Question: Read the article and select the best answer. Article: 1 always figured that comedians were the best kind of people to hang around with as a kid. They tell funny stories, make joke after joke, and happiness seems never to leave them. But time goes on, and we come to see these same people as clowns on the outside, but crying a river in the inside. Comedy from these people comes from a deep pain and sadness in their lives, or out of a deep-seated anger they have at the world around them. Look at Richard Pryor, need I say more? Richard seemed to have everything. For Superman  m , he ended up getting more money than Christopher Reeve did. Yet he said while he was in his forties that the last truly happy moment he remembered in his life was when he was jumping around in the dirt while pretending to be a cowboy at the age of 10. This guy set himself on fire, and he played that for laugh while performing live at the Sunset Strip ! Comedy was his constant weapon against pain,  and he never held anything back. The movie Funny People understand very well this gloomy field many comedians have to survive in.  It stars Adam Sandler as George Simmons, a famous comedian in the movie. Simmons has it all: a beautiful mansion overlooking the sea, a swimming pool,great cars, and so on. But in his eyes, we see that he is a sad man who has come to truly look down upon himself for what he has become. All the wealth he has collected only serves to separate him from the rest of the world and it makes him defensive when around total strangers who cannot see him as a normal person. But now, he hears from  his doctor that he has a terminal disease and has only months left to live. Simmons reacts to this news as if someone took away his blood in the heart, and it makes him clearly see just how much he hates his life. So now he has to make every minute count. Then come a series of funny stories. Comedy is just life as it is, isn't it? Question: When was the happiest moment for Richard Pryor? Options: A: When he played the part of SupermanIII. B: When he got more money than Christopher Reeve. C: When he pretended to be a cowboy in the childhood. D: When he performed live at the Sunset Strip.
C

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Don't drive your kids to school. Let them ride a bike to school. In England 8.3 million children travel to school every day. It is reported that only a small number of pupils cycle to school (under 2%), although one in three children would actually like to. Experts say that to stay healthy, children need at least one hour of moderate   exercise every day. But only six out of ten boys and four out of ten girls get that. One of the reasons is that parents have developed a habit of driving their children to school when they could just walk or ride a bike to school. Teachers often say that children who walk or ride a bike to school are more ready to listen to their classes, ask and answer questions in class than those driven by car, and the school journey is a good chance for children to learn about road safety and other life skills. Also, for many children, riding a bike is more fun than going to school by car. Most parents know the benefits  . Then what's stopping them from letting their kids ride a bike? Safety is the number one worry for them. But actually riding a bike is not as dangerous as parents think it is. When you decide to buy a bike, you should be aware  that a bike that is too big or too small is dangerous. Don't try to get a bike that your child will "grow into". Get the right size in good working order. Generally, 20-inch wheels are on bikes for 5-8 year olds; 24-inch wheels are for 9-11 year olds; 26-inch wheels are suitable for those over 11, and some older children should even take bikes with 28-inch wheels, but the main thing is that the bike fits your child. Question: Which of the following benefits of cycling to school is NOT mentioned in the passage? Options: A: It will help children keep healthy B: It will make children more active in class. C: It will make children feel freer D: It will be more fun for children.
C

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: prefix = st1 /San Francisco is going to do what many other cities have already done --- provide free bicycles to the public. The mayor of San Franciscosupports the bicycle program. He wants to improve the terrible traffic problems in the city. At first, 40 to 60 bikes will be available only to city workers. People will give their old bikes to the city to use in the program. If this program is successful, one day more than 1000 bicycles will be available. Everyone, not just city workers, will be able to use these bicycles. People in Fresno,Californiaalready have a free bicycle program. In fact, this idea began inAmsterdamover 40 years ago. These programs encourage citizens to get out of their cars and onto pollution-free bikes. Fresno's Yellow Bike Program puts about fast bicycles around the city. The bikes are painted bright yellow so people know they can take them. When people take a yellow bike, they can ride to work or to shopping areas, and then leave the bike for the next rider. Some people worry that the free bikes will be stolen. However, theft hasn't been a problem in other free-bike cities. While most people think the bike program is a good idea, only a few say they will use it. "I will still drive my car," says Joanna Greene. "San Franciscohas a lot of hills. My office is at the top of Potrero Hill. I don't think _ . And, wouldn't I have to carry a helmet with me all the time?" Phil Chung agrees, "There is too much traffic. Riding a bicycle can be dangerous. There are not very many bike lanes ." He continues, "Plus, it's too cold in the winter. And what if you ride a bike to work, and then there isn't one to ride home?" Program leaders know there will be problems. But they think it's worth trying. "It's not the solution for everyone," states Sylvia Pass. "But if just one hundred people use it every day, that's one hundred cars that aren't on the streets, one hundred parking spaces that aren't used. I think it's a great beginning." Question: The program leaders think the program is worth trying NOT because   _   . Options: A: there will be more problems B: they can't solve problems for everyone C: there will be less cars on the streets anyway D: there will be more parking spaces

Answer: A