Article: Step into an American preschool classroom today and you are likely to fall into a so-called print-rich environment,every surface colorfully decorated with instructional posters,classroom rules,chedules,and mottos,few of which a 4-year-old can understand in fact. Besides the confusing things on classroom walls,teaching methods and curriculums have changed recently,by which more time is spent on what's called "seat work"workbooks and worksheets--but less time devoted to music and art.School--readiness skills are essential for the youngest learners to move on to a subsequent stage. As a result, expectations that may arguably have been reasonable for 5-and 6-year-olds, such as bemg able to sit at a desk and using pencil and paper,are now directed at even younger children, who lack the motor skills and attention span to be successful. However,parents of preschoolers tend to _ these changes,because they fear that the old--fashioned pleasures of unhurried learning have no place in today's highly competitive world.The stress is obvious:Pick the "wrong" preschool and your child might not go to college.She might not be employable. She might not even be allowed to start first grade! As preschoolers are learning so much academic knowledge at earlier ages,they seem somehow less curious and less engaged.Some teachers say that more children today seem to lack the language skills.The real focus in the preschool years should not be just on vocabularv and reading,but on talking and listening.By talking with adults, and one another,they pick up information,learn how things work and solve puzzles that trouble them.For our littlest learners,what could be more important than that? Question: Why are parents so picky when choosing a preschool for their kids? Yes or no, is the answer "Because a wrong preschool might ruin kids' future."?
No

Article: New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It's now a "global village" where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly increased by foreign language skills. Deeply involved with this new technology is a kind of modern businesspeople who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts. Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being "out of sight and out of mind." He or she can be sure that the overseas effort is central to the company's plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to manage back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more common. Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets. English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn't generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal. The employee posted abroad who speaks the country's language has an opportunity to fast-forward certain negotiations, and can have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. The employee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign customers over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm. Question: In this passage, "out of sight and out of mind" (Line 3, Para. 3) probably means _ . Yes or no, is the answer "missing opportunities for promotion when abroad"?
No

Q: Article: Parents divorced, little Buddy was in the care of his mother's large Alabama family. Over the years, Buddy seldom saw either of his parents. But he was happy where he was and he had many kindly s, among whom Miss Sook was by far his best friend. Before Christmas, Buddy's father had managed to get legal custody of him for this Christmas. So, he had a new suit, with a card pinned with his name and address and made the trip alone, by bus, to New Orleans. Several things occurred that kept me awake the whole night. First, the footfalls, the noise of my father running up and down the stairs, breathing heavily, I had to see what he was up to. So I hid and watched. There was a Christmas tree and the fireplace downstairs. Moreover, I could see my father. He was crawling around under the tree arranging a pyramid of packages. I felt dizzy, for what I saw forced me to reconsider everything. If these were presents intended for me, then obviously they had not been ordered by the Lord and delivered by Santa Claus; no, they were gifts bought and wrapped by my father. Which meant that my rotten little cousin Billy Bob and other rotten kids like him weren't lying when they laughed at me and told me there was no Santa Claus. The worst thought was: Had Sook known the truth, and lied to me? No, Sook would never lie to me. She believed. It was just that--well, though she was sixty-something, in some ways she was at least as much of a child as I was. I waited until I was sure he was in bed and sound asleep. Then I crept downstairs and examined the tags attached to each of the packages. They all said: "For Buddy." I decided to open the packages: It was Christmas morning. I was awake, so why not? I won't bother to describe what was inside them: just shirts and sweaters and dull stuff like that. The only thing I appreciated was a toy gun. Somehow I got the idea it would be fun to waken my father by firing it. So I did. Bang. Bang. Bang. He raced out of his room, wild-eyed, Bang. Bang. Bang. "Buddy--what the hell do you think you're... Question: The following words can describe Miss Sook except _ . Yes or no, is the answer "naughty"?
A: No

*Question*
Article: Siberia is a huge territory in Russia. It is more than half of Russia and is 4,000 miles wide. Most of this area is a forest with animals and birds. In autumn, the forests in Siberia are full of mushrooms and berries . Many people like picking mushrooms, but that is not as simple as you might think. Old people who live in the villages know places where you can pick lots of mushrooms. Some mushrooms grow in colonies. If you find one, you only need to look around because nearby you'll find more of them. However, when picking mushrooms, it is important not to choose the wrong kind. You have to be careful because some mushrooms are poisonous even though they look good. The smell can help you choose them, because good mushrooms smell very good. Siberian people are very friendly and hospitable. If someone invites you home for dinner, you'll soon be full. You should try everything the host is having. The climate there depends on the territory. Some places have very comfortable climates with hot summers and cold winters. In my opinion, the best season is spring, when nature wakes up after a long winter. It is the time for blossoms and love. Birds come back from other warm countries. Trees become dressed in green. The sun becomes warm and the days are longer. The mood is wonderful and people smile a lot. It is an amazing time. In winter, you have opportunity for sports. The most popular sport in winter in Russia is cross-country skiing. During weekends, many people go into the country and ski. Noses freeze and cheeks hurt, but people continue to enjoy these times. Question: Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Siberia in spring? Yes or no, is the answer "The night is longer."?
**Answer**
No