Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Two of the hardest things to accomplish in this world are to acquire wealth by honest effort and, having gained it, to learn how to use it properly. Recently 1 walked into the locker room of a rather well-known golf club after finishing a round.It was in the late afternoon and most of the members had left for their homes. But a half-dozen or so men past middle age were still seated at tables talking aimlessly and drinking more than was good for them. These same men can be found there day after day.and,strangely enough,each one of these men had been a man of affairs and wealth,successful in business and respected in the community.If material prosperity were the chief necessity for happiness, then each one should have been happy. Yet,it seemed to me,something very important was missing,else there would not have been the constant effort to escape the realities of life through scotch and soda. They knew, each one of them,that their productivity had ceased .When a fruit tree ceases to bear its fruit,it is dying.And it is even so with man. What 1s the answer to a long and happy existence in this world of ours? I think I found it long ago in a passage from the book of Genesis which caught my eye while I was looking through my Bible. The words were few,but they became memorably impressed on my mind:"In the sweat of the face shall you eat the bread." To me,that has been a challenge from my earliest recollections (memories).In fact,the battle of life,of existence,is a challenge to everyone.The immortal words of St.Paul,too,have been and always will be a great inspiration to me.At the end of the road 1 want to be able to feel that I have fought a good fight,I have finished the course,I have kept the faith. Question: The passage above is most probably taken from _ . - an autobiography - a photography book - a science fiction - a USA travel brochure
an autobiography

Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aid Good grades and high tests scores still matter--a lot--to many colleges as they award financial aid. But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as "merit aid", is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars. George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of its average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients , pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., made a similar decision three years ago. Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., says it will phase out merit scholarships altogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008. Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who don't meet need eligibility have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school. For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running. But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. "They're trying to buy students," says Skidmore College economist Sandy Baum. Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it. "As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid," says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered... Question: In recent years, merit-based aid has increased much faster than need-based aid due to _ . - more government funding to colleges - fierce competition among institutions - the increasing number of top students - schools' improved financial situations
fierce competition among institutions

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: "Write All About It" Centerville High School Essay Contest Rules 1. Students are asked to submit essays of 500 to 700 words of their own work. Any essay containing material plagiarized from another source will be disqualified. 2. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced, with the student's name, address, and grade level on a separate sheet of paper. 3. Essays must be turned in by 4:00 p.m. on November 30. They can be brought to Mrs. Elton in Room 104 or to Mr. Markham in the school library. Essay-Writing Tips 1. Catch your readers' interest-Your opening should immediately pull your readers into your essay. Asking a question or starting with an anecdote, quotation, or surprising statement are some good ways to do this. 2. Create a picture-Use active words that show your readers what is happening. Instead of telling your readers vaguely that "the room was disordered," paint a picture using active verbs and lively adjectives. 3. Have a purpose-Well-written essays do more than just describe an incident or express a viewpoint, they also communicate a message. 4.Check for mistakes-Read your paper over to check for mistakes. Ask another student to read your paper and make suggestions. Another pair of eyes will often spot a mistake you've overlooked. 5. Format your essay-Neatly type your essay on white paper. Choose an attractive cover for submission. The computer lab will be open after school from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. each day this month so that students can use the computers. Prizes Winning essays will be published in the Centerville Times. Everyone who takes part in it will also receive a free pass to enter one school activity this year. First Prize: $ 50 savings bond Second Prize: Dictionary and reference book Third Prize: Pen set and journal Question: Which of the following writing tips is given in the passage? - Drawing a picture to go with the essay. - Trying to communicate an important idea to readers. - Asking a teacher to find the mistakes you haven't found. - Making the essay short enough to hold the readers' interest.
A: Trying to communicate an important idea to readers.

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: We all make excuses. But the successful ones are those who can kill the excuses like the miserable maggots they are. I'm too tired. I don't have the time. I don't feel motivated. I'd rather do nothing. I don't have the money, equipment, space. I can't because ... We've all made the excuses. Here's how to kill them. See the positive. Excuses are usually made because we don't feel like doing something -- we're accentuating the negative. Instead, see the fun in something, the joy in it. And maintain a positive attitude, or you'll never beat the excuses. Take responsibility. Excuses are ways to get out of owning up to something. If we don't have the time, money, equipment, etc., then it's not our fault, right? Wrong. Take responsibility, and own the solution. Find a solution. Just about every problem has a solution. Don't have time? Start with just 5-10 minutes. Make the time. Wake earlier. Do it during lunch. Don't have the energy? Do it when you have higher levels of energy. You're smart. Figure out the solution. See your goal. This is your motivation -- your reason for doing it. Sure, you could just lay on the couch, but if you think about why you really want to pursue a goal, you'll be motivated. that goal and just get started. Be accountable. Have a workout partner, a project partner, a team, someone to report to. If you have to meet a coach or partner, you're more likely to do something. Watch this. Then go an do it. Question: How many tips mentioned in the text to prevent excuses? - Four - Three - Six - Five
A: Five