Vanuatu is an island nation in the South Pacific. It is one of the smallest countries in the world. But for those who are interested in adventure and sport, there is a lot to do. Vanuatu's islands offer visitors two of the most exciting and dangerous activities in the world: volcano surfing and land diving. Volcano Surfing On Tanna Island, Mount Yasur rises 300 meters into the sky. Yasur is an active volcano, and it erupts almost every day, sometimes several times a day. For centuries, people have climbed this mountain to visit the top. Recently, people have also started climbing Yasur to surf the volcano. In some ways, volcano surfing is like surfing in the sea, but in other ways it's very different. Volcano surfers try to escape the erupting volcano--without getting hit by flying rocks! It's fast, fun and dangerous--the perfect extreme sport . Land Diving Most people are familiar with bungee jumping, but do you know bungee jumping started on Pentecost Island in Vanuatu and is almost fifteen centuries old? The activity, first called land diving, is part of a religious ceremony . A man ties tree vines to his legs. He then jumps head-first from a high tower to touch the earth with the top of his head--without breaking the vine. Every spring, island natives (men only) still take part in this amazing activity. What is the purpose of the passage? A) To tell people not to do dangerous sports. B) To explain what volcano surfing and land diving are. C) To talk about the world's best volcano surfer and land diver. D) To compare activities in Vanuatu with sports in New Zealand.
B
Do you know that man? He is my uncle. His name is David Smith. He is forty-eight this year. He is a worker. He works in a Car Factory. His factory is not near his home. So he gets up early in the morning and takes a bus to work. At about seven thirty, he gets to his factory. He makes the parts of the car. He makes many every day. He works very hard. Everyone likes him and says he is a good worker. He has his lunch in the factory. He often plays basketball after work. In the evening, he learns Chinese at home. His Chinese is good, too. Sometimes he helps me with my Chinese. I like my uncle very much. He _ . A) teaches Chinese in a school B) works in a Car Factory C) learns Chinese every day D) helps me with my Chinese every day
B
Q: If a snake bites you, take a photo with your mobile phone! It may save your life. This is the surprising advice of a British cook. One day Henry Jackson was working in a restaurant kitchen. He picked up a dish from the table, and suddenly a snake appeared... and bit him on the hand. A few days earlier, the snake came to the restaurant from Asia in a box of bananas. It climbed out of the box and hid under the dish. "I went to try to pick it up and it bit me again. I threw it across the kitchen, and it landed in the fridge. So I closed the door," Mr. Jackson said. Anyway, Mr. Jackson stayed cool and he took a photo of the snake with his mobile phone. Soon his hand began to ache and he went to hospital. Then his chest began to hurt. Doctors couldn't say what was wrong because they didn't know what kind of snake it was. Then Mr. Jackson remembered his mobile phone photo. The doctors sent it to London Zoo. When they knew the kind of snake, they could give Mr. Jackson the right medicine, and he left hospital the next day. "So my advice is this: if a snake bites you, pick up your phone. Take its photo first and then show the photo to the doctors," suggests Mr. Jackson. "Oh, and if the snake doesn't smile for its photo, don't worry." What is the best title of the passage? A) A snake in a restaurant B) A photo saving his life C) A photo of a snake D) A useful mobile phone
A: B
Question: Most American families are smaller than the families in other countries. Most American families have one or two parents and one or two children each. Children in the US will leave their parents' home when they grow up. They usually live far from their parents because they want to find good jobs. They often write to their parents or telephone them. And they often go to visit their parents on holiday. Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs. Americans think it important for young people to decide on their lives by themselves. Children are asked to do some work around their house. And in many families, children are paid for doing some housework so that they learn how to make money for their own use. The size of most American families is _ that of other countries. A) larger than B) smaller than C) as big as D) as small as
Answer: B
*Question*
My name is Ben. I live with my brother, mother and father in a flat. There are 27 floors in the tall building. My apartment is on the top floor. My father has a car .He parks it in the basement of the building. Our apartment is not in the centre of the city. It is 4 kilometers from the centre. My father works in the city, so he goes to work by train every day. He doesn't often drive his car. He uses his car only at weekends. He takes us into the country or to the beach on Saturdays or Sundays. Our apartment has three bedrooms. There is a bedroom for my mother and father, one for me and one for my brother. There is also a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom in the apartment. We do not have a garden, but there is a small balcony. There are some plants on the balcony. Where is Ben's apartment? _ A) Twenty-seven kilometers from the centre of the city. B) In the centre of the city. C) In the country. D) Four kilometers from the centre of the city.
**Answer**
D
(Q).
Asia tops the OECD solving skills test QUESTION: Can you quickly learn to set a thermostat ? Don't look down upon such a task. It shows your ability to solve problems in creative ways, said the OECD . The OECD recently gave a problem-solving test to 85,000 students. They were all 15 years old, and from 44 countries. The test give each student four to eight everyday problems to solve. For example, they had to set a thermostat, and find the quickest way to a place. Students from Singapore and South Korea did the best job, said the OECD. They were quick learners, curious and able to solve problems that they were not familiar with. Students from Japan and China were also among the _ groups. They did a better job than those from countries like the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and France. Problem-solving skills are important, said the OECD. "Today's 15-year-olds with poor problem-solving will become tomorrow's adults struggling to find or keep a good job," said Andreas, acting director of Education and Skills at the OECD. "The world economy no longer pays you for what you know. Google knows everything .The world economy pays you for what you can do with what you know," he said. The students from _ performed best in the test. A) the US and Canada B) the UK and the US C) South Korea and Singapore D) Australia and Canada
(A).
C