They say that cats have nine lives but our lazy old cat,PJ,had concurrent lives and identities. He became well-known for sleeping around the neighbourhood and used to nap in the spare bedroom of elderly couple who lived three doors up from us.While I wasn't always aware of all his liaisons, it didn't matter as long as he always came home at mealtimes. One day we noticed he had gained weight. We guessed he was enjoying snacks at the local takeaway shop bins and so we began to reduce the amount of his food. He didn't seem to notice. Some months later. we invited some new neighbours in for drinks. Not long into the evening, our new neighbor saw PJ sitting proudly on the window ledge. "You've got my cat!" She exclaimed, laughing. We let her down gently, and learnt that at their house, PJ was known as Tiger. Thanks to them, he'd been receiving the royal treatment, including removing small insects from his body by spraying medicine. PJ continued living with us until a new cat and a new dog finally tested his patience. _ walked out and was missing for ten days before my husband spotted him near his work. He brought our wandering cat home, but it was clear that PJ wasn't happy. After shouting at him angrily, I let him out and he never returned. A few months later, our new neighbour told us she'd seen PJ. It seems that an elderly neighbour had welcomed him into her home, and since taking up residence he'd doubled in size and been given his own sitting - room chair to lie. The two had become very fond of each other, ever since he'd followed her home. What a smart cat. It can be inferred from the passage that _ . A) the cat had visited all the neighbours before leaving B) the author found the cat had gained some weight C) The author couldn't provide the cat with medical care D) the neighbours loved the cat PJ very much
D
I shall never forget the night,a few years ago,when Marion J.Douglas was a student in one of my adulteducation classes. He told us how tragedy had struck at his home,not once,but twice. The first time he had lost his fiveyearold daughter. He and his wife thought they couldn't bear that first loss;but,as he said,"Ten months later,God gave us another little girl and she died in five days." This double bereavement was almost too much to bear. "I couldn't take it," this father told us,"I couldn't sleep,eat,rest or relax. My nerves were entirely shaken and my confidence gone. "At last he went to doctors;one recommended sleeping pills and another recommended a trip,but neither helped. He said,"My body felt as if it was surrounded in a vice ,and the jaws of the vice were being drawn tighter and tighter." The tension of grief --if you have ever been paralyzed by sorrow,you know what he meant. "But thank God,I had one child left--a fouryearold son. He gave me the solution to my problem. One afternoon as I sat around feeling sorry for myself,he asked,'Daddy,will you build a boat for me?' I was in no mood to build a boat;in fact,I was in no mood to do anything. But my son is a persistent little fellow!I had to give in. Building that toy boat took me about three hours. By the time it was finished,I realized that those three hours spent building that boat were first hours of mental relaxation and peace that I had had in months!I realized that it is difficult to worry while you are busy doing something that requires planning and thinking. In my case,building the boat had knocked worry out of the ring. So I determined to keep busy." "The following night,I made a list of jobs that ought to be done. Scores of items needed to be repaired. Amazingly,I had made a list of 242 items that needed attention. During the last two years I have completed most of them. I am busy so that I have no time for worry." No time for worry!That is exactly what Winston Church ill said when he was working eighteen hours a day at the height of... Marion made a list of over 200 items that needed to be repaired because _ . A) he hadn't been able to spare time to mend them B) he wanted to kill his free time by repairing them C) the items had actually been broken and needed attention D) repairing the items helped crowd wor ry out of his mind
D
(Question)
"Tiger Mother" parenting raises media storm. A new book written by a self-described Chinese descent on her super-strict parenting--Battle Hymn of the Tiger Motherhas raised media storm and fierce debates in the U.S. Amy Chua is a Yale Law School professor and the mother of two teenage girls. She is the daughter of immigrants of Chinese descent. In the Chinese culture,the tiger symbolizes strength and power. In her book Ms.Chua writes about how she demanded excellence from her daughters. For example,her daughters,Sophia and Louisa,were never allowed to attend a sleep-over,be in a school play,watch TV or play computer games. They couldn't choose their own after-class activities or get any grade less than an A.They had to play piano or violin--and no other musical instruments. She writes that if a Chinese child gets a B--which she says "would never happen"--there would be a screaming,hairtearing explosion".She describes making her 7-year-old daughter play a piano piece perfectly--yelling and not letting her leave the bench even to use the bathroom--until it was. Many people have criticized Chua. Some say her parenting methods were abusive. She even admits that her husband,who is not Chinese,objects to her parenting style. But she says that was the way her parents raised her and her three sisters. Stacy DeBroff,who has written four books about parenting,says Amy Chua's parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. She says it represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants seeking a better future for their children. But she also sees a risk. When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life. Stacy DeBroff advised parents not to just repeat the way they were raised. Alison Lo,an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Washington's Bothell campus said, "I don't think Amy is advocating a best practice of parenting style, or that success and achievements are critical yardsticks of a good... According to the passage, which is TRUE of Amy Chua? A) She is an easy-going woman. B) She is an assistant professor. C) She is a demanding parent. D) She is a cruel teacher.
(Answer)
C