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Question: Put 2 February in your diary! It is World Wetlands Day! It marks the date that the Convention on Wetlands was signed in1971.This special day was first celebrated in 1997 and it is celebrated every year. The celebration is a call for action. It is a way to show people how important and useful the wetlands are for people. On World Wetlands Day, people around the world take part in many wetlands activities. People take trips to the local wetlands. There are talks about how important the wetlands are. People get together to clean up their local wetlands Children draw pictures to advertise the day. People also compete in boat races. The World Wetlands Day is important! If there are no wetlands, there will be no water for anyone in the future. Wetlands help protect nature and resources like fresh water. Already, more than 10000 million people in the world do not have fresh water. Many people do not know how important the wetlands are. They can understand why an elephant or a tiger is important because they are big, beautiful animals. It is much harder for them to understand how important the animals in the wetlands are. These small animals, such as frogs and snails, play a very important part in keeping the balance of nature. All plants and animals are part of the food chain .If the small wetlands animals die, some animals in the food chain will have nothing to eat. They will also die. People need the wetlands to keep the balance of nature in the world. If we do not protect nature today,it will be gone tomorrow. What should you put in your diary? Options: A. Some frogs. B. The date of World Wetlands Day. C. 1971 D. Any special day. Answer:

B

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Question: Drinking wine in moderation improves the IQ and may boost mental agility in old people,according to Japanese researchers. A study of the effects of alcohol on the middle aged and elderly found the average IQ of men who drink wine (whether made from grapes or rice) was 3.3 points higher than that of men who do not imbibe. Similarly,the IQ of women drinkers showed an improvement of 2.5 points over their teetotal sisters.The findings are part of an ongoing study by Japan's National Institute for Longevity into the links between human intelligence and what we eat and drink. The tests measured general knowledge,powers of judgment and concentration in drinkers and non-drinkers over 40,all living in Aichi prefecture,central Japan,and sharing the same income level-roughlyPS50 000 a year--and educational background.All were university graduates. But while wine-drinkers appeared to be brighter,the same was not true of those who drank deer,shochu (a local gin) and whisky. "The benefits of wine and sake (rice wine) in raising IQ could be due to substances they contain,such as polyphenol,which are believed to slow the ageing process," Hiroshi Shimokata,head of epidemiology research,said. It was premature to conclude,he added,that drinking wine or sake slowed the deterioration of brain functions in the elderly,or warded off senility.The research does,however,suggest that this is one way to stay mentally alert longer. But there is a sobering caveat:drinking too much may make you dimmer."People who drink more than 540 milli-litres (a little over a pint) of sake or wine a day had lower intelligence quotients than those who did not drink at all,"Hiroshi Shimokata said."Moderation is very important." Which one is the topic of the passage? Options: A. Drinking wine in a large amount improves the IQ of old people. B. Drinking wine in a reasonable amount raises the IQ of old people. C. Drinking wine in moderation does good to any one. D. Drinking wine helps improve the IQ of women. Answer:

B

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Question: I decided a few months ago that I was going to treat myself to a 4-day getaway from Los Angeles and visit Chicago. I got a free airplane ticket, but had to pay the hotel in cash, which I really couldn't afford. I found a travel website where a discounted 3-night stay was purchased from a recently opened hotel. About three weeks before the trip, I had to regretfully cancel and only then realized the room, while transferable to another person, couldn't be changed to a later date and wasn't refundable. For the next two weeks I tried selling it on Craig's list with no success. Five days before the "big weekend", I gave up trying to get any money back and decided I'd contact some acquaintances who live in Chicago and offer someone a free "staycation". After trying a handful of people all of whom already had their own plans, I was determined to have the room not go to waste. That's when it suddenly occurred to me that I was looking at the rooms in the wrong way. Instead of viewing them for vacation purposes, surely there must be a way to put them to good use, and that was when the idea that some sort of shelter might be able to use it. I eventually found one whose focus is aiding victims of domestic violence. This particular one was willing to listen to my out-of-left-field story and made it easier to transfer the rooms. The shelter was working with a desperate woman and her daughter, who were fortunately able to make use of the room. I was later told by the shelter " _ ". What did the author finally do with his room reservation? Options: A. He sold it to someone on vacation. B. He used it for domestic violence. C. He put it off to a later holiday time. D. He donated it to needy strangers. Answer:

D

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Question: About 10 years ago my daughter was about 2500 kilometers from Newcastle, and rang me one day crying because of an emotional problem she was facing. She was about 20, and in a town known as Ayrlie Beach in Northern Queensland. I asked her what it was that she needed most in that moment, and she replied that she needed support, and my arms around her would be the best thing that she could hope for! Because I couldn't do that in that exact moment, I asked her to describe her surroundings to me (I have ly no idea 'why', at the time), and said that if she hadn't heard from me in about 30 minutes, she could ring me back. I asked her to stay exactly where she was. After hanging up the phone, I just sat for a few seconds. After only a very short time a phone number jumped into my head. I rang the number and it was a woman who had bought a house from me about 18 months previously, when I was working in Real Estate. My exact words to her were these, "Oh, it's you Liz, I have no idea why I'm calling you in particular, but my daughter is in trouble in Ayrlie Beach, and I just got the thought to ring you and tell you that. Have you any idea why?" "It could be because my son lives there," says Liz. "Oh really, that's got to be it," I said. "Do you mind giving me his phone number, Liz?" "Of course not, and I can only hope that he can be of some help!" I rang straight away (only about 5 minutes have passed since telling my daughter that somehow I'd get her help). Fortunately, he answered immediately, and I told him the story of who I was, and why I'd rung. I gave him the description of my daughter; where she was standing; and that she needed emotional support if he could find it in his heart to help out so unexpectedly like this. "Oh yes, I can see her," he said..."she's right across the street from where I'm standing!" He walked across the street and told my daughter that her Dad had sent him! Imagine that...she almost fainted: only about 10 minutes had passed since she had rung me! I believe that she said something like this, "Wow, Dad's getting pretty good at this stuff!". That's intuition at it's best! The author's daughter probably felt _ when the man told her that her dad had sent him. Options: A. disappointed B. doubtful C. excited D. surprised Answer:

D

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Question: Plants need green leaves to make food. A plant needs sunlight and carbon dioxide from the air for making food and it also needs water and salts from the soil to make food too. There are certain cells in the leaves which change carbon dioxide and water into sugar. To do this the cells needs energy, which they get from the sunlight. Green leaves make food for the whole plant. A red leaf can make food too because under the red color1ing of the leaf there are food----making cells. There are no leaves which are completely yellow, for they can't make food. The plant makes sugar for its food. In sunlight green leaves make a lot of sugar. The veins can't carry all this sugar away, so the leaves change the sugar into starch , which is kept and so stored in the leaves. At night, the starch changes back to sugar. It is then carried away from the leaves. Some of the sugar is used as food by the plant while the rest is stored as starch. In some plants, food is stored in the roots, in others it is stored in the stem and in leaves, fruits and seeds. Which of the following best gives the main idea of this passage? _ . Options: A. How green plants make food. B. How green plants make sugar. C. How green plants get their energy. D. How green plants change sugar into starch. Answer:

A

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Question: As a girl, I've spent a great deal of my time on earth concerned about my weight. So I do know something about exercise. Let me tell you about the calorie-burning activities I've tried or will try. Salsa I try to maintain my weight through dancing. Dancing improves my coordination and sense of rhythm in addition to burning calories. I'm personally interested in salsa, which I find sexy and expressive . But I have not yet to start classes, because classes are very expensive, and I cannot find a dance partner. Ping-Pong Ping-pong is the national sport of China, so how could I know nothing about it? My father is a ping-pong fan, and a really good player. He's won several informal matches. My relationship with ping-pong has always been on-and-off. I'll get into it for a while, and then lose interest. The reason is because I can't find a good partner. Some stronger can depress you, while someone weaker (or just as weak) can make the game boring. Tae Kwon Do I've recently decided to try tae kwon do as my regular exercise activity. There's a story behind this choice: A few weeks ago, I was sitting on a bus, concentrating on a book. Suddenly, the bus became very quiet except for the sound of a woman's crying. I looked up to see what had happened and overheard whispers that she had just quarreled with a man, and the man slapped her face. No one on the bus dared say anything because the man looked really strong. Even now I feel ashamed I was among the silent. That's why I've made up my mind to learn something that will help me protect others and myself. Why doesn't the girl want to go to learn salsa? Options: A. The dance is too difficult to learn. B. Nobody wants to dance with her. C. She has no time to join the classes. D. She finds it sexy and expressive. Answer:

B

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Question: A line graph is best used to Options: A. compare many variables. B. display data as parts of a whole. C. track the relationship between two variables over time. D. organize data using pictures of objects. Answer:

C

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Question: This is not a diet. It's a simple way to lose weight~ And you don' t even have to give up the food you love or join a gym. You just follow some habits that thin people have. Keep them, and you'll become thin. ( 1 ) Wake - up When you wake up in the morning, sit up slowly without using your hands. With legs straight out, bend( ) forward until you feel sore in your back. It will burn about 10 calories (,). (2) Start with soup When you have a meal, order a clear soup, and have it before having the main food. In this way, you'll feel fuller, so you'll eat less when the main food comes. (3) An apple (or more) a day Apples are full of fiber and water, so your stomach will want less. The study shows that people who eat at least three, apples a day lose weight. (4) Stand up and walk around Every time you use the mobile phone, stand up and walk around. Heavy people sit on average two and a half hours more each day than thin people. This skill is very important as standing up and walking around will burn 50 or more calories. Use these skills, and you will have a big weight loss. ,A, B, C, D,. (5,2,10) What's the purpose of the passage? Options: A. To give some advice on how to lose weight. B. To advise people to eat apples every day. C. To tell people how to enjoy a better life. D. To advise people to give up bad habits. Answer:

A

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Question: An ATM that spits out cupcakes instead of cash is now filling a popular demand in the American market:late-night desire for freshly baked sweets. In six cities across the country, sugar addicts can now purchase a cupcake for $4.25 from an automatic machine 24 hours every day.The freshly baked goods are made by the California-based cupcake shop Sprinkles. The idea came to the company's co-founders Candace and Charles Nelson when Candace was pregnant with their first child. Candace thought it was ridiculous that she owned cupcake bakeries aad couldn't get a freshly baked treat at an unusual hour.That desire inspired the company's first cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills,Calif.in 2012. Charles said each ATM serves about l,000 cupcakes per day.The machine is so popular that when it appeared in Manhattan, customers were lined up around the block to use _ Yet,inventing the first cupcake ATM was not as easy as convincing customers to use it.When the Nelsons started defigning the machine,they quickly realized nothing existed that could give a fully unbroken cupcake to a customer.The company had to partner with a European firm to develop the technology that could deliver a cupcake without dropping it several feet like a typical machine.After going through a seeond development cycle with the product, the ATMs can now satisfy tlle demand of growing customers and even make as many as four cupcakes at a time. In terms of the company, the-machine allows Sprinkles to do the impossible:increase hours of operation without raising costs.Now the company can sell cupcakes around the clock through the ATM without paying employees. Now the company is partnering with a Middle Eastern company to open 34 new locations abroad. How did the Nelsons come up with the idea of'a cupulke ATM? Options: A. Their first child wagted to eat fresh cupcakes. B. Candace hoped to eat a fleshly baked cupcake at any time. C. The cupcakes they sold couldn't satisfy the customers' demands. D. They couldn't afford to employ enough workers. Answer:

B

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Question: This Teaching Assistant Level 3 course is designed for people who either are, or wish to become a teaching assistant. Teaching assistants carry out their tasks under the direction of the class teacher. This is a fully supported home study course, and the help is available whenever you need it --- either online or over the phone. There is a huge demand for teaching assistants around the country but also many thousands of applicants for these positions. Having this Teaching Assistant Level 3 qualification will help you stand out from other applicants. Our Level 3 Teaching Assistant course is similar to the NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) Level 3 because it is an equivalent level of learning. The teaching assistant is able to contribute in four main areas: Supporting the teacher Supporting the pupil Supporting the school Supporting the curriculum The salary a teaching assistant is expected to earn a year: London fringe :PS16,856 - PS26,052 Outer London: PS18,789 - PS27,992 Inner London: PS19,893 - PS29,088 Rest of England and Wales: PS15,817 - PS25,016 The fee and the time of enrolment Enroll for only a PS35 deposit. Teaching Assistant Level 3 is only PS345. To help you on your way towards achieving your qualification, we are offering all of our potential students a PS115 reduction in their enrolment fees for June. The normal fee for this course is PS460 but for this month it has been reduced to only PS345. There has never been a better time to start learning and take that first step towards a brighter future! 100% money back guarantee, if you are not satisfied. That's why we'll happily give you your money back on any course returned within 7 days. It's easy for you to enroll now by telephone 01223 923 913. You can get free friendly help and advice from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, on Monday to Friday. Call 01223 923 915. What's the teaching assistant's task? Options: A. Listening to the teacher's lecture all the time. B. Only helping teachers prepare their lessons. C. Helping promote effective learning and teaching. D. Often giving lessons in place of the formal teacher. Answer:

C

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Question: Questions My 14th birthday is coming and I'm ready to plan my birthday party. I spent a lot of time planning my party to make it interesting. I was thinking about having a "Remember the Good Times" party. Everyone who is coming is going to graduate soon. I thought I should put up some photos of my friends and pictures from popular television shows on the wall. The food could be the things we've always loved (hamburgers, ice creams and French fries). I don't know if my idea is going to be good for my birthday party. What do you think, Miss Lee? Answer: Hi, Maria, I love the idea of the "Remember the Good Times" party. It sounds like a graduation party. I love the idea of eating your favorite foods! It's fun, easy and cheap! You can bring photos of your class trip to remember the places where you went. I hope you will have a wonderful birthday party! Have a wonderful 14th birthday! Why does Miss Lee love the idea of the food they will eat? Options: A. Because they are her favorites. B. Because they are fun and expensive. C. Because they are cheap and easy. D. Because they are like for a graduation party. Answer:

