Writing articles about films for The Front Page was my first proper job. Before then I had done bits of reviewing--novels for other newspapers, films for a magazine and anything I was asked to do for the radio. That was how I met Tom Seaton, the first arts editor of The Front Page, who had also written for television. He hired me, but Tom was not primarily a journalist, or he would certainly have been more careful in choosing his staff. At first, his idea was that a team of critics should take care of the art forms that didn't require specialized knowledge: books, TV, theatre, film and radio. There would be a weekly lunch at which we would make our choices from the artistic material that Tom had decided we should cover, though there would also be guests to make the atmosphere sociable. It all felt like a bit of dream at that time: a new newspaper and I was one of the team. It seemed so unlikely that a paper could be introduced into a crowded market. It seemed just as likely that a millionaire wanted to help me personally, and was pretending to employ me. Such was my lack of self-confidence. Tom's original scheme for a team of critics for the arts never took off. It was a good idea, but we didn't get together as planned and so everything was done by phone. It turned out, too, that the general public out there preferred to associate a reviewer with a single subject area, and so I chose film. Without Tom's initial push, though, we would hardly have come up with the present arrangement, by which I write an extended weekly piece, usually on one film. The space I am given allows me to broaden my argument--or forces me, in an uninteresting week, to make something out of nothing. But what is my role in the public arena? I assume that people choose what films to go to on the basis of the stars, the publicity or the director. So if a film review isn't really a consumer guide, what is it? I certainly don't feel I have a responsibility to be 'right' about a movie. Nor do I think there should be a certain number of... The weekly lunches were planned in order to   _  . A) help the writers get to know each other B) distribute the work that had to be done C) provide an informal information session D) entertain important visitors from the arts
B


A flock of hungry pigeons were flying across the sky in search of food. Having traveled a long distance, they felt tired and settled down on a tree.  Just below the tree, they saw grains strewn   all over the ground. The pigeons were happy to have found enough food to eat. All the pigeons came down from the tree and started eating the grains. As they were doing so, a huge net fell on them and trapped them all. The pigeons were taken aback. They noticed a hunter sitting at a distance from the tree, a bow and arrow in hand. The pigeons realized it was the hunter who had trapped them in the net. The hunter got up and began to move towards the pigeons. The leader of the pigeons spoke, "Friends, we are in great trouble. The hunter will catch us if we do not act swiftly in a few seconds. There is only one _ available at this moment. Let all of us use our force together and fly up along with the net. If all of us use our force and fly together, we can fly carrying the net along with us. Let us start now." All the pigeons agreed with him and flew high carrying the net along with them. After traveling enough distance away from the hunter, the pigeons settled on a tree and carefully came out of the net one by one and thus escaped the evil design of the hunter. This story wants to tell us that  _ A) two heads are better than one. B) confidence will save everyone. C) teamwork can work wonders. D) actions speak louder than words.
C


Q: When I was 16 years old, I made my first visit to the United States. It wasn't the first time I had been abroad. Like most English children, I learnt French at school and I had often been to France, so I was used to speaking a foreign language to people who didn't understand English. But when I went to America I was really looking forward to having a nice easy holiday without any language problems. How wrong I was! The misunderstanding began at the airport. I was looking for a public telephone to give my American friend Danny a ring and tell her that I had arrived. A friendly old man saw me looking like being lost and asked if he could help me. "Yes,"I said."I want to give my friend a ring." "Well, that's  nice,"he exclaimed  ."Are you getting married? But aren't you a bit young?" "Who is talking about marriage?" I replied. "I just want to give my friend a ring to tell her I've arrived. Can you tell me where there's a phone box?" "Oh!"he said."There's a phone downstairs." When at last we did meet up, Danny explained the misunderstanding to me."Don't worry," she said to me."I had many difficulties at first. There are lots of words which the Americans use differently in meaning from us British. You'll soon get used to all the funny things they say. But most of the time British and American people can understand each other!" Where was the writer from?   _  . A) America B) France C) England D) China
A: C


Question: The 16 operations W.Mitchell received after the motorcycle accident burned more than 65% of his body at age 46 left him unable to pick up a fork,dial a telephone or go to the bathroom without help.But Mitchell never believed he was defeated."I am in charge of my own spaoeship," he said."It's my up,my down.I could choose to see this situation as a setback or afstarting point." Mitchell bought himself a home in Colorado,a plane and a bar.Later he teamed upwith two friends and co-founded a wood burning stove company that grew to be the second largest private employer in his state.Six months later he was piloting the plane.Then four years after the motorcycle accident,the plane Mitchell was piloting crashed back onto the runway during takeoff, permanently paralyzing(...)him from the waist down. Still determined,Mitchell worked day and night to regain as much independence as possible.He was elected Mayor of Crested Butte,Colorado, to save the town from mineral mining that would ruin its beauty and environment. Despite his shocking looks and physical challenges, Mitchell began white water rafting ,fell in love and married, earned a master's degree in public administration and continued flying,environmental activism and public speaking. Mitchell's unshakable positive mental attitude has earned him appearances on the "Today Show''and "Good Moming America" as well as feature articles in Parade, Time, The New York Times and other publications. Mitchell has done all these things and more afar two horrible accidents left his face beyond recognition,his hands flngerless and his legs thin:and motionless in a wheelchair.Then what can't we healthy guys achieve? What was the result of Mitchell's plane crash accident? A) His body under the waistcouldn't move. B) He was elected mayor of Crested Butte. C) He became the hero of many publications. D) More than half of his body was burned.
Answer: A


Peter King, 15, and Mary King, 13, went to see a doctor. Peter had a bad cold, so the doctor gave him some pills to take. Mary had a bad cough, so the doctor gave her some cough medicine. There are the words on the bottle of the medicine: Cough Medicine Shake well before use. Take three times daily after meals. At one time:   adults ---------  2 teaspoonfuls Children 8 -- 14  1 teaspoonful Children 4 -- 7   1/2 teaspoonful Not suitable for children below the age of 4 Store in a cold place. Use before Oct.2007. Mary should take   _   in a day. A) 2 teaspoonfuls B) 3 teaspoonfuls C) 4 teaspoonfuls D) 1 teaspoonful

D