*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Many years ago my student asked me the question, "Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?" Without taking time to reflect, I answered, "Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone's life." Even though I was sincere, that wasn't a very good answer and my student didn't let it slide. "Let me get this straight," he said, "You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?" He shook his head as if I were crazy and walked away looking confused. I'm one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift. Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach: It's in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled  in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors. Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples go on and on until they reach the shore. You can't have ripples without a "stone." Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that's what I strive to do. I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they'll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too. Teaching isn't for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice. Question: Why did the student continue to ask the question about the writer's being a teacher? - Because he thought her answer was unbelievable. - Because the writer was insincere. - Because the student was naughty. - Because the answer was difficult to understand.
**Answer**
Because he thought her answer was unbelievable.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination have been made illegal. But one popular form continues to exist, that is alphabetism  . This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet. It has long been known that the cars of a taxi firm called AAAA have a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers look through their phone directories. Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbot has in life over Zoe Zysman. English names are fairly spread between the halves of the alphabet. Yet a quite large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K. Thus the American presidents and vice-presidents have surnames starting with B and  C separately and 26 of those before George Bush took office (including his father ) had surnames in the first half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six of the seven heads of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged (Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, Chirac, Chretien and Koizumi). The world's three top central bankers ( Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami)are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. The same case are the world's five richest men ( Gates, Buffet and so on) . Can this merely happen by chance? At the start of the first year in primary school, teachers seat pupils, alphabetically from the front, to make it easier to remember their names. So shortsighted and small-sized Zysman junior gets stuck in the back row, and is seldom asked the improving questions by those teachers. At that time the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result may be worse qualifications, because they get less attention, as well as less confidence in speaking publicly. The unfairness continues. At university graduation parties, the ABCs proudly get their awards first. However, by the time they reach the... Question: What does the author intend to show with AAAA cars and Zodiac cars? - An example of competition of two kinds of cars. - Some advantages of AAAA cars in the taxi firm. - An example of unfairness caused by alphabetism. - Some disadvantages of Zodiac cars in the taxi firm.
**Answer**
An example of unfairness caused by alphabetism.

*Question*
Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: The speaker, a teacher from a community college, addressed a sympathetic audience. Heads nodded in agreement when he said, "High school English teachers are not doing their jobs." He described the weaknesses of his students, all high school graduates who can use language only at a grade 9 level. I was unable to determine from his answers to my questions how this grade 9 level had been established. What the speaker was really saying is that he is no longer young; he has been teaching for sixteen years, and is able to think and speak like a mature adult. My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the one immediately following it is unavoidable. It is also human nature to look for the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century, it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language deficiencies  . But since then, English teachers have been under constant attack. The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves, they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaware that their own ability has developed through the years, they suppose the new generation of young people must be hopeless in this respect. To the eyes and ears of sensitive adults, the language of the young always seems inadequate . Since this concern about the decline and fall of the English language is not recognized as a generational phenomenon but rather as something new and strange to today's young people, it naturally follows that today's English teachers cannot be doing their jobs. Otherwise, young people would not commit crimes against the language. Question: The speaker mentioned in the passage believed that   _  . - the college students' English is the worst of all - the high school students were not diligent at all - the students' poor command of English is English teacher's fault - he could equip students with good English because of his experience
**Answer**
