We knew Sylvia and Jack had problems with their flats, but we hadn't been told the details. Not until they came for a weekend in October, that is. At dinner on the Friday evening Kitty said, "You wrote that the flat wasn't quite what you expected. Of course it could be too small. You're sharing with another couple, aren't you?" "Were sharing. Mother." Sylvia replied. "It really wasn't necessary." Jack explained proudly, "I've had a big rise, and we can easily manage. It's much better to be independent." "Oh, much," I agreed "What was the trouble?" Kitty asked, impatient and unwilling to let her go. "Nothing much." Sylvia said, "The flat is fine. It was the other couple. Sally and Tom Ford. You've never seen such an untidy pair. We shared the sitting room and the kitchen and the bathroom and got fed up with the mess of it all." "And what made it worse," Jack put in. "was that they accused us of the same sort of thing. Tom and I nearly came to blows when he locked up some of their wedding presents we were all using, as they used ours, naturally." "You take a chance when you make a sharing arrangement." Kitty said. "I am in my own flat." Sylvia said, "Sally and Tom left a month ago." "We could have left instead," Jack said, "But why we should leave? After all, the flat was in out names, not theirs. We were glad to see the back of them." Two weeks later Kitty and I retuned their visit for lunch on Sunday. It was the first time we had been to their flat. To say that we were shocked is not true, because we know our daughter extremely well. The flat had fairly recently been in quite good condition; it was now a chaos. I did not know how anyone could possibly live there. But Sylvia noticed nothing. Sylvia's response to Kitty shows that _ . A) she was not getting along well with the other couple B) she was really expecting to live in her own flat. C) she felt tired of cleaning and tidying up their rooms D) she managed to drive Sally and Tom out of the flat.
A
(Question)
Let's face the facts. On most occasions, some things may seem impossible, but in every impossibility, there is possibility. Impossible situations don't last forever. While it might be impossible for one, it could still be possible for another. In a word, everything is possible. Someone once said, "Success belongs to those who can look at challenges offered by the world as an inspiration." So your challenges are golden opportunities for success. How can there be wonders if there are no difficulties? You need challenges to show your ability and success comes from the problems you face. Those who refuse to give in come out smiling. Robert X. Perez once said, "The seeds of success spring from failure's ashes; failure is not defeat and it just directs you in the right direction. To fail is to understand what you should not do. Remember it and don't give up until your goal is achieved." What should you do when you face difficulties? Jasbeen says, "Yeah, life is difficult, but you shouldn't give up. You should have a positive and calm attitude towards all your difficulties and make the best of them. You may learn something new. You can accept failure and develop mental toughness. Mental toughness is to see the long-term pains rather than be put off by short-term pains. Once you have this toughness, you have an advantage of winning." The only thing in life you ever really regret is the chances you didn't take. You will only regret when you are faced with the consequences of not taking chances and seizing the moment. Take every chance you can! Everything you've done in life may be good or bad, but no matter what you may do, you must try your best. You must do something meaningful and do it right now. When faced with difficulties we are advised to _ . A) be optimistic and learn to see the long-term pains B) know that each difficulty is a short-term pain and try to avoid it C) think of the difficult life others may have D) find out your own advantages and be strong
(Answer)
A
Ques: Cannes will rock to the sound of a cancan dance this year when Moulin Rougeby the Australian director Baz Luhrmann opens the French film festival in May. The musical stars Nicole Kidman as a singer, and John Leguizamo as the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It will be competing for the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize. The festival runs to May 21. The American actor Tommy Lee Jones, 54, has married his longtime girlfriend, Dawn Maria Laurel, 36, in a private wedding in prefix = st1 /San Antonio. "It wash' t a big to-do, ' said Fred Biery, a U. S. District Judge who performed the service. He refused to discuss things further. "These are very private people," he said. Loretta Lynn is being treated for a very bed cold in Tennesseeand will miss several appearances. The country singer, 65, was admitted to a hospital near her home in Hurricane Mills. "She is in good condition, but the doctors are watching her closely," a spokeswoman said. The French-Algerian singer Enrico Macias was named a United Nations peace messenger. Enrico joins eight other people who act as goodwill envoys for the United Nations, among them are the writer Elie Wiesel and the basketball player Magic Johnson. We know from the text that _ . A) Moulin Rouge won the top prize in a film festival B) Loretta Lynn is under the doctors' care C) eight people serve as the UN goodwill envoys D) Fred Biery was Tommy Lee Jones' assistant
Ans: B
Ques: Despite being tall, Michelle Obama is much smaller than she appears on television. And she seemed a little short by her surroundings in the great hall of Christchurch College as she spoke quietly without a microphone because of a technical mistake. Her audience were 40 young girls from a London state school where 50 languages are spoken. "I remember how well-meaning but misguided people questioned whether someone with my background could succeed at an elite university," she said. "When I was accepted, I had all kinds of worries and doubts. I wouldn't be as well prepared as students from privileged families and I wouldn't fit in. But you are just as capable and have just as much to offer as anyone else." This was Mrs. Obama's only solo outing during the state visit and part two of an unusual relationship which she has struck up with Anderson College in Islington. Two years ago on her first visit to the UK she visited the school. Yesterday she returned to meet the pupils but this time at Christchurch College where they were taking part in an open day run to improve Oxford's still poor record on diversifying student intake. Mrs. Obama was asked why she married her husband, what it was like being First Lady and when there would be a female President in the White House. Her message--which she repeated time and again--was work hard, have self-belief, and don't be afraid to fail. _ Afterwards there were hugs for everyone and a photo with her. And watching the group of multicultural young Britons surround her among the splendor of the college building one thought stood out. Had Mrs. Obama been born in Britain, she would almost certainly not have made it to Oxford as she did to Harvard. But now--thanks in part to her--some of these children just might. According to the passage, Michelle Obama _ . A) graduated from Anderson College B) paid her first visit to the UK this time C) was confident when she entered the college D) came from a family without good background
Ans:
D