around the world, including Siwu, which is spoken in Ghana, and an Australian Aboriginal language, as well as Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Mandarin Chinese. They analysed tapes of recorded conversations for words that sounded like "huh?" and were used to request that whatever had just been said be repeated. All contained a version of "huh?". The word was also found in another 21 languages. While there were subtle differences in each country, all sounded basically the same. This is surprising because normally unrelated languages will use very different words to describe the same thing. For instance, the Japanese for "dog" is "inu", while the French is "chien". It is thought that languages around the world have developed their own version of "huh?" because the sound is quick and simple to form, as well as being easily understood. The researchers, said that it might seem unimportant to carry out scientific research into a word like "huh?" but in fact this little word is an essential tool in human communication. They also have an answer for those who claim that "huh?" isn't a word. They say that it qualifies because of the small differences in its pronunciation in different languages. It also can be considered a word because it's something we learn to say, rather... According to researchers, the word "huh?" is very important in speech because of   _  . A) its stable meaning in language development B) its important function in communication C) its simple and easy sound and spelling D) its popularity in every language
Ans: B

Ques: Computers have many uses today. Computers can solve difficult problems and control other machines. Many people use small computers called calculators to solve simple maths problems quickly. Scientists use large computers to solve many problems at the same time. You can play games with computers, and some computers can help you learn languages. The Kurzweil Reading Machine is a special kind of computer. It can read books for blind people. To use the Kurzweil machine, a blind person can simply open the book and put it down on the scanner . The machine "reads" the words on the page. When one page is finished, the blind person turns the page and puts the book on the scanner again. The Kurzweil machine can read in a normal voice or in a special fast voice.  _ can read words with small letters and large letters. Blind people like the Kurzweil machine because they can "read" anything with it: newspapers, magazines, books, even typed letters. Many libraries now have Kurzweil Machine for blind people to use. The Kurzweil machine can also help short-sighted children learn to read. Which of the following is TRUE? A) Computers can solve all the problems people can't do. B) Large computers can only solve one problem at a time. C) When using the Kurzweil machine, a blind man needn't do anything. D) The Kurzweil machine can help blind people and short-sighted children.
Ans: D

Ques: Chinese high school students have the longest study hours compared to their peers in Japan , the US  and South Korea. A survey conducted by the four countries said. The survey, released by the China Youth and Children Research Center on Monday, was jointly conducted with instructions in the four countries in September-October of 2008. It covers nearly 4,000 students in senior schools and vocational high schools in the four countries. About 78.3 percent of Chinese students said they spend more than eight hours at school and 56.7 percent said they study at least two more hours each day at home .by contrast, only 24.7 percent of their peers in the US , 20.5percent in Japan and 15.4 in Korea study more than two hour s after school. Around 60 percent of all students surveyed said their burden for studies was the heaviest. However the Japanese felt their burden was the worst with respondents   reaching 79.2 percent Among the five biggest headaches for young people in the four countries were: 0ver-sheduling ranked first, followed by a boring leisure life, unsatisfied appearance, little time for exercise and making friends, and no spare money "Moderate study pressure can better drive students to develop, however, too much will press their development space, and can even cause harm to their physical and psychological health" the survey said "Balancing their studies and all round development is a very important task" it said. Which of the following is not true about the survey? A) it took about two months. B) it was conducted in four countries. C) Nearly 4,000 students took part in it. D) it was done only in senior high schools.
Ans: D

Ques: Switzerland is the best place to be born in the world in 2013,and the US is just 16th. A new study made by the Economist Intelligence Unit says American babies will have a dimmer future than those born in Hong Kong,Ireland and even Canada. The EIU,a sister company of The Economist,tried to measure how well countries will provide the best opportunities for a healthy,safe and prosperous life in years to come. People born in Switzerland will tend to be the happiest and have the best quality of life in terms of wealth,health and trust in public institutions,according to the analysis. The Scandinavian countries of Norway,Sweden and Denmark also all make the top five in a'quality-of-lif e'index where it is best to be born next year. One of the most important factors is being rich,but other factors come into play including crime,trust in public institutions and the health of family life. In total,the index takes into account 11 factors. These include fixed factors such as geography,others that change slowly over time such as demography   social and cultural characteristics, and the state of the world economy. The index also looks at income per head in 2030,which is roughly when children born in 2013 will reach adulthood. Small economies take up the top 10 countries,with Australia coming second and New Zealand and the Netherlands not too far behind. Half of the top 10 countries are European,but only one,the Netherlands,is from the eurozone. The crisis-ridden south of Europe,including Greece,Portugal and Spain,falls behind despite the advantage of a favourable climate. Interestingly,the largest European economies-Germany,France and Britain-do not do particularly well. Nigeria has the unenviable title of being the worst country for a baby to enter the world in 2013. The factors of telling the best place to be born don't include  _  . A) economy B) geography C) trust in public institutions D) pollution
Ans: