If women are mercilessly exploited year after year, they have only themselves to blame.  Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion. When you come to think of it, only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear.
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time altering the dresses they have. Skirts are lengthened or shortened; neck-lines are lowered or raised, and soon.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth, comfort and durability. They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn't at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or delicately picking her way through deep snow in high-heeled shoes.
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, _ . Does the constantly changing fashion of women's clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanged styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to decide.

Question: According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

Choices:
- Fashion designs should not be encouraged since they are only welcomed by women.
- The constant changes in women's clothing reflect their strength of character.
- The fashion industry makes an important contribution to society.
- New fashions in clothing are created for the commercial exploitation of women.

Question: By saying "the conclusions to be drawn are obvious", the writer means that   _  .

Choices:
- women's inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at
- women are better able to put up with discomfort
- men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers
- men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion


Money spent on advertising is money spent as well as any I know of.It serves directly to assist a rapid distribution of goods at reasonable prices, thereby establishing a firm home market and so making it possible to provide for export at competitive prices.By drawing attention to new ideas it helps enormously to raise standards of living.By helping to increase demand it ensures an increased need for labour, and is therefore an effective way to fight unemployment.It lowers the costs of many services: without advertisements your daily newspaper would cost four times as much, the price of your television license would need to be doubled, and travel by bus or tube would cost 20 per cent more.
And perhaps most important of all, advertising provides a guarantee of  reasonable value in the products and services you buy.Apart from the fact that twenty-seven acts of Parliament govern the terms of advertising, no regular advertiser dare promote a product that fails to live up to the promise of his advertisements.He might fool some people for a little while through misleading advertising.He will not do so for long, for mercifully the public has the good sense not to buy the low-quality article more than once.If you see an article consistently advertised, it is the surest proof I know that the article does what is claimed for it, and that it represents good value.
What' s more, advertising does more for the material benefit of the community than any other force I can think of.
There is one more point I feel I ought to touch on.Recently I heard a well-known television personality declare that he was against advertising because it persuades rather than informs.He was drawing excessively fine distinctions course advertising seeks to persuade.
If its message were restricted merely to information, which would be difficult to achieve, for even a detail such as the choice of the colour of a shirt is subtly persuasive, advertising would be so boring that no one would pay any attention.But perhaps that is what the well-known television personality wants.

Question: By the first sentence of the passage the author means that   _  .

Choices:
- he understands the cost of advertising well
- advertising costs money like everything else
- it is worthwhile to spend money on advertising
- everyone knows advertising is money consuming

Question: The author thinks that the well-known TV personality   _  .

Choices:
- forces his own views on the public
- holds one-sided views on advertising
- can't tell persuasion from information
- is interested in nothing but the buyers' attention

Question: Which of the following opinions does the author probably accept?

Choices:
- There is nothing wrong with advertising in persuading buyers.
- Advertising can prevent low-quality articles from entering markets.
- Advertising informs people of new ideas rather than wins them over.
- Buyers are not interested in getting information from advertisements.

Question: What is the passage mainly about?

Choices:
- Advertising and promotion.
- Informative function of advertising.
- Advantages and disadvantages of advertising.
- Benefits of advertising and its characteristics.


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Feel free to call us at 8447367 or email us info@1234PENS. com if you have any question.

Question: What do we know about 1234 PENS?

Choices:
- It has a history of over 30 years.
- It has built up a large pen market.
- It has its name printed on each pen.
- It charges a low price for extra service.

Question: What is special about the pens produced in 1234 PENS?

Choices:
- They are designed in 16 styles.
- They come in 48 different color1s.
- Their material is less harmful to the earth.
- Their price is much lower in the pen market.

Question: The main purpose of the passage is to    .

Choices:
- persuade people to order the products
- explain the process of making logo pens
- show people how to choose different pens
- introduce the different services of 1234 PENS


Life is full of sweet surprises for Chinese pop singer Edell.
    She majored in design in a Canadian college. But when she was looking for a job after graduation, she found herself rising as a star in singing. Then she became a hostess on TV. "These are roles I never expected to take," she said.
    Edell is open to every possibility in life, not afraid to try new things. She says that every day she tries to get herself ready to take any chance that occurs in life.
    "My mom told me chance only rewards those with a prepared mind," she said. "So I've tried to explore my potential talents. Thus I won't be at a loss when the right opportunity comes up."
Edell learned ballet in her childhood until she broke her back in practice. She then fell in love with music.
    Like many girls of her age, she has a rich collection of CDs. But she never dreamed of being a singer. One day she was noticed by a talent scout . she gave a try and succeeded! And that's not the end of the story.
    Once she was invited to be the hostess of the Asian MTV Awards in Thailand. Though she has never had any experience, she accepted the invitation. "At least I could make a trip to the foreign country," she said. Upon arrival at the ceremony, she had to read through a 91-page English biography of every guest. She studied it so much that she could recite all the details in it.
    It helped her greatly. She greeted those strange faces she had never seen before and talked with them like an old friend. She did a great job. The MTV channel was so satisfied that they offered her a job as a TV hostess."Try to get yourself well-prepared in life," she said. "In the meantime, try to live your life with brains."

Question: What is the best title of the passage?

Choices:
- Learn from Edell
- Prepare for your chances
- Try to be a singer
- Do learn English well

Question: The writer mentioned Edell's mother to tell us  _  .

Choices:
- her chances were given by her mother
- her mother had great influence on her
- she could do nothing without her mother
- all her success belonged to her mother

Question: What does the underline word "It" refer to?

Choices:
- Studying the English biography hard.
- The 91-page English biography.
- The ceremony of the Asian MTV Awards.
- The MTV channel.

Question: What is Edell's strongest character?

Choices:
- Liking to remember things.
- Liking to help others.
- Liking to think of problems differently.
- Liking to try new things.


I'm usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that today's children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.
Why are America's kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation  brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other things and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.
Considering that we can't turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the next generation.
At the top of the list is nurturing  a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress.
To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for facetoface relationships, and they will get more sleep.
Limit the amount of virtual  violence your children are exposed to. It's not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.
Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale.
Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn't have to ruin your life.

Question: According to the analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated as mentally ill 50 years ago   _  .

Choices:
- probably suffered less from anxiety
- were considered less individualistic
- were less isolated physically
- were probably less selfcentered

Question: The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people's state of mind are   _  .

Choices:
- illogical
- confusing
- surprising
- questionable

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

Choices:
- To children, anxiety is completely avoidable.
- TV and computer play an important role in isolating children from the real world.
- Exercise does not help to lessen children's anxiety.
- Sometimes local news about crime and murder also affects children a little.

Question: The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is  _  .

Choices:
- to lower their expectations for them
- to set a good model for them to follow
- to get them more involved socially
- to improve them with a safer environment


Onceupon a time there was a wise man that used to go to the sea to do his writing. Hehad a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.One day he waswalking along the shore. As he looked down at the beach, he saw a human figuremoving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought that someone woulddance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, hesaw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he wasreaching down to the shore, picking up something and throwing itinto the ocean. As he got closer, he called out, "Good morning! What are youdoing?''
Theyoung man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwingstarfishes in theocean."
"I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfishes in the ocean?"
"The sun is up and the tide is going out.And if I don't throw them in, they'll die".
"But, young man, don't you realize thatthere are miles and miles of beach and starfishes all along it. You can'tpossibly make a difference!"
Theyoung man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked another starfish andthrew it into the sea, and said, "It made a difference for that one."Thereis _ in each and every one of us. We have all beengifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can know that gift, wewill gain through the strength of our vision of the power toshape the future.
We musteach find our starfish. And if we throw our starfish wisely and well, the worldwill be better.

Question: One day, the wise man saw a young man   _  .

Choices:
- dancing along the beach
- walking with a dancer
- picking up starfish for sale
- trying to save as many starfishes as possible

Question: The writer told this story to show us   _  .

Choices:
- how and where we can write a good article
- everyone can do something for the future
- wise men are sometimes stupid
- young men are in fact wiser than old people


Anyone who doubts that children are born with a healthy amount of ambition need spend only a few minutes with a baby eagerly learning to walk. No matter how many times the little ones stumble in their first efforts, most keep on trying, determined to master their amazing new skill. It is only several years later, many psychologists and teachers agree, that a good number of kids seem to lose their natural drive to succeed. For the parents of such kids, whose own ambition is often tied to their children's success, it can be a painful experience.
Figuring out why _ is the first step. Assuming that a kid doesn't suffer from a learning disability, or isn't involved in some family crisis at home, many educators attribute a sudden lack of motivation to a fear of failure or classmate pressure. "Everything is within the kids' control; their intelligence is changeable," says Lisa Blackwell, a research scientist at Columbia University. "More than any teacher or workshop," Blackwell says, "parents can play a key role in conveying this message to their children by praising their effort, and progress rather than emphasizing their 'smartness' or praising high performance alone. Most importantly, parents should let their kids know that mistakes are a part of learning."
Some experts say our education system, with its strong emphasis on testing and separation of students into different levels of ability, also bears blame for the disappearance of drive in some kids. "These programs shut down the motivation of all kids who aren't considered gifted and talented. They destroy their confidence," says Jeff Howard, a social psychologist. Howard and other educators say it's important to expose kids to a world beyond homework and tests, through volunteer work, sports, hobbies and other extracurriculum activities.
"The problem of the issue is that many students experience education as irrelevant to their life goals and ambitions," says Michael Nakkual, a Harvard education professor. The key to getting kids to aim higher at school is to free them of the idea that class work is irrelevant, to show them how doing well at school can actually help them fulfill their dreams beyond it. They need to understand that you have to learn to walk before you can run.

