Occasionally, my father came back drunk. Late at night, he beat on the door, pleading to my mother to open it .He was on his way home from drinking, gambling, or some combination thereof, misspending money that we could have used and wasting time that we desperately needed.
It was the late-1970s. My parents were separated. My mother was now raising a group of boys on her own. My father spouted off about what he planned to do for us, buy for us.In fact, he had no intention of doing anything. As a father who was supposed to love us, in fact, he lacked the understanding of what it truly meant to love a child--or to hurt one. To him, this was a harmless game that kept us excited and begging. In fact, it was a cruel, corrosive lie. I lost faith in his words and in him. I wanted to stop caring, but I couldn't.
Maybe it was his own complicated relationship to his father and his father's family that caused him cold. Maybe it was the pain and guilt associated with a life of misfortune. Who knows. Whatever it was, it stole him from us, and particularly from me.
While my brothers talked about breaking and fixing things, I spent many of my evenings reading and wondering. My favorite books were a set of encyclopedias  given by my uncle. They allowed me to explore the world beyond my world, to travel without leaving, to dream dreams greater than my life would otherwise have supported. But losing myself in my own mind also meant that I was completely lost to my father. Not understanding me, he simply ignored me--not just emotionally, but physically as well. Never once did he hug me, never once a pat on the back or a hand on the shoulder or a tousling of the hair.
My best memories of him were from his episodic attempts at engagement with us. During the longest of these episodes , once every month or two, he would come pick us up and drive us down the interstate to Trucker's Paradise, a seedy, smoke-filled, truck stop with gas pumps, a convenience store, a small dining area and a game room through a door in the back. My dad gave each of us a handful of quarters, and we played until they were gone. He sat up front in the dining area, drinking coffee and being particular about the restaurant's measly offerings.
I loved these days. To me, Trucker's Paradise was paradise. The quarters and the games were fun but easily forgotten. It was the presence of my father that was most treasured. But, of course, these trips were short-lived.
It wasn't until I was much older that I would find something that I would be able to _ as evidence of my father's love.
When the Commodore 64 personal computer debuted, I convinced myself that I had to have it even though its price was out of my mother's range. So I decided to earn the money myself. I mowed every yard I could find that summer for a few dollars each, yet it still wasn't enough. So my dad agreed to help me raise the rest of the money by driving me to one of the watermelon farms south of town, loading up his truck with wholesale melons and driving me around to sell them. He came for me before daybreak. We made small talk, but it didn't matter. The fact that he was talking to me was all that mattered. I was a teenager by then, but this was the first time that I had ever spent time alone with him. He laughed and repeatedly introduced me as "my boy," a phrase he relayed with a sense of pride. It was one of the best days of my life.
Although he had never told me that he loved me, I would _ that day as the greatest evidence of that fact. He had never intended me any wrong. He just didn't know how to love me right. He wasn't a mean man. So I took these random episodes and _ them like a thing most precious, storing them in my mind for the long stretches of coldness when a warm memory would prove most useful.
It just goes to show that no matter how friendless the father, no matter how deep the damage, no matter how shattered the bond, there is still time, still space, still a need for even the smallest bit of evidence of a father's love.
"My boy."

Question: From the passage, the father was  _   in the writer's memory.

Choices:
- selfish and cruel
- proud and cold
- imperfect but loving
- shy but thoughtful

Question: The writer used not to feel Father's true love because  _   .

Choices:
- father showed his love but had no good way to express himself to his children
- he just lost himself in his own mind without getting close to his father
- father was too busy so unable to communicate with his children enough
- he had a prejudice  and was too stubborn to feel it

Question: From the last parts (para7-11), we can infer that   _   .

Choices:
- father liked to show off his family before others
- I couldn't understand Father's love unless he expressed to me
- father intended to show a loving father he was but failed.
- I would definitely treasure all the small love from father

Question: What's the best title of the passage?

Choices:
- Remembrances of my father
- Father and son
- My boy
- The past days


Many of you may wonder what else to do besides watching TV or surfing the Internet on weekends.Why not have a picnic? Junior 2 students at Beijing No.4 Middle Schoo1 had a "King of cooking" competition*
Earlier this month,about 300 students at the schoo1 went to a suburb of Beijing to have the contest.They were divided into 24  groups.Each group had buyers,slicers   ,firemakers.washers and cooks.
Firemakers faced the most problems during the time.Some of them had no idea how to keep fire burning. "The fire kept going out.we had to blow at the sparks and put on corn leaves and old newspapers,"said Wu Mofei,13.
"It took us an hour to make the fire.Our eyes had tears from all the smoke and our faces became dirty,"he added.
When the fires were finally made,the cooks became the busiest people.Huang Lanye made fried celery and ham pickled cabbage and tomato soup.
She was proud of her work."It's my first time making Chinese dishes.My group members ate them up in minutes and said they were as delicious as what their parents made!" said the 14-year-old girl.
Finally over ten students were titled "King of Cooking".Wang Xiaoyue,14,was one of them."My group got a mark of 98 at the competition,''Wang said."We have 1earned a lot while
having so much fun! We are the best!"
Beijing No.4 Middle School has been organizing similar fun activities for six years."we want to give students a chance to get real life experiences and 1earn how to work as a team,''said Jia Dong,who works for the school's student affairs office.

Question: The text mainly tells us----.

Choices:
- a "King of Cooking" competition organized by Senior 2 students at Beijing No.4 Middle School
- a picnic organized by Junior 2 students at Beijing N0.4 Middle School
- a "King of Cooking" competition organized by Junior 2 students at Beijing No.4 Middle School
- after-school activities of students at Beijing No.4 Middlle School

Question: Which of the following was not the problem some firemakers met?

Choices:
- They didn't know how to keep fire burning.
- They spent a long time in making a fire.
- The fire kept going out.
- They didn't have enough corn leaves and old newspapers.

Question: We can infer that Huang Lanye was a   _  in their group

Choices:
- buyer
- firemaker
- washer
- cook

Question: According to the passage,we can know  _  .

Choices:
- only ten students were titled "King of Cooking" in this competition
- the "King of Cooking" competition has been held once every year in the past six years
- Wang Xiaoyue was titled a "King of Cooking" in this competition
- Beijing No.4 Middle School has been encouraging students to take part in all kinds of competitions


Science Daily (Apr. 27, 2008)-- Dutch ecologist Roxina Soler and her colleagues have discovered that subterranean   and aboveground herbivorous   insects can communicate with each other by using plants as telephones.  Subterranean insects issue chemical warning signals through the leaves of the plant. This way, aboveground insects are warned that the plant is already "occupied".
     Aboveground, leaf-eating insects prefer plants that have not yet been occupied by subterranean root-eating insects. Subterranean insects send out chemical signals through the leaves of the plant, which warn the aboveground insects about their presence. This messaging makes it possible for spatially-separated insects to avoid each other, so that they do not compete for, the same plant.
     In recent years it has been discovered that different types of aboveground insects develop slowly if they feed on plants that also have subterranean insects and 'vice versa  . It seems that a mechanism   has developed through natural selection,  which helps the subterranean and aboveground insects to communicate with each other. This avoids unnecessary competition.
      Through the "green telephone lines", subterranean insects can also communicate with     _ , namely the natural enemy of caterpillars  . Parasitic wasps   lay their eggs inside aboveground insects. The wasps also benefit from the signals sent by the leaves, as these help them find more insects for their eggs.
     The communication between subterranean and above- ground insects has only been studied in a few systems. It is still not clear how widespread this phenomenon is, say the researchers.

Question: How do subterranean and aboveground insects communicate with each other?

Choices:
- By sending signals through the leaves.
- By giving off particular smells.
- By making soft and beautiful sounds.
- By the signals sent by parasitic wasps.

Question: After finding a plant occupied by root-eating insects, aboveground insects will usually   _  .

Choices:
- send out warning signals
- choose to leave the plant
- compete for the same plant
- fight with the root-eating insects

Question: Aboveground insects will develop more quickly if their food plants   _  .

Choices:
- are often visited by parasitic wasps
- are not occupied by mot-eating insects
- have more green leaves
- have more subterranean insects

Question: What would be the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- Communication between different insects
- How do animals avoid competition?
- Insects use plants as telephones
- When plants have subterranean residents


In summer, millions of people will head for the beach.And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way.Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.
"Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?" asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland."There is certainly a lot of energy in waves."
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity.
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean."The winds start out by making little ripples   in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, "Taylor said."Waves are one of nature's ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey."
When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine   .The turbine can then power an electrical generator   .
The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland.
The resource is huge.We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal.
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth's surface.That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world.There are some _ , however.
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money.He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown.Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic.
With more research, however, "many of these problems might be overcome," Taylor said."Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world.Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day."
In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

Question: Which of the following is NOT true?

Choices:
- Wave power costs too much money.
- Wave energy creates the same amount of pollution as other energy sources.
- Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic.
- Wave power may affect marine animals.

Question: We can infer from the passage that   _  .

Choices:
- finding new energy sources like wave energy is important
- wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world
- wave power is perfect for creating energy around the world
- wave power doesn't create any pollution.

Question: What can be the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- How to Get Electricity by Waves.
- A Huge Resource of Energy.
- Can Waves Make Electricity?
- The Disadvantages of Wave Energy.


