Read the following article and answer the question. Article: Nobody knows for   certainty all the details of the life of Aesop. However, scholars have been working to established some facts and this is the brief story of Aesop as it is accepted today. Aesop was born a slave around the year 620 B.C. InAncient Greece, it was a privilege and tradition of freedmen to be interested in public affairs, so Aesop worked hard to raise himself from a servile slave's position to a high position of renown. He was a thinker and philosopher and eventually became widely admired. Aesop was a smart man and a good speaker. He liked to learn and to also teach people, so he traveled through many countries. He came to Sardis, the capital of the famous king Croesus of Lydia who was a patron of learning and learned men.  Croesus was so impressed by Aesop that he invited Aesop to permanently reside at Sardis. The king hired Aesop to do diplomatic government work such as trying to establish peace between the various republics of Greece. Aesop reconciled the inhabitants of these cities by telling his wise fables.  It was on one of these ambassadorial missions that Aesop was killed. Croesus had sent him to Delphi with lots of gold which was to be distributed among the citizens. After talking with the people of Delphi, Aesop got so mad at the citizens because of their covetousness. He refused to divide the money and instead sent it back to his master. The Delphians were so mad they executed Aesop as a public criminal.  As it often happens in Greek history, the Delphians were visited by a series of calamities as a sort of retribution for Aesop's death. This is where the phrase "the blood of Aesop" originated. The saying means "wrongful deeds will not go unpunished".  In memory of Aesop, a statue was erected in Athens. The statue was created by the famous Greek sculptor, Lysippus. Question: Why did Aesop work so hard? Answer:
Because he desired to join in public affairs.
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Read the following article and answer the question. Article: BEIJING Nov. 28 (Xinhuanet) - Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday pledged  central and local government funds to provide and improve school bus services in the wake of the traffic accident that killed 19 preschool children and sparked national outrage . He urged relevant departments of the State Council to "rapidly" formulate safety regulations for school coaches, and said China will accelerate the setting up of standards on design and production. Central and local governments will share the costs on providing more school buses that meet safety requirements, the premier said. However, Wen said a lot of local governments have failed to meet the rapidly increased demand for safe school buses or established sound management systems. Officials will face investigations into their responsibility if tragedies such as the one in Gansu occur again, he warned. Yuan Guilin, an education professor at Beijing Normal University who is known for his research into rural education, has proposed that all school buses should be equipped with black boxes, adding that it is achievable and affordable. The government should also improve the wages and benefits for drivers to prevent them from taking extra jobs and often driving while tired, he said. Given that some authorities complain that they are short of money, Yuan suggested they be allowed to sell advertising space on school buses. Gan Yuanchun, who participated in a campaign to promote school bus safety, said the central government should encourage the use of smaller school buses in rural areas, as roads in remote countryside areas are not as wide as in cities. Students' parents should also be able to get involved in deciding how school buses are managed, he added. In rural areas, especially in western parts, many children are struggling to receive quality preschool education because public kindergartens are scarce and most private ones often do not have qualified teachers or hardware. Question: Which of the following would be the best title of the passage? Answer:
Premier Wen promised to guarantee school bus safety.
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Read the following article and answer the question. Article: Blogit is the first online subscription network connecting individual readers and writers.As Blogit grows, amazing things are happening.A friendly, active community has formed: readers are finding writers they enjoy; strangers are becoming friends; old classmates are running into one another; even romances are blossoming.And popular writers have already earned more than $1,000 on Blogit each month. Want to try? First of all, Blogit lets writers easily realize their dreams to write.Writers get their own writing space, where they are free to write on any topic, whenever they want: from opinion and observation to novel and poetry.Secondly, writers experience the excitement of knowing they are read, and enjoy gradually gaining a loyal  following.It' s simple for writers to find readers on Blogit, since there is a various, worldwide audience of people, waiting to read and comment ----right now. You never know whom you might meet on Blogit.Whether writers are looking for a quiet readership or are hungry for a spirited discussion, they will find it on Blogit. Many writers even have readers who have become new friends. Blogit member introduction appear on many of the top Internet search engines, which allows writers to publicize  their identity and helps increase their number of readers. Thanks to modern technology, writers get everything they need to begin.They can even make additional choices, to add pictures and select different styles, for example.There is nothing to install , and no  special software is needed.As Blogit grows, we are upgrading our systems and adding new features  requested by members.We do our best to help members, replying to most questions within one business day. I invite you to try Blogit today.Here' s my promise: if you find that you aren't being read on Blogit, simply cancel  your subscription and you will not be charged again.It' s quick and easy to sign up.If you sign up now, you'll get all of Blogit's benefits for only $12.95 per month.You can start to be read and begin earning money directly! Question: The author's purpose in writing this passage is to   _  . Answer:
attract people to sign up for Blogit
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Read the following article and answer the question. Article: Ted Shreds doesn't like cars.He wants people to stop driving because cars make the air dirty.Ted had an idea.He said,"I'm going to cycle around North America.I want to show everyone that cycling is a fun way to get around.If more people ride bikes,the air will be cleaner." He left his hometown with $160 in his pocket.When he got to San Diego,he met another cyclist.The cyclist invited Ted to speak at a big meeting about the environment.He said,"We'll pay your airfare to Texas and we'll pay you to talk about your cycling trip."Two hours late,Ted was on a plane to the environmental conference and to a _ ! While he was at the conference,he met Deanna,it was love at first sight!They talked for six hours straight. The next day,Ted called Deanna and asked her to finish the trip with him.Deanna said yes,sold everything in her apartment,gave her notice at work,and was on the road with Ted 20 days later! "It was difficult at first,"said Deanna."Ted got up every morning at 6:00 a.m.,but I wanted to sleep until noon."After a few days,they started having fun.As they cycled from Florida to Montreal and then back to Vancouver,every day was an adventure.People paid for their food in restaurants and gave them extra money.Some people gave them $50 or $100.They slept in people's backyards and drank beer with motorcycle gangs. On their way back to Vancouver,they stopped in Edmonton to visit Ted's relatives.During the stopover,they got married.People tied a "Just Married" sign and tin cans to the backs of their bikes.They got married.They now want to write a book about their trip."We want people to know that you can be an environmentalist and still have fun,"Shreds said. Question: During the trip,Ted and Deanna  _  . Answer:
