Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Are you able to send a letter with pictures and sounds to someone somewhere in the world without a stamp on it? Using a computer you can send e-mails quickly and easily. The post is much slower than e-mail. E-mail can send its message to the other side of the world in seconds. E-mail is easy to use and it saves time and money. The differences in time in different parts of the world do not matter when sending e-mail. It's twenty-four-hour service that you can send e-mail at any time of the day or night. No one has to be there to get e-mail. It does not matter if your friends are in beds when you send e-mail to them, or you are seeing a movie at the movie theater when they send e-mail back. Question: E-mail is _ the post. - faster than - as fast as - much slower than - not so fast as
A: faster than

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your _ . But forgiveness is possible and it can be surprisingly helpful to your physical and mental health. Indeed, research has shown that people who forgive report more energy, better appetite and better sleep patterns. "People who forgive show less anger and more hopefulness," says Dr. Frederic Luskin, who wrote the book Forgive for Good. "So it can help save on the wear and tear, and allow people to feel more energetic." So when someone has hurt you, calm yourself first. Take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, someone you love. Don't wait for an apology. "Many times the person who hurt you may never think of apologizing," says Dr. Luskin. "They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things the same way. So if you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting a very long time." Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean accepting the action of the person who upset you. Mentally going over your hurt gives power to the person who brought you pain. Instead, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Finally, try to see things from the other person' s perspective. You may realize that he or she was acting out of ignorance , fear even love. To gain perspective, you may want to write a letter to yourself from that person's point of view. Question: Dr. Luskin advises us not to wait for an apology after being hurt because _ . - people seldom want to apologize - we'd feel worse accepting others' apology - we are not patient enough - people don't mean it when they apologize
A: people seldom want to apologize

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: At the age of 16, Julia Butterfly Hill quit school and worked at a restaurant. For many years, she was only interested in making money and material things. Then one day she had a serious car accident, which changed her life. Hill said: "I realized I wanted to find a more powerful purpose for being here on this planet." As soon as she recovered, Hill traveled to California. There she saw ancient redwood trees, which are the largest trees in the whole world. The wood from redwood trunks is very hard. So the Pacific Lumber Company cut down many of the huge redwoods to use for construction. There are not many forests of these trees left. Many environmental activists want to protect the remaining trees. The redwoods are very important to the environment. In 1997 Hill learned a group called Earth First was working to protect a particular group of trees. They decided to send someone up into a redwood tree, hoping this would stop the company from cutting the trees down. Julia Butterfly Hill volunteered. Hill lived in the tree for over two years without ever coming down. Her home was a 6-by-8-foot tree house, 180 feet up. It is always cold and wet in a redwood tree. There were even very serious winter storms while Hill was in the tree. The wind and cold almost knocked Hill out of the tree. But she did not fall -- she survived. Finally, after years of arguing, the company decided to protect Luna, the tree Hill lived in. They signed an agreement to never cut down this huge redwood tree or the trees around it. When Hill put her feet on the earth again, she began to cry. But from that moment on Hill hasn't stopped working to protect the environment. Question: Julia Butterfly Hill traveled to California _ . - to find a new job - to build a tree house - with the hope of joining Earth First - in expectation of doing something meaningful
A: in expectation of doing something meaningful

Q: Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: My father was 44 and knew he wasn't going to make it to 45. He wrote me a letter and hoped that something in it would help me for the rest of my life. Since the day I was 12 and first read his letter, some of his words have lived in my heart. One part always stands out. "Right now, you are pretending to be a timekiller . But I know that one day, you will do something great that will set you among the very best." Knowing that my dad believed in me gave me permission to believe in myself. "You will do something great." He didn't know what that would be, and neither did I, but at times in my life when I've felt proud of myself, I remember his words and wish he were here so I could ask, "Is this what you were talking about, Dad? Should I keep going?" A long way from 12 now, I realize he would have been proud when I made any progress. Lately, though, I've come to believe he'd want me to move on to what comes next: to be proud of, and believe in, somebody else. It's time to start writing my own letters to my children. Our children look to us with the same unanswered question we had. Our kids don't hold back because they're afraid to fail. They're only afraid of failing us. They don't worry about being disappointed. Their fear-as mine was until my father's letter-is of being a disappointment. Give your children permission to succeed. They're waiting for you to believe in them. I always knew my parents loved me. But trust me: That belief will be more complete, that love will be more real, and their belief in themselves will be greater if you write the words on their hearts:"Don't worry; you'll do something great." Not having that blessing from their parents may be the only thing holding them back. Question: We learn from the text that the author _ . - lost his father when he was young - worked hard before he read his father's letter - asked his father's permission to believe in himself - knew exactly what great thing his father wanted him to do
A: lost his father when he was young