Read the article and select the best answer. Article: There is nothing in the US quite like Black Friday. Before midnight on Thursday, in malls across the US, people start queuing up outside the locked entrances of stores, making longer and longer lines, holding coupons , sipping coffee and hot chocolate, rubbing their hands and stamping their feet for warmth, excitedly chatting, and waiting for the clerks to open the door when the time arrives. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which fell on Nov 28,2014, "has become in recent decades a special American holiday", said the International Business Times. Indeed, up to 147 million Black Friday shoppers were expected to put up with the dark of night and the elbows of other shoppers so that they could bring home some bargains, according to the US National Retail Federation. But why does the shopping festival have such a name? The name was first used in Philadelphia in the 1970s. The streets and sidewalks of the city became so packed with traffic and crowds on the day after Thanksgiving Day that the local police did not look forward to it. Because of this, they called the day "Black Friday", said The Huffington Post. However, others believe that Black Friday takes its name from the fact that because of the increase in sales on the day, shops are able for the first time in the year to move out of the "red" - that is, debt - and into the "black", or profit. Businesses, of course, try to take advantage of this day. A decade ago, retailers opened at 5 or 6 am. Now, many of the big stores open at midnight. People really seem to like the whole experience of queuing up before midnight, "for it isn't just about the bargains", noted CNN. "For many shoppers, it's just fun to be part of a large crowd. Those who go to the malls at midnight are driven by the same thing that makes a million people get together in Times Square each New Year's Eve." Question: Which of the following statements about Black Friday is TRUE? Options: A: It is a special day in the US on which government hands out coupons to customers. B: It is a shopping festival in the US that falls on the second Friday after Thanksgiving. C: It has been a traditional American holiday since the founding of the nation. D: It is an opportunity for Americans to get things they want at a much lower price.
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Transportation and communication networks bring people together. Yet sometimes people themselves create barriers to transportation and communication. In some countries, laws stop people from moving freely from place to place. Over the centuries, many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race, religion, or nationality. In the Middle Ages, for example, Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities. South Africa's government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travel within the country. Some governments require all citizens to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they move. Countries set up Customs posts at their borders. Foreign travellers must go through a Customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country. Usually travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas . Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year. Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country, or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay. Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication. When two governments disagree with each other on important matters, they usually do not want their citizens to exchange news or ideas freely. Countries often try to keep military or industrial information secret. Today, people have the ability to travel, to communicate, and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before. Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily. The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome. But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers, people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas. Question: We may learn from the passage that _ Options: A: people do not care about the removal of barriers between countries. B: people can not remove the obstacles made by themselves C: barriers should be taken for granted as they always exist D: man-made barriers are sometimes harder to overcome than natural ones
D

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Do you know the open-air art gallery in London's Blackall Street? Probably -not. Not many Londoners know it either, but Henri does and he is willing to show it to you. Henri used to sleep in parks until he met a charity that helps homeless people get back on their feet by becoming tour guides. Rather than show traditional London sights, "Unseen Tours" t _ Henri has been teaching tourists about the history and architecture of Shoreditch, where he slept on public benches for three years. When he felt separated from the society, contact with the volunteer network "The Sock Mob" gave Henri hope. "Not everyone just looked down on me," he said. The tours aren't the only actions trying to help those who have suffered a misfortune to stand tall again. An innovative college for homeless people in London, the first of its kind in the country, is attracting hundreds of students. The Recovery College, set up by St Mungo's charity, is providing courses designed to improve technical skills and life skills. According to Andy Williams, who helps to organize the college, the most popular courses have proved to be about raising self-confidence and developing self-pride. Steve, now in his 50s, told a reporter how much of a difference it makes to "have a bit of confidence". He had difficulty learning to read and had to leave school when he was 12. Because Steve's problem was not recognized at the time, he was "seen to be unable to read or write", and suffered with depression and alcohol addiction. He says the status of "student" is itself important for people who are used to being treated as outcasts Some charities aim not only to help the homeless become independent but also to make them popular. The Homeless World Cup started ten years ago. Today the tournament draws teams from 48 countries made up of players-men and women-who are, or have been, living in the streets. It gives them a chance to become football heroes. Question: The purpose of the Homeless World Cup is to help the homeless people _ . Options: A: become football stars B: improve life skills C: gain self-confidence D: find proper jobs
A: C

Q: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Everyone needs safe drinking water, but about 1.1 billion people have no access to clean water. Most of the world's water is salty ocean water or frozen polar ice. By 2050, the world's population could grow from 6.7 billion to more than 9 billion. All of those people will need water to drink. But the bad news is that some areas of the world are growing drier because of climate change. The total area of the Earth's surface classified as very dry has doubled since the 1970s. Sadly, the precious resource is still misused in industry, in farming and at homes. Therefore, the world is facing a crisis over water. "You do the math, and it gets a little scary," says Stuart Minchin, a water expert in Australia. "We're waking up," he says. "But not fast enough." In southern Australia, farmers have been hit hard. They can't irrigate their fields well enough. The Australian government has launched a $1.3 billion project to improve Australia's irrigation system to stop the crop production dropping further. Australians have serious water worries, but it could be worse. They don't have to fear that when they turn on the tap, nothing will come out. That's the case in India. Many people in New Delhi, the capital, go without clean water for days. City leaders have taken stricter measures to save water. Users pay a very high but affordable price for it. Homeowners who waste water are given large fines. There are 1.9 million people who live in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now it has grown by more than 300,000 people since 2002. But it uses less water today than it did seven years ago. Question: What can we learn from what Stuart Minchin said? Options: A: The water crisis can be solved. B: Humans should take faster steps to protect water. C: Humans haven't realized there is a water crisis. D: Humans find it impossible to protect water.
A: B