One afternoon Peter and Jim went out for a bicycle ride. When they passed a place they saw a large area of grass and bushes on fire and a strong wind was blowing the flames towards a village. The firemen had already arrived and were trying to put out the fire. The boys left their bicycles and ran towards the village to see if they could help to fight the fire. On the way they met two firemen. "Quick, you boys," said one of the firemen. "Come and help us to pull a pump to the stream. We can't beat out the fire. The wind is too strong. The pump is our only hope." The two boys ran further until they came to a heavy pump. They helped to pull it to a stream not far from the village. Soon the pump was working well so the boys went to watch the fire. It had already reached the edge of the village. The boys saw that two houses were on fire, and the flames were attacking a third building. Suddenly there was a shout from one of the villagers. "Keep away!" a voice shouted. "There's paint stored in that building." The boys and villagers moved away quickly. With a loud explosion , the whole building burst into flames, sending clouds of thick black smoke into the sky. At this time Peter and Jim began to think that the whole village would be burnt to the ground. The firemen had left the burning buildings and were pouring water onto the neighboring houses, trying to stop the fire from spreading. Then the wind died down. A second pump was brought up to help, and the fire was gradually put out. "It's soon finished," Peter said to his friend. "We must go or we shall get home late." "Yes, come on," agreed Jim, and with a last look at the ruins, they walked back to their bicycles. The villagers were told to keep away from the fire mainly because _ . A) their help was unnecessary B) it was spreading very rapidly C) two burning buildings were falling down D) one of the buildings stored a lot of paint
D
(Question)
"Sesame Street" has been called "the longest street in the world". That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American's exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969. In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation's pre-school children, from every kind of economic , racial , and geographical group. Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from "Sesame Street" are in the same class with children who have not watched the program. Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional viewers. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly. The programs all use songs, stories, jokes, and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters. Why has "Sesame Street" been so much more successful than other children's shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories of its creators, the support by the government and private businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more. What is special about the program? A) It offers great fun. B) It makes children feel able to learn. C) It is shown at different hours during the week. D) Children learn and enjoy themselves while watching.
(Answer)
D
Ques: An insect bee stands out on the logo of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, despite "Bee" being unrelated to the name of the insect. "Bee" refers to "a gathering", where people join together in an activity. The National Spelling Bee was formed in 1925 as a collection of many local spelling bees,organized by Louisville. With competitions, cash prizes, and a trip to the nation's capital, it was hoped the Bee would _ "general interest among pupils in a dull subject". Mark Neuhauser won the first National Spelling Bee held that year, by successfully spelling "gladiolus".In 2014,there were two winners of the Bee--a conclusion that has only happened three other times in Bee history, and not since 1962. Sriram Hathwar, a 14yearold from New York and Ansun Sujoe, a 13yearold from Texas shared the excitement as cochampions after 22 rounds of spelling. Each took home over $30,000 in cash, scholarships and bonds. The Spelling Bee has been held every year except for 19431945 due to World War II.Later, the Scripps Company acquired the rights to the program in 1941. The bee is held in late May or early June of each year.It is open to students who have not yet completed the eighth grade, reached their 15th birthday, nor won a previous National Spelling Bee.Its goal is educational:not only to encourage children to perfect the art of spelling, but also to help enlarge their vocabularies and widen their knowledge of the English language. What's the purpose of writing the text? A) To make people know a new kind of insectspelling bee. B) To introduce a competition about spelling words. C) To discuss the ways of participating the Scripps National Spelling Bee. D) To share Mark Neuhauser's pleasure of winning the competition.
Ans: B
Ques:The US recession has opened up the biggest gap between male and female unemployment rates since records began in 1948, as men bear the blow of the economy's decline. Men have lost almost 80% of the 5.1 million jobs since the recession started, pushing the male unemployment rate to 8.8%. The female jobless rate has hit 7%. This is a dramatic change of the trend over the past few years, where the rates of male and female unemployment barely differed, at about 5%. It also means that women could soon overtake men as the majority of the prefix = st1 /USlabour force. Men have been badly hurt because they dominate those industries that have been affected: 9 in every 10 construction workers are male, as are 7 in every 10 manufacturing workers. These two sectors alone have lost almost 2.5 million jobs. Women, in contrast, tend to hold more stable jobs and make up 75% of the most unaffected sectors of all: education and healthcare. "It protects them a little bit and softens the blow," said Francine Blau, a labour market economist at CornellUniversity. "I think we are going to see this pattern until the recovery." The widening gap between male and female joblessness means many US families are totally reliant on the income the woman brings in. Since women earn on average 20% less than men, that is putting extra stress on many households. What's the passage mainly about? A) Compared to the female's, the male jobless rate becomes higher. B) The US recession has brought heavy burden on many households. C) The female unemployment rate remains much the same as before. D) Women have already become the majority of the USlabour force.

Ans:
A