Laura Brent is a manager in an important company. She has three children--the eldest is 10, and youngest is three. "My job was only possible because my husband David was prepared to take my place and become a house husband," she says. More and more couples are finding this arrangement suits them better in today's world, where women are rising to the top of their careers faster and more easily than they did in the past. Many men, on the other hand, like the idea of staying at home and looking after the children. "My children see a lot more of me than I saw of my father when I was young, and I think it's better for them, especially for the boys," says David. "It works just as well for Laura." "Now I can come home from a hard day at work, and immediately relax with the children, instead of having to do the housework and the cooking," she says. Is there anything David misses about going out to work? "Not really. I suppose the worst thing about looking after children and doing the housework is not having a lunch break! It's a lot harder than most men think." Who does most of the housework in the family? A) Laura. B) David. C) The children. D) David's parents.
B
I grew up in the 1950s with very practical parents. My mother washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, and then she reused it. She was the earliest recycle queen before people had a name for it. My father was no different. He preferred getting old shoes fixed to -buying new ones. Their marriage was good and their dreams were focused .Their best friends lived just a wave away. Though my parents have passed away, I can see them now - Dad in trousers, a T-shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress, lawnmower in one hand and dishtowel in the other. It was the time to fix things -a curtain rod ,the kitchen radio, the screen door, the oven door, and so on. They fixed all things we had. It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing and renewing made me want to scream.1 wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant being rich. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more. I often thought like that. But then my mother died, and on that clear summer night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I learned that sometimes there isn't any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away and it will never return. So, while we have it, it is the best that we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and cure it when it's sick. This is true for marriage, old cars, children with bad report cards, dogs with bad hips and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it and because we are worth it. We can learn that when the writer was young, she _ . A) thought highly of her parents' habits B) often helped her parents fix old things C) often threw things away without being noticed D) at times hated it when her parents fixed old things
D
Q: If you are really interested in music festivals, then you have probably heard of the Bestival Music Festival. It takes place every September on the Isle of Wight, the UK. As it is at the end of summer, people think it's their last chance to go to a festival and have fun before going back to boring work. The dream begins as soon as you start traveling to the island. In order to get to the campsite of the Bestival, you have to take the ferry . The ferry is full of happy festival lovers who are ready to take part in the fantastic music party. After you arrive at the campsite, you can put your tent up. There people talk with each other openly. They are not that cold like those you meet in your everyday life. The festival lasts for four days. During that time you forget all your worries and problems, just like living in a dream. And it is really hard for you to come back to "reality" after that. It seems that it is this kind of music event that makes people gather together. It gives people a real sense of unity. I took part in the Bestival with my friends the year before last. It was so exciting and we all lost ourselves in the beautiful music. We are family sung by Sister Sledge was my favorite. I'm really looking forward to joining in it for a second time. Where do people enjoy the music party at the Bestival? A) On the island. B) On the ferry. C) In the hotel. D) On the sea.
A: A
Question: We spent a few days in Paris last week. We visit the famous city quite regularly. After all, it only takes three hours from London to Pairs. It's always a pleasure visiting places we really like, exploring areas we've never been. The only unlucky thing this time was the weather. As soon as we got there the temperature reached almost 35 degrees C (which lasted until we left). It was so hot that Matthew just couldn't _ it -- for him, it wasn't the most enjoyable trip. I felt sorry for him because every time we go there he has to put up with my endless shopping spree ... Because of the heat, we ended up just having lots of ice-cream and drinks most of the time, although we managed to pay a few visits to the new Herme shop on rue de Vaugirard at least. It's not as busy as the shop on rue Bonaparte so you can choose whatever you like without worrying about a queue behind you! I really enjoyed his bread this time as well as the cakes. And I must say that his Croissant aux Amandes and Bostock were simply the best I've ever had. The shops on rue Bonaparte _ . A) has no bread that the writer likes B) is often crowded with customers C) don't have anything the writer likes D) is not very busy all the time
Answer: D
*Question*
The human body is a living machine, and, like all machines, it needs "fuel" to supply it with energy. This is provided by the food we eat. But how much do we need to stay healthy? The energy value of food is usually measured in calories . A calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1degC. The number of calories people need per day is different, as the picture shows. Also, the number of calories you use at any one moment normally depends on the activity you are in. For example, you need more calories for standing than for sitting, more for running than for walking, and so on. The energy in food is in the form of three kinds of chemical materials--carbohydrate , protein and fat. Carbohydrate provides 3.8 Cal /gm of the energy, protein 4.0 Cal/gm, and fat 8.8 Cal/gm. Each food contains different amounts of these materials, as the round pictures show. (P= protein C= carbohydrate F=fat) This passage mainly tells us _ . A) all the energy is in food B) the human body needs energy C) the number of calories depends on your activity D) we must only eat peanuts to get calories
**Answer**
C
*Question*
My name's Mary. This is my family tree. These are my parents. Their names are Bill and Grace Brown. Those are my grandparents. Their names are Hery and Linda Brown. This is my uncle. His name is John. That boy is my brother. His name is Tony. This is Susan. She is my uncle's daughter. ,. (2,10) Tony and Mary are Susan's _ . A) brothers B) sisters C) friends D) cousins
**Answer**
D