Which of the following would the writer support?

In the history of technology, computers and calculators were innovative developments. They are essentially different from all other machines because they have a memory. This memory stores instructions and information. In a calculator, the instructions are the various functions of arithmetic, which are permanently remembered by the machine and cannot be altered or added to. The information consists of the numbers keyed in. An electronic pocket calculator can perform almost instant arithmetic. A calculator requires an input unit to feed in numbers, a processing unit to make the calculation, a memory unit, and an output unit to display the result. The calculator is powered by a small battery or by a panel of solar cells. Inside is a microchip that contains the memory and processing units and also controls the input unit, which is the keyboard, and the output unit, which is the display. The input unit has keys for numbers and operations. Beneath the key is a printed circuit board containing a set of contacts for each key. Pressing a key closes the contacts and sends a signal along a pair of lines in the circuit board to the processing unit, in which the binary code for that key is stored in the memory. The processing unit also sends the code to the display. Each key is connected by a different pair of lines to the processing unit, which repeatedly checks the lines to find out when a pair is linked by a key. The memory unit stores the arithmetic instructions for the processing unit and holds the temporary results that occur during calculation. Storage cells in the memory unit hold the binary codes for the keys that have been pressed. The number codes, together with the operation code for the plus key, are held in temporary cells until the processing unit requires them. When the equals key is pressed, it sends a signal to the processing unit. This takes the operation code-for example, addition-and the two numbers being held in the memory unit and performs the operation on the two numbers. A full adder does the addition, and the result goes to the decoder in the calculator's microchip. This code is then sent to the liquid crystal display unit, which shows the result, or output, of the calculation. 

The word "innovative" in line 1 could best be replaced by ...............

The word "contacts" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ..............

Why does the author mention “long, grueling hours without sleeps” in paragraph 4?

Which sentence is NOT true about studio musicians?

The passage is mainly about the subject of .............

Which of the following is NOT true?

The need for a surgical operation, especially an emergency operation, almost always comes as a severe shock to the patient and his family. Despite modern advances, most people still have an irrational fear of hospitals and anaesthetics. Patients do riot often believe they really need surgery- cutting into a part of the body as opposed to treatment with drugs. In the early year of the 20 century, there was little specialization in surgery. A good surgeon was capable of performing almost every operation that had been advised up to that time. Today the situation is different. Operations are now being carried out that were not even dreamed of fifty years ago. The heart can be safely opened and its valves repaired. Cloyed blood vessels can be clean out, and broken ones mended and replaced. A lung, the whole stomach, or even part of the brain can be removed and still permit the patient to live a comfortable and satisfactory life. However, not every surgeon wants to, or is qualified to carry out every type of modern operation. The scope of surgery has increase remarkable in the past decades. Its safety has increased, too. Deaths from most operations are about 20% of what they were in 1910 and surgery has been extended in many directions, for example, to certain types of birth defects in new born babies, and at the other end of the scale, to life-saving operation for the octogenarian .The hospital stay after surgery has been shortened to as little as a week for most major operations. Most patients are out of bed on the day after an operation and may be back at work in two or three weeks. One of the most revolutionary areas of modern surgery is that of organ transplants. Until a few decades ago, no person, except an identical twins, was able to accept into his body the tissues of another person without reacting against them and eventually killing them. Recently, however, it has been discovered that with the use of X-rays and special drugs, it is possible to graft tissues from one person to another which will survive for periods of a year or more. Kidneys have been successfully transplanted between non-identical twins. Heart and lung transplants have also been reasonably successful. “Spare parts” surgery, the simple routine replacement of all worn-out organs by new ones, is still a dream of the future but surgery is ready for such miracles. In the meantime, you can be happy if the doctors say to you: “Yes, l think it is possible to operate on you for this condition”. 

Most people are afraid of being operated on ............

Productivity Hacks for Great Success No matter who we are or where we are from, we only have 24 hours each day to get things done. Some people seem to make the most of their time, using it to achieve their goals and dreams. Others feel that life is passing them by and they aren’t accomplishing anything. If you are in the latter group, it is not too late to turn things around. By implementing a few simple hacks, you can start getting better results very quickly. If you want to become more productive, it pays to learn about the Pareto principle (which is also known as the 80-20 rule). It states that for most tasks, 80 percent of the results we get come from 20 percent of the work we do. For example. 80 percent of the company sales usually come from 20 percent of customers. Therefore, the trick is to focus your efforts on the key 20 percent of actions that truly matter to greatly improve your results. In some cases, people may be busy from morning to night but still seem to get nothing done. In this situation, the problem might be that clear goals haven’t been set. To fix this, set some time aside to list the things you want to achieve in life. Then, select the top three or four that you want to focus on for the next year. Look at your goals every night before bedtime and ask yourself what are the next actions to accomplish each day. Then, promise yourself that you will finish these tasks no matter how busy you get. If possible try completing the tasks first thing in the morning so you are assured of success. Another common mistake regarding productivity is not considering our energy levels. If we try to work around the clock, we will eventually get tired and quit. Everyone needs time to sleep, eat, socialize with friends, and unwind from the stress of the day. To make sure you don’t burn out, be sure to schedule some time for breaks and fun activities into your schedule every day. Finally, no matter how difficult your goals may seem, remember the old saying that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. 

What is implied in the last sentence of the passage?

As viewed from space, Earth’s distinguishing characteristics are its blue waters and white clouds. Enveloped by an ocean of air consisting of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, the planet is the only one in our solar system known to harbor life. Circling the Sun at an average distance of 149 million kilometers (93 million miles), Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest planet in the solar system. Our planet’s rapid spin and molten nickel-iron core give rise to an extensive magnetic field which, coupled the atmosphere, shields us from nearly all of the harmful radiation coming from the Sun and other stars. Earth’s atmosphere protects us from meteors as well, most of which burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere before they can strike the surface. The planet active geological processes have left no evidence of the ancient pelting it almost certainly received soon after it formed about 4.6 billion years ago. The Earth has a single natural satellite – the moon.  Approximately how much of the Earth’s atmosphere is nitrogen?

The word "their" in paragraph 1 refers to ______.