*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: If you hear the sound of a handset beeping in a bag or pocket, you could be forgiven for thinking that someone has received a text message. But nowadays there are so many different ways of messaging someone that it could spell the death of the traditional text as we know it. Text messaging, or texting, is the art of sending a short, electronic message between two mobile phones or tablets . Users pay a certain amount to send messages via SMS--short message service. But in the last few years, messaging in this way has been on the decline . The rise of smartphones and tablets has seen an increase in the use of instant messaging apps , which take the place of traditional texts. Using wireless Internet connections, people can send limitless numbers of IMs to their friends for very little cost. Unlike traditional mobile texts, the user usually only has to pay to download the app once, after which each message they send is free. Web developers soon _ . Instant messaging apps have become popular all over the world. WhatsApp in America and Europe, WeChat in China and Kakao Talk in South Korea are but a few which have attracted hundreds of millions of people, who use the apps to chat to their friends in real time. These apps allow people to send picture messages for free--something which previously was quite costly. Research company Informa said that almost 19 billion messages were sent per day using chat apps in 2012, compared with 17. 6 billion SMS texts. And it expects the chat app market to grow t0 50 billion per day by 2014. So does this really mean the end for communication by text? Pamela Clark--Dickson from Informa doesn't think so. She says that there are a large number of people who use normal mobile phones, particularly in developing countries, who prefer the SMS messaging tool. There is an awfully big base of mobile phone users who are still going to find that SMS is the best messaging experience for them for a while. ,. Question: What is the best title for text? Options: A: the death of text messaging B: How to send messages via SMS C: SMS costs less than IMs D: WeChat in China is popular.
**Answer**
A

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Hi, my name is Wang Jun. Do you want to know about my staying in America? Well, to tell you the truth, it is really an eye-opening experience here. In China, I had English classes five times a week since Grade Five. But I didn't know textbook English could be so different from everyday English until I came to Hotchkiss School, Connecticut. When I first studied English, I was told to say "I'm fine." when people say "How are you?" But in the USA, I found that people say "I'm good." or "I'm tired." One day, someone greeted me with "What's up?" It made me _ I thought for a moment and then smiled because I didn't know what to say. Since then, I have learnt more and more differences between Chinese and American cultures. To my surprise, American girls spend a lot of time in the burning sun getting a tan . In China, girls try every possible way to keep their skin white. American students are hard-working like Chinese students. In China, schoolwork is almost everything, so we study hard and that's it. But here, a "good" student not only gets good grades, but also does a lot for the public. That is to say, they get lots of knowledge at school and learn many life skills from social work. Question: Which of the following is the best title for the passage? Options: A: My wonderful travel in the USA B: After-school activities in American schools C: What American students learn at school D: My study experience in the USA
**Answer**
D

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Experts know that a disaster is coming but they do not know when it will happen. They do know that it could cause a lot of damage. They think it will be worse than a hurricane. The disaster they are worried about is an earthquake. There is a break in the earth's crust . It is called the San Andreas Fault. The San Andreas Fault is in California. Many earthquakes happen along the San Andreas Fault. In 1989 there was a big earthquake on the fault. The earthquake was called the "Loma Prieta Earthquake". Many people were hurt or died. Many buildings were ruined. Lots of people lost their homes. Roads and bridges were also damaged. A large earthquake could happen in Southern California. Many small earthquakes have happened in the last year. Earthquake experts think that a large earthquake will happen there soon. They think a big earthquake will happen in the next few years. The San Andreas Fault has many power lines stretched across it. There are water channels close to the earthquake fault. A large earthquake in Southern California would destroy energy and water supplies . Lots of people would be without power or water for weeks. Buildings that have not been built strong enough would be destroyed. Not all hospitals would be able to help people who were injured. Many people would die or be homeless. People need to be prepared. They need to know what to do if an earthquake happens. Everyone in California should have a survival kit at home. The emergency kit would include food and water. There should be medication and first aid supplies in the kit. A good survival kit will also have a portable radio, flashlights and spare batteries. All of the supplies in the kit should last at least 3 days. Question: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? Options: A: All of the supplies in the emergency kit will last at most 3 days. B: A large earthquake in Southern California would destroy food supplies. C: A break in the earth's crust in California is called the San Andreas Fault. D: Lots of people would be without power or water for days after the earthquake.
**Answer**
C

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: It is very normal for people to compare themselves with others. Everyone does it, but it is important to remember that no one is perfect. Other people may look confident, but everyone feels insecure once in a while, even the famous people like Yao Ming. When he was young, he probably felt insecure about being too tall! Other kids in his class probably laughed at him because he was different, although I don't know if I would have laughed at Yao Ming since he is so much bigger than me! Now, Yao Ming is rich and successful because of his height. When I was young, I had a friend named Annie. Everyone used to call her "toothpick" because they thought she was too thin. Now, everyone is jealous of her because she is thin and beautiful, and they have to always exercise to keep from getting fat. What makes you feel insecure and different may actually be a gift and help you in life. We should celebrate what makes us special and not be afraid to stand out in the crowd. Question: WhenYao Ming was young, other children in his class might _ him because of his height. Options: A: rely on B: laugh at C: be proud of D: be jealous of
**Answer**
B