Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Consumers will be digging deeper into their pockets to buy flowers, gift cards and choco lates on Valentine's Day with average spending expected to rise eight percent over last year to nearly $200. And along with their expanding wallets,4 million Americans are expected to propose marriage or receive a proposal on Feb 14. "We've seen a consistent trend of consumers saying they will spend more,from holiday shopping to 2012 travel plans,and spending plans for Feb 14 are no exception,"said Sonali Chakravorti,vice president at American Express. In its latest spending and savings tracker,American Express questioned 2,000 adults across the United States to gauge(,)how much and on what consumers will be spending their money on Cupid's big day. Nearly half of people said they intend to celebrate at a favori te restaurant, seven percent more than last year.Flowers are still the most popular gift for a Valentine,followed hy gift cards,jewelry and electronics. Among couples getting betrothed ,30 percent said they wou]d propose during a weekend getaway or vacation.To seal the deal,48 percent of people think an engagement ring costing between $1,000 to $5,000 would be appropriatc but 22 percent said up to $2,000 for jewelry would be more realistic,while five percent thought nothing of spending$10,000 or more on a ring. Although nearly 40 percent of women think whoever asked for the date should pay for it,14 Dercent said the bill should be split,but most unmarried men said they would cover the cost of the date. Finances can be a delieate subject,so half of people don't talk about money until they have been together six months and 20 percent of married coupies did not refer to the subject until after they have tied the knot. After marriage money matters can be a cause of disagreements,although the poll showed arguments over household budgets,spending on the children and everyday purchases have declined since last year. Question: The passage mainly tells us that _ . Options: A: many people intend to celebrate Valentine's Day in a way they like B: people are expected to spend 8%more money on Valentine's Day than last year C: arguments over family spending have declined since last year D: people have different opinions about spending on Valentine's Day
Ans: B

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: For many people, the name Baskin-Robbins is connected to sweet memories of eating ice cream. Irvine Robbins, who helped create this famous company, died in May at the age of ninety. His career of making fun and exciting ice cream flavors changed the way Americans enjoy this food. Irvine Robbins opened his first ice cream store in 1945 in California. At the time, there were no stores that sold only ice cream. His sister's husband, Burton Baskin, also opened his own ice cream stores. In 1948 they combined their six stores into one business. Baskin and Robbins realized that they were too busy to operate each store well. So, they decided to sell part of each operation to the manager of that store. This permitted the company to grow quickly. By 1953, they renamed their company Baskin-Robbins. They advertised that they sold 31 kinds of ice cream to show the many choices buyers had. There was one flavor for every day of the month. Robbins and Baskin sold "Lunar Cheesecake " the day after astronauts landed on the moon in 1969. Other flavors included "ChaChaCha", for cherry chocolate chip, and Robbins' personal favorite "Jamoca Almond Fudge". They said, "We sell fun, not just ice cream." By 1967, there were 500 Baskin-Robbins stores in the United States. The business partners sold their company that year. Today, there are more than 5,800 Baskin-Robbins stores around the world. Question: It can most deeply remain in Americans' good memories that Baskin-Robbins _ . Options: A: launched joyful varieties of ice cream B: purchased much more than ice cream C: combined many stores into a company D: advertised their varieties of ice cream
Ans: A

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Why do plants grow in some places and not in others? Why does some land have so much growing on it, while other land has almost no plants growing on it at all? To grow, plants need several things. One is warmth. In very cold places almost nothing grows. Plants also need water. In very dry parts of the Earth only a few unusual plants can grow. That's why dry deserts everywhere are almost not covered by trees or grass. Plants must also have a place in which to put down their roots and grow. They find it difficult to grow on hard land. The town is built on hard land. The plants here have only the soil found between the _ cracks of the stones to grow in. Another thing plants must have before they can grow is food. What will happen if we try to make things grow on the sandy beach? A few plants, such as beach grass, will grow in sand, but most plants won't. Even if the weather is warm enough and we water the plants each day, many of them will die because the sand on this beach has almost no food for plants. Question: According to the passage, plants need_things to grow well. Options: A: two B: three C: four D: five
Ans: C

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: "I've changed my mind.I wanted to have a telescope,but now I want my daddy back ." Lucien Lawrence's letter to Father Christmas written after his schoolteacher father had been knifed to death outside his school gate ,must have touched every heart.Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn't see the stars in the sky.When those whom we love depart from us , we cannot see the stars for a while . But Lucien , the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone , you will see them again. And in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father is there too , in you mind and in your heart .I find that my parents , long dead now , still figure in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive . I still live to please them and I'm still surprised by their reactions.I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud,or rather so pleased with myself ,that I couldn't wait to cable my parents . The reply was a long time in coming , but when it did , all Mother said was"I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children!" I haven't forgotten .The values of my parents still live on . It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care .Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence have been to face the aggressors , and to lay down my life for those in my care ? How many people would want me back for Christmas ? It's a serious thought , one to give me pause . I pray silently , something , in the dead of night , that ancient cry of a poet " _ ), and my darling form the power of the dog ."Yet I know that death comes to us all , and sometimes comes suddenly. We must therefore plan not to live forever , but live as if we will die tomorrow. We live on, I'm sure, in the lives of those we loved , and therefore we ought to have to care for what they will remember and what they will treasure . If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true... Question: In the author's opinion ,the value of a person's life is _ . Options: A: to have a high sense of duty to the whole society. B: to leave behind a precious memory to the people related C: to care what others will remember and treasure D: to share happiness and sadness with his family
Ans:
A