Read the article and select the best answer. Article: My destination is the River Walk, one of the most popular places in all of Texas. In the first half of 20 century, to control flooding, the city fathers began redirecting the San Antonio River. They built a network of canals that pass through the downtown area. At nearly every street corner, stairs lead down to walkways on both sides of the canals. The River Walk is linked with cafes, bars, shops --- and, of course, plenty of bridges. You can easily cross over to the other side without having to return to the street. It's a constant party along the River Walk, with music and festivals throughout the year. The Mud Festival, for example, takes place each January, when the city empties this section of the river to clean it out. That's when the Mud King and Mud Queen are crowned. No visit to Texas would be complete without seeing a --- another aspect of this part of the country that is completely foreign to someone from New England. The announcer walks on stage and gets the crowd excited with talk about the courageous cowboys who'll be performing. While he's talking, a band plays sad songs about love gone wrong. Suddenly the announcer calls for silence. He takes off his tall hat and asks us to join him in prayer. We pray for the cowboys who are, we are told, risking their lives to entertain us, as well as for the bulls and other animals taking part in the shows. We pray for the tourists who are visiting. The rodeo gets going and the fun begins. Our prayers for the cowboys and animals are answered, and nobody gets hurt. But as we walk over to the cowboy dance hall after the show to enjoy a Texas-size barbecue, it's clear that not enough prayers were said for the bulls' less athletic relatives --- the ones not chosen for rodeo work. They'll be our meal. It seems that moving too slowly has its disadvantages, too. Question: What do you know about the River Walk from the article? Options: A: People hold parties to celebrate festivals here every day. B: It refers to the sidewalks on either side of this section of the San Antonio River. C: There are many bridges that connect the River Walk and the Main Street. D: Stairs link the River Walk to cafes, bars and shops in the street.
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held 46 days before Easter, especially famous for the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to regret and prepare for Christ's death and coming back to life. Modern Brazilian Carnival dates back to Rio de Janeiro in 1641. It originally copied the European form of the festival, later taking in elements of Native American and African cultures. In the late 19th century, the strings were introduced in Rio de Janeiro. These were pageant groups that paraded through city avenues performing on instruments and dancing. Today they are known as blocks, consisting of a group of people who dress in costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos. Blocks are generally connected with particular neighborhoods; they include both a music group and a lot of revelers. Block parades have become an expressive feature of Rio's Carnival. Today, they number more than 100 and the groups increase each year. Blocks can be formed by small or large groups of revelers with a clear title. Before the show, they gather in a square, then parade in sections of the city, often near the beach. Carnival time in Rio is very interesting, but is also the most expensive time to visit Rio. Hotel rooms and other lodgings can be up to four times more expensive than the regular rates. There are big crowds at some locations and life is far from ordinary in many parts of town. Question: Which of the following statements is TRUE about the blocks in Rio de Janeiro? Options: A: They are always wearing costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos. B: They always parade through countryside villages singing and dancing. C: There are no more than 50 blocks today. D: They don't parade before the show.
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: At one time no one could travel on an English road faster than four miles an hour. That was the law until 1896. A man had to walk in front of a car which could not go faster than the man. At night the man had to carry a red lamp. Once Charles Rolls brought a car from France to England, but he wanted to drive faster than four miles an hour. In order to have no trouble with the police, he had a talk with some of the police officers, who ordered their policemen to look the other way when the car came along the road. This was a good plan in the country, but not so easy to follow in the busy streets of London. One night Rolls and some friends started from London on their journey to Cambridge. One of the men walked in front with the red lamp, but he walked as fast as he could. The police became very interested in walls and shop-fronts when they heard the car and not one of them saw it. They reached a hill, but what a waste of time it was to drive down the hill at four miles an hour! Rolls was getting ready to jump into the car, but then he noticed a policeman who was not looking the other way. The slow car reached him. "Good evening," said the policeman, looking at the car. "Good evening," said Rolls, holding the lamp. "One of these horseless things," said the policeman, looking at it with interest. "Yes," said Rolls, and waited. "I've often wanted a ride in one, but of course policemen can't buy things like that." He turned and looked hopefully in Rolls's face. "Jump in," said Rolls. "Thanks," said the policeman, and did so. "Now," he said, sitting down, "You can let it go just as you like down this hill. There isn't another policeman on this road for a mile and a half." Question: In what way did the policemen carry out the order from their officers? Options: A: They greeted Rolls when the car came along. B: They walked in front of the car with a red lamp. C: They pretended to be attracted by something else. D: They stood on duty every 1.5 miles along the road.
C