Susan Boyle was once a Scottish church volunteer. She decided to enter a competition named "British got Talent" at the age of 47years. On April 15th 2009, when Susan got up to sing, the audience was shocked by her age and simplicity. Middle-aged women were not the usual type of competitor on the show and the audience was even more surprised when she said before starting to sing that she wanted to become a professional singer. To them she looked well past such possibilities. However, she amazed everybody with her wonderful voice and became an overnight singing star. It was reported that the audience all stood up and clapped warmly and that within 9 days, 100 million people had watched her performances and interviews on the Internet. This was a lot of progress for an unemployed woman who lived along with her cat. Most of her life had been spent looking after her mother who had died aged 92, two years earlier. She had never been married or in her words, "been kissed". Susan had learned difficulties and had only once been employed as an assistant cook. Even though Susan did not win the "British got Talent Show" and came up second, two years later, she already released two successful albums. Many people are touched by her story because Susan Boyle is like each of us in one way or another--full of weakness, often disappointed and _ by others. However, unlike many of us who usually give up too soon, she had the determination to fight for her dream. Susan Boyle launched her successful music career at the age of 48 and you too can still achieve your dream. Just take courage. What shocked the audience most before Susan started to sing? A) Her experience and figure. B) Her wonderful voice C) Her age and simplicity. D) Her dream career .
D
(Question)
Christmas in Australia is often very hot. Whereas the northern hemisphere is in the middle of winter, Australians are baking in summer heat. It is not unusual to have Christmas Day well into the mid 30 degrees Celsius, or near 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A traditional meal includes a turkey dinner, with ham, and pork. A flaming Christmas plum pudding is added for dessert. In the Australian gold rushes, Christmas puddings often contained a gold nugget. Today a small favor is baked inside. Whoever finds this knows s/he will enjoy good luck. Another treat is Mince Pies. Some Australians and particularly tourists often have their Christmas dinner at midday on a local beach, Bondi Beach in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs attracts thousands of people on Christmas Day. Other families enjoy their day by having a picnic. If they are at home, the day is punctuated by swimming in a pool, playing Cricket out the backyard, and other outdoor activities. The warm weather allows Australians to enjoy a tradition which started in 1937. Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve, where tens of thousands of people gather in the city of Melbourne to sing their favorite Christmas songs. The evening is lit by as many candles singing under a clean cut night sky. The sky with its Southern Cross stars is like a mirror. Sydney and the other capital cities also enjoy Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Australians surround themselves with Christmas Bush, a native plant which has little red flowered leaves. According to the passage, _ is not included in Christmas meals in Australia. A) ham B) pork C) turkey D) pumpkin
(Answer)
D
Ques: The Original London Sightseeing Tour-Hop On Hop Off "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford. ----Dr Samuel Johnson 1709-1784." Duration: 24 hours pass Welcome to London and welcome to The Original Tour. Providing more than just a great way to travel around the capital, founded nearly 60 years ago at the time of The Festival of Britain, The Original Tour is now the largest and most popular sightseeing operator in the world. The Original Tour has become set up as the basic introduction to London. You are invited to experience all the magical sights and sounds of London in a comfortable and safe environment. There is a full commentary in English and a choice of six other languages on selected routes. Live English speaking guides appear on the yellow route service. Your tour tickets are completely unrestricted . Each route makes frequent stops-simply hop off where want to and return to the same stop to continue your tour. You can relax and enjoy the tour while your children (and everyone else's) are entertained and informed by the highly praised "Kids' Club" commentary and their free London activity packs. "Kids' Club" is featured on the red route service. Your ticket includes a free Thames River cruise .You can choose between a 24 hour river cruise hopper pass OR the 50-minute circular tour depending on the time you have available. Among the following descriptions about The Original Tour,_is correct. A) There is a commentary in 7 languages on all the routes offered. B) Tourists with children had better choose the yellow route. C) There are not English-speaking guides on all the routes. D) A ticket holder can take either a 24-hour or 50-minute cruise for free.
Ans: C
Not all vegetables need lots of sunshine. Mark Hoffman and his wife own a bed-and-breakfast guesthouse in rural Kempton, Illinois. They often serve their guests fresh products from the garden. The Hoffmans have been growing food and flowers for twenty-five years. For almost ten of those years, Mr. Hoffman has been experimenting and working with shade plantings. He says, "The bottom line here is that most plants will produce more in full sun. But if you do not have full sun, there are other choices." For example, he grows tomatoes near oak trees. Oak trees can produce a lot of shade. But Mr. Hoffman says his tomato plants grow as long as they get five hours' direct sunshine a day, especially morning sun. Not only does this go against the traditional advice that tomatoes need six, eight, even twelve hours' full sun a day. It also shows how plants and tree roots can share nutrients and water. Mr. Hoffman says plants with wider leaves seem to do better in shady environments. He also found that his potatoes did better partly in shade than in full sun. Moving them out of the sun helped control an insect problem. Mr. Hoffman does not use pesticide . Instead, he planted the potatoes in the shade, especially on the east side of the tree. The potatoes get morning sun, but they are shaded during the hottest part of the day. Some insects dislike shade, and the hottest part day is when they do the worst of their damage. Time of day, sun intensity , shadows from trees, walls and buildings all influence how much sunlight falls on plants. And people interested in shade planting should also remember something else. The term "shade" can describe different amounts of darkness. It can even mean different things in different parts of the world. Which of the following can best describe Mr. Hoffman? A) Curious B) Experienced C) Easy-going D) Funny
B