After we meet people it is up to us to make them our friends. Let us stop a moment and consider what really makes a friend. The major qualities like faithfulness, devotion, friendly company, flash through our minds. But it is the large number of very small particular qualities that make up one's whole character, such as cheerfulness, friendliness, and punctuality . After all, " to make a friend, be a friend" is not such a big and difficult order. There are particular favorable qualities, which attract others to us, and some elements which do have an effect on people in fundamental psychology or not. If you are in the presence of a shy person, talking and asking casual questions may _ . Think of what would be most acceptable to the other person, for you to talk, or to listen. Either way the goal is to make yourself pleasant. Always remember to listen, but listen intelligently. To have anyone " hang on our words" is the most unnoticeably clever way in the world to please somebody. For a few extremely happy seconds we are the center of attraction, but when it is our turn to be audience, let us remember how we felt as the actor, and let's be genuinely interested in what the other fellow is saying. Other people will like us, if we like them. If you want friends, keep your mind and heart open to friendship. Be alive to the other person's world. The words " bring him out of his shell" in this passage most probably mean _ . A) make him become active B) make him feel more nervous C) help him understand the question better D) help him listen intelligently
A
(Question)
As the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But Venezuela, whose beauty queens have won Miss Universe and Miss World over six times, doesn't leave it to chance. In Venezuela, girls as young as four can be found attending beauty schools, where they can learn a range of skills from how to walk to the correct way to hold a wine glass. "Hair must always be completely clean, make-up should look natural, and you should always, always wear high-heels," advises Andrea Reyes, a teacher in a school of Caracas with 160 students. Beauty contests are treated in Venezuela much as sporting competitions are elsewhere. Many Venezuelan parents believe that if their daughters can succeed and get the beauty crown, their future as famous and public persons is sure to come. As a result, the girls are trained to compete at a young age. Among former beauty queens are Irene Saez, who went on to compete for the country's president, and Eva Ekvall, whose battle with cancer helped to make more people know about the illness in Venezuela. However, voices against the trend can be heard all over the country. At one time, a feminist group tried to stop the Miss Venezuela broadcast. President Hugo Chavez has spoken out against the culture of plastic surgery in Venezuela, calling it a "frightening thing". The BBC reporter Sarah Grainger says that acceptance of the contests is partly a result of the country's "machista" view of the different roles that men and women should play, "Men are supposed to be strong and brave and women to be gentle and beautiful". Miss Universe 1996, Alicia Machado, knows the price to be paid when you're no longer seen as attractive. After winning the beauty contest, she said all she wanted to do was "eat, eat and eat". Her weight gain later and warning by the organizers of the contest to replace her as queen with the _ was among the hottest topics in the country, especially in Latin America. What's the advice given by a teacher in Caracas to her students? A) Attending beauty schools as early as possible. B) Wearing high-heels at times. C) Washing your hair quite often. D) Fighting against cancer bravely.
(Answer)
C
Ques: At first Kate thought the Romanian girl could not speak and understand English. Nadia would not reply to anything Kate said. Kate was in charge of showing Nadia around on her first day at Buck Minister Grade School. Kate could not figure out why the school had put Nadia in a class where she could not understand what people were saying. "Why did they do this?" Kate wondered aloud. "I mean, you can't learn if you can't understand the teacher." Nadia's voice was a whisper (speaking in a very low voice). "I understand English. I will learn." Nadia's English was perfect. Kate was _ . She couldn't understand why Nadia did not like to speak. Then she realized that moving to a new country probably wasn't the easiest thing to do. There were hundreds of unfamiliar and unusual things to learn - all at the same time. "There're a lot of new things to learn, huh?" said Kate. Nadia nodded rapidly. In a quiet voice she replied, "Many things people say, I do not understand. I have been speaking English and Romanian all my life, but I do not know what some children are saying. For example, yesterday a boy asked if I could help him find the USB port on a thin black box he was carrying. Isn't a port a place for ships? It made no sense to me." "Don't worry." said Kate. "You'll figure everything out in time. You see, that thin black box was a computer. A USB port is a place where you can connect other machines to a computer." Nadia and Kate were quiet after that. They took notes while the teacher gave a maths lesson. To Kate's surprise, Nadia put up her hand and offered to answer the questions at the blackboard. Nadia handled every question the teacher gave her. Some of the questions were really difficult, and no one understood what was going on except Nadia and the teacher. When the teacher said that Nadia answered everything correctly, the whole class clapped their hands. Nadia was smiling when she sat back down next to Kate. "Some things," she said in a normal voice, "are the same all over the world." Which of the following statements is TRUE? A) Nadia was better at maths than other students. B) Nadia found some of the maths questions difficult. C) Nadia was encouraged to answer questions in class. D) Nadia understood the maths teacher better than other teachers.
Ans: A
Outdoor picnics and parties are very popular in America in the summertime. Visit any park between Memorial Day (end of May) and Labor Day (beginning of September) and you'll find families and groups of friends enjoying the warm weather and sharing a meal. Birthday celebrations, family reunions, sporting events and holidays are all common reasons to host a get-together. But just wanting to be outside on a nice summer day is the best reason! Food is an important part of any gathering, and in the summer Americans love to cook outside on grills . All kinds of meats, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and sausages, and even vegetables like corn, peppers or potatoes can be cooked on the grill. Many typical families have grills in their yards, and many parks also have grills for public use. Men seem to particularly like to do the job of barbecuing the food, even if they don't usually cook at any other time. Many have "secret recipes" for a delicious barbecue sauce . Other guests at the party will often be asked to " bring a dish to share". This means that they will make some kind of side dish (a salad or vegetable) or dessert, and share it with the others. If you make something very delicious, people may want you to make it every time! Fried chicken and sandwiches are popular at picnics too, because you eat them with your hands. Potato salads and baked beans are favorite side dishes. According to the passage, Americans hold outdoor activities in _ . A) January B) April C) June D) October
C