Question: According to the passage, the parents of kids with no ambition  _  .

Choices:
- don't do a very good job teaching them to walk
- are to blame if the kids do poorly in school
- feel pain because ambitions are connected to their success
- should take part in extra-curriculum activities with kids

Question: All the following can contribute to a sudden lack of ambition EXCEPT  _  .

Choices:
- learning disability
- classmate pressure
- emphasis on testing
- extracurricular activities

Question: What is the most important thing for parents in motivating their kids?

Choices:
- By punishing kids who don't display ambition.
- By emphasizing smartness and high performance.
- By telling kids that mistakes are a part of learning.
- By praising the effort and progress they have made.

Question: We can infer from the passage that  _  .

Choices:
- children who have lost their ambition will never succeed in life
- school performance has much to do with students' later success
- both the parents and the school are to blame for the lost ambition
- younger kids learning to walk are more ambitious than older ones


When I was 16 years old and in foster care in Tennessee, people told me I was unadoptable. But I desperately wanted a family. I sought the help of a judge, even the commissioner of the Department of Children's Services, and was adopted just a week before my 18th birthday.
We have a lot to be grateful for and this holiday season let's not forget about the more than 415,000 youth in foster care especially older youth. These youth are the most likely to get overlooked for adoption, but they shouldn't be. They need and deserve a family just as much as young children do. Making an older youth a part of your family can bring just as much a joy as adopting a baby or a younger child--without all the diapers and potty training.
My adoption was life changing and probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I still remember the first gift my parents gave to me. It was a Mickey Mouse key chain with a key to their home. They told me that no matter what happened they would always love me and I'd always have a place to come home to. This is our 17th Thanksgiving together...
My first Thanksgiving with my family was a little overwhelming with lots of extended family including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. However, it's when I realized that I would never have to spend another holiday alone and that was truly an amazing feeling.
I was always eager to spend time with my little sister, Beth. She was six when I joined the family. My dad always says he knew we were really sisters, and I was no longer a guest in the house when Beth and I had our first fight. Today, she's one of my best friends, and I'm her biggest cheerleader.
There were also bittersweet Thanksgivings. One we spent in my mom's hospital room. It was there that she helped me plan my wedding but passed away three weeks before the ceremony. My dad walked me down the aisle, and my sister was my maid of honor. Because of our bond, we were able to support each other through that challenging time and that's what family is for--the good and bad times.
It's nice having my dad and sister to share holidays and special occasions. But they're even more important when it comes to the little things--like having someone to share my bad day with, celebrate my promotion at work, or help me think through a difficult decision. It's in these moments that I just can't imagine being alone in the world.
I'm so glad that I didn't listen to those people who said I was unadoptable, I'd never find a family, and that I was putting myself out there for rejection. It's a risk for older foster youth to consider adoption. _ But it's a risk they should take because life doesn't end at 18. It's really just beginning.
If you know someone who might consider adopting an older teen, please share my story -- and have him or her think of my family. They didn't get to see my first steps or watch me be a pilgrim in my second grade Thanksgiving play. But they taught me so many things about life, and were there to watch me walk across the stage when I graduated from college and law school and accompanied me to the White House last year as I was honored for my work helping foster youth.
I look forward to many more Thanksgivings with my family, and I'm eternally thankful they chose me to be a part of their family.

Question: What contributes to the author's feeling that she can't imagine being alone in the world.

Choices:
- The family's giving the author a Mickey Mouse as a gift.
- The author's spending her Thanksgiving with her extended family for 17 years.
- The mother's failing to attend the author's wedding ceremony for her severe disease.
- The family's always sharing happiness and sorrow with her.

Question: What does adoption for older youth really mean

Choices:
- It means not living alone any longer.
- It means being taken good care of by others.
- It means being successful in career.
- It means being loved and a sense of belonging.

Question: What's the author's main purpose of writing the passage

Choices:
- To express her appreciation for her family.
- To show sympathy to the unadoptable older youth.
- To appeal to more people to adopt the older youth.
- To persuade the readers not to believe others' words.


When Caleb Forbes got his first job at an advertising company at the age of 20, he thought he would be at the company for years. But after seven months he was bored. Soon after that, Forbes moved to London. He took four different jobs at three companies over the next five years. Forbes wanted a better job and higher pay---he was never quite satisfied.
Welcome to the world of a job hopper. Forbes's story isn't unusual these days and such frequent movement from one job to the next will become more common. The main reason: the nature of employment is changing. There are a lot more contracts and part-time jobs or flexible employment. That leads to people having a greater number of jobs. What's more, layoffs  and pay freezes , among other things, have pushed people from one job to another. In some cases, a bad worldwide job market has limited opportunities for star employees, promoting them to seek new challenges at other companies.
However, employers often think that if a person jumped from his last employer after a short period, he will likely do the same again --- there is a significant financial risk in hiring someone who leaves in short order.
What's more, moving from company to company frequently doesn't mean workers are climbing the corporate ladder  faster. In 2005, Monika Hamori, a professor at Spain's IE Business School, looked at CEOs at about 55 to see if those who moved around more frequently climbed the ladder faster.
She found that executives who stayed with one company became CEOs after 23 years, while executives who changed companies many times became CEOs after 26 years. One reason: workers within the same organization tend to be promoted more frequently and be offered better jobs.

Question: How did Forbes feel about his first job at first?

Choices:
- It was easy.
- It was boring.
- It was satisfying.
- It was dangerous.

Question: Employers usually think those who left their former job in a short time   _  .

Choices:
- can do their new work better
- are hard-working and easy-going
- have more experiences
- will quit their new job again after a short time

Question: Monika Hamori's research showed that   _  .

Choices:
- old workers are more likely to move around
- young workers are more likely to be given better jobs
- the less someone moves around, the more he may be paid
- the more someone moves around, the more he may be paid


Read the advertisements carefully.Then answer the questions that follow.
INTERESTED IN CHILDCARE?
Qualified person or preschool teacher needed for busy childcare center, south of the river.Full-time work guaranteed.Immediate start necessary.The candidate must be able to work as a co-operative team member.Phone 6345 2345 for an interview and fax resume to 6345 2345.
WE NEED OFFICE CLEANERS!
Three people are required for professional cleaning in the CBD area.Working hours from 5:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.Approximately five hours per shift.A good record is necessary.Experience preferred.Phone 6345 7843 now.
WANT TO WORK AS A DENTAL NURSE?
This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified dental nurse with a confident and cheerful personality to work in the School Dental Health Scheme.You must be able to get along well with children because the work involves talking to groups about dental health practices.For further information, visit our website at: schooldentalservices@ gov.sg.And fax your resume to 6234 4567.
FLORIST WANTED!
Are you a creative and trained florist with at least two years of experience? Then this may be just what you are seeking.The city's leading Florist Artist Studio needs another part-time member on their wedding team.Please phone 6098 7888 now!

Question: The position of a(n)  _  is a part-time job.

Choices:
- florist
- artist
- preschool teacher
- dental nurse

Question: Which of the following is the most important for the childcare job?

Choices:
- The ability to work well with other people.
- Childcare experience.
- The ability to start work in two weeks.
- Cooking skills.

Question: The office cleaners will be required to work about   _   hours a week.