"I would almost rather see you dead," Robert S. Cassatt, a leading banker of Philadelphia, shouted when his twenty-year-old eldest daughter announced that she wanted to become an artist. In the 19th century, playing at drawing or painting on dishes was all right for a young lady, but serious work in art was not. And when the young lady's family ranked  among the best of Philadelphia's social families, such an idea could not even be considered.
That was how Mary Cassatt, born in 1844, began her struggle as an artist. She did not tremble before her father's anger. Instead, she opposed him with courage and at last made him change his mind. Mary Cassatt gave up her social position and all thought of a husband and a family, which in those times was unthinkable for a young lady. In the end, after long years of hard work and perseverance , she became America's most important woman artist and the internationally recognized leading woman painter of the time.

Question: How did Mr Cassatt react when his daughter made her announcement?

Choices:
- He feared for her life.
- He warned her.
- He nearly killed her.
- He was very angry.

Question: What in fact was Mr Cassatt's main reason in opposing his daughter's wish?

Choices:
- Drawing and painting was simply unthinkable among ladies in those days.
- He did not believe his daughter wanted to work seriously in art.
- Ladies of good families simply did not become artists in those times.
- He believed an artist's life would be too hard for his daughter.

Question: What made Mary Cassatt's "struggle" to become a recognized artist especially hard?

Choices:
- Her father opposed her.
- She was a woman.
- She had no social position.
- She did not come from an artist's family.

Question: What do we know about Mary Cassatt's marriage?

Choices:
- She never married because she did not want to be just a wife and mother.
- Her marriage failed because she never gave a thought to her husband and family.
- After marriage she decided to give up her husband rather than her career.
- She didn't marry because for a lady of her social position to marry below her was unthinkable.


When Danny Wallace, 26, got bored, he put an ad on the worldwide web reading simply: "Join Me. Send a passport photo." A year and a half later his east London flat is the headquarters for a global internet-based "club" whose members carry out good deeds for strangers every Friday.
It's not common for people in London to talk to strangers. If you see someone struggling with something, part of the brain goes "I want to help". But the trained part of the brain says: "They will think you are mad or going to mug them", so you walk away.
Join Me now has about 3,000 members around the world who do an act of kindness every Friday. For example, I'm usually out on a Friday so I go for one of the standard acts -- the unexpected cup of coffee. You might be sitting in a cafe and see an old man in the corner drinking coffee or tea, and you walk up with another cup of whatever they are drinking , and say: " I've bought you a coffee" and walk away. It's a pleasure to see the look of surprise on their faces. There can be some suspicion, but I think that was mostly in the early days when I didn't know how to do it properly. I would walk up quite nervously like I was doing something wrong and I didn't know when to leave. In the end, I learned through _ . Sometimes it worked, other times it didn't. I discovered that you have to walk up with confidence and humour and not "get in their faces". You say: "This is for you", then you go. It's hit-and-run kindness. And there is no point in doing it half-heartedly. You've got to do it because you really mean it.
Join Me is without geographical boundaries, but there are quite a few members in London, and such stories about things happen on the underground or on the buses. One lady got on the bus and put a PS10 note down and said: "That's for me and the next nine people". So at every stop, anyone who got on was told it was paid for. A lot of people were doing this sort of thing anyway. For them it's an excuse or reason to do something nice for a complete stranger, and it gives them the confidence to walk up and start chatting.

Question: When Londoners see someone in trouble, they   _  .

Choices:
- often give a hand
- pretend not to have seen it
- stop and ask questions
- telephone the police

Question: According to the passage, members of Join Me often   _  .

Choices:
- put an advertisement on the worldwide web
- go out and make friends with strangers
- do an act of kindness every Friday
- buy coffees for the strangers

Question: Which would be the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- Hit-and-run Kindness
- History of Join Me
- Danny Wallace and Join Me
- Why not Join Me


What is the color1 of the universe? Astronomers had not answered this question until two months ago. That is when two American astronomers reported on their study of all the light in the universe. They said that the universe would appear to the human eyes to be a light greenish color1.
Karl Glazebrook and Ivan Baldry of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, reported their finding in January. They presented the research at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society. They said that finding the color1 of the universe was not part of their more serious scientific research. They did it for fun.
However, earlier this month, the scientists admitted making a mistake. They said their finding was much more color1ful than it should have been. They now say the light from our universe is closer to white. It is more like a milky or creamy white color1.
Their study attempted to show what people might see if they could observe the universe from far away. The scientists found the average color1 by combining light from about two-hundred-thousand star systems. Their information came from an observatory in New South Wales, Australia.
The scientists gave a number value to the color1s of the different star systems. Then they added the numbers together and found the average measurement. The scientists used this average to identify the color1 of the universe. They said it was a very pretty light green. Many newspapers and television stations reported their finding.
Other scientists and color1 engineers attempted to reproduce the result. Mark Fairchild of the Rochester Institute discovered a mistake in the computer software program used by the Johns Hopkins scientists.
When the mistake was corrected, the results changed. The new color1 of the universe is much less color1ful. It is very close to white.

Question: The color1 of the universe is   _  .

Choices:
- close to white
- black
- blue
- light greenish

Question: The two scientists found the color1 of the universe by   _  .

Choices:
- combining light from about 200,000 star systems
- observing at an observatory in India
- making long-term scientific research
- using computer software programs

Question: Who found the true color1 of the universe?

Choices:
- Karl Glazebrook.
- Ivan Baldry.
- Mark Fairchild
- Johns Hopkins..

Question: This passage mainly tells us   _  .

Choices:
- what the color1 of the universe is
- the light from our universe is a light greenish color1
- the new color1 of the universe is much more color1ful
- the finding of the color1 of the universe is difficult


Hurricane  reached the northeastern United States today and caused death and destruction everywhere. The killer storm carried winds of 135 miles per hour. The high winds and heavy rains created extremely dangerous waves. It is not yet known how many people died or were hurt in this storm, but it is said that the numbers will be very high.
With the arrival of the tornado season, the National Weather Service is again telling people how to protect themselves from these deadly storms. The winds from tornadoes are the most violent winds on earth. They can blow up to 400 miles per hour. A _ looks like a funnel . It is also very loud. It may sound like a train coming at you. In fact, the winds from a tornado can pick up a train and throw it around. If a tornado is seen in your area, it is very important that you protect yourself. A basement   is the safest place to go. Try to wait under a table in the basement. Stay away from windows. If you are outside or in your car, try to find a narrow place to hide.
As the area tries to deal with the worst flood of the century, there are many heartwarming stories of people helping other people. From all over the world people have sent food and clothes to help the thousands who have had to leave their homes. Many volunteers have come to help to make sandbags and use them to build walls against the overflowing river. While the result of this disaster will be terrible for many, it is beautiful to see people coming together to help others and save lives.

Question: Which of the following is WRONG about tornados?

Choices:
- They look like a funnel.
- They come regularly every year.
- They are the most violent winds on Earth.
- They carry winds of 135 km per hour.

Question: According to the passage, a person who sees a tornado in his area had better NOT   _  .

Choices:
- drive his car away as fast as possible
- go to the basement and wait under a table
- find a narrow place to hide
- stay away from windows

Question: We can learn from the passages that   _  .

Choices:
- nobody tried to help the local people
- hurricane damaged the northwestern coast of US
- when there is flooding, sandbags can be made and used to build walls
- people are often taught how to protect themselves from snowstorms


Have you got any wonderful plans for your coming winter vacation? Here are some wonderful films for you to kill time.

Question: This passage aims to    _   .

Choices:
- make comments on films for a cinema
- introduce films for a film corporation
- recommend several films for fun
- advertise several films for a website

Question: If you bring your seven-year-old sister to the cinema, which of the following film should you avoid?

Choices:
- Away We Go.
- Orphan.
- 2012.
- 500 Days of Summer.

Question: Among all the characters mentioned in the passage, who directed films in Hollywood?

Choices:
- Roland Emmerich.
- Tom and Summer.
- Burt and Verona.
- Esther.

Question: Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

Choices:
- Orphan is a comedy about Esther adopted by a kind family.
- 500 Days of Summer is a romance with a happy ending.
- Away We Go shows beautiful scenery on the young couple's journey.
- The ancient Mayan prediction is going to happen in 2012.


How To Apply for USA Passports Online
If you live in the United States, and you're planning a trip abroad, it is important to apply for new passports at least 2 months in advance (to avoid extra charges for an expedited passport processing). You can now get the application for a passport online. Some directions are detailed below:
Downloading the passport application: The USA passport application, Form DS-11, is available for download on the US Department of State's website.
*The passport application form is a Portable Document Format (PDF) file, and your computer must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you must first download the Adobe Acrobat software. You can do so by clicking here.
*If you would like to download a blank application,      click here. If you would like to fill out the application online, then print it,click here.
Printing the passport application: When printing the passport application, there are several requirements that must be followed.
*You must use standard paper that is sized 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches.
*The printing must be clear and legible.
*The paper must be a standard medium weight, matte white (not shiny), and ink must be black.
*The printer's ink must be black and there may not be any holes or perforations in the paper.
*After printing, make sure that the box for pasting on your passport photo is the correct size of 2 inches by 2 inches.
*It is important to print the application on one-sided paper. An application that is printed on double-sided paper will not be accepted.
*For more information on these guidelines, visit the US Department of State's website.
Filling out the passport application: As stated above, there are two ways to fill out the passport application: 1) typing your answers into the online form 2) writing answers by hand, in black ink, or by use of a typewriter. In both cases, you will need to provide the following information.
*Your full name
*Age
*Date of birth
*Place of birth
*Phone number
*Hair color1
*Social security number
*Mailing address
*Permanent Address.
*Occupation
*Employer
*Your parents' names and birth information
*Your spouse's name and birth information
*Any other names you have used previously
*Your travel plans
*Emergency contact information
Signing the application: It is important that you do not sign the application until you take the oath administered only by an authorized passport acceptance agent.
Submitting the passport application: Along with the completed passport application, you must submit the following:
*Proof of US Citizenship
*Proof of Identity
*Two recent passport sized (2x2 inches) photographs
*The passport application fee

Question: Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

Choices:
- You can download and print the application form and write the answers by hand.
- You can just download and open the application form and complete it online on any computer.
- You can only print the application form one-sidedly.
- That's not the end of it if you fail to apply for a new passport 2 months in advance.

