(Question)
Florence Nightingale was born in a rich family. When she was young she took lessons in music and drawing, and read great books. She also traveled a great deal with her mother and father. As a child she felt that visiting sick people was both a duty and a pleasure. She enjoyed helping them. At last mind was made up. "I'm going to be a nurse," she decided. "Nursing isn't the right work for a lady," her father told her. "Then I will make it so," she smiled. And she went to learn nursing in Germany and France. When she returned to England, Florence started a nursing home for home. During the Crimean War in 1854 she went with a group of thirty eight nurses to the front hospitals. What they saw there was terrible. Dirt and death were everywhere to be seen -- and smelled. The officer there did not want any woman to tell him how to run a hospital, either. But the brave nurse went to work. Florence used her own money and some from friends to buy clothes, beds, medicine and food for the men. Her only pay was in smiles from the lips of dying soldiers. But they were more than enough for this kind woman. After she returned to England, she was honored for her services by Queen Victoria. But Florence said that her work had just begun. She raised money to build the Nightingale Home for Nurses in London. She also wrote a book on public health, which was printed in several countries. Florence Nightingale died at the age of ninety, still trying to serve others through her work as a nurse. Indeed, it is because of her that we honor nurses today. What made Florence make up her mind to become a nurse? A) Her father's support. B) Her desire to help the sick. C) Her education in Germany and France. D) Her knowledge from reading great books.
(Answer)
B

(Question)
China Earthquake Leaves 5,000 Homeless Beijing--An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale left 5,000 people homeless, killed at least one person and injured 39 others in southwest China on Thursday, with more accidents expected. By late Thursday, 4,900 people were declared homeless after the quake destroyed their homes in a mountainous area lying on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. The dawn quake left one dead and 39 injured, destroyed 268 houses and damaged 1,132 other buildings so seriously that they were considered uninhabitable . Another 2,400 houses suffered less serious damage. The center of the earthquake was near the scenic Lugu Lake, a tourist place, where the local school was badly damaged. In the beginning people thought that the economic losses would add up to about 180 million yuan (22 million dollars). Governments in Yanyuan and the neighboring Yunnan country of Ninglang have joined forces in the rescue efforts and tents, clothes and medicine are badly in need of for the earthquake victims. The mountainous place, heavy rain and several aftershocks all prevented rescue efforts on Thursday. The rain could cause more badly damaged homes to fall down. More dead and injured are expected" as rescuers have yet to reach many faraway areas". It is very hard for rescue workers because most houses are scattered around the mountains, which are inhabited by Yi and other ethnic minority groups . The quake hit the area at 5:10 a.m. Beijing time (2,110 Wednesday GMT).Earthquakes regularly affect _ , with two quakes measuring 5.0 and 6.2 on the Richter scale killing at least three people and injuring more than 1,500 in Ninglang in November 1998. The area is about 100 kilometers from the historic Yunnan town of Lijiang, which was struck in 1996 by an earthquake that killed more than 250 people and injured 14,000. (Reports from China Daily,May 25,2001) The author's purpose in writing the passage is to _ . A) tell us the earthquake taking place in Yunnan has caused 5,000 homeless B) warn the people in mountainous areas in Yunnan to take care of earthquake C) call on more help from the people all over the country D) analyze why the earthquake took place in this area
(Answer)
A

(Question)
Katharine Meyer Graham was once described as "the most powerful woman in America." She was not a government official or elected representative. She owned and published The Washington Post. Under her leadership, it became one of the most important newspapers in the country. Katharine Meyer was born in New York City in 1917. Her father was a successful investment banker and became an important financial official. Her family was very rich. Katharine grew up in large houses in New York and Washington. Her parents were often away from home, traveling and working, Katharine was often lonely. Katherine Meyer graduated from the University of Chicago in Illinois in 1938. In 1933, her father bought a failing newspaper, The Washington Post. It was the least successful one of five newspapers in Washington. Katharine Graham returned to Washington and got a job editing letters to the editor of her father's newspaper. She married Philip Graham. He was a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter but soon accepted a job at his wife's father's newspaper. Mr. Graham improved The Washington Post. He bought Newsweek and several television stations. He also established close ties with important political leaders. However, Mr. Graham treated his wife badly. He had an affair with a young reporter. For many years, Mr. Graham suffered from mental illness. He killed himself in 1963. Katharine Graham had four children to raise and a newspaper to operate. At first, she was only concerned about finding a way to keep control of The Washington Post until her sons were old enough. She did not think she had the ability to do an important job. She had no training in business or experience in operating a large company. In those days, it was unusual for a woman to be the head of a business. Women were expected to look after their homes and children. Katharine Graham met with officials of The Washington Post. She was elected president of The Washington Post Company. She had no idea about how to operate a newspaper. So she decided to... Faced with the death of Mr. Graham _ . A) Katharine Graham had confidence to operate the newspaper well. B) Katharine Graham made up her mind to raise the kids. C) KatharineGraham thought more about gaining experience. D) Katharine Graham seemed to be trapped in the dark world.
(Answer)
D