Choices:
- 15
- 5
- 10
- 20


When, after a year of being alone on his island, Robinson Crusoe sees a footprint in the sand, the reader of Robinson Crusoe trembles. Will Crusoe find another human being to end his loneliness? Is the footprint the sign of an enemy? Since 1719, when Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe, thousands of people who enjoy English novels have thrilled to this great adventure story. But few know how the story came to be written. Robinson Crusoe was the first English novel. Its birth brought together the misadventures of a Scotch "failure" and the untapped imagination of an aging English scribbler.
     Near the end of the Seventeenth Century, the hot-tempered Alexander Selkirk was charged with bad conduct while in church. Rather than face this charge, he ran away to sea. Several years later, Selkirk found himself on the ship of an English privateer. The privateer was preying on Spanish shipping. But Selkirk quarreled bitterly with the Captain. So, when the ship came to the island of Juan Femandez in the South Seas, Selkirk asked to be put ashore. When he saw that there were no people on the island, he begged to be taken back on board. But the Captain refused--Selkirk had gone too far. Over four years later, Selkirk was rescued by another ship.
When Selkirk got back to England, the story of his life on the island fired the imagination of Daniel Defoe. Defoe had been earning a living by his pen since he was thirty. He was amazingly hard-working. He wrote a whole newspaper three times a week. He also made part of his living from politics. He supported both political parties. He told each party that it had his sole support.
Defoe's morals were weak. But he was a fine writer. He was almost sixty when, in the midst of his work in politics, he wrote Robinson Crusoe. In it, Defoe--said one critic--"forged  a story, and forced it on the world for truth." The detail of Crusoe's battle for survival on a lonely island is so vivid that the reader of Robinson Crusoe accepts the product of the author's imagination for reality. Robinson Crusoe became the first of a long line of heroes and heroines that have peopled English novels since Defoe's time.

Question: Alexander Selkirk spent four years on a desert island because_.

Choices:
- he sought adventure
- he was hot-tempered
- he was afraid to face charges
- his ship was wrecked

Question: Daniel Defoe_.

Choices:
- made his living as a writer
- got his start as a writer with the writing of Robinson Crusoe
- was very "straight"-he was hardworking and honest
- had little power of imagination, but succeeded with his novel because he worked hard

Question: This passage is mainly about_.

Choices:
- how Alexander Selkirk was able to survive on the island.
- why people enjoy English novels
- what the footprint in the sand meant
- how Robinson Crusoe came to be written

Question: According to this passage , which of the following statements is not true?

Choices:
- Robinson Crusoe was a successful novel.
-
Even if Alexander Selkirk had not lived on the island of Juan Femande, Robinson
     Crusoe would still have been written.
- Daniel Defoe lived partly by hard work and partly by his " wits ".
- With the writing of Robinson Crusoe , the English novel was born.

Question: The author's attitude towards Daniel Defoe is_.

Choices:
- critical
- supporting
- both A and B
- opposing


I have only once been in trouble with the law.The whole process of being arrested and taken to court was a rather unpleasant experience at the time, but it makes a good story now. What makes it rather disturbing was the arbitrary circumstances both of my arrest and my subsequent   fate in court.
It happened in February about twelve years ago.I had left school a couple of months before that and was not due to go to university until the following October.I was still living at home at the time.
One morning I was in Richmond, a suburb of London near where I lived.I was looking for a temporary job so that I could save up some money to go traveling.As it was a fine day and I was in no hurry, I was taking my time, looking in shop windows, strolling in the park, and sometimes just stopping and looking around me.It must have been this obvious aimlessness that led to my downfall.
It was about half past eleven when it happened.I was just walking out of the local library, having unsuccessfully sought employment there, when I saw a man walking across the road with the obvious intention of talking to me.I thought he was going to ask me the time.Instead, he said he was a police officer and he was arresting me.At first I thought it was some kind of joke
But then another policeman appeared, this time in uniform, and I was left in no doubt.
'But what for?" I asked
'Wandering with intent to commit an arrestable offence,' he said.
'What offence?' I asked
'Theft,' he said
'Theft of what?'I asked
'Milk bottles,' he said, and with a perfectly straight face too!
'Oh,' I said.
It turned out there had been a lot of petty thefts in the area, particularly that of stealing milk bottles from doorsteps.
Then I made my big mistake.At the time I was nineteen, had long untidy hair, and regarded myself as pan of the sixties' 'youth counterculture'.As a result, I wanted to appear cool and unconcerned with the incident, so I said, 'How long have you been following me?  in the most casual and conversational tone I could manage.I thus appeared to them to be quite familiar with this sort of situation, and it confirmed them in their belief that I was a thoroughly disreputable   character.
A few minutes later a police car arrived.
'Get in the back,' they said.'Put your hands on the back of the front seat and don't move them.'
They got in on either side of me.It wasn't funny any more.
At the police station they questioned me for several hours.I continued to try to look worldly and familiar with the situation.When they asked me what I had been doing, I told them I'd been looking for a job.'Aha,' I could see them thinking, 'unemployed'.
Eventually, I was officially charged and told to report to Richmond Magistrates' Court the following Monday.Then they let me go.
I wanted to conduct my own defense in court, but as soon as my father found out what had happened, he hired a very good solicitor  .We went along that Monday armed with all kinds of witnesses, including my English teacher from school as a character witness.But he was never called on to give evidence.My 'trial' didn't get that far.The magistrate   dismissed the case after fifteen minutes.1 was free.The poor police had never stood a chance.The solicitor even succeeded in getting costs awarded against the police.
And so I do not have a criminal record.But what was most shocking at the time was the things my release from the charge so clearly depended on.I had the 'right' accent, respectable middle-class parents in court, reliable witnesses, and I could obviously afford a very good solicitor.Given the obscure nature of the charge.I feel sure that if I had come from a different background, and had really been unemployed, there is every chance that I would have been found guilty.While asking for costs to be awarded, my solicitor's case quite obviously revolved   around the fact that I had a 'brilliant academic record'.
Meanwhile, just outside the courtroom, one of the policemen who had arrested me was gloomily complaining to my mother that another youngster had been turned against the police. 'You could have been a bit more helpful when we arrested you,' he said to me reproachfully  .
What did he mean? Probably that I should have looked outraged  and said something like, 'Look here, do you know who you're talking to? I am a highly successful student with a brilliant academic record.How dare you arrest me!' Then they, probably, would have apologized perhaps even taken off their caps, and let me on my way.

Question: The first man who came up to him was   _  .

Choices:
- a uniformed policeman
- a policeman in plainclothes
- not a policeman
- a good joker

Question: The court never asked the author's English teacher to give evidence because   _  .

Choices:
- the time for the trial was limited to fifteen minutes only
- the author wanted to conduct his own defense in court
- the case was dismissed before the trial reached that stage
- he was found to be unqualified as a character witness

Question: The author believes that he would most probably have been declared guilty if   _  .

Choices:
- the magistrate had been less gentle
- he had really been out of work
- he had been born in a lower--class family
- both B and C

Question: In the opinion of one of the policeman who had arrested the author, the whole thing might not have occurred if   _  .

Choices:
- he had protested strongly at the time
- he had begged to be allowed to go home
- he hadn't wandered aimlessly
- he had tried to look cool

Question: We can see from the passage that the author   _  .

Choices:
- has broken the law only once
- has never broken the law
- has broken the law on more than one occasion
- once broke the law without knowing it


New rules and behavior standards for the middle school students came out in March. Middle school is going to use a new way to decide who the top students are. The best students won't only have high marks. They will also be kids who don't dye  their hair, smoke or drink. The following are some of the new rules.
Tell the truth. Have you ever copied others' work in an exam? Don't do it again if you did it before! That's not something an honest student should do. If you have played computer games for two hours in your room, don't tell your parents you have done your homework.
Do more at school. Good students love animals and care for other people. April is a bird-loving month in China. Did your school do anything to celebrate? If so, you should join it! In this way, you can learn more about animals and how to protect them. When more people work together, you can get more fun. Have you ever quarreled with your teammates when your basketball team lost? Only working together can make your team stronger. Be friendly to the people you are with. Try to think of others, not only yourself.
Be open to new ideas. Have you ever thought that people could live on the moon? Maybe you'll discover the truth someday. Don't look down on new ideas. Everyone's ideas are important. You should welcome them, because new ideas make life better for everyone.
Protect yourself. Has anyone ever taken money from one of your classmates? Don't let it happen to you. If you have to go home late, you should let your parents know.
Use the Internet carefully. The Internet can be very useful for our studies. But some things on the Internet aren't for kids, so try to look at Web pages that are good for you. You can use the Web for fun or homework. Can you find any good websites for children? Here are some.
http: // kids. eastday. com; http: // www. chinakids. net.com; http:// www. cycnet. com.

Question: The school new rules will help kids by telling them   _  .

Choices:
- how they can study well
- what they should do at home
- what is right and what is wrong
- how they can help themselves

Question: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

Choices:
- Protect yourself when you are out.
- Tell the truth, even when you are wrong.
- Keep some animals to protect them.
- Use the Internet, but keep away from bad things.

Question: The passage tells us how to   _  .

