Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Not willing to pay $400 for a basic room or upwards of $1,200 for a suite at a luxury hotel? We hear you. In the past, this meant having to put up with cheap hotels. Essentially, you got what you paid for. But all that's changed, as mid-level hotels have begun competing for a population that travels more then ever. Even in New York and San Francisco --- two of the most expensive cities in the country --- one can find comfortable, affordable options with much modern conveniences. We searched the country for the best hotels under $150. Hotel 340 St. Paul, Minnesota, USA This twelve-storey English-renaissance building once served as a downtown clubhouse for St. Paul's outstanding people; today, the repaired structure houses the hotel on the top three floors. Its 35 rooms stand out for hardwood floors, marble showers and nice views of the Mississippi River, and room comforts include iPod docks , free local and national telephone calls and coffee makers. The University Club of St. Paul, a grand hall bar, and an all-new-60,000-square-foot fitness center(free for guests)also share space in the building. Marina Inn San Francisco, California, USA Located in the Marina district, where the streets are lined with luxury stores and great restaurants, the Marina Inn is the ideal place for business or pleasure. Few destinations offer the quality and variety of environment, scenery, entertainment, accommodation, and dining that waits for you here at the Marina Inn. It's a ten-minute walk to Fisherman's Wharf and there are abundant bus connections to take you anywhere in the city. Hotel Havana San Antonio, Texas, USA When one thinks of his historic Texas town, usually the southwest comes to mind. So does Mexico. Since 1914, the hotel has served passers-by. The 27 rooms come in all shapes and sizes, many of which include Turkish carpets and elegant Cuban art on the walls. Bathrooms are distinguished with Red Flower body care products. Question: When you couldn't afford a luxury hotel in the past, _ . Options: A: you could pay $400 for a basic room B: you had to stay in a low-grade hotel C: you could take a suite into account D: you would have no comfortable place to live in
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: My school stood in a big square playground in southeastern South Dakota. One teacher taught all grades, first through eighth. Most grades had only two or three students. Our school day started with the flag pledge . Then the teacher called one grade at a time to the recitation bench beside her desk. She'd check our work, explain the new lesson, and dismiss us to go back to our own desks and do our new work, all in less than ten minutes per grade. At noon we ate lunches we had brought. Our lunches consisted of homemade sandwiches and if we were lucky, dessert. My favorite dessert was a fresh pear, and a piece of Mom's delicious sour cream chocolate cake. The annual Christmas program was the most exciting part of the year. We hurried through our lessons during December to allow time to practise poems, songs, and plays. A few days before the performance, the school board members borrowed equipment from the town and set up a stage across one side of the classroom. We hung bed sheets for curtains. On the evening of the performance, petrol lanterns hanging along the walls cast a warm, though not very bright, light over the gathering crowd. We could hardly contain our excitement as we looked from behind the curtains to wave at our parents. On a spring Sunday in a new term, just before the last day of the school term, everyone in the neighborhood gathered for a picnic. Our moms set fried chicken, bowls of salads, and desserts on the teacher's desk and the library table. After the dinner, we played games. One of the school board members brought big buckets of ice cream in the afternoon to top off the picnic. How we looked forward to that treat! I was just nineteen years old when I started my first teaching position in a country school with thirteen students. I felt excited, nervous and happy as I prepared my lunch bucket the first morning of the term. I can't remember what kind of sandwiches I packed, but I do remember I put in a fresh pear and a piece of chocolate cake for dessert! Question: What can we infer from the description of the picnic? Options: A: The teacher performed many jobs. B: The students liked hanging lanterns. C: The local people supported the school. D: School board members were not expected to attend it.
C

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: On a Sunday morning, I was driving down a road and saw something I couldn't believe. A little girl, less than two, was pushing her stroller across the road. It was Sunday morning and traffic was not heavy. I stopped my car at once and ran toward her. This little girl knew enough to run from a stranger. I tried to catch her in order that I could get her out of the road. Suddenly her father came running down a hill across the road from where I had parked my car. He ran right to her and caught her up, saying "bad girl" to her. I picked up the stroller and gave it to him. The father grabbed the stroller and walked toward where he came from without a word. I went back and sat in my car for a few minutes with my son. My hands were shaking and tears were about to run out of my eyes. "Do you feel cold, Mom?" asked my son. I just shook my head. After this happened, I thought about how thankful I am. Even though the father didn't say thank you, I feel that I did something good. Doing something for someone else is pleasing, even when it's only a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I didn't really "save" her, but I feel like it was important that I happened to be there. It is sad that I was the only one who stopped. It really made me a little disappointed that no one else stopped to help. Question: When the author saw the little girl, _ . Options: A: the girl had lost her way B: she was driving to work in a hurry C: the girl feared to go across the road D: there weren't many cars on the road
D