Question: Which of the following is not required to be included in the application form?

Choices:
- Your wife's / husband's name
- You blood type
- Your employer
- Your travel plans

Question: When traveling abroad, you may fail to check in if you   _  .

Choices:
- wear a different coat from the one in your passport photo
- cut your hair short
- dye your hair into a different color1
- wear sunglasses

Question: Where can the passage be found probably?

Choices:
- A newspaper
- A magazine
- A website
- A travelling brochure


Hunan Satellite TV is losing its leading position? There's reason for saying this. In 2012, the reality talent show , the voice of China, on the Zhejiang Television became the most popular program in China.
The reaon for its popularity was really because its excellent quality? Or can we assume that without any opponent, we can't tell a contestant is winning because he is really talented or because there's no comparison?
The administrative department really contributed a lot in the popularity of the voice of China. In the past, there was no other draft shows  ranked as high as Super GirlandSuper Boy. Even though there were some draft shows which seemed to share the popularity, it never turned out ture. All the other draft shows were shodowed by the ones on Hunan TV. One example was that since draft shows of Hunan TV were broadcast on Friday night, the draft shows of other stations were shifted to Saturday or Sunday. However, Hunan TV didn't get their permission for broadcasting shows in 2012.
And if this were not bad enough, SARFT did a great favor for it. SARFT issued a regulation, saying that all draft shows should be broadcast after 10:30 pm at night. Zhejiang TV declared long before the regulation that since was "no audition , no PK, no rise in rank, no voting, no champion", its program was never a draft show. So, in 2012, all the opponents of Zhejiang TV had to broadcast their draft shows after 10:30 pm while the voice of Chinawas permitted to be broadcast in prime time.
If you really think about it, there's no esential different between a draft show and the voice of China. It also selected people from all over the country, how did they say this were different from a draft show? No PK,really? PK doesn't mean one versus one! A team versus a team is called PK too. And "no rise in rank?" is just a switch of concepts because at the end of every game, some left the stage and some stayed. If there was really "no champion", how come there was only one "good voice of China" at the final round? All these were rising in rank, in disguise .
Under such cimcumstance, the voice of Chinaeven got praise. We are not saying that it is not a good show: we are saying that there's regret about the show since it had no opponent.

Question: The following factors are important in making the voice of China popular EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- the unique quality of the voice of China
- the policy support from SARFT and the administrative department
- the favorable broadcasting time.
- the shortage of good opponents

Question: The passage mainly tells us   _

Choices:
- the draft shows of Hunan Satellite TV still cause our attention
- the voice of Chinais not a real draft show
- the reasons for Hunan Satellite TV is losing its leading position
- the advantages of the voice of China

Question: What's the author's attitude towards the voice of China?

Choices:
- supportive
- optimistic
- hopeful
- doubtful


Elephants scored a big win in Dohar, Qatar, on March 22, 2010. Representatives from 175 countries met in the Middle Eastem country. They voted to continue a ban on the sale of ivory  . Two African nations, Tanzania and Zambia, had asked to open up the ivory trade.
People feared that weakening a 21-year-old ban on the sale of ivory would encourage illegal hunting and hurt elephant populations. African elephants once numbered in the millions. Today, there are fewer than 500,000.
"People born in 100 years should be able to see an elephant," said Noah Wekesa, Kenya's minister of forest and wildlife. His country voted to keep the ban.
In the 1980s, as many as 1 million elephants were killed throughout Africa. Hunters killed the animals for their ivory tusks, which were used to make jewelry and other things. "The  _ of elephants in Africa was terrible," says Paul Todd of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The group works to protect animals.
The ivory wars continued until 1989, when the United Nations voted to ban all trade in ivory. With trade controlled, demand for ivory fell. Governments punished hunters. Elephant populations began slowly to increase.
Tanzania and Zambia asked to allow ivory sales from government stockpiles  . Ivory is so expensive that it's known as "white gold". Tanzania holds almost 200,000 pounds of ivory, which is worth as much as $20 million. Zambia has 48,000 pounds of the white gold. The countries said they need the money the ivory would bring. They say it was taken from hunters or came from animals that died naturally.
Experts believe that trading ivory encourages illegal hunting. They felt happy about the decision which forbids the sales. "This is a rare victory for elephants," said Jason Bell. He works to protect animals.

Question: The text is mainly about   _  .

Choices:
- continuing a ban on the ivory sale to protect elephants
- protecting endangered animals around the world
- the effects of the ivory wars of the 1980s
- the life of elephants in the wild

Question: Ivory is known as "white gold" because

Choices:
- it is as rare as white gold
- it is being sold illegally
- it looks like white gold
- it is extremely valuable

Question: Tanzania and Zambia asked for permission to   _  .

Choices:
- Sell elephants
- sell jewelry made from ivory
- sell their stocked ivory
- continue hunting for ivory


There are two factors which determine an individual's intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he is born with. Human brains differ considerably, some being more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low order of intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual--the sort of environment in which he is reared  . If an individual is handicapped   environmentally, it is likely that his brain will fail to develop and he will never attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.
The importance of environment in determining an individual's intelligence can be demonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark X. Being identical, the twins had identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the twins were three months old, their parents died, and they were placed in separate foster homes. Peter was reared by parents of low intelligence in an isolated community with poor educational opportunities. Mark was reared in the home of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child, sent to good schools, and given every opportunity to be stimulated intellectually. This environmental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were given tests to measure their intelligence. Mark's I.Q. was 125, twenty-five points higher than the average and fully forty points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities, the twins, having identical brains, would have tested at roughly the same level.

Question: This passage can be best titled  _  .

Choices:
- Intelligence and Environment
- Measuring Your Intelligence
- The Case of Peter and Mark
- How the brain Influences Intelligence

Question: According to the passage, the average I.Q. is   _  .

Choices:
- 85
- 125
- 110
- 100

Question: The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that   _  .

Choices:
- individual with identical brains seldom test at same level
- an individual's intelligence is determined only by his environment
- changes of environment produce changes in the structure of the brain
- lack of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligence

Question: This passage suggests that an individual's I.Q.  _  .

Choices:
- can be increased by education
- stays the same throughout his life
- can be predicted at birth
- is determined by his childhood


While the other kids seemed excited about celebrating the end-of-term party by playing games and sharing treats, Jeremy hated the very idea of the gathering.
Afraid to raise the pressure too high, I decided to contribute something that was easy to purchase on the walk to school.
Off we went the day of the party, approaching his school as if nothing was planned. I reminded him of our need to make a purchase, entered his favorite shop, and asked him to select the ripest bunch of grapes. He shot me an anxious look and insisted none of his classmates ever be able to notice he had something to bring to the party. My _ of a successful parenting method, resulting in delivering a sociable child to his school, diverted  sharply from reality.
Back on route, I did my best to hide the sinking feeling of fear. How could I possibly drop him off and then walk into my own classroom to teach a successful class?
My next move was born in the heat of the moment. I said a quick goodbye at the front gate and rushed to his classroom through the emergency exit. I managed to inform his teacher about the grapes in the backpack and be out of the classroom before I could be spied by my son.
So, what happened on that June day? His teacher, a caring educator, worked wonders. My son and I still laugh about the way Mr. B started the day with an unusual question, "Does anyone have any grapes?" While Jeremy admits feeling a bit uncomfortable, the words encouraged him to takeout the fruit. Because of the support he received, he remembers that day with pride for his courage.

Question: How did the author feel when she left the shop?

Choices:
- Worried.
- Satisfied.
- Grateful.
- Regretful.

Question: Why did the author hurry to her son's classroom?

Choices:
- She went to ask the teacher for help.
- She went there to give her lesson.
- She was afraid of her son being punished.
- She was invited to take part in the celebration.

Question: What does the passage mainly talk about?

Choices:
- The teacher inspired Jeremy to share grapes.
- Jeremy prepared for the coming party.
- The author helped Jeremy to become sociable.
- The author taught Jeremy to select goods


It was 7:00 am in Kyoto, Japan, and the taxi company had just called a second time to say they couldn't find my house. Once again I spelt out directions even a blind person could follow. I glanced impatiently at my watch, and waited. Only two hours remained until my flight left--and it was an hour and a half trip to the airport.
Outside, heavy rains were pouring down. My house was so far north in the city that buses pass only here times a day.
The telephone rang again. "Terribly sorry," began the man at the taxi company. Then I realized that the taxi company, flooded with calls, could only offer in-city runs. I had heard this happens when the weather gets bad. I shouted into the phone that I had a plane to catch and I would meet the taxi outside my house.
Standing in the wind-driven rain, I looked up and down the road. No taxi. A car went by, the driver and passenger staring at the crazy foreigner in the downpour.
Finally a white car appeared and pulled to a stop. A young man threw open the door, waving for me to get in. Shaking with cold and anger, I climbed in.
In the most polite Japanese, the man said he was called Mike, with who I had spoken three times that morning. He had left his post in the office and raced here in his personal car. He apologized again, but didn't explain why a taxi would not pick me up. Delivering me straight to the airport, he refused the 2,000 yen I pressed into his hand.
A few hours later, as the storm-delayed 727 took off, I opened the newspaper. On the second page my eyes caught the headline of a short article: Taxi Strike Begins This Morning in Kyoto.