Choices:
- be top students
- do more at school
- care for others
- use the Internet


Wal-Mart is not just the world's largest retailer  . It's the world's largest company, which sells in three months what number-two retailer Home Depot sells in a year.
Wal-Mart exercises its power for just one purpose: to bring the lowest possible prices to its customers. At Wal-Mart, that goal is never reached. The retailer has a clear policy for suppliers: On basic products that don't change, the price Wal-Mart will pay, and will charge shoppers, must drop year after year. But what almost no one outside the world of Wal-Mart and none of its 21,000 suppliers know is the high cost of those low prices. To survive in the face of its pricing demands, makers of everything from bikes to jeans have had to close US plants in favor of obtaining products from abroad.
Indeed, the real story of Wal-Mart, the story that never gets told, is the story of the pressure the biggest retailer constantly applies to its suppliers in the name of bringing us "every day low prices".
The giant retailer' s low prices often come with a high cost. Wal-Mart' s pressure can crush the companies it does business with and force them to send jobs overseas. Are we shopping our way straight to the unemployment line? Of course, US companies have been moving jobs offshore for decades, long before Wal-Mart was a retailing power. But there is no question that the chain is helping accelerate the loss of American jobs to low-wage countries such as Thailand.
People ask, "How can it be bad for things to come into the US cheaply?" Sure, it's great to have bargains. But you can' t buy anything if you' re not employed.
There is no question that Wal-Mart's drive to squeeze out cost has benefited consumers. By now, it is accepted wisdom that Wal-Mart makes the companies it does business with more efficient and focused. Wal-Mart itself is known for continuous improvement in its ability to handle, move, and track goods. It is legendary   for forcing its suppliers to redesign everything from their packaging to their computer systems. It is also legendary for quite straightforwardly telling them what it will pay for their goods.

Question: How do suppliers meet the requirements of Wal-Mart?

Choices:
- To sell even more goods in three months.
- To cut down the employment rate sharply.
- To charge shoppers at a much higher price.
- To run the business in a well-organized way.

Question: Wal-Mart's low price policy results in   _  .

Choices:
- more high-paying jobs
- better designed packages
- bigger profit of its partners
- more jobless American workers

Question: What can we infer from the passage?

Choices:
- Still more quality goods will be provided.
- The food you get at Wal-Mart costs least.
- The value of Mal-Mart is over assessed.
- Wal-Mart is a very demanding company.

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

Choices:
- The Fortune Wal-Mart Makes
- The Wal-Mart you don't Know
- The Biggest Retailer--Wal-Mart
- The Money Saving Tip in Wal-Mart


If you're a man and you're reading this, congratulations: you're a survivor. According to statistics, you're more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman, and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Even if you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you'll die on average five years before a woman.
  There're many reasons for this--typically, men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke--but perhaps more importantly, men don't go to the doctor.
  "Men aren't seeing doctors as often as they should," says Dr. Gullotta. "This is particularly so for the over-40s, when chances of diseases are higher ."
  Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45, it should be at least once a year.
  Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed doing anything about his smoker's cough for a year.
  "When I finally saw him it had already spread and he later died from lung cancer," he says. "Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged   his life."
  According to a recent survey, 95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.
  "A lot of men think they're invincible  ," Gullotta says. "They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think, 'Geez, if it could happen to him, ...'"
  Then there's the ostrich approach. "Some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know," says Dr, Ross Cartmill.
  "Most men get their cars serviced more often than they service their bodies," Cartmill says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be found by regular check-ups.
Regular check-ups for men would put strain   on the public purse, Cartmill says. "But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the final cost is far greater; it's called premature  death."

Question: Why does the author congratulate his men readers at the beginning of the passage?

Choices:
- They are more likely to survive serious diseases today.
- Their average life span has been greatly prolonged.
- They have lived long enough to read this article.
- They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier life.

Question: What does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean by "the ostrich approach"? (Line 1, Para. 9)

Choices:
- A serious attitude to one's health conditions.
- A new way to cure certain diseases.
- Refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain.
- Unwillingness to find out about one's disease because of fear.

Question: What is Cartmill's opinion of regular check-ups for men?

Choices:
- They may increase public expenses.
- They will save money in the long run.
- They may cause trouble for men.
- They will enable men to live as long as women.


A person named Bernard Jackson today is a free man, but he has many bitter memories. He spent five years in prison after a jury  wrongly convicted (...) him of raping two women. At Jackson's trial, although two witnesses testified that Jackson was with them in another location at the time of the crime, he was convicted  anyway. Why? The jury believed the testimony of the two victims, who positively identified Jackson as the man who had attacked them. The court eventually freed Jackson after the police found the real criminal.
Many factors influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. For instance, witnesses sometimes see photographs of several suspects before they try to identify the person they saw in a group of people. They can become confused by seeing many photographs of similar faces. The number of people in the group, and whether it is a person or a photograph, may also affect a witness's decision. People sometimes have difficulty identifying people of other races. The questions the police ask witnesses also have an effect on them.
Many people believe that police officers are more reliable than ordinary people. Psychologists decided to test this idea, and they discovered that it is not true. Two psychologists showed a film of crimes to both police officers and civilians. The psychologists found no difference between the police and the civilians in correctly remembering the details of the crimes.
Despite all the possibilities for inaccuracy, courts cannot omit eyewitness testimony from a trial. American courts depend almost completely on eyewitness testimony to resolve court cases. Sometimes it is the only evidence to a crime, such as rape. Furthermore, eyewitness testimony is often correct. Although people do sometimes make mistakes, and convict innocent people, more importantly, eyewitness testimony has rightly convicted a larger number of guilty people.
American courts depend on the ability of the twelve jurors, and not the judges, to determine the accuracy of the witness's testimony. It is their responsibility to decide if a certain witness could actually see, hear and remember what happened.

Question: Bernard Jackson was found guilty and sentenced 5 years' prison because   _   .

Choices:
- the victims insisted that he was the attacker
- he admitted the crime of raping two women
- the police discovered evidence leading to his guilt
- the eyewitness proved the victims' testimony

Question: The following statements may be the reasons for why sometimes the eyewitness' testimony is not accurate EXCEPT    _   .

Choices:
- the eyewitness is confused by the police's questions
- the eyewitness is shown photos of many similar faces
- the eyewitness lacks the professional help from police
- the eyewitness can't identify people of other races clearly.

Question: An inaccurate eyewitness testimony may lead to   _   .

Choices:
- the misunderstanding of the case
- the disbelief in the court
- the disrespect for the eyewitness
- the conviction of an innocent person

Question: Eyewitness testimony is important because    _   .

Choices:
- it can be relied on to detect criminals in all cases.
- it is sometimes the only way to resolve court cases.
- it is sometimes the only clue for police investigation.
- it is more reliable than physical evidences to a crime.

Question: According to the text, we can infer that    _   .

Choices:
- eyewitness testimony is valuable, though sometimes incorrect.
- police identification is more reliable than that of the ordinary people
- crime victims often fail to give positive identification of the suspects
- the jury relies on the judge than the eyewitness for a decision


A survey reveals that employees in China say they are not engaged in their jobs. Judging by the survey data, many Chinese workplaces are black holes of misery and despair.
Only 6% of Chinese employees said they are "engaged" in their jobs, according to a global Gallup survey released this month. China's numbers equal the numbers out of war-weary  Iraq.
Workers across all income levels and industries were surveyed by Gallup in China, defined by Gallup to mean they were "psychologically committed to their jobs and likely to be making positive contributions to their organizations".
Out of 94 countries polled, only six countries scored lower rates of job engagement than China, including Tunisia, Israel and Syria. Unsurprisingly, 0% of Syrians admitted to being engaged at work.
In a related survey, China ranked near the bottom in a poll measuring job satisfaction among 22 Asian countries. Only 49% of Chinese respondents said they were happy in their jobs.
Part of the problem, I suspect, is that very few in China have the _ to pursue a career that truly interests them.
Even university graduates often feel they have no choice but to choose the positions with the government or state-run enterprises, since those jobs are thought to be stable.
That makes those who are happy at work in China a rare find indeed.

Question: According to the author, why most Chinese dislike their jobs?

Choices:
- Because they don't take the jobs they really like
- Because many Chinese workplaces are full of misery and despair.
- Because they have no choice but to choose the stable jobs.
- Because they are not psychologically committed to their jobs.

Question: Which of the following jobs are the university graduates nowadays more likely to choose?

Choices:
- Lawyers
- Civil Servants
- self-made men
- Doctors


"No man is an island" is a well-known line from John Donne's Devotion. It was written more than three hundred years ago. Even now people still agree with him. No one can live a completely lonely life. Without other people, life will become empty and sad. We all need to have friends.
For some of us, although making friends is not difficult, feeling shy, we may not want to make the first move. It is also difficult at times to keep the friends we already have.
There are many books about friendship, but Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, written in 1936, is the most famous. This "how to" book about getting along with other people became a best seller. It was later put into 28 languages.
Dale Carnegie's advice seems to be simple, but can his advice help you? Do you need to change the way you act? Here is the list of advice from his book:
Be friendly and polite.
Always greet with a smile. Begin with "Excuse me" or "Would you please" when you want to ask somebody. Remember to say "Thank you" and try to be as helpful as you can.
Go out of your way to be nice.
Find some time to do special things for other people. Making some soup for a sick neighbour may seem like a little thing to you, but it will make your neighbor feel a lot better.
Remember names.
They say that the sweetest music to a person's ears is the sound of his or her own name.
Be open-minded.
Try to understand other people's ways and ideas and learn something from them.
Listen patiently.
When someone is talking to you, look at him or her, listen carefully and say something when necessary.

