I love charity shops and so do lots of other people in Britain because you find quite a few of them on every high street. The charity shop is a British institution, selling everything from clothes to electric goods, all at very good prices. You can get things you won't find in the shops anymore. The thing I like best about them is that your money is going to a good cause and not into the pockets of profit-driven companies, and you are not damaging the planet, but finding a new home for unwanted goods. The first charity shop was opened in 1947 by Oxfam. The famous charity's appeal to aid postwar Greece had been so successful that it had been flooded with donations. They decided to set up a shop to sell some of these donations to raise money for that appeal. Now there are over 7,000 charity shops in the UK. My favorite charity shop in my hometown is the Red Cross shop, where I always find children's books, all 10 or 20 pence each. Most of the people working in the charity shops are volunteers, although there is often a manager who gets paid. Over 90% of the goods in the charity shops are donated by the public. Every morning you see bags of unwanted items outside the front of shops, although they don't encourage this, rather ask people to bring things in when the shop is open. The shops have very low running costs, and all profits go to charity work. Charity shops raise more than PS110 million a year, funding medical research, overseas aid, supporting sick and poor children, homeless and disabled people, and much more. What better places to spend your money? You get something special for a very good price and a good moral sense. You provide funds to a good cause and step lightly on the environment. Which of the following is TRUE about charity shops? A) The operating costs are very low. B) The staff are usually well paid. C) 90% of the donations are second-hand. D) They are open twenty-four hours a day.
A
It was the day after Halloween when my grandmother was admitted to the hospital with the worst headache she'd ever had. While posing in our costumes the night before, we knew something was wrong, just not how wrong. Grandma's house was the central gathering place of my family. Sunday lunches, birthday dinners, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas -- all were our traditions, with her as hostess. While my parents were busy running their small business, there were many nights when Grandma fed me and put me to bed in her spare room, until they came to get me. I spent my summers at Grandma's and I went everywhere with her. I couldn't imagine a time when she wouldn't be around me. Then November 1, 1991 began her month-long stay in the hospital--she suffered from a rare infection called nocardia asteroides. After being born in the year of the Great Depression, living through World War II, raising three kids, and being widowed at the age of 48, Grandma never expected to live into her seventies. The infection in her brain seemed to confirm that she wasn't long for this world. But that's not the end of her story. A team of doctors successfully removed the abscess , and Grandma even made it into a local medical journal. Her doctor called her "the brain lady". Grandma celebrated her 85thbirthday in March this year. In the almost 23 years since her recovery, she's seen two of her four grandchildren get married and welcomed three great-grandsons. Although they damage something in her house, she loves it when my two boys come over. And while I know they make her day, seeing her love blossom for another generation makes my day too. Happy Grandparents' Day to my amazing grandmother! When did Grandma have the operation to remove the abscess? A) At the age of 60. B) When she was about 62. C) Before November 1, 1991. D) After this year's Halloween.
B
Q: In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a great bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge building experts thought that this was an impossible project and told Roebling to forget it. But Roebling could not ignore the vision of this bridge. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an engineer, that the bridge could be built. The father and son developed concepts of how it could be completed and how the difficulties could be overcome. After that, they began to build their dream bridge. The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was also injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage,which made him unable to walk or talk or even move. Everyone had a negative comment since the Roeblings were the only one who knew how to build the bridge. In spite of these difficulties, Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge. It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was to move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving it, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. The project was underway again. For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory to the victory of one man's determination not to be defeated by circumstances. This is one of the best examples of a neversaydie attitude that overcomes a terrible physical disability and achieves an impossible goal. What is the main idea of the passage? A) The Roeblings were devoted to their work. B) How the Brooklyn Bridge was built by the Roeblings. C) A strong will is not to be defeated. D) Success lies in patience and hard work.
A: B
URBANA, ILL. (AP)--Mike dropped out of college to support his pregnant girlfriend and now works as a manager of a trucking company, Lynn graduated with honors from Harvard University and was hired as a lawyer with a top law firm in a major city. What do these two people have in common? Ten years ago they were both high school valedictorians . A University of Illinois study follows the lives of 81 valedictorians and salutatorians who graduated a decade ago from public and private high schools in the state. Tales of Success and Failure The study found tales of success and failure. The research on 46 women and 35 men found that some were doctors and scientists, one was a drug addict, another was a waitress with emotional problems. "There is a popular idea about people who do well in school doing well in life," said Terry Denny, professor of education. Denny conducted the study with Karen Arnold, a former graduate student of Denny' s who is now a professor at Boston College. Denny and Arnold contacted the 81 students before graduation, and then followed up with interviews nearly every other year. They also sent them questionnaires in the mail. Varied Careers One-third of the students are lawyers, or have a doctorate. Nineteen are in business and 15 are engineers or computer scientists. Others include a farmer, a stock broker, and an aerobics instructor. Arnold says many of the students have only average positions in the work world and that "most are not headed for greatness in their careers." Denny, however, says that it is too early to make such predictions. "Who expects someone to be on the Supreme Court at the age of 28 or to be the discoverer of an important scientific invention right after college?" he said. "These students are just getting started in life. They are just beginning to find out what life is all about." According to the article Denny is probably older than Arnold because _ . A) Denny was her professor B) Arnold did well at school. C) Denny interviewed some students D) Arnold helped Denny in the research
A