C

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Question: Sheep always follow each other and never really think about where they are going. Perhaps fashion makes us into " _ ". Maybe we should find our own way and not follow the crowd. Everyone wants to wear top brand clothing. However, we should remember that clothes designers study what ordinary people wear on the street. Then they make clothes like ordinary people's for everyone. Therefore, fashion really starts with individual finding a new look. Then a company uses that look and then it becomes fashionable! That doesn't mean you will. That is to say, a model might look perfect in a shirt but that doesn't mean you will. The same goes for mobile phones. Young people are always asking me when to change my mobile phones. Mobile phone companies are always putting new functions on their phones but do we really need all these extra functions? I use my phone to call people and to send messages to my friends. I don't need a camera, Internet surfing or a calendar on my phone. Again, if you buy the latest phone, it will only be the latest phone for a month or so. Then something new will come out and you'll be unfashionable again. You can't keep up with fashion all the time, so you don't need to follow the fashion. Clothes designers study what you wear on the street because _ . Options: A. they want to design fashion clothes B. they like your clothes C. they want to buy the clothes you wear D. your clothes are ugly Answer:

A

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Question: How often do you go on holiday? Going on holiday makes you feel good while you're there-you gain the health benefits for months, new research shows. Jetting off to exotic destinations such as the Maldives cuts your blood pressure, helps you sleep better and bounce back from stress, it found. The benefits last at least a fortnight longer than the vacation and can be felt for months in some cases where it is claimed. Experts say workers should always take their full holiday entitlement each year-as many as one in three don't-to get the benefits. The study compared key health markers in holidaymakers visiting Thailand, Peru or the Maldives, with people who stayed at home and continued working. The average blood pressure of those on holiday dropped by 6% while the workers saw their blood pressure rise by 2% over the same period. The sleep quality of holiday-makers improved by 17% while that of the non-holidaymakers _ by 14%. The study also found the ability of vacationers to recover from stress--known as the stress-resilience test-improved by 29%. There was a 71% fall in stress resilience scores among workers. Test showed a fall in blood glucose levels, reducing the risk of diabetes, trimmer waistlines and enhanced mood and energy levels, with the effects sustained for at least 2 weeks after returning home. The Holiday Health Experiment was conducted by tour operator Kuoni and Nuffield Health, the UK's largest healthcare charity. According to the article, how many people go on holiday? Options: A. Two thirds B. 17% C. One third D. A quarter Answer:

A

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Question: We often hear people say, "I have a good memory for things like that" or "I can remember names". But do you know memory is the single most important thing and it has played a very important part? For early men, there were dangerous all around them--bad weather, wild animals. The key to keep on living lay in man's ability to remember these dangers and the ways he had dealt with them in the past. In order for memories to be stored, the human brain became more complex. And as man learned how to deal with them, he became civilized . Surprisingly, scientists today understand little about memory and how it works. They have not yet found a way to open up the brain and observe its function without destroying it. Perhaps there are two types of memory: short-term and long-term. Short-term refers to those facts that stay with us for a few seconds to a few hours. For instance, when you stay at a hotel, you remember the room number and forget as soon as you leave. Long-term memory, on the other hand, means you remember things for a long period of time. If you spend your honeymoon in a particular hotel, it's likely that you'll remember your stay quite clearly. Scientists also believe that a short-term memory can become a long-term memory through consolidation . A lot of chemical and physical changes take place in the part of the brain. Although the human brain weighs three pounds, it contains 30 billion nerve cells acting like a computer. When those changes strengthen the links in certain nerve cells, a thought becomes part of the long-term memory. Short-term memory can change into long-term memory on condition that _ Options: A. memory is good B. it acts like a computer C. people do more exercise D. the links in nerve cells are strengthened by certain changes Answer:

D

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Question: Men have always believed that they are smarter than women. Now, a study has found that while this is certainly true, men also have to deal with the fact that they are also more stupid than the fairer sex. In the study, scientists measured the IQ of 2500 brothers and sisters and they found an uneven number of men not only in the top two percent, but also in the bottom two percent. The study's participants were tested on science, maths, English and mechanical abilities. Though there were twice as many men as women in the smartest group, there were also twice as many men among the bottom. The aggregate scores of men and women were similar. One of the study's authors, psychology professor Timothy Bates, said that the phenomenon may be because men have always been expected to be high achievers and women have been restricted to spend more time taking care of their homes. "The female developmental program may be tilted more towards ensuring survival and the safety of the middle ground.," the Daily Mail quoted Professor Bates, of Edinburgh University, as saying. The research _ past results that men were more likely than women to receive first class University degrees or thirds and women secured the seconds. It has been said that men are more ready to take risk when it comes to academics. Women have always found to be steadier in their learning. A past study has shown that women are securing more firsts and seconds, while men are continuing to receive more thirds. The argument for the change is that the increase of coursework at the cost of exams favors women's steady approach. According to Timothy Bates, less women are in the smartest group because _ . Options: A. they are born stupid B. they have to spend more time to tale care of their homes than men C. they don't like to take risk D. they are not expected to be high achievers Answer:

B

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Question: Landfills can cause Options: A. noise pollution B. overpopulation C. overgrowth of grass D. bad odors Answer:

D

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Question: The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest problems is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even eat it. Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problems was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, man moved to another place. But this is no longer true. Man is now slowly polluting the whole world. Air pollution is still the most serious. It's bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily. Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air. Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollutions. It is caused by heavy traffic. We are sure that if there are fewer people driving there will be less air pollution. The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must take care of the rise in pollution at the same time. : Which of the following in NOT true? Options: A. Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. B. The pollution of the earth grows as fast as the world population does. C. The problem of pollution is not so serious because there are not so many people living on the earth. D. If people could go to work by bus or bike instead of car or motorbike, it would be helpful in fighting against the problem of SO2. Answer:

C

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Question: Time flies. Your time in junior high school will come to an end in a few months. Let's look back over the last three years. What were the highs and lows? For Zhang Xiaomeng, a senior high school girl from Jiangsu, meeting her best friend Hua Xuan was the best part of her time at junior high school. They went to class together, had lunch together, and even went to the washroom together. Having one or two best friends is important, said Xu Zheng, a teacher from Jiangsu. "Students have secrets. They don't want to tell their parents,"Xu added. However, being too rebellious in junior high is the biggest _ for Liu Anqing, a senior high school student from Fujian. "I didn't listen to my parents. I quarreled with my mother every week," said Liu. "I wish I could go back to that time and get on well with them." Time also needs to be taken care of. Zhang Zihua, 15, from Shanxi, thought he had plenty of time to prepare for the big exam at the end of Junior 3. Then one day, he was told: "The exam is in 100 days." "We need a strong knowledge base to pass the exam. But I didn't care about it," said Zhang. Gu Xiaoli, a teacher from Jiangsu, said that it's never too late to catch up. "No matter your regrets about wasted time, you can always pick things up from now," said Gu. How many students shared their ideas in the passage? Options: A. Three. B. Four. C. Five. D. Six. Answer:

C

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Question: Ma Yan is not really a writer. But this 15-year-old girl has written a book that has moved many people around the world. "Ma Yan's Diary" tells us about Ma's life. She lives in a poor village called Zhangjiashu in Tongxin, Ningxia, and she has no money to go to school. But she is brave and has a strong desire to go to school. Her mother gave her diary to a French reporter, Pierre Haski when he went to Zhangjisshu in 2001. Now, it has been published in France Italy, Germany, Japan and China. Ma is now a Junior Three student at Yuwang Middle School in Tongxin. Before this, she had to leave school twice. When she had to stop going to school the first time, her mum told her there was no money for her to go to school. She worked for 21 days and saved 13 yuan. With this money, she went back to school. The second time, her family told her she had to leave school but her two brothers could stay. "I want to study," Ma wrote in her diary. "Why can boys study but girls can't? It would be wonderful if I could stay at school forever." Ma loves school so much because she wants to have a better life. "My parents work hard in the fields but they are still poor. They have no knowledge. Most girls in my village leave school early and get married young. I don't want that kind of life," Ma said. After her story became known, many French student sent money to her. Ma's dream is the same as ever. She hopes to go to Tsinghua University and become a reporter. "Then , I can find poor kids like me and help them, " she said. Ma Yan wants to study because she wants to _ . Options: A. teach her parents knowledge B. get more money for her study in Tsinghua University C. become more famous D. get more knowledge to change her own life Answer:

D

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Question: I was never tired of heating their story.As a little girl,I'd sit beside my mom with their wedding album spread across my lap,slowly turning the pages of 8 x l 0 glossy black and white photographs.I'd trace my fingers along their faces,along that white wedding dress. "Tell me again,"I said . "Tell me again about you and dad." And she'd smile and her eyes would crinkle and she'd get that loving look and then she'd repeat once more Their Love Story. I'd smile too and stare at that photo of my non looking SO beautiful and my dad so tall and handsome. "Your dad was tall and really good--looking as he stood by his classroom door greeting his students.Besides coaching,he taught history and social studies.I often stole a few looks since my classes were nearby.That year I had many conversations with ' Mr.Kehoe',sometimes when he had lunch duty,sometimes when I had cheerleading practice.He was appointed cheerleader sponsor and I'd been a cheerleader for four years. We were married that November during the Thanksgiving holiday.1 went from a graduate one year to a teacher's wife the next! But part of the story that I loved most,that all my life I thought was magical and wonderful and amazing and exciting and oh--so romantic. So,what do you think ?Did God speak to me?" I'd catch and hold my breath,then exclaim,"Oh,yes !God told you that you'd marry Dad!" Now can you see why I loved heating Their Love Story ?And SO their wedding.Then their marriage.Then their family.Three babies in three years,then a fourth. Then,what else would you expect after heating the Voice of God--years and years and years of Happy Moments! Now it's come to this:60 years of marriage ! The author enjoyed listening to her parents 'love story because of Options: A. their happy marriage B. God's blessing for them C. a romantic beginning D. a girl's curiosity Answer:

A

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Question: Nick is a knight . But he doesn't like to ride and he doesn't like to fight. Nick likes to read and write, and he likes to knit . One night, there was a knock at the door. "I need you to fight a dragon !" cried King Kareen. "But I'm the wrong kind of knight!" said Nick. "I don't like to fight." "Never mind! Hurry up!" cried the King. "The dragon is in my bed!" said the King. Nick's knees were knocking. He lifted the blanket and saw a little dragon. "I'm freezing." The dragon said. Nick quickly started knitting. He knitted a coat, some long socks and some pants for the dragon. The dragon was glad. "Thank you!" he said and off he went. "I think you're the right kind of knight!" said the king. The dragon was very glad and went off after _ . Options: A. Nick knitted some clothes for him B. Nick had a big fight with him C. the King gave him much food D. the King gave him much money Answer:

A

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Question: Hi! I am Jack. I am thirteen years old. I'm an English boy. Now I'm in China with my parents. I go to a middle school in Tianjin. This is my school day. I get up at half past six. I go to school at seven o'clock and I go to school in my dad's car. I want to walk to school, but the school is far from my home. I usually eat breakfast in the car. School starts at half past seven in the morning. We have five lessons in the morning and we have four lessons in the afternoon. I go home at six o'clock. I eat dinner at seven o'clock. I do my homework at half past seven. After that, I play the guitar. I go to bed at nine thirty. This is my school day. It is happy! Jack goes to school by car because _ . Options: A. he has no bike B. he likes his dad's car C. he doesn't like walking D. his home is far from school Answer:

D

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Question: We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. "Buy it," my wife said at once. "We'll carry it home on the roof rack . I've always wanted one like that." What could I do? Ten minutes later I was PS20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too. In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea. After a time my wife said, "There's a long line of cars behind. Why don't they overtake, I wonder?" In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me. "Right, sir," he said."Do you need any more help?" I was a bit puzzled. "Thanks, officer," I said. "You have been very kind. I live just on the road." He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. "Well, well," he said, laughing. "It's a cupboard you've got there! We thought it was something else." My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. " Yes, it's a cupboard, but thanks again."I drove home as fast as I could. The police will be more polite to those who are _ . Options: A. in great sadness B. driving in gathering darkness C. driving with wild flowers in the car D. carrying furniture Answer:

A

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Question: WHEN a woman took the seat beside me on a plane, I felt uncomfortable. She had to lower herself slowly, squeezing her body into the small space. "My name is Kelly. I'm from Canada. Where are you from?" She waved a hand in front of my face. "China," I said as I shook her hand unhappily. Kelly kept talking to me. She was very thoughtful. When we were served drinks and meals, she made sure that I had enough room in my seat. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable with my elephant size!" she said sincerely. I couldn't help but let down my guard. As we talked, I was surprised by her wise words. She had read many books and was very smart. I asked her if she ever thought about losing some weight. "Aren't you worried about the diseases that come with being overweight?" "Not at all. I eat healthy and walk regularly," she said. "I believe in my heart, the people who get diseases are the ones who worry. You see advertisements from exercise centers that read, 'Free yourself from your extra baggage, so you are free to be yourself.' You're free only if you're comfortable with who you are!" I suddenly realized that Kelly was the most beautiful and clever woman I had ever met in my life. The writer changed her attitude because _ . Options: A. she learned Kelly tried hard to lose weight B. she found Kelly was a wonderful person C. she and Kelly had a lot in common D. Kelly helped her a lot during the trip Answer:

B

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Question: I love collecting old paving bricks ( ). It is my favourite hobby. I started it last year when I needed to help our teacher to hold a fair display ( ) for our school. A few years earlier, I read an article about paving bricks in a fashion magazine. I found it was very interesting, so I decided to do the display on the bricks. But we didn't have so many bricks for a good display. Then I decided to go out and look for them. Now I have collected hundreds of bricks. Most of them are from Ohio ( ). Actually , there are more than one thousand different kinds of bricks in Ohio. Sometimes, I bought some old but special bricks on the Internet. The price is from 5 to 10 dollars for one brick. Sometimes, people can't understand why I buy bricks. I must say that it's my favourite hobby. I came to know paving bricks _ . Options: A. in the library B. on the Internet C. in a newspaper D. in a magazine Answer:

D

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Question: Most people want to work, but in today's word ,it is more difficult to find work for everybody.The economics of the world need to grow by 4% each year just to keep the old number of jobs for people. Often this is not possible,and so more people are out of work. Some people have no jobs now because new machines can do the work of many people do in a short time.Also, machines do not ask for more money and longer holidays. In all the countries of the world, machines are taking work from people ,not only in factories but also on the farms. One machine can often do the work of forty people. About 75,000 people are moving to the cities a day to look for jobs ,but only 70% of them can find jobs . About machines,which of the following is NOT RIGHT? _ . Options: A. Machines can do the work of many people do in a short time. B. Machines do not ask for more money and holidays. C. Two machines can do the work of eighty people. D. Machines cant't take work from people at all. Answer:

