Q: Victoria married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840. Their nine children married into royal and noble families across the continent, tying them together and earning her the sobriquet "the grandmother of Europe". After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion, republicanism temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign her popularity recovered. Her Golden and Diamond Jubilees were times of public celebration.

Victoria later described her childhood as "rather melancholy". Her mother was extremely protective, and Victoria was raised largely isolated from other children under the so-called "Kensington System", an elaborate set of rules and protocols devised by the Duchess and her ambitious and domineering comptroller, Sir John Conroy, who was rumoured to be the Duchess's lover. The system prevented the princess from meeting people whom her mother and Conroy deemed undesirable (including most of her father's family), and was designed to render her weak and dependent upon them. The Duchess avoided the court because she was scandalised by the presence of King William's bastard children, and perhaps prompted the emergence of Victorian morality by insisting that her daughter avoid any appearance of sexual impropriety. Victoria shared a bedroom with her mother every night, studied with private tutors to a regular timetable, and spent her play-hours with her dolls and her King Charles spaniel, Dash. Her lessons included French, German, Italian, and Latin, but she spoke only English at home.

1. unknown
2. Her mother.
3. No
4. Studied with private tutors to a regular timetable.
5. Dolls
6. A King Charles spaniel.
7. Dash
8. English
9. Four
10. French, German, Italian, Latin

Numbered questions:
1. Did Victoria live a long life?
2. Who did she share a room with as a child?
3. Did she attend a regular school as a child?
4. How was she educated?
5. What toy is she known to have used as a child?
6. Did she have any pets as a child?
7. What was the name of the dog?
8. What language was spoken in her home as a child?
9. How many other languages did she study?
10. What were they?

Q: Su Hua is studying at Cambridge, UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security. Her friend, Kate, found this article and sent it to her. www.zxxk.com

Introduction

A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.

Basic Security

Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddles .

Locks

Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shop. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike shop.

Marking

Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include your postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle.

Registration

There are a number of companies who will mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you.

Finally

Keep a record of the bicycle yourself: its make, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it, this will prove the bicycle belongs to you.

1. Cambridge.
2. bicycle .
3. Security.
4. \Kate.
5. Yes.
6. www.zxxk.com
7. About 150,000.
8. No.
9. Take them with you.
10. Lights.
11. Get a good lock.
12. One that's been tested against attack.
13. Bike shop.
14. Act as a deterrent to a thief.
15. A number of companies.
16. Put your registration number in their database.
17. Registration number.

Numbered questions:
1. where does Su Hua go to school?
2. what did she buy?
3. what worry does she have?
4. who gave her some information?
5. is Kate her friend?
6. where did she find the information?
7. how many bikes are taken every year?
8. are most of them found again?
9. what should you do with little pieces from a bike?
10. like what pieces?
11. what else can you do?
12. what kind should you buy?
13. where can you get help choosing one?
14. how does marking help?
15. who can mark it for you?
16. what else will they do?
17. what else should you record?

Q: Once upon a time there lived two friends in a small village. Jay and Victor had been friends since they were little children. Now they were studying in a school which was far away from their village. They had to cross a river, climb hills and go through sandy areas on their way to school. One rainy day, the two friends went to school as usual. They were chatting while walking. Perhaps they were discussing something important, but the two had different opinions, which led to a big argument. Things got so bad that Jay suddenly hit Victor. Then Victor looked at his friend and wrote in the sand, " Today, my best friend hit me." They both continued walking without saying anything . Later, they reached a river. Victor was not a good swimmer. By accident, he fell into the river and was going to be carried away by the water. Jay saw this and jumped into the river at once. With difficulty he pulled victor out of the river when Victor became safe, he wrote on a stone, "Today, my friend saved my life." Jay, who was watching all this, asked,"So way did you write it in the sand when I hit you, and why did you write on a stone when I saved your life?" Victor replied, " we should soon forget the wrong done by our friends as words in sand get _ easily, but if they do something good for us, we should always remember their kindness, just as words in stones are kept forever." Then the two friends walked on as if nothing had happened.

1. Jay and Victor
2. a small village
3. the river
4. he hit him
5. Today, my best friend hit me
6. Today, my friend saved my life
7. stone
8. so they always remember
9. rainy
10. they had a big argument

Numbered questions:
1. Who had been friends since they were children?
2. Where di dthey grow up?
3. What did Victor pull Jay out of?
4. What did Jay do to Victor before this?
5. Victor wrote something in the sand afterwards what was it?
6. What was written after Victor was pulled out of the water?
7. What did he write it on?
8. Why is it that he wrote on stone?
9. What was the weather like on the day these events occured?
10. Why did Jay hit Victor in the first place?