Read the following article and answer the question. Article: I had been a step-mother for six years, and with my husband,I had watched his young children growing into teenagers. Although they lived mostly with their mother, they spent a lot of time with us. Over the years, we all learned to become more comfortable with each other. However, I continued to feel somewhat like an outsider. When the children moved to a town five hours away, my husband was understandably destroyed. In order to keep in touch with the kids, we set up an e-mail and chat-line service. Ironically , this technology can make us feel out of touch and more in need of real human contact. If a computer message came addressed to "Dad", I'd feel forgotten. If my name appeared along with his, it would brighten my day. _ not just over the telephone wires. Late one evening, as my husband was snoozing , I was catching up on my e-mail, an "instant message" appeared on the screen. It was Margo, my oldest stepdaughter, also up late in front of her computer. We sent several messages back and forth, exchanging the latest news. When we "chatted" like that, she wouldn't necessarily know if it was me or her dad unless she asked. That night she didn't ask and I didn't tell her it was me either. After hearing the latest volleyball scores and the details about a coming dance at her school, I said that it was late and I should go to sleep. Her return message read, "Okay, talk to you later! Love you!" At this, a wave of sadness ran through me and I realized that she must have thought she was writing to her father the whole time. She and I would never have openly exchange such words of love. Feeling guilty for not telling her the truth, yet not wanting to embarrass her, I simply replied, "Love you too! Have a good sleep!" I thought again of their family circle and I felt again the sharp ache of emptiness and "otherness". Then, just as my fingers reached for the keys to return the screen to black, Margo's final message appeared. It read, "Tell Dad good night for me too." With tear-filled eyes, I turned the machine off. Question: How was the experience of the author as a stepmother that night? Answer:

OPTIONS:
- Heart-warming.
- Full of sadness.
- Heart-breaking.
- Disappointing.

Answer: Heart-warming.

Read the following article and answer the question. Article: What if you arrived home to find a delicious hot meal waiting for you,prepared by your very own kitchen robot? It might sound like science fiction,but professors at the university of Tokyo have taken the first steps toward making that scenario a reality.The team recently introduced a humanoid kitchen robot that can pour tea and other drinks into cups and serve them to guests.When teatime is over,the robot can also wash the dishes and put them away. In California,another interesting kitchen robot has been developed.Called the Readybot,it can pick up objects and either store them in cabinets or put them in the trash.It also carries a separate floor-cleaning robot that can operate by itself.Unlike the Japanese robot,Readybot is not humanoid.Instead,it looks more like a large box with arms and wheels. Readybot was created by engineers and designers who established a club called the Readybot Challenge.They believe that in the future millions of robots will be needed in homes to perform ordinary household tasks.Readybot is just the first step in their plan to create a robot that can tackle jobs not only in kitchens but in other rooms of homes and in offices as well. Clearly there are technological hurdles to overcome before robots can cook a complete dinner,and there are also many safety concerns.Not everyone(especially parents)would be comfortable with the idea of robots in their house,manipulating hot pans and sharp knives.The European Commission recently funded a project to study these concerns. Question: According to the writer,what has the European Commission done for the project? Answer:

OPTIONS:
- It has built factories
- It has printed manuals
- It has hired workers
- It has provided money

Answer: It has provided money

Read the following article and answer the question. Article: You're rushing to work and a man ahead of you collapses on the sidewalk. Do you stop to help? In a study of by-standers, it was found that some people avert their gaze and keep on walking rather than stop and get involved. "There is a tendency to decide that no action is needed." says a psychologist. "The first thoughts that pop into your mind often keep you from offering help. In order to take action, you have to work against them." Here are some common thoughts that might prevent you from helping. * Why should I be the one? I'm probably not the most competent person in this crowd. You might think someone older or with more medical knowledge should offer assistance. * What if he doesn't really need my help? The fear of embarrassment is powerful; no one wants to risk looking foolish in front of others. * No one else looks concerned- this must not be a problem. We can follow the people around us, but most people tend to hold back their emotions in public. "If you spot trouble and find yourself explaining inaction, force yourself to stop and evaluate the situation instead of walking on," says the psychologist. "Then retry to involve other people; you don't have to take on the entire responsibility of being helpful. Sometimes it's just a matter of turning to the person next to you and saying, 'It looks like we should do something.' Or asking someone if an ambulance has been called and, if not, to call for one. Once you take action, most people will follow you." Question: The main purpose of the text is to tell readers _ . Answer:

OPTIONS:
- to give others a hand
- to be more competent
- not to risk looking foolish
- to stop and evaluate the situation

Answer: to give others a hand

Read the following article and answer the question. Article: Did you have a very strict teacher at school? I did. I'll never forget 'Mr. Strict'. If you didn't get your geography right, you would wish to run to the end of the earth to be far away from him. That tall man with a very loud voice knew how to frighten you and put the fear of God into you. Nobody dared to be late for his class. No one dared to chat in his class no matter how boring the subject was. And not even the naughtiest pupil would dream of cheating in his tests. I thought about my old teacher when I read about a new government program in England to train former soldiers with no degrees to become a teacher. They can act either as secondary school subject teachers or as primary teachers. From next January those selected for the program will earn a salary and train on-the-job four days a week and one day at university. In two years they will be considered 'newly qualified teachers'. Education Minister David Laws said: "We know that our highly-skilled soldiers can inspire young people." He believes that values in the army such as leadership, discipline , energy and teamwork would benefit children. But not everybody is happy with the government plans. Brian Lightman, from an organisation called the Association of School and College Leaders, thinks the training offered to the former soldiers who want to be teachers is not enough. Christine Blower, of the National Union of Teachers, believes that teachers need to understand how children develop. According to her, teachers need a high level of education themselves and thorough teacher training before they can educate the young. I'm not sure how much 'Mr. Strict' knew about child development. What I know is how happy he was when we did well. I'll never forget the broad smile on his face when I got a very high mark. My teacher was a soldier, but to me his smile was a medal for bravery in our war against ignorance ! Question: Who supports the new government program in England? Answer:

OPTIONS:
- Mr. Strict
- David Laws
- The author himself
- Brian Lightman

Answer:
David Laws