user: Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The host:  Now it's time for our You Must Read This program.  Today we'll hear from Lauren Groff. She came across a book when she was going to have her first child and was worried about the future. Lauren Groff: Staring into darkness, I wanted to read about happiness.1n fact, books full of joy are hard to find because happiness is nearly impossible to write about. So, when I found Elizabeth and Her German Garden, by Elizabeth Von Arnim, I felt as if someone suddenly opened a curtain and revealed a window where I had thought there was a wall. Elizabeth and Her German Garden feels as if it rose out of Von Arnim's deep unhappiness in  the way she was supposed to fit into her world Still, what a cool drink this novel is. It has a few characters: the narrator,  a countess    named Elizabeth,  her husband,  her three tiny daughters, various servants and some visitors.  There is also Elizabeth's garden. whick we see in all its seasonal richness. That is only the book's surface, however. There are great things hidden in the book. Eliza- beth is always comparing herself and the women around her and finding their fixed social roles disappointing. Her happiness, when it comes, arrives as an act of will. She has fought hard to achieve delight and I think it is more valuable for her struggle. I appreciate Elizabeth for showing me a way through my darkest time, by revealing that an act of focused attention can lift a person out of a long, dark period in their lives. Anyone can get a little happiness from living, even by reading a few pages of a book. The host :  That's Lauren Groff.   Her latest novel is Arcadia.  The book she recommended  is Elizabeth and Her German Garden. Question: What can we learn about Arcadia? Options: A: It is the next novel to be recommended. B: It is a novel written by Lauren Groff. C: It is Elizabeth Von Arnim's latest novel. D: It is recommended in the last program.
A: B


Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Astronaut Mark Kelly announced today that he is retiring from NASA in order to focus on the recovery of his wife, Gabrielle Giffords. Kelly, who is 47, began his NASA career in 1996. He has traveled to the International Space Station four times and served aboard space shuttles    Endeavour and Discovery.  Most recently he was commander of Endeavour's final voyage, which ended on June l.  "After 25 years of service to our country, I am retiring from the United States Navy and leaving NASA. My retirement will take effect on October l. " he said. "This was no easy decision. Words cannot express my deep gratitude for the opportunities I have been given to serve our great nation. And I have always been proud to be a member of the NASA. Public service has been more than a job for me and for my family. My brother continues to serve in NASA and in the Navy. My parents are retired police officers. And my wife Gabrielle proudly serves in the US House of Representatives." he continued.  "As life takes unexpected turns we frequently come to a crossroads. I am at this point today.  Gabrielle is working hard every day on her way to recovery.  I want to be by her side.  Stepping aside from my work in the Navy and at NASA will allow me to be with her and with my two daughters. I love them all very much and there is no doubt that we will move forward together. After some time off, I will look for new opportunities and I'm hopeful that one day I will again serve our country." Kelly said. On Jan 8, Giffords was shot in the head and was severely injured while meeting with her supporters. She returned to her Tucson home last week for the first time since then. Question: We can learn from the passage that_. Options: A: Mark Kelly has already retired from NASA B: Mark Kelly is proud of his wife and his family C: Gabrielle Griffons is now being treated in hospital D: Gabrielle Griffons will come back to work soon
A: B


Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Learning to drive is important to the independence of teenagers, but it is also a great responsibility.Although having a law that keeps 16-year-old drivers from having more than one teenager in the car with them at first seems unfair, there are convincing reasons for this requirement. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that teens are four times more likely than older drivers to be involved in an automobile accident.It also reports that 16-and 17-year-old drivers are twice as likely to have an accident if they have two teenage friends in the car and four times as likely to have one if they have three or more teenage friends in the car with them.Fatal ( ) crashes of 16-year-old drivers involve the highest percentage of speeding, driver error, and number of passengers.This information is enough to cause any reasonable person to wonder about the wisdom of allowing new teen drivers to take a carload of friends anywhere, even if the law permits it. A study at the National Institutes of Health indicates that the part of the human brain that controls judgment and evaluates the consequences of our actions might not be fully formed until the age of 25.Until this study, researchers had placed the age at 18.If this is true, it could explain the reckless   behavior of many teens, behavior that often extends into their twenties.It also could be a strong reason for being cautious about the driving circumstances of young people. This is not the only study that indicates such caution is necessary.One study at Temple University in Philadelphia examines the results of peer  pressure in risky driving situations.The study, which uses a driving game, has an individual guide a car through a course, both alone and in the presence of friends.Three different age groups participated in the study: 13-16, 18-22, and 24 and older.Members of the oldest group showed caution whether driving alone or with friends present, but the two younger groups took more chances when they were with their friends.Furthermore, because these... Question: We can infer that the law restriction can probably   _  . Options: A: protect teens on the highway B: raise teens' sense of responsibility C: reduce the number of fatal crashes D: force teens to drive with caution
A: A


Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: "How far is the next village?" the American asks a man standing by the edge of the road. In some countries, because the man realizes that the traveler is tired and eager to reach his destination  , he will politely say "Just down the road." He thinks this is more encouraging, gentler, and therefore the wanted answer. So the American drives through the night, getting more and more angry, feeling "being tricked". He thinks the man on purpose lied to him, for obviously he must have known the distance quite well. Had conditions been reversed  , the American would have felt he was "cheating" the driver if he had said the next town was not too far, and if he would be sorry to the weary driver, he would say "You have a good way to go yet, it is at least fifteen miles." The driver might be disappointed, but he would know what to expect. Whether to be accurate or polite leads to many misunderstandings between people of different cultures. If you know the situation in advance, it is sometimes easier to recognize the problem. Question: The man at the roadside tells the American it is not far from the next village because he   _  . Options: A: wants to encourage him to go further B: doesn't know the exact distance at all C: wants to help the man to decide whether to stop and have a rest D: tries to play a trick on him


assistant: A: A