Question: Why did the writer call a taxi early in the morning?

Choices:
- He wanted to catch a plane.
- He as unable to find the airport.
- There were few taxis in town.
- All the buses stopped because of the rain.

Question: What was the reason for the taxi company not being able to pick him up?

Choices:
- More people were riding in taxis on rainy days.
- The writer didn't give the correct address.
- The taxi drivers refused to work.
- The taxi drivers didn't like to drive long distance.

Question: The writer got to the airport   _  .

Choices:
- by riding in Mike's car from the taxi company
- with the help of Mike from the post office
- by getting a lift in a passing car
- with the help of a taxi driver sent by his company

Question: We can learn from the text that the driver was   _  .

Choices:
- quick-minded at taking action
- a self-employed driver
- unwilling to drive to the airport
- warm-hearted toward people


There are many acceptable varieties of English throughout the world. Whichever variety is used in your country, the most important thing is that students' pronunciation must be good enough for another person to understand what they are trying to say.
In a PPP lesson, teachers naturally include a good model of the pronunciation when they are presenting new vocabulary, grammar or functional language. It is important to start by helping your students recognize sounds before you expect them to produce them.
Spoken British English has 44 sounds, but there are only 26 letters in the alphabet for written English. This sometimes makes English pronunciation and spelling different, so it is not always best to write words on the blackboard at the early stages. Also, some sounds in English do not exist in some other languages. This can make it very difficult for students to recognize these sounds and even more difficult for them to pronounce them correctly. So some students need to do a lot of work on these sounds, listening to them, trying to recognize them and trying to copy them.
If you can understand and pronounce the symbols of the phonetic alphabet, this will help you to pronounce any word in the dictionary. You can teach this phonetic alphabet to your students and this will make teaching pronunciation much easier. However, you can teach pronunciation effectively without knowing the phonetic alphabet. Pronouncing English well is not just about getting the individual sounds right. Students need to know:
* which parts of a word are stressed (spoken louder and longer);
* which parts of a sentence are stressed;
* basic intonation patterns;
* what it means when we change the intonation in a sentence (the music of the language);
* how to link together the sounds within a sentence.
Students need practice in all these areas to improve their pronunciation.

Question: The passage is most probably from   _  .

Choices:
- a book for English learning
- a book for English teaching
- an ad for English teaching
- a grammar book for English learning

Question: Following up the passage, the author will probably   _  .

Choices:
- say how to teach the phonetic alphabet
- emphasize the importance of correct pronunciation
- explain in detail how to practise the five suggestions
- write about how to teach pronunciation without the phonetic alphabet

Question: In the author's opinion,   _  .

Choices:
- it is not necessary to pronounce every word correctly
- the English phonetic alphabet is a must in teaching pronunciation
- students should pronounce every word as precisely as native speakers
- pronunciation means more than knowing how to pronounce every single word

Question: Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- Suggestions on Teaching English Pronunciation.
- Listening Comes First in Teaching Pronunciation.
- The English Phonetic Alphabet and Pronunciation.
- Other Things to Be Done besides Pronouncing Every Word.


Any mistake made in the printing of a stamp raises its value to stamp collectors. A mistake on one inexpensive postage stamp has made the stamp worth a million and a half times its original value.
The mistake was made more than a hundred years ago in the British colony of Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean. In 1847 an order for stamps was sent to a London printer-Mauritius was to become the fourth country in the world to issue stamps.
Before the order was filled and delivered, a ball was planned at Mauritius' Government House, and stamps were needed to send out the invitations. A local printer was instructed to copy the design for the stamps. He accidentally inscribed the words "Post Office" instead of "Post Paid" on the several hundred stamps that he printed.
Today there are only twenty-six of these misprinted stamps left fourteen One Penny Orange-Reds and twelve Two Penny Blues. Because of the Two Penny Blue's rareness and age, collectors have paid as much as $16 800 for it.

Question: Over a century ago, Mauritius   _  .

Choices:
- was an independent country
- belonged to India
- was one of the British colonies
- was a small island in the Pacific Ocean

Question: The mistake on the stamps was made   _  .

Choices:
- in Mauritius
- at Mauritius Government House
- in a post office
- in London

Question: Stamp collectors have paid 16 800 for   _  .

Choices:
- fourteen One Penny Orange-Reds
- twelve Two Penny Blues
- one One Penny Orange-Red
- one Two Penny Blue


Child labor -- the employment of children in industry, often against their will -- has been a problem for many years. Over a hundred years ago, Charles Dickens shocked many of his readers when he described the conditions under which young children worked in British factories. The conditions Dickens described continue almost unchanged today in many parts of the world. The only difference is that today employment of children is confined(limited)to small industries and family businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and particularly farms, rather than to large factories.
Girls suffer more from child labor practices than boys. Many of them are forced to start work when they are only ten years old. Although the work they are given to do is often light, it is often harmful to the health. Recently, children as young as six years were found to be working in Asian factories, and the children were working from eight to fourteen hours a day in overcrowded and unhealthy working conditions. Sometimes a whole family group is employed, with the payment going to a parent or older relative. The children not only receive nothing or very little for their long hours of work, but also they are prevented from attending school. Therefore, when they become older they are unable to do any other kind of work.
The solution to the problem of child labor is clearly better laws to protect young children, greater supervision of industry and heavier fines for those who break the laws. Only in this way can young boys and girls be allowed to enjoy the most valuable time of their lives--childhood.

Question: Girls' work is   _  .

Choices:
- not harmful to the health though it is heavy
- not harmful to the health because it is light
- harmful to the health though it is light.
- harmful to the health because it is heavy

Question: Young children go to work   _  .

Choices:
- because they are forced to
- in order to be skillful in a certain kind of work
- in order to be paid well
- in order to earn money for education

Question: To solve the problem of child labor, the writer suggests the following BUT   _  .

Choices:
- looking over factories more closely
- raising their payment and improving the system of education
- improving laws of protecting children's interests
- punishing lawbreakers with severer fines


Today's museums include plenty of high culture, but you can still find shrines to the extraordinary. Here's a look at five curious museum stops across Canada.
Vancouver Police Museum
The setting, terrible enough, is the old Coroner's Court and forensics lab, including the morgue(room where dead bodies are kept). Artifacts, from the 1870s on, include badges, uniforms, police equipment, items from criminals, and even preserved organs--all in all an arresting experience.
Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station
Designed to resemble a spacecraft, the Treck Station celebrates Vulcan's coincidental relationship to Mr. Spock's planet, Go to a building that features an 800-piece collection of Star Trek memorabilia -- including Spock's ears and floor-to-ceiling space paintings. If you want to know more about it, click here: http//www. Vulcantourism. com
Accordion Museum
Through instruments, photos and recordings, the museum traces the history of the accordion and its influence on Quebec culture. They've even acquired Asian instruments that show the use of the free reed-- call them ancient ancestors of the accordion--that date back 4000 years.
Chocolate Museum
It's chocoholic heaven -- whole museum featuring displays on how chocolate is made, hands-on exhibits, collections of historic chocolate boxes, and antique candy- making equipment and, of course, lots of chocolate treats ,located in an old candy factory building. Click below to learn all about their hours and admission rates. http:// www. Chocolate museum .ca
Potato museum
A 14--foot high potato greets you at what's billed as the world's largest exhibit of potato artifacts. Explore the humble potato's role in the economy, a collection of farm tools related to growing and harvesting potatoes, Hall of Fame.

Question: If you are very interested in thrilling movies, you will probably be attracted by  _  .

Choices:
- Accordion Museum
- Vancouver Police Museum
- Potato Museum
- Chocolate Museum

Question: We can infer from the passage that the ancestors of accordion originated in  _  .

Choices:
- Canada
- America
- Asia
- Africa

Question: The passage is most likely to be taken from  _  .

Choices:
- a magazine
- a newspaper
- a website
- a brochure


A lot more people are about to get a chance to buy Google Glass. It's the Internet-connected eyewear that has become the hottest sale.
Google will sell the "Explorer" version  of Glass to any U.S. person who places an online order for the device beginning at 9am. PDT April 15. The product will cost $1,500. Google is saying how many sets of Glass will be available during the limited-time offer.
This version of Glass, though, still isn't the perfect product that Google hopes to sell in stores later this year.
For now, Google is still trying to recruit  more people willing to serve as volunteers for its attempt to build a wearable device that features some of the same feature as a smart phone. " Our Explorers are moms, bakers, surgeons, rockers, and each new Explorer has brought a new view that is making Glass better," Google said.
The device has a small screen attached above the right eye. A user can check e-mails, see Twitter post or get directions without having to use a phone. It can also take hands-free photos and video through voice-activated  commands. The ability to record images so easily has raised safely concerns about drivers wearing Glass. The lawmakers have to draw up new rules forbidding use of the device in moving vehicles.
Google regards Glass as a breakthrough . It will make it easier for people to surf the Internet while on the go. They also hope that the device could help police officers, firefighters, doctors and reporters do their jobs better.

Question: What is special about Google Glass?

Choices:
- People can only order it online.
- It's cheaper than the ordinary glasses.
- People can explore the Internet with it.
- It doesn't contain any actual glass in the future.

Question: Google is still trying to recruit more volunteers to   _  .

Choices:
- improve their products
- sell their products
- advertise their products
- wear their products

Question: We can use Google Glass to do the following EXCEPT  _  .

Choices:
- check e-mails
- make a call
- take video
- find your way

Question: What problem may Google Glass bring to people?

