The grandfather of Nell Trent owns a shop of odds and ends. He wants to make sure his grandfather is provided for when he dies. His memory of his daughter's suffering and early death gives him a fear of poverty. Gambling becomes an addiction for Nell's grandfather, which results in his financial and physical ruin. Nell and her grandfather flee from their home and begin a journey that has no destination. For Nell, all she wants is a peaceful existence with enough to live on. They come across many interesting people on their travels and often meet with the kindness of strangers. Yet, in a colorful world, they also face the reality of the Industrial Revolution. From simple villages and fields of flowers, they go into a dirty city full of mass unemployment and plague victims --- where children die of starvation and many are abandoned. The story isn't only about Nell and her grandfather, but also the people who are connected to them directly or indirectly. There is Richard Swiveller, a careless young man who is a friend of Nell's older brother, who wants Swiveller to marry Nell for the fortune he thinks she has. Daniel Quilp is a cruel moneylender, who manages to fool the grandfather into borrowing large sums of money from him. There is honest Kit, a boy employed at the shop, who becomes a victim even though he never harms other people. Kit desires to help Nell, whom he considers an angel that has always inspired the best in him. The mysterious Bevis Marks, who is a generous customer to some people and an enemy to others, also has his own reasons for looking after Nell and her grandfather. Unlike Dickens' other works, The Old Curiosity Shop is a book of contrasts: the purity of Nell compared to the dishonesty of Quilp, fresh air and scenic villages to the polluted, stone-covered city, etc. Even people's reaction to the book presented a cruel contrast. At first, Nell Trent was praised and considered Dickens' best character. Later, she was criticized by many well-known people like Oscar Wilde. While characters in... The Old Curiosity Shop is different from Dickens' other works because it _ . A) is full of contrasts B) has a surprise ending C) reflects Dickens' own life D) is set in the Industrial Revolution
A
Indoor Plants As with any house guests,indoor plants require a certain amount of basic,regular attention if they are going to feel at home. The first consideration when purchasing plants is to make reasonably sure that they are suitable for the condition in which they are going to be housed. A general rule for most plans being brought indoors for the first time is to ensure that they have reasonable temperature of not less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit,a position out of cold air,safe from pets and not exposed to strong sunlight. Plants love company. When plants are growing together,they create an atmosphere of damp around themselves which is far more beneficial than hot dry conditions. A group of plants will also present a more pleasing picture and provide an opportunity for a creative arrangement. There is no secret to this. Just rely on your natural feeling for harmony. Watering and feeding plants are probably the two areas of care that are the least well understood,but,again,if you follow a few simple rules,your plants should do well. Cold Slightly warm water is therefore the answer. It is usually better to pour water on to the soil on the surface of the pot rather than put the water into the pot holder at the bottom. Avoid giving small amount of water at regular intervals- it is much better to wet the soil right through the pot in one go and then to allow it to dry noticeably before giving it a further watering. The majority of indoor plants will be in active growth from March until October,and during this time,the established ones will benefit from regular feeding. This may mean feeding with a weak liquid fertilizer at each watering or at intervals of a week or ten days with fertilizer at a standard strength. It is important,however,to ensure that plants are not fed when growth is inactive,when the soil in the pot is dry,or too soon after the plants has been potted up. While watering the plants,what should we remember to do? A) Use water that is a little warm. B) Pour the water into the pot holder. C) Give small amount of water at one time. D) Consider further watering in dry weather.
A
(Question)
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is likely to visit China at an "appropriate" time this year, a senior Chinese military official said on Monday. Colonel Tu Qiming, director of the American and Oceania Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Office at the National Defense Ministry, made the remark during Sino-US defense talks this week. This is the first ever "special defense policy dialogue" between the two defense ministries, according to the Chinese military. *** FRANCES Agriculture Ministry has confirmed the first case of mad cow disease detected in a goat last Friday. The goat killed in 2002 tested positive for mad cow disease. It is the first case in the world of the fatal disease being found in an animal other than a bovine. The human form of mad cow disease causes brain-wasting, personality change, loss of body function, and ends in death. The European Commission has not advised any change in farming and consuming goats, said the French Ministry in a statement published last Friday. *** MOBILE phone sales hit a new record in 2010, with some 684 million units sold around the world, the US research institute Strategy Analytics said on Thursday. The number represents an increase of 32 per cent over 2003, when 571 million units were sold. Strategy Analytics predicts a more modest rise of 8 per cent for this year, to 735 million. Finnish cell phone provider Nokia stayed out in front in 2010, with sales of 207.6 million units, giving it a market share of 30.4 per cent. Motorola moved to No 2, just ahead of the South Korean company Samsung. *** SIX male penguins at a German zoo are proving stubbornly resistant to females brought in from Sweden to make them into breeding .Of the ten male penguins at the zoo, six have formed into "homosexual" couples and have shown no interest in the females, making breeding an impossibility. So the zoo imported the four female penguins from Sweden last month, full of hope that the new arrivals could "turn" the males. But so far, the boys are remaining strictly with the boys. Which will probably reach the sales of 735 million units in 2010? A) Nokia. B) Motorola. C) Samsung. D) Cell phones.
(Answer)
D