My family moved around a lot when I was growing up.In 2nd grade,I lived here in Washington D.C,where I made an amazing group of friends.I was upset when my parents told me we were moving again and I would have to leave all my best friends behind. In 7th grade.we moved back to Washington D.C.And I could not have been more excited and I felt like I was finally home again.But things had changed.There were two new girls,who decided that they didn't like me,which meant no one else could,not even all my former best friends. And then one day during school,I opened my locker,only to find a note lying on the floor.The note said:Die.Nobody likes you. My heart started beating faster and I felt the blood rushing to my face.I had no idea what to do.The note wasn't signed and I had no idea who had written it,but I figured the new girls were behind it.I had to sit in class all day with my head down,wondering who else knew about this shame.I felt horrible and sure that nothing would ever be good again. I decided that the perfect way to end all of this was with another note,left on the bathroom mirror at school. It's sad for someone to bully other classmates to make themselves feel better or look cool.Bullying others is a way to impress others.It's common,but that doesn't mean it's okay.Looking cool is not worth making others feel bad.Obviously I'm very happy now,but it doesn't mean I'11 ever forget about that note or how it made me feel.And to those of you that are current victims of bullying--know that you are NOT alone.It will get better.I promise. In the end,the author turned things around _ . A) under her teacher's guide B) by compromising to others C) with her best friends' help D) through her own efforts
D
(Question)
In tough economic times, school counselors don't just wait for students to come to their offices in search of college brochures, health pamphlets or other help. These days, they are looking for at-risk kids to prevent personal or academic troubles before they arise. Nowadays, students and families need the guidance more than ever. Counselors play a steadying role in schools as the economy weighs on families, college admission becomes even more competitive, immigration continues to reshape the population and state-testing pressures many students. They use computers to search through attendance data, grades and standardized test scores for kids who might need extra help. Schlatter, director of guidance and counseling at Prince William County's Woodbridge Senior High School, has checked attendance records against grades and test results to start peer groups for students who are failing classes but not skipping them. She said group counseling is another way to reach more students though it can be difficult. "Kids really do start helping and sharing with each other." At Fairfax High School, counselors found through surveys that students who transferred to the school after ninth grade enjoyed school significantly less than those who had been there all four years. The counseling staff set up a special program and group for new arrivals in response, said Marcy Miller, the school's director of student services. Counseling staff members also have started small study groups for students to prepare for state Standards of Learning exams, which Miller said have helped raise test scores. She said that some of the newest counselors have had some of the freshest ideas. We can learn from the passage that _ . A) counselors don't wait for kids to come to ask for help now B) counselors are trying to help people with economic problems C) counselors have made college admission less competitive D) counselors are trying to reach more kids in need of help
(Answer)
D
Ques: The Enigma of Beauty The search for beauty spans centuries and continents.Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup.In 18th-century France,wealthy noblemen wore large wigs of long,white hair to make themselves attractive.Today,people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance. There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive: beauty is power.Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money,get called on more often in class,and are regarded as friendlier. But what exactly is beauty? It's difficult to describe it clearly,and yet we know it when we see it.And our awareness of it may start at a very early age.In one set of studies,six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs.The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students.In the studies,the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones. The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers.In studies by psychologists,men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes,fuller lips,and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and a narrow waist.According to scientists,the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits--the full lips,clear skin,strong shoulders--equal health and genetic well-being. Not everyone thinks the same way,however."Our hardwiredness can be changed by all sorts of expectations--mostly cultural," says C.Loring Brace,an anthropologist at the University of Michigan.What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another.Look at most Western fashion magazines: the women on the pages are thin.But is this "perfect" body type for women worldwide? Scientists' answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the world.They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures. For... We can learn from the passage that _ . A) the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up B) the search for beauty is rooted in lack of confidence C) the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches D) the understanding of beauty depends on cultural backgrounds
Ans: D
I believe that it is important to be brought up with a firm belief in the good. I was fortunate in this respect. My parents not only gave me a happy home, but they had me study half a dozen foreign languages and made it possible for me to travel in other countries. This made me more tolerant and helped me to bridge many difficulties in later life. Soon after I got married, my husband and I left our native Czechoslovakia and went to live in Shanghai, China. Here was a really international city. People of all races and beliefs lived and worked together. In Shanghai, in 1941, when I was only twenty years old, the doctors discovered that I had diabetes. It was a terrible shock, because diabetes is incurable. But it can be controlled by insulin . Although this drug was not manufactured in China, there were enough stocks of imported insulin available. This enabled me to continue a normal, happy life. Then bombs fell on Pearl Harbor and the Japanese occupied Shanghai. The import of insulin was cut off. Before long, there was not enough for the diabetics. I was on a starvation diet to keep my insulin requirements as low as possible. Many diabetics had already died, and the situation became desperate. In spite of all this, I never stopped believing that with the help of my husband's love and care, I would survive. I continued to teach in Chinese schools. My faith and my husband's never-ending efforts to get the manufacture of insulin started gave me courage. In his small laboratory the production of insulin was attempted. I served as the human guinea pig on which was tested. I'll never forget the day when my husband gave me the first injection of the new insulin, which had worked on rabbits. It helped! Can you imagine our happiness and relief? I received the greatest strength from the deep love and complete understanding between my husband and me. And next to that was the kindness and help of many, many friends of many nationalities. To me, the experience of living in Shanghai during the special times was... What can we know about the author? A) She visited China before twenty. B) She was given an unhappy home. C) She got married in Czechoslovakia. D) She could hardly tolerate her parents.
C