D

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Question: I want to tell you some things about Tom's weekend. He is my good friend. At the weekend, Tom usually gets up late. He has breakfast. Then he reads an English book and listens to the radio for about one hour. After that he starts to do his homework. At about 11:30, he often cooks lunch for his family. In the afternoon, he usually plays volleyball with his friends. Sometimes he goes to the library in the afternoon. He loves his weekend very much. After Tom gets up, he does _ things before cooking lunch. Options: A. two B. three C. four D. five Answer:

C

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Question: Mayday is a rock band from Taiwan that was formed in the late 1990s with five members, namely ,Ashin (vocalist), Monster and Stone (guitars), Masa (bass) and Guan You (drums). Formerly making music under the name of So Band, they officially came to be known as Mayday in 1997, with the name originating from Masa's online nickname. Mayday's songs are written mostly in Min Nan (Taiwanese dialect) and Mandarin . They are popular for capturing the zeitgeist of Taiwanese youth in the 1990s which was an era of dreams, growing up, loneliness, love and disaffection. Mayday has made no secret of its admiration of the Beatles whom they cite(...)as influencing their ideals of rock music.The eighth track of their fifth album has a track called John Lennon where the band espouses its dreams to become the "Beatles of the Chinese World"and one day, to become better than them. Other diverse musical influences include the Irish band U2, the British band Oasis, the Japanese pop music artists Mr. Children, Sting as well as the Chinese rocker Wu Bai and China Blue. In lyrics on recent albums, Ashin has alluded( )to several cultural icons notably the Chinese mythical monkey-god Sun Wu-Kong, Mickey Mouse, Superman, Neil Armstrong and Che Guevara. Ashin has also cited movies and novels as inspiration for his songs including "Viva Love"which was inspired by avant-garde Taiwanese director Tsai Ming Liang's 1994 movie, Vive L'Amour and the song "Armour" which was influenced by a Chinese drama Crystal Boys and Haruki Murakami's novel, Kafka On the Shore. Mayday's songs _ . Options: A. are all written in Min Nan and Mandarin. B. are popular only among the Taiwanese youths C. are influenced greatly by the holy persons. D. are created by the five members of Mayday together. Answer:

C

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Question: Every year, I tell my sons what I'd like for Mother's Day: a letter. Something written from the heart and offered freely rather than bought from a store and wrapped neatly. I don't always get my wish, nor do I always take the time to write to my own mother. This year, my boys will be in two different states on Mother's Day. My mom and dad will be away together, and I'11 be driving home from a writer's workshop in Massachusetts. Thinking of the fact that many friends have already lost their mothers and that a few have lost children, I am deeply grateful that what separates us, for now at least, is merely distance. It won't always be so, and there is no way to prepare for that fact other than to appreciate the moment that is. My sons know that they can please me on Sunday with a phone call or an e-mail, and that is enough as I love their words. The very best gift they can possibly give me is their own happiness, the very fact of their busy. full and well-lived lives. Still, knowing that my years of staying with my sons are over, I do Feel _ . The truth is, I miss being the center of the universe to two little boys. And this holiday can be a bit painful. I wonder if my own mother ever felt nostalgic ('VTIH WJ) for the passing of my childhood. I wonder if she realizes that she is still at the center of my universe and always has been. I don't often pause to think about it. but of course she is the one who has been right there, at my side from the moment I drew my very first breath. How to ever fully appreciate the woman whose presence and 1ove and example have shaped me into the adult I am? How to describe even a small part of the sharing. sacrificing. and support she has given me over the years? According to the author _ Options: A. young people nowadays tend to ignore their parents B. parents should not give their children too much freedom C. children's happiness and success are the biggest comfort to parents D. parents are not the center of their children's universe when children grow up Answer:

C

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Question: Don't you find that it is getting increasingly darker every day when you wake up for school ? As winter comes ,days become shorter while the nights become longer ,In the past people slept more in winter ,but in modern times we just use more electric light instead of sunlight to continue our normal routines . But scientific research is finding that manhandling of electric light is making us sick . Electric light is fooling the body's biological clock into releasing awaking hormones ( )at the wrong times ,scientists say .This might be leading to seasonal fatigue and depression . Much more than mental health is at stake ,Recent scientific studies have found that women who work at night ,have higher chances of getting breast-cancer . "Electric lights are wonderful ,but as with a lot of other things ,we really mess ,things up "said David Avery ,a psychiatrist ." Our ancestors evolved in a very regular light -dark cycle ,and our bodies just work better that way ." Researchers have known for a long time that all living things have a biological clock that is linked to light ,Being of the natural day-night cycle can cause fatigue ,mood change and depression ,This is known as seasonal affective disorder ,or SAD. Scientists disagree on the cause of SAD ,Some say it is caused by winter's late sunrises , others blame the early sunsets . However ,they all agree the perfect solution to SAD is to give up artificial light ,It will quickly bring someone into a cycle of long ,restful nights and easy awakenings at dawn . But realistically most people need to use electric light in their everyday life . Ironically the next best solution is to use more bright lights to reset the body's biological clock . By getting bright light first thing in the morning it simulates an earlier dawn and shifts the body clock forward ,according to Alfred Lewy ,a psychiatrist at Oregon Health & Science University . A 2005 study done by the American Psychiatric Association showed that daily exposure to bright light was about as effective as medicine used to treat several forms of depression . From the passage , we can find _ Options: A. people will sleep less and less as time goes on B. hormones are important to your body C. even though your biological clock is out of order ,you still feel OK D. daily exposure to the bright light is as effective as medicine Answer:

B

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Question: When Colonel Harland Sanders retired at the age of 65, he had little to show for himself, except an old Caddie roadster, a $105 monthly pension check ,and a recipe for chicken. Knowing he couldn't live on his pension, he took his chicken recipe in hand, got behind the wheel of hisvan ,and set out to make his fortune. His first plan was to sell his chicken recipe to restaurant owners, who would in turn give him aresidual for every piece of chicken they sold--5 cents per chicken. The first restaurateur he called on turned him down. So did the second. So did the third. In fact, the first 1,008 sales calls Colonel Sanders made ended in rejection. Still, he continued to call on owners as he traveled across the USA, sleeping in his car to save money. Prospect number 1,009 gave him first "yes". After two years of making daily sales he had signed up a total of five restaurants. Still the Colonel pressed on , knowing that he had a great chicken recipe and that someday the idea would _ . Of course, you know how the story ends. The idea did catch on. By 1963 the Colonel had 600 restaurants across the country selling his secret recipe of Kentucky Fried Chicken (with ll herbs and spices ). In 1964 he was bought out by future Kentucky governor John Brown.Even though the sale made him a multi-millionaire, he continued to represent and promote KFC until his death in 1990. The sentence "Of course, you know how the story ends" means _ . Options: A. you are sure to know the result of Colonel Sanders' business B. You are sure to know Colonel Sanders had finished his story C. It is certain Colonel Sanders ended his business D. It is certain Colonel Sanders knew how to end his story Answer:

A

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Question: It is normal for parents to question their children's hairstyle or the clothes they wear. But today teenagers and their parents argue over something else: money. Children are spending lots of it. Parents used to say to their children, "You're wearing that?" Now they say, "You paid how much for that?" Children in the US today spend five times more money than their parents did when they were young. So what are all these children buying? The list is long: ipods trainers , cellphones and jeans are typical items that children "have to" buy. And they will do anything to get them. They ask their parents over and over until they buy them. But parents also need to take the blame for spending so much money. They want their children to have the best stuff. They end up competing with other parents over what their children have. So no wonder children find it hard to learn the importance of saving money rather than spending it all the time. And it's hard to save when companies use advertising and clever slogans to encourage young people to buy their products. They even encourage children to keep asking their parents for something until they get it. Today, you don't even need to have money in order to buy something. Banks give out credit cards and loans all the time so people are saving less and less. We are used to there being lots of money around. And if you don't have much you can always borrow some. But this hasn't always been the case. When our grandparents were young there was very little money and everyone had to save hard for things they bought. They only bought things they needed, not things they just wanted. The older generation made the wise expression, "Money doesn't grow on trees." This is as true now as it was 50 years ago. They give money a great deal of value. And we all have a lot to learn from them. Nowadays people find it hard to save money because of all of the following reasons EXCEPT that _ . Options: A. banks provide credit cards and loans B. advertisements draw people's attention to new products C. people have more money than in the past and saving is out of date D. people's living standard has improved and they can buy what they want Answer:

C

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Question: Filmmaker Jennifer Nelson had to pay $1,500 to have "Happy Birthday to You" sung in the movie she's making. The money went to Warner Music Group, a company that claims to own the copyright on the song. A copyright is the legal right to use or sell a creative product such as a song, a TV show, a book, or a work of art. Warner has claimed the copyright for "Happy Birthday to You" since 1988. "I never thought the song was owned by anyone," Nelson said in an e-mail to The New York Times. "I thought it belonged to everyone." Nelson's movie is a documentary -- a film that uses pictures and/or interviews with people to create a factual report of real-life events -- and is actually about the history of the "Happy Birthday" song itself. Two sisters named Mildred and Patty Hill wrote a song called "Good Morning to All" in 1893. Over a short period of time, people began to sing the words "happy birthday to you" in place of the original lyrics to the tune of the Hill sisters' song. A number of history experts say that there is no record of who actually wrote the "Happy Birthday to You" lyrics . Historians also say there is no way to know when the general public began singing the "Happy Birthday" song, but they believe it was being sung by the public long before it was printed and owned by a company. Nelson's lawyers say this piece of music's history proves that "Happy Birthday to You" belongs to everyone in the general public. That would mean Warner Music Group has no right to charge anyone a fee to sing the song in any setting. Experts estimate that Warner/ Chappell, the publishing division of the Warner Music Group, has made about $2 million a year from licensing fees for "Happy Birthday to You." Nelson's lawyers are asking a court in New York City to order Warner/Chappell to return fees they have collected over the past four years for use of the "Happy Birthday" song. According to Nelson's lawyers, to sing the "Happy Birthday" song, people _ . Options: A. should pay the Hill sisters B. should pay Warner Music Group C. need not pay for any purpose D. need not pay except for commercial use Answer:

C

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Question: SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest Time The 2016 SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest will run from April 1st through October 1st , 2016. Best of luck! Introduction The SAVE THE GROGS! Art Contest invites you to create your coolest frog artwork. The contest will call on people to pay more attention to the amphibian extinction problem by getting people interested and to take part in it, and the artworks will be used on T-shirts, coffee cups, hats, cards and books to both publicize our cause and raise money for SAVE THE FROGS! amphibian protection efforts. Between 2009 and 2015 we received more than 12 thousand pieces of frog artworks from 70 countries. We look forward to receiving your creation! Who can enter? Anybody! It is free to enter the contest, though we suggest all artworks include a few dollars to assist our frog-saving efforts! Prizes The 1st Prize Winner will: (1) Receive $100. (2)Receive a one-year SAVE THE FROGS! membership. The 2nd and 3rd Place Artists will: Each receives a one-year SAVE THE FROGS! Membership. Contest Rules (1)The submitted artwork must be your original creation! (2)Your artwork should not be larger than 8.5"x11"(22cmX28cm)in size. (3)You may submit up to three artworks (4)All artworks must refer to SAVE THE FROGS! by including either the phrase "SAVE THE FROGS!" or "savethefrogs.com", or both. Please note that both "SAVE THE FROGS!" and "savethefrogs.com" are PLURAL, meaning the letter. "S" must appear at the end of the word "FROGS". Submissions If your artwork was digitally created, you should email your artwork to art @ savethefrogs.com If your artwork is on paper or any other non-digital type, then mail your artwork to : SAVE THE FORGS! Art Contest P. O. Box 78758 Los Angeles, CA 90016 USA What should be noticed to take part in the contest? Options: A. The smaller your artwork is the better. B. The more artworks you submit, the better. C. Do not miss the message "SAVE THE FORGS!". D. Do not copy others' ideas or creations. Answer:

D

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Question: Nobody likes to do chores, especially kids. How can you make your kids get into a good habit of doing their chores? Try making chores fun for them. Play some music:Music makes everything seem like a party, doesn't it? Play your kids' favorite music and let them dance around while they are doing their chores. Make it a treasure hunt : It's a good way when you would like them to clean the house. Let them know that you hide a $5 bill someplace. If they find it, they can keep it. Change often:If your kids keep doing the same chores for months, they may feel bored. Teaching them a new task is fun for both you and the kids. They will feel more grown up when they get a new task. Do it together:It's never fun to be the only one working and watching everyone else relaxing. If everyone takes part in doing chores, you will finish them faster and have more fun. ,. There are _ pieces of advice in the article. Options: A. three B. four C. five D. six Answer:

B

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Question: A farm planted levels or floors is called a vertical farm. A skyscraper type building can house a vertical farm. Since the garden is built upwards,rather than outwards,it requires much less space than a conventional farm. The world is quickly running out of room for conventional farming. Vertical farms could be a key to this situation. An 18story vertical farm could feed as many as 50,000 people,all in an area which is the size of the average city block. Vertical farms in the city could cut down on transportation costs as well. Think about the amount of fuel it takes to transport food from farmland to city. The resources saved would be surprising. Besides saving travel time,food would be delivered in fresher condition and with less damage. There is a growing concern about the use of pesticides in agriculture today. But the vertical farm would be a greenhouse type environment, avoiding the need for a large number of pesticides. Vertical farms can be built in a contained space,therefore they are an excellent solution for living well in an environment far different from our own. Hydroponics could be a big part of vertical gardening. This would reduce the amount of soil needed to grow food. Of course,not all food does well with this type of planting,but there are many crops that actually seem to do better. In some climates,a lack of sunlight creates a short growing season. The solar power option may not work as well here. The addition of grow lights would make it possible to grow crops in vertical gardens in these areas .In other words,we could grow crops in areas where we never could before. Vertical farms may just be a concept for now,but they are a concept that will solve many of our problems in the future. According to the passage, a vertical farm _ . Options: A. is mainly built outwards B. is dependent on solar power C. is planted on levels upwards D. is only an environmental friendly farm Answer:

