Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: On Sunday, August 24th, comic book lovers across the world held their breath to watch how much crazy collectors would pay for a rare Superman comic book. Though bids above the initial asking price of 1 million dollars had been coming in gradually since the copy was placed on the auction site eBay on July 14th, things really started to heat up during the final minutes when the price jumped from $2.5 to $2.6 and then $2.7 million, before shooting up to unbelievable 3,207,852 dollars! This of course was no ordinary Superman comic book, but an edition of the extremely sought-after No. 1 of Action Comics series -- the first publication of the superhero that was born from the creative minds of teenagers Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. Though Action Comics No. 1, which depicted a diaper-clad baby Superman lifting furniture, had a print run of 200,000 copies, only about 100 are known to exist today. While the rarity is certainly a reason for the high price, Stephen Fisher, CEO of ComicConnect.com, thinks it also has a lot to do with the fact that Superman was the world's first superhero! Even so, none of the copies have been able to fetch as much as the most recent one, simply because they have not been as well-preserved. Graded a rare 9 out of 10 by CGC, a third party grading service for comic books, the book is the highest rated copy of Action Comics No. 1 so far. According to CGC officials, the 76-year-old comic book looks and feels as though it has just come off the newsstand . That is not surprising given that the original owner, a Virginian man who bought the book for only 10 cents in 1938, had carefully tucked it away in a wooden box for four decades. Fortunately, when he passed away, the book was bought by a string of collectors who all realized it was a rare treasure that needed to be looked after. Before this, the highest price paid for an Action Comics No. 1 had been $2 million for a copy sold by Hollywood actor Nicholas Cage in 2011. Ironically, the two teenagers responsible for creating Superman... Question: the Superman comic book was placed on eBay on July 14th, _ - it attracted no attention at all - things started to heat up immediately - the bid price didn't go up very quickly at first - people thought it was worth millions of dollars
the bid price didn't go up very quickly at first
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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: I told my friend Graham that I often cycle two miles from my house to the town centre but unfortunately there is a big hill on the route. He replied, "You mean fortunately." He explained that I should be glad of the extra exercise that the hill provided. My attitude to the hill has now changed. I used to _ as I approached it but now I tell myself the following. This hill will exercise my heart and lungs. It will help me to lose weight and get fit. It will mean that I live longer. This hill is my friend. Finally I comfort myself with the thought of all those silly people who pay money to go to a gym and sit on stationery exercise bicycles when I can get the same value for free. I have a smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill. Problems are there to be faced and overcome. We cannot achieve anything with an easy life. Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to gain a university degree. Her activism and writing proved inspirational. She wrote, "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can vision be cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved." One of the key factors of success in life is our attitude towards adversity . From time to time we all face hardships, problems, accidents, afflictions and difficulties. Some are of our making but many confront us through no fault of our own. While we cannot choose the adversity we can choose our attitude towards it. Douglas Bader was 21 when in 1931 he had both legs cut off following a flying accident. He was determined to fly again and went on to become one of the leading flying aces in the Battle of Britain with 22 aerial victories over the Germans. He was an inspiration to others during the war. He said, "Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do this or that. That's nonsense. Make up your mind, and you'll never use crutches or a stick, and then have a go at evening. Go to school, and join in all the games you can. Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them persuade... Question: Following this passage, the author will further talk about _ . - how his friend helped him to change his attitude towards the adversity he faced - what steps to take to change your attitude towards the adversity you face - what great people have in common - why it is important to keep optimistic in face of adversity
what steps to take to change your attitude towards the adversity you face
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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Yao Ming edged Kobe Bryant as the top votegetter in fanballoting1for the 55th NBA All-Star game Thursday, and Shaquille O'Neal became the fifth player in league history to earn 13consecutive2selections for the midseason showcase. Yao and Tracy McGrady give the host Houston Rockets two starters in the Feb.19 game. They were joined on the Western Conference squad by Bryant, San Antonio's Tim Duncan and reigning MVP Steve Nash of Phoenix -- who will be a first-time All-Star starter. Yao edged Bryant by 71,107 votes for the top overall spot in the balloting, despite missing 21 games following surgery to clean out aninfection3in his left big toe. It's the fourth All-Star trip for the 7-foot-6 center from China and the eighth for Bryant, who leads the NBA in scoring and had an 81-point effort -- the second-biggest night in NBA history -- last month in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over Toronto. Yao finished with 2,342,738 votes; Bryant had 2,271,631 in the closest finish among the top two players in All-Star balloting since Vince Carter, then of Toronto, edged Miami's Alonzo Mourning by 33,385 votes in 2000. Notes: 1 ballot vi. 2 consecutive adj. 3 infection n. , Question: Yao Ming and _ belong to the Houston Rockets. - Kobe Bryant - Tracy McGrady - Shaquille O'Neal - Steve Nash
Tracy McGrady
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