Everyone wants some degree of success. Many people believe that they deserve success simply because they believe that they deserve success. But there is a widespread belief that people who get on in life may be successful not because they deserve it, but because of influential friends or the right background. Sometimes it may just be a comforting and harmless belief, while at the other extreme it can be very destructive. I once met a brilliant young engineer who worked in a chemical plant. Because of her knowledge and experience, she should have been promoted to Production Manager. Instead, the job went to a man who was totally unsuited for the post. Everyone knew that he only got it because he was politically acceptable to his superiors . This injustice discouraged the young engineer and many of her colleagues. It also meant that the factory was much less efficient than it could have been. At the same time, we should not be pessimistic . More and more the modern world depends on having people who are in the job because they are good enough, not just because their faces fit. There is a story of a factory owner who sent for an engineer to see to a machine which would not go. He examined it, then took out a hammer and tapped, once. The machine started up immediately. When he presented his bill, the owner protested, "This can't be right! $ 100 just for tapping a machine with a hammer?" The engineer wrote out a new bill: "For tapping a machine, $1; for knowing where to tap. $99." The engineer who repaired the machine was right in charging $ 100 because _ . A) he hit the machine to get it started again B) the factory owner could not have repaired it himself C) he was charging for his knowledge and expert skills D) he was the only person who could find out what was wrong with it
C
It was a cloudy day on November 11, 2015. We walked in so quietly that the nurse at the desk didn't even lift her eyes from the book. Mum pointed at a big chair by the door and I knew she wanted me to sit down. While I watched, mouth open in surprise, Mum took off her hat and coat and gave them to me to hold. She walked quietly to the small room by the lift and took out a wet mop . She pushed the mop past the desk and as the nurse looked up, Mum nodded and said, "Very dirty floors." "Yes, I'm glad they've finally decided to clean them," the nurse answered. She looked at Mum strangely and said, "But aren't you working late?" Mum just pushed harder, each swipe of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall. I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book. After a long time Mum came back. Her eyes were shining. She quickly put the mop back and took my hand. As we turned to go out of the door, Mum nodded politely to the nurse and said, "Thank you." Outside, Mum told me, "Dagma is fine. No fever. " "You see her, Mum?" "Of course. I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. It's a fine hospital. But the floors! A mop is no good. You need a brush. " When the nurse talked to Mum, she thought Mum was a _ . A) nurse B) cleaner C) patient D) visitor
B
Q: One of my longest-running battles with my kids is about manners specifically,about whether it's necessary to send hand-written thank-you notes for gifts.I say yes,and my children have continued throughout their teens to write the notes.But they grumble that I'm out of step with the times. If a new BabyCenter poll is any guide, _ .A surprisingly large number of parents still insist that their children practice such old-fashioned manners as putting pen-to-paper to say thank you,treating adults with respect and addressing adults as "Mr., Mrs.or Miss."A majority of the 1,000 parents surveyed also said they insist at dinner that children keep napkins in their laps,ask to be excused from the table and refrain from talking with a full mouth. Among the reasons cited most often by parents,BabyCenter says,is that "the world is a more free-wheeling place,and they want to give their kids a stronger moral compass to guide them."This thinking was affirmed by 64%of those surveyed.And 58%say they see so many badly behaved kids around them that they're determined to raise their children differently. This poses a particular challenge for parents who work outside the home and must find a sitter, nanny or other child-care provider who will insist on the manners they consider most important. Pediatrician Perri Klass wrote recently in the New York Times about her annoyance at a rude,demanding child who was among her longtime patients.Although she veiled her injunctions to the mother in euphemisms ,talking to her about "setting limits,"Dr.Klass wrote,"I do pass judgment on kids with bad manners and so does every pediatrician I know."Rude kids make her wonder whether there is something wrong with the family,among other things,she says."The whole 'manners' concept might seem a bit odd,"she says,"until you recast it as 'social skills' a hot-button child-development issue,as I wrote in a recent column." Readers,what manners do you insist upon for your children? Has other kids' bad behavior led you to toughen your standards? Do the... are the right persons to attend to the children while the parents work outside. A) Those who do good cooking B) Those who ignore the good manners C) Those who focus on virtue D) Those who have a sense of humor
A: C
(Q).
The Red Panda isn't much bigger than an average size house cat. At first you may think it's a bear because of its name. They're actually a member of the raccoon family which you can tell if you look at their appearance. The Red Panda has a long bushy tail that is useful in two ways. It helps them stay balanced when they are high up in the trees and it keeps them warm in cold weather. Their fur is thick and reddish brown, which may be why they're known as the fire fox. The Red Panda can be found in forested mountains. They're originally from the forested mountain in the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Southern China. Bamboo is the most important part of their diet. They only eat the young leaves and shoots of a bamboo plant. Red Pandas have a very low metabolic rate in order to deal with their low energy diet and cool environmental temperatures. They're very shy and gentle and don't hang around the wild too much during the day. If they feel endangered, they'll stand on their back legs and make a hissing sound. Red Pandas are good climbers and spend most of their time living mainly in trees. Their claws are very strong and help them hold onto the branches. They sleep in an unusual way by curling up tightly and wrapping their tails around their heads while sitting on a branch. Sometimes they'll sleep with their head beneath their chest and behind their back feet. This is the same position as an American raccoon sleeps. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A) The Red Panda can only be found in India, Nepal and Southern China. B) The Red Panda's tail can help it stay balanced when it is high up in the trees. C) The Red Panda eats the whole of the bamboo. D) The Red Panda has high metabolic rate when the temperature is low.
(A).
B