Read the article and select the best answer. Article: The Amazing Kids! PenPals Program is a literacy-based , traditional letter-writing pen pal program, available to all children aged 5-17 worldwide. At $10 per child, our program is a low-cost and fun way to help your children practice their literacy skills while they are making new friends. Groups of 15 or more receive a 50% discount. Children love our program because: *It helps them develop new (and possibly life-long)friendships. *It allows them to practice the traditional form of letter writing and correspondence. *They love getting letters in the mail from their pen pals! Parents love our program because: *It offers one of the few remaining choices for finding an established, safe and trusted traditional pen pal program to their children. *It helps strengthen communication and literacy skills taught in their children's classroom. *It helps open their children's eyes to a larger world, and other cultures and traditions outside their own. *Many parents remember having a pen pal when they were children and want to give their children the same positive, fun learning experience. *Parents love helping their children find new friends of their own age and gender. Frequently asked questions Why is there a fee? We are a small, all-volunteer non-profit organization, and the fees help cover our cost of running the program. How did the Amazing Kids! PenPals Program begin? The program began as a way of reaching out to the children affected by the devastating hurricanes of 2005. Our hope was that by matching young hurricane survivors with a new pen pal, we could help them in their recovery from the trauma they experienced. The program is now available to all children worldwide. We continue to welcome teachers, youth groups or agencies who like to work with hurricane survivors. How does it work? Amazing Kids! will match students of the same gender and age with other students who may share similar interests and hobbies, based on the information provided on the registration form. I've completed all forms and made my... Question: In the beginning the Amazing Kids! PenPals Program was set up for the kids who _ . Options: A: suffered from the hurricanes B: were willing to make pen pals C: were good at writing letters D: wanted to help hurricane survivors
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown. They probably came about just to give children something to do. In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with another. In societies where social roles are rigidly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world. What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same. The changes have been mostly in terms of craftsmanship, mechanics, and technology. It is the universality of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world and their persistence to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, America, China, Japan and among the Arctic people, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. Differences depended on local customs and way of life because toys imitate their surrounding. Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles. Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to technological leaps that characterize(...) inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to the cart to the automobile is a direct line of ways up. The progress from a rattle used by a baby in 3,000 BC to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the time and subject to the limitations of available materials. Question: The author uses the example of a rattle to show that _ . Options: A: it often takes a long time to introduce new technology into toy-making B: even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology C: even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time D: in toy-making there is a continuity in the use of materials
C

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Each time I see a balloon , my mind flies back to a memory when I was a six-year-old girl . It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died . I asked my mum if my dad had gone to heaven . " Yes , honey . Of course , " she said . " Can we write him a letter ? " She paused , the longest pause of my short life , and answered , " Yes . " My heart jumped . " Can the mailman go there ? " I asked . " No , but I have an idea . " Mum drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon . I asked her what it was for . " Just wait , honey . You'll see . " Mum told me to write my letter . Eagerly , I got my favorite pen , and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink . I wrote about my day , what I learned at school , how Mum was doing , and even about what happened in a story I had read . For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive . I gave the letter to Mum . She read it over , and a smile crossed her face . She made a hole in the corner of the letter to tie it to the balloon . We went outside and she gave me the balloon . It was still raining . " Okay , on the count of three , let it go . One , two , three . " The balloon , carrying my letter , flew upwards against the rain . We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds . Later I realized , like the balloon , that Dad had never let his sickness get him down . He was strong . No matter what he suffered , he'd keep on , fly up , and finally go beyond this cold world and his sick body . He rose into sky and became something beautiful . I watched until the balloon disappeared into the grey and white and I prayed that his strength was passed on . I prayed to be a balloon . Question: When the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father , she _ . Options: A: became excited B: jumped with joy C: started writing immediately D: didn't believe her mother
A: A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Since the time when the Romans first settled on the Danube River and built one of their most important central European forts , Vindobona, the city we now know as Vienna, has played a very important role in European history. Austria grew up around the city and developed into a strong empire . The capital became a famous place during the rule of the Habsburg dynasty. Today, Vienna is one of the most popular tourist spots in Austria as well as a major center of modern business and culture. Many different cultures have _ their cultural identities to produce the amazing Viennese culture. It is said that the most beautiful German is spoken in this old city. A city of music, cafes, waltzes, parks, cakes, and wine -- that's Vienna. Famous composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert made Vienna into a city of music. Vienna also has a lot to offer in art and architecture. Yet the bars and clubs make a trip to Vienna an unforgettable experience. Vienna's cooking diversity is also impressive. Dumpling soup, tender boiled beef and apple rolls are typical Austrian dishes. The face of the city has changed time and again due to war, victory, defeat, the death of an empire and the birth of a republic, foreign occupation , and the passage of time. Fortunately, the Viennese character --a strict devotion to the good life -- has remained solid. Question: What can we know about Vienna in the past? Options: A: It used to be a business center. B: People there had beautiful voices. C: Austria developed around this city. D: There were some forts in this city.
C