They will be here in a minute, surely. I'll just stare at my shoes a little while longer to pass the time. Wish I'd brought a book. Hang on, though, what if I've got the wrong day? The wrong place? Have the clocks gone back? No, damn it, I'm off home. Whoever I'm waiting for clearly lives in a different time zone from me. I am always 10 minutes early, so if you're 10 minutes late, I've been foot-tapping for 20 minutes. I know it's not fair to hold the first 10 against you, but I just can't help myself. I never wait more than 20 minutes beyond the meeting time we decided upon, not for anyone, ever. OK, that's not strictly true. I have, on occasion, hung around anxiously and heart-brokenly for up to an hour, but the bitter anger that follows is never a pretty sight. If you've made me wait that long, you will wish you hadn't bothered turning up at all. How come some people are always late and some are always on time? If I can manage to be punctual, why can't you? Because I left a hot cup of coffee at home while you sat down to roll another cigarette. Because I spilled jam on my pants and quickly wiped it off whereas you took time to change your whole outfit. Because I switched off midway through a TV series, but you had to ride out the end, didn't you? And don't even think about blaming the traffic. How do you think I got here? By flying carpet? Only carelessness or arrogance   can explain a habit of lateness. Some people are always late because they can't make realistic calculations about how long it takes to do things. There are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour. Just deal with it. Painful as it may be, you have to accept that, as you've agreed to meet at eight and it's now a quarter to, you don't have time to phone your girlfriend. Much worse, though, are those with big egos  . Being late is just rude. Being late on purpose really means that you hate the person you are meeting. Of course, there are some perfectly lovely latecomers out there. I just never wait long enough to find out. According to the author, people should   _  . A) be patient when waiting for a latecomer B) keep in mind that being late is rude and selfish C) always arrive 10 minutes early for an appointment D) ask people around them to remind them about an appointment
B

Nowadays, the food we eat seems to have great effects on our health. Although science has made enormous steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of all human illnesses are related to diet and forty percent of cancer is related to the diet as well, especially cancer of the colon. Different cultures are more likely to cause certain different illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures. That food is related to illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, about 68 years ago, government researchers realized that nitrates, commonly used to preserve color in meats, and other food additives, caused cancer. Yet, these carcinogenic additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of processed food are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to beef and living animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cow. Sometimes similar drugs are given to animals not for medical purposes, but for financial reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to obtain a higher price on the market. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tried repeatedly to control these procedures, the practices continue. What is the best possible title of the passage? A) Drug and Food B) Cancer and Health C) Food and Health D) Health and Drug
C

Bright red post boxes, the Queen and queuing--what do they all have in common? They are all important parts of British life. At least I thought so. However, the ability to queue for long periods of time, once believed to be a traditional characteristic of the British, is no longer tolerated by people in the UK, according to a survey done for British bank Barclays. Once upon a time, queuing was seen as normal. During World WarII, everyone had to queue up to receive their daily supply of foods. In fact, if you didn't stand up and wait in line with all the others, it was seen as uncivilized. The famous English double-decker buses, with only one entrance, might also help explain why queuing was seen as a part of British life. Almost always, there is queue to get on. www.zxxk.com But perhaps the British are tired of being pushed past by the Spanish, the Italians or the French as they queue up to get a table at a restaurant. The people of these other European countries have more than one entrance to their buses, which explains their more relaxed attitude to the queue. Two minutes is now the longest time most British people are prepared to stand and wait. But could it be that the Internet, which allows us to carry out tasks quickly, is the main reason why British people are no longer prepared to queue? "Used to buying without delay, customers are even giving up purchases rather than wait their turn," says Stuart Neal of Barclaycard. "Shoppers are also less likely to queue for long if the item they are buying is of low value." Perhaps I will have to replace "queuing" with "impatience" in my list of things I relate to the British. According to the passage, the British gradually stopped queuing because   _  . A) they prefer shopping online B) the Internet has changed their way of life C) what they are buying is of low value D) they follow the example of foreigners
B

One day a lawyer's wife fell ill, and he went to get a doctor. The doctor willingly came to see the woman and to do what he could for her, but before he went into the house, he made a short stop. He knew that the lawyer was famous for not paying his bills, even if they were due .He therefore said to the man."But if I save your wife, I am afraid you may not pay me." "Sir,"replied the lawyer. "Here I have$500,,whether you cure my wife or you kill her. I'll give you all this." The doctor was reassured  and went into the house. When he reached the woman's bedside, it soon became clear to him that he could do little. She was seriously ill, and though he prescribed  her medicine, she soon died. He told the lawyer he was very sorry, and then asked for the money which he had promised. "Did you kill my wife?"asked the lawyer. "Of course I didn't," said the doctor. "Well! Did you cure my wife?" asked the man. "I'm afraid that was impossible," replied the doctor."Well, then since you neither killed my wife nor cured her, I have nothing to pay you." Before entering the lawyer's house the doctor stopped for a while, because  _   . A) the doctor wanted to ask something about his wife's illness B) the doctor thought it impossible to save the woman C) the doctor was afraid that the lawyer would refuse to pay him D) the lawyer was too poor to pay his bills

C