*Question*
Mr Li: Sam, did you enjoy your first Spring Festival in China? Sam: Yes, I did. During this festival, many family members get together. Mr Li: Yes. I hear that at Thanksgiving Americans also get together for a special meal. It sounds similar. Sam: Yes. It's similar. During these holidays, both the Chinese and Americans come home and have a big dinner. It's great fun. Mr Li: What do you think are the main differences between the Spring Festival and Thanksgiving? Sam: Well, we take part in different activities and eat different kinds of food. In China, people usually set off fireworks and eat dumplings. In the US, we usually watch a Thanksgiving parade and an American football game on TV. We also eat turkey. Mr Li: That's interesting. What does Mr Li think of Thanksgiving? A) Exciting. B) Interesting. C) Similar. D) Different.
**Answer**
B

*Question*
Everybody in London knew Mr. Scrooge. He was very rich but also very mean. The most important thing in his life was money! At six o'clock Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's clerk, went to Mr. Scrooge. "Excuse me. sir. Tomorrow is Christmas Day, can l stay at home?" "Stay at home," shouted Scrooge. "I don't pay you to stay at home!" "But it is Christmas," said Cratchit. "Very well," said Scrooge. "but you must work double hours on Boxing Day!" "Yes sir, certainly sir, Merry Christmas, sir." "Get out," shouted Scrooge. "Christmas! Everybody talks about Christmas!" said Scrooge. "It's just an excuse not to work. People want money too. Always money! For doing nothing!" Scrooge put on his hat and coat and left the office. It was Christmas Eve and everyone was shopping. It was dark and Scrooge was alone. He saw a person dressed in black. "Are you the Spirit of Christmas to come?" asked Scrooge. The Spirit didn't speak. It pointed to a group of people. The people were talking. "Is he dead?" asked one man. "Yes. No-one will cry for him," said another. "He was a horrible, unkind man. He never gave money to us poor people. He wasn't a happy man." "Who's dead?" asked Scrooge. The Spirit pointed down. It was a grave . There were no flowers and no people there. "Who is it?" asked Scrooge nervously. The Spirit pointed again. "No, I don't want to look, I want to go home." But the Spirit didn't move. Very slowly Scrooge rubbed the snow away. On the grave were the words EBENEZER SCROOGE. It was morning. Christmas morning. Scrooge was in bed! "I'm alive, I'm alive, how wonderful!" He jumped out of bed, singing and dancing as he went around the room. "What a beautiful day it is. I love Christmas. I love everybody." He went to the butcher's and said, "Take the biggest turkey you have to Bob Cratchit's house." Scrooge met the two men collecting money for the poor. "Please take this," said Scrooge to the men and gave them a big sum of money for the poor. From that Christmas Scrooge was a new man. He helped the poor and was kind to everyone.... What kind of man was Scrooge in the past? A) A rich and happy man. B) A rich but unkind man. C) A poor but happy man. D) A poor hard-working man.
**Answer**
B

*Question*
THIS year the US Mint will honor one of the country's most famous writers. "Mark Twain", the pen name of Samuel Clemens(1835-1911) is loved by American readers for his novels Tom Sawyer(1876) and The Adventures of Huckberry Finn(1844). Now he is going to have his life and work commemorated with special gold and silver coins. But does Twain need to be commemorated? It doesn't seem like people in the US will forget him. Twain once joked that a lack of money is the root of all evil " but a lack of money with Twain's famous face on it wouldn't have made people forget about him. The Adventures of Huckberry Finn is thought to be his greatest works. Motherless Huck Finn is a young boy who shows the spirit of freedom. But it could be said that Huck's freedom really comes from Huck wanting to fly. When Huck gets away from his violent father, he isn't really looking for freedom,out survival. It's even more of a problem for a slave. Jim, the escaped slave who Huck helps, makes Huck's life seem even better. It's easier not to be able to deal with someone who wants to force you to go to school than to have to fight a law that says you are a piece of property . Huck and Jim's friendship, as shown by Mark Twain, is one of the great stories in American literature because it shows a white character, Huck, who gets an idea of the African American experience. Mark Twain is famous and would still be famous without any special coins. Anyway, the coins could be a reason to look again at the work of a writer who got under the skin of the US in the 19th century. With the race issue _ in the US today, perhaps Twain still has something to teach today's readers. Why is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn considered Twain's greatest works? A) It talks about how a black slave runs away from his violent owner. B) It describes an everlasting friendship between people of different races. C) It describes the social problem that a lack of money is the root of all evil. D) It talks about a white American understanding the African American experience.
**Answer**
D

*Question*
Dear Kitty: News! We have a new flat! The rooms are small, but they are comfortable. There are more rooms here than in our old flat. This is good because now I have my own room. In the old flat, I share with my sister. My bedroom is my favourite room in our flat. I can be alone in it. I can read or draw. I can listen to my radio or play CDs. I can play games on my computer and send e-mails to my friends. My second favorite room is the kitchen. I love helping my mother cook our meals. She is a very good cook. She is teaching me how to make many different kinds of dishes. She lived in Morocco when she was a girl, and she can cook Moroccan food. It's very delicious. That's all for now. Write soon and tell me about your home. Please get on the Internet so that we can send e-mails to each other. All good wishes! Anna What is the difference between the old flat and the new one? A) The rooms in the new flat are big. B) The rooms in the old flat were smaller. C) There are more rooms in the new flat. D) There are more rooms in the old flat.
**Answer**
C