Question: The best title for the passage should be   _  .

Choices:
- How to Make Friends
- A Famous Book
- Friendship First
- John Donne and Dale Carnegie

Question: Some of us find it not easy to make friends because   _  .

Choices:
- we are afraid of making bad friends
- we are shy to take the first action
- we feel sure that we already have enough friends
- we feel worried that we won't be able to keep our friends

Question: We can learn from the passage that   _  .

Choices:
- John Donne learned something from Dale Carnegie
- Friends are always friends
- Few people bought Carnegie's book
- The writer of this passage agrees with John Donne and Dale Carnegie

Question: Which of the following is not talked about in Carnegie's book?

Choices:
- Say "Excuse me" before you ask.
- Don't visit your neighbors too often.
- Think more about others.
- People enjoy hearing their own names.


Three-point-four billion riders on New York City subways and buses a year. This amazing number equals one-third of all mass transit trips in the United States. Ridership is at its highest in almost 60 years in almost every American city.
A commuter advocacy group, "Straphangers Campaign," attributes it to younger Americans, said Gene Russianoff.
"Millenials , those people born around the turn of the past century are much less car-oriented," he said. "They are urban. They like not owning cars, they like less responsibility and there are a lot of them."
In addition to millenials, many people believe public transit is economical and eco-friendly. In 2012 across America, people took 10.7 billion trips.
"When we talk about insurance rates going up, price of automobiles going up, then people are waking up and realizing: wait, here's this huge asset that has been _ ," said Richard Rudolph, chairman of the Rail Users Network. "Why not take advantage of this particular opportunity. It certainly makes more sense to get people out of automobiles into subways and into commuter and passenger railroads."
 _ -- as passenger demand requires several major expansion projects. A new $4.5 billion subway line on New York's Second Avenue -- which was recently excavated underneath businesses and apartment houses -- will take an overload of passengers off of other subway lines. Its first phase completion is scheduled in 2016.
People who work in New York's financial district will soon be using a new transit subway transfer center. Almost all lines converge in lower Manhattan and the new center will give riders an easier way to get around the city and into New Jersey.
And, probably the most controversial and costly project is a $7 billion tunnel connection from Long Island into Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal. Trains from there will have access to New York's midtown business district.
Andrew Albert, a board member of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, said there were many other reasons the public was riding in increasing numbers.
"The system has gotten a lot more dependable. We have new cars. We have countdown clocks to tell you when the next train is coming. We have expanded facilities in places," he said.
New York's 24-hour, 7-day-a-week, transit system costs a $1.5 billion a year to maintain. It is one of the world's oldest, with its first subway line having opened in 1904.

Question: Which is Not the reason why the public is riding subways and buses in increasing numbers.

Choices:
- Public transport facilities are better than before.
- Many people believe public transit is economical and eco-friendly.
- The system has gotten a lot more dependable.
- It is more convenient to ride city subways and buses.


It is the goal of politicians everywhere-----how to win and keep the trust of voters.
  Now researchers at the University of St Anurew's in Scotland say they may have the answer. They believe politicians could learn a lot from recent advances in science. A growing number of studies have shown that people do judge a book by its cover. Researchers say most of us make quick judgments about a person on the basis of how they look.
  Studies suggest that people are less likely to trust those with particularly masculine  features, such as a square jaw, small eyes or a big nose. " They are considered dominant  and less trustworthy," says Ms Cornwell. "It doesn't mean that men who look more masculine are less trustworthy-----it's just our first impression." Those with less masculine features-----larger eyes, a smaller nose and thinner lips are thought to be more trustworthy.
  The researchers are putting their science to the test at the Royal Society's annual summer exhibition in London. They have copied the faces of Prime Minister Tony Blair, Conservative leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy stressing their dominant and trustworthy features. " We have used a computer program to change the shape of their faces and features. We hope it will help people to understand our work."
  So should we expect to see them at the exhibition getting tips?
  "I don't think it's something they will want to try," says Ms Cornwell. "It's not really possible with television. We all know what they look like."

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

Choices:
- people with good facial features must be trustworthy
- people with bad facial features could not be trustworthy
- we should judge people by their facial features
- facial features might give people some wrong impressions

Question: According to Ms Cornwell, we can infer that   _  .

Choices:
- the science will give politicians great help
- politicians could be successful with the help of the science
- politicians won't think highly of the science
- politicians will be satisfied with the science

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

Choices:
- How Science could Help Politicians
- How to Win the Trust of Voters
- The Other Sides of Politicians
- An Important Discovery for Politicians


The SAT is one of two major tests for the entrance to American colleges and universities. The other test is called the ACT. More than 2 million students take the SAT yearly, including about 100,000 foreign students. The organization of the SAT will change the entrance test in 2016. The College Board announced that the new SAT will no longer test students on rarely used words. But it will include passages from American historical documents or from writings on freedom and human rights.
The College Board says words on the new test will be related to usage. Students will be asked to tell the meaning of words according to the context of the reading passages. Nigerian student Peace Umoru is in her first year at Howard University. She says the rarely used words are the hardest part for international students. The new test will be easier because of the reform.
Eddie West is with the College Board. He says the new test will better predict a student's performance in college. The changes are moving the test in a positive direction. The new SAT pays more attention to skills and abilities that students need to succeed. The addition of material about American historical documents could make the test harder for international students. After all, they live in different countries with different cultures. But it's a good chance for them to understand the Declaration of Independence or Martin Luther King's work, or anything else that might be tested.
Students from other countries, particularly those who did not grow up learning English, may feel it is more difficult. For them, the test is in a foreign language. But the College Board says it has formed a free, online educational service. Khan Academy will provide preparation material linked to the newly designed SAT.

Question: What will be tested in the new SAT?

Choices:
- All the different meanings of a word.
- The rare usage of the common words.
- The difficult words for foreign students.
- The proper meaning of the words in the passages.

Question: The new SAT could be more difficult for international students because  _  .

Choices:
- they are short of skills and abilities
- they often perform badly in college
- they know nothing about American history
- they have different cultural backgrounds

Question: What's the main idea of the text?

Choices:
- How to prepare for the new SAT.
- The SAT will change the entrance test in 2016.
- Advice for foreign students on passing the SAT.
- Tests for entrance to American colleges and universities.


Love Is Just a Thread
     Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents.Every day they are very busy trying to earn money to pay the high tuition for us.They don't act in the romantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV." I love you" is too luxurious for them to say .Sending flowers to each other on Valentine's Day is even more  _ .My father is easy to lose his temper, especially when he's very tired from the hard work.
     One day, my mother was sewing a quilt.I silently sat beside her and asked her if there was love between them." What?" she replied, still doing her work.My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise.She didn't answer immediately.Then she bowed her head and continued sewing the quilt.I was in a great embarrassment and I didn't know what to do.But at last I heard my mother say the following words: " Look at this thread.Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt.The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable.If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread.It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime, but it's really there.Love is inside." I listened carefully but I couldn't understand her until the next spring.
      My father suddenly got sick seriously.My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month.When they returned from the hospital, they both seemed as if they had a serious illness.Every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road.It seemed they were the most harmonious couple.There were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees, and the sun gently glistened  through the leaves.All of these made up the most beautiful picture in the world.When we were worrying about him, he said gently: " I really like walking with your mom.I like this kind of life." Reading his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.
       Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses.But from this experience, I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life.Love is inside, making life strong and warm.

Question: Why does the author sometimes doubt that there is real love between her parents?

Choices:
- Because they are very busy earning money for the high tuition.
- Because they don't act in the romantic ways.
- Because her father is easy to lose his temper to her mother
- Because " I love you" is too luxurious for them to say

Question: What can we learn from her mother's answer about love?

Choices:
- Love should be seen anywhere.
- Love should be seen anytime.
- Love should be a thread.
- Love is really existing everywhere and anytime even though we can't feel it.

Question: What made her father change so greatly?

Choices:
- The real love.
- The thread of the quilt.
- The beautiful scenery of the country road.
- All the other members of the family.

Question: What's the main idea of the text?

Choices:
- We should understand our parents.
- Love is inside, making life strong and warm.
- Love is really very important to anyone.
- Love should be outside, and can be seen everywhere.


