The Smurfs --cute little blue cartoon dwarfs inspired by Nordic fairy tales made their first TV appearance in the US in 1981 and ever since have been childhood friends to many people across. The storyline is quite simple. The Smurfs are living happily in their mushroom houses in the middle of a forest.Then one day the evil wizard Gargamel discovers their village and sends them by magic to present-day New York City. The Smurfs have to find their way home and conquer Gargamel along the way. So, just why, more than half a century later, is the simple story still so beloved by young and old? Mario Cacciolotto, a BBC reporter, believes it is due to the fact that the Smurfs' lives do not have any particular cultural implication and argues that they could offer a model for society. Veronique Culliford, daughter of the Smurfs' creator Pierre Culliford, agrees."They are unique creations," she says, "They do not do politics or religion.They are multi-cultural and everybody around the world can recognize themselves in the Smurfs.Everyone can apply their very nice values of friendship, kindness and helping others to their own lives, regardless of where they come from". In the Smurf world , everyone has their own skill and is willing to use it for the benefit of others without expecting any reward.Their village is run as a collective and has no form of currency. This has even led to debates about whether the artist intended the Smurfs as a metaphor for socialism. "The series wasn't just about sweet-looking dwarfs," said Alan Mechem of the British Smurf Collectors Club.He thought that Culliford wanted it to show things like equality and tolerance. The Smurfs movie is mainly about _ . A) the Smurfs' happy life in their village B) the evil wizard Gargamel's powerful magic C) the Smurfs' adventures in New York City D) how the Smurfs rebuild their village
C
(Question)
Christmas in Australia is often very hot. Whereas the northern hemisphere is in the middle of winter, Australians are baking in summer heat. It is not unusual to have Christmas Day well into the mid 30 degrees Celsius, or near 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A traditional meal includes a turkey dinner, with ham, and pork. A flaming Christmas plum pudding is added for dessert. In the Australian gold rushes, Christmas puddings often contained a gold nugget. Today a small favor is baked inside. Whoever finds this knows s/he will enjoy good luck. Another treat is Mince Pies. Some Australians and particularly tourists often have their Christmas dinner at midday on a local beach, Bondi Beach in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs attracts thousands of people on Christmas Day. Other families enjoy their day by having a picnic. If they are at home, the day is punctuated by swimming in a pool, playing Cricket out the backyard, and other outdoor activities. The warm weather allows Australians to enjoy a tradition which started in 1937. Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve, where tens of thousands of people gather in the city of Melbourne to sing their favorite Christmas songs. The evening is lit by as many candles singing under a clean cut night sky. The sky with its Southern Cross stars is like a mirror. Sydney and the other capital cities also enjoy Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Australians surround themselves with Christmas Bush, a native plant which has little red flowered leaves. It seems that people can enjoy Carols by Candlelight because of _ . A) the warm weather B) the Christmas Bush C) the activities at daytime D) the Southern Cross stars
(Answer)
A
Ques: We were on our way home from Houston one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local gas station to get coffee and something to snack on since it was a good hour and a half before we got home. When we were done, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a man standing outside in front of the building. He was a homeless man with worn clothes and it looked like he had gone in and gotten himself some coffee or something warm to drink since it was cold this time of the year. He must have not had enough money to get something to eat. Then a dog walked up to the front of the building. I could tell she was a "she", because you could tell that she had baby dogs. She was terribly in need of something to eat and I felt so bad for her. I knew if she didn't eat soon, she and her baby dogs would not make it. I and my wife sat there and looked at her. We noticed that people walked by and didn't even pet her, like most people do when they walk by an animal in front of a store. We still did not do anything. But the homeless man, who I thought did not buy himself anything to eat, went back into the store. And what he did brought tears to me and my wife. He had gone into the store and with what money he may have had, bought a can of dog food and fed that dog. This story plays a great part in our lives. You see, that was Mother's Day weekend. And a lot of people forget that some animals are parents too. It took a homeless man, to show me what I should have done. He make me a better man that day. Seeing what the poor man did for the dog, the author and his wife _ . A) were puzzled B) were greatly moved C) regretted they hadn't done anything D) were indifferent
Ans: B
All plant cells are capable of taking up water. Even dead ones do to a certain degree. Absorption of water by dead cell walls makes wood become larger. In common land plants, the living cells of roots take upmost of the water. Land plants without roots do exist, however. Those greenish-yellow lichens you see on rocks in the high mountains have no roots. Half a billion years ago, when water plants started to enter the land, the first land plants did not have roots. Even among the flowering plants, one finds rootless forms. These flowering plants are "the higher plants" because they evolved recently and are thus considered higher on the evolutionary scale . In the Peruvian desert, there grows one of these rootless higher plants, a bromeliad. It is a relative of the pineapple. Even if this plant had roots, they would be of no use, because where the plant grows, it never rains. The plant gets its water only from the dew it collects at night, when its leaves cool off. Such rootless plants, of course, can be moved with ease, but they will only grow when they are placed out in the open. If they are placed too near a house, the radiation from the heat of the house prevents the leaves from cooling and so prevents dew from forming, and the plant dies. In the southern United States and in Puerto Rico, one sees growing high above the streets on the insulation of electric wires. These plants get their water from rain, and the only soil they ever come in contact with is the dust that may blow on their leaves. From the passage we know that the evolutionary scale is graded according to _ . A) evolutionary cycles B) heights and depths C) time D) kinds
C