17. Portuguese bullfighters belong to a unique tradition. For one thing, the bulls are not killed in the ring. _______________ They are locals with day jobs, neighbors who cement their friendship in an ancient way: by risking their lives together. Their event occurs in the place called pega. Eight men enter an arena, line up in single file, and then try to subdue a charging bull by hand. They have no weapons and only each other to rely on. Every emotion is on naked display. There is something timeless about their bravery, something unifying about the beast. Certainly their way-their honor in the ring, their deeply cultivated sense of family outside-is special and traditional.
(A) On the other hand, bullfighting is personal and artistic.
(B) Not surprisingly, the Spanish show little emotion.
(C) For another, some participants are amateurs.
(D) Secondly, bullfighting is a quest for heroism.

1. _______________ After taking some training classes, a retiree volunteer from the local community can receive a certificate and officially become a toy doctor. Records of treatments are returned to the toys’ owners to make them aware that toys do not have to be discarded so easily. Not simply throwing them away when they break is a kind of lesson in values. This also fosters in the kids a sense of appreciation and a habit of taking care of things. (A) Just bring your “injured” toys to the Toy Workshop, and the well-trained “toy doctors” will do their best to bring them back to health. (B) As of now, six elementary schools around Taiwan have applied on their own initiative to take part and set up experimental community toy workshops. (C) The Toy Workshop not only gives the retiree “doctors” a chance to utilize a lifetime of experience, it also teaches children the message of environmental conservation. (D) The therapeutic function of the technical classes and the uplifting appreciation from the kids attract the seniors to the Toy Workshop volunteer program.

2. _______________ Perhaps we can learn to transform our colored pencils into one of those sculptures by South African artist Jennifer Maestre. She cuts hundreds of colored pencils into small sections and drills a hole in each to turn them into beads, which she then carefully stitches together in artistic shapes. Other paper-craft artists devise incredibly complex three-dimensional sculptures by cutting, folding, and gluing. Remarkably, the majority of Danish artist Peter Calleson’s impressive work is formed from a single A4 sheet. (A) When most of us are faced with a blank sheet of paper, we only think of doodling. (B) There are multiple ways to use a pencil and paper when we are creating art. (C) It is very economical to use pencils and paper to create imaginative artistic works. (D) No matter where they are from, male artists are no less talented than female artists.

3. _______________ It is a wearable camera set to take photos passively every 30 seconds throughout the day. Researchers tracked the brain activity of patients with memory loss and found that SenseCam images sparked genuine memories of their day. In other words, the images provided powerful cues that activated parts of the brain associated with normal episodic memory. Thus, patients’ experiences were remembered through thoughts, feelings, and other events not shown in the images. (A) SenseCam is a newly developed memory aid for patients affected by Alzheimer’s disease. (B) Alzheimer’s disease first affects patients’ ability to remember the recent past. (C) Alzheimer’s patients and their families welcome the newest technological development. (D) To Alzheimer’s patients, thoughts and feelings are more important than images.

4. _______________ Forty percent of the territory has been set aside as country park because a great deal of the hilly, landslide-prone terrain is unsuitable for building and so is left unmolested. Local hikers have long enjoyed forested uplands, hidden waterfalls, and stony ridges that plunge down to rugged and wild coastlines. In recent years, a number of organizations have made it easier for tourists to discover the city’s lesser-known side. One of these is Ark Eden on Lantau, an environmental center promoting guided walks to see some natural beauty of this largest island. As a green destination, Hong Kong does have the capacity to delight you. (A) Most tourists may wonder whether development-mad Hong Kong has much of an environmental conscience. (B) Visitors to Hong Kong have typically found it more difficult to discover its natural scenery than shopping convenience. (C) Do not be surprised when you hear that the authorities in Hong Kong like to refer to it as “Green Hong Kong.” (D) Although home to a number of major developments, Lantau’s land is largely undeveloped and not densely populated.

5. _______________ According to the editor-at-large of Psychology Today, kids who have developed a well-earned sense of mastery are more optimistic and decisive. In addition, studies conducted by a Stanford psychologist proved that the kids who were complimented on their intelligence, rather than the ones praised for their hard work, were much more likely to turn down the opportunity to do a challenging new task that they could learn from. What’s more, after a person becomes proficient at a mental task through extensive drill, brain activity can shift to the areas associated with higher-level thinking and reflection. (A) Many elements of strict Chinese parents’ approach are supported by research in psychology and cognitive science. (B) Research demonstrates what distinguishes Chinese parents is that they assume strength instead of fragility. (C) Willingness to drill is one major way in which Chinese parents’ approach differs from that of their Western counterparts. (D) By restricting children’s choices as a child, Chinese parents prepare them for many choices in their lives as an adult.