First Lady Michelle Obama is a big fan of volunteering. Volunteering means working for free to help someone else. Mrs. Obama says volunteering is very important. "It should be part of everyone's life, " she says.
Many teens agree. They say that helping others feels great and makes a difference. These days, more teens volunteer than work for pay. Teens clean up parks, walk dogs at animal shelters , visit the elderly and more.
Some cities ---- including Seatle, Chicago, and Washingtong,D.C. ----require high school students to volunteer. Students must volunteer in order to graduate. The student volunteers learn new skills and help theircommunities .
Many parents _ the idea ---- they say volunteering helps teens build job skills. But most teens don't want to be forced to volunteer. They say they are busy. And they say volunteering is only fun if it's a choice.
Read both sides of thedebate  and decide.
YES
* Volunteering can help teens get into college or get a job.
* Many cities and towns need help. Volunteers can help keep important programs going.
* Not all teens will volunteer if it isn't required. Schools should repuire students to do all they can to get ready for adult life.
NO
* Most teens are already very busy with classes, homework, jobs and sports. Forcing them to do more isn't fair.
* It should be up to each person. Helping out doesn't feel as good if you have to do it.
* Finding a volunteer job isn't always easy. Students shouldn't be kept from graduating because of something they can't control.

Question: The writer mentions Michelle Obama in order to  _  ,

Choices:
- introduce the topic of the text
- explain what volunteering is
- tell what she does for the US
- show she enjoys volunteering

Question: According to the text, in Chicago,  _  .

Choices:
- finding a volunteer job is quite easy
- more people would rather work for pay
- volunteering is a must for high school students
- college students have to volunteer before graduation

Question: Which question does the text mainly discuss?

Choices:
- Is volunteering good for students?
- What is the best time to volunteer?
- Should students be required to volunteer?
- Which volunteer jobs should students do?


Columbus made four voyages to the west between 1492 and 1504 in his vain search for a sea route to Asia. The mystery of why he failed to find it haunted  him and filled him with sadness.
Wherever he went to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, South America, Panama, down the coast of Central America--it was always the same story. Instead of golden palaces, there were grass huts and palm-leaf tents. Instead of silk-robed merchant princes, he found "Indians" who did not have so much as a shirt on their backs.
When Columbus explored the West Indies in 1493,he heard tales of a fierce Indian tribe who literally devoured its defeated enemies after a battle. These people were called by many names in the area, including Calina, Canima, Carib, and Caniba. Columbus recorded the name of the American natives as Canibales in Spanish, a word which came to refer, within a few years, to any eater of human flesh. In the similar fashion, the word Caribbean, a title for the sea as well as for the region, came into English.
At times Columbus knew that this new land was not China, not Japan, not the Spice Islands. He seemed to accept it as a part of the earth that the geographers of Europe had never heard of before. It was another world--and he called it exactly that--but Columbus also insisted until he died that land he had reached was an unknown part of Asia.

Question: What is the best title for this text?

Choices:
- Sailing to Asia
- Columbus' voyages
- West Indies
- Spice Islands

Question: In the course of his four voyages, Columbus succeeded in   _  .

Choices:
- finding China and the Spice Islands
- trading with many merchants
- visiting several parts of Central and South America
- sailing to Asia

Question: Columbus thought that   _  .

Choices:
- others had sailed to Asia before him
- it was impossible to sail to Asia
- the land he had found was not China or Japan
- the geographers knew about the land he had found

Question: The text implies that   _  .

Choices:
- Columbus never realized the full meaning of his discovery
- Columbus was disappointed with his voyages
- there was no way to reach Asia from Europe at that time
- Columbus found exactly what he had intended to


Since my son is getting ready for first grade, I asked a friend where she shops for school supplies. For price and convenience, she had a quick answer: schoolpak.com. Parents can buy items or packaged equipment for all grades. The Generic Elementary School-pak for first through fifth graders, for example, is $23.28. (Teachers can also e-mail their grade's or school's whole list for a price on customized kits . Shipping is free for 75 or more kits)
 _
Teachers thinks highly of educationalwarehouse.com for its learning tools and games--everything from puzzles and puppets to software and chalks.Classroomdirect.com has great prices on over 10.000 products and a special corner offering even deeper discounts.
Pick your lunch box
  The second-most-difficult back-to-school decision, right after what to wear on the first day, is what kind of lunch box to buy. Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana? Ariel or Elmo? Your kids can examine their (and your) lunch boxes at platesplus4kids.com andlunchboxes.com.
    Trade in sports tools
My garage is a tangle  of bikes and balls, sticks and clubs, so I was excited to find playitagainsports.com ---a company that helps you sell quality, name-brand sporting equipment. You'll have to visit one of its 320 stores, located in 46 states and the District of Columbia.
3 sites for saving
Feedthepig.org
Think about the savings if your kids (and you) stopped buying lunch out every day and brown-bagged it.
Goodshop.com
Support your favorite school by shopping at more than 1,000 participating shops. Up to 30 percent of every purchase is donated. And you'll find hundreds of deals and coupons .
Taxadmin.org
Click on 2009 State Sales Tax Holidays to see if your state has a tax-free shopping day. Check what's included before going to the store.

Question: The passage is mainly aimed at  _  .

Choices:
- parents
- teachers
- students
- businessmen

Question: If you want to sell the bikes your children don't use, you can go to   _  .

Choices:
- educationalwarehouse.com
- playitagainsports.com
- Feedthepig.org
- Taxadmin.org

Question: What does the writer think of picking a lunch box?

Choices:
- It is very easy
- It is rather hard
- It proves interesting
- It seems special

Question: What can be filled in the blank in the first item?

Choices:
- Teachers are much wiser
- Puzzles and puppets
- Shops where teachers shop
- Develop your brains

Question: Both educationalwarehouse.com andTaxadmin.org  _  .

Choices:
- are well thought of by teachers
- offer teaching tools
- are tax-free
- can save you some money


Going green seems to be a fad  for a lot of people these days.Whether that is good or bad,we can't really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a life style.
On April 22,2011,we decided to be green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 diffenent things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day a year,Our Greean Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyles. We now shop at organic  stores. We consume less meat,choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don't need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites.Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planets.

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

Choices:
- Going green
- Protecting the planet
- Keeping Open-Minded
- Celebrating Our Green Year

Question: It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because  _  .

Choices:
- they were expected to follow the green fad
- they didn't know how to educate other people
- they were unwilling to reduce their energy
- they needed to perform unusual green tasks

Question: What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?

Choices:
- They tried to get out of their ungreen habits.
- They ignored others' ungreen behaviour.
- They chose better chemical cleaners.
- they sold their home-made food


2016 International Summer School
The 2016 University of Cambridge International Summer Schools will run in Cambridge from 6 July to 22 August 2016. Our programs give you the opportunity to meet award-winning lecturers, stay and dine in one of the historic Cambridge Colleges and enjoy a range of weekend excursions and social activities. To sign up for a program simply apply online, or download an application form from our website. Places on courses and in-college accommodation are limited, so we encourage applicants to apply early to avoid disappointment.
This year we will be offering specialist programs in: Ancient Empires, Literature, History, Medieval Studies and new for 2016, Creative Writing and Hanseatic League. If you are looking to study a number of different subject areas, the Interdisciplinary Summer School is ideal. It is divided into three terms, Interdisciplinary Summer School Term I, Interdisciplinary Summer School Term II and Interdisciplinary Summer School Term III, covering a wide range of subjects including politics, philosophy, economics, literature, history and international relations. You can _ one or two terms. But most students choose all the three terms.
The Cambridge English for Academic Purposes program combines a two-week intensive language course with a two-week academic program. This allows students to put into practice the language skills they have learned during the first two weeks of the program. Applicants will also have the opportunity to sign up for weekend excursions and take part in various events.
If you want to join us in 2016, please click here to download a copy of brochure . If you want to find out more information about 2016 International Summer School, you can visit www.ice.cam.ac.uk/intsummer. (CLICK HERE)
What our students say
"The entire experience was even better than I expected. I absolutely loved it." Sally, USA
"I believe that the Science International Summer School was a fulfilling experience. I think that everyone should attend this Summer School at least once in a lifetime." Dominika, Poland

Question: What should people do if they want to sign up for a program in this ad?

Choices:
- They should go to Cambridge by plane.
- They should phone Cambridge.
- They should call for an application form.
- They should apply for the program online.

Question: Why are the applicants encouraged to apply early?

Choices:
- The earlier they apply, the less they will pay.
- If they apply late, they have to live out of Cambridge College.
- There are not enough places for the courses or in-college accommodation.
- The reason is not mentioned in the passage.


