*Question*
New York's streets were covered by people dressed in elephant costumes and others waving antiwar posters with pictures of US President George W. Bush on them last week. But this was no carnival - it was the Republican Party's National Convention , which attracted thousands of protestors . It was the largest protest ever at a US political convention, with at least 120,000 people marching through Manhattan on August 29. They demanded that the US leave Iraq and a new president be chosen. The Republicans say the opposition - Democrat Party encouraged the people on to the streets. They believe it is a democratic move to help win presidential election, to be held on November 2. The election is described as "the decisive battle between donkey and elephant". The two animals are the symbols of the two major political parties in the US. The elephant represents the Republicans, whose candidate , President George W. Bush, is trying to defeat the donkey to win his second them. The donkey represents the democrats, whose candidate, John Kerry, is trying to kick the elephant out of the White House. Republicans think the elephant is powerful and clever, but the Democrats argue it is stupid and conservative . In return, the Republicans regard the donkey as stubborn and silly but the Democrats say it is humble, plain, smart and courageous. The Republicans have been sending emails to Bush supporters and journalists with the heading, "An Elephant Never Forgets", said party spokeswoman Heather Layman. Elephants are known for their long memories. The emails suggest that Bush will keep his promises, while Kerry will not stick to his words. It is interesting that both symbols were created by a single person, Thomas Nast, a famous political cartoonist of the late 19th century. During the election in 1874, Nast drew a cartoon, in which a donkey in a lion's skin frightened an elephant marked "Republican". Which of the following is NOT true? A) The same artist created the two symbols. B) The emails suggest Kerry will not carry out his promises. C) "An Elephant Never Forgets" means that an elephant has a good memory. D) John Kerry is a Democrat.
**Answer**
C

*Question*
Dear Daddy, You've been gone for six years and I've had time to think. Now I'm ready to write this letter to you. For a long time after Mom died, I thought I liked her more because I didn't like your attitude and I thought that her softer side was more desirable. In my 15-year-old's mind, I thought you could have stopped my mother from drinking herself to death. Instead, you were off playing tennis and working. Later, I realized that no one could make someone stop drinking. Support is important, but at the end of the day, it is a choice. You were just doing your best. What I have learned is that I am much like you. You taught me self-confidence. I know if I am prepared to work hard enough for something, I will be successful. This is no small thing. What I've realized since you died is that you were always there for me. You fought to ensure that I got my place on the Quebec badminton team that I had earned. When I got divorced , you came up to see if I had what I needed to take care of the boys and you paid off my car. You taught me not to spend money I don't have. I've always kept to that rule. It has served me well. We always had a good home to live in, nice vacations, and everything we needed and most of what we wanted. You were not a perfect parent and neither am I. My children are much more thankful than I ever was. I am thankful that I had you as my dad. I am still Daddy's girl and I am proud of it. What can we infer from the letter? A) The writer's father cared about her very much. B) The writer didn't have a good childhood. C) The writer's children don't love her. D) The writer now lives alone.
**Answer**
A

*Question*
Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for family, health, and life in general. However, Black Friday has turned it into a business. Traditionally, the true value of Thanksgiving lies at home not the shopping centers. However, Black Friday has nowadays allowed society to ignore _ as individuals long for something that they do not need or even truly want. Shopping on Black Friday becomes a sign of a shift into a culture that values material wealth over spending time with loved ones. People are willing to force their way through the crowds in their desperate search for marked-down sweaters and necklaces. In recent years, Thanksgiving has become a pre-Black Friday holiday for many families. They are devoted to mapping out shopping routes and making organized schedules for which stores to hit first. By drawing individuals out to shopping centers with "matchless savings", businesses encourage this behavior of ignoring Thanksgiving. Many families take their home-cooked meals while camping out at the door of shopping centers. With each new year, Thanksgiving is becoming victim to over-commercialization--switching from a meaningful time of thanks and family to a day dedicated to products and profit. Black Friday has shown that with current common standards, people cannot even set aside a single day to appreciate what they already have without immediately buying more. Families have lost sight of what is truly important in life, and have found reasons in debating between a low cost HD television and an appreciation for what they already have. Remember, Thanksgiving should be a day in which people are grateful for all that they have. What's the author's attitude towards the present ways people celebrate Thanksgiving? A) Annoyed. B) Worried. C) Supportive. D) Unconcerned.
**Answer**
B

*Question*
"If there is one thing I'm sure about, it is that m a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation. The nature of what is news may change .What basically makes news is what affects our lives - the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though .It's already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic engineering. In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do - as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are. It's quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact ,I'm pretty sure how it will happen m the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read - sports and international news, etc. I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media .They actually _ each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn't happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound lost in the air. And as for the Internet. it's never really pleasant to read something just on a screen. In the writer's opinion, in the future, _ . A) more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news B) newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer C) newspapers will cover more scientific research D) more and more people will watch TV
**Answer**
C