My friend Robert started a new job this week and he's been in the training class for two days. The employer has a very strict dress code--dark blue shirts and pants. On the first day, an older gentleman in his class did not have the proper clothes and he was strictly told that he would be fired if he didn't have the right clothes the next day. He explained, "Sir, I had not been told about this. Because of my larger size, it's sometimes difficult to find the right clothing for a price I can afford." Last night, Robert and I decided that this old man shouldn't lose the chance of work simply because he couldn't afford the clothes. I had some cash on hand and Robert took it with him this morning just in case it was needed. When training started this morning, the trainer was ready to fire the older gentleman. "You have 10 minutes to be in proper clothes," he was told. At this point, Robert spoke up and asked if he could have 10 minutes to get him the clothes. He then ran out to the store and bought the proper-sized pants and a shirt; he returned with both and gave them to the older man. The older gentleman began to cry and told him that he couldn't accept such a gift from a stranger. Robert told him he had to because he had lost the receipt and couldn't return them--a little white lie. The pants were a perfect fit, the shirt was a bit tight but he was able to keep his job. "My wife and I tried to gather together some money last night, but we didn't have enough to buy the clothes," he told Robert. "It's unbelievable to me that anybody would do such a thing for only knowing me a day!" More unbelievable is how good it has made Robert and me feel to do this. How did Robert persuade the older man to accept the clothes? A) He told the older man that he would lose his job if he did not take them. B) He told a lie that the clothes didn't fit himself. C) He told the older man that he could save money and return it later. D) He told the older man that he had no way to send them back.
D
A recent survey shows that the alarming rate of child suicide in Hong Kong, raising levels of stress and anxiety among young people, increasing conflicts between children and teachers, and children's complaints that their parents do not understand their problems--all point to a drop in "emotional quotient" (EQ) , the ability to handle relationships. EQ is defined as the ability to deal with oneself and others effectively. High EQ, psychologists say, is easy to spot. Some of the greatest humanitarian leaders have high EQ, along with successful managers and inspirational and respected teachers. The problem is not how to spot high EQ but to improve on low EQ, so society as a whole can benefit. In the United States, declining EQ among young people is seen as one of the factors behind rising young people's crime because youths fail to understand others' feelings--one of the key components of EQ. While the situation in Hong Kong is not so bad, there are warning signs that the levels of anxiety among youth may become critical. Declining EQ among Hong Kong teenagers has been acknowledged by several studies including a key study by the education concern group, the Learning-Teacher Association, which found a high degree of anxiety among students over the future and also that young people lacked confidence in dealing with problems. Parents and teachers will also need to develop their own EQ skills in order to deal with them effectively. Daniel Goleman cites a number of basic elements of high EQ: first, awareness of your feelings as you experience them which is very important to making good decisions in life; second, feeling or awareness of what others are feeling. "90% of emotional information is expressed non-verbally and people vary in their ability to pick it up," Dr. Goleman says in his book. Dr. Goleman argues that without high EQ even highly-educated, highly-intelligent people will not find success in life. Or those with low EQ, even though they may be brilliant, tend to lack feeling and impulse control. They... According to the passage, children in Hong Kong commit suicide at an alarming rate as a result of _ . A) parents not understanding their children B) the rising levels of stress and anxiety among young people C) the inability of dealing with relationships D) increasing conflict between children and teachers
C
(Question)
I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts. The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a Biblical passage about husbands and their wives. Then he went on to say, "Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love." To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change. And it did. On arriving at the beach cottage, I kissed Evelyn meeting me at the door and said, "That new yellow sweater looks great on you." "Oh, Tom, you noticed", she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled. After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, "Evelyn's been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me." We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites. So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed. I made a new promise to keep on remembering to choose love. There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression. "What's the matter?" I asked her. "Tom," she said in a voice filled with distress, "I don't?" "What do you mean?" "Well...that checkup I had several weeks ago...our doctor...did he tell you something about me? Tom, you've been so good to me...am I dying?" It took a moment for it all to be understood. Then I burst out laughing. "No, honey," I said, wrapping her in my arms. "You're not dying; I'm just starting to live." The author says, "There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment." What does "one thing" refer to? A) He praised her sweater, which puzzled her. B) She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated. C) He knew something about her illness but didn't tell her. D) He was so good to her that she thought she must be dying.
(Answer)
D