Choices:
- Its screen is too small for people to surf the Internet.
- It may cause traffic accidents if people use it while driving.
- Users must use their hands to take photos.
- It is difficult for many people to learn to use.


Trees are useful to man in three very important ways: they provide him with wood and other products, they give him shade, and they help to prevent drought and floods.
Unfortunately, in many parts of the world man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important. In his eagerness to draw quick profit from the trees, he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had.
Two thousand years ago a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire. It gained the empire but, without its trees, its soil became hard and poor. When the empire fell to pieces, the country found itself faced by floods and starvation.
Even though a government realizes the importance of a plentiful supply of trees, it is difficult for it to persuade the villager to see this. The villager wants wood to cook his food with, and he can earn money by making charcoal  or selling wood to the townsman . He is usually too lazy or too careless to plant and look after trees. So unless the government has a good system of control, or can educate the people, the forests will slowly disappear.
This does not only mean that the villager's sons and grandsons have fewer trees. The results are even more serious. For where there are trees their roots break the soil up--allowing the rain to sink in and also hold the soil, thus preventing it being washed away easily, but where there are no trees, the soil becomes hard and poor. The rain falls on hard ground and flows away on the surface, causing floods and carrying away with it the rich topsoil, in which crops grow so well. When all the topsoil is gone, nothing remains but a worthless desert.

Question: The purpose that the writer wrote this article is to    _   .

Choices:
- tell people the use of wood
- tell people the function of tree roots
- warn that man mustn't destroy forests any more
- explain how trees help to prevent drought and floods

Question: In the writer's opinion,    _   , or the forests will slowly disappear.

Choices:
- measures must be taken
- people shouldn't draw benefit from the tree
- government must realize the serious results
- unless trees never be cut down

Question: According to the article we know it is    _    to prevent the forests from slowly disappearing.

Choices:
- necessary but impossible
- necessary but difficult
- impossible and unimportant
- difficult and impossible


The idea of light pollution has developed with the increase of lights in cities. In many areas, this light makes it difficult or impossible to observe stars and planets in the night sky.
There are a number of reasons why light pollution is important. One has become clear at the Mount Wilson Observatory near Los Angeles, California. Today, light from Los Angeles makes the night sky above Mount Wilson very bright. It is no longer an important reasearch center because of light pollution.
Light pollution threatens to reduce the scientific value of research telescoples in other important observatories. They include Lick Observatory near San Jose, California and Yerkes Observatory near Chicago, Illionis.
Light pollution is the result of wasted energy. Bright light that shines into the sky is not being used to provide light where it is needed on Earth. Poorly designed lighting causes a great deal of light pollution. Lights that are brighter than necessary also cause light pollution.
Most people in America are surprised to find out that they are able to see our own galaxy ,the Milky Way, with their own eyes. But about threefourths of Americans cannot see the Miky Way because of manmade light.
Objects in the night sky are resources that provide everyone with wonder. But light pollution threatens to prevent those wonderful sights from being seen.

Question: Light pollution usually occurs  _  .

Choices:
- in cities
- in the country
- in wild areas
- in developing countries

Question: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

Choices:
- Mount Wilson Observatory is the most important one in America.
- Light pollution affects observatories only.
- In the dark night people can observe the sky clearly.
- Astronomers can observe the stars clearly by the lights of the cities.

Question: The victims affected by the light pollution are  _  .

Choices:
- children
- grownups
- students
- observatories


When someone meets a stranger with the same hobby, that person immediately becomes a friend. People enjoy the company of others who share a similar interest. Often they will form a club and travel great distances to attend meetings where they can talk about their hobbies. Other people have such unusual hobbies that no one else can share them. Sometimes they try to do something better, faster or longer than anyone else in order to have their names included in the Guinness Book of World Records.
A lady in Massachusetts may have the world's easiest hobby; she let her hair grow. Diane Witt has not cut her hair for twelve years. It is now eight feet (2.44 meters) long, and she will soon set a new world record and her name will be placed in the Guinness Book. A thirty-year-old man in Pennsylvania played the piano for forty-five days and eleven hours, while a musician in Connecticut played the flute for forty-three hours.
A teacher in California typed for over 162 hours, and a lady from Iowa spend six years typing the numbers from one to one million. Probably the cleanest people in the world are two young women from England who stayed in the shower for over ninety-eight hours; but a man in Oregon was more than twice as clean after taking a shower that lasted two hundred hours.
Someone said that "records are made to be broken". One record that many young men might enjoy breaking is the one made by Roger Guy English of California. During a period of eight hours Roger kissed three thousand young women.

Question: From the passage we know that_.

Choices:
- sometimes people try to do something better, faster or longer than anyone else to have their names included in the Guinness Book of World Records
- a lady in New York hasn't cut her hair for twelve years
- a teacher in Massachusetts typed for over 162 hours
- a lady from Iowa spend six months typing the numbers from one to one million

Question: Which of the following is true?

Choices:
- Diane Witt's hair is now eight meters long.
- A thirty-year-old man in Pennsylvania played the piano for forty-five days and eleven hours.
- A musician in Connecticut played the violin for forty-three hours.
- Two young women from England stayed in the shower for two hundred hours.

Question: How many persons are mentioned about breaking world records in the passage?

Choices:
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6

Question: Judging from the writing style of the passage, it is   _  .

Choices:
- a piece of advertisement
- a science report
- a passage for professional reading
- a passage from a magazine


Martha had been working for Miller Laboratories for two years, but she was not happy there. Nothing significant had happened in the way of promotions or salary increases. Martha felt that her supervisor, a younger and less experienced person than she, did not like her. In fact, the supervisor often said unpleasant things to her.
One day, while talking with her friend Maria, she mentioned how discouraged she was. Maria gave her the name of a cousin of hers who was director of Human Resources Department for a large chemical company. Martha called him the next day and set up an interview on her lunch hour.
During the interview, Mr. Petri said, "You're just the kind of person we need here. You're being wasted in your other job. Give me a call in a day or two. I'm sure we can find a place for you in our organization." Martha was so happy she almost danced out of the building.
That afternoon, Ruth Kenny, her supervisor, saw that Martha had come in ten minutes late from her lunch hour and she said, "Oh, so you finally decided to come back to work today?"
This was
. She could not take another insult. Besides, Mr. Petri was right: she was being wasted in this job.
"Look," she said angrily, "if you don't like the way I work, I don't need to stay here. I'll go where I'm appreciated! Good-bye!" She took up her things and stormed out of the office.
That night she called Maria and told her what had happened and then asked Maria, "What do you think?"
"Well," said Maria carefully, "are you sure about the other job?"
"Well, not exactly, but..."
Maria continued, "Will you be able to get a recommendation from Mrs. Kenny if you need one?"
"A recommendation?...from Mrs. Kenny?" hesitated Martha, in a worried tone.
"Martha, I hope you didn't burn your bridges." Maria said. "I think I would have handled it differently."

Question: Martha is unhappy in her job because    _   .

Choices:
- she has not advanced
- the work is not significant
- her supervisor is younger than she
- there is too much work with little payment

Question: Which of the following statement is NOT true?

Choices:
- At her supervisor's criticism, Martha lost her temper.
- Mr. Petri felt Martha was not valued in her present job.
- Martha's interview with the director was on her lunch hour.
- Martha got the name of the director through her cousin.

Question: The phrase "the last straw" probably refers to    _   .

Choices:
- the last opportunity
- the straw that saves Martha's life
- the last reminder
- the final unpleasant thing

Question: What does Maria think of Martha's decision?

Choices:
- Martha has handled the matter properly.
- Martha shouldn't have set the bridge on fire.
- Martha should have found a new job before leaving.
- Martha shouldn't have lost her temper with her supervisor


Are you the kind of person who likes staying in unusual places? If the answer is "yes", then try the world's coldest hotel in Jukkasjarvi in the north of Sweden. But go in winter to all you'll find is a pool of water, because the hotel melts every spring!
The man who runs the Artic Hall Hotel is Nils Yngve Bergqvist. He built his first ice building for an art exhibition in 1991 and he designed the present hotel-over 200 meters square-himself. It took workmen about two months to pile 1,000 tons of snow onto a wooden base. As the weather got colder, the snow froze and then they removed the base. The whole building and everything in it are made of snow-except for the wooden front door. There's a theatre which Nils uses for a jazz club, a radio station and a large ice bar. As you can imagine, hot drinks are popular with the guests! The rooms have no doors; there's no furniture, no heating and everyone sleeps on ice beds. But the 800 people who stayed at the hotel this winter seemed to like it. If you want to stay in one of he ten ice rooms, it will cost you about Y=30 a night. You will receive a survival certificate from the manager.
When the winter's over, Nils holds his annual contest to predict the day that the hotel will fall. The person that guessed the day correctly last year received a large painting from an Artic Hall exhibition. Nils' ice hotel is becoming world famous and he loves his work. He's already excited about his next project-an ice hotel that will have more complicated architectural features and, he says, will be bigger and better.

Question: Which of the following about the Artic Hall Hotel is NOT true?

Choices:
- It is the coldest hotel in the world.
- You can go to the hotel in spring.
- The hotel is in the north of Sweden.
- Nils Yngve Bergqvist is the owner of the hotel.

Question: Nils uses the theatre for    _  .

Choices:
- abc
- bcd
- abd
- acd

Question: All of the following are true EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- the hotel costs at least 1,000 tons of snow
- the whole building is made of snow except the wooden front door
- you will receive a survival certificate if you stay in one of the ten ice rooms
- the hotel will fall on a fixed date every year

Question: Which of the following is probably the best title?

