Read the article and select the best answer. Article: As you climb into the hill country, the roads get dustier and rougher, and fewer cars can be seen. Phonxay is one of the poorest districts of Laos, and many of its villages are only accessible by footpath. Our destination this hot morning is a concrete water tank that can be found just off the road. A UK organization helped to build it six years ago, and in the nearby village of Thapho, where clean drinking water is scarce, it has made a big difference. The tank feeds six taps which in turn give water to over 800 people---it has improved things for almost every family, from schoolchildren to grannies. But lately, we were told, the clean water supply has come under pressure from new arrivals, people who have come down from the hill areas, and there are concerns that there will not be enough clean water to go round. There are also serious worries about resources in Laos. The Chinese are building a 400km railway link, which could transform the landlocked country. About 150,000 Chinese workers will be involved. What will this do to local clean water supplies? How will the workers be fed? The vast majority of Laotians live on farms. But with foreign investors wanting to buy up land, local people will have to be moved to make room for them. Heavily dependent on both foreign aid and foreign investment, Laos still falls well behind its neighbours, although its economy has grown at about 6% a year in the last decade. Its biggest economic problem is the lack of locally trained skilled workforce. But there are reasons to be hopeful for the future. Laos is beautiful, and foreign tourism continues to grow: fortunately so far the fast-food chains and coffee bars common elsewhere are nowhere to be seen. Although all local media are government-run, the Internet is not controlled and the BBC and CNN are available to those with satellite dishes. The government has also achieved impressive results in rural development, with communities benefiting not just from cleaner water but the construction of new schools and regular visits... Question: What is the most serious limitation on Laos' economic growth? Options: A: The lack of local skilled workers. B: A poor transportation system. C: Too much foreign aid. D: Too many foreign workers.
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Dear God, Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed away. I have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tell them. I am blessed with the dear mother who is still alive. I appreciate her more each day. My mother does not change, but I do. As I grow older and wiser, I realize what an extraordinary person she is. How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence, but they flow easily from my pen. How does a daughter begin to thank her mother for life itself? For the love, patience and just plain hard work that go into raising a child? For running after a toddler, for understanding a moody teenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? For waiting for the day when a daughter realizes how wise her mother really is? How does a grown woman thank a mother for continuing to be a mother? For being ready with advice (when asked) or remaining silent when it is most appreciated? For not saying, "I told you so", when she could have said these words dozens of times? For being essentially herself -- loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving? I don't know how, dear God, except to bless her as richly as she deserves and to help me live up to the example she has set. I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of my children as my mother looks in mine. A daughter Question: What does the writer think of her mother? Options: A: Changing. B: Happy. C: Loving, thoughtful, and forgiving. D: Outstanding.
C

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: London is the capital of the United Kingdom. It has about seven million people. The river Thames runs through London. People from all over the world visit London to see Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. There are many museums, theatres and parks in London, as well as offices and factories. London began as a Roman settlement called Londinium. The plague came to London in the 1600s, followed by the Great Fire of 1666. The city was badly bombed in World War II. London is very slowly sinking into its foundations and the level of the river Thames is slowly rising. As a result, extra-high tides could flood a large part of London. To prevent this happening, a great barrier has been built across the Thames at Woolwich. If very high tides happen, the barrier can be raised and London will be safe. Question: According to the passage, from 1600 to now, _ great disasters have happened in London. Options: A: one B: two C: three D: four
A: C

(Q).
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: He is talent and charm have made him the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world. He played in the grand Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer, watched by a TV audience of 5 billion. Lang Lang, 26, is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world's top orchestras, making his _ at the Carnegie Hall in New York at 18, while still a student. Lang Lang's charm and fondness for sharp clothes make him a natural fit to represent China's new international image. According to the British newspaper the Times, "The Lang Lang effect" is responsible for driving 36 million Chinese children to learn the piano. Now in China children are learning Chopin and Western orchestras are touring Chinese cities, but can China ever export its own music to the west? Lang is trying. His cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestras this month includes a performance of Dragon Songs, an album of traditional Chinese classics. Behind the international recognition, however, is a fascinating story of a gifted child. Lang grew up with his father's own musical ambition and high expectations. It is not hard to imagine how boring it must be to practice the piano every day. Lang said that he once hated his hands and the piano. He injured his right hand six years ago and had to rest. "That was the best month," he says, without hesitation. "I had a date. I saw a Broadway show and saw Britney Spears in concert." Question: Which of the following statements about Lang is true? Options: A: He has 36 million Chinese students in China. B: He is touring China giving concerts. C: He is trying to export Chinese music to western countries. D: He only played traditional Chinese classics in his cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestra.
(A).
C