Read the article and select the best answer. Article: In the Pacific Northwest there is a kind of owl that serves as a unique piece to the Northwest habitat -- the northern spotted owl. Northern spotted owls are known to be curious. When seeing you, these owls will come down close and check you out. The northern spotted owl has been a savior of old-growth forests. Old-growth forests are forests that have been around for a long time without significant disturbances. One way the spotted owl has become a protector of old-growth forests is simply by being there. The northern spotted owl has become endangered, and so to protect them from dying out, the government has to protect their habitat. So now any destruction of old-growth forests is illegal. Another way the owls help their habitat is by eating small animals. This helps create a balance in the forest. So, if the northern spotted owl is in a habitat that is protected by laws, why are they still endangered? Unfortunately, a cousin of the northern spotted owl has moved into its neighborhood. The bigger, more aggressive "barred owl" has grown in population and due to loss of the forests they lived in on the East Coast of the United States, they have begun to move to the west coast. These owls are taking the food source and pushing northern spotted owls out of their own home. Although the barred owl is able to live in different habitats, the northern spotted owl can only live in old-growth forests. Many government officials have been at a loss to find an answer to the difficult question, "What do we do with the non-native barred owls?" Some methods include shooting them. It is a difficult problem to deal with. Can you think of any possible solutions? Question: The northern spotted owl _ . Options: A: is particular about its food B: has difficulty adapting to a new habitat C: seems dangerous and aggressive D: is a common bird in the USA
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Many years ago in a small village, an old man was hired to clear the spring up on the mountain. He patrolled the spring every day, and swept away all the leaves and other things that would dirty the fresh flow of water. Soon, beautiful swans came to the clear spring, and the village became a popular attraction for visitors. Years passed. One evening the town leaders held a meeting. As they looked at the salary list, one of them said, "Why do we keep this old man on year after year? I don't think we need him or his work." Later, the old man was asked to leave. For several weeks, nothing changed. By early autumn, the leaves began to fall off the trees, and the spring was covered with leaves. A few days later, the water was much darker. Only a few months after the old man left, all the swans left, as did the tourists. Disease reached deeply into the village. Quickly, the leaders held a special meeting. Realizing their mistake, they rehired the old man. Then within a few weeks, the spring began to clear up. Soon new life returned to the village. So, my friends, do you see? No matter how small your work or your life seems to be, never _ it. Anything we can do will make a difference. Question: The leaders decided to ask the old man to leave because they thought _ . Options: A: his work was unnecessary B: he did his work carelessly C: he was too old to do the job D: he could do other better jobs
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: A funny thing happened between China's first female Nobel Prize winner, Tu Youyou, giving her acceptance speech in Sweden and that speech reaching her home country: Two entirely different versions appeared, and the fake one became a viral hit. Guess which version is genuine? The one that matter-of-factly tells about the discovery of artemisinin , or the one with extreme literary style, complete with her father explaining the origin of her given name and poetic lines such as, "I like tranquility , tranquil as the leaves of sweet wormwood ." Most readers were so touched by the literary version that they were left in tears. However, they just forgot that Tu is not a woman of _ , but one of science. It was totally made up by someone who obviously has great literary talent, but could not fathom the inner life of a scientist. I don't know who made up the Tu speech, or for what purpose. It does not strike me as funny. Fortunately, no mainstream media seemed to have been fooled. Yet the fake one has probably been shared more than the real one because it played to the Chinese stereotype of what such a speech should be. China's cyberspace is full of educational and uplifting quotes, and quite a lot of them are made up. There is a joke that says the United States' spying network collected and examined all the Internet data in China and found that the Chinese are addicted to such chicken soup, including that from untrustworthy sources. Question: Why has the fake speech been shared more than the real one? Options: A: Because it was the Chinese stereotype. B: Because many mainstream medias were fooled. C: Because it was funny. D: Because the writer understood the inner life of a scientist.
A

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: TV Shows and Long Bus Trips Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end-- with ads thrown in every three or four minutes. The ads are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard appears outside the bus window."Buy Super Clean Toothpaste.""Drink Good'n Wet Root Beer.""Fill up with Pacific Gas." Only if you sleep, which is equal to turning the television set off, are you spared the unending cry of "You Need It! Buy It Now!" The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting, even if you've traveled that way before. Usually some things have changed--new houses, new buildings, sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it's fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly daring, the ride can be as exciting as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right or the left-hand lane?After a while, of course, the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you've got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops. The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there's a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat, of course, has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you've sat with your legs crossed, with your hands in your lap, with your hands on the arm rests--even with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at the right time. There are just no more ways to sit. Question: According to the passage, what do the passengers usually see when they are on a long bus trip? Options: A: Buses on the road. B: Films on television. C: Advertisements on billboards. D: Gas stations.
C