*Question*
It is 80 years since the Loch Ness monster was spotted for the first time. Mrs. Aldie Mackay, a local hotel manageress, might have thought that her eyes had deceived her when she reported seeing a "whale-like fish" in the waters of the Scottish lake. Or was it made up by people? Dr. Charles Paxton, a researcher from St Andrew's University, noted that many of the 1,000 eye-witness accounts of the elusive "monster" he has been analyzing come from hotel owners. This raises suspicion of an intention to increase tourism. Mrs. Mackay is widely regarded as the first "modern sighting" of the monster in the lake. And it has opened the floodgates. Police inspectors, lorry drivers, clergymen and fishermen were among the people who claimed to have seen the monster. It became so famous that it got a nickname: Nessie. Tourists and 'Nessie hunters' poured to the area. There were traffic jams around the lake. Certainly, there was much to be gained from the legend. According to Visit Scotland, Nessie tourism brings in more than PS1,000,000 to the area per year. Marine biologist Adrian Shine, who interviewed Mrs. Mackay years later, believes she was sincere. But there are plenty of people who have made a living from Nessie, including Mr. Shine himself. He now runs the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition out of Mrs. Mackay's old hotel. Dr. Paxton says, analyzing the eye-witness accounts may tell us more about ourselves than whether or not the monster exists. He is due to publish the results of his study later this year. As a scientist, he casts a disbelieving eye on all the evidence linked to Nessie. Highly respected British surgeon, Colonel Robert Wilson, claimed he photographed the beast in 1934. It was later proved to be a toy submarine with a sea-serpent head. Dr. Paxton says: "I suppose it is possible that people have an agenda . But I believe the vast majority of people are reporting the truth. They believe they have seen something strange." Some say you see what you expect. If this is true, in the land famous for... What can be inferred from the passage? A) Most eye-witnesses are just playing tricks on tourists. B) Most likely the monster Nessie does not exist at all. C) Some researchers believe in the legend about the monster. D) Many people mistake the monster as a toy submarine.
**Answer**
B

*Question*
To many basketball fans in Taiwan, the William Jones Cup or the Basketball Association may be their sweetest memory. But if you ask them, "What's the hottest basketball event now?" There is the only answer: HBL, the High School Basketball League. Founded in 1988, the HBLwas at first just a high school basketball tournament. After the Taipei School Sport Federation took charge in 1996 and renamed it HBL, everything changed. The Federation decided to co-operated with Nike, the well-known sportswear manufacturer, and use its experience in marketing to promote the game. The HBL started with 129 teams; today there are more than 250. no longer just of interest to the players, it's now Taiwan's biggest basketball event. Fellow students, alumni (,), and sports fans all over Taiwan cheer for their favorite teams. At last year's finals, Taipei and Kaohsiung mayors came to cheer for their teams. The HBL starts in September with qualifying and preliminary(,) rounds and continues through April of the following year, when the finals are held. Broadcasting the games on television has helped make the HBL a wildly popular event. It's become the place to spot young basketball talent. Today's HBL players are tomorrow's professionals. Recent HBL tournaments have been very competitive, with no one school taking the advantage. This wide-open quality of the tournament makes it more exciting. Everyone wants to see how this year's games will come out. HBL fever just keeps getting hotter. What would be the best title for the passage? A) Today's Players---Tomorrow's Professionals B) The High School Basketball League of Taiwan C) The Basketball Fans in Taiwan D) HBL Fever---Just Keeping Getting Hotter
**Answer**
B

*Question*
In 1971, a young man who grew up very poor was traveling across the country, trying to make a new start for himself. Along the way he had completely run out of money and was forced to spend the night in his car. This continued until one morning, after a week of sleeping in his car, he walked nervously into a restaurant and ordered a big breakfast. After eating his first good meal in weeks, he lied to the waiter, telling him he had lost his wallet. This waiter, who was also the owner of the restaurant, walked behind the chair where the young man had been sitting. He bent down, and came up with a $20 bill that looked as if it had fallen on the floor and said, "You must have dropped this," the owner said. The young man couldn't believe his luck. He quickly paid for the breakfast, left a tip, bought gas with the money, and went to the West. On the way out of town, he began to understand what that man did. Maybe nobody dropped the money. "Maybe that man knew I was in trouble and he helped me in a way that didn't hurt me. So I just made a promise to help other people if I can." Later, he worked very hard and became a rich man. Now, he lives in Kansas City. Each year he gives away thousands of dollars. He is known as the "Secret Santa " because at Christmas time each year, he personally hands money out to those on the street and at restaurants. From this text we can know that_. A) the young lent money to the poor B) the young man was not rich in the end C) Santa gives the young man money each year D) the young man carried out his promise
**Answer**
D

*Question*
When people think of Hollywood, they think of the city where dreams come true. This did not apply to F. Scott Fitzgerald, a screenwriter who had his share of ups and downs in this land. Fitzgerald was not a successful Hollywood writer because he was not good at the career path he chose. He was an amazing novelist, but his efforts of turning them into screenplays ended in disappointment and confusion. It was because of a lack of potential for screenwriting as well as his addiction and desire to be famous. Growing up as a boy, Fitzgerald went to movies a lot. He wanted to write stories that would eventually turn into movies. The problem was: just because Fitzgerald wanted to do something didn't necessarily mean that he was good at it. He made his attempts, but most of these efforts ended in disappointment because he thought about the change from script to screen too much. His plot was too detailed and complicated; his tone was too serious or his dialogue too sentimental . Fitzgerald's quick rise to fame also led to his fall. In life, things are not meant to happen all at once, all that the same time but it did for Fitzgerald. At his best time, three of his early stories were made into short films, including The Great Gatsby and Babylon Revisited. As the twenties approached, he was gradually forgotten by the reading public. He became drunk and constantly took pills both to sleep and wake up. His marriage was destroyed and his wife broke down mentally. He seemed unsure about his life. Fitzgerald had another chance at success when many opportunities came his way, including revisions of Emlyn William's play The Light of Heart and production of one of his own scripts, Cosmopolitan. However, these were all put aside and he was right back where he started, left behind and called a "ruined man". Fitzgerald simply wanted too much in his life. He wanted "to be both a great novelist and a Hollywood success, to write songs like Cole Porter and poetry like John Keats". His addiction to fame held him back and led to his... When Fitzgerald had another chance at success, he _ . A) took full advantage of it B) went back home to start business C) refused to make changes D) started to write songs and poems
**Answer**
C