Several times each year the Queen gives afternoon tea parties at which guests are served tiny cakes filled with cream from her own cows. Cakes and sandwiches are brought in by footmen, yet you never see the Queen touch a thing. She simply sits beside a big silver plate, pouring cups of tea for everyone and carefully avoiding the cakes. At cocktail parties the Queen moves from group to group, chatting informally, and manages to make one glass of diet drink to last an entire evening. Tours abroad are difficult because hosts seem to believe the warmth of their welcome must be shown with wonderful state banquets . But the Queen has perfected the art of appearing to enjoy her meal without actually eating much. During one visit to the Pacific islands ofprefix = st1 /Tonga, a specially-prepared dinner was arranged in a hut made of wood and bamboo leaves. Deep holes were dug in the ground, filled with hot stones and baby pigs, and the pigs were slowly baked over several days. The Queen looked uneasily at her plate when she discovered a whole roast pig was her serving. Then she became uneasy when a turkey, some meat, bananas and an apple were also carried in for each guest. So she depended on her old favorite trick of talking with her host., King Tupou IV, carrying on a warm conversation. At the same time she pushed her food around her plate and only ate a piece of turkey and some fruit. Reporters traveling with her have noted that the Queen will sometimes seem so carried away by a foreign leader's political chat that she simply never has time to finish a meal before it is time to get up and make her speech. She will lift her fork to swallow a mouthful, then put it down again to make another point, leaving almost all of her meal untouched. What probably is the Queen's art of acting at state dinners? A) Appearing to enjoy her meal without actually eating much. B) Drinking Malvern water. C) Eating a piece of turkey and some fruit. D) Eating much without being noticed.
A
A letter to Edward, a columnist Dear Mr Edward: I grew up in an unhappy and abusive home. I always promised myself that I'd get out as soon as possible. Now, at age 20, I have a good job and a nice house, and I'm really proud of the independence I've achieved. Here's the problem: several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine -- so much so that they make mine theirs. It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, talk on the phone and sometimes stay up late at night. I enjoy having my friends here sometimes -- it makes the place feel comfortable and warm -- but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can't I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy ? Joan Mr Edward's reply to Joan Dear Joan: If your family didn't pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now. And if you've gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere , you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with -- or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it's okay to put your own needs first from time to time. Be clear about the message you want to send to your friends. For example, "I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call me before you come over." According to Mr. Edward, why can't Joan tell her friends her feelings? A) Her family experience stops her from doing so. B) She does not put her needs first. C) She does not understand true friendship. D) She is afraid of hurting her friends.
A
Q: Last night's meteor shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothschild, Emerald Valley's mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city's lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead. "My family was so frustrated," admitted town resident Duane Cosby, "We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment." Astronomers--scientists who study stars and planets--have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it. There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, "100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers." Countless more animal casualties result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings. But some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person's chances of getting cancer. Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night. What do the astronomers complain about? A) Meteor showers occur less often than before. B) Their observation equipment is in poor repair. C) Light pollution has remained unsolved for years. D) Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting.
A: C
(Question)
You don't know what you've got until it's gone. I've learned that through my personal experiences. A few months ago, I woke up deaf in one ear. I did not pay much attention to it at first. It felt that I had water in my ear. However, I began to hear less and less out of that ear. I even had to ask people to talk into my other ear so that I could hear them. I didn't realize how serious it was until late in the day . One evening, when I was sitting on my bed doing chemistry homework, I fell off my bed. When trying to get up, I was incredibly dizzy . I went to see a doctor and he told me that hearing loss was common. However, hearing loss is usually bilatera _ or occurs in both ears. He said that my hearing should come back within a week. After about a week the dizziness eventually went away, but the hearing loss did not. The medicine helped and I gained some of my hearing back. After many hearing tests, the doctor diagnosed that I had permanent hearing loss in that ear. School became harder for me because I couldn't hear my teachers. I was very depressed. Finally, I bought a hearing aid. With the hearing aid, my hearing is almost back to normal. It makes school and group conversations easier. My friends, teachers and even complete strangers always ask me questions about hearing loss. I answer them patiently. I never get offended because I know this is new to them. I am delighted that I can teach them something new. What I have learned from this particular situation is that when things are desperate(;), there is always something good that can come out of it. My experiences have given me an opportunity to teach people about hearing loss and also taught me about the value of hearing. From the text we can infer that _ . A) the author's hearing loss was cured after the treatment B) the author is unwilling to talk about his hearing loss with others C) the author took some medicine to treat his hearing loss D) the medicine that doctors gave him didn't work at all
(Answer)
C