Speak confidently and think logically. Year 13 schoolboy Arunabh Prakash can't agree more. Anmabh is one of the five students that will represent New Zealand at the 26th World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) to be held in Thailand from August 5 to l5 this year. "You've got to be persuasive, regardless of the fact that you believe in a topic or not," says the 17-year-old. "There are a lot of speakers who are eloquent but find it difficult to think logically and then there are those who have a good argument but can't deliver." Endurance is another quality he says one must have in the heated arena of expressing opinions and ideas. "There are times when you have to debate for five hours at a go and are completely exhausted. It's quite intense. You must have the energy to debate for long hours," says Arunabh, who began debating in year 10. The WSDC is a debating competition in the world for high school students from different countries. It involves four prepared debates and four impromptu debates -- debates without specific preparations. To gain selection for the national team for the global final, Arunabh had to compete with regional teams. Despite the mounting pressure, he says he was confident of winning. "We didn't loose a debate in the first two days. And we had a very strong team. We were confident of our ability to win," he says. Which of the following can be the best title for the text? A) The Skills of Debating B) Growing from the Regional Team C) Schoolboy to Compete on the International Stage D) The 26th World Schools Debating Championships
C
(Question)
As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mill carrier, and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did. In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when 1 was a boy it was such a fun to stick your finger 'through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers. On Dad' s final day of work, it took him well into the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each family was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. "Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route." he used to say, "and a story at every one. " One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills. Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read. "Nat, take these eggs to Marian; she's baking a cake and doesn't have any eggs. " Mailboxes might be buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the groom:. bat the mail was always delivered On cold days Dad might find one of his customers waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few button on the envelope in the mailbox; Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to 8 32,000. A dozen years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad's death, the mailboxes along the way reminded me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn't the case. As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles, one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green and the other was red, and each... The writer provides the detail about the businessman to show that _ . A) Dad had a strong sense of duty B) Dad was an honest and reliable man C) Dad had a strong sense of honor D) Dad was a kind and generous man
(Answer)
B
Ques: Recently, the documentary "A Bite of China", which takes the fine foods as the theme, has beaten many TV series, becoming extremely popular on the microblog and turning into the hottest topic. Chinese people are proud of the great food culture of China and some even praise the documentary by saying that "it is a best video that arouses our great love of our country". Produced by Chen Xiaoqing, an award-winning documentary maker, "A Bite of China" is filled with mouthwatering images of food ranging from royal cooking to local specialties. It focuses on the beautiful and simplified process of food making and attracts food lovers and ordinary audiences. "Television is filled with food these days, especially introductions by some professional cooks, even famous TV hosts. We also have some scenes of food-making, but how to create dishes is only one aspect of food culture," Chen says. "The program tries to bring something new by presenting more cultural elements related to dishes, such as eating habits and eating principles," be adds. Each series lasts 50 minutes. Every series will focus on different people, who will tell stories about their adventures with food. "A Bite of China" also focuses on social changes while presenting food cultures, such as the dispersion of families that leave the elderly in their hometowns while other members work outside. In such cases food serves as reminders of happy times and expectations of reunions. Which of the foliowing statements is NOT true according to the passage? A) The documentary has many different characteristics. B) The documentary is not only about food making. C) The documentary also involves social problems. D) The documentary usually lasts fifty minutes.
Ans: D
Once upon a time, there was an island inhabited by: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the rest of it, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment. When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?" Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you." Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!" "I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered. Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you." "Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!" Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her. Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way. It can be inferred from the passage that the elder probably refers to _ . A) Cleverness B) Time C) Knowledge D) Beauty
B