C

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Question: Lizards are unusual,but they can make good pets because most of them are small and easy to care for. They do not make loud noises,and they do not need to go for walks or take baths. Of course, some lizards make better pets than others. One of the most popular lizards in pet store is the bearded dragon. Bearded dragons are active during the day and do not mind people holding them. Geckos are another popular pet lizard. They are a little more difficult to care for. Geckos are active at night and need a warm place to live.Like bearded dragons,they can be held by their owners.Both of these lizards can live ten years or more when they are well cared for. Two lizards that are bad choices for pets are iguanas and chameleons. Iguanas can grow to be almost two meters(nearly six feet),so they need a big space to live in.They can also bite or scratch their owners.Chameleons do not hurt their owners,but they are quite difficu1t to care for. While iguanas can live up to twenty years,chameleons do not live very long. Most do not live more than five years. This reading is about _ . Options: A. wild animals B. good and bad pets C. the life of lizard D. the importance of lizards Answer:

B

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Question: The Sahara Festival is a celebration of the very recent past. The three-day event is not fixed to the same dates each year, but generally takes place in November or December. It is well attended by tourists, but even better attended by locals. During the opening ceremonies , after the official greetings from the government leaders, people who attend the festival begin to march smartly before the viewing stands, and white camels transport their riders across the sands. Horsemen from different nations display their beautiful clothes and their fine horsemanship. One following another, groups of musicians and dancers from all over the Sahara take their turn to show off their wonderful traditional culture. Groups of men in blue and yellow play horns and beat drums as they dance in different designs. On their knees in the sand, a group of women in long dark dresses dance with their hair, their long, dark, shiny hair is thrown back and forth in the wind to the rhythm of their dance. The local and visiting Italian dogs are anxious to run after hares. The crowd is on its feet for the camel races. Camels and riders run far into the distance, and then return to the Finish Line in front of the cheering people. Towards the evening, there comes the grand finale of the opening day, an extremely exciting horserace. All the riders run very fast on horseback. Some riders hang off the side of their saddles. Some even ride upside down -- their legs and feet straight up in the air -- all at full speed. Others rush down the course together, men arm in arm, on different horses. On and on they went. So fast and so wonderful! This passage mainly tells readers _ Options: A. what happens on the opening day of the Sahara Festival B. how people celebrate during the three-day Sahara Festival C. what takes place at the closing ceremonies of the Sahara Festival D. how animals race on the first and the last days of the Sahara Festival Answer:

A

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Question: The 16 operations W.Mitchell received after the motorcycle accident burned more than 65% of his body at age 46 left him unable to pick up a fork,dial a telephone or go to the bathroom without help.But Mitchell never believed he was defeated."I am in charge of my own spaoeship," he said."It's my up,my down.I could choose to see this situation as a setback or afstarting point." Mitchell bought himself a home in Colorado,a plane and a bar.Later he teamed upwith two friends and co-founded a wood burning stove company that grew to be the second largest private employer in his state.Six months later he was piloting the plane.Then four years after the motorcycle accident,the plane Mitchell was piloting crashed back onto the runway during takeoff, permanently paralyzing(...)him from the waist down. Still determined,Mitchell worked day and night to regain as much independence as possible.He was elected Mayor of Crested Butte,Colorado, to save the town from mineral mining that would ruin its beauty and environment. Despite his shocking looks and physical challenges, Mitchell began white water rafting ,fell in love and married, earned a master's degree in public administration and continued flying,environmental activism and public speaking. Mitchell's unshakable positive mental attitude has earned him appearances on the "Today Show''and "Good Moming America" as well as feature articles in Parade, Time, The New York Times and other publications. Mitchell has done all these things and more afar two horrible accidents left his face beyond recognition,his hands flngerless and his legs thin:and motionless in a wheelchair.Then what can't we healthy guys achieve? What was the result of Mitchell's plane crash accident? Options: A. His body under the waistcouldn't move. B. He was elected mayor of Crested Butte. C. He became the hero of many publications. D. More than half of his body was burned. Answer:

A

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Question: London has become a cycle friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme. It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London. So how does it work?First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes,which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go,for the length of time you use the bike. Transport for London,which runs the scheme,are hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year. The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion in London and is expected to create up to 40,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been "filled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses". However,there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday. On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered. Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few "teething problems" and have said they wouldn't charge for the first day as a "gesture of goodwill". Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles. Despite the comments,the green-thinking London Mayor still seems very positive about things,saying,"My campaign for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a big pedal-powered push forwards." All the following are the problems of the scheme EXCEPT _ . Options: A. the high cost to hire a bike B. not registering their usage of the bikes C. not charging for the first day of the scheme D. docking the bikes properly Answer:

C

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Question: On a wet planet, the amount of seas will Options: A. be dwarfed by land B. outnumber amounts of land C. be less than land amounts D. be smaller than land Answer:

B

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Question: What is the correct explanation for why we have day and night on Earth? Options: A. The Sun orbits around the Earth. B. Earth orbits around the Sun. C. Earth turns on its axis. D. The Sun turns on its axis. Answer:

C

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Question: 66-year-old Dai once worked as a boat tracker along the Yangtze River. "It was something that required brute strength,but not that alone, "Dai said at his home in Xialong village, which sits at the entrance to Wuxia Gorge, one of the famous Three Gorges in Southwest China. "You needed a lot of skills to do what we did." When outboard motors became available in the 1980's,boat trackers became a thing of the past. Today, they are seen only occasionally along the river during festivals and cultural events. However, Dai can still remember a time when being pulled by tracker along the Yangtze was the only way for people to travel from village to village in the mountainous Wushan county. Due to the area's rich mining resources,his services were vital for companies that wanted to ship their goods. "I was 15 or 16 when I started", said the retiree,explaining that his father also worked as a tracker. "He died in 1964, when I was a teenager. I can't even remember us tracking together, but we did. It was so long ago." Dai said that boats crews worked in teams with a first, second and third master. The first master was the most essential because he sat in the boat and steered it along the safest route. "It was a key role. He had to guide the boat past jagged rocks and whirlpools," he said, adding that first masters were often the most experienced boatmen and the most familiar with the Yangtzer River. "My tracker days were dangerous," Dai said. "If the boat got caught in a whirlpool, it could have swallowed the boat and all the trackers down with it. The same thing would have happened if the halter broke." Dai's days as a tracker finally came to an end when his family invested in a motorboat in the early 1980s. He successfully applied for a license from Wushan shortly after. What does the passage mainly tell about? Options: A. Dai's miserable life in the old society. B. Dai and his father. C. Dai's past life as a tracker. D. Dai's happy life. Answer:

C

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Question: J.K. Rowling is the writer of Harry Potter, which is now one of the bestsellers in the world. J.K. Rowling was born in Bristol on July 31st, 1965. She has one sister who is two years younger than her. Both girls loved listening to their father reading bedtime stories to them. They especially loved stories about magical worlds. Rowling wrote her first story, called Rabbit, at the age of six. After she graduated from the university, Rowling worked as a translator in London. During this time, on a long train trip in the summer of 1990, the idea came to her of a boy who has magic but doesn't know it. In 1992 Rowling began to teach English. She lived with her baby daughter, Jessica, and spent much time finishing the first Harry Potter book for young readers. It appeared in June 1997. To her surprise, the book was greatly successful. The film came out in November 2001. Now Harry Potter series is popular with people of all ages and about 60 million books were sold in 200 countries. Why has the series been so successful? There are a few things. Many other magical stories take place in faraway lands or in past or future times. But Harry lives in modern England. He's also a very normal boy: polite, friendly, brave and clever. So when other children read about Harry, they can imagine being like him. J.K. Rowling is very happy with the success, and she is now busy finishing the whole series of seven books. She's writing full time and she's really enjoying life. She says she will go on living a normal life with her daughter and writing children's books. J.K. Rowling has been successful, and she _ . Options: A. likes to travel all over the world with her daughter B. is too busy to enjoy her life C. is excited about her success every day D. is still writing stories for children Answer:

D

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Question: Strange things happen when you travel, because the earth is divided into twenty-four zones. The time difference between two zones is one hour. You can have days with more than twenty-four hours and days with fewer than twenty- four hours. You can have weeks with more than seven days and weeks with fewer than seven days. If you make a five-trip across the Atlantic Ocean , your ship come into a different time zone every day. As you come into each zone, the time changes one hour. If you travel west, you set your watch back. If you travel east, you set it ahead. Each day of your trip has either twenty-five or twenty-three hours. If you make a trip by ship across the Pacific Ocean , you cross the International Date Line. This is the point where a new day begins when you cross the line, you change one full day. If you travel east, today becomes yesterday, if you travel west it is tomorrow. The time difference between two time zones is_. Options: A. twenty-four hours B. one hour C. two hours D. twenty-three hours Answer:

B

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Question: Kasey Kaczmarek: When I read "Would my dad love me?" by Martha, I related to how Martha felt about her father. I always wondered if my dad cared about me, or if he even loved me. All the kids would be with their dads and they would ask me where my dad was, and I would tell them that he was out of town. For all you kids who have a dad, tell him how much you love him because there are plenty of kids who would love to have a dad. Armen Abidian: This article describes everything about me and my life. When I was about 3 years old, my mother and father had a big argument and got divorced. Now I'm 13 years old and I haven't seen my father for 10 years. Just like Martha, I don't know what he looks like now, whether or not he's got married to a different woman, or if he has another child. Emma Ramirez: When Martha talked about how "most girls have dads who take them to their practices, buy them things and play with them", I thought I was one of those girls. I never stopped to think about how there are girls who have always dreamed of having those things but don't have a father. After reading what Martha wrote, I told myself I would always appreciate the days I spend with my dad because I am very lucky to have a dad who does so much for me. Stephanie Felix: This article reminded me of how much I missed my dad when I was younger. I really relate to this article because I used to always wonder about my dad, but not any more. Life without my father has made me more independent and responsible. By reading this article I remember all of this and I was able to understand what the writer was talking about. The above four passages are most probably _ . Options: A. comments on a book about a girl who has no father B. comments on Martha's opinion about parents' love C. four people's thoughts after reading Martha's article D. letters to Martha to comfort her Answer:

C

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Question: Mr. and Mrs. Green were going on their vacation with their children, and they had to arrive at the airport before 11:40 the next morning. "It takes us thirty minutes to get there in a car," Mr. Green said, "so we must get ready before eleven o'clock. Don't be late." At ten fifty, all of them were busy doing something, but Mrs. Green wasn't. She sat quietly in a chair in the garden and enjoyed the good weather. Mr. Green and the children were surprised, but Mrs. Green said, "Don't worry! Before I went to bed last night. I made all our clocks and watches twenty minutes ahead . Now we can get to the airport early." Why did Mrs. Green sit quietly? Options: A. Because she was sick. B. Because she didn't like to spend her vacation. C. Because she wanted to stay at home. D. Because she made all the clocks and watches ahead and they wouldn't be late. Answer:

D

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Question: Thee dominant trait will always be visible when Options: A. either are missing B. both are missing C. both are present D. the recessives present Answer:

C

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Question: The Chinese invented paper in 105 A. D. They mixed the bark of a tree and rags with water, put a screen into the mixture, and lifted out a thin piece of wet paper. They dried the paper in the sun. The Chinese kept their secret of how to make paper until a war with Muslims in the ninth century. The art of papermaking soon spread throughout the Muslim world. The Mayan Indians in Central America and Pacific Islanders also discovered how to make paper, but their knowledge never spread to the rest of the world. For centuries, all paper was made by hand. Rags were the main material. Then a French scientist discovered that people could make paper from wood, too. Finally, in the eighteenth century. a Frenchman invented a machine to make paper from wood. Who discovered how to make paper? Options: A. The Chinese. B. The Pacific Islanders. C. The Mayan Indians. D. All of the above. Answer:

D

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Question: If an instrument is played, this may occur Options: A. something is ignored B. something is spit C. something is flicked D. something is killed Answer:

C

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Question: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) members met in Beijing from November 5 to 11 to discuss the future of APEC and the overall development of the Asia-Pacific area. APEC, which was set up in 1989,is a forum for 21 member countries to develop free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific area. Though Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation came to a successful close, the "APEC Blue" has become popular in Beijing, even in China. A clear blue sky in Beijing is difficult to see during the smog season, so Beijingers gave it a name: "APEC Blue". "Oh, how beautiful the autumn sky is and how fresh the air is!" This is how most Beijingers feel during APEC. "I hope the APEC Blue will remain, and I believe, through the efforts we continue to make, it will." A lot of environmentally friendly ways were taken to reduce the Beijing smog during the APEC meeting, including limiting the number of cars on the road, stopping some factories in neighboring cities and so on. Perhaps we can learn something from London, where the Great Smog killed 4,000 people :in four days in 1952. Britain then passed its first air pollution act, which required that all power plants in London should be shut down, factories must build taller chimneys, and the heating system must be improved. In order to keep "APEC Blue", Beijing plans to build air corridors to blow away pollution. Not all agree with this way. Song Guojun, a professor of _ at Renmin University, believes that this way will not solve the problem at its root, and only by controlling the source of pollution will Beijing see bluer skies. According to the passage, _ is not right. Options: A. Beijingers believe the APEC blue will remain, if they continue making efforts. B. A lot of ways were taken to reduce the Beijing smog. C. The Great Smog killed 4,000 people :in four days in 1952 in London. D. Song Guojun believes that no way will solve the problem at its root. Answer:

D

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Question: 1Isaac Stern was more than a great violin player. He was one of the most honored musicians in the world. He was an international cultural ambassador. He was a major supporter of the arts in America and in other countries. He was a teacher and activist. 2Isaac Stern was born in 1920 in what is now Ukraine. His parents moved to San Francisco, California the following year. His mother began teaching Isaac the piano when he was six. He began taking violin lessons after hearing a friend play the instrument. Later, he began studying music at the San Francisco Conservatory .He progressed quickly. When he was 16, he played with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The next year, he performed in New York City and was praised by music critics. 3During World War II, Mr. Stern played for thousands of American soldiers. It was the first time many of them had heard classical music. After the war, he was the first American violinist to perform in a concert in the Soviet Union. He also supported young musicians and cultural organizations in Israel. 4In 1979, Isaac Stern visited China. He met with Chinese musicians and students. He taught them about classical Western music. His visit was made into a film, which is calledFrom Mao to Mozart:Isaac Stern in China. It won an Academy Award for best documentary film. 5In 1984, Isaac Stern received the Kennedy Center Honors Award for his gifts to American culture through music. He expressed his thoughts about the part that music plays in life. He said he believed that music makes life better for everyone, especially children. 6Mr. Stern supported and guided younger classical musicians. They include violinists Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman, _ Yo -Yo Ma, and pianist Yefim Bronfman. 7Isaac Stern died in 2001 at the age of 81.He was a major influence on music in the 20th century. He leaves the world richer with his many recordings. Which of the following shows the RIGHT structure of the text? Options: A. 1-2345-67 B. 1-23456-7 C. 123456-7 D. 123-4567 Answer:

