Looking back on my childhood. I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic. Before Word War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal clear memory of dogs, the farm animals, the local birds and above all, the insects. I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world, and my enthusiasm has led me into varied investigations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people's observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle. Because it all seems to fit together .This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books. Which some may light honor, with the title of scientific research. But curiosity a keen eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist? One of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack. A scientist can be made a naturalist. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds. Which of the following statements is true? A) The author believes that a born naturalist can not be scientist. B) The author read a lot of books about the natural world and oil industry C) The author's brothers and sisters were good at music and languages. D) The author spent a lot of time working on riddles.
C
(Question)
Heavy snow and low temperatures caused further damage across northern Europe on Monday--stranding travelers,snarling traffic and shutting schools. More than 1,000 flights at Germany's main airports in Frankfurt,Munich and Berlin were _ and many more delayed after up to 40 cm of fresh snow covering the country.Some 500 passengers slept at Frankfurt airport.Airlines advised passengers to take trains if possible. In the United Kingdom,British Airways said the severe weather continued to cause great damage to operations and further travel.Only one of two runways at London Heathrow,the world's busiest international airport,was operating after the snowstorm.Other UK airports were open,but many flights were canceled,and many passengers spent a second night at an airport terminal . Northern France was also covered by heavy snow.Air travel was reduced at Paris' two main airports,with Orly airport shutting down. In Poland,hard hit by the cold weather,six people froze to death on Sunday night,raising the death toll to 114 in the last month.Heavy snow stopped Warsaw traffic again on Monday.Warsaw airport was open but was receiving far fewer passengers than usual because of flight cancellations in western Europe. Which of the following was NOT related to heavy snow and low temperatures? A) That more travelers stayed in the airport. B) That workers were on strike for better public traffic. C) That many schools had to stop having classes. D) That traffic didn't run as usual.
(Answer)
B
Ques: Last weekend marked one of the nicest days so far this spring. It was warm with a tiny wind, the sun streamed through lightweight sweaters to warm the skin; the male choir was warming up, and the students were moving around the lawn behind the huge crowd of six-thousand-plus observers. With all of the parents, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, the state university was a center of activity. My nephew was going to receive his bachelor's degree. Who would have guessed that four years would go by so quickly? As the crowd of freshly polished candidates wandered, joked, hugged and chatted behind the bleachers , I heard several cell phones ring. There were several casual conversations going on with the accompanying giggles of the not-quite-mature students, but then one conversation in particular caught my attention: "Yes, Grandma, I'm really graduating. I can't believe it, either! I never thought I'd be here today, you know? Really! Like, I know it! Yes, it's a very special day. Oh, what did the doctor say? He did? I know, Gran... I know you wanted to come... It's okay... No, really, please don't cry...It's a very happy day, you know? "Hold on, we're lining up okay, all set... yes, the center aisle ... the grass is awesome! Smells really good, too... Oh wow, they've got like a million balloons they're going to release! Yes, Kelly's here... Okay, I'll give her your love... here we go! Gran, I'm graduating! "Love you, too, Gran. I'm so glad you could be here with me!" And somehow, my initial dislike at the use of cell phones and the casual conservations during such a serious occasion left me. For these little representatives of modern technology had joined a young woman and her fond Gran to share a very special moment in time. The young woman was _ at the time. A) talking to her grandma face to face B) giving a speech C) chatting with her grandma on the phone D) introducing her grandma to others
Ans: C
The rumors had been spreading for months but it still came as a shock when the hospital would be closing. It had served this poor neighborhood for nearly 100 years but it would close because of the health care crisis. The day after the announcement co-workers found out that pretzels had been _ . Soft pretzels are the lifeblood of this city. So losing access to soft pretzels is no small matter. A week later, I decided to cheer up my co-workers by picking up some soft pretzels at a local store. I arrived just as it opened so I was the only customer. But I only had $6 in my wallet. I was working inside a large office at the hospital and knew I'd need more than the half dozen pretzels my six dollars would buy. A man's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Can I help you?" I said, "I only have $6. I'm not sure how many pretzels I need. You see, I work at a hospital and it's closing and they stopped selling pretzels." The man's smile disappeared. "What hospital?" "Oh, Northeastern Hospital." The guy looked deeply shocked. "I used to sell medical supplies and that was one of my hospitals." Then he turned around and grabbed a box of 25 pretzels and slid them across the counter. I was surprised by his generosity and started to reach for my wallet, "Oh I can pay. Please let me ..." The guy smiled, "Just tell them Joe Sullivan said to do something nice for someone else." And so that day everyone in medical records was treated to a soft pretzel. Word spread fast as people came asking, "Is it really true?" It was as if I'd carried in a box of gold. It mattered to them that a stranger cared. What can be the best title of the passage? A) A nice treat B) The rumor that came true C) Tell them Joe cared D) Northeastern Hospital is closing down
C