I fell in love with the minister's son the winter I turned fourteen. He was not Chinese. For Christmas I prayed for the boy, Robert. When I found out that my parents had invited the minister's family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried in panic. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners? On Christmas Eve, my mother created abundant Chinese food. And then they arrived--the minister's family and all my relatives. Robert greeted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence. Dinner threw me deeper into disappointment. My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table. Robert and his family waited patiently for a large plate to be passed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert made a face. Then my father reached his chopsticks just below the fish eye and picked out the soft meat. "Amy, your favorite," he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wanted to disappear. At the end of the meal, my father leaned back and burped loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking. "It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied," explained my father to our astonished guests. Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddish face. The minister managed to bring up a quiet burp. I was shocked into silence for the rest of the night. After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, "You want to be the same as American girls on the outside." She handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt. "But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud that you are different. Your only shame is to have shame." It was not until years later that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the purpose behind her particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen excellent Chinese food. The dinner threw the writer deeper into disappointment mainly because _ . A) she childishly expected all of them to act in the same way as Americans did at table B) her father reached his chopsticks to pick fish for her C) her father leaned back and burped loudly D) her relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks
A
If you watch British television on March 15, you might be surprised to see celebrities wearing funny red noses and joking; around. But don't worry. They're not mad. It's all part of a money raising event called Red Nose Day. Founded in 1985 by two British comedians, the aim of the event is to raise money to fight poverty and injustice in the UK and Africa. Celebrities and public figures support the event by making appearances on comic TV shows. For example, UK Prime Minister David Cameron once appeared in a music video by One Direction, which the band produced for the event. Britons don't just raise money for charitable causes on one day a year, but they do it all year round. One way of doing so is by shopping in charity shops. These small shops sell clothes, books and household goods just like any other shop except that it's all secondhand. There are nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK. Their business model is simple: Anybody who has things they don't want anymore can donate them to a charity shop, where they are checked for damage, cleaned and priced. The money that is made by selling them is used for a charitable cause. The idea of buying used clothes may sound unpleasant, but for shoppers who have less spending money, it has been a welcome option. Now, shopping at charity shops is also becoming popular with young people looking for alternative fashion. "You can find very unique clothes for a very cheap price. It doesn't bother me that other people may have worn them. I simply wash them before I wear them." said Anne Marie, a 19-year-old from the US. So next time you spot a charity shop, why not go inside? Who knows, you might find a lovely dress for just a few pounds. Even better, you can enjoy wearing it in the knowledge tha t your money helped a good cause. Where are the goods of charity shops from? A) Local bands. B) People's donation. C) British comedians. D) The UK government.
B
Q: So many of us hold on to little complaints that may have come from an argument ,a misunderstanding,the way we were raised,or some other painful events. Stubbornly,we wait for someone else to reach out to us -- believing this is the only way we can forgive or _ a friendship or family relationship. A friend of mine,recently told me that she hadn't spoken to her son in almost three years. She said that she and her son had had a disagreement about his wife and that she wouldn't speak to him again unless he called first. When I suggested that she be the one to reach out,she said," I can't do that. He's the one who should apologize. " After a little gentle encouragement,however,she did decide to be the first one to reach out. To her amazement,her son was grateful for her willingness to call and offered an apology of his own. As is usually the case,when someone takes the chance and reaches out,everyone wins. Whenever we hold on to our anger, we turn" small stuff")"into really" big stuff" in our minds. We start to believe that our positions are more important than our happiness. They are not. If you want to be a more peaceful person you must understand that being right is almost never more important than allowing yourself to be happy. The way to be happy is to let go,and reach out. Let other people be right. This doesn't mean that you're wrong. Everything will be fine. You'll experience the peace of letting go,as well as the joy of letting others be right. You'11 also notice that,as you reach out and let others be "right",they will become less defensive and more loving toward you. They might even reach back. But,if for some reason they don't, that's okay too. You '11 have the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your part to create a more loving world,and certainly you'11 be more peaceful yourself. In the author's opinion, we hold on to our anger often because we think _ . A) we can turn small issues into big ones B) our positions are higher than others C) our own opinions matter most D) others will be less defensive
A: C
(Q).
Ever since man began to use the telephone, there have been new problems arising from the carrying of messages. At first, each message was carried by a pair of overhead wires. As a result, telephone exchanges were soon surrounded by thousands of wires. The wires were then replaced by cables ,each containing many pairs of wires. Each cable is capable of carrying many messages. These cables, laid underground, replaced the overhead wires. The more _ telephone services have become, the more demand for these services has increased, particularly the demand for long-distance services. In China, for example, this growth is now over 30% every year. Long-distance telephone exchanges are usually in crowded cities, where is not easy to lay new labels for expanding services. The use of radio to send telephone message and to link all telephone exchanges makes it possible to get rid of overhead wires and some underground cables. Now man has invented the microwave system ( ). In a microwave system messages from various places can be brought together, and then they are sent out and received by radio. After that, the messages are split into their original form. Finally, they are sent to the places where they are going to be sent. The best title for the passage would be " _ ". A) The Telephone and Its Past B) From the Wire to the Microwave System C) The Needs for Better Telephones D) How to Use the Telephone
(A).
B