Read the article and select the best answer. Article: As an English teacher, one of the most common problems I've found with my students is their lack of confidence with speaking, and difficulty in understanding native speakers. Another problem could be that a foreign language taught in schools can sound quite different to what native speakers actually use. There are a few English words and expressions that I'd never heard until I came to China. The most common one in my experience is "How are you? I'm fine, thank you, and you?" I appreciate that although this greeting is much too formal for everyday use - it's easy to learn and helps build confidence. However, it can be a hard habit to break. I've seen many parents correct their kids if they don't use that exact phrase, as if simply replying "I'm fine" would somehow be rude. In fact I'm banning my students from saying that in the classroom, insisting a simple "I'm fine, thanks" is good enough. "Seldom" is another one that I find interesting. The first time a student told me "I seldom watch TV", my initial reaction was a stupefied look, followed by "Huh?" I then realized the student used "seldom" when it's more common for us to use "rarely." I was just as confused when I first heard a toilet referred to as a WC (water closet), another English term I'd never heard of back in Australia. Of course, my students know the other names for it like bathroom, toilet, washroom etc. so to prefer that name is an interesting choice. I don't mind that my students have substituted familiar English words with their own, far from it. It reminds me how creative they can be with not only their language, but with mine as well. It's healthy for English to evolve and change and I'm happy to add these new words to my vocabulary. One important lesson I've learnt is that textbooks can only help you so much. For further improvement you'd better practice with native speakers. Question: What does the article mainly tell about? Options: A: Learning English needs confidence. B: Native speakers are hard to understand. C: Chinese-English has something different. D: Chinese students are more creative.
C

(Question)
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: There was once a rabbit who thought the more friends she had, the better. So she made many friends. She even thought she was the most popular animal in the world. One day the rabbit heard hounds baying not far from her. Usually, she hurried away at the first sound of a baying dog. But this time she didn't want to run for her life as before. "I have so many friends, and they could help me," she thought. She decided to ask one of them to carry her to safety. The rabbit asked the horse, "Please, dear friend, will you carry me away from the hounds?" The horse answered, "I wish I could help you, but I have work to do for my owner." Then the rabbit asked the cow for help. The cow answered, "I wish I could help you, but it's almost milking time." The goat had something important to do, too. So were the sheep and the pig. Every animal the rabbit asked for help seemed to be _ . Even the calf had no time for her. Each of her friends said, "I wish I could help you." But all of them had some excuse that prevented them from helping her. Sadly, the rabbit said to herself, "I have so many friends in the world, but why don't they help me when I'm in danger?" By this time, the hounds were getting closer. The rabbit didn't have any time to think. She was forced to run for her life. She quickly took off and, luckily, escaped just in time. Question: The reason why the rabbit didn't get help from the animals is that _ . Options: A: the animals were the hounds' friends B: the animals didn't believe the rabbit C: there were no hounds coming at all D: the rabbit didn't have a true friend
(Answer)
D

Ques: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: To the Editor, Re Why a Fallen Angel Is a Centerfold (Sunday Review, Nov. 6): I first met Lindsay Lohan in 1997 when she was 11 and I was the casting director of the film The Parent Trap. I was struck by her talent, fresh charm and innocence the moment I caught sight of her. She was, and remains, a gifted actress and a good human being. It is not for me to judge Ms Lohan's choices, or whether fame has been less than kind to her, but I have been greatly saddened by the way the media have chosen, with all gloves off and seemingly going with what could please them, to record her efforts and failures. She is a sentient human being, not a thing, not a product, not anything else to be sold. Charles McGrath makes several attractive points in his news analysis about the public demand which is impossible to satisfy, in a 24/7 news cycle forever changed by the Internet, to gossip about, and give nearly complete access to, celebrity or famous persons' lives. Perhaps people do feel better knowing that wealth and fame do not lead to a perfect life for everyone. Perhaps we admire famous people only to reject them without any pity or mercy when their behavior disappoints us. I find it ironic that Ms Lohan's decision to pose for Playboy for a monetary reward is considered to be morally questionable, while journalists and photographers gain profit by writing about and capturing images of her and other famous people. Perhaps when reporting on and reading about famous people who have lost their way, we will remember that those people are also very human people who, like us, make mistakes, endure misfortune and have a chance--in spite of media coverage--to begin a completely new life tomorrow. ILENE STARGER Brooklyn Question: What can we infer from the passage? Options: A: Why a Fallen Angel Is a Centerfold was not received well by the public. B: Charles McGrath believes wealth and fame can't give a perfect life to anyone. C: Many people as well as the media show much mercy to Lindsay Lohan. D: Charles McGrath is the author of Why a Fallen Angel Is a Centerfold.
Ans: D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: If you are looking for a creative solution to a piece of work or a school assignment,don't lock yourself up in a quiet room. A new study suggests that moderate background noise is a better spur to creative thinking than the sound of silence,Time magazine reported. A paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research says that the perfect working environment should buzz with a little noise. Researchers found that test subjects were at their most creative when background noise was measured at 70 decibels,the level one might find in a busy coffee shop. A nearly silent environment(50 decibels)was too quiet. Turning up the volume to 85 decibels (a jackhammer tearing up the pavement outside your building) was counterproductive-the noise became a distraction. The researchers asked 65 students at the University of British Columbia,Canada,to perform various creative tasks while noises recorded at a roadside restaurant were played in the background. In one experiment,scientists asked participants to brainstorm ideas for a new type of mattress . Test subjects had the most successful discussions when the noise in the background was noticeable but not too loud. While a quiet environment may make it easier to read a book. the authors of the study say that moderate background noise creates just enough of a distraction to force people to think more imaginatively, without breaking their focus so completely that they can't think at all. Should we all head for Starbucks to get creative? Not necessarily. Researchers found limited work time surrounded by the low-level noise of a coffeehouse is what really stimulates creativity. Equally, working in a care environment isn't good for everybody. The productivity boost was most obvious among those who were naturally creative to begin with. Question: Why is moderate background noise good for creativity? Options: A: It relaxes people and stops them from getting bored. B: It can help people to focus on a subject. C: It can absorb sudden noises that cause distraction. D: It pushes people to use their imagination but doesn't reach a level that disturbs them.
D