B

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Question: The mobile phone has been a part of our lives since the 1980s. It enables us to stay in contact with our family and friends at all times and in most areas. However, because of the quick acceptance and extensive usage of mobiles in our lives, we have missed out on an important step, namely, the appropriate use. Driving a car Do not use your phone while you are driving ! You could concentrate on your conversation and forget to look where you are going, or you could take your eyes off the road to look at the phone's display or to press in a number. Either way, you could cause a terrible accident. In a restaurant There is probably nothing more annoying than a diner receiving or making a call near you when you are in a restaurant. The icy glares you receive should be warning enough that it is not appreciated. Turn you phone off and enough that it is not appreciated. Turn you phone off and use your message service to return calls after you leave. At the cinema Do not give way to the desire to call a friend if the film is boring, or if you want to find out what happens. You could become the target of all the angry cinema customers. At the theatre There is no more icy glare than that of a theatre goer who has paid a lot of money to see a show and hears your phone playing a tone. It goes without saying that you will be seen as a socially unacceptable person in this situation. In hospitals This is probably the most important place to make sure your phone is switched off. Your phone can disturb life-saving electronic equipment in hospitals, so it is necessary that your phone is switched off before you enter. On planes Your phone might disturb navigational equipment and cause a horrible accident so you should switch it off before boarding a plane. Which of the following statements is NOT true ? Options: A. Theatre goers will not give you icy glares when they hear your phone. B. When switched on in hospitals, mobile phones could endanger patients' lives. C. Passengers should switch off the phones before getting on a plane. D. Pressing in phone numbers when driving could lead to traffic accidents. Answer:

A

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Question: Mr. Jenkins constructed a circuit consisting of a variable source, wires, and a resistor. In order to triple the amount of current, how should he change the voltage of the source? Options: A. make the voltage three times larger B. make the voltage one-third as great C. make the voltage nine times larger D. make the voltage one-ninth as great Answer:

A

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Question: Let's face it -- you're going to get a lot of well-intentioned advice from friends, parents and grandparents about your sleep. Some of this advice is going to be just wrong. Myth 1: Sleeping late on the weekends will make up for lost sleep during the week. Fact: Getting less than the amount of sleep that you need night after night accumulates over time and starts to create a "sleep debt". And like all debts, eventually you need to pay the price. The problem with waiting until the weekend to meet sleep needs is that in the meantime, you are paying the price of being less alert, feeling more moody, thinking slower and having less stimulation. Myth 2: A boring teacher (or warm room, full stomach, etc.) can put teens to sleep. Fact: If you are getting enough sleep on a regular basis, there is no teacher, math book or reading assignment in the world boring enough to make you fall asleep in class. There are basically two things that make people sleepy -- not getting enough sleep and not getting good quality sleep. The environment kids are in, including the room temperature, light level and entertainment value, may unmask underlying sleepiness, but the environment does not cause it! So if you are dozing off in class, don't blame it on bad teaching. Myth 3: Teenagers can pull an all-nighter to study and still be ready for the big test in the morning. Fact: Teenagers are much better off studying less and getting a good night's sleep. Research clearly shows that the ability to concentrate and learn new information, as well as to work efficiently, declines sharply after being awake for 15-16 hours, and continues to bottom out the longer you stay up. Plus, if the big test is at 8:00 am, the problem gets even worse. That's because morning time typically represents a low energy point in the body's normal 24-hour circadian rhythm, especially in teenagers. If you wake up at six in the morning, when will you begin working ineffectively? Options: A. At about 9 pm B. In the early morning. C. At about noon. D. In the midnight. Answer:

A

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Question: A black hole is created when a large star burns out. Like our sun, stars are unbelievably hot furnaces that burn their own matter as fuel. When most of the fuel is used up, the star begins to die. The death of a star is not a quiet event. First there is a huge explosion. As its outer layer is blasted off into space, the dying star shines as brightly as a billion suns. After the explosion gravity pulls in what's left of the star. As the outside of the star sinks toward the center, the star gets smaller and smaller. The material the star is made of becomes tightly packed together. A star is so dense that a teaspoon of matter from it weighs billion of pounds. The more the star shrinks, the stronger the gravity inside it becomes. Soon the star is very tiny, and the gravity pulling it in is unbelievably strong. In fact, the gravity is so strong that it even pulls light into the star! Since all the light is pulled in, none can go out. The star becomes black when there is no light. Then a black hole is born! That's what we know about black holes. What we don't know is this: What happens inside a black hole after the star has been squeezed into a tiny ball? Does it keep getting smaller and smaller forever? Such a possibility is hard to imagine. But if the black hole doesn't keep shrinking, what happens to it? Some scientists think black holes are like doorways to another world. They say that as the star disappears from our universe, it goes into another universe. In other words a black hole in our universe could turn into a "white hole" in a different universe. As the black hole swallows light, the white hole shines brightly--somewhere else. But where? A different place, perhaps, or a different time -- many years in the past or future. Could you travel through a black hole? Right now, no. Nothing we know of could go into a black hole without being crushed. So far the time being, black hole must remain a mystery. Black holes are a mystery--but that hasn't stopped scientists from dreaming about them. One scientist suggested that in the future we might make use of the power of black holes. They would supply all of Earth's energy needs, with plenty to spare. Another scientist wondered if a black hole could some day be used to swallow earthly waste--a sort of huge waste disposal in the sky! Which of the following doesn't help produce a black hole? Options: A. The gravity inside the star is very strong. B. The light can't go out of the star. C. The star becomes smaller and smaller D. The dying star shines very brightly. Answer:

D

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Question: My grandfather lived only half a mile away from where I grew up in New York. Every day, he would walk down to our house and bring my dad newspapers. Along with the papers he would bring a small bag of treats for my two brothers and me. Western New York had terrible winter weather: rain, sleet , or even 3 feet of snow. Even when he was 81, he still walked the half mile every single day. As a child, I looked forward to the daily treats, but now I'm older and I realize he braved the rough weather each day just to see us smile; I now value that more than anything else. My grandfather touched many lives. A woman who had been in hospital for five years told me her story. She said my grandfather would visit her twice a week at her home: to read to her, play bridge, or just chat. It lasted for years without stop. She had few visitors. Even a _ who had traveled by getting free rides from passing cars told me of my grandfather's influence on his life. My grandfather had picked him up for free and took the traveler to his home. After learning that the man was homeless, my grandfather gave him a place to stay. The man told me that no one had ever been so nice to him. He later found a job in a supermarket. I was touched, but not surprised to know all of the touching stories from which I understood my grandfather's selflessness. I have since tried to learn from him to help others. Although he died years ago, we still respect him. From the text we can infer that _ . Options: A. the writer didn't know his grandfather's selflessness until years later B. the writer's grandfather went to his house except on snowy days C. the writer's grandfather ever looked after a woman in hospital for five years D. the writer's grandfather ever helped a stranger find a job in a supermarket Answer:

A

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Question: Fossils of clam shells were found in the Appalachian Mountains. Which of these statements best explains why the clam shells were found in the Appalachian Mountains? Options: A. The mountain range was once under water. B. Birds flying overhead dropped the clam shells. C. Animals released the clam shells in their waste. D. The clams lived on land before moving to water. Answer:

A

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Question: Most visitors come to the UK expecting the rain and weather for which the country is famous. However, when summer finally arrives, British people like nothing more than heading for the coast. Here are some of more famous places of interest that you could expect to visit on a trip to Britain. Black pool, in the northwest of England, is the most visited place in the UK. Each year around 6.5 to 7 million people come to enjoy the miles of sandy beaches, the 158m Black pool Tower and the 11km-long Golden Mile, where there are entertainments, pubs, ice rinks and even a zoo. On the south coast of the country you can find Brighton. Until 1786, Brighton was a sleepy village. Then the future king, George IV, decided to build a house there, and now it has become a large, international centre. Apart from the beaches, Brighton is famous for its pier . There are theatres, entertainments and restaurants there. Brighton is also fantastic for shopping. If you want to travel a little further, why not go to Corn-wall in the far southwest of the UK? South Cornwall offers miles of sandy beaches and beautiful scenery. The climate there is warmer than the rest of Britain, and you can even find palm trees. For a bit more excitement, go to North Cornwall. The scenery there is nicer, and the beaches are famous for their powerful waves. As a result, North Cornwall has become the home of British surfing. One word of warning though, if you are using the roads in the UK during holidays, you can expect long traffic jams on the motorways. It might be better to take the train. From the passage we can infer that _ . Options: A. there are no beaches in the east and west of Britain B. Black pool is the most famous place in the UK C. the pier is more interesting than the beaches in Brighton D. the climate in South Cornwall is attractive to many people Answer:

D

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Question: Should teenagers help their parents do chores? Is it important for us to learn how to do chores? I have a classmate called Li Ting. She is the only child in her family. Her parents love her so much that they don't let her do any chores. On weekdays she gets up, has meals, goes to school, has lessons, she only plays with her friends. So she doesn't know how to do chores. One day, her father was badly ill and was in hospital. Her mother had to take care of her father in the hospital and couldn't cook meals for her for a week. Li Ting didn't know how to cook meals. She had a lot of trouble cooking meals and often felt hungry. She only had instant noodles for her meals. From the story, we know it's very important for us to learn to do chores. The writer thinks it is _ for teenagers to learn to do chores. Options: A. wrong B. important C. interesting D. boring Answer:

B

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Question: When might you need to give blood for a personality test? The answer is that you need to do so when you ask for a job. Some people believe that your blood group hides no secrets.It shows the "real you".And the owners of certain blood groups might be particularly good or bad at a certain task.This is the very reason why you could be asked to offer your blood group before being given a job. The new idea was carried out first in Japan and now it has been brought over to other parts of the world.One important business company in Japan is quite special about these needs: "For our office members, we must have 30 percent of those with group A and 15 percent with AB, 25 percent with B." Do you happen to know that if your own blood group is O, you can get things done and sell the goods well? People with blood group A are thinkers, while those with blood group B are highly creative.And if you have problems, ask the ABs to solve them.So if you visit the Japanese company, you would find the O types out selling goods and A types keeping order in the office. People belonging to blood group B might be good at _ . Options: A. sports and games B. painting and writing C. doing office work D. smoothing away difficulties Answer:

B

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Question: It is often said that man has become the enemy of our planet. This is no exaggeration , for reports show that man's greed has done much to destroy the earth. Man, in his greedy desire for financial growth, has polluted the air, land and water, and has robbed our valuable natural resources. Man's industrial plants pour out poisonous waste that pollutes the sea and puts life in the sea under the threat of dying out; at the same time, they release alarming amounts of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other pollutants. Small wonder that the air now is much warmer and more impure than ever before. Of course, this is not just because of man's greed--it is man's pressing need as well. For instance, in developing countries, huge financial foreign debts have forced governments to approve the cutting of forests for agriculture or ranching. As a result, forests are cut down just to meet man's immediate needs. Perhaps unknowingly,man has changed the make-up of the earth's atmosphere. Scientific studies have shown that CFCs used in refrigerators and industrial cleaners are fast destroying the ozone layer--a protective layer in the atmosphere that protects us against the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet rays. In fact, documented reports have shown a terrible fact that there are "holes" in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. And they appear to be expanding. Faced with these environmental problems, world leaders have shown deep concern. The UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) has arranged international agreements like the Vienna convention of 1985 and the Montreal Protocol of 1989 to preserve the ozone layer by controlling the production, use and trade of destructive chemicals. There may be some doubt as to how effectual these agreements may be, given that some countries still maintain an "I-don't-care" attitude. Their attitude is probably due to their failure to grasp the importance of the problem. Then, there is no doubt that environmental education on an international scale is greatly needed, so that all countries, great and small--the "haves" and the "have nots"--may realize their responsibilities for our planet. In the meantime, the UNEP seems to have taken steps in the right direction, and it is hoped that in the not so distant future, all nations of the world will join hands in saving mother earth. The holes in the ozone layer are largely due to _ . Options: A. man's research activities B. the greenhouse effect C. the ultraviolent D. harmful chemicals Answer:

D

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Question: Anger is good for you, as lon g as you control it, according to new psychology research. A new study from Carnegie Mellon University shows anger may help people reduce the negative impacts of stress and help you become healthier. "Here getting emotional is not bad for you if you look at the case of anger," said Jennifer Lerner of Carnegie Mellon. "The more people display anger, the lower their stress responses." Lerner studied 92 UCLA students by asking them to count back from 6,200. They must say out loud every thirteenth number. Researchers disturbed them by asking them to count faster or ask them other questions. If they made any mistakes, they had to restart from the very beginning. Many students felt depressed about making so many mistakes or got angry because the researchers were interrupting them. Lerner used a hidden video camera and recorded all their facial expressions during the test. The researchers describe their reactions as fear, anger and disgust. Other researchers recorded the students' blood pressure, pulse and production of a high-stress hormone called cortisol. People whose faces showed more fear during th e experiment had higher blood pressure and higher levels of the hormone. Both can have lasting effects such as diabetes , heart disease, depression and extra weight gain. When people feel fear, negative impacts increase, but when they get angry, those negatives go down, according to the study. "Having that sense of anger leads people to actually feel some power in what otherwise is maddening situation," Lerner said. Lerner previously studied Americans' emotional response to the 911 terrorist attacks two months after the incident. She found people who reacted with anger were more optimistic. These people are healthier compared with those who were frightened during the event. So in maddening situations, anger is not a bad thing to have. It's a healthier response than fear. In what way can anger be beneficial to people? Options: A. By showing their optimistic side. B. By reducing their stress. C. By reducing high blood pressure. D. By taking the place of fear. Answer:

