Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Mr. Patrick was new to the school and to us. Even though he was a great teacher, he seemed rather like a character out of a horror movie. He didn't look that bad, but somehow, he looked extremely scary to me. Some kids began to believe that he was a murderer or a ghost; some believed he was mad and a few believed that he might have suffered a lot in his life. I was one of those 'few'. One day I gathered up my courage and headed towards the school garden. He was, as usual, sitting on a bench alone. I breathed heavily a few times and then walked towards him. "How are you?" I asked with my voice crackling. He managed to say, "Fine." "Well, good to know," I tried to be happy. "Hmmm..." was all I heard. "What's up with you?" then seeing a puzzled look on his face, I tried to be more formal and respectful. "I mean, why aren't you like all other people in the school? Why are you always so quiet and sad? Why..." "No dear, some things are better left unsaid," he said gloomily. "Oh no sir, nothing is better left unsaid. If you want to share your feelings with me and reduce the pain of your heart, you are free to do so. I promise I will never ever tell anyone." "With you? You are just a little girl; what will you understand?" I was somehow offended but still I managed to persuade him, "So what, Sir? You see, if you tell me your problem, you will have a light heart and you will have the feeling that someone somewhere cares about you." "Oh okay, that was a very nice belief indeed; let's take a walk and I will let you know everything." Soon after our little talk, there was a visible change on his face. Later that day in the class, there was a smile on his face. Question: While walking towards Mr. Patrick in the school garden, the author felt   _  . Options: A: excited B: nervous C: worried D: happy
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: An early morning winter storm had brought several inches of snow on my small town in the mountains. Schools were canceled, roads were dangerous and all I wanted to do was to stay in bed. Still, I knew I had to get the day started so I put on warm clothes and walked outside. The snow got all over my shoes. The cold wind dried my lips and my eyes. _  Yet, when I looked out on the white blanket that covered the ground, I couldn't help but smile a bit. It was so beautiful. It softened the bare trees and hid the dead grass. In the distance I could hear the sound of the snowplow  on the road, the barking of a happy dog and the laughter of children playing outside, enjoying their way off from school. The sweet music of that laughter brought back a hundred memories of winters past. I remembered catching snowflakes   on my tongue, building snowmen, making snow angles, running down hills and always losing snowball fights with first my brothers and then my own children. Standing there in that warm coat of memories made the wind a little less cold and my back a little less sore . I turned up my head, stuck out my tongue and for the first time in years caught a snowflake on it. It tasted so fresh and clean. It tasted like youth, like joy and like love. May you always feel young in spirit, no matter how old or achy your body may be. May you always delight in the simple joys of life. May you always share your happiness with the hearts of children. And may you always give your love, your light, your laughter and your warmth to others even on the coldest days. Question: What does the author mainly want to tell us with this article? Options: A: Appreciate every snowstorm you spend with your family. B: Snow brings both fun and trouble. C: Memories can change our opinion. D: We should stay young at heart.
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: OUR KIDS ARE AMAZING-especially compared with everybody else's (who seem to cry all the time). How do you show your love for your kids this holiday season? With toys that are smooth and colorful, interactive and exciting. And with ones that have educational value-because you are the boss. 1. FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET Here is a toy that doesn't need power-and the bike have to put it together themselves. This 50 piece puzzle set is made of soft edged hardwood and makes a complete hospital, with an X ray room. It also includes eight patients, a car and a driver. $135; flaxart.com. 2. TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL Sure, it's cool, but this colorful baby toy also develops problem solving and motor skills. It has a head and legs, a magnetic  hand and a tail. Suitable for little ones from 6 to 36 months. $19.95; tinylove.com. 3. ROBOSAPIEN This small, remote control robot is really powerful. It performs 67 preprogrammed functions , including throwing, kicking, picking up and dancing. You can even program your own function which, sadly, does not include doing windows. $99; robosapienonline.com. 4. MINI PEDAL CAR Want a Mini Cooper but can't fit the family inside? Get one for the kids. They can jump into this Mini car, which comes in hot orange with a single adjustable  seat, and ride away. But it could spoil them for that used car they'll be driving when they turn 16.For ages 3 to 5.$189; minus A. com  (click on "gear up," then "Mini motoring gear"). Question: Educational value is mentioned in all the toys EXCETP   _  . Options: A: FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET B: TINY LVE ACTIVITY BALL C: ROBOSAPIEN D: MINI PEDAL CAR
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: You won't have to look far to find some natural peculiarity for which science sometimes offer a theory. However, many places are complete unimaginable Some places attract people more than others. The incapability to understand the real story behind some of these phenomena draws many people. They are just so mysterious that there is no explaining it. 1.Blood Falls, Antarctica How is it that the coldest and driest place on the planet has a blood-red waterfall pouring down slowly into the McMurdo Dry Valleys, some of the most extreme desert lands on Earth? What causes the mysterious flow was only recently "discovered" in a study. Scientists believed for many years red algae gave the unusual color. But now research has shown that iron oxide is responsible for the hue. The waterfall even contains strange bacterial lifeforms. 2.Magnetic Hill, Moncton, New Brunswick Be very careful if you choose to drive to the bottom of this hill. Stories about what happens there have been around since early 1900s. As impossible as it sounds, your car will start to "roll" uphill. "And it doesn't just work on cars--vans, trucks and even tour buses roll upward in total defiance of natural law," according to Tourism New Brunswick. 3.Racetrack Playa, Death Valley, California Located in a remote valley between the Cottonwood and Last Chance Ranges, Racetrack Playa is a place of really beauty and mystery. The Racetrack is a dry lakebed, best known for its strange moving rocks. It looks like they "sailed" through the valley. Although no one has actually seen the rocks move, the long moving tracks left behind in the mud surface of the Playa prove their activity. The most logical explanation so far is that ice forms covering the stones, causing them to move. Question: What will happen if you drive your car at the bottom of Magnetic Hill, Moncton, New Brunswick? Options: A: The car will run in unusual way. B: The car will run down the hill. C: The car will run backward. D: The car won't work at all.
