It is very normal for people to compare themselves with others. Everyone does it, but it is important to remember that no one is perfect. Other people may look confident, but everyone feels insecure once in a while, even the famous people like Yao Ming. When he was young, he probably felt insecure about being too tall! Other kids in his class probably laughed at him because he was different, although I don't know if I would have laughed at Yao Ming since he is so much bigger than me! Now, Yao Ming is rich and successful because of his height. When I was young, I had a friend named Annie. Everyone used to call her "toothpick" because they thought she was too thin. Now, everyone is jealous of her because she is thin and beautiful, and they have to always exercise to keep from getting fat. What makes you feel insecure and different may actually be a gift and help you in life. We should celebrate what makes us special and not be afraid to stand out in the crowd. WhenYao Ming was young, other children in his class might _ him because of his height. A) rely on B) laugh at C) be proud of D) be jealous of
B
Tea bag drinking is most westerners' favorite way of drinking tea. Do you know how it came about? The tea bag was invented in 1908 by Thomas Sullivan, an American tea seller. He was sending out free tea in silk bags for people to try. People put the bags together with the tea leaves into the cup and added hot water. The tea tasted good, and people thought it was easy to clean the cup. They were not happy when Sullivan started sending them loose tea again. Sullivan realized that he had a hot new thing in his hands, and he built a machine to pack the bags. As tea bags became popular, they were changed from silk to gauze and later paper. In 1952, Lipton Tea made the tea bag even more popular with its invention of the four-sided tea bag. _ , and today 85% of the tea in the UK is packed in paper bags. However, many people still prefer loose-leaf tea. This is because some tea companies put not very good tea in their tea bags. But for most drinkers, tea bags are still the easy, tasty way to go. This sentence "today 85% of the tea in the UK is packed in paper bags." tells us _ . A) Most drinkers in the UK prefer loose-leaf tea. B) Most drinkers in the UK prefer tea bags. C) A quarter of the drinkers in the UK prefer loose-leaf tea. D) A quarter of the drinkers in the UK dislike tea bags.
B
Q: Imagine climbing the three highest mountains in Britain. Now, imagine climbing all three in 24 hours. That's what Rebecca Shedden, a British schoolgirl did and she's only eight years old. She is one of the youngest people who have arrived on top of Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, the three highest mountains in Britain. Rebecca and her dad finished the climb, a total of about 11,000 feet (3,353 metres), in 23 hours and 15 minutes. That includes the time spent driving to each mountain: a distance of 500 miles! Climbing isn't new to this schoolgirl. She took her first trip up a mountain in her dad's backpack when she was just six months old! "One of the best parts about this climb was Scafell Pike," said Rebecca. "I've never walked in the dark before, and it was fun seeing all the sheep eyes as they ran around in the dark." Rebecca brought along food, water, a medical kit , a hat, a map, a lamp, a camera to take photos and even a mobile phone in case something went wrong. Along the way, she and her dad had fun by making up mountain songs. "All my friends like to stay inside playing computer games, but I like being outdoors best," says Rebecca. Rebecca also enjoys swimming and skiing. The young climber doesn't plan to stay on flat land for long. She wants to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. "And I would like to climb Mount Qomolangma one day, too," she said. What is the distance up and down all these three highest mountains in Britain? A) 500 miles B) 24 hours' walk C) 11,000 feet D) 23 hours and 15 minutes' drive
A: C
Question: In America, most people don't get enough sleep. Children aged 5 to 12 are advised to sleep 10 to 11 hours every night, but most of them can't sleep that long. A study found that about 41 million American workers got less than six hours of sleep every night. Scientists worry that parents are passing their bad sleeping habits down to their children. In the study, Reut Gruber and some other scientists either added or reduced on hour of sleep for healthy children aged 7 to 11. They watched the children for five nights. They wanted to know if the amount of sleep can affect a child's behavior. Before the study began, students were asked to sleep the same amount of hours as usual. Their teachers were asked to record their behavior. After five nights of the records, scientists found that those who slept one hour less behaved worse than those who slept one hour more. Students with less sleep were more likely to feel sad and had more problems paying attention. The scientists chose to study children in their homes instead of in a laboratory, because they wanted to find out how everyday changes might affect children's behavior at school. "In the study, nobody became a talent, and nobody became crazy. But small changes in children can really make a big difference," says Gruber. Scientists worry that _ may cause children to sleep less. A) too much homework B) pressure from parents C) TV and computer games D) parents' bad sleeping habits
Answer: D
*Question*
I was just out of college, only three days into a graduate year in England,and I was pulling a heavy bag and suitcase through the London Underground. I was also crying out of control. The day before yesterday, my uncle told me never to speak to him, his wife, or my two cousins again.Earlier, I made a joke. I didn't mean to hurt my aunt's feelings, but it did.I spent the evening in an ugly blue telephone booth . crying as I spoke to a family friend who lived in England. When I left the phone booth, I went back to a silent house with three closed bedroom doors. In the morning, I heard everyone get up and leave for work and school. I wrote a note to say sorry and pulled my bags to the train station. When I got into London, I had to take the underground to Angel Station to get to my family friend's house. I was familiar with the underground, but at the time, it was just endless white tiles .Coming to England seemed like a bad decision. Crying yet again, I tried to lift my suitcase up the stairs. When I was trying hard to walk forward, there were hands. Each time I faced another group of steps,a hand would lift the suitcase. At the top of the steps, the hand would let go, and I'd pull the suitcase to the next group. And just as I wanted to try again,another hand would appear. It happened several times. I never looked up, because I couldn't stop crying.Each hand looked different, and many different people helped me, without asking or saying anything. I couldn't look up. I wasn't able to say thank you. I went on to have an amazing year studying in England, but that was the last time I saw or spoke to any of my uncle's family. Yet when I think about _ in 2008, I remember those strangers' hands. They were there when I needed them, and even now, they help me out of the sadness of that memory. I think of them as I ride the underground in Washington D. C. today, and I watch the citizens and tourists to offer hands at any time. What was the writer's feeling while she was walking in the station? A) She felt sad and helpless at first, but might feel warm later. B) She was looking forward to getting help from friends. C) She expected to leave London and go back home D) She regretted making the joke, but was angry with her uncle.
**Answer**
A