Kids are cool to wear blue jeans and T-shirts today.It is fashionable like that.Fashion refers to the styles of dress that are currently popular.Fashion goes beyond just clothes, though.It's important for some people to wear only the latest fashions and styles.For others, though, keeping up with trends isn't that important.The one thing that stays the same with fashion is this: it always changes! During the 1960s and 1970s, hippies made bell-bottomed blue jeans popular.Also, in the 1980s, Michael Jackson made parachute pants all the fashion.Now try to find these items in today's clothing stores! Do you know why fashions change? The answer is probably as simple as the fact that people change.Over time, the new replaces the old.People are influenced greatly by popular culture, including athletes, musicians, movies stars, as well as popular films, television shows, books and music.We are also influenced by the fashion industry's advertising. The stars of popular culture are always searching for a new angle to maintain their popularity.Often these new angles come in the form of new clothing or hairstyles.When people see these new styles, they often want to imitate their favorite stars.To do so, they seek out the latest fashions to make themselves look like the people they want to imitate.In this way, fashions evolve and change over time. Clothes have been used to separate people into groups for many years.Even today, brand-name, clothing that is more expensive than other types of clothing can be used by some people to distinguish themselves from others. Unfortunately, this can often have the effect of distancing certain groups from others.Don't forget that it's always OK to develop your own sense of style that is unique and separate from what the fashion world determines! Stay true to yourself and let your personality--not your clothes--speak for who you are! We can learn from the text that _ . A) fashion is all about clothes B) clothes may separate and distance people C) the author has gone out of fashion D) people like imitating others' dressing style
B
Famous centenarians still active in arts, science are in no mood to retire."Those who stand still, die," is one of Oliveira's favorite phrases.He knows from experience what it means, as the Portuguese film director has reached the age of 102 and is still active in his profession.Every year, Oliveira shoots a film and is currently working on his next project."You have to work, work, work in order to forget that death is not far away," he said.When asked about his age, Oliveira said with some humility: "It's down to mother nature.It gave to me what it took from others." Being both mentally and physically fit in old age is partly a matter of luck, but it also has something to do with character.Not every white-haired person is wise and social skills, openness and the ability to train the brain are essential for senior citizens. Along with the architect Oscar Niemeyer (103), Nobel laureate Montalcini (101) and director Kurt Maetzig (100), Oliveira is one of those people of whom it would be very wrong to think as members of a listless elderly generation. Another master in his profession is the architect Oscar Niemeyer.The 103-year-old Brazilian is best known for his futuristic-looking buildings in Brasilia, but he also speaks out on behalf of the poor."The role of the architect is to struggle for a better world where we can develop a form of architecture that serves everyone and not just a privileged few," said Niemeyer recently.He spends almost every day working in his office in Copacabana, and even when he falls ill he keeps working on ideas: After a gallbladder operation he composed a samba tune in the clinic. Another man who could sing a song about age is 107-year-old Heesters.The Dutch-born opera singer spent most of his life performing in Germany, where he still works.Recently Heesters said: "I want to be at least 108-years-old." He also plans to keep performing." _ " Heesters has not given up trying to add to his tally of awards and is looking for a "good stage role". Italian scientist Rita... In the writer's opinion, the architect Oscar Niemeyer is not _ . A) sympathy B) pessimistic C) positive D) diligent
B
Q: Each time I see a balloon , my mind flies back to a memory when I was a six-year-old girl . It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died . I asked my mum if my dad had gone to heaven . " Yes , honey . Of course , " she said . " Can we write him a letter ? " She paused , the longest pause of my short life , and answered , " Yes . " My heart jumped . " Can the mailman go there ? " I asked . " No , but I have an idea . " Mum drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon . I asked her what it was for . " Just wait , honey . You'll see . " Mum told me to write my letter . Eagerly , I got my favorite pen , and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink . I wrote about my day , what I learned at school , how Mum was doing , and even about what happened in a story I had read . For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive . I gave the letter to Mum . She read it over , and a smile crossed her face . She made a hole in the corner of the letter to tie it to the balloon . We went outside and she gave me the balloon . It was still raining . " Okay , on the count of three , let it go . One , two , three . " The balloon , carrying my letter , flew upwards against the rain . We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds . Later I realized , like the balloon , that Dad had never let his sickness get him down . He was strong . No matter what he suffered , he'd keep on , fly up , and finally go beyond this cold world and his sick body . He rose into sky and became something beautiful . I watched until the balloon disappeared into the grey and white and I prayed that his strength was passed on . I prayed to be a balloon . What would be the best title for the passage ? A) An Unforgettable Experience B) Fly to Heaven C) The Strong Red Balloon D) A Great Father
A: C
Q: This is a talk by a London taxi driver. "I've been a taxi driver for nearly ten years. Most London taxi drivers have their own taxis." "It's a nice job most of time. You meet a lot of people. I always work at night, because there is too much traffic during the day. I live twenty miles outside London and I go to work at 5:30 in the afternoon." "I usually go home between 2 and 3 in the morning." "Some very strange things happened late at night .The other day I was taking a woman home from a party .She had her little dog with her. When we got to her house, she found that she had lost her key. So I waited in the car with the dog while she climbed in through the windows." "I waited and waited. After half an hour of ringing the bell I decided to find out what was going on .I tied the dog to a tree and started to climb in through the window. The next thing I knew was that the police came. They thought I was a thief. Luckily the woman came downstairs.She must have gone to sleep and forgotten about me and the dog!" Which of the following is wrong? A) The driver worked until between 2 and 3 in the morning. B) The police made a mistake. C) The woman had no money to pay the driver. D) The woman had forgotten about the driver and the dog.
A: C