Choices:
- Staying in Unusual Places
- The Unusual Hotel
- Ice Hotel-Cold Comfort
- The Hall Exhibition


It has been argued that an infant under three who is cared for outside the home may suffer because of the separation from his parents.The British psychoanalyst John Bowlby believes that separation from the parents during the sensitive "attachment" period from birth to three may scar   a child's personality and incline to emotional problems in later life.Some people have drawn the conclusion from Bowlby's work that children should not be sent to day care before the age of three, and many people do believe this.But there are also arguments against such a strong conclusion.
Firstly, anthropologists   point out that the hidden love between children and parents found in modem societies does not usually exist in traditional societies.For example, we saw earlier that among the Ngonis the father and mother of a child did not raise their infant alone.But traditional societies are so different from modern societies that comparisons based on just one factor are hard to understand.
Secondly, common sense tells us that day care would not be so widespread today if parents and caretakers found that children had problems with it.But Bowlby's analysis raises the possibility that early day care has delayed effects.The possibility that such care might lead to more mental illness or crime 15 or 20 years later can only be noticed by the use of statistics.Statistical studies of this kind have not yet been carried out, and even if they were, the results would be certain to be complicated and controversial.
Thirdly, in the last decade, there have been a number of careful American studies of children in day care, and they have reported that day care had a neutral of slightly positive effect on children's development.But tests that have had to be used to measure this development are not widely enough accepted to settle the issue.

Question: This passage is mainly talking about  _  .

Choices:
- children's personality
- advantages of infants' early care
- infants' education
- negative effect of infant school

Question: According to Bowlby, children under the age of three  _  .

Choices:
- should not be sent to school
- should be cared for outside the home
- will not suffer fro m parental separation
- don't mind who will look after them

Question: The argument against Bowlby's conclusion shows that  _  .

Choices:
- children have problems with day care
- there is no negative effect on infants who go to school before three
- there is a long-term effect on infants who go to school before three
- children who are sent to school before three are sent to mental illness


Almost everyone suffers from a headache sometimes.But some people suffer from repeated, frequent headaches.
What is headache? What causes it? What can be done about a headache? What research is being done on headaches?
The dictionary defines  headache simply as "a pain in the head." What most people mean by headache is a pain which lasts several minutes or hours.It covers the whole head, or one side of it, or perhaps the front or the back of the head.To add to the confusion  about a definition, some people call tight feeling in the head a headache.
A headache is important because it can be the first warning of a serious condition which probably could be controlled if discovered early.If a person removes the warning, day after day, with a pain-killer, he may pass the point of easy control.
The professional name for covering up a symptom  is "masking"  .A headache specialist once said, "Masking symptoms is not the best way of treatment." He compared taking a pain-killer for a headache before a cause is known with taking iron pills for anemia  while bleeding continues undiscovered.He added, " _ "
A headache is important also because it affects normal, happy living.The employee with a headache does less work.In a flash of temper he may upset his fellow workers or customers, causing a direct or indirect loss to his organization.The mother with a headache suffers and disturbs the family.She upsets her husband and children.

Question: Which is true according to the passage?

Choices:
- Headache has no effect on others.
- Headache may cover the whole body.
- Headache may last several minutes or hours.
- Headache is just the tight feeling in the head.

Question: The passage mainly tells us  _  .

Choices:
- the reason of headache
- headache and its effect
- everyone suffers from a headache
- a headache is a symptom of something serious


In the late 1960's, many people in North America turned their attention to environmental problems, and new steel-and-glass skyscrapers were widely criticized. Ecologists pointed out that a forest of tall buildings in a city often overburdens public transportation and parking lots.
Skyscrapers are also consumers and wasters of electric power. In one recent year, the addition of 17 million square feet of skyscrapers office space in New York City raised the peak daily demand for electricity by 120,000 kilowatts--enough to supply the entire city of Albany, prefix = st1 /New York, for a day.
Glass-walled skyscrapers can be especially wasteful. The heat loss ( or gain) through a wall of half-inch plate glass is more than ten times that through a typical brick wall filled with insulation   board. To lessen the strain on heating and air-conditioning equipment, builders of skyscrapers have begun to use double-glazed panels of glass, and reflective glasses coated with silver or gold mirror films that reduce glare  as well as heat gain.
However, mirror-walled skyscrapers raise the temperature of the surrounding air and affect neighboring buildings.
Skyscrapers put a strain on a city's sanitation facilities ,too. If fully occupied, the two World Trade Center towers in New York City would alone produce 2.25 million gallons of wastes each year-as much a city the size of Stanford,Connecticut, which has a population of more than 109,000.
Skyscrapers also affect television reception, block bird flyways and air traffic, In Boston in the late 1960's, some people even feared that shadows from skyscrapers would kill the grass on Boston Common. Still ,people continue to build skyscrapers for all the reasons that they have always built them-personal pride and the desire of owners to have the largest possible amount of space to rent.

Question: The main purpose of the passage is to   _

Choices:
- compare skyscrapers with other modern structures
- describe some architectural designs of skyscrapers
- describe skyscrapers and their effect on the environment
- encourage using bricks in the construction of skyscrapers

Question: According to the passage, what is one disadvantage of skyscrapers that have mirrored walls?

Choices:
- The surrounding air is heated.
- Construction time is increased.
- The windows must be cleaned daily.
- Extra air-conditioning equipment is needed.

Question: According to the passage, in the late 1960's some residents of Bostonwere concerned with which aspect of skyscrapers?

Choices:
- The noise from their construction.
- The high cost of renting an office.
- The harmful effects on the city's grass.
- The removal of trees from building sites.

Question: The author raises problems that would most concern which of the following groups?

Choices:
- Pilots
- Electricians.
- Environmentalists.
- Construction workers


My challenge for you is this: to read a book for 15 minutes every single day for a month.
Let me explain a bit, by telling you where the challenge came from. I have many things in common with my dad, like music taste and sense of humor, but sadly reading isn't one of them. I can happily spend a whole day with a book, but my dad can't read a book for longer than about 5 minutes. He reads emails, websites and papers for work, but not books. He's busy so I think sitting down to read for just 15 minutes a day is a good way to relax and to introduce him to reading.
My dad is by no means the only person who avoids books. I know lots of people would rather relax on their computers or in front of the TV. Everyone is different and has their own interests, but I think there're lots of benefits to reading, which screen-based activities don't have.
Firstly, it's better for your eyes. Looking at screens can be very stressful for you eye muscles, and clearly you should avoid looking at screens for an hour before bed, to get a good night's sleep.
One thing I personally love reading, is being transported to another world--I would often forget the time or things around me! Reading is a great way to switch off before you go to bed, because you think more about the world of the book, rather than the real world, so you can truly relax. I know you can be transported to a different world in a film or a TV show, but I think books do _ better.
I also enjoy hearing what people are doing and finding out what they think. Reading gives me the chance to get to know hundreds of new people! It also teaches you to see things from other people's point of view, and understand other people's decisions or opinions. With a book, you can hear everything a character is thinking or feeling--you really can be inside someone else's head!
So give it a go! Take 15 minutes when you're waking up, going to bed, eating too much, or having a coffee. If you read a lot, why not try 15 minutes of an English book, or pass the challenge on to someone else? Good luck, and happy reading!

Question: The author gives the example of his father in the text to show   _  .

Choices:
- his father is very busy
- reading is very important to us
- his father likes reading
- many people have no habit of reading

Question: The author writes the text mainly basing on   _  .

Choices:
- his personal experience
- some scientific experiments
- his father's personal advice
- knowledge from books

Question: Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

Choices:
- Tips for Reading English Books
- 15-Minute Reading Challenge
- Having a Coffee While You Read
- Ways to Improve Reading Skills


I want to let you know about an event that changed my life many years ago. We were living in College Station, Texas and my wife and I were on our way home from Houston, Texas one Sunday morning. We decided to stop at a local gas station to get something to eat since we had enough time.
When we finished, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a homeless man standing in front of the building. His clothes were worn and it looked as if he didn't have any money. It was cold and I was sure he wanted something to drink. However, it was not this that moved  me.
A dog was also walking up to the front of the building. Being a dog lover, I noticed that the dog was a mother and that she had just had some puppies . She was hungry and weak and I felt so bad for her. I knew if she didn't eat soon, she and her puppies would not live on.
People walking by didn't even notice her. She might not have been as pretty and clean as most, but she still deserved  better. But we still did not do anything, someone else did. The homeless man, who I thought could not afford anything to eat, went back into a store and bought dog food with all the money he had.
I know that this story isn't as inspirational as most stories, but it plays a great part in our lives. You see, that was Mother's Day weekend. And a lot of people forget that some animals are parents too.

Question: From the passage we can know that  _  .

Choices:
- the author didn't like dogs
- the dog was not pretty enough to be loved
- the author wanted to help the dog but he was unable to
- the dog and her puppies were in danger of dying of hunger

Question: Which of the following moved the author?

Choices:
- Most people walking by the dog didn't notice her
- The homeless man wore worn clothes on the cold day
- The homeless man bought food for the dog with all of his money
- The homeless man had not any money to buy any food for himself

Question: The author did the following except that he  _  .

Choices:
- had pity on the dog that was in danger
- bought dog food with all the money he had
- was a person who treasured dogs very much
- went home from Houston one Sunday morning

Question: According to the passage, we know that the homeless man was   _  .

Choices:
- kind and helpful
- brave and kind
- clever and helpful
- clever and brave

Question: The best title for this passage would be  _  .

