It was a freezing cold winter day. My father and I went to the market to buy a few oranges. When we arrived, the market was crowded with people. We looked around and stopped at the sight of a small booth . It was just a big piece of cloth on the ground with a few fresh-looking oranges. A young girl was sitting on the ground, reading next to the booth. My father cleared his throat and asked,'How much are the oranges?' The girl jumped up and asked,'Oh....what?' 'How much are the oranges?' my father repeated patiently. 'Oh......two for one yuan ,'the girl answered politely. 'They are not fully grown......a bit sour ,' she added ,when my father was examining the oranges. After a while he said, 'I don 't mind if they are sour......I'll buy thirty of them.' I looked at him, baffled . Then the girl put the oranges in a bag and gave it to him. My father paid for the oranges and we left. 'Why did you buy so many oranges?' I asked my father, 'Well, she was so truthful and even told me that her oranges are sour; besides, she really enjoys studying. And look at her book-it's so old; maybe she can use the money she earned to buy a book!' I nodded my head. Just then, I felt somebody pulling my arm; I turned and recognized it was the girl from whom we bought the oranges.' Here's......here's ......your change ......' she panted , and put the money in my hand. Before we could say something ,she had already turned a corner and was out of sight. The girl and her oranges will be in my memory forever. Why did the author's father buy so many oranges? A) He liked to eat sour oranges. B) He wanted to help the young girl. C) He thought the oranges were cheap. D) He thought the oranges were fresh.
B
On warm summer days with little or no wind, the air temperature in cities can be up to ten degrees higher than that of the surrounding countryside. This is a phenomenon commonly referred to as the "urban heat island" effect. This phenomenon happens when pavement, buildings, and other infrastructure replace natural land cover. _ Unlike soil, paved areas contribute to runoff, which means that as paved areas increase, the amount of water available for evaporation decreases. Moreover, urban areas have fewer trees and less natural vegetation which help to control the heat by providing shade and blocking solar radiation. The surfaces of leaves also provide water for evaporation which cools the air, further worsening the heat island effect. In particular, during summer, more energy is required to cool the insides of building and for refrigeration, thereby creating additional heat output. This in turn leads to higher ambient air temperatures, which can also significantly increase the formation of urban smog in an area, _ local air quality. Such a situation may directly affect public health with individuals more likely to suffer from heat exhaustion and the effects of asthma . Which of the following is not a cause of the urban heat island effect? A) The lack of trees B) The demand for refrigeration C) The blocking of solar radiation D) The construction of infrastructure.
C
Q: DIY sailor Owen Warboys has finally launched his homemade boat -- after spending nearly 30 years building it in his mum's garden. Owen, 66, a retired engineer from Hordle, New Milton, Hants, first started work on the 40ft--long boat in 1982 because he could not afford to buy his own. He told mum Edith that it would only take five years but after suffering "a few problems" it lasted nearly three decades. When he finally finished, he was left with the head-scratching task of getting the 18-tonne boat out of the back garden. After some time he found a way. A huge crane was brought in to carefully raise it 40ft in the air over his mother's house and onto a lorry. It was then driven to the seaside and, to Owen's delight, it floated and showed no signs of leaking when lowered into the water. Now, 28 years after he first started, Owen is at last preparing to set sail in his beloved boat, Wight Dolphin, with his long-suffering wife Anne. Owen said, "I am so relieved that it's finished. There were times when I thought it would never end but I'm the sort of person who likes to finish something once I've started." At first he persuaded his mum to let him do it in her garden and started taking in sheets of steel and pieces of wood. "My mother was happy for me to build it at her house but only bacause I told her it would only take five years." We can infer from the passage that _ . A) the boat will enter a race competition B) Owen retired early in order to make his boat C) Owen's wife gave the boat the name of Wight Dolphin D) It took 23 more years to finish the boat than expected
A: D
(Question)
We are much happier in our new house because it has a large garden, and you know how enthusiastic we both are about gardening. When we moved in a month ago, Mary wanted to get a dog to keep out burglars. However, we finally decided that it would be cheaper to put an iron grille in front of the door and get a burglar alarm. Last week, I went to a shop and bought an alarm for just over PS200. It consists of a control unit with three smaller units. I put the control unit in the lounge and put the other units in place by the front door, back door and lounge windows. That night I soon fell asleep because I was confident that no one could get into our house undetected. At about 1:50 a.m. I woke up suddenly and heard the siren. It was like an ambulance driving right through our bedroom. I couldn't leave the siren on all night. I went downstairs in the dark. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I switched on the light and looked around. Oh my gosh. The back door was unlocked. I rushed to lock it and it was just at that exact moment that the 'burglar' disappeared behind a curtain. Guess what? It was an ordinary house lizard .Apparently the alarm system had been made for American or European homes in which lizards are never seen. I switched the alarm off and sat down to watch. A few moments later, a lizard ran across a wall, right in front of one of the alarm units. I won't bother to finish this story but if you'd like a burglar alarm system free of charge, just let us know. What do we know about the author and his wife? A) They are pet lovers. B) They love plants and flowers. C) They are fond of catching lizards. D) They hate technology.
(Answer)
B