Henry had been a journalist for many years. He had worked on many international newspapers and magazines and traveled all over the world. Henry had _ wars and natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and erupting volcanos . He had reported on serious accidents such as major fires and airline crashes. He had seen every kind of terrible crime and strange event there was. He had met and written about some of the most unusual people in the world. In fact, there wasn't much that Henry had not seen or done. Now he was retired from journalism. He owned a very expensive restaurant and spent his days talking to his wealthy and important customers. He liked to say that nothing surprised him. One day he was sitting at the bar in his restaurant when a big gorilla walked in and asked for a table. Henry showed no surprise. He took the gorilla to a table and handed him a menu. He treated him politely and pretended there was nothing at all strange about having a gorilla in his restaurant. The gorilla looked through the menu and ordered a salad. Henry served the gorilla his salad personally, knowing that his waiters and waitresses would be too frightened. At last the gorilla finished his salad and asked for the bill. Henry wrote out the bill and handed it to the big animal. The gorilla studied it, shook his head sadly, then gave Henry fifty dollars. "Thank you", Henry said, and then to make conversation he added, "We don't get many gorillas in this restaurant." "At fifty dollars for a salad," the gorilla said, "I'm not surprised." The gorilla was _ . A) angry with the salad B) still hungry after his salad C) not surprised by the cost of the food D) surprised by the prices
D
Driving in a foreign country is always different in at least some ways from driving in your own country. Here are some general points regarding driving in New Zealand. Visitors wishing to drive in New Zealand do not require an international driver's license but are required to carry their local driver's license whenever driving. Vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road as they do in Britain, Australia, and Japan. Most rental vehicles will have a sticker reminding you of this important fact. When the traffic light is red, you must stop. There is no left turn rule as in North America. New Zealand road rules follow international standards but please note that in New Zealand vehicles turning left must give way to traffic turning right. In general, if you are turning left (where there are give-way signs or no signs), give way to vehicles that not turning. In all other situations, give way to vehicles crossing or coming from your right. Seat belts must be worn at all times while driving in New Zealand. This stands for the driver and passengers. The driver is responsible for ensuring all passengers are wearing their seatbelts. Do not drink alcohol before driving in New Zealand--drinking and driving laws are strictly enforced. Speed limits are in kilometres per hour (kph), not miles per hour (mph). Speed conversion: 1 kph equals 0.621 mph; 1 mph equals 1.61 kph. The speed limit on the open road is 100km/h. In towns and cities the speed limit is 50km/h. Be sure to obey all school crossing speed reductions as speed cameras operate regularly throughout New Zealand. For further information and up to date road conditions visit: http://www.transit.govt.nz This passage is most likely _ . A) a travel brochure for locals B) a website travel introduction C) an advertisement of travel D) a travel column in a geographical magazine
B
Q: The USA is a land of immigrants. Between 1815 and 1914, the world witnessed the greatest peaceful migration in its history: 35 million people, mostly Europeans, left their homelands to start new lives in America. Why did these people risk everything by leaving their homes and families? First, what forced emigrants to make the decision to leave? One major cause for European farmers to leave was the rise in population which in turn led to land hunger. Another was politics. There was an increased taxation and the growth of armies, and many young men fled eastern Europe to avoid being forced to join the army. Physical hunger provided another pressing reason. Following the collapse of the economy of southern Italy in the 1860s, hundreds of thousands decided to start a new life in America. Religion also encouraged millions to leave the Old World. In short, people chose to leave their homes for social, economic and religious reasons. As a result, by 1890 among a total population of 63 million, there were more than nine million foreign-born Americans. But what were the attractions? First of all, there was the promise of land which was so scarce in Europe. Next, factories were calling for workers, and pay conditions were much better than back home. Men were needed to open up the West and build the long railroads, and new towns needed settlers to live in and to develop business. There was the space for religious people to practice their faith in peace. This immigration meant that by around the 1850s Americans of non-English had started to be more than those of English. As we know, there were losers. To start with, there were those unwilling immigrants, the slaves who had been used as a source of cheap labour. Nor should we forget the equally unlucky American Indians. By 1860 there were 27 million free whites, four million slaves and a mere 488,000 free blacks. Nowadays, the USA is still seen by millions as the Promised Land. As always, it remains an attractive place to those who think it will offer them a second chance. Why was life of the 19th Century European farmers difficult? A) There was no land. B) There was no peace. C) The population had gone down. D) There were too many of them.
A: D
Q: My daughter is a junior in high school and has been on an individualized education program since fourth grade. She plans to go to college and intends to finish with a master's degree. Her performance in general is fairly good, but test scores are very low. She has held many leadership and volunteer positions. We have been advised to have her write an essay about how her learning disability is a barrier that she has to get over. Will that help or hurt her chances for admission? ---- Deborah A: First let me answer the question on low standardized test scores (ACT/SAT). There are hundreds of colleges that are "test optional" which means students can choose not to release their test scores in the application process. Admission decisions at these colleges for students who do not submit their test scores are made based on other factors. A list of test optional colleges can be found at fairtest.org. It is important, however, to make sure that the college is the right fit academically regardless of the test optional policy. You also asked if your daughter should write about her disability and if this would hurt her chances of being admitted. Please know that colleges do not deny admission based on disability. "Disclosing" a learning disability in a personal statement within the college application can certainly help. By writing a personal statement, students can potentially _ , for example, their understanding of the challenge they face. They might also prove an improved grade trend in that subject area, and show interest in more complex courses in spite of this disability. More importantly, a student disclosure can show self-confidence, motivation and an understanding of the disability. ---- Ms. Kravis What is Ms. Kravis' attitude towards one's declaring his/her learning disability? A) Supportive. B) Critical. C) Doubtful. D) Unconcerned.
A