Choices:
- My Memory
- My wife and I
- Animals Are Parents Too
- A Mother Dog and Her Puppies


Daniel Brown was just five years old when he climbed into the family car and let it roll away down the road. He was only three when he flooded the kitchen.
      His mother, Angela Brown is very busy looking after her new baby, a little girl called Laura, as well as Daniel. She told us, "Daniel is so full of curiosity  ." At that moment, we hear a loud noise and then silence. We go upstairs and find Daniel getting out of a wardrobe which he has pulled over onto the floor, with a book in his hand. "It's for you, Mum," he says and looks up at his mum and smiles. Seven-year-old Daniel has a lovely face. He has golden hair, big brown eyes, and a friendly smile. I have to admit that Daniel doesn't look like a naughty boy.
      Angela told me all about it, "Once I found him as he was about to put Jasper in the washing machine." Jasper, she explained, is the Browns' dog. "When I asked him why, he said that he thought Jasper was dirty! It's amazing how one little boy can cause so much trouble. Another time he cut off all the hair of the little girl next door. She was going to attend her sister's wedding and the neighbors haven't spoken to us since."
      Angela told me about Daniel's most expensive crime. "I was about to do the washing up when the baby started crying. Daniel decided to help and filled the kitchen sink with water. When I came in, the water was already flooding the kitchen and was about to flood the hall. The carpet was ruined and had to be replaced. I hope things will get better as he gets older."
      Amazingly, Daniel is quite well behaved in school. This may be because he is seldom bored. Meanwhile he continues to be the naughtiest little boy in England. Will his baby sister Laura grow up to be the naughtiest little girl?

Question: What did Daniel do while his mother was talking to the author?

Choices:
- He drove away the family car.
- He cut off the hair of the girl next door.
- He fell to the floor with the wardrobe.
- He flooded the kitchen.

Question: Why was Daniel going to put the dog in the washing machine?

Choices:
- He hoped to punish the dog.
- He wanted to clean the dog.
- He intended to make trouble.
- He wished to draw his mother's attention.

Question: It can be inferred from the passage that   _  .k*s@5%u

Choices:
- the mother spoiled the boy
- the mother lost hope in the boy
- the boy found school life interesting
- the boy had no freedom at home

Question: Which of the following is TRUE?

Choices:
- Laura, as well as Daniel, is full of curiosity about everything.
- Daniel is naughty, but he is the cleverest student in his school.
- The mother thinks Daniel's curiosity leads to his naughtiness.
- Laura will be as naughty as her brother when she grows up.

Question: What does "the most expensive crime" refer to?

Choices:
- Daniel flooded the kitchen and it destroyed the carpet.
- Daniel pulled over a wardrobe onto the floor and it broke into pieces.
- The family car was damaged because Daniel let it roll away down the road.
- Their dog was killed because Daniel put it in the washing machine.


It was an extremely hot day. My younger brother Walt and I had decided to go swimming in a deep swimming hole across Mr. Blickez's farm and through some woods, because it would be the only way to cool ourselves down.
The only problem with our plan was that this farm was guarded by a huge mean   Hereford bull  . Mr. Blickez had told us that Elsie was the meanest bull in town, maybe even in the county and we believed in him. But the hotter it got, the more we thought there was something _ about what he said. For one thing, we remembered Mr. Blickez liked telling tall tales; for another, Elsie seemed like a strange name for a bull. Finally, I talked Mom into asking permission for us to walk through the farm, and Mr. Blickez agreed.
On our way across the farm, we stopped at the fence to admire the swimming hole. The sun shone brightly across the cool waters. We couldn't wait to get there. Suddenly, Walt shouted loudly. Elsie had run to him and was licking   his back. I immediately hid under the fence. However, when I looked up, I saw that Elsie wasn't a big mean bull at all. She was just a friendly young cow, and she was going to keep licking my brother's back as long as he stood still.
When we discovered the truth, we were so happy. We then ran to the swimming hole and jumped in. The water was just as wonderful as we had dreamed. After that day, we had many good days and we often visited our secret swimming hole guarded by the so-called "big mean bull". .

Question: What was the problem faced by the author and his brother?

Choices:
- They didn't know where to swim.
- They didn't know how to get to the stream.
- Their mother didn't want them to swim.
- They had to face a very mean bull.

Question: When Elsie saw the author's brother, she   _  .

Choices:
- tried to attack him
- showed her friendliness
- immediately ran away
- tried to drive him away

Question: What's the passage mainly about?

Choices:
- The bull guarding Mr.Blickez's farm.
- How friendly the so-called mean bull was.
- The story of visiting the swimming hole.
- How the author changed his attitude to Joanie.


Sure, it's good to get along with your teacher because it makes that time you spend in the classroom more pleasant. And yes, it's good to get along with your teacher because, in general, it's smart to learn how to relate to the different types of people you'll meet throughout your life.
But really, there's one super-important reason why you should get along with your teacher. Kids who get along with their teachers not only learn more, but they're more comfortable asking questions and getting extra help. This makes it easier to understand new material and do your best on tests. When you have this kind of relationship with a teacher, he or she can be someone to turn to with problems, such as problems with learning or school issues, such as bullying.
As a kid in elementary or middle school, you're at a wonderful stage in your life. You're able to take in lots of new and exciting information. Apart from that, you're able to think about all this information in new ways. Your teacher knows that, and in most cases, he or she is thrilled to be the person who's giving you all that material and helping you put it together. Remember, teachers are people, too, and they feel great if you're open to what they're teaching you. That's why they wanted to be teachers in the first place to teach!
Some kids may be able to learn in any situation, whether they like the teacher or not. But most kids are sensitive to the way they get along with the teacher, and if things aren't going well, they won't learn as well and won't enjoy being in class.

Question: What's the writer's attitude towards getting along with teachers?

Choices:
- Doubtful.
- Objective.
- Uncaring.
- Favorable.

Question: What can we know from the passage?

Choices:
- Kids are unable to understand lots of exciting information.
- Kids are bullied while communicating with others in schools.
- Kids will leave the class when not doing quite well with their teachers.
- Kids will leave the class when not satisfied with teachers' teaching methods.

Question: The passage is most probably taken from  _  .

Choices:
- children's literature
- an education magazine
- a science report
- an advertisement


Homeschooling is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in public or private school. As a matter of fact, most childhood education occurred within the family or community.
Homeschooling is a legal choice for parents in developed countries to provide their children with a learning environment at home. Parents see many reasons for homeschool, including better test results, improved instruction, to help the public system with fewer kids, poor public school environment, religious reasons, improved character development, the expense of private education, and objection to what is taught locally in public school.
Homeschooling can also be a choice for families living in remote   locations, living abroad, and to allow for more traveling. Also many young athletes and actors are taught at home, where a coach   or tutor is with the child for many years and then knows the child very well.
In some places, an approved curriculum   is required if children are to be home-schooled. In some cases a liberal arts   education is provided.

Question: Home-schooled children are usually taught by   _  .

Choices:
- teachers or neighbours
- parents or tutors
- coaches or tutors
- instructions or officials

Question: According to the text, some parents choose to homeschool their children because   _  .

Choices:
- they are tired of taking their children to and from school
- their children are too naughty   to go to a regular school
- they are not satisfied with what is taught at local public schools
- they have too many children to feed and educate

Question: Which of the following is TRUE about homeschooling according to the text?

Choices:
- Homeschooling is still illegal in developed countries.
- Athletes and actors can not be home-schooled.
- There is no curriculum for homeschooled children.
- Some parents have to homeschool their children when living abroad.


The sunflower plant bears bright yellow flowers that always face the sun, hence the name. However, the plant is grown not only for its beautiful flowers, but also for its oil that has a host of health benefits. Sunflower oil prevents diseases, lowers cholesterol levels, keeps the heart healthy, and even prevents certain forms of cancer. Sunflower oil is a kind of "magic oil" when it comes to skin care, as it makes your skin soft and smooth, and prevents signs of aging. So, let us know more about its effects on your skin.
1. It Acts as an Effective Emollient .
Sunflower oil is an effective emollient, which means that it helps the skin retain moisture. Thus, people with dry skin can benefit immensely from the regular use of the oil. Also, it is mild, and provides relief from irritation and inflammation of the skin.
2. It Offers Sun Protection.
Sunflower oil is a rich source of vitamin E. The high vitamin content prevents the sensitive cells of the skin from being damaged by the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. Also, the beta-carotene (b-) present in sunflower oil helps neutralize  free radicals that are responsible for causing damage to the skin, including sunburn and skin cancers.
3. It Prevents Earlier Aging.
Vitamin E present in sunflower oil not only protects the skin from sun damage, but also from earlier aging. What's more, regular use of sunflower oil can reduce wrinkles and make one look younger. Also, sunflower oil is rich in antioxidants  that keep the skin fresh.
4. It Prevents Skin Infections .
Sunflower oil is a rich source of essential fatty acids that protect the skin from bacterial infections. Hence, it gives you a healthy skin.
5. Additional Effects.
There are other ways in which sunflower oil can prove to be a boon for your skin. These are given as follows:
It helps reduce dark spots; it helps lighten dark circles; it helps soften rough and dry skin; it can be used to remove make-up; it helps relax tired eyes.

Question: Sunflower oil can be good for the following EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- reducing cholesterol levels
- preventing heart diseases
- making skin smooth and impressive
- curing some kinds of cancers

Question: What are the functions of vitamin E?

Choices:
- To make ultraviolet rays and beta-carotene.
- To stop sunburn and treat skin cancers.
- To protect skin and slow the pace of aging.
- To produce wrinkles and make skin bright.

Question: Which of the following is NOT true?

Choices:
- Sunflower oil can weaken dark spots.
- Sunflower oil may lead to skin infections.
- Sunflower oil can make you attractive.
- Sunflower oil may keep eyes in comfort.

