Read the article and select the best answer. Article: In my first week as a graduate student at Cambridge University in 1964 I met with a fellow student, two years ahead of me in his studies; he was unsteady on his feet and spoke with great difficulty. This was Stephen Hawking. I learned that he had a bad disease and might not live long enough even to finish his PhD degree. But, amazingly, he has reached the age of 73. Even mere survival would have been a medical miracle, but of course, he didn't merely survive. He has become arguably the most famous scientist in the world for his brilliant research, for his bestselling books, and, above all, for his astonishing victory over hardship. Stephen received his "death sentence" in 1964, when I thought it was hard for him to go on with his study. Stephen went from Albans School to Oxford University. He was said to be a "lazy" undergraduate, but his brilliance earned him a first-class degree, an "entry ticket" to a research career in Cambridge and a uniquely inspiring achievement. Within a few years of the burst of his disease he was wheelchair-bound, and his speech was so unclear that it could only be understood by those who knew him well. But his scientific career went from strength to strength: he quickly came up with a series of insights into the nature of black holes (then a very new idea) and how the universe began. In 1974 he was elected to the Royal Society at the exceptionally early age of 32. The great advances in science generally involve discovering a link between phenomena that were previously conceptually unconnected -- for instance, Isaac Newton realized that the force making an apple fall to earth was the same as the force that holds the moon and planets in their orbits. Stephen's revolutionary idea about a link between gravity and quantum theory has still not been tested. However, it has been hugely influential; indeed, one of the main achievements of string theory has been to confirm and build on his idea. He has undoubtedly done more than anyone else since Einstein to improve our knowledge of gravity... Question: It can be inferred that Stephen Hawking was born _ . Options: A: in the early 1940s B: in the late 1940s C: in the early 1930s D: in the late 1930s
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: No trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to the Art Institute, which is the second largest art museum in the nation. Opening hours: Mon - Wed & Fri - Sun, 10:30 am - 5 pm; Thu, 10:30 am- 8 pm; closed on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Highlights: * The Modern Wing contains contemporary masterpieces by Dali, Matisse, Miro, Picasso, Pollock, and Warhol. * View one of the world's finest Impressionist collections, including masterpieces by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Seurat, Gauguin, and Van Gogh. * Thorne Miniature Rooms offer a detailed view of European homes from the 16th century through the 1930s and American homes from the 17th century to 1940. * The past returns as over 550 works from 4,000 years of art come together in Of Gods and Glamour, located in the beautiful new Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art. Advice for visitors: * Free guided tours are available daily at noon. * Free art-making activities are available for children each weekend from 11 am to 2 pm. * Visit the Family Room in the Ryan Education Center, open daily from 10:30 am - 5 pm, and introduce your child to the museum's collections with a variety of hands-on activities. Assemble puzzles based on masterpieces you'll see in the galleries, build architectural wonders with colorful blocks, and learn about art through stories and games at Curious Corner. * Check out the Lion's Trial tour for children ages 5-10. This tour is especially designed for the young people in your group! Don't miss it! Getting there: You can take the follow buses: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 14, 26, 28, 126, 143. Question: The Art Institute of Chicago can be visited on _ . Options: A: Christmas Day B: New Year's Day C: Independence Day D: Thanksgiving Day
C

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Violent winds swept the ocean, and waves thundered to shore, shaking the lookout tower at Pea Island Rescue Station. Surfman Theodore Meekins was on watch that evening of 11 October 1896. A hurricane had struck the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the tide was so strong that beach patrols had been canceled. Still, Meekins paid close attention to the horizon. This was the type of weather that could blow ships hundreds of miles off course. Offshore, the ship E.S. Newman was caught in the storm. The captain, whose wife and child were on the ship, feared the Newman would soon break up. He made the decision to beach his ship, then fired a signal, praying that someone onshore would see it. Meekins, whose eyes were trained to cut through rain and surf mists, thought he saw the signal, but so much spray covered the lookout windows that he could hardly make sure. Still, he took no chances. After summoning the station keeper, Captain Richard Etheridge, Meekins set off a coston signal, a signal made by using lamps of different colors. Together, the two men searched the darkness for a reply. A few moments later, they saw a flash of light to the south and knew a shop was in distress . Even before the return signal burned out, Etheridge had summoned his men and begun rescue operations. For the lifesavers, the rescue of the Newman was nothing unusual. Over the years, so many ships had off the Outer Banks that sailors called the region the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Noting the dangerous surf and wind conditions, Captain Etheridge quickly decided the surf boats would be impossible to control. Instead, he decided to use another way to help the survivors. The crew set off on the long journey down the beach to the scene of the wreck . Captain Etheridge hoped to fire a line from a gun to the ship's mast . After the ship's crew dragged the line onboard, the surfmen would fire a second line and carry survivors safely to shore. The surfmen crossed three miles of sand to reach the ship Newman. The water was freezing, and the... Question: What was the author's main purpose in writing the passage? Options: A: To warn sailors of the dangers of hurricanes. B: To create a story describing a rescue at sea. C: To inform people about Richard Etheridge. D: To record the details about the Newman.
**Answer**
B