As we all know, Stephen Hawking writes the book A Brief History of Time that explains the origin of the universe. The book spent 147 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List and has sold 10 million copies. He is, most agree, very smart. In his recently published autobiography My Brief History,Hawking offers four life lessons on how to become a genius. 1) Don' t miss opportunities by being too cool "We showed an air of complete boredom and the feeling that nothing was worth making an effort for. One result of my illness has been to change all that. When you are faced with the possibility of an early death, it makes you realize that life is worth living and that there are lots of things you want to do." Seize the moment, as Oxford would say. 2) Keep it simple When writing A Brief History of Time,he tried to make science understandable for the rest of Us. "I was sure that nearly everyone is interested in how the universe operates, but most people cannot follow mathematical equations . "He has trouble with them, too."This is partly because it is difficult for me to write them down, but mainly because I don't have an inborn feeling for equations. My aim in the book was to describe these mental images in words. It is such an easy book that everybody can understand it." The moral: You don't have to be a genius to know everything. 3)Have fun Hawking has a long history of being a joker,and he has placed lots of bets with other scientists on the nature of black holes. One was with Cal-Tech scientist John Preskill. After paying off his bet by giving Preskill a baseball encyclopedia, Hawking wrote,"but maybe I should have just given him the ashes." So lighten up! Geniuses like bad jokes too. 4) Always look for a silver lining (even if you are seriously ill) Hawking's disease has slowly robbed him of the ability to walk,move his arms,even speak. But, Hawking says,"in some ways I guess my disability has been an assist:I haven't had to lecture or teach students, and I haven't had to sit in meetings. So I have been able... According to the passage,which of the following statements is guiding you to be a genius? A) Place lots of bets with your friends. B) Seize the moment to learn everything. C) Find something good even in bad situations. D) Get to know everything including math equations.
C
Jason had been watching the X Games on TV. Athletes from all over the world were competing in the most amazing sports. Just then his grandmother walked into the room. "I want to be extreme. Would you really let me do that? You always worry about my safety!" said Jason. "You will have to follow some rules," said his grandmother. "You can only ride in the park -- never on the streets. You have to promise to wear a helmet . If you hurt yourself too much, I have the right to take your skateboard away. Is it a deal?" "You bet!" Jason was so excited that he jumped off the sofa. A week later he had a board and a helmet. On Saturday, his grandmother dropped him off near the park. He was happy to have a grandmother who let him try new things. Kids in the park were moving quickly up and down the ramps . They flew into the air and landed as easily as birds. When he watched the X games, Jason felt like he was doing the tricks himself. But watching these kids up close, he knew that none of it was going to be easy. He felt a little bit scared. Very slowly he carried his board to the ramp. Taking a deep breath, he put his right foot on the board. He kicked off with his left foot. For a few seconds he glided along, just waiting to fall. Then he came to a stop. Kicking off again, he waited for the worst to happen. Again, he stayed up. The third time he kicked, lost his balance, and fell hard on his left knee. It hurt, but it was no big deal! Why had he been so scared? Now he felt calm because things had gone wrong, and he was fine! Next time he kicked off harder and went fast and farther. "Excellent!" said a girl as she passed him. "Extreme!" laughed Jason to himself. "Not quite." Jason's grandmother agreed to let him try skateboarding unless _ . A) he finished his homework B) he liked the sport C) he observed some rules D) he won a bet
C
*Question*
*Prime Minister Tony Blair faced new allegations on Thursday that he misled Parliament and the public in making the case for the war in Iraq after he disclosed his chief legal adviser's written opinion raising questions about the legality of the war. *US Forest Service officials are reminding people to stay off Forest Service roads that are closed. The fine for disobeying the rule of road closures is a maximum of $ 5, 000 fine and/or six months in prison. Those who enter the area and cause road damage may also be required to pay for repairs. *In a second study presented at the meeting, scientists from the UK and Denmark showed that even a few days of high temperatures can severely reduce production of crops such as wheat, soybeans, rice and groundnuts, if it occurs when the plants are flowering. *A bomb exploded in Thailand's mainly Muslin south on Sunday, killing two policemen and wounding three others, a day after Thailand' s queen condemned those behind a 15-month wave of violence . *Mechanicsburg 3, West York l: Ken Stamper and Rusty Bowman had seven kills each, and Ryan Warfield had six to lead the Wildcats past the Bulldogs, 25-11, 25-15, 15-25, 25-23, in a non-league match. From the news brief, we can learn that _ . A) the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats by 3-1 in a non-league match B) Forest Service roads are closed for repairs before they are opened again C) quite a few violent accidents happened in Thailand before the latest one D) the British people think the decision made by Blair about the war is of legality
**Answer**
C