Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Here are some interesting places in America: Lake Placid Lake Placid in New York State has everything you want: great downhill skiing , great golf courses, and ponds for swimming. It is also a beautiful village with shops, restaurants, and hotels. It is well-known as the place of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. While many travelers visit here for outdoor activities, others come to this beautiful town simply to get away from cities and enjoy the clean mountain air. Whether you come to Lake Placid for adventure or rest, you'll surely enjoy your stay here. Old Forge Located in New York State, Old Forge is a deeply-wooded town with many rivers and lakes. It is a place where many people come to spend their summers. Biking, boating, and skiing are all popular sports in Old Forge. And on rainy days, the town's small shops become the best places for people to look for special local gifts. If you are looking for a quiet place to keep away from trouble, Old Forge is a good choice. Leavenworth This comfortable mountain village is just a few hours' drive to the east of Seattle. Many people from Seattle and from the rest of the country come here to enjoy the local shops and delicious German food. Outside of Leavenworth, you will find some of the best views in Washington. High mountains rise from the wooded valleys and rivers run through the forests. There is no doubt that the environment is what makes Leavenworth such a special place for visitors. Question: Why do people prefer to visit Leavenworth? Options: A: They like the special food there. B: They love doing sports there. C: They can buy cheap things there. D: They enjoy the quiet environment.
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: While we are on the subject of crime, our listener question this week comes from Mohamad Firouzi in Iran. He wants to know about the history of Alcatraz Island and the prison that once operated there. Alcatraz Island is in the harbor of San Francisco, California. It is best known for being a federal prison, which was also called "The Rock." It was once the most famous prison in America. Alcatraz was a military prison from the late eighteen fifties until the nineteen thirties. Then it became a federal prison for the country's worst criminals. These included murderers, bank robbers and kidnappers. One of the main reasons federal officials chose Alcatraz Island to detain these prisoners was because they thought it would be impossible for prisoners to escape. Cold, deep and dangerous waters surround the island. Also, the distance between the island and San Francisco is too far for most humans to swim. No prisoner was ever officially reported to have successfully escaped. However, in nineteen sixty-two, three men broke out of the prison. Each man worked very hard at night for many months to cut through the stone wall of his cell. They made false heads out of paper, paint and hair. On the night of June eleventh, the men placed the heads in their beds to make it look as if they were sleeping. Then, the prisoners escaped through the holes in their cells to get to the water. The men were never seen or heard from again. It is believed that they drowned while trying to swim to San Francisco. The prison closed in nineteen sixty-three because of the high cost of keeping prisoners there and the need for major repairs. The last prisoners were moved to other jails. In nineteen seventy-two, the United States Congress passed a bill creating the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Alcatraz Island and the old prison are part of this area. Each year, more than one million people visit Alcatraz to see the prisoners' cells and listen to stories about the jail's history. But unlike the prisoners who once lived there, visitors can... Question: Why did federal officials make Alcatraz the most famous prison in America? Options: A: Because no prisoner successfully escaped from the prison. B: Because Alcatraz was Alcatraz Island. C: Because Alcatraz was a military prison. D: Because cold, deep and dangerous waters surround the island.
A

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Every year landslides {} cause 25 to 50 deaths and $1.5 billion in damage in the United States.They account for 15 percent of the deaths from natural disasters in Europe.And in December, a single event killed more than 200 people in the Philippines.Sending workers to stabilize mountainsides using steel bars and cement can help prevent disaster, but it introduces new difficulties.Shaking drills produce harmful dust and loosen heavy, dangerous debris ."It's quite a risky job," says Giorgio Pezzuto of D'Appolonia, an engineering company in Italy. D'Appolonia, working with eight other companies, may have an answer: a three-ton robot called Roboclimber."The idea is to operate a machine far away that can drill without a human being on board,'" says Pezzuto, manager for the project, which is supported by the European Commission.Engineers claim that the machine will be faster and cheaper than manual labor.The robot, a large radio-controlled four-legged mechanical spider , has cost at least $2 million so far.The final product should be able to climb unstable mountainsides, drill holes, insert bars and cement, and collect data on the slope' s stability.Testing should begin in May. Question: The biggest advantage of this product is that _ . Options: A: it will be faster and cheaper than manual labor B: it can climb mountainsides, drill holes, insert bars and cement C: it can collect data on the slope's stability D: it can drill without a human being on board
A: D

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Dear mommy and daddy, I write this letter to you in hopes that you should consider your method of parenting me before I arrive. I am a joyous child. I expect love and respect, order and discipline. When I arrive, I will seem very small to you. Even though I don't look like an adult, please understand that I am a human being. Even though I will not speak words to you, I will know you with my heart. I will feel all your feelings, absorb your thoughts. I will come to know you more than you may know yourself. Do not be misled by my silence. I am open, growing and learning more rapidly than you can imagine. I will keep in heart all that I see, so please give me sweet music and language that tells me how much I am loved. Give me silence to rest my ears. I will absorb all that I feel, so please wrap life in love. I am waiting patiently to be with you. I am so happy to have the opportunity to be alive. Maybe when you see me you will remember how precious life is too! Your joyous child Question: The letter is likely to be printed in the part of _ in a magazine. Options: A: "Baby's world" B: "Current news" C: "Young parent center" D: "Science and our life"
A: C