Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Peanuts to This Proudly reading my words,I glanced around the room,only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes.Confused,I glanced toward my stonefaced teacher.Having no choice,I slowly raised the report I had slaved over,hoping to hide myself."What could be causing everyone to act this way?" Quickly,I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task.This was the first real task I received in my new school.It seemed simple:go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington.Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country,I had never heard of that name before.As I searched the name of this fellow,it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different!One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts,while the other led some sort of army across America.I stared at the screen,wondering which one my teacher meant.I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice:flip a coin.Heads--the commander,and tails--the peanut guy.Ah!Tails,my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter,George Washington Carver. Weeks later,standing before this unfriendly mass,I was totally lost.Oh well,I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, _ to find out what I had done wrong.As a classmate began his report,it all became clear,"My report is on George Washington,the man who started the American Revolution."The whole world became quiet!How could I know that she meant that George Washington? Obviously,my grade was awful.Heartbroken but fearless,I decided to turn this around.I talked to Miss Lancelot,but she insisted:No redos;no new grade.I felt that the punishment was not justified,and I believed I deserved a second chance.Consequently,I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year.Ten months later,that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster's office with my grandfather,now having an entirely different conversation.I smiled and flashed back to... Question: What did the author's classmates think about his report? Options: A: Controversial. B: Ridiculous. C: Boring. D: Puzzling.
A: B

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The man who brings my milk used to knock for his money for the week's milk while I was having breakfast on Saturday morning. Just lately he has been arriving before I get up. Staff shortages mean that four men are sharing five rounds, so he has to start earlier. Delivering milk to people's homes is scarcely good business, especially when the customer may have a choice of two or three firms serving a single road. In spite of my local difficulties, however, labor troubles are not as sharp as a few years ago. There are enough men prepared to make an early morning for the sake of an open-air job with a fair measure of freedom. If they did stop calling, women would find it hard work to collect all the milk they need from self-service stores . Dairies are aware that stopping deliveries resulted in falling sales. Marketing ideas have included introducing extra lines, in addition to dairy products, which the milkman can carry to increase turnover. Already they have taken over many rounds given up by bakeries. One dairyman said, "It wont' be long before the milkman delivers more bread that milk. " Some milkmen deliver potatoes, and it seems as if diversification will be limited only by the size of the vans. So the milkman is likely to remain a familiar figure. Even the returnable bottle continues to be used. As long as it has a reasonable life--30 to 40 trips are usual-- the cost of collection and cleaning is worthwhile. Question: Why do some people choose to be milkmen? Options: A: Because they can exercise in early morning. B: Because they like working outdoors. C: Because they want to serve several firms. D: Because they like getting up early.
A: B

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Farmers, especially in developing countries, are often criticized for cutting down forests. But a new study suggests that many farmers recognize the value of keeping trees. Researchers using satellite images found at least ten percent tree cover on more than one billion hectares of farmland. That is almost half the farmland in the world. Earlier estimates were much lower but incomplete. The authors of the new study say it may still underestimate the true extent worldwide. The study found the most tree cover in South America. Next comes Africa south of the Sahara, followed by Southeast Asia. North Africa and West Asia have the least. The study found that climate conditions alone could not explain the amount of tree cover in different areas. Nor could the size of nearby populations, meaning people and trees can live together. There are areas with few trees but also few people, and areas with many trees and many people. The findings suggest that things like land rights, markets or government policies can influence tree planting and protection. Dennis Garrity, who heads the World Agroforestry Center, says farmers are acting on their own to protect and plant trees. The problem, he says, is that policy makers and planners have been slow to recognize this and to support such efforts. The satellite images may not show what the farmers are using the trees for, but trees provide nuts, fruit, wood and other products. They also help prevent soil loss and protect water supplies. Even under drought conditions, trees can often provide food and a way to earn money until the next growing season. Some trees act as natural fertilizers. They take nitrogen out of the air and put it in the soil. Scientists at the Center say the use of fertilizer trees can re-duce the need for chemical nitrogen by up to three-fourths. Trees also capture carbon dioxide, a gas linked to climate change. Question: In Dennis Garrity's opinion, _ Options: A: most farmers care about nothing but their own interests B: there are usually few people living in areas with few trees C: government plays a small role in tree planting and protection D: government should support farmers in planting and protecting trees
A: D

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: New York City was dealing with a growing public health threat Sunday after tests confirmed that eight students at a private Catholic high school had contracted the same strain( type ) of the swine flu that has ravaged Mexico. Some of the school's students had visited Cancun on a spring break trip two weeks ago. Officials reported 68 U.S. cases of swine flu in five states so far, with the latest in Ohio and New York. Unlike in Mexico, cases in the United State have been mild and U.S. health authorities can't yet explain why. In New York City, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that there were 45 cases, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. About 100 students at St. Francis Preparatory School complained of flu-like symptoms; further tests will determine how many of those cases are swine flu. St. Francis is the largest private Catholic high school in the nation, with 2,700 students. The school canceled classes on Monday and Tuesday in response to the outbreak. Bloomberg stressed that the New York cases were mild and many are recovering, but said that some family members of students also had flu symptoms. In Mexico, health officials say a strain of swine flu has killed up to 160 people and sickened over 2,000. New York officials said the flu strain discovered in the patients here is the same strain as in Mexico, though all the New York cases are mild. Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A flu viruses. Human cases are uncommon but can occur in people who are around pigs. It also can be spread from person to person. Symptoms include a high fever, body aches, coughing, sore throat and respiratory congestion . Question: What did St. Francis do in response to the outbreak? Options: A: The school called off courses. B: The school handed out masks to every student. C: The school planned another trip to Cancun. D: The infected students were required to stay at home.
A: A