Ques: It was the last day of July and the long hot summer was drawing to a close As for me.1 was out of spirits,and,if the truth must be told, out of money as well,During the past year I had not managed my finances as carefully as usual;and 1 was now limited to spending the autumn economically between my mother's cottage at Hampstead and my own in town. My father had been dead for some years,and my sister and 1 were the _ survivors of a family of five children. My father was a drawing-master before me He had been highly successful in his profession and my mother and sister were left economically independent after his death. The view of London below me had sunk into the black shadow of the cloudy night, when I stood before the gate of my mother's cottage I had hardly rung the bell.When the house door was opened violently.My worthy Italian friend,Professor Pesca,appeared in the servant's place,and rushed out joyously to receive me. I had first become acquainted with my Italian friend at certain great houses,where he taught Italian and I taught drawing What I then knew of the history of his life was that he had left Italy for political reasons and that he had been respectably established for many years in London as a teacher of languages It once happened that I saved him from certain death by drowning while we were swimming in the sea at Brighton Afterwards he overwhelmed me with the wildest expressions of affection and exclaimed passionately, that he would hold his life at my disposal from then on, and declared that he should never be happy again until he had had the opportunity of proving his gratitude.Little did I think that the occasion to serve me was soon to come. Pesca dragged me in by both hands into the parlor, where my mother sat by the open window, laughing and fanning herself.Pesca was one of her especial favorites,and his wildest strange acts were always pardonable in her eyes. "Now, my good dears."began Pesca."listen to me The time has come I recite my good news.I speak at last...'Hear, hear!"said my... It can be learned from the passage that Pesca  _ A) used to be a politician B) was a successful drawing-master C) was quite close to the mother D) wanted to give the writer some money in return
Ans: C

Ques: Most people report that they do not usually feel confident. But exciting things can happen when we actually believe in ourselves. Here is a man who believed in his own ability even as a boy, and that confidence helped shape his adult life. At the turn of the last century, a young boy quit school to help with the family expenses. When he was fifteen, he became interested in automobiles  and worked in a garage. He subscribed to a correspondence home study course on automobiles and, after a long day in the garage, studied at the kitchen table by lamplight. When he felt ready, he walked into the Frayer-Miller Automobile Company of Columbus, Ohio. When Mr. Frayer noticed him, he asked, "Well, what do you want?" "I just thought I'd tell you I'm coming to work here tomorrow morning," the boy replied.   "Oh! Who hired you?" "Nobody yet, but I'll be on the job in the morning. If I'm not worth anything, you can fire me." Early the next morning the young man returned to the plant. Noticing the floor was thick with metal shavings and accumulated dirt, the boy got a broom and set out to clean the place.  Because of his self-confidence and work ethic, the boy's future was predictable. He went on to stand out in many fields, including automobile racing, piloting World War I planes and founding what was to become one of America's largest airline companies -- Eastern Airlines. People who become more confident habitually encourage themselves. Without confidence, we are not likely to move far in the direction of our dreams. But become our own best friend and almost anything will be possible. It is important that we always believe in ourselves. In order to reach victory, we must believe in ourselves even when we make mistakes and fall short. We can learn from the boy's words that   _  . A) he believed in himself B) he looked down upon others C) he was very generous D) he wanted to show off his competence
Ans: A

Ques: Every year Chris Brogan posts his three words for a new year. Many others and I have followed his lead for the past three or four years. They helped me a lot. My words for last year were"passion", "focus"and"delegate"and I stayed true to them. This year, 2013, my goals are more personal and less professional. FOCUS Focus is making a repeat appearance on my list this year because I'm too much of a _ . The problem is that I have trouble finishing one thing with so many things calling me. When I was working as a writer, all my projects were handled via a schedule, I'm putting a fitness and housekeeping routine into my schedule. HEALTH I get so busy taking care of everyone else, and I forget to take care of myself and this has to change. My health suffers and my weight suffers. I have to get my health in check, not only for me but because I promised my 9-year-old son. I'll make good food and lifestyle choices. I miss being thin, and it's time to get it back. CELEBRATE What good is having it if I'm not taking time to enjoy it? I have a wonderful job, a happy family, and so much to be thankful for. So how come I spend all my time working? Last summer my family took our first vacation in four years, the best thing I've done for myself and my family in a long time. This year, I'm making sure to take time to enjoy life and celebrate its many blessings. Do you have any words for 2013? Why does the writer have"HEALTH"as one of his three words? A) He wants to take better care of others. B) He's gaining weight and feeling bad. C) He did not take any exercise in the past. D) He got the idea from his son.
Ans: B

Ques: "Hey, don't read in the hallway. Your eyesight will be damaged." You must have heard such warnings many times. Don't read in dim  light! This is one of the "pearls of wisdom" that are supposed to help us live a healthy life. Such common beliefs, however, lack scientific basis, according to a paper published recently in theBritish Medical Journal. Do you believe in the following everyday wisdom? Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight. In dim light, you might blink   more, feel discomfort from drying and have trouble focusing. But the majority of eye experts believe it is unlikely to do any permanent damage. We must drink at least eight glasses of water a day In 1945, the Nutrition Council in US suggested that people need to consume 2.5 litres of water a day. But the water contained in food, particularly fruit and vegetables, as well as in milk, juice and soft drinks, also counts towards the total. We only use 10 percent of our brains. This myth arose as early as 1907. People have long argued about our power of self-improvement and our brains' potential abilities. But detailed imaging shows that no area of the brain is silent or inactive. Shaving your legs causes hair to grow black faster and thicker. This theory is also illusion. Shaving has no effect on the thickness or rate of hair growth, studies say. Just over time, the edge of hair gets worn away and thus the edge of long hair becomes finer  . So hair that is newly grown gives the impression of darkness. What does the paper say about some common beliefs? A) They are pearls of wisdom B) They help us live in healthy ways C) They are well-known theories. D) They do not have scientific basis.
Ans:
D