Many years ago a kind farmer bought a tank of gas for a mom with two children. He didn't accept any money but just smiled and said, "Pass it on to someone else." The mom was my mother. After many years, I had a similar experience. A few weeks ago as my husband and I were filling up our car with a coupon for 99 cents a gallon, I got into a long line to pay. I could see that the young man before me was having some kind of problem; I quickly realized that he had misunderstood the coupon and thought it was 99 cents to fill his small truck. Everyone was saying, "99 cents a gallon is so cheap - they can't give the gas away." He was embarrassed and was just calling his wife when I got to the counter . He said to his wife, "Just come here because I don't have enough money on me." I asked the cashier how much his was, and she told me. I told her I would pay for it and touched the man on the arm and told him to tell his wife it had been paid for. He nodded and turned back to the phone, then stopped and looked at me. "What?" I told him again, and I was so surprised to see everyone stop what they were doing to watch me as if I had just grown another head. When he asked how he could give the money back to me, I just said, "Pass it on to someone else in need!" Why did the author help the young man pay for the gas? A) She had learned something from the farmer. B) She disliked waiting for a long time. C) She had a lot of money on her. D) Her husband told her to do so.
A
(Question)
John H. Johnson was born in a black family in Arkansas City in 1981. His father died in an accident when John was six. He was reaching the high school age, but his hometown offered no high school for blacks. Fortunately he had a strong--willed caring mother. John remembered that his mother told him many times, "Son, you can be anything you want really to be if you just believe." She told him not to depend on others, including his mother. "You have to learn success" she said. "All the people who work hard don't succeed, but the only people who do succeed are those who work hard." These words, came from a woman with less than a third grade education. She also knew that believing and hard work don't mean everything. So she worked hard as a cook for two years to save enough to take her son, who was then 15, to Chicago. Chicago in 1933 was not the promised land that black southerners were looking for. John's mother and stepfather could not find work. But here John could go to school, and here he learned the power of words--as an editor of the newspaper and yearbook at Du Sable High School. His wish was to publish a magazine for blacks. While others discouraged him, John's mother offered him more words to live by "Nothing beats a failure but a try." She also let him pawn her furniture to get the $ 500 he needed to start the Negro magazine. It is natural that difficulties and failures followed john closely until he become very successful. He always keeps his mother's words in mind:" Son, failure is not in your vocabulary!" Now John H. Johnson is one of the 400 richest people in America--worth $150 million. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? A) John's mother didn't believe in or depend on others. B) John's mother believed one would succeed without working hard. C) John's mother thought one could be whatever one wanted to be. D) John's mother thought no one could succeed without working hard.
(Answer)
D
Ques: Long working hours,the fewest holidays and the high cost of living mean the big salaries on offer in the UK do not go as far as those earned in other countries,making Britain and Ireland the worst places to live in Europe. France and Spain are the two countries topping the European Quality of Life Index out today,according to the place comparison website Switch.com. The French enjoy longer lives,better healthcare,more holidays and cheaper prices.In contrast Britons work three years longer and die two years younger after paying above the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes.The amount we spend on healthcare and education is below the European average. Only Ireland and Poland spend less,but Ireland has more doctors and hospital beds and Poland has more beds than the UK.People in Germany,Spain,France,Italy,the Netherlands and Sweden all enjoy longer life expectancy than Britons.And while we may be giving up work earlier,the average age at which we retire is still the fourth highest in Europe----and the UK state retirement age is set to rise. Ann Robinson,of Switch.com,said:"There's more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Britons are giving up on (......)the UK and heading to France and Spain.We earn substantially more than our European neighbors,but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads,food on the table and our homes warm" . "It's giving us a _ standard of living,but it's not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy.For too long the focus in the UK had been on standard of living rather than quality of life." Which of the following about the UK is TRUE according to the passage? A) People in the UK pay more than the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes. B) People in the UK enjoy the highest quality of life. C) People in the UK spend most on the healthcare and education. D) People in the UK die two years older than in France.
Ans: A
On January 11, 2007, as students sat and listened, a very important guest speaker named Richard, spoke to the students in the lecture hall. He not only showed the potential within young adults, but encouraged them to work hard at their lessons. Richard was a young child when his mother died and his father walked out. He was forced into many different foster homes where he felt unhappy. He did not know that his life was taking a turn for the worst. His uncle, after getting out of prison, got him into drugs and alcohol. His uncle taught him that his place in life was either to be in prison or die trying to be "a man." His uncle's teaching almost started affecting him until a very important person came into his life: a teacher. This teacher taught him there is a place in the world for everyone and it isn't related to drugs. Richard is now a Harvard University graduate and has a great and loving family. Why? He was taught to have respect not only for others, but for himself. After the meeting, it was hoped that the students realized within them there is a potential, and within everyone around them, is knowledge. As Richard reminded them, "Knowledge is power." Who played an important role in Richard's successful life? A) His uncle. B) His teacher. C) His friends. D) His parents.
B