Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: My grandfather spent most of his life in a turbulent India. After settling in New York, he took up his true passion: gardening. Grandfather's garden was where I took refuge from a world of adults and schoolwork. My grandfather cultivated squash and tomatoes -- it was not rare to find me somewhere in the garden, either secretly eating a tomato, or just sitting and admiring my grandfather's hard work. However, as time went by, I did not have the chance to visit his house as often as I used to. On my eleventh birthday, I received a gift bag wrapped in pretty paper from my grandfather. Excited to see what he had given to me for my birthday, I tore apart the paper only to find a yellow squash. I was very angry. What a stupid present! But gradually, I realized that in my developing a relationship with his garden, I had unknowingly grown very close to my grandfather himself, something he wished to remind me of through his gift. His commitment towards doing things definitely influenced me. It could bring him a sense of accomplishment. Because of him, I try to model the idea of approaching everything with both drive and passion. My grandfather passed away five years ago, but his influence on me could not be bigger than it is today. As I prepare to enter college and move on from my relatively sheltered high school life toward achieving complete independence, allowing my passions to find their way into whatever I may be doing will be very necessary. I still look up to my grandfather very much to this day, and I hope that one day I will be able to sow in my own garden, and give someone else a squash on his or her birthday -- it was the most meaningful gift I have ever received.[:ZXXK] Question: Why did the grandfather send the author a squash? - Squash was the author's favorite vegetable. - Squash was the greatest achievement of him. - He wanted to remind the author that they had been close. - He wanted the author to follow his career.
Ans: He wanted to remind the author that they had been close.

Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Have you thanked your grandma today? You might want to consider it. A recent study found that kids live longer when a grandmother takes part in their daily lives. Most animals die soon after their childbearing years are over. Women, however, often live for many years after they stop having kids. To try to understand why, researchers from Finland looked at birth and death records of two communities from the 18th and 19th centuries, one in Finland and one in Canada. In these communities, 537 Finnish women and 3,290 Canadian women were grandmothers who had lived past the age of 50. For every decade they lived beyond 50, the researchers found that the women ended up with an average of two extra grandkids. It didn't matter what the differences in health or living conditions were between the two communities or from family to family. Grandchildren were also more likely to live into adulthood if their grandmothers were alive when they were born. If their grandmothers were younger than 60 at the time, that was even better. The study also found that women had children 2 to 3 years earlier if their own mothers were still alive at that time than those whose mothers had died. The researchers suggested that grandmothers have provided important assistance in raising their grandchildren for at least the past 200,000 years. As a result, they helped extend everyone's lifespan. So, don't take your grandma for granted! Question: According to the passage, we don't know that _ . - kids live longer when grandmothers take part in their daily lives - most animals die soon after their childbearing years are over - women often live for many years after they stop having kids - grandchildren are less likely to live into adulthood if their grandmothers are alive
Ans: grandchildren are less likely to live into adulthood if their grandmothers are alive

Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: The weather was terrible that night.The summer thunderstorm had knocked out the power.Luckily,there was enough candlelight flickering on the kitchen table.With the candlelight,I could see the card I was writing to my husband's cousins in Finland. Dear Heli and Risto, You are on my mind tonight because we are using the candles you gave us when you visited us two years ago.There was a horrible summer thunderstorm this evening and the power went out,and your candles were just what we needed.They have lit our dinnertime,the bedrooms and now I am sitting by one in the kitchen... What I didn't say to Heli and Risto is that we never burned the candles before because they,well,smell like a campfire.And so they stood in iron candlesticks until we needed them. I'm so thankful that we had candles on hand that dark night.And I'm equally as thankful that I had a beautiful card on hand,too,or I would have let the opportunity to keep in touch with faraway family escape.It would have turned into another one of those moments when the thought of sending a card crossed my mind but never actually happened. The candle burned slowly.After I finished my card to Finland,I enjoyed looking through the rest of my "Someone Cares" greeting cards.The air was fresh and cool,and I had cards and enough light to write.I found a birthday card for my nephew's 10th birthday,a thinkingofyou card for my aunt,and a fun greeting card for an old friend and I began writing.Candles and cards--two things that make a thunderstorm into the perfect storm. Question: Why did the writer light the two candles that night? - Because she thought of her husband's cousins. - Because she wanted to add some fun to her life. - Because she wanted to enjoy another kind of lifestyle. - Because there was no electricity due to the thunderstorm.
Ans: Because there was no electricity due to the thunderstorm.

Ques: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: There are two major parties in Britain today,the Conservative and the Labour,which have been in power by turns since 1945.The twoparty system of Britain was formed in the course of the development of the capitalist state and the political parties. To strengthen the state machine,the British bourgeosie have let it come into being and exist in one form or another since the 17th century. P.S.Tregidgo once said,"The more parties there are,the less likely it is that any one of them will be strong enough in Parliament to control all the others; but when there are only two,one of them is sure to have a majority of seats. This helps to ensure a strong and stable government." This explains why the British have the twoparty system. The division into two parties grew out the establishment of a Protestant Church of England in the 16th century. Because of a purely religious difference of opinion,the Puritans were separated from the broad body of the Anglican Church. The non Puritan Anglicans were on the side of the King and Church,whose supporters were called by their opponents "Tories".The Puritans were for Parliament and trade,whose supporters are called by the "Tories" "Whigs".The Tories and the Whigs were in power by turns for a long time. In 1833,the Tory Party split into two and its name was changed to Conservative. In the 1860s the Whigs became Liberals. Since then,the Liberals and the Conservatives were in office by turns until 1922.They have some different opinions,but were both controlled by the rich. The working class became more and more unwilling to follow the Conservatives and the Liberals. They wanted to have their own party. So the Labour Party was formed by the trade unions. After 1922,the Labour Party gradually replaced the Liberal Party. Question: According to the passage,why was the Labour Party established in Britain? - Because the trade unions did not do much good for the working people. - Because the Liberal Party were not strong enough to defeat the Conservative Party. - Because the working people would not like to be members outside the Liberal Party. - Because neither of the two major parties was the parties for the working people.
Ans:
Because neither of the two major parties was the parties for the working people.