B

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Question: Football is, I believe, the most popular game in England: one has only to go to the important matches to see _ . Rich and poor, young and old, one can see them all there, shouting for one side or the other. To a stranger, one of the most surprising things about football in England is the great knowledge of the game which even the smallest boy seems to have. He can tell you the names of the players in most of the important teams. He will tell you who he expects will win such a match, and his opinion is usually as good as that of men three or four times his age. Most schools in England take football seriously-much more seriously than nearly all European schools, where lessons are all very important and games are left for the children themselves. In England it is believed that education is not only a matter filling a boy's mind with facts in the classroom: education also means the training of character; and one of the best ways of training character is by means of games, especially team games; where a boy or girl has to learn to work with others for his or her team, instead of working for oneself alone. The school therefore plans games and matches for its students. Football is a good team game. It is good both for the body and the mind. That's why it is every school's game in England. In England, education means _ . Options: A. filling a boy's mind with stories B. more than the teaching of knowledge C. the teaching of knowledge only D. training character by means of football games Answer:

B

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Question: Watson entered Mr. Smith's office. The boss was a hard man. He fired people who didn't do well without giving them a second chance. "Watson," said Mr. Smith, "this past year your department hasn't earned money. We're going to drop that department. It's finished. I'm sorry, --but you'll have to go." "But, sir -- if I just had a little more time. For the moment I need the job to keep my son at Riverside School." "What's that!" said the boss. "Riverside! I didn't know you had a boy there. That's an expensive school for a man with your salary." "I know, sir. But he likes it there so much! He's a star athlete and the best boxer in the school. The boys call him Champ there." The boss sat perfectly still for a long time -- a faraway look in his eyes. Then, suddenly, he said, "We've got to close your department, Watson. But you'll take over a new job in another department. It means longer hours--maybe more pay. Now get out. You're here for life." Watson got out, with surprise on his face. Then the boss took a letter from the top drawer of his desk. It was Herbie's last letter from Riverside School --written a few days before he died. He had read it over and over again with sick pain. The letter read: I can't say the boys here are any nicer to me than the others were. I guess it's the same everywhere when you're a cripple . But don't worry about me, Dad. They've got a good chemistry department here. And there's one boy here who is really great. He's a track star and boxing champ and just tops in chemistry. The boys call him Champ. He made them stop throwing my books around. And he knocked a boy down who hit me. He is the best friend I ever had. Dad, when I grow up, 1 want to do something for Champ. Something big -- that he won' t even know about. Your son, Herbie The author wrote the text in order to _ . Options: A. share a moving story with us B. make our children enjoy life C. provide us with tips on work D. help us to deal with our boss Answer:

A

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Question: As a teenager in 1972, Bill Gates boasted that he would be a millionaire by the time he was 20. While he did not quite achieve that goal, only 15 years later, he was a millionaire. And by 1992, as head of the Microsoft company, he became the richest man in America with assets of nearly US $ 6.3 billion. Born in Seattle, Washington on 28, October, 1956, Gates was named William Henry after his father and grandfather. From the beginning, he was an extremely energetic and intelligent child. He had read the entire world book encyclopedia by the age of nine. His favorite subjects at school were science and math and his favorite pastime was "thinking". Gates first started to play with computers at the age of 13. Before long he became an expert at working the school's computer. After his graduation from secondary school, Gates was accepted by the three top universities in the USA-Princeton, Harvard and Yale. He chose Harvard and began classes there the next autunm, majoring maths. But he was still obsessed with computers and spent as much time in the computer laboratories as he did in the lecture halls. By 1975, Gates and a partner, Paul Allen, had developed a software program called BASIC. This was not the first program ever created, but its inventors were the first to decide that people who wanted to use it should pay for it. BASIC was a success because until it came along, there had been no efficient way of getting computers to carry out instructions. Although he had not completed his degree, Gates left university and went to work full time for the new company he had formed called Microsoft. His next project was the software program that made him famous and very rich. It was called DOS, short for Disk Operating System, and it was purchased by IBM in 1980. Today it is the operating system used in more than 14 million personal computers around the world. As chief executive officer of Microsoft, Gates is known as a bright man, but one who is not easily satisfied. He is quick to criticize his staff and hates to be questioned about decisions he has made. He was regarded as a loner and unfashionable boring computer nut until his marriage to Microsoft manager Melinda French on New Year's Day 1994. Yet to many people now, Gates, is a person who is, in spite of his great wealth, humble and ordinary. He spends his money carefully. He eats in fast food restaurants and flies economy class. And when praised for Microsoft's great success, he has been heard to say, "All we do is put software in a box and if people see it in the stores and like it, they buy it." When Gates went to Harvard, he _ . Options: A. was only interested in maths B. spent most of his time in computer laboratories C. developed the first computer software program D. divided his time between his maths studies and the computer laboratories Answer:

D

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Question: It is said that a great many things about languages are mysterious, and many will always be so. But some things we do know. Firstly, we know that all human beings have a language of some kind. There is no race of men anywhere on earth so backward that it has no language, no set of speech sounds by which the people communicate with one another. In historical times, there has never been a race of men without a language. Secondly, there is no such thing as a primitive language. There are many people whose cultures are underdeveloped, who are, as we say, uncivilized, but the languages they speak are not primitive. In all known languages we can see complexities that must have been tens of thousands of years in developing. This has not always been well understood; indeed, the direct contrary has often been stated. Popular ideas of the language of the American Indians will illustrate. Many people have guessed that the Indians communicated in a very primitive system of noises. Study has proved this to be nonsense. There are, or were, hundreds of American Indian languages, and all of them turn out to be very complicated and very old. They are certainly different from the languages that most of us are familiar with, but they are no more primitive than English and Greek. A third thing we know about language is that all languages are perfectly adequate. This means each one is a perfect means of expressing the culture of the people who speak the language. Finally, we know that language changes. It's natural and normal for language to change; the only languages which do not change are the dead ones. This is easy to understand if we look backward in time. Change goes on in all aspects of language. Grammatical features change as do speech sounds and changes in vocabulary are sometimes very extensive and may occur very rapidly. Vocabulary is the least stable part of any language. According to the author, language changes are most likely to appear in _ . Options: A. grammar B. vocabulary C. intonation D. pronunciation Answer:

B

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Question: Barefoot Traveler is a tour agent that specializes in diving holidays,tailor-made to your own needs.The most popular destinations include Bonaire,Tobago,the Bahamas, Maldives,Oman,Seychelles and Thailand. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff,who are qualified divers themselves,will be able to advise you on the best destinations for your requirements. Whether you want to learn to dive,further your diving qualifications,continue to discover the underwater world,or simply relax on the beach,we are here'to help organize your holiday. We are happy to satisfy single travelers and offer special discounts . Group discounts are offered to groups of eight or more travelers and tailor-made packages are available for Dive Clubs. We also offer a series of diving liveaboard choices throughout the Caribbean.Indian Ocean and South East Asia.Liveaboards are very popular scuba diving holidays for those who want to access the best diving sites. Our barefoot luxury holiday brand is for those trying something a little more special,whether it's your honeymoon,anniversary or simply for more discerning travelers.We have a selection of 4 and 5 star levels which are the best in luxury holidays. What's the author's purpose in writing this passage? Options: A. To give some advice on diving. B. To introduce the popular destinations. C. To teach diving skills. D. To attract tourists. Answer:

D

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Question: It is impossible not to make a mistake at some point in your life.We may as well accept that something will go wrong and we will be to blame.It is therefore sensible to work out some strategies for apologizing,and the best way to apologize is by letter.This way you can take care over every word you write which you can't do if you say sorry to someone in person. We all say or do something that we wish we hadn't said or done.You may say something that accidentally hurts someone,or you may provide a service which doesn't come up to the standards that a client or customer expected, You may feel that it was a genuine mistake which couldn't be avoided. _ you should quickly try to remedy the problem.An effective letter of apology is an important part of that process. For the content of the letter,just remember TABS--Timing,Action,Brevity,Sincerity. The timing of a letter of apology is crucial--it must be sent as soon as possible.Any delay in sending the letter will only compound the problem.In this case "Better late than never" is not the best motto! The longer you wait before writing a,letter of apology,the more it will seem that you have been coerced into writing it. Although it is important to recognize what has gone before,it is also essential to detail the action you plan to take to _ whatever it was you did wrong.Research has shown that some indication that you have thought about what future action you plan to take is always well received. A letter of apology should be brief and the word "sorry" should appear no more than twice.Indicate that you are aware you are using it a second time"Once again,I am so sorry for..."or"As I said earlier,I am really sorry about...".Finally,the tone of the letter has to be sincere.In fact, the combination of all the above factors will help in this respect. And don't think that letters are out of date in the email-oriented 21st century.An apology email can be worse than no apology at all ! What kind of things do you NOT apologize for? Options: A. Services that are not as good as they should be. B. Genuine mistakes. C. Car accidents. D. Causing offence or hurt. Answer:

C

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Question: It's September, and we're back to school. It's good to see all my teachers and friends again. They all look fine. We are in Grade Eight this year. We are going to have some new subjects. My name is Wu Ming. Wei Fang and I are in the same class. I'm not very good at Chinese, but Wei Fang says she's going to help me. I think I can do better than last year. I like English very much. This year I'm going to do more speaking. Zhang Hong also likes English, but he needs some help. I'm going to help him. This term I'm going to work for the wall-newspaper. My classmates say I draw well. I like it, too. I'm going to do my best this year. The teachers and students look _ Options: A. special B. fine C. clever D. strong Answer:

B

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Question: Teens are more likely to behave badly if their parents expect them to,a new US study has found. "Parents who believe they are simply being realistic might actually be having a bad effect on their children," Christy Buchanan,a teacher at Wake Forest University and one of the authors of the study,said. "Bad expectations on the part of both parents and children predict more rebellious behaviors later on." The finding came from a study of more than 250 sixth and seventhgraders and their mothers. They were examined at the start of the study and again one year later. If kids' mothers expected them to take more risks and be more rebellious,higher chances of risky behavior were seen. _ _ _ when kids had bad expectations of themselves. "Sometimes parents expect more negative behavior from their children than they should based on the children's history of behavior," Buchanan said.Parents shouldn't be naive about the possibility of bad behavior,she said,but it's also a mistake to think that children who are wellbehaved will naturally become rebellious at the age of 13. "By thinking risktaking or rebelliousness is normal for teenagers and showing that to their children,parents might add to other messages from society that make teenagers feel that they are strange if they are not willing to take risks or break laws," she said."This can mean,for example,that when parents expect teens to drink before they turn 21 or to do other risky behaviors,kids are less likely to refuse to do so later in their lives." On the other hand,parents' expectations that teens can exhibit good behaviors and refuse to behave badly or to take risks could help reduce the possibility of bad behavior,Buchanan said."As a parent,you should put expectations on your children carefully." The passage is centered around the topic of _ . Options: A. parental rights B. children's habits C. parental education D. parentchildren relationship Answer:

C

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Question: Surtsey was born in 1963. Scientists saw the birth of this island. It began at 7.30 a.m. on 14th November. A fishing boat was near Iceland. The boat moved under the captain's feet. He noticed a strange smell. He saw some black smoke. A volcano was breaking out. Red-hotrocks, fire and smoke were rushing up from the bottom of the sea. The island grew quickly. It was 10 meters high the next day and 60 meters high on 18th November. Scientists flew there to watch it. It was exciting. Smoke and fire were still rushing up. Pieces of red-hot rock were flying into the air and falling into the sea. The sea was boiling and there was a strange light in the sky. Surtsey grew and grew. Then it stopped in June 1967. It was 175 metres high and 2 kilometres long. And life was already coming to Surtsey. Plants grew. Birds came Some scientists built a house. They want to learn about this young island. A new island is like a new world. Surtsey is _ . Options: A. an island not far from Iceland B. a captain C. a fishing boat D. a place in Iceland Answer:

A

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Question: How clean are the nation's homes? According to a survey by CIF, there's room for improvement all over Britain. Love or hate it -- cleaning your home is one job you simply can't ignore . But that's not to say everyone spends the same amount of time or effort on making their places spotless. A new survey by CIF-- experts on making tough cleaning jobs easier---- shows that when it comes to washing windows or cleaning the oven ,where you live in the UK it may show how much effort you put into the task. BATHROOM 25% of men have never cleaned the toilet -- but those in Wales are the worst. Nearly four in 10 Welsh men said they never cleaned anywhere in the house. Hate cleaning the shower head? You're not alone -- a quarter of a million Brits say the same. 20% of Scots regard window-cleaning as their most hated job. KITCHEN 36% of people in the south-east say cleaning the cooker is their hated task. 68% of those in the north-east spend more than six hours a week cleaning their homes -- especially the kitchen -- in sharp contrast to the 49% of Welsh and West Country folk, who put their hands up to cleaning for under an hour. BEDROOM 18% believe cleaning starts here: that's the percentage of women who clean wearing their dressing gowns. 51% of women in the north-west may be staying in bed and giving their husband a cuddle --as a thank-you for helping them clean. In other places, there are far fewer helpful men. LIVING ROOM 32% of women in the north-east turn up the stereo to help make the dusting more fun. Almost six in 10 women agree, however, that cleaning is seriously energetic exercise. SHIFT THE DIRT WITH CIF It's no secret that the right cleaning products will cut cleaning time and effort in half-- and no one knows that better than How Clean Is Your house? Presenters Aggie Mackenzie and Kim Woodburn. For solutions to all your cleaning needs, here are some of CIF's top tips: *Stop a lot of build-up on your shower head--give it a quick squirt with CIF bathroom spray once a week. *Stainless steel tools seem to need endless cleaning. The CIF Wild Qrchid Qxy-Gel-it lifts dirt easily and leaves the kitchen smelling fresh and clean. *Cooking outside? CIF cream will get your barbecue spotlessly clean, ready for those long, lazy summer evenings. Perfect! The main purpose of this passage is to _ . Options: A. tell us the results of a certain survey B. advertise a certain product C. advise men to do more cleaning housework D. tell us which is the hardest job at home Answer:

B

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Question: He's an old cobbler with a shop in the Marais, a historic area in Paris. When I took him my shoes, he at first told me, "I haven't time. Take them to the other fellow on the main street. He'll fix them for you right away." But I had my eyes on his shop for a long time. Just looking at his bench loaded with tools and pieces of leather, I knew he was a skilled craftsman . "No." I replied, "The other fellow can't do it well." "The other fellow" was one of those shopkeepers who fix shoes and make keys -- without knowing much about mending shoes or making keys. They work carelessly, and when they have finished sewing back a sandal strap , you might as well just throw away the pair. My man saw I wouldn't give in, and he smiled. He wiped hands on his blue apron , looked at my shoes, had me write my name on one shoe with a piece of chalk and said, "Come back in a week." I was about to leave when he took a pair of soft leather boots off a shelf. "See what I can do?" he said with pride. "Only three of us in Paris can do this kind of work." When I got back out into the street, the world seemed brand-new to me. He was something out of an ancient legend, this old craftsman with his way of speaking familiarly, his very strange dusty felt hat, his funny accent and his pride in his craft. These are times when nothing is important but the bottom line, when you can do things any old way as long as it "pays", when, in short, people look on work as a path to ever-increasing consumption rather than a way to realize their abilities. In such a period it is a rare comfort to find a cobbler who gets his greatest satisfaction from pride in a job well done. The sentence "He was something out of an ancient legend" implies that _ . Options: A. nowadays you can hardly find anyone like him B. it was difficult to communicate with this man C. the man was very strange D. the man was too old Answer:

