Sometimes the way to get ahead is not to make mistakes. Mr. Obama ran an excellent campaign. 1st Hillary made mistakes. Then McCain and Palin made a hundred mistakes, and Obama cruised to an easy victory. He seems intelligent and I wish him the best. Poor meiguo has so many problems - I hope he can help steer the ship in the right direction. Many people that are extemely religious or own guns voted against him, but these are not the important issues any more. I hope he can build relationships with other countries - no country can stand alone now.

In English some words are used only by a small fraction of the population. They are too sophisticated or even have "snob" appeal. "Articulate" is a fancy way to say that someone can express their ideas clearly or precisely so that others can understand. We all have areas of expertise. Yao Ming, I am sure, can be articulate about sports. President Hu is articulate in politics. But both are likely to say, "Let me express an idea," not "Let me articulate." Ming bai le ma?

F2... sounds like you have some aspirations. Recommend you work on a business plan, arrange some financing, and perhaps seek the help of a partner. It takes lots of work. Also, you must be able to carve out a niche as competition is often intense. 8 of 10 new businesses fail in the first year, so please plan before making the leap. :)

Yes. "A" is the best answer. Unfortunately, many of the questions on such tests have nothing to do with the real world. So called "academics" put the tests together, but more than half the dialogue is utterly useless in conversation. Hope you have a lot of determination to wade through that bull. Find a teacher that can tell you what is worthwhile in life, and what is not. Some of the textbooks out there are garbage.

Hi. 1. You must maintain your motivation. It is helpful if you have other people to push you. 2. Repetition is very important. 3. You must find ways to use what you practice. This can be at work or in a social setting. You need all three of the above, or your progress will be a little disappointing. :) Good luck.