Read the following article and answer the question. Article: Richard Wagner was a German musician has been a very controversial person, but he has gained great fame by writing opera, a form of performance combining singing, music on instruments, and drama. While he wrote excellent music, many people think his operas are too dark and serious, lacking the fun common in operas written before his time. Wagner, on the other hand, thought the opera of his time was too simple.He wanted to make opera a serious form of art that combined drama and music to tell deep stories that would have a strong effect on the audience. Some people thought Wagner's new kind of music was too different from the operas they were used to hearing.Wagner agreed with them.In fact, he didn't call his works "operas" at all, using instead a German word that means "Musical Festival" or "Musical play". While many people today still do not like Wagner's operas, they cannot deny that Wagner has had a lot of influence on opera as a form of art.Wagner invented the tradition of turning off the lights before starting a play.He also was the first person to make the whole audience sit down for an entire play.Today, almost all operas are performed in this manner. Wagner as a man was even more controversial than Wagner as a writer of music.He hated Jewish people, and made many people angry, which we would today think of as evil.Some would say he was a good musician, while others would say that he was a bad musician.But it would be difficult to say he was not an important person in music and in the world. Question: Which of the following statements about Wagner's works is TRUE? Answer:

OPTIONS:
- His works are seldom accepted
- His works are known to be funny.
- His works started a new tradition.
- Most people are angry about his works.

Answer: His works started a new tradition.

Read the following article and answer the question. Article: Anyone who is afraid of failure and afraid to face challenges will never taste success, so said our professor in marketing. I laughed it off at that time, but got frightened when it actually happened in my life. I landed in a small city in the Middle East to set up a firm, a world-class car rental firm. Having decided on the project, I earnestly settled in preparation. With a positive mind, I told myself nothing should stop me now, and was more than keen to make it a success. However, the least expected thing happened. Iraq invaded Kuwait. Tension ran high in the region. Eventually the war broke out, and many people fled the country, leaving my firm in deep trouble. As usual, "things become difficult, and every effort seems to bring disappointment, it can be tempting to lower your expectations or even water down your goals and ambitions."I was no exception. I thought of running away. I remembered the words of Thomas Edison, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to succeed when they gave up." I decided to hang on, telling myself, "I am not afraid of challenges and obstacles." I stayed on through months of uncertainty and insecurity. Finances ran low, and banks could not wait to get their dues. To add to all this, the banks even threatened to take all my vehicles. I felt I made a wrong decision to move there. I was now ready to face failure. I was living against all hopes, believing that something good would happen. After 2 months the war ended. My persistence paid off: people started flooding back and the car bookings picked up, five times over. Success comes to the one who dares, even after failure, to think positively and look forward confidently. After all, it is only the experience that makes a man tough. Failure does not mean you will never make it. It means that it will take a little longer. It provides us with a learning experience. Question: How did the author feel when the war between Iraq and Kuwait broke out? Answer:

OPTIONS:
- Unconfident
- Indifferent
- Nervous
- Calm

Answer: Unconfident

Read the following article and answer the question. Article: Students and Technology in the Classroom I love my blackberry -- it's my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me. I also love my laptop computer,as it holds all of my writing and thoughts. Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices and truly communicate with others. On occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas. Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule -- no laptop, iPads, phones ,etc .When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy. Most students assume that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology. There's a bit of truth to that. Some students assume that I am anti-technology. There's no truth in that at all. I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students. The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversions and truly _ complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas. I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas. I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course the material and the class discussion. I've been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create. Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom. I'm not saying that I won't ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change, I'm... Question: According to the author, the use of technology in the classroom may _ . Answer:

OPTIONS:
- keep students from doing independent thinking
- encourage students to have in-depth conversations
- help students to better understand complex themes
- affect students' concentration on course evaluation

Answer: keep students from doing independent thinking

Read the following article and answer the question. Article: "Colour" and "color","favourite" and "favorite"... Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a "u"? Is it because they are lazy? Of course not. In fact,the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster (1758-1843). He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger. Linguists celebrated his 250th birthday on October 16. After the Revolutionary War (1775~ 1783),Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary,rather than rely on British versions . He dropped the British "u" in some words. And he changed "centre" into "center" for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded. Webster wasn't shy about expressing his opinions. In defining preposterous (unreasonable),he wrote: "A republican government in the hands of females is preposterous." Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings. He also added local words. His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom. "He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity,"said Joshua Kendall,who is working on a biography about Webster. "He at last bonded us through our language." Question: When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary? Answer:

OPTIONS:
- In 1758.
- In 1783.
- In 1800.
- In 1828.

Answer:
In 1800.