A

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Question: Timothy likes to play sports. He spends his time after school playing basketball and baseball. Sometimes Timothy pretends he is a famous baseball pitcher for his favorite team with his friends. He plays with his friends Mandy and Andrew. Timothy also plays pretend when he is alone. He has an imaginary friend named Sean. Sean is an elephant who watches television with Timothy. Mandy likes playing baseball but she also likes to paint. Mandy's favorite class at school is art. She likes making pictures of flowers. Her teacher says she is a good artist. She painted a picture of a tree for her teacher. There were red and yellow leaves on it. It had apples on it. When Andrew goes home after baseball, he likes to eat a snack. He eats carrots and bananas. If he is a good boy his mom, Mrs. Smith, sometimes gives him milk and cookies. Afterwards, Andrew finishes his homework. What does Andrew eat after baseball? Options: A. apples B. his homework C. carrots D. cake Answer:

C

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Question: What should you think about in trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work .So it is important to do well at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. Knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs. Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metal work or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job. Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is bitter to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.. According to the passage, if a student's school record is not good, he _ . Options: A. will be a complete failure in his future work B. will not be able to find a suitable job C. will regret not having worked harder at school D. may do well in his future work Answer:

D

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Question: When Nancy Lublin got $5,000 from her grandpa in 1996, she never once considered taking a vacation or paying off student loans .Instead, the 24-year-old New York University law student began thinking about helping low-income women get better jobs. "If a woman goes for a job interview poorly dressed, she won't get the job." Lublin says. " but without a job, she can't afford suitable clothes." So with the money Lublin founded "Dress for Success" and began collecting women's clothes which were still in good condition but which their owners no longer needed. "So many women have clothes lying around that they will never wear again," one of Lublin's assistants says "Nancy's idea is so simple and yet so important to women." Many women come to Lublin's office before going to a job interview. Here, they receive a suit, shoes and any other things they need. Since it was set up, more than 1,000 women have turned to "Dress for Success" for help. Many of them have won jobs. Some have round jobs after being out of work for many years. Jenny, a 32-year-old woman who was recently hired as a law-firm office manager , says, "I made a good impression because of "Dress for Success" What can we learn from the text? Options: A. Low-income women can get jobs at "Dress for Success" B. Nancy's office gathers used clothes from women C. Nancy's grandfather lent her the money to set up the office. D. Nancy set up "Dress for Success" to make money. Answer:

B

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Question: For thousands of years, people have been debating the meaning of happiness and how to find it. From the ancient Greeks and Romans to current day writers and professors, the debate about happiness continues. What makes someone happy? In what parts of the world are people the happiest? Why even study happiness? The Greek philosopher Aristotle said that a person's highest happiness comes from the use of his or her intelligence. Religious books such as the Koran and Bible discuss faith as a form of happiness. The British scientist Charles Darwin believed that all species were formed in a way so as to enjoy happiness. People throughout history may have had different ideas about happiness. But today, many people are still searching for its meaning. How do you study something like happiness? You could start with the World Database of Happiness at Erasmus University in prefix = st1 /Rotterdam, The Netherlands. This set of information includes how to define and measure happiness. Some findings are not surprising. For example, the database suggests that married people are happier than single people. People who like to be with other people are happier than unsocial people. But other findings are less expected: People with children are equally happy as couples without children. And wealthier people are only a little happier than poorer people. Positive psychology is the new term for a method of scientific study that tries to examine the things that make life worth living instead of life's problems. Traditional psychology generally studies negative situations like mental suffering and sickness. But positive psychology aims to study the strengths that allow people and communities to do well. There is also an increasing amount of medical research on the physical qualities of happiness. Doctors can now look at happiness at work in a person's brain using a method called magnetic resonance imaging , or MRI. For example, an MRI can show how one area of a person's brain activates when he or she is shown happy pictures. A different area of the brain becomes active when the person sees pictures of terrible subjects. The Bible tells us happiness comes from _ . Options: A. the application of one's intelligence B. the strong belief in religion C. a certain degree of good faith D. the trust in one's ability Answer:

B

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Question: When I was a foreign teacher in China,every day I taught English to my students and they taught me about China.One day the topic mined to saying "I love you".I was shocked to learn that not one of my students had said this to their mothers,nor had their mothers said it to them."Does your mom love you?" "Of course,"they answered. "How do you know?" was my logical question.They responded that their moms cooked and Always told them what they were doing wrong to show their earning.I was strummed. So mom's cooking and criticizing read our as "I love you"."Then how do you say 'I love you to her?" They agreed that getting good grades, followed by good jobs would be how they showed their love. I come from a culture where most people are expressive enough,so I repeated these queries in clauses over time.Gradually,I began to get different responses.Some of them had exchanged those sentiments with their moms. One of my favorite stories of change came from a girl.When she came home from university,her mother met her at the door and hugged her.This had never happened before,but her mom said,"Now that you have gone I have more time to myself.I noticed that in some places mothers and children hug each other and I decided it was a good idea and that I would begin hugging you." In my family we all say "I love you" a lot.While it is true that we often say the words without having great depth of feelings at that moment,it is almost like a blessing we give each other. Those three little words carry a world of meaning,even when said as a greeting, but most especially if they are the lax words we say to or hear from those we love. The foreign teacher _ . Options: A. comes from America B. is a young woman C. is expressive enough D. knows much about China Answer:

C

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Question: George wants to warm his hands quickly by rubbing them. Which skin surface will produce the most heat? Options: A. dry palms B. wet palms C. palms covered with oil D. palms covered with lotion Answer:

A

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Question: As one approaches some crossroads, one comes to a sign which says that drivers have to stop when they come to the main road ahead. At other crossroads, drivers have to go slow, but they do not actually have to stop (unless, of course, there is something coming along the main road); and at still others, they do not have either to stop or to go slow, because they are themselves on the main road. Mr. Williams, who was always a very careful driver, was driving home from work one evening when he came to a crossroads. It had a "Slow" sign, so he slowed down when he came to the main road, looked both ways to see that nothing was coming, and then drove across without stopping completely. At once he heard a police whistle, so he pulled in to the side of the road and stopped. A policeman walked over to him with a notebook and pencil in his hand and said, "You didn't stop at the crossing." "But the sign there doesn't say "Stop"," answered Mr. Williams. "It just says "Slow", and I did go slow." The policeman looked around him, and a look of surprise came over his face. Then he put his notebook and pencil away, scratched his head and said, "Well, I'll be scolded. I am in the wrong street!" What do you think the policeman would do in the end? Options: A. Fine Mr. Williams. B. Take him to the police station. C. Apologize to Mr. Williams. D. Give Mr. Williams his notebook and pencil. Answer:

C

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Question: "In the old days," as one wife said. " The husband was the husband and the wife was the wife." In the past husbands each had their own way of going on. The wives' jobs were to look after them. "The wives wouldn't stand for it nowadays. Husbands help with the children now. They stay more, as well as have more interest, at home." We shall give some examples of what husbands do, firstly in sharing work with their wives; and secondly, in their largely independent domain of house repairs. "Some husbands, as well as doing much of the heavy work in the home, carrying the coals, and emptying the rubbish, act as assistants to their wives for at least part of the day." Mr. Hammond washes up the dishes every night and lays the breakfast for the morning. Mr. Clark said that on Sunday mornings he usually hovered around and read plays aloud for his wife while she did a bit of washing. Mr. Davis polishes the floors and helps to make the beds at weekend, and during weekdays, takes the dog out for one of his twice-daily walks. So it goes on.... The expression "act as assistants to their wives" means that _ . Options: A. husbands read plays aloud. B. husbands are paid by their wives. C. husbands help their wives. D. husbands look after their sick children. Answer:

C

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Question: You might think Hawaii is only for honeymoons, but there are various family-based activities and attractions. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park What makes this park unique is the opportunity to see an active volcano, Kilauca. Within the park, there is a visitor center, the Jagger Museum, the Volcano House containing a gift shop, a restaurant and a hotel, and the Volcano Art Center Gallery. The park is open every day. The entrance fee is $10 per car. Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park Visitors can take a self-guided tour that includes ancient sites. There is also a reconstructed temple as well as examples of traditional Hawaiian canoes. The park is open from 6 am to 8 pm during the week and until 11 pm on weekends and holidays. The visitor center is open from 9 am to 5 pm. The entrance fee for the park is $5. Dolphin Twilight Camp at the Hilton Waikoloa Village The camp, for children aged from 5 to 12, consists of four hours of fun including dolphin playtime, a pirate treasure hunt, a picnic dinner and a twilight camp T-shirt. The admission price is $120 for the first child and $105 for each additional one. The Parker Ranch Here visitors can learn about the history and culture of one of the largest cattle ranches in the United States. To see the ranch itself, take the 45-minute carriage tour. Tickets to the carriage tour are $15 for adults and $12 for children under 12. The museum fee is $6.50 for adults and $4.50 for children. Sea Turtles at Punalu'u Beach Park Punalu'u Beach Park is famous for its beautiful black sand beach. Green Sea Turtles, an endangered species, inhabit this beach and Hawksbill Turtles, another endangered species, sometimes nest here as well. Swim, relax and enjoy island life, without any charge. Which of the following statement is true according to the passage? Options: A. You are forbidden to take a guide tour in the Historic Park. B. You should pay 240 dollars for two children for the twilight camp. C. The major activity in the Parker Ranch is to learn how to raise cattle. D. You can take the carriage tour to have a good view in the Parker Ranch. Answer:

D

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Question: Bob is a middle school student. He is 13years old. He lives in Shanghai with his parents and his twin brother, Jack. They are in the same( ) school, but in different classes. Bob is good at Maths, but not good at English. He thinks it's a little difficult for him. But he plans to spend more time on it. Every morning, Bob gets up early. He usually reads English for half an hour. And then he has breakfast with his family. He usually has two eggs and a glass of milk. After breakfast, he walks to school with his brother. It takes them about twenty minutes to get to school. They get to school at about 7:40. Bob begins his classes at 8:00. After four lessons in the morning, he has a hamburger, some fish and vegetables for lunch at school. Then he has three classes in the afternoon. His last class is over at 4:50p.m. After school, he usually plays football or basketball from 5:00 p. m. to 6:00 p.m. He says it is good for his health to play sports every day. He gets home at 6:20 p.m. He usually eats some rice and vegetables for dinner. Sometimes, he eats some noodles. After dinner, he does his homework from 7:30to 9:30. Then he listens to music or reads books for a while( ). He doesn't watch TV or play computer games on weekdays. He goes to bed at 10:30 p.m. His friends say his lifestyle is very healthy. Do you think so? Bob usually has a hamburger, some _ and vegetables for lunch at school. Options: A. eggs B. fish C. rice D. noodles Answer:

B

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Question: "Last week," Dr. P said "I was invited to a doctors' meeting at the R. Hospital. In one of the rooms a patient, an old man, got up from his bed and moved slowly towards me. I could see that he hadn't long to live, but he came up to me and placed his right foot close to mine on the floor." "Frank!" I cried with surprise. He couldn't answer as I knew, but he tried to smile, all the time keeping his foot close to mine. My thoughts raced back more than thirty years--to the dark days of 1941, when I was a student in London. The scene was an air-raid shelter , in which I and about a hundred other people slept every night. Among them were Mrs. West and her son Frank, who lived nearby. Sharing wartime problems, we got to know each other very well. Frank interested me because he was not normal . He had never been normal, ever since he was born. His mother told me he was 37 then, but he had less of a mind than a baby has. Mrs. West, then about 75, was a strong, able woman, as she had to be of course, because Frank depended on her completely. He needed all the attention of a baby. One night a policeman came into our shelter and told Mrs. West that her house had been all destroyed. That wasn't quite true, because the West went on living there for quite some time. But they certainly lost nearly everything they owned. When that kind of thing happened, the rest of us helped the unlucky ones. So before we separated that morning, I stood beside Frank and measured my right foot against his. They were about the same size. That night, then, I took a spare pair of shoes to the shelter for Frank. As soon as he saw me, he came running--and placed his right foot against mine. After that, he always greeted me in the same way. Why did Dr P say that Mrs West had to be a strong, able woman? Options: A. She was over 75. B. She needed all the attention of a baby. C. She had to give care and thought to her son as to a baby. D. She lost nearly everything in the war. Answer:

C

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Question: Pocket money Most British parents give their teenagers pocker money. Teenagers get between PS7 and PS20 a week. They spend it on fast food, designer clothes, the cinema, concert, magazines and mobile phones. Lazy parents? 37% of parents pay teenagers to clean the lounge, 66% of parents pay teenagers to take the rubbish out. Lazy teens? 51% of teenagers don't make their beds before they leave home.Only 13% of teenagers wash the car for money.Some parents even pay their teenagers to do their homework. Equality? Not yet! Boys get more money than girls for most odd jobs.For washing the dishes, boys get about PS4 and girls get about PS1. And if you need some more money? Teens get an extra PS250 a year out of their parents on top of pocket money!About 50% of teens get gifts of money from their grandparents.Go to Mum if you need extra money!She gives more than Dad. Where you live makes a difference! Parents in prefix = st1 /Scotlandand the North of England give most pocket money. Spending 51% spend their money on clothes.39%buy cosmetics, juwellery and toiletries.Less than 40% of teenagers save any money.Here are some children who tell us about their pocket money:I get PS30 a month, I have to take the rubbish out and tidy my room. --Emma,15, Edinburgh .I get PS10 a week. But I have to clean the car, hoover the house and load and unload the dishwasher. I usually save the money. --James, 12, Sheffield..I getPS7.5 a week.I have to be "good" but I don't have to do any jobs for the money. --Lain, 13, Cardiff.I getPS5 a week. But our neighbors go away a lot and they give me PS25 a week for looking after their cats. --Richard, 13, Belfast Which of the following sentences is true according to the text? Options: A. Parents are lazy so they let children do housework. B. Teens are too lazy to do housework unless they are given pocket money. C. The pocket money boys and girls get is not equal. D. it is not right for children to ask for pocket money. Answer:

