Read the article and select the best answer. Article: There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Over head was a blue sky with white clouds. All who saw this picture thought it was a perfect picture of peace. The other picture has mountains too. But these were rough and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of mountain ran a waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the king looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a _ in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest... perfect peace. Which picture do you think won prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why? " Because ," explained the king, " peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace. Question: The king's words suggested that _ . Options: A: silence means peace. B: real peace means keeping calm in a wild situation. C: real peace means struggling against difficult situations. D: Peace only exists in your heart.
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: She must be the wisest woman on this planet, for she has lived up to the three words "Seize the moment". Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, or because they are unwilling to try something new. My sister died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. I can't remember how many times I was refused when I called her to go to lunch. She would say to me: "I can't. I have clothes on the line." "My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday." "I had a late breakfast." "It looks like rain." Only after her death did I choose to be a little more flexible. Life is not made up of thing that you do at a particular time, but it demands variety and adventure. As we grow older, the list of promises made to ourselves may get longer. Perhaps one morning, when we awaken, we will find to our surprise that our life is full of "I'm going to", "I plan to" and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit." My seize-the-moment friend is open to adventure and ready at any moment to make a new start. She keeps an open mind about new ideas. Her great interest in life is _ . With her around you, you may trade your bad feet for good shoes. I have not touched ice cream for 10 years. The other day, I stopped off and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy. Question: The writer has had a new way of looking at life since _ . Options: A: his sister died B: he met the wise woman C: he turned old D: the three words appeared
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: 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. Question: Which of the following is NOT included in the collections of the Hermitage? Options: A: Works by Cezanne B: Works by Rodin C: Works by Leonardo da Vinci D: Works by Catherine the Great
D