*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Dear all, Please read Professor Hume's email about his next lecture on Rosa Parks. Susan Miller Secretary *************************************** Dear Susan, Please forward this message to students of my history class. Besides the life story of Rosa Parks in the textbook, the students are also required to read the passage below and some related stories that can be borrowed from the school library. Ted Hume The early experiences of Rosa Parks(1913-2005), long known as the "mother of the civil rights movement, "were not different from those of many African-Americans at that time. The black woman, however, turned the course of American history in December 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. "By sitting down, "remarked John Lewis, "she was standing up for all Americans. " Among the numerous awards Parks received in her life were the Presidential Medal of Freedom(1996)and the Congressional Gold Medal(1999). Parks died on Oct. 24, 2005. At St. Paul A. M. E. Church in Montgomery, a large crowd including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice celebrated her life. Rice said she and others, who grew up when the political activities of Parks held public attention, might not have realized her impact on their lives, "but I can honestly say that without Mrs. Parks, I probably would not be standing here as Secretary of State. " After her casket was placed at the Capitol, U. S. President Bush, members of Congress and ordinary Americans paid their respects. In American history Parks is the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol, a very high regard usually reserved for Presidents of the United States. Question: What is the main purpose of Susan's email? - To make arrangements for Professor Hume's class. - To introduce to the students Rosa Parks. - To help the students organize a lecture. - To answer Professor Hume's last email.
**Answer**
To make arrangements for Professor Hume's class.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Nothing could stop Dad. After he was put on disability for a bad back, he bought a small farm in the country, just enough to grow food for the family. He planted vegetables, fruit trees and even kept bees for honey. And every week he cleaned Old Man McColgin's chicken house in exchange for manure. The smell really burned the inside of your nose. When we complained about the terrible smell, Dad said the stronger the manure, the healthier the crops, and he was right. For example, just one of his cantaloupes filled the entire house with its sweet smell, and the taste was even sweeter. As the vegetables started coming in, Dad threw himself into cooking. One day, armed with a basket of vegetables, he announced he was going to make stew. Dad pulled out a pressure cooker and filled it up with cabbages, eggplants, potatoes, corns, onions and carrots. For about half an hour, the pressure built and the vegetables cooked. Finally, Dad turned off the stove, the pot began to cool and the pressure relief valve sprayed out a cloud of steam. If we thought Dad's pile of chicken manure was bad, this was 10 times worse. When Dad took off the lid, the smell nearly knocked us out. Dad carried the pot out and we opened doors and windows to air out the house. Just how bad was it? The neighbors came out of their houses to see if we had a gas leak! Determined, Dad filled our plates with steaming stew and passed them around it didn't look that bad, and after the first wave had shut down my ability to smell, it didn't _ the nose so much, edible, and we drank up every last drop of soup! Question: What can we learn about Dad from the text? - He is an experienced cook. - He is a troublesome father. - He has a positive attitude to life. - He suffers a lot from his disability.
**Answer**
He has a positive attitude to life.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Health insurance can be very expensive. Some working people do not make enough money to pay for it. In the US there is a program called Healthy Families. This program offers people health insurance at a low cost. Families are charged about Y=7.00 a month for every child, and Y=10.00 for every adult. It costs much less than any other kind of health insurance. Having health insurance is very important. With this insurance, people can see a doctor when they are sick or hurt. The program is not expensive at all, but many people are still not enrolling in it. People say that it still costs too much money. They need all of their money to pay for things like food and rent. It would be great if everyone could have health insurance. People are working hard to come up with ways to make this happen. One idea is to make the Healthy Families Program free for some people. It is important for people to see a doctor when they need to. The Healthy Families Program makes it possible for more people to do this. Many ideas are being considered. Hopefully some of them will allow even more families to get health insurance. The Healthy Families Program is made to help those who don't have welfare and cannot earn enough to pay for private health insurance. It is an important program, but officials say that too many people are signing up for it and then dropping out because of the Healthy Families Program's cost. Question: Why is it very important for people to have health insurance? - They can afford to see a doctor when they need to. - They can get special medical care. - They can see a doctor free of charge. - They can go to see a doctor as soon as possible.
**Answer**
They can afford to see a doctor when they need to.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: An American educational expert, Frederick M. Hess, says that a long summer vacation doesn't make sense in today's world. This summer, 50 million kids will spend much time talking online, watching TV, playing video games and asking older brothers or sisters to take them to the supermarket. They will also be putting their academic futures at risk. During much of the 20th century, many Americans worked in factories that did not need a college degree but still offered a high salary. Also, in the 19th century, there was no air condition. And poor hygiene meant that crowded schools had health risks. Things have changed. For today's students, academic skills are key to future success. Many countries don't give kids an American-style summer vacation. They offer no more than seven consecutive weeks of vacation. Most American school districts offer up to 13 weeks. To compete in global marketplace, Americans must be prepared to go up against international competitors. Summer vacation also causes challenges for today's families. In the 1960s, more than 60% of families had a stay-at-home mum. Now, two-thirds of American children live families where every adult works. For these families, summer vacation can be more burden than break. Someone must watch the kids. But the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement. Scientist have found that disadvantaged students lose important ground in the summertime. A school year can allow time-limited teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons. Schools would have more time for sports, languages, music and the arts. Question: Before the 20th century, a long summer vacation might _ . - reduce income for Americans - reduce health risks for students - cause career failure for Americans - cause loss in global market for America
**Answer**
reduce health risks for students