Read the article and select the best answer. Article: My father was a St. Bernard , and my mother was a collie . This was what my mother had told me. I did not know these nice differences myself. My mother like to say them and see other dogs look surprised and jealous , wondering how she got so much education. But, indeed, it was not real education. She got the words by listening in the dining room and the sitting room when there were people talking, and by going with the children to school and listening there. Whenever she heard a word showing great knowledge, she said it to herself many times so that she could keep it until there was a meeting in the neighbourhood. Then, she would show off her knowledge and surprise them all, from small-sized dogs to large-sized dogs. If there was a stranger being doubtful and getting his breath to ask her what it meant, she always explained to him in detail. He had never expected this but thought he would make fool of her. However, in the end, he was the one who was fooled. The others knew what was going to happen, because they had experienced that. When she explained the meaning of a big world, no dogs doubted if it was right. It was natural, because, for one thing, she answered very quickly and confidently, and for another, there were no knowledgeable dogs pointing out the answer was wrong. When I was older, she brought home the word, "unintellectual", and worked on it very hard all the week at different meetings. It was at this time that I realized she made up a fresh meaning of the same word every time. It showed that she was more calm than knowledgeable. (From A Dog's Tale, by Mark Twain) Question: Where did "my" mother learn the words? Options: A: She made up the words by herself. B: She learnt the words studying at school. C: She listened and memorized when others were talking. D: She attended meetings to learnt the words from other dogs.
C

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: A young boy recently received an unexpected message in the mail from his father Joseph, who died two years ago. Rowan's dad was a hardworking man who wanted to give his son the best life he could. It was why Rowan's mother, Julie Van Stone, said Joseph joined the Navy and went to MIT to get two masters degrees. While at school in Boston, he would often write to Rowan. Even when he left school and was driving back to Colorado, he would send postcards from each state he stopped in. Those postcards were sent in 2007. "I remember him saying he had sent 5 or 6, and I only got 3 or 4 in the mail. But I never thought anything of it," Van Stone said. Those postcards and pictures are priceless memories for Van Stone and her son, especially after Joseph passed away from a rare brain disease. Rowan never had a chance to say goodbye. But, on Saturday, just days before the two-year anniversary of Joseph's death, a postcard arrived in the mail. It arrived March 11, 2015. The message read: "Hello from Pennsylvania. I love you, and I miss you so much. See you soon. Love, Daddy." Neither he nor his mother knows how it happened, and they may never know. But, they have their own ideas why. "I feel like that was the final goodbye that he didn't get to say," Van Stone said. Van Stone says Joseph's last words to her before he died were: "Everything is a circle. We will see each other again. All that matters is love." Question: What did Rowan's dad do to give his son the best life? Options: A: He bought many for Julie. B: He became a soldier in Navy. C: He kept writing to his son. D: He got many masters degrees.
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Career success could be predicted as early as kindergarten, according to a 20-year study recently published in the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University and Duke University tracked more than 700 children from across the US between kindergarten and age 25 and found a significant correlation between their social skills as kindergartners and their success as adults two decades later. In 1991, teachers assessed how the kindergartners interacted with each other socially using a range of criteria like whether they cooperate with their peers without prompting , if they're helpful to others, whether they're good at understanding feelings, and if they can solve problems on their own. Researchers then kept track of whether the students went on to graduate high school on time, get a college degree, and find and keep a full-time job by 25. They also monitored the participants' involvement with crime, drug abuse, public assistance, and mental health issues. The results showed that socially competent children were far more likely to earn a college degree and have a full-time job by 25 than those with limited social skills. Those with limited social skills also had a higher chance of getting arrested, binge drinking, and applying for public housing. "This study shows that helping children develop social and emotional skills is one of the most important things we can do to prepare them for a healthy future," said Kristin Schubert, program director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the research, in a release. "From an early age, these skills can determine whether a child goes to college or prison, and whether they end up employed or addicted." The good news, according to Damon Jones, lead author of the study, is that intervention at a young age can help improve social and emotional skills. "This research by itself doesn't prove that higher social competence can lead to better outcomes later on," he said. "But when combined with other research, it is clear that... Question: What should parents do to help their children to succeed according to Kristin Schubert? Options: A: Teach them how to cooperate with others. B: Teach them some basic living skills. C: Tell them to keep off alcohol D: Coach them in their lessons.
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: "Extra? Extra!Gasoline hits four dollars a gallon!" No one will really be shockedexcept, perhaps, the old-timers who tell about the good old days when gas was three gallons for a dollar, and people drove around "just for the fun of it". As a matter of fact; the price of gas has been rising fast and steadily for several years, and many adjustments have already been made. There was, for a time, considerable unemployment in the auto industry, and three quarters of the garages and service stations have gone out of business. However; the bicycle and motor-scooter business has flourished ; and many people have found employment there: Now that Federal Motors has brought out its new Lilliput, which travels forty miles on a gallon, the auto business is picking up again. The factories that haven't switched over to two-wheel transportation are working on their new smaller models. There is talk, too, about bringing out new steam and electric automobiles that will be just as economical as the old cars. In the meantime, streetcars are gradually replacing buses all over the country because of the greater economy of electric power. And many people who have seldom used public transportation are now riding the streetcars while their automobiles rust in their garages. There's no market at all for their big, luxurious cars, for only the wealthy can now afford to operate them. Many people are now shopping in their own neighborhood, and small businesses are thriving. Ministers, educators, and editorial writers are pointing out that there has been a great improvement in family life. Families now stay at home more for their fun, and children and parents are becoming better acquainted. The stores report a booming business in parlor games, hobby materials, books, musical instruments and albums. People have lost their pale indoor look. The revival of the lost art of walking has brought a healthy pink back to many a cheek. This return to the heels has revolutionized the clothing styles; people now need to be ready for all kinds of... Question: Which of the following is NOT a result of the gas price rising? Options: A: More people prefer to travel on public transportation which costs less than driving cars. B: People return to the traditional exercise of walking, which helps them to look healthier. C: People shop in nearby stores without having to drive, so small businesses are declining. D: The auto industry has been forced to develop new models which are more economical.
C