Read the article and select the best answer. Article: How we look and how we appear to others probably worries us more when we are in our teens or early twenties than at any other time in our life. Few of us are content to accept ourselves as we are, and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion. Most fashion magazines or TV advertisements try to persuade us that we should dress in a certain way or behave in a certain manner. If we do, they tell us, we will be able to meet new people with confidence and deal with every situation confidently and without embarrassment. Changing fashion, of course, does not apply just to dress. A barber today does not cut a boy's hair in the same way as he used to, and girls do not make up in the same way as their mothers and grandmothers did. The advertisers show us the latest fashionable styles and we are constantly under pressure to follow the fashion in case our friends think we are odd or dull. What causes fashions to change? Sometimes convenience or practical necessity or just the fancy of an influential person can establish a fashion. Take hats for example. In cold climates, early buildings were cold inside, so people wore hats indoors as well as outside. In recent times, the late President Kennedy caused a depression in the American hat industry by not wearing hats, and more American men followed his example. There is also a cyclical pattern in fashion. In the 1920s in Europe and America, short skirts became fashionable. After World War II, they dropped to ankle length. Then they got shorter and shorter until the miniskirt was in fashion. After a few more years, skirts became longer again. Today, society is much freer and easier than it used to be. It is no longer necessary to dress like everyone else. Within reason, you can dress as you like or do your hair the way you like instead of the way you should because it is the fashion. The popularity of jeans and the "untidy" look seems to be a reaction against the increasingly expensive fashion of the top fashion houses. At the same time, appearance is still... Question: The reason why we are constantly under pressure to follow the fashion is mainly that _ . Options: A: Fashion magazines or TV advertisements show us the latest fashionable styles. B: We can't meet new people and deal with every situation confidently. C: Our friends may think we are strange or out of date. D: We are not content to accept ourselves as we are.
C

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: During the last twenty years there has been increasing concern with the quality of the environment. Along with air and water pollutions, noises pollution has been recognized as a serious pollutant. As noise levels have risen, the effects of noise have become more apparent. Noise is defined as "unwanted sound". Causes of noise pollution include traffic, aircraft, rock bands, barking dogs, televisions, garbage trucks, and noise from neighbors, voices, alarms, and watercrafts. Studies show that over forty percent of Americans are disturbed at home or lose sleep because of noise pollution. Noise has bad effects on people and the environment. Noise causes hearing loss, interferes with human activities at home and work, and is in various ways dangerous to people's health and well being. When we think, talk, listen to music, or sleep, we need quiet. Even low levels of noise can be annoying or frustrating. Sudden increases in volume can make sounds annoying. The quieter the background is, the more _ a noise can be. Noise can also make instructions or warning unclear, resulting in accidents. Louder noise bursts can be more disruptive .Continued stress can lead to high blood pressure, which is the major cause of some diseases. Long exposure to noise levels above eight-five decibels can damage inner cells and lead to hearing loss. Noise can result in the involuntary fear response and can cause adrenaline to be pumped into the bloodstream, the heart rate to quicken, muscles to tense, breathing to increase, and the digestive system to slow down. Local government has the responsibility to fight noise pollution. For example, it can regulate the speed of trains through their community. On the other hand, a responsible citizen will never make noise pollution wherever he is. Question: How many kinds of environmental pollution are mentioned in the text? Options: A: Two B: Three C: Four D: Five
B

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: High heels were first worn in the 1500s, and were popular with both women and men. Today, high heels are strictly a female fashion that is easily found in stores. High heels are the hit items featured on the runway and are widely worn by celebrities. For instance, in the popular TV drama, Sex and the City, the main character, Carrie, is a lover of high heels that in almost every episode, she purchases a pair of gorgeous 4-inch high heels. Carrie loves the heels so much that she even sets her email address as "shoe girl". This clearly shows how much modern women love high heels. Even though high heels are popular, they are not the most comfortable shoes to wear. In many ways, high heels have already changed the shape of people's lives. Doctors have warned that continuous wear can cause back pain and serious damage to the knees. Though it is yet to be proven, some psychological reports suggest that high heels can lead to mental disorder, as it is stressful to the people who wear high heels, in the sense that they have to bear the pain in every step. According to Mayann Los Russo, chief editor of Footwear News, high heels are desirable because they make people appear taller. She says, "I think it goes back to the idea of pain before beauty." Indeed, some people feel that they always need to look appealing in front of their peers. Still, Dr. Casey Kerrigan, a professor at Harvard Medical School, warns, "It takes a long time to feel the effects. And once you do, it's too late." Despite the damage high heels can do to the feet and legs, they remain popular. Most women accept the pain because they like how they look wearing high heels. It is important that we all understand that we should never hurt ourselves just to please others. Question: What does NOT make high heels popular? Options: A: Famous TV shows. B: Reports from Footwear News. C: Models on the runway. D: Height added by the heels.
A: B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: All countries have little known interesting facts about them, including Canada. For example, did you know that although Canada is the second largest county with only 30 million people, making it the 28thlargest in population? Because a large part of Canada is covered with lakes and streams, it has the largest source of fresh water in the world. The US has a lot of automobiles on the road. Canada has more automobiles per person than any other country, with at least one automobile for every 2 people. And in Canada, 100 different languages are spoken. Did you know that the Canadian $1 coin is called the Loonie, named after a bird pictured on the coin? Are there any other animals featured on Canadian coins? Yes. The caribou is displayed on the Canadian quarter. Did you also know that Canada has six time zones? Some of the things we love most in America were created by Canadians. Superman, the chocolate nut bar, basketball, and Ginger Ale were all created by Canadians. Famous inventions that are used by many Americans are credited to Canadians including the walker, used by the elderly or the injured, the common garbage bag, the electric cooking range, and the electric light bulb (even though most people think it was invented by Thomas Edison). To make our lives easier, Canadians invented the instant mashed potatoes, paint rollers, snow blowers, the wireless radio and the zipper . For communication or fun, the Canadians invented the television, walkie-talkies, telephone, and the snowmobile. There are many famous people who were born in Canada, including Pamela Anderson, Shania Twain, Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Tilley. Question: The passage is mainly intended to _ . Options: A: share some interesting facts about Canada B: correct people's wrong ideas about Canada C: tell people about the history and culture of Canada D: honor the Canadian for their great achievements
A