Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
Yesterday I started the Year of Giving, my first day of a year-long journey into exploring the act of giving and the meaning of charity. I chose December 15 as the starting date, which marked three years since my mother died from heart disease. She was one of the most generous people that I have ever known. She always thought of others first and certainly serves as an inspiration to me.

I had a rather busy day yesterday, ironic for someone who is unemployed right now. In the morning I went to the gym, and unsuccessfully got the phone call from the unemployment office for some job searching. Before I knew it, it was noon. I grabbed a quick lunch and rushed down to a meeting. On my way to Connecticut, I wondered if I would see someone that I would feel forced to give my first $10 to. I was running late and decided to do it afterwards.

After the meeting I had about half an hour to find the first person of my Year of Giving! I decided to check out Dupont Circle. I had met a guy there named Jerry once and thought he would willingly accept my first $10. He wasn't there, but I did see a man sitting by himself who looked really lonely, so I approached him. Now I had to figure out what I was going to say. I think I said something like, "Hi, can I sit down here?" "I would like to know if I could give you $10?" He asked me to repeat what I had said. I did, then he looked at me funny, got up and left.

I then started walking south where I spotted a man standing by the bus stop on Connecticut Ave. He appeared to be in his 60s. I don't know what drew me to him, but I thought I would make my second attempt. I was a bit nervous and asked him which bus came by that stop. Then I explained that I was starting a year-long project to give $10 to someone every day and that I wanted to give my $10 for today to him. The gentleman, I later found out that his name was Ed, responded without hesitation that he could not accept my offer and that there were many people more deserving the money than him. This was exactly one of the things that I hoped would happen. People would think of others before themselves!
1. what did the speaker start
2. on what day
3. what was special about that
4. did she have a pretty easy or busy day
5. where did she go first
6. where did she go after eating
7. where was she heading next
8. how much time did she have to find someone
9. where did she go
10. who had she met there before
11. who did she see insead
12. did she go up to the man
13. did he accept the money
14. where did she go next
15. to what
16. how old did he look
17. what did she ask him
18. what was his name
19. did he accept the offer right away

Numbered answers:
1. the Year of Giving
2. December 15
3. three years since their mother died from heart disease.
4. Busy
5. the gym
6. to a meeting
7. Connecticut
8. about half an hour
9. Dupont Circle
10. Jerry
11. a man sitting by himself
12. Yes
13. No
14. walking south
15. the bus stop on Connecticut Ave.
16. 60s.
17. That I was starting a year-long project to give $10 to someone every day and that I wanted to give my $10 for today to him.
18. Ed
19. No

Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
"How many common English words were invented by Shakespeare?" How long did it take people to find the answer to this question 15 years ago? And now! you can google it and find the answer immediately! Google is the most popular Internet search engine in the world. It was invented by two students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. They met in 1993, when they were studying computer science at Stanford University, USA. They dreamed of producing something that could also answer any question in seconds. Internet search engines at that time were slow and gave many websites that weren't useful. In January 1996, Page and Brin decided to make a better and faster search engine. They thought the results should be based on the most popular websites. Nobody would give them money for their project, so they used their own money. They also borrowed money from family and friends. Then, in 1998, they were given a _ for $100,000, and they started their own company. Their first office was in a friend's garage. The company's name is Google, a word which comes from mathematics. A "google" is a very high number---- 1 followed by a hundred zeros. The google search engine was soon used by thousands of people worldwide because it was fast, easy and correct. By 2002 it was the biggest search engine on the Internet. Now, more questions have been answered by Google than any other Internet service, from sport to science, and from music to medicine. Google hopes that in the future all the world's information will be put on the Internet, so that everybody can find everything.
1. What is google?
2. When was it created?
3. by who?
4. How did they know each other?
5. What was their dream?
6. Did they have a lot of contributors?
7. How did they fund it?
8. Were was their office?
9. where did the name come from?
10. What does it mean?
11. Did many use it?
12. Was it used just in the US?
13. Is it a large company now?
14. Have there been a lot of searches?
15. how many?
16. What are there hopes for the future?
17. HOw quick can you find an answer now?
18. What year did they decide to do this?
19. by 2002 what happened?

Numbered answers:
1. a search engine
2. in 1998
3. Larry Page and Sergey Brin
4. They met studying computer science at Stanford University, USA
5. To produce something that could answer any question in seconds
6. No
7. Their own money, borrowing from family and friends, and finally given a loan for 100,000
8. in a friend's garage
9. a word from mathematics
10. a very high number---- 1 followed by a hundred zeros
11. yes
12. No
13. Yes
14. Yes
15. more questions have been answered than any other Internet service
16. all the world's information will be put on the Internet
17. immediately
18. 1996
19. it was the biggest search engine on the Internet

Question:
Read the text and answer the questions.
Zoe Chambers was a successful PR(Public Relations) consultant and life was going well -- she had a great job, beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. "The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hate everything about the city and my life."

Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later she is still on the farm.

"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."

Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London 1 was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all I need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."

Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been teaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing -- watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now."
1. Who was fired?
2. Where did she work?
3. Where?
4. Was it easy?
5. How did she feel in the big town?
6. Was it a healthy life?
7. Who invited her to visit?
8. Where did she live?
9. Did she remain a short time?
10. Why did she remain?
Numbered answers:
1. Zoe Chambers
2. PR(Public Relations) consultant
3. London
4. unknown
5. busy
6. unknown
7. Kathy
8. a farm in north-west Wales
9. ten months later she is still on the farm
10. she has never felt bored on the farm