Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

A lot of teenagers are good at art at school, but how would you feel if people called you "the new Picasso " or if presidents and other famous people collected your paintings? Alexandra Nechita was ten when her paintings became famous all over the world. She visited Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and her family's native place Romania where 5,000 fans came to see her at the airport. Alexandra said, "When it all started, I was moved. It was very exciting and I loved the traveling, but I got very tired. And I missed home." Alexandra is a good student. Her studies always come first. She only starts painting after she's done her homework. She works on two or three paintings at a time. The paintings sell for thousands and Alexandra's parents have given up their jobs to work for their daughter. Life for the Nechita family is very different from what it was like a few years ago. Alexandra's father Niki left Romania for political reasons in 1985. At first he tried his best to learn English and had different kinds of low-paid jobs. In 1987, he brought his wife and Alexandra, who was then 18 months old, to America. The family was very poor. Alexandra began to draw at the age of three. She was drawing for four or five hours a day. Soon people offered to buy her paintings and she had her first art show at the age of eight. Stories about this child appeared in the newspapers and television. They now live in a large house with a swimming pool. Her mother said, "We started without anything, but thanks to Alexandra, we have everything we ever dreamed of."

1. Who is well known for art?
2. How old was she?
3. Where?
4. Where are her drawings famous?
5. Where was her dad from originally?
6. How many went to meet her when she went there?
7. What were her feelings?
8. Then what happened?
9. What else?
10. What did she miss?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. Alexandra Nechita
2. Ten when she became famous
3. In America
4. All over the world
5. Romania
6. 5,000 fans met her
7. She was excited
8. She got very tired
9. unknown
10. She missed home

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

When the film opens, the Oakland A's have just lost a game to the New York Yankees. And they're about to lose three of their best players to richer teams. Beane is sad, because he doesn't have enough money to compete with the big teams. But then he meets Peter Brand, a young Yale graduate and statistics expert.

Brand introduces Beane to sabermetrics---a controversial system for measuring how good a baseball player is. It applies computer-generated( )statistical analysis to work out a player's ability. It's completely different from the more traditional methods of talent spotting that all the other teams are using. With sabermetrics, Beane begins buying players other teams aren't interested in. And he manages to build a winning team with very little money.

Monayball is based on a true story, but characters have combined, dates have been changed and some events have been invented all for dramatic effect. For example, Peter Brand, Beane's assistant, never existed. However, he is largely based on Beane's former assistant Paul DePodesta. Though there are these changes, critics think that Brad Pitt's portrayal of Beane is _

One journalist wrote, " Pitt imitates Beane's gestures and speech patterns."

Beane's use of sabermetrics changed baseball. Now many teams rely on the method. But this form of complex computer-generated statistical analysis is used in business too. And these days, many businesses use sabermetrics to help plan their business strategies.

But Moneyballisn't just about facts and figures. Billy Beane himself was once a major-league baseball player. At the start of his career people expected big things from him. But he didn't achieve what is expected of him and in 1990 he retired with an average record. This past failure always returns to his mind, and the film is also about whether Beane will finally achieve success in his life.

The critics love Moneyball. One called it " the most soulful of baseball movies", another described it as a " home run". And most agree it's on track for some major awards.

1. What movie is this?
2. Is it based on a true story?
3. How does the movie start?
4. What are they about to lose?
5. To whom?
6. Why is Beane sad?
7. Who does he meet to change that?
8. Who is Peter?
9. Did the critics like this movie?
10. What did Beane use to change baseball?
11. Do other teams use it now?
12. What did Beane do before this?
13. What was expected of him?
14. Did he accomplish that?
15. When did he retire?
16. Did he have a good record?
17. Who plays Beane?
18. Do they think he did a good portrayal?
19. Where the characters and dates accurate to the real story?
20. Why did they change things?

Numbered answers:

A: 1. Monayball
2. Yes
3. the Oakland A's have just lost a game to the New York Yankees
4. three of their best players
5. richer teams
6. because he doesn't have enough money to compete with the big teams
7. Peter Brand
8. a young Yale graduate and statistics expert.
9. Yes
10. sabermetrics
11. Yes
12. a major-league baseball player.
13. eople expected big things from him
14. No
15. 1990
16. No
17. Brad Pitt
18. Yes
19. No
20. dramatic effect.

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

On Saturday, Amy and Joe baked a whole chicken for their family's dinner. They rinsed it in cold water, rubbed it with spices, and put it into a pan. After they had heated up the oven, they put the chicken and the pan on the center oven rack and set the timer. Then, as they peeled potatoes and carrots to go with the chicken, Amy, Joe and Cindy talked about dinner.

Amy said, "Joe, this is too much food for you, me and little Cindy to eat in one night. We'll have leftovers. What can we do with the leftover chicken?"

Joe said, "We could make chicken sandwiches or chicken and rice."

Amy said, "How about chicken soup?"

Cindy said, "I like chicken with Thai noodles with red peppers. We haven't made those in a long time."

"That sounds good," said Amy. "We'll make that for dinner tomorrow."

"Yum!" said Joe. "That's a great idea. I love Thai noodles."

Later, Joe, Amy and Cindy had finished eating dinner, and Cindy asked Amy for help with her homework. "I don't understand how to do these math problems!"

Joe said, "You two go ahead. I'll do the dishes and put away the leftovers."

Soon, Cindy went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Joe was eating the chicken. It was almost gone!

"Dad!" said Cindy, "You have eaten almost all of the leftover chicken. We can't have Thai noodles with chicken tomorrow."

Joe looked very sad. He said "I'm sorry. I have been a bad dad. I have to buy more chicken so that we can still have noodles. Would you like a piece of chicken?"

1. On what day did Amy and Joe bake chicken?
2. how many chickens did they make?
3. which rack did they put it on
4. did they add any vegetables to it?
5. what did they talk about?
6. did Amy think there would be leftovers?
7. what did Joe suggest they make with it?
8. does Cindy like Thai noodles?
9. how about Amy?
10. After dinner, what did Cindy want help with?
11. which subject?
12. did Joe say he would do the dishes?
13. what did he end up eating more of?
14. did he finish it?
15. Was Cindy disappointed?
16. how did Joe feel?
17. was he a good dad?
18. what does he say he will buy more of?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. Saturday
2. one
3. center
4. potatoes and carrots
5. dinner
6. yes
7. chicken sandwiches or chicken and rice
8. yes
9. yes
10. homework
11. math
12. yes
13. chicken
14. almost
15. yes
16. sad
17. he felt like a bad one
18. chicken