Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Thirteen can be a challenging age. Not only did I have to adapt to my changing body, I also had to deal with my parents' bitter divorce, a new family and the upsetting move from my country home to a crowded town. When we moved, my beloved companion, a small brown pony had to be sold. I was heartbroken and terribly lonely. I couldn't eat or sleep and cried all the time. Finally, realizing how much I missed my pony, my father bought me another horse, Cowboy. Cowboy was without doubt the ugliest horse in the world. But I didn't care. I loved him beyond all reasons. I joined a riding club. When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse was judged by appearance, we were quickly "shown the gate". I knew nothing could turn Cowboy into a beauty. My only chance to compete would be in the timed speed events. I chose the jumping race. For the whole next month we practiced running and jumping for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home, totally exhausted. All of our hard work didn't make me feel confident by the time the show came. One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons. I sat at the gate and sweated all out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the court and finish in first place. My turn finally came. At the signal, we dashed toward the first fence, jumped over it without trouble and raced on to the next one. Cowboy then flew over the second, third and fourth fences like a bird and I turned him toward the finish line. No cheers filled the air. The end of our run was met with surprised silence. Cowboy and I had beaten Becky and her fancy horse by two seconds. I gained much more than a blue ribbon that day. At thirteen, I realized that no matter what the odds, I'd always come out a winner if I wanted something badly enough to work for it. I can be the owner of my fate. Question: After the competition, the author came to realize that   _  . - she ought to gather the courage to solve all the problems - it was time to forget her pony and treat Cowboy better - she needed to work harder to win more blue ribbons - she could be the god of her own fate if she tried hard enough
she could be the god of her own fate if she tried hard enough
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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Men and women have different tastes in food, with men favoring meat and poultry  , and women fruits and vegetables, researchers said in what was said to be the most extensive   study so far of gender   differences in eating habits.   More than 14,000 adult men and women, were surveyed from May 2006 to April 2007, for the Foodbome Disease Active Surveillance   Network (FoodNet), to determine their eating habits, including high risk foods such as undercooked meat and eggs.   "To our knowledge, there have been studies in the literature on gender differences in eating habits, but nothing this extensive," the epidemiologist   told the 2008 International Conference on Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, Georgia.   Researchers found that men were more likely to eat meat and poultry, especially duck,  _ , and ham, and certain shellfish such as shrimp and oysters.   Women instead were more likely to eat vegetables, especially carrots and tomatoes, and fruits, especially strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples. Women also preferred dry foods, such as almonds and walnuts, and were more likely to consume eggs and yogurt when compared with men.   There were also some exceptions to the eating trends of each gender: men were significantly more likely to eat asparagus   and brussels sprouts   than women, while women were more likely to consume fresh hamburgers as opposed to the frozen kind, which the men preferred.   And regarding high risk foods, the researchers found that significantly more men consumed undercooked meat and eggs than women, while more women were more likely to eat alfalfa sprouts.   Men's preference for meat explains why men have more cases than women when it comes to high cholesterol  , the study said. Question: According to the passage, men tend to eat the following foods EXCEPT   _  . - ham - yogurt - shrimp - poultry
yogurt
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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: Studies show that children who eat breakfast do better in school. It doesn't take much further thought to know that adults will feel better and do better at work as well. Whether you work at home, on the farm, at the office, at school, or on the road, it is not a good idea to have no breakfast. If we have no breakfast, we are likely to become tired when our brains and bodies run low on fuel  . By mid-morning, a lot of us grab a cup of coffee or eat a sugary candy bar to wake up again. This might work for a few minutes, but by lunch time we are hungry. Eating a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. Having no breakfast is a popular way to lose weight, but not a smart one. Many people believe that they will lose weight if they have no meals, but that just isn't true; the body expects to be refueled a few times a day, starting with a healthy breakfast. Eating breakfast is good for losing weight. In fact, people who eat breakfast are more likely to keep a healthy weight. A healthy breakfast should have some protein   and some fiber  . Protein can come from low fat meats, eggs, or beans. Fiber can be found in whole grains, vegetables and fruits. A good example of a healthy breakfast might be something simple like a hard boiled egg, an orange, and a bowl of whole grain cereal with low fat milk. Stay away from sugary foods and white bread because they are digested   quickly and will leave you hungry and tired in several hours. Protein and fiber will keep you feeling full until lunch time. Question: According to the passage, we feel tired at work probably because   _  . - we need to have a cup of coffee - we don't have a good breakfast - our brains don't work any longer - we don't have enough sleep at night
we don't have a good breakfast
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Read the following article and select the best answer. Article: About 6 percent of luxury hotels in three major Chinese cities have stopped serving shark fin ,a survey has found. Although the controversial dish remains on the menu at most hotels, Green Beagle Environment Institute, a Beijing-based non-government organization that was the main sponsor of the survey, said the results are encouraging and reflect increased awareness. The survey was carried out in Beijing, Shenzhen and Fuzhou, which were selected as representative cities to collect basic data on shark fin consumption nationwide. In Beijing, 132 hotels completed the phone questionnaire between Nov. 20 and Dec. 12. Only 12 hotels, 9 percent, said they do not serve shark fin. A similar survey of 131 Beijing hotels conducted a year ago found only one hotel that did not serve shark fin, Wang Xue, chief coordinator of the survey, said on Saturday.In Shenzhen, four out of the 85 four and five star hotels surveyed had stopped serving shark fin, accounting for about 5 percent. In Fuzhou, only one of the 40 hotels surveyed did not serve shark fin. On average, about 6. 61 percent of the hotels in the three cities did not serve the food. "The survey reminded us there is still a long way to go to remove shark fins from Chinese hotels and restaurants, but the improved situation in Beijing is encouraging," said Wang. "We found more hotels and restaurants were willing to take action over the past year." International hotels are more active in the "shark-fin-free" project, she noted. China is the world's biggest importer and consumer of shark fin, which has been used in luxurious Chinese dishes for 500 years. Dishes made from shark fin are still regarded as a symbol of honor and respect,especially at business dinners, according to Wang. Research has also found that shark fin contains poisonous elements, but the nutritious value is less than that of chicken or pork. "We hope hotels and restaurants remove shark fin products from their menus," Wang added. Question: In which way was the survey carried out? - .Interviewing on the spot. - Phone questionnaire. - Filling the forms. - Talk show.
