Wishing to encourage her young son to make more progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually found his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. To her horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking outTwinkle, Twinkle Little Star. At that moment, the great pianist made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a melody. Together, the old master and the young beginner transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was amazed and, as it finished, they cheered. That's the way it is in life. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But when we put our trust in the hands of a Greater Power, our life's work can be truly beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit, and keep playing." What the famous pianist did at the beginning of the concert showed _ . A) what a great pianist he was B) what a skilled pianist he was C) what an upright man he was D) what a strong man he was
A
(Question)
Most of us know about the Nobel Prize, especially the Nobel Peace Prize, but few of us know anything about the man who set them up. His name was Alfred Nobel. He was a great scientist and inventor himself. Besides, he had a big business. His business may surprise you. He made and sold explosives . His companies even made and sold weapons. Isn't this something that surprises you? The man who made money from weapons should set up the Peace Prize? Though Alfred Nobel had a lot of money from weapons, he hated war. He hoped that there would be no war in the world. He was one of the richest in Europe. When he died in 1896, he left behind him a lot of money and his famous will. According to his will, most of his money was placed in a fund . He wanted the interest from the fund to be used as prizes every year. We know them as the Nobel Prizes. The Nobel Prizes are international. Alfred Nobel wanted the winners to be chosen for their work, not the country they came from. Alfred Nobel had given his whole life to his studies and work and to the benefits of mankind. He made money all by his own efforts, but he left the world share his wealth. His inventions and wealth stay with the world for ever. Nobel wanted to set up the Nobel Peace Prize because _ . A) he made enough money B) he hated war C) he wanted to get more interest from the fund D) he liked to live in a peaceful world
(Answer)
B
Ques: Success starts within our mind. Now, we will discuss four steps to change our lives and create a new future. # 1. Think big. Get rid of negative beliefs. Your beliefs have developed from what happened to you in the past. You should realize that the past is not equal to the future, unless you really live there. The first thing you need to do is to drive all the negative beliefs away from your mind. Those beliefs are not useful for creating a new future. Think that everything is possible if you put enough effort in it. When you change your beliefs into positive ones, you will feel more powerful. You will then be able to move on to the next level. # 2. Write your plan to achieve your goals. Your great goals should be divided into smaller goals. Make a timetable for each goal so that you can measure your progress. Write a detailed plan to achieve these goals. # 3.Take action according to your plan. Nothing bears fruit without action. Every successful person has to work hard towards his or her goals. There is no exception . Be prepared to work according to your plan. Be willing to invest in the resources necessary for your progress. Do not give up. # 4. Review what you have done and know how good you are. While you are in the process of your work, take some time to review how well you have done. Review your progress based on your plan and see if you need to change anything. You can change your methods but you should not change your goals. Why should we get rid of our negative beliefs? A) They come from our past experiences. B) The past and the future are different. C) They will stop us from starting a new future. D) We should learn some useful things.
Ans: C
Ques:In one study, college students who had important and reality-based conversations were more content than their peers who changed mere amusing remarks. But don't deny small talks just yet. Psychologists have long said that connecting with others is important to well-being, but just how much conversation we require is under investigation. In one study, researchers overheard undergraduates for four days, and then cataloged each overheard conversation as either "small talks" ("What do you have done? Popcorn? Yummy!") or "substantive" ("So did they get divorced soon after?"). They found that the second type correlated with happiness --the happiest students had roughly twice as many substantive talks as the unhappiest ones. Small talks, meanwhile, made up only 10 percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of their conversation among the least content students. But don't deny small talks just yet. Scientists believe that small talks could promote bonding. Researchers found that a small talk maintains closeness with loved ones after studying ring-tailed lemurs' call-and-response conversations, similar to human small talks. Still, joking with strangers could brighten your morning. In a series of experiments, those bus-takers told to chat with others are reported a more pleasant journey than those told to "enjoy your solitude" or to do whatever they normally would. Small talks can also help us feel connected to our surroundings. People who smiled at, made eye contact with, and briefly spoke with their Starbucks baristas reported a greater sense of belonging than those who rushed through the transaction. Of course, some of us are better than others at turning small talks into something bigger. All the differences come to what researchers call "a curious mindset". So go ahead to talk and inquire. Small talks needn't be idle. And being curious about others' business isn't all bad. The benefits of small talks are the following EXCEPT _ . A) It can make the bonding between people much closer B) It can shorten the distance between strangers and make the journey pleasant C) It makes us feel connected with the surroundings D) You can get more free cups of coffee from Starbucks baristas

Ans:
D