6. _______________ Extra weight puts an added toll on people’s bones and joints. Hence, for the overweight, running is not an option, and walking can become difficult. G-Defy shoes will take the pressure from the wearers’ large frame body and make them more active. Overweight people will notice immediate relief of common pain during exercise as the springs of G-Defy athletic shoes absorb most of the impact by easing the stress on their joints, back, and neck while walking, running, or jumping. (A) As overweight people slip their feet into G-Defy, the Smart Memory rebound spring propels them forward, reduces their fatigue, and conserves their energy. (B) Modern people should give their whole body a break from the stress of their highimpact lives and experience breakthroughs in their lifestyle. (C) Within ten days of regular use, G-Defy’s special combination of space age rubber and durable spring will begin to improve your overall comfort. (D) Providing various benefits to enhance athletic lifestyle, this gravity-defying footwear is a scientifically engineered blessing for the overweight people.

7. _______________ Tolerating “wrong” answers is essential because creativity depends upon ambiguity, making mistakes, and being playful. You must lower your standards on neatness or quietness at home so as not to discourage kids’ creative impulses. Since praising or rewarding too much can zap their creativity and intrinsic motivation, you had better go easy on the rewards. Especially, when you express yourself and model creativity, children not only learn creative behavior but also see being creative as something of value. (A) In general, little kids are naturally creative, and most readily take notice of their own creative impulses. (B) Your creative genius and inner Muse may just need some encouragement and a little practice. (C) Here are some reminders to help you nurture your children’s creative spirit and original self-expression. (D) The qualities that facilitate kids’ creative accomplishments can sometimes make them hard to live with.

8. _______________ As the largest flying parrot species in the world, hyacinth macaws have been hunted for food and pursued for the caged bird trade and for their beautiful feathers to be used in head-dresses. Dwindling numbers are also caused by habitat loss due to grass fires, deforestation, and urban redevelopment. At the Jurong Bird Park, which is part of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, they are bred to ensure the existence and survival of this endangered species from South America. The successful breeding program culminated in two hatchlings in February 2010. (A) Generally speaking, Asian people work harder on wildlife preservation and breeding than most South Americans do. (B) Although facing an uncertain future in their native South American habitats, hyacinth macaws are given a new life in Singapore. (C) Listed as one of the endangered species, hyacinth macaws deserve more humane concern and protection in Asia than elsewhere. (D) Naturally affectionate, intelligent, and playful, hyacinth macaws symbolize ecological balance to the people in Singapore.

9. _______________ In this mosquito-infested country, an estimated 450,000 families live in high-risk malaria prevalent areas. Luckily, there is a simple and cost effective way to protect children from malaria. One insecticide treated bed net costs US$6 only and lasts up to five years. Sleeping under it can reduce overall child mortality by 20 percent. The public’s support for this United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) project can save a lot of children’s lives. (A) The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund is working with the government of Myanmar to provide effective and affordable malaria prevention to families with small children. (B) Malaria is both preventable and treatable, and effective preventive measures as well as curative tools have been developed by non-governmental organizations. (C) To reduce vulnerability to malaria and to combat the spread of malaria, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund distributed insecticide treated bed nets exclusively to Myanmar households. (D) According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, approximately half of malaria deaths in the Southeast Asia region occur in Myanmar’s malaria prevalent townships.

10. _______________ The foster children who are the hardest to find homes for consist of kids older than ten, kids with special needs, sibling groups, and African Americans. Success depends on close coordination of a professional team that includes two full-time private investigators who track down dozens of members of a child’s biological family. On a practical level, relatives are more likely than strangers to go through with adoption, and having contact with family is critical to a child’s identity. As visitors from around the country are eager to observe and replicate its method, Extreme Recruitment might pave the way to revolutionize the foster-care system in America. (A) Before allowing strangers to adopt foster children, the government should make sure they do not have family members who can take care of them. (B) There are nearly half a million American children in foster care, but they would age out of the foster-care system when they turn eighteen. (C) The Internet, especially public databases like publicrecordsnow.com and virtualgumshoe.com, has made Extreme Recruitment’s family-matching job easier. (D) An innovative program in St. Louis, Missouri, is making big strides in matching hard-toplace kids with adoptive families in a highly effective way.

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