*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Imagine picking apples on Christmas or going skating on May Day. What about going for a swim on Thanksgiving? Without Leap Day ,which takes place every four years, that could happen. Our calendar is normally 365 days long. It was created to match the cycles of the seasons. But Roman ruler Julius Caesar noticed a problem: The earth doesn't circle the sun in exactly 365 days. It actually cakes 365 and one-quarter days. He figured out that the extra part of a day would cause the calendar to grow apart from the seasons over time. Over 100 years, the seasons would shift about 24 days. Spring would start on April 13 instead of March 20. Caesar used math to figure out a way to stop the calendar from shifting. He decided to add an extra day to the month of February every four years. His idea helped keep the seasons and calendar matched up. Even so, it still wasn't perfect--his calendar was adding too many days. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII worked on Caesar's idea. His calendar, called the Gregorian calendar, declares that every year that is equally divided by 400 is a leap year. Turn-of-the-century years, or years ending in "00", would not be leap years unless they could be divided equally by 400. These complicated equations help keep the calendar in balance with the orbit of the earth. Today, we still use the Gregorian calendar. In about 3,000 years, the calendar will be only one day out of step with the seasons, It's still not perfect, but mathematicians decided it was as close as we could get. Question: It can be inferred from the text that _ . Options: A: the earth circles the sun in exactly 365 days B: Gregorian calendar is more scientific than Caesar's C: Pope's calendar has been used for 3,000 years D: Caesar added an extra day to every February
**Answer**
B

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: One afternoon, in Paris, I took a trip to an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting. I was looking forward to a quiet view of some great paintings of excellent artists. A young couple looking at the paintings in front of me were talking non-stop. I watched them a moment and decided she was doing all the talking. In fact, I was surprised at this man for putting up with her everlasting speech. Bored by their noise, I moved on. I met them several times as I moved through those rooms of art. Each time I heard her voice, I moved away at once. I was standing at the museum gift shop buying some cards when the couple walked to the exit . "He's a brave man," said the shop assistant. "Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age. But he and his wife come in whenever there's a new art show." It explained the non-stop talk! A sudden sense of shame came to my heart for what I was thinking just now. "But what does he get out of the art?" I asked. "His wife describes each painting so he can see it in his head." At that moment I realized what is patience, courage and love. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person who can't see and courage of a husband who would not allow blindness change his love towards art. And I felt the love shared by the two as I watched them walking away holding each other's hands. Question: The passage mainly shows us _ . Options: A: patience, courage and love B: how to watch paintings C: how art changed people's life D: a trip
**Answer**
A

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Most kids get bored with their toys quickly, even the newest ones. The service of renting toys can save parents from buying lots of new toys for their kids. The new web-based company, Baby Plays, was invented by Lori Pope, a mother of twin boys. When her kids' toys started taking over all the floor space in her house, she thought that maybe she didn't need to buy so many toys. What's more, her kids seemed to lose interest in each new toy very quickly. Finally she realized that she needed a special service. She wanted to borrow one toy at a time. When her kids didn't like it any more she could send the toy back. But she couldn't find any service like that, so she decided to create her own. Pope owned a company before. She poured a lot of money into Baby Plays to buy all the best toys. These toys are for children aged from 0 to 5. Under her plan, customers can rent six toys each month. The price for renting a new toy is less than most costs of buying a new toy. Generally, families will keep each toy for one month. This period is plenty for most kids to get tired of playing with it. If the kids are really interested in a particular toy, they can keep it till they are attracted to a new one. Kids are not good at keeping their toys in perfect condition, but Pope doesn't mind a little wear and tear. She thinks that even if the kids don't care about their toys' condition, the parents do. And she will not ever rent anyone a low-quality toy. Question: Why did the mother invent a rent-a-toy company? Options: A: Because she got bored with her toys quickly. B: Because she wanted to make money. C: Because she was interested in starting a web business. D: Because her kids got bored with toys quickly.
**Answer**
D

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Auther: Margaret Mitchell Y=25 (in bookstore) Y=18 (online) Gone With the Wind is a best-seller, which tells a story that happened in the American Civil War. Scarlett Ohara is a woman in the story who is full of energy. She is strong and saves her family but is very selfish at the same time. A LITTLE PRINCESS Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett Y=18.3 (online) Motherless Sara Crewe was sent home from India to school at Miss Minchin's. Her father was very rich and she lived a rich and comfortable life. Then her father died and Sara lost everything. She had to learn to do with her changed life. Her strong character made her able to fight successfully against her poverty and the scorn of her fellows. It's an excellent book with 4 tapes for children PETER PAN Author: J.M Barrie Y=15 (in bookstores) Y=12 (online) It is a children's story full of imagination and adventures, which is about Wendy, John, and Michael Darling's adventures in Never-Never Land with Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up. The children are happy and lovely. (with 2 tapes) UNCLE TOM'S CABIN Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe Y=20 (in bookstores) The most famous novel in American history, Uncle Tom's Cabin talked about the struggle between free states and slave states during the American Civil War and is as powerful today as when it first came out 150 years ago. THE SECRET GARDEN Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett Y=35 (in bookstores) Y=30 (online) Mary Lennox, a sickly orphan , finds herself in her uncle's dark house. Why are so many rooms locked? Why is one of the gardens locked? And what is that crying she hears at night? Through the power of hope, friendship, and the magic of nature, the brave girl brings the house and a long-lost garden back to life. Question: All of the following books have children as their main characters except _ . Options: A: PETER PAN B: GONE WITH THE WIND C: A LITTLE PRINCESS D: THE SECRET GARDEN
**Answer**
B