"I don't believe in Santa Claus!" Trogmire announced. Tremor looked shocked. "Why not?" he asked. "Because he never leaves me any gifts at all," Trogmire growled. Tremor thought about the evidence for a few seconds. "Maybe," he suggested, "it's because when Santa checked his list, your name wasn't in the 'nice' column." "So, he could at least bring me a lump of coal!" Trogmire replied. "And," he went on, "Troubled doesn't believe in Santa, either." "Right," Tremor said, "because he saw his parents putting the 'From Santa' presents under the tree. But I know the truth about that. My mother found out from Troubled's mother. When Troubled's parents got an e-mail from Santa, saying that he would never bring Troubled another gift, they didn't want to tell him the truth. So now they buy presents and pretend they're from Santa." "What did Troubled do to get Santa so mad?" Trogmire questioned. "I think it had something to do with the time he put glue paper all over the living room floor on Christmas Eve, and left a sign that said, 'Trapped like a rat!' hanging over the fireplace." said Tremor. "I guess Santa doesn't have a sense of humour," sighed Trogmire. "Well, at least I'm not the only one who Santa scratched off his name list." Why doesn't Santa leave presents for Trogmire or Troubled? A) Their parents won't let him leave gifts. B) He can't find their homes. C) He often forgets their names. D) They have behaved badly.
D
Nikki was brought up from a very early age by her father while her sister was raised by her mother. Nikki spent a very small amount of time with her mum and sister when she was about 6 years old, but soon after contact stopped when communication broke down between her parents. She never felt she wanted to find her family while she was growing up. But now with a husband and a son she decided it was the right time. Nikki didn't know where to start, but her husband's mum had used 192.com for finding people before and recommended it to her . With the help of her son, she started by searching for her sister's full name on the electoral roll without a location, because she had no idea where she lived, even her date of birth. From that one search , the site returned two results listed in the area they used to live. Nikki decided to call the first number. To her surprise, it was her long lost sister ! So after 20 years, it was one phone call that helped her contact her sister! Her sister then passed her number on to her mother, who called Nikki straight away, and it was like they had never been apart. Her mum was so glad to find out Nikki was well that they arranged to meet everyone that Saturday (3 days after the phone call) where she was reunited with her sister and met her 2 nephews for the first time . Nikki also found out she had a half sister and brother. When talking about the reunion , Nikki said , "192.com made finding my long lost family very easy. I was not on any social networking sites before and surprisingly neither was my sister or mum, so we would never have found each other that way. What can we learn about Nikki from the passage? A) She knows much about the Internet . B) Her sister has not got married so far. C) Her mum gave birth to four children in all. D) She got in touch with her mum on Monday.
C
Q: In Yemen, you always see one type of vehicle on the road: the water truck.They travel mountain roads and cross deserts to bring Yemenis the goods more valuable than oil.It is one that only the rich can afford, with the supply regularly being cut off.Others must rely on scarce rain or charity to fight thirst. Experts say Yemen is going to be the first country in the world to run out of water.The capital, Sanaa, will run out of drinking water as early as 2025,says a report by the World Bank. Hannan, an 18yearold from Lahej, said that only the rich could prepare for cuts in supply."In a good week we'll have a water supply all week but then the following week there will be water only for a day or two, " she said. She and her husband, a factory worker, pay 3,000 riyals (99yuan) for a week's supply of water from a touring water truck when the taps run dry.With an income of only 20,000 riyals (660yuan) a month,this means the family often spend half their money on water. "There are a lot of people who can't afford it and they have to rely on their neighbors to help," she said. The average person in Yemen survives on onefifth of what the World Health Organization considers to be enough water. In Taiz, in the south,tap water is available only once every 45 days.In the mountainous Malhan district in the north,women and children climb a 1,500m mountain to collect water from a spring, often in the small hours to avoid long queues. Yemen is located in Southwest Asia,bordering the Arabian and Red Sea.Yemeni people have lived on scarce water supplies for thousands of years but that problem has been made serious by conflict in the area,the fastgrowing population and the use of water to grow a drug called qat.With one of the world's highest rates of population growth--3.46 percent, Yemen is the poorest Arab country. The government is considering desalinating seawater,but this would be expensive and it may now be too late.The only other solution is to cut down on farming, but that means importing even more food. The passage aims to _ . A) analyze the reasons why Yemen lacks water B) suggest some solutions to the water issue in Yemen C) present how serious the water problem is in Yemen D) encourage the world to help Yemenis who are suffering from water shortages
A: B
(Q).
Dear Sara, As we drove off from Columbia,I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind.First,I want to tell you how proud we are.Getting into Columbia College shows what a great well-rounded student you are.Your academic,artistic,and social skills have truly blossomed in the last few years.Whether it is getting the highest grade in mathematics,completing your elegant fashion design,successfully selling your painted running shoes,or becoming one of the top speakers in Model United Nations,you have become a talented and accomplished young woman.You should be as proud of yourself as we are. College will be the most important years in your life.It is in college that you will truly discover what learning is about.This will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired,after which you must become self-learner.So do take each subject seriously,and even if what you learn isn't critical for your life,the skills of learning will be important to you forever. Follow your passion in college.Take courses you think you will enjoy.Don't be trapped in what others think or say.Do your best in classes,but don't let pressure get to you.Your mother and I have no expectations for your grades.If you graduate and learn something in your four years,we would feel happy.So please don't give yourself pressure. I told your mom I'm writing this letter,and asked what she wanted me to say.She thought and said:"Just ask her to take care of herself."Please listen to your mother and take care of yourself. So please treasure your college years,make the best of your free time,and become an independent thinker;learn and grow through your successes and challenges. Love, Dad(& Mom) What do we know about Morn and Dad from the letter? A) They expect too much of Sara. B) They put lots of pressure on Sara. C) They love their daughter very much. D) They advise Sara to make more friends.
(A).
C