The Winter Palace was built between 1754 and 1762 for Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great. Unfortunately, Elizabeth died before the palace was completed and only Catherine the Great and her successors were able to enjoy the great interior of Elizabeth's home. Many parts of the palace's impressive interior have been remodeled since then, particularly after 1837, when a huge fire destroyed most of the building. Today the Winter Palace, together with four more buildings arranged side by side along the river embankment, houses the extensive collections of the Hermitage. The Hermitage Museum is the largest art gallery in Russia and is among the largest and most respected art museums in the world. The museum was founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great bought a collection of 255 paintings from the German city of Berlin. Today, the Hermitage boasts over 2.7 million exhibits and displays, a diverse range of art and artifacts from all over the world and throughout history (from Ancient Egypt to the early 20th century Europe). The Hermitage's collections include works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian, a collection of Rembrandts and Rubens, many French Impressionist works by Renoir, Cezanne, Monet and Pissarro, and several works by Rodin. The collection is really worth a stop for all those interested in art and history. The experts say that if you were to spend a minute looking at each exhibit on show in the Hermitage, you would need 11 years before you'd seen them all. However, we suggest you choose a guided tour instead! Location: Dvortsovaia Naberezhnaia, 32-38. www.ks5u.com Open: 10:30 am to 5:30 pm, Sunday till 5 pm. Closed: Mondays. Ticket-office closes 1 hour before closing time. If you want to visit the museum, when can you go? A) At 10:30 am on Monday. B) At 10:00 am on Tuesday. C) At 11:00 am on Sunday. D) None of the above.
C
(Question)
Every so often, birds, just like humans, do what it takes to feel really, really good. The bird version is to sit on an anthill so that hundreds of ants climb all over their bodies, or even better, some birds pick up mouthfuls of pressed ants and rub themselves all over. Afterwards, the birds either eat the ants or set them free. Scientists call this "anting." It's a common bird practice, and is especially done by the smarter birds. Ravens do it. Magpies do it. However, birds aren't the only animals that use anting --- squirrels, cats, and hedgehogs have all been observed doing the same sort of thing! Why birds "ant" is something of a mystery, but one thought is acceptable. Ants have defensive secretions , chemical weapons they use to fight off other insects and bacteria. So pressed ants help the birds drive the insects away. Similarly, if you cover your body with them, you can move through the forest without worrying about being bitten by insects. Plus, ants are cheap. They are around. However, we have a better explanation. Birds "ant" a lot in spring and summer. For many birds, that's the season for birds to change feathers. So maybe ant secretions are like bath oil; they comfort the skin during feather replacement. A British scientist once declared "the purpose of anting the stimulation and comfort of the body," and that the general effect "is similar to that gained by man from the use of outside stimulants, and perhaps also smoking." And like cigarettes, anting can become a habit. Another study compares anting to "the human habits of smoking and drug taking," and says, "it is enjoyed for the feeling of excitement it results in. So once experienced, it is difficult to stop." That's why you often see mother birds shouting at their babies who come near their first anthill. "Stay away from there, child... Don't touch those ants!" they cry. I don't speak Raven. Or Magpie. But I have been a parent. So some things I know. The text is most probably taken from a _ . A) popular science magazine B) short-story collection C) research paper D) personal diary
(Answer)
A
Ques: My father was born on a farm in Tipperary, Ireland. He was the fourth child out of eight children. My father was the oldest boy so the majority of the responsibility fell upon his shoulders to complete the farm work. He attended school until the fourth grade; his father pulled him out of school to work on the farm permanently , though he hated it. Though supposed to _ the farm, my father had other plans. At sixteen he left home for England. He left without telling his parents anything. He eventually became very homesick and missed his mother greatly. He came back to Ireland and worked on the farm until he was eighteen. He got tired of the farm and left home for England again. He worked as a construction worker for five years, and then a part-time actor. But he couldn't get a decent job because he was Irish. Many times he would walk into an interview and read a sign saying, "The Irish need not apply." He was twenty years old with no family and limited friends in a foreign country that didn't want him. Once he was able to work again my father decided to save money to move to Australia. He lived in a house with a fellow Irishman, a Swede, an Englishman, and an Austrian for five years becoming a successful salesman. He bought a beach house for himself in Sydney. He then traveled through Europe visiting his family in Ireland. In 1975 my father came to America as an illegal immigrant . My father with a friend of his drove across the country to Los Angeles with the dream of becoming Hollywood stars. My father lived in his car for the first few months in Los Angeles, and worked as a used car salesman. After two years of living in Los Angeles, he became documented. He met my mother and started a family. My parents have kept the family in Los Angeles, and just three years ago my father became a U.S. citizen. The father dropped out of school mainly because _ . A) he often ran away from home B) he couldn't get along well with others C) he often performed badly in his school D) he had to learn to keep the farm
Ans: D
Ques:1Art exhibition: The 16th Asian International Art exhibition from Dec.18, 2005 to Jan.10, 2006 at the Guangdong Museum of Art. The exhibition will highlight over 300 works from Japan, Korea, China Mainland, China Hong Kong, China Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippine, Indonesia and Australia. RMB 70, 90, 100 Booking Tel: 88677766 2Concert: Christmas Concert performed by German organist Thorsten Macder and the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Yu Feng. RMB 80,120,180,230 8pm on Dec 23 Symphony performing Hall. Guangdong Xinghai Concert Hall. Booking Tel: 87352222 3Thailand cuisine festival: In the Greenery Cafe at Garden Hotel from Dec.20, 2005 to Feb 20,2006. Booking Tel: 87675443 4Performance: At Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall; 8pm on December 6,7,9 RMB 100,160,200,260 Tel: 89785656 The group of the advertisements are mainly about _ in Guangzhou Morning Post. A) sports B) business trade C) city life D) city guide

Ans:
D