Long long ago, there was a little girl living in a small poor house on a hill. When she played in her little garden, she could see a beautiful house high on the other hill. This house had golden windows. They were so nice that the little girl dreamed all day, "How _ it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows!" When she was old enough to go outside her garden, she asked her mother if she could go for a walk outside the gate. Her mother agreed, telling her to keep close to the house and not to go too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl walked until she got to the gate of the house with golden windows. As she looked at the house with golden windows, she was so disappointed . All the windows were common and very dirty. So sad that she didn't go any further and turned, heart broken. As she went back, she was surprised to see a little house with golden windows as the sun shone on her own house. She realized that she had been living in the "house with golden windows" all the time. Everything she dreamed was right there under her nose! How was the girl feeling when she reached the gate of the house on the other hill? A) Disappointed B) Interested C) Excited D) Angry
A

Do you play a musical instrument? If so, you may be getting smarter. A recent study shows that taking music lessons can raise a person's IQ. Scientists studied 132 children in Canadian schools. At the beginning of the school year, these children took an IQ test. Then they were divided into four groups. One group took singing lessons. Another group took weekly piano lessons. The third group took classes in drams . And the last group did no special activities at all. At the end of the school year, the 132 children took an IQ test again. In all four groups, the average score went up. However, the piano players'IQs went up 7.0 points on average. The average increase for the other three groups was only 4.3 points. The researchers say that the difference is small and it may not result in better grades for the piano players. However, _ still consider the results important. Learning an instrument helps kids becomes better at concentrating and at memorizing things. Therefore, the researchers say, it may be good for brain development in young people. If you have a chance to learn to play a musical instrument, never miss it. Remember it can make you smarter. Which of the following is NOT true of the study? A) It was done in Canada. B) It was done by some musicians. C) It included four groups of children. D) It took one school year to complete.
B

According to some predictions, human beings will die out in 2012. Nearly all people think it's impossible, but there are some more earthquakes in recent years. Animals can predict the weather or other natural events. It may sound strange, but farmers living in the countryside think so. For hundreds of years , they have observed animals. "Animals ' behavior can be connected to future weather conditions or events." They say. For example, if cows lie down, a rainstorm is coming. There are many traditional stories connecting animals and natural events. Many people think that these stories don't have scientific evidence( ) at all. Scientists, however, are beginning to take another look at some of these ideas. A Japanese earthquake researcher named Kiyoshi Shimamura noticed an increase in dog bites a short time before earthquake hit. Then he did research on twelve public health centers in Kobe, Japan. These health centers treated people after the 1995 earthquake . He got some interesting information about the month before the big earthquake: treatment for animals' bites had increased . In fact, aggressive behavior in dogs, such as biting and barking loudly , jumped 60 percent. There are also other changes in animals' behavior before the earthquake. For example, fish began swimming together in large groups , but only in the middle of the water and not near the edges. Birds flew away from their nests for many days, leaving their eggs unprotected . These animals' behavior suggests that animals may be able to predict natural events better than people. What would cows behave before a rainstorm? A) Running B) Biting C) Lying down D) Sleeping
C

Many people hurt their backs when they try to lift heavy things from the floor. It is easy to hurt your back muscle when you try to pick up a heavy thing. However, there is a correct way to lift things from the floor. If you pick up heavy things correctly, you probably will not hurt your back. To lift something from the floor correctly, first bend your knees and lower yourself. Keep your back straight. Do not bent over, from your waist keep your back and hips and waist in a line. If you bent over, the muscles in your lower back can became hurt very easily. If you keep your back and hips straight, the muscles are stronger, because they hold up together. The other muscles can then help the lower back muscles. As you lower yourself, try to get as close to thing as you can, put one knee on each side of the thing. Remember at all times to keep your back straight. Put your hand under the thing that is in front of you, between y our knees. To lift the thing, you should stand up slowly. Use your leg muscles in order to stand up. lift with your legs, not with your back. Which part of your body is more easily to be hurt when you lift heavy things? A) The leg muscles. B) The back muscles C) The hips D) The knees
B