(Q).
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: The winds had finally died down,and the rains stopped.Paige and her parents were inside their house,sitting in the living room,which was dark except for a single candlelight. "Let's find out what's going on outside,"Paige's mom suggested as she turned on the small radio. "...has moved out of the area,"an announcer's voice boomed. "Winds reaching nearly 100 miles an hour passed through our town this morning. But,the worst is over,and it is safe to go outside.In fact,the sun is now peeking out from behind the..." Suddenly,the radio went dead.The house was quiet again. "Well,"Paige's dad said, "at least we heard some good news,even if it was cut short.Let's look out of the window and survey the damage." Paige ran to the window and looked outside.She saw tree branches lie on the lawn.The mailbox was broken,and some of the address letters and numbers on the mailbox were missing. "The wind must have ripped them off," Paige's father noted.As he read the remaining letters he began to laugh. The mailbox dispalyed " _ _ RAIN." "It says "rain","Paige said. "That's appropriate for a day like today!" Question: The weather event that took place that day in the story was _ . - an earthquake - a hurricane - a flood - a fire
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a hurricane

(Q).
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Where do you find out about the world's longest walk? The world's tallest man? The world's oldest woman? You know the answer, of course. It is the Guinness Book of World Records. How would people find such unusual facts without this book? Guinness Book did not exist until 1951. Here is what happened. The managing director of Guinness Brewery was a curious man. He wanted answers to some questions about records. For example, he wanted to know what was the fastest flying game bird in Europe. But he was frustrated. There was no book to answer questions like this. The director, Sir Hugh Beaver, contacted the McWhirter twins. They were brothers who owned a research agency. He asked them to put together a new reference book. It would include all kinds of unusual records. The brothers quickly accepted. The first edition of their book was published in 1955. Soon the Guinness Book of World Records was a best seller. It has sold more copies than any book except the Bible. A new edition is published every year. Where do all the book's records come from? They are a combination of things like natural wonders, sports records, and stunts (How many people would push an egg with their noses if they weren't trying to get to the book?). But the editors try to keep things honest. All records must be _ by an investigator. Only then are they printed. The Guinness Book is a big business. It is published in dozens of languages. There are TV shows and museums. It is proof of how interested people are in strange pieces of information. Question: The Guinness Book _ . - is a best seller - is published only in English - does not always check its records - has a full-length movie based on it
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is a best seller

(Q).
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Many Americans are turning to Japan, they think, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one survey, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents listed "to give children a good start academically" as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as determination, concentration, and the ability to work as a member of a group. The huge majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents. Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children's chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens. Question: In Japan's preschool education, the focus is on _ . - preparing children academically - shaping children's character - teaching children mathematics - developing children's artistic interests
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shaping children's character