*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Jules Verne was a Frenchman who was born in 1828 and died in 1905. He read a great many scientific books and wrote a number of exciting books about the things which he thought that scientists and inventors would one day be able to do. Years later, many of the things really happened. At that time, however, his stories seemed like fairy tales. Jules Verne's most famous book is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.(A league is an old word meaning a distance of about three miles). In those days submarines had not been invented but he described an underwater ship very like a modern one. Many of the things Jules wrote about in his books more than a hundred years ago to look into the future, however, were surprisingly exact. In his book From the Earth to the Moon he wrote at the age of about forty, three men and a dog made a journey around the moon in a hollow ship fired from a gun. After going around the moon, they returned to the earth and splashed down into the sea not far from where the first real moon traveler landed in July, 1969. Question: Many of the things really happened _ . - as soon as Jules' books were published - some years after his books were published - at that time - when Jules was in his forties
**Answer**
some years after his books were published

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: The new high-speed railway line between Urumqi,capital of the Xinjiang Uygur self-governing region,and Lanzhou,capital of Gansu province,has cut train travel time by half to less than 12 hours. The dramatic improvement will benefit many families planning reunions for Spring Festival. "For the first time,I feel home is not that far away after all,"said Liang Shaofu as he boarded a high-speed train in Urumqi with six members of his family. The 35-year-old left Lanzhou to set up a dry fruit business in Xinjiang eight years ago,and he has now settled in Urumqi. The 1,776-km line,which passes through Qinghai province and is the country's first high-speed railway to be built in a high-altitude region,came into service on Dec 26. "We normally drive home for Spring Festival to avoid the difficulties of buying seven train tickets for the whole family during the peak season,"Liang said."Driving can be very tiring and dangerous sometimes,so one year we even decided not to go back to Lanzhou simply to avoid the trip." More than 600,000 passengers traveled on the line during its first month,and the Urumqi Railway Bureau said the introduction of high-speed services will ease transport pressure during the Spring Festival peak season. The existing usual railway line could no longer support Xinjiang's development.All passenger trains will gradually shift to the new link,leaving the old one to be used for goods.As a result,Xinjiang's annual goods ability could reach 200 million metric tons from the current 70 million. The line passes through areas that experience high winds,and it also crosses parts of the deserted Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the bone-dry sands of the Gobi Desert. The project could help China to promote its high-speed railway technology abroad,said Ma Xi zhang,director of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway project's _ management department in Xinjiang. Question: What's the main advantage of the new high-speed railway? - It takes more time to go to Urumqi to Lanzhou. - It will be more convenient for people all over the country to Xinjiang. - All the people in Lanzhou can return home on festivals. - It helps to improve Xinjiang's development.
**Answer**
It helps to improve Xinjiang's development.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Today, nearly 400 animals are listed as threatened or endangered animals in the United States. Many are at risk of becoming extinct or disappearing permanently. Unless efforts to save these vulnerable animals succeed, many of the country's greatest creatures will be lost forever. From the facts listed, guess which animals are endangered. Click on the picture to find out more about each of these animals in trouble. American Crocodile *American crocodiles are about 12 feet long. They live on land and in shallow water, swamps and marshes. *American crocodiles like to float in the water with only their eyes and noses above the water surface. *American crocodiles eat mostly small animals, which they grab with their strong jaws and sharp teeth. *American crocodiles lay eggs. They hide their eggs under twigs and leaves, or bury them in the sand. *Some crocodiles help their young hatch, and then carry them to the water in their mouth. Habitat Southern Florida, Mexico, Central and South American, Caribbean islands. Why It's Endangered Overhunted for its skin and habitat destruction. Peninsular Bighorn Sheep *Bighorn sheep can weigh as much as 280 pounds and stand about 3 feet tall. *They live in dry, desert mountain ranges, near rocky cliffs. *Bighorn sheep eat grass, twigs and leaves. *Male sheep are called rams and can be recognized by their huge, brown horns. The horns curl back over the ears, down,and up past the cheeks. *They live in herds or groups. The male sheep with the biggest horns are usually in charge. Male horns can weigh as much as 30 pounds. *Males will use their massive horns to fight. The fights can last as long as 24 hours. *Females are called ewes. They are smaller than rams and have shorter, smaller horns. Habitat Nevada and California to west Texas and south into Mexico. Why It's Endangered Loss of habitat, hunting illegally, drought and disease. Question: Where can the article be found according to the passage? - Newspaper. - Website. - Student book. - Magazine.
**Answer**
Website.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: There are many places to go on safari in Africa, but riding a horse through the flooded waters of Botswana's Okavango Delta must rank as one of the world's most exciting wildlife journeys. Several safari camps operate as the base for this adventure, providing unique rides twice a day to explore deep into the delta. The camps have excellent horses, professional guides and lots of support workers. _ have a reputation for providing a great riding experience. The morning ride, when the guides take you to beautiful, shallow lakes full of water lilies, tends to be more active. It is unlike any other riding experience. With rainbows forming in the splashing water around you and the sound of huge drops of water bouncing off your body and face. It is truly exciting. You are very likely to come across large wild animals, too. On horseback it is possible to get quite close to elephants, giraffes and many other animals. The sense of excitement and tension levels rise suddenly though, as does your heart rate, as you move closer to them. In the evening, rides are usually at a more relaxed and unhurried pace. With golden light streaming across the grassy delta and the animals coming out to eat and drink. _ though they are, rides at this time of day are still very impressive. As the sun's rays pass through the dust kicked up by the horses, the romance of Africa comes to life. Back at the camp you can kick off your boots and enjoy excellent food and wine. Looking back on your day, you will find it hard to deny that a horseback Safari is as close as you will ever come to answering the call of the wild. Question: What does the author find most exciting about a horse safari? - Seeing and feeling the real African life. - Enjoying good food and wine at the camp. - Hunting large animals just as our ancestors did. - Being part of the scene and getting close to animals.
**Answer**
Being part of the scene and getting close to animals.