"Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton   in the closet  ?" Jessica asked. "A skeleton in the closet?" her mother paused thoughtfully."Well, it's something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad's family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be 'a skeleton in his family's closet'. He really wouldn't want any neighbor to know about it."     "Why pick on my family?" Jessica's father said with anger. "Your family history isn't so good, you know. Wasn't your great-great-grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?" "Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors  arrived as prisoners." "Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now," Jessica cut in before things grew worse.     After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica's parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica's closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica's mother sank in a faint  , waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter. "What happened? Where am I?" she asked."You just destroyed the school's skeleton, Mum," explained Jessica. "I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad." Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly."They're both crazy,"she thought. According to Jessica's mother, "a skeleton in the closet" means   _  . A) a family secret B) a family honor C) a family story D) a family treasure
A

After years of research and testing, the hybrid car was developed and put on the market. It's an interesting and exciting new improvement in today's world as we look for better ways to protect the quality of the air we breathe and conserve our natural resources. The quality of our air is affected by many different things. But one of the largest sources of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline which are used to power a car's engine. The EPA has set national standards to help control the level of harmful pollutants sent off into the air, and the automobile industry has acted by producing a hybrid car that uses less gas and therefore causes less pollution. A hybrid car is a combination of a regular car that runs on gasoline and an electric car that is battery powered. Some people tend to think that since the hybrid car is partially electric, you have to plug it in to charge it. But that's not how it works. The 144 volt battery pack is actually recharged(  ) through the energy that is produced when the car's brakes are used. This is referred to as "regenerative braking", because it generates electricity. Although the hybrid car still runs on gasoline most of the time, this helps it use less gas than a regular car. When the driver stops at a traffic light, the engine automatically ( ; )shuts off to save fuel. Then, as soon as the driver puts the car in gear and touches the gas pedal, the engine starts back up. Have you ever ridden in a car with someone who ran out of gas? That probably wouldn't happen if you were riding in a hybrid car. It flashes a warning on its computer screen that says, "I am low on gas". When it completely runs out, the warning reads, "YOU ARE NOW OUT OF GAS!" Then the electric power supply kicks in to let the driver travel a few more miles to a gas station. Which of the following is the reason for developing hybrid cars? A) They use less gas than regular cars. B) They're safer to drive than most cars. C) They're more modern than other cars. D) They cost less than regular cars
A

"I don't like my parents. They always tell me I should do this, and should not do that. It sometimes makes me angry," said Li Ping, a middle school student in Hunan. Do you have the same problem? Perhaps your parents had the same problem when they were your age long ago. Why does it seem that some parents are not so friendly in their children's eyes? One of the biggest things is when someone becomes a parent, he / she likes worrying things. They worry about everything about you, from the time you were born. They do a lot for you, though something would make you angry, because they care about you and worry about you. They worry about your choice of friends, the food you eat, your work at school, how much sleep you get, etc. All these things are part of your life. They want you to grow up healthily and happily. So how can you make things easier on yourself? It's easier than you think. Just make sure your parents know what you're doing. Get them to know your friends. Phone if you stay somewhere else so that your parents don't call every hospital in the phone book looking for your body. Say sorry to them when you make mistakes. Take responsibility   for what you have done. Talk about your ideas with them. They may talk about theirs with you. Most of all, try to think about why your parents do this or do that. They are still practicing being parents and need help you can give them. Someday, when you become a parent, they may be able to help you know how to get on with your children. The writer thinks   _  . A) it's wrong of parents to worry about their children too much B) some parents are unfriendly, which makes their children angry C) children should do everything as their parents say D) parents love their children very much and the children should understand them