Question: Which is the best title for the passage?

Choices:
- Benefits of Sunflower Oil for Skin
- Sunflowers Make Life Beautiful
- Sunflower Oil Ends Diseases Greatly
- Benefits of Growing Sunflowers


Be Healthy! Be Slim! Be Beautiful!
Discover the secret for a Healthy, Slim, Beautiful You!
Discover how to be Healthy, Slim and Beautiful!
I love this healthy diet program because it helps you lose weight, lose inches, feel healthy and look beautiful. This healthy diet is an 8-week program which is unlike other diet regimes because it focuses on proper nutritional first and weight loss second. Your body must have proper levels of minerals, vitamins, and protein in order to work well. It provides a simply lifestyle change to give you more energy and improve your health most greatly. It offers control over stomach and continuing hunger with a calorie dense diet allowing 1,700 to 2,000 calories a day. If a person has a weight problem their body probably is not working at proper levels of basic nutrients. We invite you to follow this program so you can be the slim person who lives inside you. You too, can love dieting, especially if you are losing weight and losing inches! Do you want to feel better?
To get started being slim, just Click Here.

Question: What is this passage mainly about?

Choices:
- How people should keep fit.
- A healthy diet program.
- Some healthy people.
- Ways to lose weight.

Question: What is the aim of this diet program?

Choices:
- To keep healthy first and to lose weight second.
- To lose weight as much as possible.
- To lose weight at the cost of the health.
- To lose weight first and to keep healthy second.

Question: Which of the following is NOT TRUE ?

Choices:
- This program makes a change in your lifestyle.
- This program can stop you from feeling hungry all the time.
- This program allows you 1700 to 2000 calories for each meal.
- The program can offer control over your stomach.

Question: If you "Click Here", what will you read on the Internet?

Choices:
- Some other programs.
- The content of this program.
- Some interesting foods.
- Some products you can buy.


New York Times---( DINITIA SMITH )Tomorrow is the 433d anniversary of Shakespeare's birth. A recent survey shows that more people are watching him, reading him and studying him than ever before.
Consider the recent yearly conference of the Shakespeare Association of America in Washington, where more than 600 people who study or admire Shakespeare from 18 countries took in topics like ''Whither Attribution Studies,'' ''Unpopular Shakespeare'' and ''Sex Me Here,'' a talk on breast-feeding and Lady Macbeth.
''The national media is saying that fewer students' taking Shakespeare,'' Barbara Mowat, the editor of The Shakespeare Quarterly, observed in a speech at the conference. ''But Shakespeare is thriving.'' The association's membership has increased by a third since 1990.
The Shakespeare business is so good these days that W. W. Norton is introducing a huge new collections of the plays into the already crowded _ just in time for tomorrow's birthday anniversary. Priced at $44.95, ''The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition'' runs for 3,420 pages, offering introductions, illustrations and notes and three versions  of''King Lear.''
Today, movies and videos have made the plays even more accessible. Last year, ''William Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet'' was No. 1 at the box office when it opened, and it grossed nearly $50 million. In New York in January, crowds lined up in the freezing cold to see Kenneth Branagh's four-hour''Hamlet.''The students select a scene and then have a violent discussion about it.'' Influenced by films, professors are increasingly teaching students by having them perform the plays.

Question: Why people from 18 countries came to Washington this year?

Choices:
- To celebrate Shakespeare's 433d birth day only.
- To watch some plays by Shakespeare as planned.
- To celebrate Shakespeare's birthday and study his works.
- To discuss how to teach students using Shakespeare's plays.

Question: Which of the many plays by Shakespeare was most popular the year before?

Choices:
- King Lear.
- Hamlet.
- Macbeth.
- Romeo and Juliet.


Both are so much related to each other. And both are so dissimilar! What are the differences between friendship and love? Is platonic  friendship possible between persons of opposite sex? Let us try and understand.
What is friendship? Why do we call a person our friend? When do we call someone a very good friend? If we care for a person, if we are always ready to help that person and if we share most of our thoughts with a person, they are our good friends. We can always count upon our good friends in an emergency. We are always sure that our friend will understand why we acted in a certain way. We need not explain anything to our very good friends. The friendship is so deep and the relationship is so close, that most of the things are automatically understood by our friends.
What about love? In a relationship of deep love, all the sharing that we discussed above are taken for granted. But love transcends(,) all these. During love, we are attached with a particular person, while in friendship, one may have many friends. A loving relationship makes one so much attached to the other, that one gets pained if his/her beloved is hurt! Love also involves a physical element. Friendship does not have that. This is a vital difference. Nature gives us love so that the species can go forward. Nature does not give us friendship.
Your heart beats will never increase in expectation of meeting your friend. You will not lie awake at night thinking about your friend. You will not feel totally lost, if you don't meet your friend for a few days. You will not have dreams in your eyes thinking about your friend. But in love, you will do all these and much more. Indeed, there is no comparison between love and friendship.

Question: What's the function of the first passage?

Choices:
- To come up with the question for the further discussion.
- To explain the main idea of the following passage.
- To tell us the whole meaning of the passage.
- To advise us to make friends in different way.

Question: How do you do to make real friends?

Choices:
- You should give others your everything.
- You should share, help and understand each other.
- You should have the same interests in everything.
- Friend in need is a friend indeed.

Question: If you are friends, you'll   _  .

Choices:
- dream of him at night
- lie awake at night and think your friend
- feel you don't meet him for a long time
- never feel excited meeting your friend

Question: The writer gives us the article to   _  .

Choices:
- tell us the meaning of love and friendship.
- tell us relationship between friends and relatives.
- tell us the difference between love and friendship.
- tell us how to get friendship and love.


For thousands of years, mankind has produced plants and animals to create more desired and useful plants and animals. For example, modern com has been produced to such a large size that it is no longer able to reproduce without man's assistance. Modern dairy cows produce too much milk and if they are not often emptied of milk, they could leak, burst, become infected, and possibly die. Besides, most dogs raised by people can not survive in the wild even with special training.
Since natural evolution is extremely slow and mankind's selective production programs only take a few generations to produce a completely new species, natural evolution has already _ mankind's production programs. In addition, mankind has successfully killed off several species all together. For example, there are no more European wolves in existence and mammoths   probably died out because of mankind. Even certain diseases have been permanently got rid of from the planet, and dozens of other diseases will soon be too. Again, natural evolution did i>>t cause most of the destruction during man's rule of the world.
Currently, scientists are creating new species with desired characteristics in the lab significantly faster than natural evolution creates new species. In a single generation, new species can be created and destroyed by mankind, while natural evolution could take thousands of years to do the same but only accidentally. Scientists are even able to replace defective   or damaged genes with different genes to attempt to cure genetic defects. This is something that natural evolution could possibly never correct.
Eventually scientists will even be able to improve the quality of people. For example, imagine not only correcting your eyesight with gene treatment, but also ensuring that all of your children do not receive your old genes of poor eyesight too. Scientists will one day be able to improve the memory and intelligence of your children, so that they will do better in school and achieve more in life. Doctors and scientists will be able to customize   babies before they are born just like picking options at a car store.

Question: What can we infer from the passage?

Choices:
- Near-sighted parents will be able to produce babies with good eyesight in the future.
- Doctors and scientists will be responsible for mass production of babies in the future.
- It is natural evolution that is to blame for the destruction of European wolves and mammoths.
- Children can now have their memory and intelligence improved with the help of gene treatment.


A 56-year-old Canadian man who left home after his business went bankrupt   completed an 11-year walk around the world on Sunday, and told a crowd of well-wishers his new goal was to promote   peace.
Jean Beliveau -- who arrived to a hero's welcome in Montreal from loved ones, lawmakers and supporters -- said his "real aim " was to advise Canada and other governments to build "ministries of peace."
"We are all different, and that is what is beautiful about life on Earth -- our different color1s, different beliefs, different political systems," he said.
"Those are all musical notes... we must create harmony   from them, create a common tune," an emotional   Beliveau told the crowd gathering at city hall in the old part of the city.
Beliveau left Montreal on the day of his 45th birthday -- August 18, 2000 -- after his small sign business went bankrupt. He decided to run around the world to try to escape the pain.
The Canadian ran all the way to Atlanta, Georgia before slowing his walk for what would become the longest uninterrupted walk around the world: 75,000 kilometers (46,600 miles) across 64 countries.
Over 11 years, he travelled across deserts and mountains. He fell in love for nine days in Mexico, wore a turban   and a long beard in Sudan, ate snake in China, and was escorted   by armed soldiers in the Philippines.www.ks5u.com
Upon his return on Sunday, Beliveau reunited with his mother, whom she had not seen throughout his 11 years on the road. She welcomed him in a tight embrace.
Longtime girlfriend Luce Archambault, who offered Beliveau emotional and financial   support throughout his journey, and his two children from a previous   marriage were also on hand for the celebration.
More than 100 supporters walked the final kilometers with Beliveau through the streets of Montreal.
Archambault, who flew to join Beliveau wherever he was once a year so they could spend Christmas together, said last month: "I'm his Penelope and he is my Ulysses."

Question: Beliveau said that his new goal is to   _  .

Choices:
- forget his pain
- promote world peace
- create a common belief
- have a good rest

Question: Many people took part in the celebration to welcome Beliveau's return EXCEPT   _  .

Choices:
- his mother
- his girlfriend
- his children
- his former wife

Question: What would be the best title for this passage?

Choices:
- How can exercise kill mental problems?
- What is the best way to escape from pain?
- Beliveau, a world peace promoter and his family.
- Canadian man completes 11-year round-the-world walk.