Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Growing up in the 1950s, I was a 10-year-old risk-taker who caused his mom lots of stress. Once I got into my aunt's car so I could pretend to be a race car driver and accidentally knocked the parking gear stick off. The car rolled down the driveway as fast as it could go, crossed the road and finally stopped up against my neighbor's curb . I thought it was fun, but Mom didn't think so. Normally I would see a spanking coming, but this time I lucked out. I guess she was glad I was all right. I enjoyed watching The Adventures of Superman on television so much that I wanted to fly just like him. One day I got into the closet and picked one of Mom's best pillowcases . I went out onto the front yard and tied the case around my neck, pretending it was a cape. Then, standing on the side of the porch , which was about 7 feet high, I jumped. The spanking my mother gave me didn't hurt as much as my scraped knees. But the worst thing I ever did happened when I tried to impress the new girl across the street. She was incredibly cute, so I went over and introduced myself. After I told her my name, she said she wanted to show me something she had found. We went into her backyard, and in the knot of the biggest and oldest tree was a beehive. She said she liked honey and asked me how to get it out. "We could stand watch, and when they leave the hive, we can reach in and take the honey," I suggested. A large group of the bees flew away, so I moved closer to the hive. I was brave and maybe just a little crazy. I managed to take a little bit of honey when a bee rested on my arm. I killed the bee, and then it seemed like thousands of bees flew toward me. My new friend screamed and ran. I ran as fast as I could across her yard and up the long hill to my front door. I never looked back. The sound of the bees behind me told me the coast wasn't clear. When the group of bees attacked, I screamed for my mom. As I reached my front door I saw her swinging a broom around me to get the bees off me. I didn't care that she landed a... Question: What's the author's impression of his mother? Options: A: Strict but loving. B: Gentle but brave. C: Patient and tolerant. D: Serious and reasonable.
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: One of the most difficulties in learning a language is learning the idiomatic phrases, slang and common usage of native speakers. These four books focus on giving students a hand when learning North American idiomatic language. Ya Gotta Know It by Hania Hassan It provides an excellent mixture of materials for classroom lessons and American slang reference. Its unique feature is that students are provided with ongoing context reminding learners of idioms learned while improving their understanding by using the same characters and a developing story line. Exercises provide a chance for students to practice in proper situations. Price: $11.66 ISBN: 9780074560167 Common American Phrases by Richard A. Spears It has a wide variety of resources on American English. It contains more than 2,000 phrases and idioms. Excellent for classroom use as this reference guide focuses on standard phrases that can be found in everyday standard usage. Price: $ 7.06 ISBN: 978007405607 American Idioms and Some Phrases Just for Fun by Edward Swick The book's strength is its translation of more formal English of a number of idioms. These phrases are then repeated in a number of different contexts giving students a good idea of common usage. There are also a number of exercises designed to help students put their newfound idiomatic understanding into use. Price: $ 5.49 ISBN: 9780764108075 American Slang by Robert L. Chapman It provides a guide for advanced level English students. This references guide to slang is best used by those interested in the very latest and up-to-date slang and slang you might hear in the laterst films from Hollywood. Price: $ 1.99 ISBN: 9780062731722 Question: The purpose of writing the passage is _ . Options: A: teach students how to learn idioms B: introduce books to readers C: increase students' knowledge about idioms D: offer learning materials to readers for free
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: A Simple Lesson "Another bad day at school?" my father asked as I came into the room. "How could you tell? I didn't shut the door heavily or anything," I replied. Over the past two months I had either done this or thrown my backpack across the room every time I came home from school. Papa thinks it has something to do with moving to a new house. "I know this move has been hard on you. Leaving your friends and cousins behind is tough," Papa said, as he put his arm around my shoulder. "What you must remember is that, with a lot of hard work and some time, you will make new friends." "You don't know how hard it is. This year my baseball team would have won the championship. They won't even give me a chance to pitch here. All I get to play is right field, and that's the worst!" Papa turned toward me. "Things will get better, I promise you. Let me ask you, do you know why you were named David Lorenzo?" "Yes, your name is David and grandfather's name is Lorenzo." "Very good, and what makes your grandfather so important?" "He was the first in the family to come to this country and all that," I answered. "That is only partly correct. Your grandfather was a very great man. In Mexico, he had been a teacher. When he came to America he could only get lowpaid labor jobs because he didn't speak the language. It took him two years before he spoke English well enough to be allowed to teach here, but he did it. He never complained because he knew change could be difficult. Did he ever tell you that?" my father asked. I looked down at my feet, ashamed at my behavior. "No. That must have been hard," I said . "Your grandfather taught me that if you let people see your talent, they will accept you for who you are. I want you to always remember what my father taught me, even if it takes a few years for people to see who you are," said Papa. All I could say was, "Okay." Then I asked, "What should I do now?" Laughing, Papa said, "How about you pitch a few to me? You need some work." Question: What can we infer about the author? Options: A: He thinks his father lives in the past. B: He'd rather live with his grandfather. C: He will continue to dislike school and everything. D: He will try his best to adapt to the new environment.
D