It was a cold December, and Mrs. Bell wanted to do a lot of shopping. She waited until it was Saturday, when her husband was free, and she took him to the shops with her to pay for everything and to carry for her what she had bought. They went to a lot of shops, and Mrs. Bell bought everything she could think of. She often stopped and said, "Look, Peter! Isn't that beautiful?" "All right, my dear. How much is it?" answered Mr. Bell, and then he took money out to buy it for her. It was almost dark when they came out of the last shop, and Mr. Bell was tired. He was thinking about a nice drink by the side of a warm fire home. Suddenly his wife looked up at the sky and said, "Look at that beautiful moon, Peter!" Without stopping, Mr. Bell answered at once. "All right, dear. How much is it?" Then he took his wallet out of his pocket. Mrs. Bell bought _ in the shops. A) nothing B) a drink C) the most beautiful thing D) a number of things
D

Teenagers will be told to "stand up for their elders" on public transport -- or risk losing their right to free travel. London Mayor Boris Johnson will declare plans today to make youngsters sign a "courtesy pledge" to promise to behave in a respectful manner when travelling in the capital. The three-point pledge states that they will give up their seats to the elderly, pregnant and disabled; keep from using offensive or threatening language; and be courteous and polite to fellow passengers and staff. Those who refuse, or are caught behaving in a _ manner, will have their free travel passes removed. The plan -- a key part of Mr. Johnson's re-election bid-- will initially affect the 400,000 ll-to-15-year-olds in London who qualify for free travel cards, but Tory sources believe the idea could be used across the country. A Conservative insider said: "The plan corresponds perfectly with the push to create a Big Society. It is about changing culture and expectations around behavior to improve the atmosphere on buses and trains for everyone." Speaking before today's launch, Mr. Johnson said he was determined to deal with the anti-social behavior of a "minority of youngsters" on public transport. "When I was a boy, I was taught to stand up for those less able to, "he said. "Youngsters enjoy the privilege of free travel, which is paid for by Londoners, but they have to understand that with that privilege comes responsibility. Anyone who abuses this privilege will have it taken away, and will have to earn that right bach ." Teenagers found guilty of a serious violation of the new behavior rules will lose their travel passes, and will have to carry out unpaid community work to earn them back. Mr. Johnson is also introducing a "two strikes and you're out" policy to deal with repeat offenders, under which those committing a second serious violation of the rules will lose their travel rights permanently. Which of the following is NOT the content of the "courtesy pledge"? A) Teenagers should give up their seats to the old. B) Teenagers shouldn't talk with strangers in public. C) Teenagers mustn't use aggressive language in public. D) Teenagers must be polite to people on public transport.
B

When English as a foreign language is taught to children at the primary and early secondary levels of education, it is generally taught with a general education aim in mind--that is, it is regarded as a "good thing" for them to learn a foreign language as a part of a broad education. There is usually, however, no immediate and specific requirement for such children to make use of the language in any communicative situation. The purpose of learning the language is essentially a "deferred" purpose, deferred till the tertiary level of education, normally at university, where, it is agreed, a knowledge of English would be helpful in their academic studies. Immediate aims of learning English are defined by the requirements of examinations. Inevitably what is taught to primary and secondary level children is not a communicative knowledge of English language use, but a knowledge of how the rules of English operate. The language system is taught by means of systematic audio-lingual drill and exercise techniques based on habit formation theory of learning and a structural description of English. This may be an effective manner of teaching English usage, but it is less certain that an understanding of how these rules are related to language in use for communicative purpose is an automatic result of this instruction. What the thousands of children succeed in learning in this way is what is necessary in order to pass examinations. Whether such examinations accurately reflect the uses to which English will be put at the tertiary level is another matter altogether. Adults, on the other hand, unless they are learning a foreign language for "pleasure" at evening institutes, as a "cultural" and social experience, are generally highly conscious of the use to which they intend to put it. That use is frequently associated with an academic or professional requirement; without a knowledge of the foreign language, their development in their chosen sphere of work could be restricted or at least adversely affected. According to the author, the current examination system _ . A) reflects the students' future needs B) does not offer students opportunities to show their knowledge of English C) does not enable students to use English for communication D) prepares students for their future academic requirements
C

Repeated cases of child abuse in China have shocked the country. They also have led to more protection of children's rights. But rights activists say the government and private groups need to do more to help children in need. A small child protection service in Shanghai is trying to stop neglect and violence against children. Gege is seven years old. She has been homeless for almost half her life. Her mother suffers from a mental condition. They lived on the streets in Shenzhen for more than three years. A man named Xiao Xudong learned about Gege. He told her story to the local media earlier this year. Government officials heard the story and found help for Gege and her mother. The mother began to receive treatment for her mental problems. Gege was sent to a centre for children who had lost both parents. She was later re-united with her father. Her story has a happy ending. But social workers are not yet celebrating. Xiao Xudong spoke on Skype: "We have many child protection organizations, but why do we still have so many children being abused and neglected?" Recently, Chinese newspapers and magazines reported on repeated cases of child abuse in the country. The reports shocked many people and led the government to strengthen measures to protect children's rights. Xie Chang'e is a lawyer. She offers legal assistance at a child protection service called Hope Home. Ms. Xie said that China has laws to protect children's rights. But the laws are often unclear, she added, and difficult to put into effect. However, the government is starting to recognize the problems in the child welfare system. New rules state that parents or legal guardians who sexually abuse, sell, abandon or violently hurt children will lose their legal right to care for them. Ms. Xie supports the new regulations. She says they are a good way to help protect children. But she says police and other officials do not know about the regulations or do not always follow them. She also notes that the new regulations have the force of law, but they... What is the purpose of the passage? A) To explain the bad need to solve child abuse in China. B) To call on people to have pity on abused children. C) To help abused children find a happy ending. D) To raise the government's concerns to protect children.
A