Tess still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward, when a figure came out from the dark door of the tent. It was a tall young man, smoking. He had an almost black face, though red and smooth. His moustache was black with curled points, though he could not be more than twenty three or--four. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes. "Well, my beauty, what can I do for you?" said he, coming forward. And seeing that she was quite at a loss, "Never mind me. I am Mr. d'Urberville. Have you come to see me or my mother?" This differed greatly from what Tess had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified face. She tried to keep calm and answered-- "I came to see your mother, sir." "I am afraid you cannot see her--she is ill in bed," replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alee, the only son of the noble family. "What is the business you wish to see her about?" "It isn't business--it is--I can hardly say what!" "Pleasure?" "Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem..." Tess's sense of a certain ridicule was now so strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man. "It is so foolish", she stammered . "I fear I can't tell you!" "Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear," said he kindly. "Mother asked me to come," Tess continued; "and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not think it would be like this. I came, sir, to tell you that we are of the same family as you." "Ho! Poor relations?" "Yes." "Stokes?" "No; d'Urbervilles." "Ay, ay; I mean d'Urbervilles." "Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are d'Urbervilles. The local scholars hold the view that we are, and...and we have an old seal and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we've lost our horse by a bad... In the eyes of Tess, Alec is _ . A) forceful and daring B) unfriendly and talkative C) a gentle and reliable man D) older than she had expected
A
(Question)
I was doing my last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store, looking at fashion dolls. A nicely-dressed little girl with her father was excitedly looking through the same dolls as well. As she was looking, a boy wandered in and sorted through some of the video games. He was dressed neatly, but in clothes that were obviously rather worn. He, too, had money in his hand, but it seemed to be no more than five dollars or so at the most. He was with his father as well, but each time he picked one of the video games and looked at his father, his father shook his head. The little girl had apparently chosen her doll, a beautifully-dressed glamorous creation that would have been the envy of every little girl on the block. However, she stopped to watch the little boy and his father. Then, the little girl put her carefully-chosen doll back on the shelf, and ran over to the video games. She excitedly picked up one that was lying on top of the other toys and raced towards the reception desk after speaking with her father. I picked up my purchases and waited in line behind them. Then, much to the little girl's obvious delight, the little boy and his father stood behind me. After the video game was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier and whispered _ in her ear. The cashier smiled and put the package under the counter. I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things in my purse when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier rang up his purchases and then said, "Congratulations, you have been selected to win a prize!" With that, she handed the little boy the video game, and he could only stare in disbelief. It was, he said, exactly what he had wanted! The little girl and her father were standing at the door-way during all of this, and I saw the biggest, prettiest smile on that little girl's face that I have ever seen in my life. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A) The little boy got the video game because he was selected to win the prize. B) The little girl chose the video game as her present. C) The little girl chose the video game as well as the doll as her presents. D) The little boy was too surprised to believe what had happened in the end.
(Answer)
D
Most American schools have boys and girls in the same classroom. But a public high school in the small, rural town of Boonsboro, Maryland, offers a special program called the Academy. Top students in the ninth and tenth grades can attend single-sex classes for math, science, English and social studies. The aim is to help teenagers keep their mind on their work by keeping males and females apart. What they really want to do is take that top group of kids and take them to the very highest level they can achieve there, so that they're prepared for college. Students are invited to enter this program after they finish middle school, and placement in the Academy is voluntary. However, they need high marks and test scores and strong teacher recommendations. They also need to be involved in activities. Almost 350 students have taken part in the Academy. It began as an experiment in 2010. Michael Bair has been at Boonsboro High for twenty years and directs the Academy. His ninth-grade English class for boys centers on books that he believes boys find interesting. He says that the novels the students are reading now are very manly novels. These novels deal with the arrogance of man and the pride of man which finally leads to man's downfall. One of those books, for example, is The Call of the Wild by Jack London. This classic story tells of a dog stolen from his home and sold to work as a sled dog in Canada's Klondike Gold Rush. Morgan Fleet, a senior at Boonsboro High, likes being in the Academy. She says boys and girls act differently when they are together in a classroom. She believes this difference seems to prevent her from developing herself because she's more focused on thoughts like "Oh, I wish they would shut up. Oh, what do they think of me?'' instead of focusing on "What's the homework? What's going on in this class? What's the lesson?". There is one activity that girls and boys in the Academy do together. At the end of the day, many of them stay and help tutor students who are having trouble in school. The passage is intended to _ . A) introduce the single-sex class project B) explain the differences between boys and girls C) persuade students to enter the Academy program D) urge students to work hard in their study
A