Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Marjorie Baer used to joke about her retirement plans.She wasn't married and had no kids, but she didn't intend to be alone--she and all her single friends would move into a fictional home she called Casa de Biddies.Instead, Baer developed terminal brain cancer when she was 52.But just as she'd hoped, her friends and family provided her with love and care to the end. Ballance was only the first of Baer's friends who became her unofficial caregivers.With her brother Phil Baer from Los Angeles, they worked out a system to watch over their friend and allow her to keep some of the privacy and independence she cherished. Baer's good friend Ruth Henrich took Baer to doctors' appointments and helped her deal with all the aspects of life --answering machines, TV controls, and even phone numbers.After Henrich sent out an e-mail request, a group of volunteers signed up to ferry Baer back and forth to radiation therapy .Others in Baer's circle offered up particular talents: A nurse friend helped Baer figure out how to get what she was due from Social Security and her disability insurance; a lawyer pal helped Baer with her will; a partner who was an accountant took over her bills when she could no longer manage them."There was this odd sense that the right person always showed up," says Ballance.Their arrangement worked remarkably well. Unmarried women are one of the fastest-growing groups in America; experts are concerned about how care-giving will be managed for them as they age.If the experience of Baer's friends is a guide, _ .It's already making it possible to create communities of caregivers who may have only one thing in common: the person who needs their help.On personal "care pages" set up through services such as Lotsa Helping Hands, friends and family members can post a list of tasks that need to be done, volunteer to do them, and keep updated on the person's condition.As Baer's cancer progressed, for example, her friends set up a page on Yahoo! where people could sign up to deliver meals or do errands... Question: Who helped Marjorie Baer get her disability insurance? Options: A: Ruth Henrich. B: Her brother. C: A nurse friend. D: Ballance.
C

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: My husband and I were once in Nepal to see sunrise over the Himalayas. One morning we awoke to total darkness at 5 o'clock.As we rushed through a town with cameras in hand,I noticed the calm,gentle way the Nepalese people greeted the morning.One man boiled a huge pot of milk tea,and other villagers gathered around his fire,cupping their hands around small glasses of the steaming sweet mixture.It was fascinating,but not to be left behind,we joined the stream of tourists moving quickly up to the lookout point. The top was crowded when we arrived,but after 10 minutes of cold waiting,the assembled group gave up."The cloud cover is too heavy,"one said.Then one by one they rushed down the hill to the next item on their sightseeing list.I was disappointed as well,but suddenly I noticed a small Nepalese boy absently playing with a stick and shooting quick glances at the clouds.He must know something we don't,I thought.I decided to wait with him. The boy and I didn't have to wait long.Moments later,a tiny stream of golden light burned through one thick cloud,then another.Rose-colored fog warmed the backs of the clouds,and suddenly the morning sun stole a glance around the side of the mountain,mile above where I'd expected it to be. Nothing I'd seen before prepared me for the moment the clouds withdrew with bowed heads,and the magnificent Himalayas were revealed before,around,and above me.I sat in astonishment,not breathing,not daring to look away,certain that God had placed me here at the backdoor of Earth to show me what Heaven really looks like.I certainly got the message.Never again will I rush a sunrise.I now know Nature will supply her fruits to me only when I am truly ready to receive them. Question: What can be concluded from the passage? Options: A: Do in Rome as the Romans do. B: God helps those who help themselves. C: Time and tide wait for no man. D: Fortune rewards those having patience.
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives. To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient. Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity. All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be "zero impact". The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting... Question: What does the author think of traditional farming practices? Options: A: They are not necessarily sustainable B: They have not kept pace with population growth C: They have remained the same over the centuries D: They are environmentally friendly
A