Our room was on the second floor but you could still hear the roar of the ocean and see the stars at night. I used to take long walks along the water. The food in town was wonderful and the people were very friendly. The area was very quiet and peaceful, and fairly deserted. The last evening of our vacation, however, we all heard strange footsteps following closely behind us as we were walking up to our room in the holiday centre. We turned around and noticed a fairly young man moving very rapidly across the beach and getting closer to us. He was tall and wore a baseball cap. We didn't have any cell phones on us. I never saw Dad as worried as he was then and knew that something was terribly wrong. The sense of fear started to _ Mom and me. We had had such a good time in town. Now, the night was rapidly turning into a dangerous situation. We could hear the man's footsteps getting closer. Dad's face was almost pale. The so-called intruder had moved nearer and nearer when all of a sudden, the nearby vending machine started going crazy and spitting out cans of soda! The noise actually scared the intruder and he ran out of sight. My parents were shaking, but we all turned around to see who had put money into the vending machine downstairs, and actually saved us, but no one was around at all.Not a soul. It's one vacation I will never forget. Where did the author spend her vacation? A) Near a lake. B) In a village. C) At the seaside. D) In a mountain.
C
Something roared like thunder. The earth shook a little and we heard the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire. "Father!" Hassan cried. We sprung to our feet and raced out of the living room. "Father! What's that sound? Hassan screamed, his hands outstretched toward Ali. Ali wrapped his arms around us. A white light flashed and lit the sky in silver. It flashed again and was followed by rapid sharp sounds of gunfire. "They're hunting ducks." Ali said in a hoarse voice. "They hunt ducks at night, you know." Don't be afraid. A siren went off in the distance. Somewhere glass broke and someone shouted. I heard people on the street, jolted from sleep and probably still in their pajamas, with ruffled hair and puffy eyes. Hassan was crying. Ali pulled him close, clutched him with tenderness. We stayed huddled that way until the early hours of the morning. The shootings and explosions had lasted less than an hour, but they had frightened us badly, because none of us had ever heard gunshots in the streets. They were foreign sounds to us then. The generation of Afghan children whose ears would know nothing but the sounds of bombs and gunfire was not yet born. Huddled together in the dining room and waiting for the sun to rise, none of us had any notion that a way of life had ended. The end came when Russian tanks were rolling into the very same streets where Hassan and I played, bringing the death of the Afghanistan I knew and marking the start of a still ongoing era of bloodletting. Just before sunrise, Baba's car peeled into the driveway. His door slammed shut and his running footsteps pounded the stairs. Then he appeared in the doorway and I saw something on his face. Something I didn't recognize right away because I'd never seen it before: fear. "Amir! Hassan!" He cried as he ran to us, opening his arms wide. "They blocked all the roads and the telephone didn't work. I was so worried!" We let him wrap us in his arms and, for a brief moment, I was glad about whatever had happened that night. From the last sentence of the passage, we know _ . A) the author was glad to see his father come home safe B) there was a chance that a world in peace was to come C) what happened that night seemed nothing to the author D) Baba's arms gave the author temporary comfort and joy
D
Q: Heading off to college this year? Here are some fashion tips from our experts you should keep in mind: Dress to impress.Stylist and business consultant Daniela Smith says,"Girls should keep in mind that your college professors will often be the bridge that connects you to your future career and your classmates will become your professional network,You don't need to dress like you're going to the office, but you.should display all ability to properly present yourself with appropriate maturity and confidence,and look put together." Logo mania .Wearing the loges of brands aimed at younger customers physically identifies you as part of that age group,so consider the targeted age group of the stores you shop at.It's tempting to load up on loges,especially well-known loges that signify high-end brands.But consider this:college is a time of self-discovery, a chance to develop your own personal style.Instead of wearing loges head to toe,"walking advertisement"-style,why not express who you really are? Wear real pants! The combination of leggings and baggy shirts is all too common on college campuses.Smith points out that leggings,yoga pants,and Sweatpants ale entirely unacceptable in public unless you're exercising.Although leggings worn as pants are a common trend among high school and college girls,they are not an appropriate choice for daywear;As a young woman, your style choice should begin to reflect your maturity level.So,get rid of leggings and wear real pants! Keep the cute factor to a minimum.Stay away from sweaters and T-shirts with smiling animals, cartoon characters,or Hello Kitty on them.Sure,kittens might be cute,but they're not doing you any favors in the style department.Dressing too cutesy can take years off your look,and not necessarily in a good way! The author recommends wearing real pants because _ . A) leggings and baggy shirts are too common B) yoga pants and sweatpants are not as comfortable C) real pants can present you with appropriate maturity D) people like real pants better man the other pants
A: C
Q: An interesting study posted on Facebook recently shows how men and women develop new interests as they mature . While women tend to take exercise seriously from the age of 34, men will wait until their 45th birthdays before working hard to get in shape. The average woman spends more time talking about sports, politics, career and money as she gets older. Women's interest in books reaches its peak at the age of 22, while that of men does so when they are in their 50s. Men start to change their focus from the workplace to other things after age 30, while women do not do so until eight years later. Both, however, care most about fashion at age 16. The research used anonymous data donated by thousands of Facebook users, recording the statuses, 'likes' and 'interests' they had posted on their profiles. It found the average woman talks about television most at 44, while men peak much younger, at age 31. Men are also most likely to see a film in a cinema at age 31, while women go out to see films most when they are only 19. Men are most interested in travel at 29, women at 27, while women talk most about food and drink at 35, and men at 38. And if you are middle aged, a safe topic for any audience is the weather, which is a key interest for many as they approach 60. Stephen Wolfram, the British scientist who carried out the research, says, "It's almost shocking how much this tells us about the changes of people's typical interests. "People talk less about video games as they get older, and more about politics." What are men and women both interested in when they are 16? A) Getting in shape. B) Going to the cinema. C) Popular style of clothing. D) Food and drink.
A: C