Edda, a Little Valkyrie's First Day of School Written and illustrated  by Adam Auerbach. 32 pp. Christy Ottaviano/Holt. $15.50. Edda's home is in Asgard, "a land full of magic and adventure." But Edda, the littlest Valkyrie, doesn't have quite enough to do, until her father flies her "all the way to Earth for the first day of school." The contrast between home and school is hard to get used to (in one, she can ride reindeer; in the other she gazes guinea pig  through glass at the classroom). In his first picture book, Auerbach mixes the two worlds perfectly. Children are likely to appreciate the joke. Planet Kindergarten By Sue Ganz-Schmitt. Illustrated by Shane Prigmore. 32 pp. Chronicle. $14.99. After careful preparations and a successful blastoff, a boy finds himself in a very unfamiliar environment. "We're aliens from many galaxies  on Planet Kindergarten," he reflects as he sees his very varied classmates for the first time. Prigmore, who designs for the movie industry, uses black backgrounds and bright colors to give this space adventure visual excitement and humor. The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade By Justin Roberts. Illustrated by Christian Robinson. 42 pp. Putnam. $18.99. It makes sense that the author of the long, rhyming lines in "The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade" is a children's music performer. The story is about the power of one small person to fight prejudice. Sally, whom no one ever seems to notice, is "paying super extra special attention" to the "terrible stuff" happening around her. When she decides to take action, she's not alone for long. And Two Boys Booed By Judith Viorst. 32 pp. Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $16.59. Ever felt quietly confident one minute, and a shaking mess the next? In Viorst's story about determination, a little boy wakes up thinking about singing his song in the class talent show. If you are interested in space adventure, you would probably choose  _  . A) Edda, a Little Valkyrie's First Day of School B) Planet Kindergarten C) The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade D) And Two Boys Booed
B


(Question)
I was at a dance club when I was nineteen. One day my new friend walked with me to my car. It was a very cold night. As we were walking to my car, a man walked up to us. Behind him was a woman pushing  _ with a child inside who was about 2 years old. The child had only a jacket on and it wasn'tzipped . The man began to tell us he wanted to borrow some money for the night and that he had a job but no place to live and was waiting for his first paycheck. He confirmed he could get our mailing address and mail the money back to us. The guy I was with reached into his pocket to give this man a $20 bill. As the man was extending his hand out to take the money, I put my hand on my new friend's hand and said, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I told him some people earned money by begging and that they always cheated those with soft hearts. And if they were truly worried about their child being out in the cold, they would have at least zipped his jacket. My friend looked at me with disapproval and said, "Michael, I know there are some people out there that take advantage of others. I also know some people out there that are one paycheck away from being homeless. If I gave $20 to 10 people and only one of them really needed it and used it for the right thing, it was worth it." I am now thirty-seven years old and have never forgotten what he said to me. I don't even remember his name now. But I do remember that this experience changed my perspective . According to the author's new friend, some people  _  . A) were poor and about to be homeless B) often wished to have no paycheck C) weren't out of work but they said they were D) were always making fun of others
(Answer)
A


Ques: There are two ways to save money traveling. The first way is to get _ on the specific things you want. There is a limitation to this type of approach (,) though. If you find the lowest price on the best hotel in Honolulu at the height of the season, you will save money, but still have a very expensive vacation. Trying to get exactly what you want will generally be an expensive proposition, in travel and in life. The other approach is to be a true opportunist. This will be difficult for some of you, and entirely unacceptable to others. Nonetheless  ,the travelers who get to travel the most, go to the widest variety of places, learn the most and do the most, are the opportunists. This will be true until you are so wealthy that you have no monetary (;)limits. The first time I went to Ecuador, I went there because it was cheap. If it wasn't, I would have had a great time--somewhere else. The trip lasted a month, and cost $1045, which included airfare and even the $130 fee for a guide to take me to the top or glacier   covered Mount Chimborazo. I cut the cost by taking a bus from my home in Michigan to Miami, and back again when I returned from Ecuador. The round-trip ticket cost $158. The round-trip flight to Quito from Miami was only $256, because it was a courier (,) flight, which meant I signed for some luggage(car parts), and  could only take carry-on luggage. Never did I feel deprived, or bored. I had a great time, eating wherever it was cheap and clean, doing all sorts of inexpensive, but interesting things, and traveling across the country to climb Chimborazo. I also met and fell in love with my wife Ana. Being an opportunist means you'll have just as much variety, and probably almost everything you want--eventually. You just have to stop trying to get exactly what you want exactly when you want it. If the guide that took me up Chimborazo hadn't dropped his price from $200 to $130, I would have spent $2 for a bus and gone hiking on EI Altar, another great Andean mountain. That would have left me with... It's suggested that the author   _  . A) went hiking on El Altar B) traveled with his wife in Ecuador C) is an opportunist traveler D) likes traveling around the world
Ans: C


Nearly everyone is shy in some ways. If shyness is making you uncomfortable, it may be time for a few lessons in self-confidence. You can build your confidence by following some suggestions from doctors and psychologists. Make a decision not to hold back in conversations. What you have to say is just as important as what other people say. And don't turn down party invitations just because of your shyness. Prepare for yourself for being with others in groups. Make a list of the good qualities you have. Then make a list of ideas, experiences, and skills you would like to share with other people . I think about what you would like to say in advance. Then say it. If you start feeling self-conscious in a group, take a deep breath and focus your attention on other people, Remember, you are not alone. Other people are concerned about the impression they are making, too. No one ever gets over being shy completely, but most people do learn to live with their shyness. Even entertainers admit that they often feel shy. They work at fighting their shy feelings so that they can face the cameras and the public. Just making the effort to control shyness can have many rewards. But perhaps the best reason to fight shyness is to give other people a chance to know about you. The main purpose of the article is to   _  . A) explain how shyness developed B) recommend ways of dealing with shyness C) persuade readers that shyness is natural D) prove that shyness can be overcome

B