Chrysanthemums are to the fall what tulips are to the spring. In ancient China, chrysanthemums (or 'mums' for short) were first planted thousands of years ago. People chose the chrysanthemum as their Flower for October, a symbol of the rest and ease that followed the season's final harvest. Then they symbolized a scholar in retirement and were one of the four noble plants, along with bamboo, the plum flower, and orchid. The Japanese hold the chrysanthemum as a symbol of the sun. They consider the orderly unfolding of its petals to be a symbol of perfection. They also think that a single chrysanthemum petal placed in the bottom of a wine glass encourages a long and healthy life. The Japanese even have a National Chrysanthemum Day on September 9, known as the Festival of Happiness. In the United States during colonial times, its popularity grew such that mums now reign as "Queen of the Fall Flowers." Mums remain the most widely grown pot plant in the country and the largest commercially produced flowers. Chrysanthemums generally represent cheerfulness and rest. So they are welcomed throughout the British Isles and North America for any occasion, such as football games and parties. In other countries such as Italy, Belgium and Austria, however, their association with the dead makes chrysanthemums acceptable only for funerals and graves. In some European countries people use chrysanthemums to express their feeling of _ . A) regret B) cold C) sorrow D) approval
C
136 Crestview Circle Dover, Connecticut November 16, 2015 Gander's Furniture Store Stamford, Connecticut, 09876 Dear Sir, I am writing about your November bill, which I am returning with this letter. I am not going to pay this bill. Last month I bought a table and four chairs for $65.50. They were sent to me on October 18. That night one leg of the table broke while my wife was putting our dinner on it. It fell on one of the chair, and that broke, too. Our $ 2.50 steak landed on the floor, and the dog ate it. I spoke to the salesmen who had sold me the table and the chairs. He told me to write you a letter. I wrote you on October 20, saying that I was not going to pay for the furniture. On October 21 some men came and took it back to the store. Please do something about your records. I do not want to receive another bill for the furniture which I returned. Yours truly Albertson From the letter we know that Mr. Albertson actually paid _ for the furniture A) no money B) $ 68.00 C) $ 2.50 D) $ 65.50
A
Q: Men weigh up potential partners almost instantaneously based on their appearance because their "ancient" genetic preference for attractive mates leads them to, experts claim. According to research, a woman with an attractive face is taken by men to be fertile and able to continue the family line, appealing to the man's survival instinct. In contrast women take longer to decide their feelings for a man because they need to weigh up whether he will be a committed partner who will provide for them well - part of their survival programming. They tested men and women's preference towards looks by conducting a series of tests on 20 women and 20 men, making them perform tasks while recording their brain activity. While the subjects were doing the task they were shown a series of photographs of faces of the opposite sex, ranging from attractive to ugly. Men were easily distracted when they saw a pretty face but women stuck to the task. Prof van Vugt said: "Men definitely have the most wandering eye but it is because they have evolved to pay attention to cues of fertility and one of those cues is facial beauty - it's not that men are shallow." But we found they do make snap judgments about women, much earlier than was previously thought. They make that decision on whether a woman would be a good mating partner in milliseconds. This is something very ancient and a way of helping men find the best mate to produce children. Women were not distracted by attractive male faces because women need more proof of whether a man is a good mate. "Women make that decision on behaviour, whether a man is trustworthy and committed. They make their decision much later than men." The main idea of the passage is_. A) that men love beauty because of gene B) helping men find the best mate to produce children C) testing men and women's preference towards looks D) that mem were easily distracted when they saw a pretty face
A: A
(Q).
When my dad was a very young man, he was one of the few people in the small community of North Apollo, who owned a car. When he and Mom got married, they went on their honeymoon in that old Ford, but they had to turn around and pay a visit to the garage because the car didn't have enough power to drive them going forward. When I was too young to remember, my dad owned a truck in which we all went nutting and berry picking. It was an important day when Daddy decided to buy a family car. It must have been about 1937 or 1938 when he purchased a 1929 Chevrolet sedan. We loved that old car. On Saturday evenings, after dinner, the whole family would pile into that old square sedan, go up to Whitlinger's grocery store and buy a bag of Hershey's Kisses. Then Daddy would head out toward the country and drive all around the old country roads while we fed ourselves on chocolates. That was the highlight of our week. I didn't know which we enjoyed most, the chocolates or riding in the car. The first car I owned was a Packard touring car. My cousin Janet and I were living in Washington D.C., and mostly rode the streetcars to wherever we wanted to go. Janet's friend Kathy had learned to drive so the three of us decided to buy a car for ourselves. We picked out this old Packard because it was all we could afford. Every American living today can tell stories about the cars they have driven. I love to drive. I am most excited when I'm headed to the garage with my car keys in my hand. The car I own now is a 1998 Buick Century with a mark where I backed into a tree. I love the freedom I feel just moving down the road in that old car. I am almost certain that when I get to heaven, God will have that old car sitting there waiting for me to drive down that golden street. The author decided to buy his own car because _ . A) he passed his driving test and got a license B) he wanted to change his way of getting around C) he intended to stay with Janet and Kathy D) he fell in love with that Packard at first sight
(A).
B