user: Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth.Finances were a constant concern for his family.The expenses of having a large family were too much for his father's salary.In fact, when Charles was just four months old, the family moved to a smaller home to cut expenses. At a very young age, despite his family's financial situation, Charles dreamed of becoming a gentleman.However, when he was 12, it seemed his dream would never come true.He suffered a lot.Charles' education was unplanned, but he supplemented it with constant reading, particularly of the eighteenthcentury novels in his father's small library.He was poorly clothed, ill fed, forced to live in the cheapest place. Also,12yearold Charles was removed from school and sent to work at a factory to help support the family.Charles was deeply marked by these experiences.This childhood poverty, although unknown to his readers until after his death, would be a heavy influence on Dickens' later views on social reform and the world he would create through his fiction.He knew those kinds of feelings.He was lost at that time when he worked hopelessly in the factory.That period was so bitter to the sensitive boy.When he was a successful, happy man, he could not look back upon it without tears in his eyes. Luckily the situation improved within a year.Charles was released from his duties at the factory. What greatly affected Charles Dickens when he was young? A) His constant reading. B) His family's frequent move. C) His leaving school to work. D) His father's salary.
C


Greece is one of the most beautiful countries of the world. Millions of tourists visit this place every year. In Greece the bus is the most convenient and preferred means of travelling. There are intercity  buses operated by KTEL that interconnect  various cities of Greece, and there are international buses operated by OSE that connect Greece to other European cities. Every tourist must visit Greece at least once in life. This country is really a vacation heaven. It is the perfect blend of history and art with adventure and romance. You can dive into deep blue waters, climb up the mountains or enjoy ancient architecture and history. Buses in Greece are cheap and very comfortable. All bus stations display schedules of buses on every route. Conductors and drivers are very polite and helpful. Travelers never face any trouble locating and boarding buses to their destinations. Tourists can always ask the conductor to inform them about their stop, so that they can get down at the right stop. Everyone here is more than happy to help tourists. Athens, the capital of Greece, has three bus terminals. Buses to different part of Greece leave from different terminals. Air-conditioned express buses  also operated between major cities. They are faster and more comfortable than other buses. Tourists can choose guided Greece bus tour. These tours are the perfect way of exploring this great country. Buses in Greece are also a great way of saving  _ on the journey. The long-distance bus system is very cheap. Buses save a lot of money to cover long distances, cheaper than taxis or cars. They are also the best means of interacting with local people. You can sit next to a native Greece and get some information about the place. The company KTEL offers bus services  _  . A) to different cities in Greece B) from Greece to other countries C) to tourist attractions in Greece D) from Greece to its bordering  countries
A


Q: One evening last summer, when I asked my 14-year-old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me. "What's a colander ? " he asked. I could only blame myself. In the family, nobody else's hands went in the sauce except my own. But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn't prepared Ray for. As parents, while we focus on our sons' confidence and character, we perhaps don't always consider that we are also raising someone's future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers. I wanted to know that I'd raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, "What's for dinner?" So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course. I was delighted to find that he didn't say no. For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine. One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting. Then he rolled out the piecrust   and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven. I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother--he tried to beg off sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive-- but it couldn't be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping. "I appreciate what you do as a mom," he told me one day. Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there's nothing masculine   about being helpless. Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family. That's what I call a man. I'm glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter-in-law. Why was the author shocked at her son's response? A) Because he was not well behaved. B) Because he refused to help with dinner. C) Because he didn't know the common kitchen utensils  . D) Because he was very curious about kitchen utensils.
A: C


Q: A young man once went to town and bought himself a pair of trousers. When he got home, he went to his room and put them on. He found that they were about two inches too long. He went into the kitchen, and his mother and two sisters were doing some washing there. He said to them, "The new trousers are too long. They need cutting by two inches. Would one of you mind doing this for me?" His mother and sisters were busy and none of them said anything. But as soon as his mother had finished washing up, she went to her son's room silently and cut the trousers by two inches. She came back without saying anything to her daughters. After supper, the elder sister remembered her brother's trousers. She went to his room and cut the trousers by two inches without saying anything to anyone. The younger sister went to the cinema. But when she came back, she also remembered her brother's trousers. So she went to his room and cut them by two inches, too. What can we infer from the story? A) Maybe the young man didn't try on the trousers when he bought them B) The trousers are just right for the young man now. C) His mother and sisters didn't hear what the young man said. D) The young's mother and sisters didn't want to help him.


assistant: A: A