My neighbor Mrs. Gargan first told me about it. "Have you seen the tree?" She asked as I was sitting in the backyard enjoying the autumn twilight . "The one down at the corner," she explained. "It's a beautiful tree--all kinds of colors. All the passers-by stop to have a look. You ought to see it." I told her I would, but I soon forgot about the tree. Three days later, I was jogging down the street when a splash of bright orange caught my eyes. For an instant, I thought someone's house had caught fire. Then I remembered the tree. I approached the tree to look at it closely. There was nothing remarkable about the shape of the tree. It was a medium-sized maple. But Mrs. Gargan had been right about its colors. Like the mess of an artist's palette , the tree blazed a bright crimson on its lower branches and burned with vivid yellows and oranges in its center, and deep red at its top. Through these colors were light green leaves as yet untouched by autumn. Walking closer I noticed several bare branches near the top, their small black branches scratching the air like claws. The fallen leaves lay like a red carpet around the trunk. As I was amazed at this beauty, I thought of Ralph Waldo Emerson's comments about the stars. "If the constellations appeared only once in a thousand years, imagine what an exciting event it would be. But because they're up there every night, we barely give them a look," he made a remark in Nature. I felt the same way about the tree. Because its beauty will last only a week, it should be especially precious to us. And I had almost missed it. Once in the 19th century when a man noticed a brilliant display of northern lights in the sky over Massachusetts, he rang a church bell to alert the whole town's people. That's what I felt like doing about the tree. I wanted to awake the countryside to its wonder. I didn't have a church bell, but as I walked home, I did ask each neighbor I passed the same simple but important question Mrs. Gargan had asked me: "Have you seen the tree?". What did the author's neighbor remind him? A) To appreciate the beauty of the sunset. B) To find what happened at the street corner. C) To draw a picture of a tree. D) To enjoy the beautiful tree in all colors.
D
(Question)
A good first impression is important. So, how do you, when you're meeting someone for the first time, make certain he or she doesn't get the wrong image of you? A study concluded that the first 30 seconds make or break the connection between two people when they meet for the first time. Another study conducted by UCLA found that "people evaluate one another by using the three V's: visual (appearance), vocal (voice) and verbal (what you say)." Before you head out on your next date to meet someone new, let's concentrate on these areas: *How others will see you. (Visual) Are you dressed well? Do you look like this date is important to you? Did you take some time with your appearance? Watch your manners: people don't like bad manners. *How others will hear you. (Vocal) Is your voice too soft? You might come across as insecure. If you speak softly, make an effort to speak clearly -- don't make your date have to work to hear you. *What others will hear you say. (Verbal) People have a natural desire to connect -- let them know you're interested in what they have to say by repeating it back to them. Don't say the same thing everyone else is saying. Which of the following belongs to the description of "Vocal"? A) Dress yourself very well. B) Speak carefully and clearly. C) Repeat the same thing several times. D) Spend some time on your appearance.
(Answer)
B
Ques: Full of beauty, happiness and a healthy love of life, the Bulgarian festivals and customs date back to old time when man tried to live in peace with nature. The merriest and richest festivals are Christmas and the New Year, when the socalled "sourvakari" makes the round of house with wishes for health and wealth. Other main festivals include "ladouvane" -- a holiday for young girls on New Year's Day or Midsummer Day (24th June), Shrovetide and Mummers' Games which mark the start of spring, and "lazrouvane" -- a traditional festival for love and family, health and richness.And among them, the widely popular and typical Bulgarian customs and festivals are "martenitsas" and rosepicking. Every year on March 1st, the Bulgarians give each other "martenitsas" -- a small doll made of white and red strings, a symbol of the beginning of spring, health and happiness. In late May and early June every year, the rosepicking season starts in the Valley of Roses which is between the Balkan Range and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Rosepicking starts at dawn, before sunrise and before the pleasant smell of the rose has disappeared. The Bulgarian rose produces 70 percent of the world's rose oil which is used by the very wellknown perfume company as a basic element of its products. This is the time of the Festival of Roses, celebrated with carnivals, happy activities, folk songs and dances in Karlovo and Kazanluk on the first Sunday in June. This passage is most likely to appear in a _ . A) magazine of travel B) book on world culture C) history book D) daily newspaper
Ans: B
Ques: Being safe in your everyday life needs knowledge . If you remember the following information, your life will be much safer. l Always notice the environment around you. You shouldn't walk alone outside. Make sure where the public phones are. If anything dangerous happens, you can find them easily. l Your bag should be carried towards the front of your body instead of putting it on your back. When a bus is full of people, it is easy enough for a thief to take away the things in the bag on your back. l If you are followed by someone you don't know, cross the street and go to the other way, let the person understand that you know he or she is after you. Next, don't go home at once. You are safer in the street than you are alone in your home or in a lift . l If you have to take a bus to a place far away, try to get to the stop a few minutes earlier before the bus leaves. This stops other people from studying you. On the bus, don't sit alone. Sit behind the driver or with other people. Don't sleep. You'd better put your bag _ when there are too many people on a bus. A) on your back B) beside you C) in front of you D) behind the driver
Ans:
C