Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The earliest newspapers started in ancient Rome. They were handwritten news sheets. The first printed newspapers appeared in China during the Tang dynasty, which were printed from carved wooden blocks. Modern papers first appeared in Venice, Italy in the middle of the 14th century. The newspapers of today, with advertising and a mixture of political, economic, and social news and comments, were started in Britain in the mid-18th century. The main function of newspapers is to report news. Many newspapers also provide special information to readers, such as weather reports and television timetables. They also provide comments on politics, economics, arts and culture. Almost all newspapers depend on advertising to make money. Nearly six out of ten adults in the United States and Canada read a newspaper every day. Seven out of ten read a paper each weekend. Readers search newspapers for de-tailed background information and analysis . This is what television and radio news reports seldom offer. Newspapers tell readers what happened, and they also help readers understand what caused an event and how it will affect the world around them. The workers at large newspaper companies work under a lot of pressure to bring news to readers as soon as possible. Reporters, photographers, artists, and editors collect articles in just a few hours. Page designers select articles, photos, advertisements, and eye-catching headlines to make the pages, and then rush their work to the printer. Printing workers may work overnight around printing presses to _ more than 60,000 copies per hour. Question: Modern newspapers were first made in _ . Options: A: China B: Ancient Rome C: Italy D: Britain
C

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Russia's security chief has blamed an act of terror for the Russian A321 airliner crash in Egypt last month which killed 224 people. Whatever happened, the tragedy raises sad memories of horrific airplane crashes that have cost thousands of lives in recent decades . Some of the worst such incidents--like four crashes in frightening succession into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and rural Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001; the 1988 downing of Pan Am Flight 103 in Lockerbie, Scotland; and a 1977 crash involving the apparent hijacking of a Malaysian Airlines jet that left 100 dead--involved terrorist activity. But there are many others that did not, with mechanical problems, pilot error or other reasons blamed for loss of life. Below are some examples of the latter: crashes that left at least 200 people dead in each incident. March 27 , 1977 : A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Boeing 747 beginning its takeoff crashed into Pan American World Airways Boeing 747 then still on the runway at the Los Rodeos Airport at Tenerife in the Canary Islands. A total of 574 people, aboard both planes, died . July 11 , 1991 : The landing gear of a Nigeria Airways DC-8 catches fire shortly after takeoff Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It doesn't make it back to the airport, crashing nose-down less than 10,000 feet short of the runway and killing all 261 people aboard. April 26 , 1994 : The pilot of a China Airlines' Flight 140 alerts the control tower at Japan's Nagoya Airport of his intention not to land and try another approach. But something goes wrong and, a short time later, the Airbus A300 crashes leading to 264 deaths--though a few passengers do survive. September 2 , 1998 : A Swiss air jetliner that had departed New York's Kennedy airport on its way to Geneva, Switzerland, goes down off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada; none of the 229 people aboard Flight 111 make it. Investigators believe that the MD-11 lost all electrical power immediately before the crash. June 1 , 2009 : Air France Flight 447 is on the way from Rio de... Question: Which air crash resulted from terrorist attack ? Options: A: China Airlines' Flight 140 B: Pan Am Flight 103 C: Air France Flight 447 D: Swissair Jetliner Flight 111
B

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Health insurance can be very expensive. Some working people do not make enough money to pay for it. In the US there is a program called Healthy Families. This program offers people health insurance at a low cost. Families are charged about Y=7.00 a month for every child, and Y=10.00 for every adult. It costs much less than any other kind of health insurance. Having health insurance is very important. With this insurance, people can see a doctor when they are sick or hurt. The program is not expensive at all, but many people are still not enrolling in it. People say that it still costs too much money. They need all of their money to pay for things like food and rent. It would be great if everyone could have health insurance. People are working hard to come up with ways to make this happen. One idea is to make the Healthy Families Program free for some people. It is important for people to see a doctor when they need to. The Healthy Families Program makes it possible for more people to do this. Many ideas are being considered. Hopefully some of them will allow even more families to get health insurance. The Healthy Families Program is made to help those who don't have welfare and cannot earn enough to pay for private health insurance. It is an important program, but officials say that too many people are signing up for it and then dropping out because of the Healthy Families Program's cost. Question: The aim of the Healthy Families Program is to _ . Options: A: help people earn more and pay for the program B: help more families get health insurance C: make it free for people to see a doctor D: help families pay for private health insurance
A: B

(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: When I was in college,I was always very passionate about music and I was proud to be a member of our band.However,I almost gave up because of my fear of playing solos . One day two years ago my director informed me that he wanted me to be the featured soloist in a piece of music.Of course I was terrified,but he encouraged me that everything would be OK,and that he believed me and knew that I could do it.Up until four days before the concert,I could not make it through the solo.I would always seem to get discouraged before I played it. I decided to ask my director for help thinking that he would tell me that I didn't have to do it and that he was still proud of me.All he said was"You just have to believe yourself."I didn't think trying his advice would hurt,so I started the next morning differently.Instead of wondering how I could mess up,I imagined myself playing through my solo with confidence and I kept on telling myself that I could do it. The strange thing was...it worked!After that day I played the solo without any mistake.When the big concert came,although I was a little nervous,I knew that I could do this.I didn't know what was going to happen,but I realized that the only person that was holding me back from being my best,was myself.I believed myself.I thought things would go a little more differently than they had in the past.Of course,I played the solo wonderfully and I gained acclamation from all the audience. Always do the thing that you fear the most,don't get discouraged if you fail,and just keep on trying harder. Question: What was the author's reaction when he was told to play a solo in the concert? Options: A: He was excited that he could hardly sleep. B: He believed that he could play it wonderfully. C: He couldn't believe the news was true. D: He didn't believe he could make it.
(A).
D