*Question*
Nobody Benefits NEW YORK--America has been experiencing the longest economic increase in its history.Incomes have risen, unemployment has fallen, and cities such as New York are bursting with new office buildings. But just a short walk from Manhattan's skyscrapers, George Brown sits on the side-walk, cooking a lunch of rice and bits of fish over a can of cooking fuel. Brown is homeless -- one of the 2.3 million people in the US who end up on the street. During the day, Brown collects aluminium cans and sells them for five cents a piece.At night, he sleeps on the street. "I have been on the street about eight or nine years, something like that," said the 62-year-old former construction worker. Brown admits he's had problems with alcohol and has smoked cocaine.But he said he still wants a more stable housing arrangement.He could afford it just with the money he earns by collecting cans and small pieces of metal, if only truly low-income housing were available. However, he sees no hope of finding affordable housing in New York. With the strong economy and unemployment down, beautiful housing is being built to meet demand. A US report shows rents in New York city rose more than 27 percent between 1984 and 1999, from US $549 to US $700 a month. One of the side effects of the strong economy is that rents have been going up. The majority of people who experience homelessness really just need some affordable housing help. But few housing companies have been built for the poor.Many small apartments in the city now rent for US $1,500 a month or more. Brown, the homeless New Yorker, said he has a daughter who lives in the city but he rarely sees her.She is angry about his drinking and won't allow it in her house. Smiling, he said he also has seven grandchildren whom he'd like to see more often. "All I've got to do is clean up my act," he said. What kind of life does George Brown lead? A) Homeless and dangerous B) Homeless and childish C) Homeless and miserable D) Homeless and sleepless
**Answer**
C

*Question*
Marriages improve after children grow up and move out,according to an academic study,which suggests an" empty nest" is not always a bad thing.     Popular wisdom has it that parents' relationships may suffer once their young fly the coop,because they feel they have lost their purpose in life.However, a new study by researchers at the  University of California, Berkeley,has found that many couples actually feel happier when their children leave home because they are able to enjoy spending time together.     In total,123 American mothers born in the 1930s were tracked for 18 years and asked to rate their satisfaction levels shortly after marrying, when they were bringing up babies,once their children reached their teenage years and finally at age 61,when almost all had" empty nests".     Although not all said they were happier in general,most claimed their marriages had improved since their children had left home.Researchers believe this is not just because the spouses were spending more time together, but because they were able to enjoy each other's company more.     One of the participants in the study, which is published in the journal Psychological Science,said:"Once the kids grow up...there's some of that stress removed...that responsibility removed,so things are a little more relaxed.''     Psychologist Sara Gorchoff, who carried out the investigation,said:"The take-home message  for couples with young children is' hang in there'."Her co-author Oliver John added:"Don't wait until your kids leave home to schedule quality time with your partner."         However, Dr Dorothy Rowe,from the British Psychological Society,said the effects of living in an "empty nest'" will depend on the parents'relationship with their children."If yod're just waiting for them to leave home so you Can get on with your life,then of course you'11 be pleased to see them go,"she said,''But if you've built your life around your children you'11 be terribly lonely."For some parents,their world falls apart when their Children leave.'' The author of the passage tends to agree that_. A) parents should build their life around their kids B) parents should schedule quality time with each other before kids leave home C) parents' relationship with their kids has no effect on marriages at all D) parents should be pleased to see their kids leave home
**Answer**
B

*Question*
Why does most of the world travel on the right side today? Theories differ, but there's no doubt that Napoleon was a major influence. The French had used the right since at least the late 18th century. Some say that before the French Revolution, noblemen drove their carriages on the left, forcing the peasants to the right. Regardless of the origin, Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he conquered, including Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Hitler, in turn, ordered right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia and Austria in the 1930s. Nations that escaped right-hand control, like Great Britain, followed their left-hand tradition. The U.S. has not always been a nation of right-hand rivers; earlier in its history, carriage and horse traffic traveled on the left, as it did in England. But by the late 1700s, people driving large wagons pulled by several pairs of horses began promoting a shift to the right. A driver would sit on the rear   left horse in order to wave his whip with his right hand; to see opposite traffic clearly, they traveled on the right. One of the final moves to firmly standardize traffic directions in the U.S. occurred in the 20th century, when Henry Ford decided to mass-produce his cars with controls on the left (one reason, stated in 1908; the convenience for passengers exiting directly onto the edge, especially... if there is a lady to be considered). Once these rules were set, many countries eventually adjusted to the right-hand standard, including Canada in the 1920s, Sweden in 1967 and Burma in 1970. The U.K. and former colonies such as Australia and India are among the western world's few remaining holdouts. Several Asian countries, including Japan, use the left as well -- thought many places use both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive cars. Why did people in Switzerland travel on the right? A) They had used the right-hand since the 18th century. B) Rich people enjoyed driving their carriages on the right. C) Napoleon introduced the right-hand traffic to this country. D) Hitler ordered them to go to against their left-hand tradition.
**Answer**

Show your work and conclude with the exact phrasing "Therefore, the final answer is [answer]." where [answer] is just the final number or expression that solves the problem.
user
C