Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
Long Beach, California (CNN) -- Taylor Wilson is going to create a safer source of nuclear energy, help reduce the world's stockpile of nuclear weapons, screen container ships for weapons and power manned missions to other planets. But first ... he has to graduate high school in May.

Jack Andraka is going to bring his 3-cent screening test for pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer to market -- an alternative to a standard $800 test. But Jack, 16, hasn't been to high school much lately and isn't even sure he'll graduate.

The two teenagers with Justin Bieber style haircuts wowed the 1,400 people who attended TED2013 this week, fitting the conference's theme: "The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered." They were among a number of youthful speakers who Time magazine's Ruth Davis Konigsberg called "some of the biggest showstoppers at the annual event."

By contrast, some of the older voices onstage struck notes that were far less hopeful. Northwestern University economist Robert Gordon declared that the era of strong economic growth in the United States is over -- as America faces the headwinds of an aging population, debt, inequality and educational weaknesses; he argued that it's hard to foresee innovations that could have the transformative effect electricity, indoor plumbing and the internal combustion engine had in powering growth in the past century.

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, calling for a private sector-funded "race to the top" among states, lamented the inability of Washington politicians to develop a national energy strategy. She got laughs when she noted that Congress' approval rating is worse than lice, root canals and Donald Trump (although better than that of gonorrhea and meth labs).
1. How many people were at the event?
2. What was it?
3. Did anyone impress them?
4. Who?
5. Did they resemble anyone?
6. Whom?
7. How?
8. Were other speakers as cheerful as them?
9. What were their presentations like?
10. Did any politicians speak?
11. How many?
12. Who was from Michigan?
13. What office has she held?
14. Did people find her to be funny?
15. What happens in May?
16. Will Jack?
17. Did the event have a certain theme?
18. What was it?

Numbered answers:
1. 1,400
2. TED2013
3. yes
4. two teenagers
5. yes
6. Justin Bieber
7. their haircuts
8. no
9. less hopeful.
10. yes
11. at least two
12. Jennifer Granholm
13. Governor
14. yes
15. Taylor might graduate
16. he's not sure
17. yes
18. The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered

Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
Jay Chou was born on January 18, 1979, in Taiwan, China. He grew up with his mother, and was a quiet and shy kid. He didn't do well in study, so people thought he would never be successful in life. As a small child, Jay took a great interest in music. His mother sent him to learn the piano when he was only three years old. He loved it and kept on practicing. When he was in high school, he could play the piano quite well. At the same time, he showed his talent for writing songs. Before Jay became a singer, he worked as a songwriter. For two years, he spent most of his time writing for singers. Some of them were very famous, like Coco Less and Jacky Cheung. Jay released his first album in 2000 and soon he got quite popular. Now Jay is one of the most famous singers in Asia. However, he is still shy and doesn't speak clearly when he sings or talks, but he has a lot of fans. Most of his fans like him because he is really good at music and never follows others.
1. What is this person good at?
2. Anything else?
3. What was his name?
4. When was he born?
5. Where at?
6. What did he enjoy as a young one?
7. How did his mom react?
8. At what age?
9. Why did folks like he would be unsuccessful?
10. Was he a social butterfly?
11. What did he do after being a writer or songs?
12. What year?
13. Did it bomb?
14. Did he used to write for other folks?
15. Like who?
16. Anyone else?
17. How long did he do this?
18. What is his status now?
19. Has that broken him out of his shell?
20. What does his fandom enjoy about him?

Numbered answers:
1. playing the piano
2. writing songs
3. Jay Chou
4. January 18, 1979
5. Taiwan, China
6. music
7. she sent him to learn the piano
8. three years old
9. he didn't do well in study
10. no
11. released his first album
12. 2000
13. no
14. yes
15. Coco Less
16. Jacky Cheung
17. For two years.
18. He is one of the most famous singers in Asia.
19. no
20. He is really good at music and never follows others.

Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
George had stolen some money, but the police had caught him and he had been put in prison. Now his trial was about to begin, and he felt sure that he would be found guilty and sent to prison for a long time.

Then he discovered that an old friend of his was one of the members of the jury at his trial. Of course, he did not tell anybody, but he managed to see his friend secretly one day. He said to him, "Jim, I know that the jury will find me guilty of having stolen the money. I cannot hope to be found not guilty of taking it ---- that would be too much to expect. But I should be grateful to you for the rest of my life if you could persuade the other members of the jury to add a strong recommendation for mercy to their statement that they consider me guilty."

"Well, George,"answered Jim. "I shall certainly try to do what I can for you as an old friend, but of course I cannot promise anything. The other eleven people on the jury look terribly strong-minded to me."

George said that he would quite understand if Jim was not able to do anything for him, and thanked him warmly for agreeing to help.

The trial went on, and at last the time came for the jury to decide whether George was guilty or not. It took them five hours, but in the end they found George guilty, with a strong recommendation for mercy.

Of course, George was very pleased, but he did not have a chance to see Jim for some time after the trial. At last, however, Jim visited him in prison, and George thanked him warmly and asked him how he had managed to persuade the other members of the jury to recommend mercy.

"Well, George," Jim answered, "as I thought, those eleven men were very difficult to persuade, but I managed it in the end by tiring them out. Do you know, those fools had all wanted to find you not guilty!"
1. Who stole some money?
2. Was he friends with any of the jury members?
3. What was the friend's name?
4. What was George asking Jim for?
5. How many other people were on the jury?
6. Did George react positively to Jim's answer?
7. How many hours did it take the jury to deliberate?
8. What was the verdict?
9. Did George get what he asked Jim for?
10. Did George ever see Jim again?
11. Was guilty the original verdict the jurors were going to give?
Numbered answers:
1. George
2. Yes.
3. Jim
4. mercy
5. eleven
6. Yes
7. five
8. guilty
9. Yes.
10. Yes
11. No