Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Growing up, I knew I was different. My father had left and he never came back. As I later discovered, the abandonment triggered my anxiety attacks. I feared being alone, unwanted, unpopular, and unloved. My first attack came in a ninth-grade class: The teacher asked me to walk in front of the class, but I couldn't do it- I was soaked in sweat, shaking. My symptoms began every morning from the moment when I stepped inside the school building. Throughout my childhood, I was no stranger to the doctor's office. My mother tried everything she could in hope of a breakthrough. There were times I thought suicide could be the only way to make the pain stop. By age 16, I had shut down socially. Most of my peers were going to parties, playing sports, and dating. But I was a prisoner in my own home. Then one Sunday morning, my wake-up call came from a magazine article. Freddie Prinze, Jr. was on the cover. The article detailed the pain of losing his father at a young age. I felt as though I were reading my own life story. The only difference? He was now a success. That article inspired me to explore a new treatment option for myself. I wanted to turn my life around as well. So I hit the library and the Internet, and I began to realize how my negative thoughts controlled my physical well-being. Immediately, I made a plan to take charge of my life. Shortly after following the items I had listed, I was able to stop seeing a therapist. I never returned to high school, but I did go to college. After graduation, I pursued a career in television news. My relationships have changed for the better, too. I've made new friends and reconnected with many from my past The anxiety isn't completely gone, but whenever it returns, I know the feeling will pass, and know I have the power to change my life, only if I will give myself a chance. Question: The writer's anxiety attacks were mainly caused by_. Options: A: the high school which he attended B: the teacher who asked him to walk C: the writer himself who was fearful D: the father who left in his childhood
A: D

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Comparative thinking and behavior is quite typical among teenagers, but it is the responsibility of the parent to set limits and hold firmly to them. Frequently, a parent will tell me in frustration about how their child has complained about not having the very best in fashion design like their friends, or the latest electronic gadgetry that all the other kids own. Parents need to teach their children selfconfidence. Those who are selfconfident resist the urge to compare themselves to other people, and do not overestimate others' experience while diminishing their own. But some people may have a mantra signified by the slogan, if only. "If only I had the money of my brother; if only I was smart like my classmates; if only I was as goodlooking as my friends." Comparing oneself with others is a trap. People who compare themselves with other individuals tend to feel that they are not good enough. They tend to perseverate about their shortcomings. Even if they try their best,it is not good enough because they can always find someone who performs at a higher level. When people compare, they generally focus on their negative traits. They ignore all that is going right in their life. They also tend to minimize their success and dismiss positive gestures and compliments. Those who are confident listen to their own inner voice. They are not influenced by other people's view of events. They are not overly impressed by others' success, money, health,and material possessions. They do not believe that others have a greater sense of emotional wellbeing than they do. Recently, The Harvard Mental Health Letter published an article which indicated that people with chronic pain had as significant a sense of wellbeing as those without chronic pain. However, those with chronic pain tended to overestimate the emotional wellbeing of physically healthy people. The study confirmed that it is how we view events that is important, not the nature of our circumstances which may include making comparisons. Question: What is the author's attitude towards "making comparisons"? Options: A: Favorable. B: Unconcerned. C: Disapproving. D: Doubtful.
A: C

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Three key facts about rising sea levels need to be pointed out to the world's politicians and planners: sea-level rise is now unavoidable, it will happen faster than most of us thought, and it will go on for a very long time. Even greenhouse gas emissions stopped tomorrow, the oceans will continue to become larger as they get warm. The climate scientists estimate that sea-level rise may be in the range of 1 to 2 meters by 2100, with a small risk of an even greater rise. For many islands and low-lying regions, even small rises will cause disasters. But for most countries, the problem is what has been built on that land: New York, Sydney and Tokyo, to mention just a few cities. Unless something can be done, great areas of urban network will disappear under the waves. It will take a great engineering effort to protect these cities---an effort that may be beyond economies that have been brought to their knees. None of this means we should fear, and stop trying to forbid emissions. But together with these efforts, we need to start acting now and we must stop building in danger zones. Billions of dollars are being spent on constructing homes, offices and roads in _ coastal areas. For instance, the skyscrapers of Shanghai are being built on land that is merely 4 meters above sea level on average, and they are sinking under the weight of the buildings. Therefore, planning for new coastal developments is to go against reality. If we want to build a lasting heritage for our children, we should do so on the plentiful land that is in no danger from the sea. It is one of the effective ways to slow down climate change, and we should be acting on it now. Question: Which of the following about sea-level rise is true? Options: A: It will be brought under control by 2100. B: It will cause few problems to many islands. C: It may become worse than we expected. D: It may be caused by fast urban development.
A: C

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in bio-technology . With the help of new medicine, the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents, murder and war. Today's leading killers, such as heart diseases, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memory. In discussion of technological changes, the Internet gets most of the attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live? Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells are the basic units of all living things, and until recently, scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells, such as those of brain cells, would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100, medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so, people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs . The medicine, made up of the basic building materials of life, will build new brain cells, heart cells, and so on---in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones. It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic conditional human existence, but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future. Question: According to the passage, human death is now mainly caused by _ . Options: A: diseases and aging B: accidents and war C: accidents and aging D: heart diseases and war
A: A