*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: When I was young I wanted to be a model,so when a national contest was staged,I convinced my parents to take me for an audition .I was selected and told I had potential.They said that for only $900 I could attend a weekend event which dozens of the most prestigious modeling agencies from around the world would attend.At 13,my hopes of fame and fortune clouded all judgement and I begged my parents to let me go.We have never been rich,but they saw my enthusiasm and agreed. I imagined being signed by some famous model companies.For months,any boredom or disappointment I faced was pushed aside because I knew I would soon have the chance to be real model.I thought I would grace the covers of famous magazines! Of course,I wasn't signed,but what hurt the most was being told that if I grew to 5'9''(about 1.75 metres) I could be a success.I prayed for a growth spurt because I could not imagine giving up my dream.I made an appointment with a local modeling agency and the agent demanded $500 for classes.$500 for a photo shoot,and $300 for other expenses.My parents only agreed after hours and hours of my begging. The agency sent me out on a few auditions,but with every day I didn't receive a call,I grew more depressed. _ came in July after I had decided to focus on commercial modeling.There was an open call in New York City.We spent hours driving and another few hours waiting,only to be told that I was too short.I was devastated . Years later,I realized that the trip to New York was good as it made me notice I didn't actually love modeling,just the idea of it.I wanted to be special and I was innocently determined to reach an impossible goal.The experience has made me stronger and that will help me in the future. Question: What did the author learn from her experience of struggling to be a model? Options: A: Where there's a will there's way. B: Being a model is not that easy. C: We should have our own judgement and should not just follow others. D: We might set unpractical goals but the experience can help us grow.
**Answer**
D

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: A good friend of mine lives about one hour away. I called her last week and found out that she wasn't doing well at work, which would make the following year a little more difficult. After hanging up the phone, I decided to offer to help her, but I couldn't think of what to do. However, opportunities come themselves when you're not even looking for. A few days later, some friends and I happened to be eating desserts at a restaurant in her city. As we were looking at the menu, I turned to my friends and asked them if they wanted to join in a game. After explaining the idea, they decided to take 15 minutes to _ . We ordered an extra dessert, wrote a note, added a smile card and were off. However, there was one problem: I had no idea where she was. Therefore, it was time to rely on the network. I called up a friend and got him to call her to see what she was doing and found out that she was at work. We drove to her work place and one of my friends became the delivery person.He went in to look for my friend, found her, didn't really answer her questions and walked out, saying he's simply a delivery person. He ran out quickly and I bent down as we drove by to make sure she didn't follow him out. Afterwards, all of us had this huge smile on our faces. We felt as if we had just planned a surprise party or something. A simple opportunity turned into a moment that many of us can now share. Question: The author got to know where her friend was by _ . Options: A: asking her friend herself by phone B: asking another friend to call her C: asking what she was doing directly D: asking her friend herself on the Internet
**Answer**
B

*Question*
Read the article and select the best answer. Article: By today's standards, my mobile phone is pretty rubbish. It's a Nokia 1616. If that doesn't mean much to you ( it's not the kind of phone you see advertised on television) ,all you need to know is that it's a small, not very heavy device with which you can send and receive telephone calls and text messages. It also has a very handy torch on the top for when you can't find your keys, or when you drop something on the floor in the cinema. Apart from that, my phone doesn't do much. Well, it has an alarm, and it probably has a calculator and things like that, but it's nothing compared to a smartphone. Why would I want one of those? I have often been told that the big advantage of having a smartphone is that " you can do everything with them!" But when was the last time you saw someone doing "everything" with a smartphone? Okay, so they may have an endless list of functions, but generally they are used for checking social networking sites, playing games, and receiving and replying to emails. I'm happy just doing all of those things at home on my laptop. As far as I can tell, the best thing about having a smartphone is that you can be connected to the internet all the time. Don't get me wrong, I love the internet, but I just don't see the point of constantly being online. I can't remember the last time I received a Facebook update which was so urgent that I had to read it as soon as it appeared, and I can't imagine ever having a job which was so important that I would need to read work-related emails immediately. I would think that if someone needed me urgently, they would just ring me rather than send an email. And my trusty Nokia can manage that. One of the most peculiar effects of the smartphone is, in my opinion, the newly-found addiction to maps and navigation systems. Is there anything more boring than knowing exactly where you are all of the time? How do you get to know an area if you don't get lost there a few times? And if you are dependent on online maps, what happens to those great places you... Question: The writer uses his Nokia 1616 mainly to _ . Options: A: play online games B: do calculating work C: check social network sites D: make calls and text messages
**Answer**
D