Women had a significant part to play during World War II,which was the time when women also made their own contributions.Some women's great efforts and their names have been recorded in history.Here's a look at some of the strong figures of women in World War II.
Tatiana Nikolaevna Baramzina was born in Glazov of Russia on December 12,1919.In 1943,she was sent to the Central Women's Sniper Training School and upon her graduation in April,she was further sent to the front.She managed to kill around 16 enemies in the first three months!Unfortunately,she was captured  by the enemies and was killed on the fifth of July in 1944.Today,the street where she grew up has been renamed in her memory.
Anne Frank was a Germanborn Jewish girl who was wellknown for the publication of her diary that described all her experiences when the Germans occupied Holland in World War II.Anne was born on June 12,1929 and she,along with her family,went into hiding in July 1942.Two years later,her family was captured and seven months from her arrest,Anne Frank died of illness in early March 1945.
Margaret Ringenberg was born on 17 June,1921,in Indiana of America.She began her career during World War II when she became a ferry pilot for the Women Airforce Service Pilots.After that she turned a flight instructor in 1945.She even wrote her own book named Girls Can't Be Pilots.She passed away on 28 July,2008,after flying for 40,000 hours in the air.
Hannah Szenes was born on 17th July,1921 and was trained to parachute  by the British army into Yugoslavia during World War II.This task was given in order to save the Jews of Hungary.Her secret mission was not revealed even when she was tortured  following her arrest at the Hungarian border.Hannah Szenes had to brave immense tortures,yet she did not lose heart.She bravely battled it out and tried to sing to keep her spirits high!She also kept a record of events in her diary till 7th November,1944,when she was finally killed.
These names are just a few of the women who played a significant part in World War II.Their stories go a long way in showing the kind of lifestyles they led and their struggles and sacrifices.

Question: What is mainly discussed in the text?

Choices:
- Women were braver than men in World War II.
- Women and men made equal contributions in World War II.
- Women played a significant role in World War II.
- Women's death rate was high in World War II.

Question: Which of the four women heroes died the youngest?

Choices:
- Tatiana Baramzina.
- Anne Frank.
- Margaret Ringenberg.
- Hannah Szenes.

Question: Who were killed by the enemy in the war?

Choices:
- Tatiana Baramzina and Anne Frank.
- Hannah Szenes and Tatiana Baramzina.
- Anne Frank and Margaret Ringenberg.
- Margaret Ringenberg and Hannah Szenes.

Question: It can be learned from the text that   _  .

Choices:
- Tatiana Baramzina was once a flight instructor
- Margaret Ringenberg was the best at writing about the war experiences
- Anne Frank and her family were arrested by Germans in 1944
- Hannah Szenes was arrested by Germans because of her diary


Dear Ana,
In your last letter, you told me that your boss Stephanie was probably looking for a new job and you didn't know how to tell her that you wanted to take her position if she left. Well, I'd like to tell you that there is no polite way to talk about this situation with your boss. After all, you are not one-hundred-percent sure that she is actually job-hunting. Even if you know for sure that she is, you can't, because it's not your business. Still, there are a couple of things that you can do to put yourself in a good position in case your boss does _ in the near future.
First, you can have a general conversation with her about your career plans. Say something like, "You've always been supportive of me, Stephanie, and I'd love you to give me some advice on my professional development." This will let your boss know that you're ready for a new challenge. Ask her to give you feedback about how she thinks you can improve as a future leader.
Second, ask for your manager's approval   to talk with the training department about any program the company offers. There may or may not be any training, but making the request will still communicate your desire to get into a people-management role.
Third, you could say to your boss, "If there is anything you need my help with, I'd love it if you let me know. I am very interested in supporting you with anything you want to hand off."
Taking those three steps will make it clear to Stephanie that you're ready to be her No. 2.
Best regards,
Liz

Question: We can infer that Ana's purpose for writing to Liz was to  _  .

Choices:
- tell Liz that her boss is looking for a new job
- ask Liz if she has the ability to take her boss's position
- ask Liz for advice on how to find a much better job
- seek advice on how to make her boss know she wants her position

Question: Which of the following didn't Liz ask Ana to do?

Choices:
- To let her manager know her desire for training.
- To ask her boss if she needs any help from her.
- To ask her boss for advice on her career plans.
- To find out who is also trying to get that position.

Question: We can learn from Liz's reply that  _  .

Choices:
- Ana has never talked about her career plans before
- Ana is very sad to see her boss go as she has helped her a lot
- Ana's boss Stephanie may not be looking for a new job
- there are some training courses in Ana's company now

Question: According to Liz, if your boss is leaving for another job, you can  _  .

Choices:
- ask your manager to give the position to you
- write to let him know you want his position
- let him know you want his position indirectly
- write a letter to your best friend for advice


The atmosphere and oceans are not the only parts of the environment being damaged. Rain forests are being quickly destroyed as well, and their survival is questionable. E.O. Wilson, a biologist at Harvard, called the depletion   of rain forest areas "the greatest extinction since the end of the age of dinosaurs".
Unlike some environmental issues, rain forest depletion has fortunately received significant public and media attention. Despite the opposition to the cutting down of rain forests, the problem continues. Every year, Brazil chops down an area of forest the size of the state of Nebraska. In addition to the Amazon's rain forests, many other forests are being cut down as well. In Indonesia, Zaire, Papua-new Geinea, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, and Venezuela, rain forests that were once great have been lost.
According to some estimates, 50 million acres of rain forests are cut down every year. The United Nations says the figure is closer to 17 million acres. The World Wildlife Fund says every minute, 25 to 50 acres are cut or burned to the ground.
The world's growing population has been a primary reason of rain forest destruction. More people need land to live on and wood products to consume. Limiting population growth may be the first in a series of steps that would limit the destruction of the rain forests.

Question: In the opinion of the author,   _   are being destroyed terribly at present.

Choices:
- the rain forests
- the oceans
- the atmosphere
- all the above

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

Choices:
- The author thought the oceans' survival is questionable.
- Luckily, people and mass media all paid special attention to the depletion  of rain forest.
- People have stopped cutting down rain forests because of the opposition of most people.
- The United Nations says about 50 million acres of rain forests are cut down every year.

Question: This passage mainly tells us   _  .

Choices:
- that limiting population growth is the primary step to solve all the environment problems.
- a serious fact that the rain forests are being destroyed every year, and the reason for that.
- about 25- 50 million acres of rain forests are destroyed each year.
- the growing population is not the real cause of the environment problem.


We know that the earth has become warmer over the last century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program, reports that the average surface temperature of the earth has increased during the twentieth century by 0.6deg _ 0.2degC.(The _ 0.2degC means that the increase might be as small as 0.4degC or as great as 0.8degC). This may seem like a small shift, but although regional and short--term temperatures do fluctuate  over a wide range, global temperatures are generally quite stable. In fact, the difference between today's average global temperature and the average global temperature during the last Ice Age is only about 5 degrees C. Indeed, it's warmer today around the world than at any time during the past 1,000years, and the warmest years of the previous century have occurred within the past decade.
We also know that human activities--primarily the burning of fossil fuels--have increased the greenhouse gas content of the earth's atmosphere significantly over the same period. Carbon dioxide is one of the most important greenhouse gases, which trap heat near the planet's surface.
The vast majority of climate researchers agree with these overall findings. The scientific disagreements that do still exist primarily concern detailed aspects of the processes that make up these largely accepted general themes.
You can think of this website as a window into the world of scientific research. In this primer, you'll find a general discussion of the physical processes underlying the earth's climate, an outline of the kinds of data that may shed light on how the climate is changing--and the role of human activity in these changes--and a description a some of the questions and uncertainties that researchers continue to explore. This primer is organized into four interconnected sections: the Atmosphere; the Hydrosphere ; the Cryosphere ; and the Biosphere .

Question: We know from the text that "IPCC"  _  .

Choices:
- engages in the climate and changes about the earth.
- is a group by scientists who like to walk around the moon
- works in the World Meteorological Organization
- often greets the passers-by from the outer space

Question: We know from the text that carbon dioxide   _  .

