When I got up, Mom was already awake. I could hear her doing something in the kitchen. It's was my birthday, and I was afraid. What if my husband had neglected to take Mom shopping for a card? Once Mom found it was my birthday, she would be sad that she had forgotten and had nothing to give me. She even can't remember what we did two hours ago because of dementia . Birthdays are not a big deal to me. I hate growing older. I don't mind if Mom forgets my birthday as long as she still remembers me. That someday she might not recognize me has been my biggest fear ever since Mom got dementia. I can't imagine anything more devastating than being forgotten by my own mother. When Mom was diagnosed with vascular dementia seven years ago, I was told she did not have Alzheimer's disease . I hoped that meant she would never forget her family. But as Mom's dementia progressed, I realized that I had no idea whether vascular dementia could be as bad as Alzheimer's. I really didn't understand the difference. The sleeping house was quiet except for the sound of Mom washing the bowls left last night in the kitchen. Will Mom live long enough to forget me? Will the day come when she no longer worries about remembering my birthday because she no longer knows that I exist? In the kitchen, Mom heard me come near. She hurried to the door, face ringing with smiles. "Happy birthday to you," she sang. We laughed as I hugged her tightly, and both of us were very surprised that she had remembered. Moments later she said, "Oh, there seems to be something here for you." She brought me her card. My husband did, after all, take her shopping. The birthday-for-a-daughter card was filled with expressions of love in pink. How did the writer feel about Mom's dementia? _ . A) Helpless B) Optimistic C) Hopeful D) Discouraged
A
(Question)
Young women are more adventurous than young men when travelling abroad in gap years.One in three female backpackers visits more than three countries during a year out and travels alone, according to new research. By contrast, the majority of their male counterparts visit only one country and tend to travel in groups, says a survey by the Gap Year company, which provides information and services for students considering taking a year out. More women than men say that their prime reason for taking time off is to see the world and experience different cultures.Men are more likely to rank "having fun" higher on their list of _ .Women are more likely to value the challenge of a foreign trip, and many cited reasons such as learning a language and meeting new people. The more adventurous gap years taken by women seem to work to their benefit; more than three quarters of those surveyed have reported increased confidence, self-reliance and independence, whereas only half of the men had that experience. The research also shows that women are more likely to do voluntary work while travelling, with more than one in ten helping with teaching or development projects.One of the reasons given for this is a wish to see the country in an authentic light. A greater proportion of women than men face objections or criticism from their families over their gapyear plans.Among the men surveyed, lack of money is the main barrier to travel. Carolyn Martin, a doctor from London,is a typically confident female traveller.Starting in Cape Town, she travelled around southern Africa and Australia with a string of unusual and sometimes dangerous jobs. "I had one job chasing elephants off the runway in Africa by banging a stick against a pan," she recalled."It was OK but one day I did get chased by one." She said that she had travelled alone because "you meet more people". Which of the following would be the best title of the passage? A) Girls Get the Best out of Gap Years B) Boys Lack Courage in Gap Years C) For Fun or for Adventure? D) Young Women Are More Adventurous
(Answer)
A
Ques: Before Alaska became part of the U.S., it had been owned by Russia. Trading posts and small settlements were scattered along the coast. The rest of land was left unexplored. The Russians were mainly interested in the wealth of furs from the vast herds of seals they found there. By the mid-1800's, most of the seal herds had been wiped out, and Russia no longer wanted to keep Alaska. William Seward, Secretary of State for President Johnson, believed the United States should buy Alaska from Russia. President Johnson wasn't so sure it was a wise way to spend U.S. money, but he agreed to let Seward discuss it with the Russians. Acting quickly, Seward made a deal. On March 30, 1867, he signed an agreement for the U.S. to pay seven million dollars for the land. Many people thought it was a foolish waste of America's money. They called the deal "Seward's folly". Then gold was discovered in Alaska and public opinion changed quickly. Seward did not live to see the true value of Alaska. He died in 1872, five years after making the purchase . Each year, Alaska's natural resources have brought in many times the $7,000,000 paid for it. Natural gas, coal, oil, lumber, seafood and other minerals, besides the gold first found, have made it a valuable addition to the United States. In 1959, Alaska be-came the 49th state of the United States. Which of the following things was found first in Alaska? A) Gas. B) Coal. C) Oil. D) Gold.
Ans: D
Question: Do you often lose things? Don't worry. Now a new tool that can be connected to any object you might lose may be the way to solve your problem. The Tile, a small square linked up to your iphone or ipad by means of Bluetooth, lets you see how close you are to your missing item, within a 50-to-150-foot range. If the item goes out of your phone's 150-foot range, it can still be found on other smart phones with the same app. When you drive the app on your phone, it shows you, with green bars that increase or decrease, how close or far away you are from the Tile. You can also program it to make a sound when you get close to the Tile. And you can link up your phone with up to ten Tiles. And if your lost object--a dog, for example, or a stolen bike--go out of your own phone's 150-foot Bluetooth range, you can set it as a "lost item". If any of the phones with the Tile app comes within range of your lost item, a message will be sent to your phone, telling you its position. The Tile app also has the function to remember where it last saw your Tile, so that you can easily find where you left it. Since the Tiles use Bluetooth rather than GPS, they are never out of battery or needn't to be charged, and they work for one year before needing to be replaced. And the app works with all generations of iPhones and iPads. For further information, please visit www. tile666.com. Where does the passage probably come from? A) A health report. B) An advertisement. C) A personal diary D) Science fiction.
Answer:
B