Read the article and select the best answer. Article: On March 17 there will be an explosion of green colour across the world in celebration of St Patrick's Day. The Irish traditionally wear something coloured green on this day as the colour is connected with Ireland. Another St Patrick's Day tradition is for the non-Irish to make jokes about the Irish. Usually these jokes will be about Irish stupidity or their famous thirst for alcohol, or their reputation for telling tall(untrue) stories. These characteristics are all part of the famous Irish stereotype that Irishman are hot-tempered drinkers, who love to fight and will do anything to avoid a day's work. The real joke, however, is that this negative Irish stereotype still exists. The stereotype might have had some truth back in the 19th century when Irish was poverty-stricken and starving. Many Irish moved to the United States to escape famine , but there they had to compete, occasionally with their fists, for jobs and housing with other immigrant groups. It was on America's streets that the Irish earned their reputation for street fighting. However, it was far from truth today, with the exception of the drinking perhaps. Today, the Irish are admired for their story telling gifts and musical talents. It is no accident that several of the greatest writers of the 20th century were Irish. Or that many of today's most popular music groups such as singer Enya and rock band U2, are Irish born and growing. Lonely Planet readers even ranked Ireland as the friendliest country in the world. However, one bit of the Irish stereotype is true, their love for drink. Drinking in Ireland is a job, but it's not necessarily something to criticize. It was the Irish after all who created one of the world's best-loved beers, Guinness. Question: What is this reading passage mainly about? Options: A: The Irish festival--- St Patrick's Day. B: How the Irish earned their reputation. C: Jokes about the Irish people. D: Famous Irish stereotype and the truth.
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Housing Price in China has always aroused heated discussion among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8, 000 yuan per square metre, while in China, it is even higher than that in the United States. "This shows that there are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market," the International Finance News reported. Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after changed to RMB, is about 8, 000 yuan per square metre, the houses in the US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If the US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8, 000 yuan per square metre. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US. The high housing price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses cannot be compared with houses in the US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people's average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in the US? At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. Meanwhile, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple... Question: What is the passage mainly about? Options: A: The problem of high housing price in China and possible solutions to it. B: Different opinions on the problem of high housing price in China. C: A comparison in residential housing price between China and the US. D: The reaction of Chinese government to the bubbles in real estate market.
A

(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Among the more color1ful characters of Leadville's golden age were H.A.W.Tabor and his second wife, Elizabeth McCourt, better known as "Baby Doe". Their history is fast becoming one of the legends of the Old West. Horace Austin Warner Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. With his first wife and two children he left Vermont by covered wagon in 1855 to homestead in Kansas. Perhaps he did not find farming to his liking, or perhaps he was lured by rumors of fortunes to be made in Colorado mines. At any rate, a few years later he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. "Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here." he said. As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville's fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store, which sold everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco.It was his custom to "grubstake" prospective miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or "grub", while they looked for ore , in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered. He did this for a number of years, but no one that he aided ever found anything of value. Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two miners came in and asked for "grub". Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. "Oh help yourself. One more time won't make any difference," He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the "Pittsburgh Mine," made $1,300,000 for Tabor in... Question: The underlying reason for Tabor's life career is _ . Options: A: purely accidental B: based on the analysis of miner's being very poor and their possibility of discovering profitable mining site C: through the help from his second wife D: he planned well and accomplished targets step by step
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B