As a child, I was really afraid of the dark and of getting lost. These fears were very real and caused me some uncomfortable moments. Maybe it was the strange way things looked and sounded in my own room at night that scared me so much. There was never complete darkness, but always a streetlight or passing car lights, which made clothes on the back of a chair take on the shape of a wild animal. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the curtains seem to move when there was no wind. A very low sound in the floor would seem a hundred times louder than in the day. My imagination would run wild, and my heart would beat fast. I would lie very still so that the "enemy" would not discover me. Another of my childhood fears was that I would get lost, especially on the way home from school. Every morning I got on the school bus right near my home. That was no problem. After school, though, when all the buses were lined up along the street, I was afraid that I would get in the wrong one and be taken to some other strange places. On school or family trips to a park or a museum, I wouldn't let the leaders out of my sight. Perhaps one of the worst fears of all I had as a child was that of not being liked or accepted by others. Being popular was so important to me then, and the fear of not being liked was a serious one. One of the processes growing up is being able to realize and overcome our fears. Understanding the things that scared us as children helps us achieve greater success later in life. When she went to some other places, she would _ . A) walk away without others B) follow others closely C) take a bus by herself D) make sure not to take a wrong bus
B
How often do you change your hairstyle or ask for new dresses? You may try to follow trends in Western countries,but your peers in the United States don't care as much about fashion as you do. A recent survey among high school students in China,Japan,South Korea and the US found that Asian teenagers care more about their looks than young people in the US. This survey was held in 156 high schools in the four countries. More than 7,000 teenagers were questioned about their view on life and the world. South Koreans, at 83 percent, cared most about their appearance. They were followed by the Chinese and Japanese while US students showed the least interest in fashion at only 33 percent. "The different results show differences of cultural background," said Sun Yunxiao from the China Youth and Children Research Centre. He explained that in the US there are many different _ of beauty, so teens are more likely to be confident about their appearance. US teenagers' high self-confidence is showed in survey. About 85 percent are happy with themselves. The percentage of self-confident Chinese students stands at only 30 percent. Strong ambition( ) is seen in Chinese high schools. Only two in five high school students are satisfied with "an average living". Koreans are next at 48 percent,Japanese come in at 66 percent and Americans are at 71. "According to the survey,Chinese students are happy. But Chinese students need to be more independent and learn how to relax."said Sun. What does the passage mainly talk about? A) A survey about the attitudes towards the fashion. B) How Asian teenagers care more about their looks than young people in the US. C) Why Chinese students are happy. D) Why Chinese students should be more independent and learn how to relax
A
(Question)
Where do most writers get their ideas? For Yoshiko Uchida, it all began with Brownie, a five-month-old puppy. So excited was Yoshiko by Brownie's arrival that she started keeping a journal, writing about all the wonderful things Brownie did and the progress he made. Soon she was writing about other memorable events in her life, too, like the day her family got their first refrigerator. She also began writing stories, thanks to one of her teachers. Yoshiko wrote stories about animal characters such as Jimmy Chipmunk and Willie the Squirrel. She kept on writing, sharing the kitchen table with her mother, who wrote poems on scraps of paper and the backs of envelopes. Yoshiko grew up in the 1930s in Berkeley, California. Her parents, both of whom had been born in Japan, provided a loving and happy home for Yoshiko and her sister. They also provided a stream of visitors to their home who later found their way into Yoshiko's stories. One visitor who later appeared in several of Yoshiko's stories was the bad-tempered Mr. Toga, who lived above the church that her family attended. Mr. Toga would scold anyone who displeased him. The children all feared him and loved to tell stories about how mean he was and how his false teeth rattled when he talked. Yoshiko also included in her stories some of the places she visited and the experiences she had. One of her favorite places was a farm her parents took her to one summer. The owners of the farm, showed Yoshiko and her sister how to pump water from the well and how to gather eggs in the henhouse. They fed the mules that later pulled a wagon loaded with hay while Yoshiko and the others rode in the back, staring up at the stars shining in the night sky. Yoshiko, who lived in the city, had never seen such a sight. As Yoshiko gazed up at the stars, she was filled with hope and excitement about her life. The images of that hayride stayed with her long after the summer visit ended, and she used them in several of her stories. The experiences Yoshiko had and the parade of people... What is the main idea of this story? A) People who live in the city should spend as much time as they can in the country. B) Writers like Yoshiko Uchida must communicate with as many writers as possible. C) Those who move to the United States often miss their homelands for many years. D) Writers like Yoshiko Uchida look to the richness of their lives for material.
(Answer)
D