Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: I was born in Minneapolis. The city is in my blood. But I live in the country, and have been forced to deal with things that are difficult. One thing I've always had trouble with is birds. How could anyone enjoy staring out of the window for hours at these creatures? My mother had always been one of those ridiculous birdwatcher types. She tried to raise her children to have respect for wildlife, but with little effect on me. One evening, a bird had been sitting on the same perch , as if frozen, for ten minutes. My mother got a ladder and took the bird from his perch. She inspected him. It seemed that his tongue was hurt, and that he was unable to drink from the feeder. My mother handed him to me while she went inside for an eyedropper . Never in my life had I felt as frightened as when I was holding that tiny life in my hands. I placed the eyedropper inside the long beak. At first, the bird only trembled, but finally he managed to swallow. After a few minutes, he glided to a tree nearby and returned again. He flew to the tree and then back to me again and again. It didn't take me long to realize that he was sending me a message, a sort of "SOS". I walked toward the tree, where I found the tiny creature trembling in the evening air. I slowly reached into the grass to pick up the bird. "Please, be okay." He had asked me for help. Now he owed me a favor in return and I was asking him to stay alive. However, what I saw was another dead bird lying besides the bird. It must have been a very sad picture: a child wiping her face with her one free hand, while the other palm was cupped around a tiny, dying creature. Fate was taking its own course. Its pulse was hardly noticeable, and the body was growing colder. I realized there were some things I could change and some I must simply accept. In either way, the two worlds sometimes collide and strangers must ask for, and be willing to receive, help from others. Without this, survival is not only impossible, but meaningless. Question: Why did the bird fly to the author again and again? Options: A: To thank her for saving him. B: To look for food to feed the dying bird. C: To warn her of danger. D: To ask for help for the dying bird.
A: D

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years? Jane Addams (1860 - 1935) Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964) Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects of pollution on humans and on the world's lakes and oceans. Angela Merkel (1954 - ) In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany's leader, she has had an effect on the whole world. Sandra Day O'Connor (1930 - ) When Sandra Day O'Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981 after years of hard work. Margaret Thatcher (1925 - ) In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first woman Prime Minister . She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain's Iron Lady. Marie Curie (1867-19245102534) Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation . Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911. Question: We can infer from the text that Rachel Carson worked to _ . Options: A: help the poor B: spread geographic knowledge C: protect the environment D: protect the rights of women
A: C

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: As a teacher, I always think it right to teach my students to write about their true feelings and real experiences. But once I was puzzled about this. After explaining a text one day, I asked my students to write a passage about their families. All the students wrote quite well but the best of them all was the one written by a small girl. I was deeply touched by it. The girl's father had died years before and her mother had to work hard to support the family. Many times she had seen her mother working deep into the night but never seen tears on her face. Like her mother this girl also works hard at her lessons and she is really good at any of them. I even didn't know anything about her unlucky family. She always appears happy every day so she is really liked by us all, both the students and teachers. In order to make her an example to the class, I read this passage to the class. When I finished reading it I found my throat _ and my students' eyes full of tears. Some of them even wept in a low voice. After the class nearly all my other students wanted to hand in their pocket money for the daily use to help this girl. To tell you the truth, I was really proud of my students. But to my disappointment, this student of mine left the class even without telling me the next day. I don't know the reason why, can you tell me? Question: What do you think is the main reason for the girl to leave the next day? Options: A: She got angry at what the teacher had done. B: She didn't want the others to know her unluckiness. C: She didn't know the teacher's kindness to her. D: She may have found a better school.
A: B

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Women work harder than men at university and get better degrees as a result, according to a study at Brunel University. The research, which followed 200 students for four years, found that women consistently outperformed men in their studies even though they had started their courses with almost identical A-level grades. An analysis of the results showed that while 65 percent of female graduates were awarded, only 35 percent of male graduates did as well. Girls are known to outperform boys at school, but this research showed that trend continued at university. Fiona Smith, who led the research, said, "The research shows that the difference has something to do with schools in general." "It also shows something about the inequality for working women in terms of pay and promotion. Women work harder at school, harder at university, and do better at both, but they still receive less pay." The research found that female students were more faithful, less likely to miss lectures, and more likely to believe that their marks reflected their abilities than male students. Female students were also more likely to ask for and receive support from their professors. Women were also more likely to choose their universities because they liked the courses offered. In contrast, men were more likely than women to miss lectures due to "other affairs" and "laziness", and to believe that playing sports was an important part of university life. Generally, people think that women's success comes from more emphasis on coursework, but the research showed that female geographers at Brunel did better in their exams than in their coursework. Dr Smith said, "Most women feel that getting good grades is the most important part of university life. They believe that they need to work harder in order to compete in the male-dominated environment they will encounter at work. Good grades are viewed as an 'insurance policy' for success. Men, on the other hand, prefer going out and playing sports to academic work." "This research shows how... Question: Which of the following about men is TRUE according to the passage? Options: A: They work as hard as women. B: They spend as much time on courses as women. C: They play a lot more than women. D: They consider good grades to be an "insurance policy" for success.
A: C