Choices:
- is one of the most important greenhouse gases
- has fossil fuels
- traps cold near the planet's surface
- exist in human activities

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

Choices:
- What Are the Scientific Disagreements
- You Can Think of This Website
- What Do We Know about Global Climate Change?
- The Vast Majority of Climate Researchers


Conventional wisdom is a major barrier to innovation that threatens the survival of companies everywhere.It's based on the assumption that old ideas will always work,so they shouldn't be challenged. While this may be a valid assumption in situations that don't change,it's unlikely to hold true in a changing situation.In today's rapid changing global environment,old methods often don't work,and stubbornly using them can lead to major problems.
Most people seem to agree with conventional wisdom because it gives one a false sense of security.If everyone else believes it,then it must be true.Individuals who use conventional wisdom are certain that they are right,and being right is good. They want to continue using old ideas rather than take risks with changes that might not work.In 1977,Ken Olsen,co-founder and CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC),stated "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home." Despite being a dominant leader in the computer industry,DEC no longer exists.
People seem to forget that since innovation is a change,there can be no innovation without change.Unfortunately,conventional wisdom prevents leaders,followers and companies from changing and therefore innovating.If companies don't innovate,but their competitors do,the future is likely to be problematic. Breaking from conventional wisdom has led to many of the most innovative companies and products in history across many industries,so it has a powerful effect on business success.
Ted Turner (founder of CNN) knew little,if anything,about the news business,but he knew it was inconvenient to watch news only at the dinner hour,as was common before CNN.Turner's solution was to create a cable channel dedicated to news 24 hours a day.The news establishment reflected conventional wisdom at the time,and predicted his idea would fail because no one wanted to watch the news all day.However,it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that viewers don't have to watch the news all day for the CNN to work.Viewers just have to watch when they want to get information.Due to conventional thinking,the critics failed to recognize the opportunity that was clear to Ted. They assumed that only what was familiar to them could work in the future.
Conventional wisdom prevents creativity,flexibility and risk-taking,so unconventional leaders enthusiastically break from it.To survive,thrive and maintain competitive advantage,companies must be flexible when reacting to change.

Question: DEC has disappeared probably because   _  .

Choices:
- the consumers didn't like its products
- the leaders lacked the sense of security
- the CEO stuck to the conventional ideas
- the employees took many risks with changes

Question: The founding of CNN is used as an example to prove   _  .

Choices:
- missing opportunities could lead to failure
- changing could contribute to business success
- watching news at the dinner hour is convenient
- conventional wisdom influences business success

Question: The passage is mainly written to tell us that   _  .

Choices:
- old methods are changing with time
- opportunities lead to business success
- conventional wisdom limits innovation
- successful companies need wise leaders


Postcards to myself
In 50 years of traveling Colin McCorpuodale has visited every country in the world, except three.And everywhere he goes,he sends himself a postcard.He always chooses a postcard with a beautiful view,and sticks on an interesting stamp.Usually he writes just a short message to himself.His latest one,from the Malians island,read Good fishing.
On a wall in his home in London there is a large map of the world.There are hundreds of little red pins stuck in it."It's good to get a pin in the map," says Mr.McCorquodale, "but I follow the rules.I'm allowed to stick one in only if I've  been in a place for more than 24 hours."
Naturally,Mr.McCorpuodale has his favorite places.New Zealand he describes as"wonderful".In Europe,he says,"Italy is a favorite place.But in Italy tourists are worried that they will get ripped off because people there often charge too much for something."Of China he says,"This is one country in the world which is completely different.There is no European influence".
Wherever he goes,Mr.McCorpuodale takes with him a photo of his wife,a candle,a torch,a shirt with a secret pocket, and a pen for writing his postcards.
So why does he do it? For the postcards or the travel?  Mr.McCorpuodale laughs."I do it for the journey,"he says."I get a kick out of traveling,and all the planning."

Question: What is written on his latest postcard?

Choices:
- A favorite place
- Malians island
- Good fishing
- A beautiful view

Question: Tourists in Italy are often    _  .

Choices:
- beaten
- helped
- encouraged
- cheated

Question: From the passage we know that Mr.McCorpuodale   _  .

Choices:
- has visited all the countries in the world
- has only three favorite places
- takes his wife with him wherever he goes
- gets a lot of pleasure from traveling and the planning for it


When I left my bag on a train, I lost my most precious possession, a small framed photograph of my great grandparents, Emily and Gordon Baker. The frame was made of silver, with an elegant flower design in one corner. The photograph was taken in March 1939 on their wedding day. Emily looked very happy, and Gordon looked rather alarmed.  A few months later, he was killed in action in North Africa. I received the photograph when my aunt Mabel died.
   I'm a student at Edinburgh University and I live in an old Edwardian house.  At the end of last term, I packed a large bag and a small bag and set off for London, where I was planning to catch the Eurostar train to Paris. Minutes after getting off the train at Kings Cross Station, I realized that I'd left the small bag in the overhead luggage rack. I ran back to the train, but it had already left the platform.
   This all happened several months ago, and I had become resigned to the loss of my most precious possession. Then last week, something extraordinary happened. I logged onto the site Bay and looked for a silver photo frame and I found it ! The photo of my great grandparents was on Bay !
   I called the person who was advertising it. He was a little suspicious at first, and told me that he had bought it from a stall at an antique market. After we talked for a while, he asked if there was any way I could prove it was mine. All I could think of was that the photo was taken in March 1939. He opened the frame and made sure that this date was written by hand on the back of the photograph.
  "It ' s definitely yours. " he said.  "Come and get it ! "
5(11)

Question: The author's most precious possession was   _    .

Choices:
- A wedding photo in a silver frame taken in North Africa
- A pretty family portrait in a silver frame taken in 1939
- A special photo of his great grandparents in a silver frame
- A common photograph of his grandparents taken by Mabel

Question: Which of the statement about the author is not wrong?

Choices:
- He left the photo on a train and never got it back.
- He put the photo in a small bag and left it on a train.
- He left the photo on the Eurostar and ran back to get it.
- He left the photo at his old Edwardian house in Edinburgh

Question: The man advertising the frame proved it was the author's   _    .

Choices:
- by calling the seller up immediately
- according to the price of the silver frame
- by the author's explanation about the photo
- by the date written on the back of the photo

Question: It can be inferred that the author felt  _  when he found the silver photo on Bay.

Choices:
- nervous
- excited
- disappointed
- worried


Ban Fur? Then Why Not Leather?
Much to the displeasure of some local businesses, the City Council in West Hollywood, California, voted without opposition last week to ban the sale of fur products. Should laws be involved in this issue? Is it unfair to ban sales of fur, but not sales of leather and hides  ?
Animals Do Not Have Rights
By Tibor R. Machan
My view is that animals do not have basic rights. It is a matter of ethics   and not of the laws of human societies. If animals had such rights as human beings do, they would have to be held responsible for killing fellow animals in the wild. That way of thinking about animals makes a category mistake. Using animals, including their fur or organs, to improve people's lives is acceptable.
A Small Step Against Cruelty
By Kate Carter
Both fur and leather are the skins of dead animals. Why should we think that the lovable furry ones deserve more of a life than the less pleasing ones? Some say leather is  less cruel because it's a byproduct   of the meat industry. But this isn't really true. Some cheap leather may be a byproduct of the meat industry, but often it's the other way round. In South Africa, where there is a developing market for ostrich farms, the skins account for roughly 80 percent of the slaughtered  birds' value, a mere 20 percent of which comes from the meat.
"Who" Are You Wearing?
By Marc Bekoff
West Hollywood's ban is a move in the right direction. However, we must work to ban the sales of leather and hides, too. Furs come from animals who are attacked to become clothing, while some leather and hides come from slaughterhouse  animals. We must remember that when people choose to wear fur, leather and hides, they are wearing formering conscious beings. So it's a matter of who they are wearing, not what they are wearing because these animals must be referred to as who and not what or that.

Question: What is the passage mainly about?

Choices:
- West Hollywood's ban on fur products.
- Differences between fur and leather sales.
- The government's role in protecting animals.
- The ecological imbalance in West Hollywood.

Question: Tibor R. Machan seems to believe that  _  .

Choices:
- laws should be passed to protect animals
- humans are respornsible for killing animals
- it is not reasonable to use animals to improve life
- animals and humans aren't supposed to share equal rights

Question: What is Kate Carter's opinion about wearing fur and wearing leather?

Choices:
- Both are decided by the meat industry.
- There is little distinction   between them.
- Wearing fur is generally more acceptable.
- Wearing leather is cheaper than wearing fur.

Question: What is Marc Bekoff's attitude towards sales of fur?

Choices:
- Sympathetic.
- Careless.
- Tolerant.
- Opposed.


About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and - WHUMP!  - it hit the Jaguar's shiny black side door! SCREECH ... ! ! ! ! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" "That's my new Jaguar, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"
"Please, mister, please...I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" begged the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" tears were streaming down the boy's face as he pointed around the parked car.  "It's my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb   and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up. " Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me. "
Moved by the words, the young businessman lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE -- a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent   to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming you.

Question: The boy threw a brick at the businessman's car because   _  .

Choices:
- he wanted to ask for some money
- he wanted to get help from the driver
- the businessman drove at a high speed
- he hated the brand-new car very much

Question: What can we learn from the passage?

Choices:
- Josh would accept the money from the kids.
- The two kids were Josh's neighbors.
- Josh's new car broke down easily.
- Josh was a kind-hearted man.

Question: According to the passage, the last sentence means   _  .

Choices:
- trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble
- trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life
- driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous
- protecting oneself from being hurt