Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Do you like seahorses? What do you know about them? The seahorse is actually not a horse but a fish, and much smaller than any regular horse. In general, a seahorse is about an inch long. It is a beautiful fish that likes warm waters, swims upright , and looks a little like a chess piece. Seahorses are an unusual kind of animal because the males give birth to babies. Mating takes place in cooler waters on spring and summer nights with a full moon. The females put their eggs into the bodies of the males, and the males give birth to baby seahorses. The seahorse can use each eye separately, which allows it to search for food without moving the rest of its body. Seahorses situate themselves near deep, fast-running channels rich in plankton, a kind of life on which they feed. They can catch food from an inch and a half away. Seahorses can change from gray or black to yellow or purple within seconds to fit in with their surroundings, and in this way escape from most of their enemies. One of the surprising facts about seahorses for most people is that they are vertebrates . They can turn and curl freely, and like to swim in pairs connected by their tails. Their tails are powerful, and they can use them to grasp the surrounding seaweed to keep themselves from being swept away. So seahorses are usually found in warm water filled with seaweed. Now that you know all these facts about seahorses, don't you find them more interesting? Question: We can learn from the passage that seahorses _ . Options: A: are beautiful, and live on seaweed B: are as big as regular horses C: live near deep channels D: like to be alone
C

(Question)
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Mr. Patrick was new to the school and to us. Even though he was a great teacher, he seemed rather like a character out of a horror movie. He didn't look that bad, but somehow, he looked extremely scary to me. Some kids began to believe that he was a murderer or a ghost; some believed he was mad and a few believed that he might have suffered a lot in his life. I was one of those 'few'. One day I gathered up my courage and headed towards the school garden. He was, as usual, sitting on a bench alone. I breathed heavily a few times and then walked towards him. "How are you?" I asked with my voice crackling. He managed to say, "Fine." "Well, good to know," I tried to be happy. "Hmmm..." was all I heard. "What's up with you?" then seeing a puzzled look on his face, I tried to be more formal and respectful. "I mean, why aren't you like all other people in the school? Why are you always so quiet and sad? Why..." "No dear, some things are better left unsaid," he said gloomily. "Oh no sir, nothing is better left unsaid. If you want to share your feelings with me and reduce the pain of your heart, you are free to do so. I promise I will never ever tell anyone." "With you? You are just a little girl; what will you understand?" I was somehow offended but still I managed to persuade him, "So what, Sir? You see, if you tell me your problem, you will have a light heart and you will have the feeling that someone somewhere cares about you." "Oh okay, that was a very nice belief indeed; let's take a walk and I will let you know everything." Soon after our little talk, there was a visible change on his face. Later that day in the class, there was a smile on his face. Question: From the text, we can know about Mr. Patrick that he _ . Options: A: once acted a character in a horror movie B: scared his students with his looks C: often punished the students for bad marks D: did better in teaching than others in the school
(Answer)
B

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: How many hours does it take to be fluent in English? There are plenty of people in the UK for whom even basic English is a problem. According to the survey, 726,000 people in England and Wales said they could not speak English well, and another 138,000 said they did not speak it at all. Ling, 40,who arrived five years ago from China, found it difficult to learn English. " When I came here l was pregnant and so I was at home for the next three years. It took me longer to learn as l was very busy with the children." Eventually she was able to begin taking classes and now speaks good conversational English. But even with classes, it can be a long process to pick up the language. Age is the most important factor in language acquisition, says Mila Vulchanova, professor of linguistics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "There is a sensitive period in language learning, which is biologically determined, with an onset at birth and a decline around puberty. So the younger the immigrant, the better. Since this decline is only gradual, teenagers are at an advantage over adults." he says. There are a number of systems for grading English. The government expects immigrants to reach "ESOL Entry 3" or "B1 level" in Scotland, before they can be granted citizenship. It's equivalent to being able to hold a confident conversation and-it might take 360 hours of study to achieve. George Osborne said in June following the spending review that welfare claimants who don't speak English will have their benefits cut if they fail to attend language courses. Huan Japes, deputy chief executive of English UK, a trade body for language colleges, says a rule of thumb is 360 hours-120 hours for each of three stages-to get to the standard the government expects benefit claimants to reach. But many of the people who attend courses are visiting students rather than people settling in the UK. Immigrants tend to have very varied levels of education. " Using 120 hours( for each stage of English fluency) is a rather traditional... Question: What Dr Elaine Boyd says suggests that _ . Options: A: 120 hours is a standard that is a little low B: 120 hours is a standard that is too high C: English fluency can be easily achieved D: English fluency can hardly be achieved
Ans: A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The tourism business in Hong Kong has been through some very hard times. Ten years ago, with all the economic problems in Asia, far fewer tourists were visiting Hong Kong. However, the SAR was still one of the most popular destinations in Asia, and a favored location for international meetings and exhibitions. The year 1997 was the best year for tourism in the 1990s. However in 1998, the figure was down by 8% from 10.4 million tourist arrivals recorded in the previous year. Tourism was still big business, though. The mainland was Hong Kong's largest source of visitors, making up over a quarter of all arrivals. Travelers from Taiwan Province, South and Southeast Asia and Japan made up the most of other visitors. Tourism remained a major source of foreign exchange, although tourists spending dropped. Tourists often made short visits, staying an average of three to four days. Most tourists came to Hong Kong for business or leisure , or a mixture of both. Shopping was still the favorite thing of tourist activity and spending. The average visitor spent about HK$ 3,000 - not including accommodation and food. Hong Kong Tourist Association officials developed various plans to develop interest in Hong Kong as a tourist destination, and they hoped these policies would work. Question: What situation was Hong Kong facing in the passage? Options: A: The tourism business was developing quickly B: Fewer tourists were visiting Hong Kong than before. C: It was no longer a popular destination in Asia. D: There were far fewer international meetings and exhibitions.
B