Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: February 4, 2012 saw the take-off of a new rising NBA star-Jeremy Lin. Among professional basketball players, Jeremy Lin's background is not typical. He graduated from Harvard University, which sends few players to the NBA, and he is the only Chinese-American NBA player. But when you watch him on the court, there is no doubt that he belongs there. He moves with speed and grace that demonstrate years of faithful practice, which is fueled by a love for basketball. Lin's enjoyment of basketball actually began in Taiwan. When Lin's father moved to U.S., his interest in the sport only grew and he passed on this love of basketball to his son, introducing him to the game at the age of five. The young Lin spent much of his youth playing basketball for fun. In high school, Lin dreamed of playing in the NBA. When he applied for college, he was not offered a single sports scholarship. However, after his admission to Harvard, he was offered a place on its college basketball team. During Lin's time at Harvard, his basketball career began to speed up. He scored 1,482 points, making him one of the highest scorers in Ivy League history. When he graduated, no professional teams offered Lin a contract, but he was invited to play in the NBA Summer League. He played well and ended up eagerly signing a contract with the Golden State Warriors. At first,playing in professional games filled Lin with excitement. He treasured opportunities to meet players he had been watching on TV for years. But slowly, the excitement _ and was replaced by anxiety. In a few very difficult months, he was cut by two teams before the New York Knicks picked him up. But he had the courage and determination to stick to his dream, so he put himself into hard training to get ready for his opportunity to come. Then his moment arrived on February 4, 2012,on which his excellent performance made him famous overnight. After that, he led the Knicks to their fifth straight victory. The Associated Press called Lin "the most surprising story in the NBA". Knicks fans... Question: Which of the following elements is of little help in Lin's success? - his father's influence - his devotion to basketball - his years of hard work - his graduation from Harvard University
Ans: his graduation from Harvard University

Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: My first performance in front of an audience was coming up soon. I tried as hard as I could to remain calm, but my heart was racing. I stared down at my sweat-covered, shaking hands. I looked up again at the audience, realizing that these were real people. They were not just my mum and dad, who would say, "Good job!" even if I messed up the entire piece. What if I had the wrong music? What if I played the wrong notes? As it turned out, I was never able to answer these questions because the spotlight was waiting for me. I grasped my hands tightly together, drying off the sweat. Slowly I walked to the mud-brown piano in the center of the room. It contained 88 demanding keys, which were waiting impatiently to be played. I swallowed the golf-ball-sized lump in my throat and sat down. Slowly, I opened the music. Next, I rested my still shaking hands on the ivory keys. As my fingers played across the keys, I was becoming more unsure of my preparation for this moment. But the memory of my years of training came flooding back. I knew that I had practiced this piece so many times that I could play it backwards if requested. Although at one point I accidentally played two keys instead of the intended one, I continued to move my fingers automatically . My eyes burned holes into (were fixed on) the pages in front of me. There was no way that I was going to lose my concentration. To keep this to myself, I leaned forward and focused carefully on the music. When I came to the end of the page, a warning went off inside my head: DON'T MAKE A MISTAKE WHEN YOU TURN THE PAGE! Needless to say, I obeyed myself with all my heart and mind. And, proud of my "page-turning" feat , I finished the rest of the piece without making a single mistake. After the final note died away, a celebration went into action inside my head. I had finished. I had mastered the impossible. Question: The author _ . - didn't make any mistake in the performance - felt better at the beginning of the performance - paid all attention to nothing but her performance - lost her concentration sometimes during the performance
Ans: paid all attention to nothing but her performance

Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Everyone should visit a lighthouse at least once. The most important reason for such a visit is to realize how our ancestors battled nature with the basic tools they had . They had only basic ways of creating light , and yet they found a way of using this simple technology in isolated places to save ships from hitting rocks . Secondly , visiting lighthouses will help us to understand the lives of lighthouse keepers .By their very nature , lighthouses were built on some rocks or cliffs . Thus , the lighthouse keepers often lived lonely lives . To walk around their small home , and imagine the angry storm outside beating against the walls , is to take a step towards understanding the lives they had. The reasons for a visit to a lighthouse are not all so backward-looking in time . It is true that lighthouses were built in _ places . But on a pleasant sunny summer day. This very isolation has a natural beauty that many people will love to experience . Therefore, with the gentle waves touching all round the lighthouse . the visitor is likely to think it is a world preferable to the busy and noisy modern life. Another reason for considering a visit is that the lighthouses themselves can be very attractive buildings . Mankind could often not be content just to put up a basic structure . but felt the need . even in such an isolated place , to build with an artistic touch . The result is a view for tired eyes to enjoy . Finally , lighthouses have a romantic attraction , summed up by the image of the oil-skin coated keeper climbing his winding stairs to take care of the light to warn ships and save lives . Question: Lighthouses were often built with an artistic touch _ . - to attract visitors - to guide passing ships - to give a pleasant sight - to remember lighthouse keepers
Ans: to give a pleasant sight

Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: The human body has developed its millions of nerves to be highly aware of what goes on both inside and outside of it. This helps us to adjust to the outside world. Without our nerves and our brain, which is a system of nerves, we couldn't know what's happening. But we pay for our sensitivity. We can feel pain when the slightest thing is wrong with any part of our body. The history of torture is based on the human body being open to pain. But there is a way to handle pain. Look at the Indian fakir who sits on a bed of nails. Fakirs can put a needle right through an arm, and feel no pain. This ability that some humans have developed to handle pain should give us ideas about how the mind can deal with pain. The big thing in withstanding pain is our attitude toward it. If the dentist says, "This will hurt a little," it helps us to accept the pain. By staying relaxed, and by treating the pain as an interesting sensation , we can handle the pain without falling apart. After all, although pain is an unpleasant sensation, it is still a sensation, and sensations are the stuff of life. Question: The author believes that _ . - feeling pain is part of our life - pain should be avoided at all costs - feeling pain can be an interesting thing - magic power is essential for reducing pain
Ans:
feeling pain is part of our life