Everyone knows the story of Benjamin Franklin's famous kite experiment. He was a man of many gifts and interests. His natural curiosity about things made him try to find ways to make them work better. Although he made important discoveries, Ben didn't "invent" electricity. He did, however, invent the lightning rod which protected buildings and ships from lightning damage. In America, most people warmed their homes by building a fire in a fireplace even though it was kind of dangerous and used a lot of wood. Ben said that he had another better way. His invented an iron stove which allowed people to warm their home less dangerously and with less wood. The stove that he invented is called a Franklin stove. Ben also set up the first fire company and the first fire insurance company in order to help people live more safely. As the postmaster, Ben had to find out the best way for delivering the mail. He went out riding in his carriage to measure the routes and needed a way to record the miles. He invented a simple _ for it. In his old age, Ben retired from business and public service and wanted to spend his time reading and studying. He found, however, that his old age had made it difficult for him to reach books from the high shelves. Even though he had many grandchildren to help him, he invented a tool called a long arm to reach the high books. The long arm was a long wooden pole with a grasping claw at the end. Later, other famous inventors, like Thomas A. Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, would follow in Ben's footsteps by trying to find ways to help people live better. Today's curious thinkers are keeping Ben's traditions alive by inventing new and improved ways to make things work. Benjamin Franklin invented a long arm in order to _ . A) replace his disabled arm B) play games with his grandchildren C) get books from the bookshelf more easily D) clean and tidy his house and the bookshelf
C
Be positive about school! Don't say things are difficult or boring. Be interested in school life and your school subjects. Join lots of activities. Be quick to put your hand up. Go round the school with a big smile. Expect to work. School is not a holiday camp. If you are not working, you are not learning, and you are wasting your time at school. Teachers cannot make everything enjoyable. Keep fit. If you do not eat a good breakfast, you will be thinking about food in class. If you go to bed late and do not have enough sleep, you will be sleepy in class. Play some sports to keep your body strong. Don't be too disappointed if things sometimes go badly. Everyone _ some tests, lose some matches and has bad days. Friends are not always perfect, and they sometimes say and do unpleasant things. Don't let small problems seem very big and important. Talk about problems. Sometimes they are only the result of misunderstanding. Don't be too embarrassed to ask for help. You are young. No one thinks you can do everything. What does the word "fail" mean? A) pass B) succeed C) lose D) fall
C
Q: Teens don't understand the big fuss . As the first generation to grow up in a wired world, they hardly know a time when computers weren't around, and they eagerly catch the chance to spend hours online, chatting with friends. So what? But researchers nationwide are increasingly worried that teens are becoming isolated , less skillful at person-to-person relationships , and perhaps numb to the cheatings that are so much a part of the e-mail world . "And a teen's sense of self and values may be changed in a world where personal connections can be limitless," said Sherry Turkle . Another researcher , Robert Kraut , said he's worried about the "opportunity costs" of so much online time for youths . He found that teens who used computers, even just a few hours a week, showed increased signs of loneliness and social isolation. "Chatting online may be better than watching television , but it's worse than hanging out with real friends," he said . Today's teens, however, don't see anything strange in the fact that the computer takes up a central place in their social lives. "School is busy and full of pressure. There's almost no time to just hang out," said Parker Rice, 17. "Talking online is just catch-up time." Teens say they feel good about what they say online or taking the time to think about a reply. Some teens admit that asking someone for a date, or breaking up, can be easier in message form, though they don't want to do so. But they insist there's no harm. The purpose of the text is to _ . A) draw attention to teens' computer habits B) describe computer research results C) suggest ways to deal with problem teens D) discuss problems teens have at school
A: A
(Question)
This week was busier than usual, and I was very tired today. All I wanted to do was to go home and enjoy a bowl of good hot soup. But when I saw my daughter's car, _ Since his parents separated, I had tried to have my six-year-old grandson spend a few hours with me at least once a week. I had always tried to make it a special time for him. We did many interesting things; Bryan loved all these activities, and so did I. But today I had to give up our evening. I said how tired I was feeling. "Bryan, I'm sorry. Tonight I don't feel like having fun or playing games. We'll have our night together some other time." I saw the sadness in Bryan's eyes. He said, "I like soup, Grandma." I knew he meant "Please don't send me away. Please let me stay." I saw the shadow in Bryan's eyes. Something else was changing. Maybe he thought I wouldn't want to have him come any more -- not tonight, not next week, not ever. Finally, I said OK. I was glad to see his eyes light up. After I put the soup on the stove and turned on the TV, I fell asleep. When I woke up, there was a coat over my legs, and the soup was gone. Bryan was on the floor, reading a coloring book and watching a television show at the same time. The poor boy must have been so bored ! When he found I was awake, he ran over and gave me a big hug. "I love you, Grandma," he said. "Haven't we had a nice time together?" His big smile and happy eyes told me that this time he meant exactly what he was saying. That was the keyword -- together. We had done nothing exciting or special. But we were together. How many times did the author describe Bryan's eyes? A) 1. B) 2. C) 3. D) 4.
(Answer)
D