user: Ques: My parents always raised me to have strong values and hold firm to my confidence in life, and this was never more proved than when a situation arose when it would be easy for most people to ignore it. A gentleman at my father's work smelled awful and neglected his behavior, and as the months went by, he showed signs of confusion. After being told to pick up papers at another building, he would be found sitting at his desk staring at his shoes; after being reminded (to which he would completely believe he hadn't been told the first time), he would be found once again sitting at his desk in the same position. This happened to worsening degrees over a few months and his coworkers either ignored it or were ignorant to this due to a lack of social association with the man. My father began to mentally record all of this and finally sat down with him one day when he was found two hours after work was out, sitting in his car, looking like he didn't know where to go. Apparently the gentleman was in the beginning/middle stages of Alzheimer's and there was someone who used his forgetfulness as a reason to ask him for money every few days. My father took this man to a hospital (for the first time in years) to be properly treated, and then got a caretaker to watch over his condition. He then went to the man's house and helped him sort out all of his financial matters and get his retirement set up; they went to the bank and had a government worker ensure that his bills would be paid for and his children would no longer get to treat him like a personal ATM. That my father took his much personal time to help another man that so many had forgotten or would choose to neglect, or even make fun of, truly shows his character. What can we infer from the passage? A) The gentleman was ignored by his co-workers. B) The gentleman was so serious that no one liked him. C) The gentleman was good at communication with his co-workers. D) The gentleman was in great need of help because of his illness.
Ans: D

Ques: Michael Fish may soon be replaced as a weather forecaster by the shark  . Research by a British biology student suggests that sharks could be used to predict storms. Lauren Smith, 24, is close to completing her study on shark's ability to sense pressure. If her studies prove the theory, scientists may be able to monitor the behavior of sharks to predict bad weather. Miss Smith had previously studied the behavior of lemon sharks in the Bahamas. She then used their close relatives, lesser spotted dogfish, for further research at Aberdeen University. Her work---thought to be the first of its kind to test the pressure theory ---- resulted from the observation that juvenile blacktip sharks off Florida moved into deeper water ahead of a violent storm in 2001. Miss Smith said: "I've always been crazy about traveling and diving and this led me to an interest in sharks." "I was delighted to have been able to research in the area for my degree. I know there's so much more we need to understand ---- but it certainly opens the way to more research." It has been discovered that a shark senses pressure using hair cells in its balance system. At the Bimini Shark Lab in the Bahamas, Miss Smith fixed hi-tech sensors to sharks to record pressure and temperature, while also tracking them using GPS (Global Positioning System) technology. In Aberdeen, she was able to study the effects of tidal   and temperature changes on dogfish----none of which were harmed. She also used a special lab which can mimic   oceanic pressure changes caused by weather fronts. She is due to complete her study and graduate later this year. She says she will be looking for a job which will give her the chance to enrich her experience of shark research. The passage is most probably taken from   _  . A) a short-story collection B) a popular science magazine C) a research paper D) a personal diary
Ans: B

Ques: Americans eat breakfast and lunch quickly unless it is a social business or family occasion. The evening meal is usually longer and a time for families to gather together. Rushing through daytime meals is part of the fast pace in America. Another reason for rushing through daytime meals is that many people eat in restaurant that are usually crowded with people waiting for a place so that they can be served and return to work at the proper time. So each one hurried to make room for the next person. As there are busy people everywhere, there is a real difference with meals that are eaten in a hurry and those that can be enjoyed slowly with friends. According to the passage, the least busy time to eat in a restaurant would probably be  _ A) during the busy time B) at lunch C) at dinner D) at either breakfast or lunch
Ans: C

Ques: Early in the 16th century men were trying to reach Asia by traveling west from Europe. In order to find Asia they had to find a way past South America. The man who finally found the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific was Ferdinand Magellan. Magellan sailed from Seville in August, 1519 with five ships and about 280 men. Fourteen months later, after spending the cold winter on the coast of Patagonia, he discovered the channel which is now called Magellan Strait . In November, 1520, after many months of dangers from rocks and storms, the three remaining ships entered the ocean on the other side of South America. They then continued, hoping to reach Asia. But they did not see any land until they reached the islands off the coast of Asia. Before they arrived at these islands, later known as the Philippines, men were dying of starvation. While they were staying in the Philippines, Magellan was killed in a battle. The remaining officers then had to get back to Spain. They decided to sail round Africa. After many difficulties, one ship with eighteen men sailed into Seville three years after leaving. They were all that remained of Magellan's expedition. However, their achievement was great. They were the first men to sail round the world. The number of the ships lost on the whole expedition was    _   . A) two B) three C) four D) five
Ans:

assistant: C