C

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Question: Once upon a time there lived two brothers named Jacob and William in Germany. They liked to listen to old stories and then write them down. So they had enough stories to make a book. You can guess the name of the book! It is Grimms' Fairy Tales. The story of this little book began when the brothers were still in school. And it started with a good teacher. The teacher liked to find out how things happened. Soon the two brothers were doing the same thing. They asked questions and then looked for answers. Among the questions the brothers asked, "Who made up the old fairy tales? Who first told about Cinderella ? Why made up the story of the Snow White and the story of Sleeping Beauty?"They found that no one knew the answers to such questions. The tales were made up in very early times. Most of them were made up in the days before people knew how to write. People told the stories to one another and to their children. But only a few old people still remembered them. "When old people die, the stories will die with them," said the brothers. "We must write down all the stories we can find." Jacob and William hunted for stories for five years. At last they had 89 tales written. Just before Christmas in 1812, the first book was published. People love the book! They asked more fairy tales. So Grimms put tales into two more books. In all, they collected 210 stories to put into their books. What did the teacher like to do? Options: A. To ask questions and look for answers. B. To make up stories. C. To tell the stories to his students. D. To asked some old people to tell stories. Answer:

A

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Question: People use their mouths for many things.They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In English language ,there are many expressions using the word "mouth".Foe example, If you say bad things about a person, the person might protest and say " Don't bad mouth me." Sometimes ,people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person's feelings.Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell. The speaker might say: "I really put my foot in my mouth this time." If this should happen, the speaker might feel down in the mouth. In other words , he might fell sad for saying the wrong thing. Another situation is when someone falsely claims another person said something.The other person might protest: "I did not say that .Non't put words in my mouth." Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family. There is an expression for this, too. Ypu might say such a person, " was born with a silver spoon in his mouth." This rich person is the opposite who lives from hand to mouth. This person is verry poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life ,like food. Parents might sometimes withold sweet food from a child as a form of punishment for saying bad things.For example,if a child says things she should not say to her parents, she might be described as a mouthy child.The parents might even tell the child to "stop mouthing off." But enough of all this talk.I have been "running my mouth long enough." If a person lives from hand to mouth, it implies _ . Options: A. he is badly-off B. he is hard -working C. he is well-off D. he has enough to eat Answer:

A

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Question: I was waiting for a phone call from my agent last night. He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn't care about my work, and he didn't care about me. That thought beat me. I started to shout at the phone, "Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?" At that time I didn't realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, took away the phone and pulled the lines out of the phone, and shouted at the phone, "Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone!" And she swept it into the wastebasket. I stood watching her, speechless. What on earth...? She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, "Now hear this! All objects in this room - if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!" Then she turned to me, kissed me, and said quietly, "Dear, you just have to learn how to take control." With that, she left the room. After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my feelings had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her unusual actions helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him quietly. Why did the writer shout at the telephone? Options: A. He was mad at the telephone. B. He was worried about his wife. C. He was angry with his agent. D. He was impatient with the secretary. Answer:

C

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Question: If you're networking and nothing is happening, you might need to evaluate how you're doing it. Maybe you show up at each event and still feel challenged by the process. You aggressively talk to people, give out your cards, call endlessly to schedule an appointment but have no real success from your efforts. To help you gain a different future, here are ten habits you should avoid. Ineffective networkers: 1. Lack patience. They expect immediate results and want business now, not tomorrow. 2. Constantly "selling" something. They see dollar signs every time they shake hands with someone. 3. Too many choices. If they offer a variety of products, they might try too hard to tell about all of them. Offering too much information sends a confusing message making it difficult for people to send referral . Opportunities are all around us but when you're networking, only focus on one. 4. Change positions too often. If they move from company to company or do something totally different, it might be difficult for people to keep up with them. 5. Lack manners and respect. They interrupt others, talk with food in their mouth, aren't very polite and appear unprofessional. They call people during dinner or on the weekends without thinking whether the occasion is suitable. 6. Distribute too many cards and sales literature. They come while loading with brochures, flyers , catalogues and samples. 7. Focus on themselves. Too much self promotion can leave the other person to feel unappreciated. Every sentence begins with "I" and is all about their business. 8. "Talking" instead of "giving". They don't realize what other people sense when they are being very selfish. Others may think that they are being taken advantage of. 9. Lack authenticity and personal values. They may create unrealistic expectations and not deliver on their promises. Sometimes doing things without integrity possibly twists the truth. 10. Poor communication and interpersonal skills. They have trouble speaking effectively, building relationships and following up. Networking is a process that is an investment of time and money. If you find you're doing any of these habits, consider learning how to improve on these and maximize your results while networking. You'll start to get better at connecting with people and obtain more referrals. When talking with others, you should _ . Options: A. give out your cards and brochures every now and then B. talk about the quality of your product as much as possible C. interrupt others when they make a mistake D. let other people express themselves completely Answer:

D

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Question: When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother's Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously ,did not give her good service ,pretended not to understand her ,or even acted as if they did not hear her .W _ w w.k*s*5 u.c@o m My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she . I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker .I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, "This is Mrs.Tan.." And my mother was standing beside me ,whispering loudly, "Why he don't send me cheek already two week late." And then , in perfect English I said : "I'm getting rather concerned .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived." Then she talked more loudly. "What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss." And so I turned to the stockbroker again, "I can't tolerate any more excuse. If I don't receive the check immediately , I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week." The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs.Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English. When I was a teenager, my mother's broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother's English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world. What does the author think of her mother's English now? Options: A. It confuses her. B. It embarrasses her. C. It helps her understand the world. D. It helps her tolerate rude people. Answer:

C

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Question: which of these will lead to a larger population in a given habitat? Options: A. all of these B. severe famine and starvation C. severe drought and dryness D. a bountiful assortment of meals Answer:

D

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Question: Many animals hide to stay alive. They hide in many ways. Some animals hide in leaves; some animals hide in snow. Usually their colors or shapes help protect them. It's hard to see an Arctic bear in snow. Its white fur helps protect it. Chameleons can hide by changing colors. Their skin turns the same color as what is around them. Some chameleons can change colors in five minutes. Many animals try to look bigger than they are to stay alive. Some animals can make other animals think they are very big. If they look very big, animals that are looking for food will run away. Bears can walk on two legs. They look very, very scary. Some animals will run away from them. Many animals try to stay around other animals. This helps them stay alive. Zebras stay close together so that they can help each other look out of danger. Seeing many stripes at once can also confuse animals that want to eat them. Some birds stay in a circle, each toward a different direction. In this way they can also help each other stay alive by looking around for animals that many want to eat one of them. Animals have ways to stay alive. How many of them are mentioned in the passage ? Options: A. One B. Two C. Three D. Five Answer:

C

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Question: With many college graduates struggling to find jobs, one of the most important for you to understand is that you're in school all your life. In fact, your real education is just beginning. I'd like to pass on a few lessons that you didn't necessarily get in school. If you've been out of school for a few years or a lot of years, they could still teach you something. *Develop relationships and keep networking. If I had to name a single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I've met, I'd say it is the ability to create and nurture networks of contacts. Start strengthening your relationships now, so that they'll be in place when you really need them later. In the classroom it was mostly about individual performance. Success in real life requires relationships. *Set goals. Ask any winner what the key to his or her success was, and you'll hear four consistent messages: vision, determination, persistence, and setting goals. If you don't set goals and determine where you're going, how will you know when you get there? Goals give you more than a reason to get up in the morning; they are an incentive to keep you going all day. *Sense of humor. I'm a firm believer in using humor, though not necessarily jokes. A good sense of humor helps one understand the unconventional( ), tolerate the unpleasant, and overcome the unexpected. There are plenty of times to be serious, but I believe that keeping things light and comfortable encourages better teamwork. *Volunteer. It might be hard to do a lot of volunteer work at first, but people who help others on a regular basis have a healthier outlook on life. By saying "your real education is just beginning", the author wants to _ Options: A. explain why it's difficult for college graduates to find jobs B. show the importance of social experience, besides schooling, in education C. advise students to value their time at school, and to study hard D. advise college graduates to face bravely the problems they may encounter Answer:

B

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Question: Generally, electricity cannot flow through Options: A. incomplete conductive paths B. complete conductive paths C. closed circuits D. low-resistant electrons Answer:

A

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Question: Every day, young people across the globe are doing their part to keep the Earth healthy and green. These are just a few kid heroes for the planet. Manatee Minder When she was in second grade, Stephanie Cohen read about a baby manatee hit by a boat off the coast of Florida. Marine biologists saved the manatee. But caring for the sea creature was costly. Stephanie took up a collection and raised $ 27 in one day. Now 18, Stephanie still raises money to help these " gentle giants". She sells manatee decorations, candles and cards on her website kmad. Org. Color Us Green! At Clarendon Elementary School, in Secaucus, New Jersey, the students know what to do with old, used and broken crayons .Recycle them ! They collect the crayons and send them to Crazy Crayons, where they are made into different shapes and sizes. In the past eight years, new Jersey students have recycled nearly nine tons of crayons. Goodbye, Paper Bags! When Adrienne Boukis, 15, was in sixth grade, in Walnut Creek, California, she noticed that many of her classmates carried paper lunch bags. To help kids cut down on waste, she invented a reusable lunch bag, which is partially made from recycled plastic bottles. She sells the bags at greengearbag. Com and some of the _ go to charity that is in need of money. He' s Skiiing to Save the Earth Parker Liautaud, 15, wanted to raise awareness about the effects of climate change on the polar regions. He set out to become one of the youngest people ever to ski to the North Pole. Parker feels he met his goal to inspire others. "All young people have the power to make a change."he said in an interview. What do the kid heroes have in common ? Options: A. They are all high school students. B. They all involve themselves in green activities. C. They all raise money for green activities. D. They are all from poor families. Answer:

B

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Question: Why do 33% of the households in the USA have cats? And how do you explain why there are 16 million more pet cats than dogs? Yes, kittens are adorable .Yes, they can grow up to be good mousers and are very entertaining to watch.And yes, cats are independent and don't require as much care as dogs.But research shows cats can also be caretakers for us and our families, improve our health and teach us and our children to be kinder, gentler souls. Theodora Wesselman is 94 and has lived the past two years with her elderly cat, Cleo, at TigerPlace, a retirement community in Columbia, Mo.Their enduring friendship is a classic example of how humans and animals can become family and look out for each other. Wesselman visits other residents, and her children stop by, but Cleo is her best friend, she says.They've been together nearly 21 years. "She sleeps on her own pillow right beside mine," Wesselman says."In the morning, she pecks on my cheek to wake me up.It's really sweet.I pet her, tell her I love her and take her to the kitchen to prepare her food." Research shows that being able to care for a pet improves our morale (;), helps validate us and encourages us to take care of ourselves, says Rebecca Johnson, director of the University of Missouri's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction.The body of research is leading more retirement communities and universities _ . Which of the following words best describe the author's attitude towards keeping pet cats? Options: A. Favorable B. Critical C. Reserved D. Doubtful Answer:

A

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Question: Just before midnight, six University of Cincinnati students were watching TV in an on-campus apartment when three men burst through the door. While one of the intruders pointed a gun at the group, the other two scooped up $4,400 worth of laptops, cell phones, video games and cash. Once they had what they wanted, the trio fled into the night. Furious, the students chased down and tackled one of the burglars -- the one with the gun. In the struggle, it went off, and a bullet grazed a student's leg. His friends piled on the gunman and held him until police showed up. By the next day, the injured young man was back in his apartment, and the suspect was in jail, charged with burglary, felonious assault and receiving stolen property. But how did the men manage to storm into an on-campus residence that November night in the first place? Simple: Students told police the building's main doors hadn't latched properly for days. As parents confront ballooning college costs and shrinking acceptance rates, they are finding themselves with an even bigger, more basic problem: Which campuses are safe? Colleges seem like idyllic and secure places, and for the most part, they are. But ivy-covered walls can't keep out every bad element. This country's 6,000 colleges and universities report some 40,000 burglaries, 3,700 forcible sex offenses, 7,000 aggravated assaults and 48 murders a year. Other hazards -- fires, binge-drinking, mental-health problems -- are also on the rise. Of course, that's not what parents and students see on America's serene campuses. There's a false sense of security, says Harry Nolan, a safety consultant in New York City. "Students see guards patrolling at night or a video camera monitoring the dorm entrance and think, nothing bad can happen to me," he explains. "People don't know that safety controls are often very lax." What worries parents most except ballooning college costs and shrinking acceptance rates? Options: A. Their children's grades in the universities or colleges. B. Their children's safety in the universities or colleges. C. Their children's behavior in the universities or colleges. D. Their children's relationship with classmates in the universities or colleges. Answer:

B

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Question: A source of heat could be Options: A. an ice cube B. a fan C. holding hands D. a snowflake Answer:

C

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Question: Starting the day on an egg could keep your blood pressure under control, research suggests. Scientists have shown that eggs produce proteins with a function similar to that of powerful blood pressure-lowering drugs. The research, from the University of Alberta in Canada, showed that when eggs come in contact with stomach enzymes they produce a protein that acts in the same way as _ , but more work is needed to show the effects outside a lab and in the human body. Earlier this month, British researchers declared that, contrary to popular beliefs, it is healthy to go to work on an egg.They concluded that the type of cholesterol found in eggs has little effect on increasing heart disease risks. Researcher Professor Bruce Griffin, from the University of Surrey, said: "The wrong beliefs linking egg eating to high blood cholesterol and heart disease must be corrected.The amount of fat in our diet has an effect on blood cholesterol that is several times greater than the ly small amounts of cholesterol found in eggs.The UK public do not need to be limiting the number of eggs they eat.They can be encouraged to include them in a healthy diet as they are one of nature's most nutritious foods." The British Heart Foundation dropped its three-egg-a-week limit in 2005.However, almost half of Britons believe the limit still applies. We can infer from the text that _ . Options: A. drugs to lower blood pressure will be replaced by eating eggs B. stomach enzymes mixed with eggs can cure heart diseases C. most Britons agree the three-egg-a-week limit should be dropped D. about 50% of Britons think eating an egg a day is bad for their health Answer:

D