Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The United States economy has dipped into economic recession . This caused discomfort and hardship in every level of society; but for many of the nation's poor, discomfort and hardship turned into misery . An increase in homelessness is probably the worst result of a nation's financial disaster. About 3 million Americans were homeless because of a lack of affordable housing. Experts suggest that a family should spend no more than 30 percent of its income on housing. In fact, in some families housing costs make up 50 percent or more. An unexpected event, such as losing work or illness, can quickly push a family into homelessness. An article in Time magazine tells a story of one such family. A young couple and their three children rented a two-bedroom apartment for about $350 a month. They could hardly go on with the husband's $920-a-month take-home pay; so when their rent was raised to $500 a month, they could no longer make ends meet. Another woman was found dead on a street in Washington D.C., the capital, and she died at a bus-stop across the street from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. People become homeless for different reasons. Some may not be able to pay for housing, because they have lost their job and cannot find another place they can afford. Others have mental diseases, or are addicted to drugs or alcohol, many of whom do not live with their family. And what's more, there are not enough centers for shelter as the government doesn't pay enough attention to this social problem. People are making efforts to solve the problem. However, it will not be easy, because it is a personal and economical problem as well as a social problem. Question: In the passage the author supported his view by _ . Options: A: presenting specific figures B: giving examples C: explaining in details D: discussing different opinions
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Will it matter if you don't take your breakfast? Recently a test was given in the United States. Those tested included people of different ages, from 12 to 83. During the experiment, these people were given all kinds of breakfasts and sometimes they got no breakfast at all. Special tests were set up to see how well their bodies worked when they had eaten a certain kind of breakfast. The results show that if a person eats a proper breakfast, he or she will work with better effect than if he or she has no breakfast. This fact appears to be especially true if a person works with his brains. If a student eats fruit, eggs, bread and milk before going to school, he will learn more quickly and listen with more attention in class. Contrary to (......) what many people believe, if you don't eat breakfast, you will not lose weight. This is because people become so hungry at noon that they eat too much for lunch, and end up gaining weight instead of losing. You will probably lose more weight if you reduce your other meals. Question: Which of the following is not true according to the passage? Options: A: Poor breakfasts affect those who work with brains. B: Morning diet may cause one to get fatter. C: Reducing lunch and supper is of less value in weight-losing. D: Eating less in lunch and supper may help to lose weight.
C

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: It is said that most people have not more than 30 friends at any given time, and 400 over the whole of their lives. However, on social networking sites, most users have about 150 friends. If these numbers are correct, then friendship means different things in different situations. Also, there are no rules about friendship. There are no instructions about how to make friends, how to keep friendships going, and how to finish friendships if we want to move on. People have very different opinions about this: some people would die for their friends and they value them more than family. Others say that friends are temporary, only there to help each other until they are no longer needed. If people with such different views become friends, this can lead to problems. Because of these different definitions of friendship, it is easy to be unhappy about our friendships. We may want them to be deeper or closer, or we may want to have more friends in our lives. Sometimes we simply do not have the time to develop our friendships, or we fear we have left it too late in life to start. If we move to another country or city, we have to find ways to make new friends again. This dissatisfaction shows us how important friendships are for most of us. We should not think that it could be too late to build friendships. We also need to understand that the need to be around other people is one that is shared by many. Therefore, we should not be too frightened about starting to talk to people who in the future may become our friends: it is likely that they too would like to get closer to us. Remember what people say: strangers are friends we have not met yet. Question: We can learn from the text that most of us _ . Options: A: need to be with others B: build friendships late in life C: are dissatisfied with our friends D: are frightened to talk to people
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Crazy Festivals Mike the Headless Chicken Festival In 1945, farmer Lloyd Olsen attempted to cut off the head of Mike, a chicken, so his wife could cook it up for dinner. However, the bird didn't die and lived another year and a half, making regular trips to the fair, where people paid a quarter to see the amazing headless chicken bird. Today, the spirit of Mike the headless Chicken is celebrated with a two-day May festival in Fruita, Colorado, which includes live music, a golf tournament , and lots of tasty chicken. Roswell UFO Festival In the summer of 1947, a flying saucer crashed on a large farm outside the town of Roswell, New Mexico. The government says it didn't come from outer space, but many top UFO researchers believe it did. Knowing a good thing when it crashes in their backyard, the citizens of Roswell celebrate the even every July with a three-day festival that features a costume contest, a parade and other activities. Be careful, though ---- that _ little person next to you could be from another planet. World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup The rattlesnake, a poisonous American snake, severs an important function in nature by keeping small pets under control, but when their numbers grow too large, they can cause serious problems for farmers. That's why every March the residents of Sweetwater, Texas, host a three-day festival to connect with the town's annual rattlesnake hunt. Visitors can learn about rattlesnakes, take a bus tour of their natural habitat, participate in a rattlesnake eating contest and so on. BugFest Every September, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh sponsors a daylong festival that focuses on something most people try to avoid: insects. Visitors can hold bugs that are not native, cheer on racing insects and learn about beekeeping. But the highlight for many is Cafe Insecta, where bugs are the main ingredient in a variety of tasty dishes. Question: Llord Olsen cut off the chicken's head because _ Options: A: his family wanted to eat it. B: he wanted to sell its meat at the fair. C: his family wanted to celebrate a headless chicken festival. D: he wanted to make money by showing a headless chicken.
A