Ques:Special trees that grow faster, fight pollution, produce better wood, and even sense chemical attacks are being planted by scientists in the US. When 40 per cent of Hawaii's US$14 million-a-year papaya  industry was destroyed by a virus five years ago, work began on creating genetically engineered trees. Researchers successfully introduced seeds that were designed to resist the virus.Since then, more and more people have been testing genetically engineered trees.Some researchers put special bacteria into trees to help them grow faster and produce better wood.Others are trying to create trees that can clean polluted soil.Meanwhile fruit farmers are looking for trees that are strong enough to resist worms, and paper companies want trees that produce more wood and therefore more paper. The Pentagon   even gave the researchers US$500,000 this year after they developed a pine tree that changes its colours if it senses a chemical attack.So far, the poplar, eucalyptus  , apple and coffee trees are among those being engineered.All this can be done today because we have a better understanding of tree genomes  . However, some people fear that the genetically engineered trees will cause dangerous results.They are worried that the new trees will breed with natural species and change the balance of the forest environment. "It could be destructive," said Jim Diamond, an environmentalist. "Trees are what is left of our natural environment and home to many endangered species." But researchers insist that science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers.They hope to answer the critics by stopping the new trees from breeding, so their effect on the environment can be controlled. What caused the American scientists to work on special trees? A) Tree genomes are mapped out so scientists know how to improve trees. B) Great numbers of trees have been lost due to attacks by viruses. C) Researchers successfully introduced seeds designed to resist the virus. D) They think science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers.

Ans:B
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Ques:I still clearly remember that day. I was on the side of the road for about four hours with my big jeep. I put signs in the windows that said, "Need a jack  ." As I was about to give up,a truck stopped and a man got off. He looked at the situation, made a judgment and went back to take a jack. After about two hours, we finished the job with sweats. We were both dirty. His wife took a large bottle of water for us to wash our hands. I tried to put $ 20 in the man's hand, but he wouldn't take it, so I went to give it to his wife as quietly as I could. I asked their little girl where they lived, thinking maybe Pd send them a gift. She said they lived in Mexico. They were in Oregon now,so Mommy and Daddy could pick cherries for the next few weeks. After that, they were going to pick peaches and then go back home. After I said goodbye and started going back to my jeep, the girl ran to me and handed me a tamale  for lunch. I thanked them again and walked back to my jeep. When I opened the tamale, what did I find inside? My $ 20! I ran to the truck and the guy rolled down his window. He started shaking his head, smiled, and with what looked like great concentration said in English, "Today you, tomorrow me. " Then he drove away, with his daughter waving to me from the back. This family, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took a couple of hours to help a stranger while others passed by quietly. Since then I've helped many people like the Mexican family. I didn't accept their money. Every time I was able to help,I felt as if I was putting something in the bank. The Mexican man helped the author because he tended to think that  _  . A) it was completely wrong for others to pass by quietly B) it was quite easy to help the author repair the jeep C) it was possible that everyone might get into trouble D) the author was a polite stranger and deserved the help

Ans:C
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Ques:Would you want a doctor who got high marks in medical school just for trying hard? Apparently many college students would have no problem with that. They believe students are owed a good grade simply because they put a lot of effort into a class. The researchers asked more than 800 undergraduates if they agreed or disagreed with some statements. For example: "If I have completed most of the reading for a class, I deserve a B in that course." And: "A professor should not be annoyed with me if I receive an important call during class." Just 16 percent thought it was OK to take that phone call. But 66 percent agreed that a professor should consider effort and not just the quality of a student's work when deciding grades. And 40 percent thought they should get a B, the second highest mark, just because they did most of the reading for class. Some experts are not surprised that students often see no difference between effort and results. Social critics like to say that in children's activities these days everyone gets an award just for trying, so no one will feel rejected. Yet competition to get into the best colleges is fiercer than ever. Students may worry that low grades will keep them out of graduate school or a good job. And there may be another explanation: pressure from parents to get a good return on the family's investment. These days, college can cost more than a house. A former teaching assistant recently wrote to the New York Times about his experience with grade expectations. He would try to explain it this way when students asked for a top grade just for studying hard in chemistry class: What if a baseball player came to spring training and worked harder than all the others, but still could not play well? Would the team accept him anyway, just because he tried so hard? The students would say no. But most of them would still ask for an A. What does the passage mainly discuss? A) How students can get a good grade in the course. B) Whether students are allowed to answer calls in class. C) Whether students deserve high marks just for trying hard. D) Why students put a lot of efforts in their studies.

Ans:C
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Ques:On a summer day, John was sitting on a beach in Hawaii with his parents. The six-year-old child suddenly said he was so lucky because he had so many toys to play with at home. His surprised parents replied that he was lucky, since a lot of kids didn't have any toys at all. "How can that be?" John said, confused, but then he said that he would like to get toys for those children. His parents naturally thought their son was just kidding. But as soon as they returned home, John began using his pocket money to buy toys for other kids and asking his friends to do the same. His parents responded by organizing pizza suppers for other families interested in helping other children that can't afford to buy toys. John thought that he just wanted to cheer those kids up. John's parents started to find a place that would allow children as young as six and seven to volunteer. They finally find a day care center for disabled children to let John and his friends visit. They went and played with these kids, playing around the room as if they belonged there. John and his friends named their work Kids Cheering Kids. John and his friends visited kids at some childcare centers, helping out with a party they organized. They also prepared a performance for children with disabilities. Their activities have drawn public concern. The spirit of helping is as fresh as it was that day in Hawaii. "The whole purpose," John says, "is to make the kids feel better." Why did John get toys for the children who didn't have any toy at all? A) Because he wanted to make them happy. B) Because he wanted to show off his toys. C) Because he wanted to share his toys with them. D) Because he wanted to make friends with them.

Ans:
A
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