Q: I currently entered college in New York. Since English is not my first language, I sometimes ask a friend to read my essays to help fix the grammar and language. I believe I'm being graded mainly on my ideas, and my friend helps me get my ideas across better in English. Is this OK? -Mariana A: It's good that you want to succeed in your written work at college. Making use of available resources to help you succeed is a smart strategy . But while you may believe that your instructors don't care as much about how you write as they do about your ideas, that' s not a fair assumption. Certainly, your ideas are important. No matter how polished your writing is, it will not disguise a poorly expressed idea in a paper. But as a college student, being able to organize your thoughts clearly-whether you're speaking in class or writing a paper-is critical to show that you've mastered the material in each course. This does not mean you shouldn't ask others to review your written work before handing it in. That's OK. You should not, however, allow a friend or anyone else to rewrite parts of your papers for you. Instead, ask them to simply let you know about any parts of the paper that are unclear and need work. Many colleges have writing centers where tutors will work with you on your writing-without doing the work for you. Regardless of whether you consult with a friend or a tutor, the right thing is for you to talk to your instructors to ask their advice and let them know you plan to seek assistance with your writing. If you ask them in advance for guidance on what's appropriate and what's not for the written work they assign, that will allow you to be as transparent as possible about how you completed your _ -Professor Byron What problem does Mariana meet? A) She has trouble learning English grammar. B) She wonders if her method on writing is suitable. C) She doesn't get on well with her classmates. D) She isn't able to express herself in English.
B
A young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications , he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows." This puzzled the farmer. But he liked the young man, and hired him. A few days later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm. They quickly began to check things to see if all was safe from damage. They found that the doors of the farmhouse had been safely fastened, and a lot of wood had been set next to the fireplace. The young man slept soundly. The farmer and his wife then looked at their property carefully. They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage room, safe from the bad weather. The tractor had been moved into the garage. The barn was properly locked. Even the animals were calm. All was well. The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's words, " I can sleep when the wind blows." The farmhand did his work loyally. When the sky was clear, he had prepared for the storm in case it broke. So when the wind blew, there was no need for him to be afraid. He could sleep in peace. Which of the following proverbs can best explain the story? A) Lookers-on see more than players B) Two heads are better than one C) A stitch in time saves nine D) No man can do two things at a time
C
Q: After my husband died suddenly from a heart attack on the tennis court, my world crashed around me. I was overwhelmed with the responsibilities of earning a living, caring for the children and just _ . I was fortunate to find a wonderful housekeeper to care for the children during the week, but from Friday nights to Monday mornings, the children and I were alone, and frankly I was uneasy. One Friday evening I came home from work to find a big beautiful German shepherd on our doorstep. He gave every indication that he intended to enter the house and make it his home. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement until the next day. The following morning we made phone calls and checked lost-and-found ads for German's owner, but with no results. German, meanwhile, actually made himself part of the family. Saturday night he was still with us, sleeping in the basement. On Sunday I had planned to take the children on a picnic. When we stopped to get gas at a local station, we were amazed to see German racing to the gas station after us. He settled down in the back for the ride to the picnic. Monday morning I let him out for a run while the children got ready for school. He didn't come back. As evening came and German didn't appear, we were all disappointed. We were convinced that he had gone home or been found by his owner, and that we would never see him again. We were wrong. The next Friday evening, German was back on our doorstep. Again we took him in, and again he stayed until Monday morning, when our housekeeper arrived. This pattern repeated itself every weekend for almost 10 months. We grew more and more fond of German and we took comfort in his strong, warm presence, and we felt safe with him near us. Each week, between German's visits, I grew a little stronger, a little braver and more able to cope; every weekend I enjoyed his company. Then one Monday morning we patted his head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. He never came back. We never saw or heard of German again. I think of him... We can conclude from the passage that _ . A) German liked to have a picnic with the family B) German's owner put an ad for him C) German was fond of living with the family D) the writer was not very willing to find German's owner
A: C
(Question)
When I heard the piano, I walked to Mrs. Windsor's house and waited outside as I always did. That meant she was working with another student, and I was not supposed to bother them by ringing the bell. I stood against the wall and daydreamed what I'd rather be doing. "Almost anything", I sighed _ . I had been tutored enough to read, understand, and even write some musical compositions, but I just didn't have a gift for it. It didn't come to me naturally. I thought back to happier times when I was writing stories and acting them out with my friends, cutting up old clothes to make dresses that performers wear in plays, and building scenery out of old things we found. But Mrs. Windsor had offered to give me the lessons for free, so I felt my duty to try. The door opened and Wendy Barton came out. I walked in, sat down on the piano bench and began to sort through my sheet music. "Hello," I heard a voice behind me say softly. I turned around to see a little girl standing behind me, eating an apple. But before I could make any response, Mrs. Windsor walked into the room in her usual urgent manner and announced,"Jennifer, this is my niece, Pasha. Pasha, this is Jennifer. Pasha will be giving you your lesson today. I'm up to my ears in something else!" she then exited to the kitchen. Pasha set her apple down on the side table and slid beside me on the piano bench. "What piece do you like best?"she asked. "What do you mean?" I asked. "They're all the same to me. I don't know. "You mean you don't have a favorite?" "No, not really." Pasha looked at me, rather puzzled, then opened my sheet music to the beginning page and asked me to play. I arranged my fingers on the keys and studied the notes on the page for a moment. Then I frowned and concentrated to make the notes on the page match the finger movements. I have to admit I was a rather mechanical pianist. After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of mine as if to calm my fingers. There was a long pause. "What are you hearing in the music?" I looked at... 58. Which of the following can best describe Pasha? A) Creative B) Naughty C) Humorous D) Brave
(Answer)
A