Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: It will soon be time to set out to plant tomatoes, an act one performs when the weather has settled. That means warm soil, proper night temperatures and no risk of a sudden reversion to winter. I no longer believe in settled weather. In the current age of climate confusion, a backup plan is always an essential part of a gardener's intention for an ideal tomato harvest. Where tomatoes are concerned, the best crop insurance is to root some extras from cuttings . It can take a couple of months to grow garden-ready tomato plants from seed , but cuttings can be ready to go in a few weeks. Yes, you could pick up some starts at a garden center, but it's hard to find strong ones in good condition. Instead, buy one tomato plant, and turn it into many. Tomatoes root very quickly and easily. All you do is remove a tiny branch about 6 inches tall off the main stem , carefully cut off all but the top two leaves, plant the tiny branch in a pot, and wait. Roots will emerge along the stem and new growth will soon appear if kept damp, warm and out of direct sunlight. If you have never rooted stem cuttings before, you will have gained not only a tomato crop but also a skill that you can now apply to other plants in your garden, both edible and ornamental . Tomato s such as peppers and eggplants can be similarly rooted, as can many herbs, especially those in the mint family. Question: Why a backup plan is strongly suggested to guarantee an ideal tomato harvest? Options: A: Because the more plans there are, the more successful the harvest will be. B: Because the author no longer believes in weather forecast. C: Because gardeners are fond of essential climate confusion. D: Because the weather can be changeable unexpectedly.
Ans: D

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Commuters who drive to work will face a parking charge of up to PS350 a year.Ministers are backing a workplace parking charge which will come into force in Nottingham in 2013 and is likely to be adopted across the country.The scheme will see firms with more than ten parking places for staff charged PS350 a year for each space in two years. Employers would be free to pass on the charge to their staff--meaning it would effectively be a tax on driving to work.The scheme aims to reduce traffic by preventing unnecessary car journeys and raise funds to improve public transport,but critics say it is just an excuse for councils to fill their coffers . Some ten million Britons drive to work each day,and the British Chambers of Commerce says the new charge could total PS3.4 billion a year if rolled out nationwide. Already some firms in Nottingham have threatened to leave the city,where 40,000 commuters use their cars to get to work.A spokesman said the scheme was nothing more than a tax on jobs."It is very unfair to discriminate against those employers who have parking spaces,which get vehicles off the streets," he said."And these charges apply around the clock,which is especially unfair on shift workers who rely on their cars because public transport is not available.This is more about increasing the government's income than reducing traffic." However,Transport Minister Sadiq Khan gave the plan an official approval during a visit to Nottingham. The council says the tax will raise as much as PS100 million over ten years--one fifth of the cost of a new transport system for the city. Another transport spokesman Theresa Villiers said the tax would have a devastating impact on businesses struggling to cope with the economic decline. But Richard Hebditch of the Campaign for Better Transport said the tax would raise money to invest in better transport."We put forward the idea of workplace parking taxes as a fairer way to raise money to invest in the future local transport services.We are pleased that the people of... Question: Supporters argue that the scheme _ . Options: A: can help improve the parking conditions for the staff B: should be applied to ail commuters driving to work C: is certain to be carried out despite the objections D: will relieve traffic pressure and improve public transport
Ans: D

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: She looked at the man walking along the sidewalk next to the nice houses. He didn't live in any of those houses. She had seen this man several times before. He looked like a criminal. She knav not to judge a book by its cover, but this man was no good She drove by him. He looked at her car as she drove by. She continued driving. She watched him in her rear view mirror. She got to the corner and stopped. She continued to watch him walking in her direction. Suddenly, he turned left up a driveway. A red SUV was parked in the driveway right next to the sidewalk. She saw him walk up to the driver's door and put his hand on the handle. He relumed to the sidewalk and continued walking in her direction. "What was that all about. " she wondered. Then she realized that he had tested the door to see if it was locked. He is a criminal, she thought That's what he does. He just walks through our neighborhoods looking for cars to break into. She called the police. She described the man. The officer said he knew who the man was. Residents called two or three times a week to report him walking by. But the police couldn't arrest him for walking around. They had to catch him with stolen goods. "But he was testing that SUV door to see if it was unlocked," she said. "I'm sony," said the officer. "That's not against the law. If you see him actually steal something, give us a call." Question: According to the passage, what can we know about the man? Options: A: He wore a suit that day. B: He has broken into several cars before. C: He is the owner of that red SUV. D: He was always walking along that sidewalk.
Ans: D

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: I really hadn't meant to yell at them. But that grey afternoon saw it just as my son and daughter were making a terrible mess on the floor in the kitchen. With a tiresome report to write, I felt bothered at my desk. Suddenly, it occurred to me that my kids were at fault. A voice inside me insisted that I do something quickly. "Ok, you two here, but what an awful thing you are attempting!" I was shouting angrily. I made for them, while it became evident that _ "Get away from us!" he shouted back, there being an expression of support from his sister. All of a sudden, I found the fault in myself. Quickly I shaped my hands into pincers and crawled towards them, "Crabby Daddy is here. Ha, Ha, Ha, he likes to yell at children, and then eat them!" My son continued to keep me away, but now he was laughing and crying at the same time. My mission to repair the damage caused by my yelling seemed to work well. Still, I regretted not having controlled myself first in a right way. Need I let them know how badly they were acting by blaming? This is a lesson that serves myself. It only shows just how to get rid of something (ill-feelings, responsibility...) by blaming others. It's not my "best self". We have to search for our "best self" when with our children. They don't need perfect parents, but they do need parents who are always trying to get better. Here, I am reminded of the words of a great thinker. "When a man lives with God, his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the book..." Then, in our lifetime, couldn't we always speak to our kids in such a sweet voice since most of us consider them as the most precious in the world? And before we reach this level, what should we do when we come across various difficult cases with our children? Question: The author couldn't help yelling at his kids this time probably because _ . Options: A: the weather was so unpleasant B: he was tired of his boring work C: the kids didn't ask him to join them D: a Daddy has his right to do so
Ans:
B