Louis Braille, Alphabet Maker Blind people can read. They do so by running their fingers along a line of raised points or dots on paper. Of course, they first have to learn the code. Here are some examples of it. One dot stands for the letter "A." Two dots side by side mean "C." Four dots arranged to look like a box (: :) stand for the letter "G." By placing the dots in special patterns, all the letters of the alphabet can be formed. This code was made up by a Frenchman called Louis Braille. Though he could see at birth, he became sightless when he was only three. Braille was cutting leather in his father's shop. His knife slipped and cut his eye. Infection spread to both eyes, and he became blind. At 10, he was placed in a home for the blind. But young Louis had great talent. He became a skilled musician and soon got a job as a church organist  in Paris. Because he had talent and was quick, he became a teacher at a school for the blind. While there, he heard that an army captain had sent messages to his gun crews so they could read them at night without light. His messages were in the simple form of raised dots and dashes. This was the clue Louis needed. At the age of 15, he worked out his own six-dot code. Each group of dots is called a cell. The cells are three dots high and two dots wide. For the rest of his life, Braille taught his young flock to read both written and musical works using his code.  For the last 17 years of his life, Braille was ill with tuberculosis . He died at the age of 43. France honored him by placing his remains in the famous Pantheon in Paris. Louis Braille developed an alphabet for blind people after he   _  . A) became blind as a young child. B) worked as an organist. C) learned that soldiers could read messages from raised dots. D) became a skilled musician.
C


Man has been to the moon. It has been the first step towards future exploration in space. When compared with the distances between Earth and the other planets, the distance between the Moon and Earth is very short indeed. Mars, the nearest planet to Earth is millions of miles away! Traveling to the planets will be man's next step. Such travels will be more challenging than the trip to the moon and certainly more exciting and dangerous. Recently, two American spaceships, Viking 1 and 2, landed on Mars trying to discover whether that planet has any life on it. So far the signs of life on Mars has neither been confirmed nor ruled out  . Russians have discovered that the surface of Venus is so hot that it is almost certain that there is no life there. Also the atmosphere of Venus is extremely dense and the pressure is nearly a hundred times greater than that of the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists believe man may find planets which have the same conditions as those we have on Earth, but man should realize Earth will be his only home for a long time and begin to love and care for it. Man can live in a place under the conditions of   _  . A) the same pressure as we get on earth B) much too hot surface C) normal atmosphere as we have on earth D) Both A and C
D


Q: Can you imagine being savagely attacked by a dog? What if the attack was so severe that your nose, lips and chin were completely destroyed? How would you feel about yourself? Would you be able to look at yourself in the mirror? And how do you think other people would treat you? Isabelle Dinoire is someone who can answer all of these questions honestly and openly. Last November Isabelle was attacked and mauled by her own dog. The attack was so severe that her lower face was damaged; it seemed, almost beyond repair. She was rushed to hospital and became the first person ever to have a face transplant. With such severe injuries doctors offered Isabelle little hope that they would be able to repair the damage to her face using conventional surgery. Shortly after being admitted, she came to the attention of Dr Bernard Devauchelle who, unlike other surgeons, believed there was an alternative: "We found ourselves saying, yes, it's clear this woman needs a transplant," he said. Two days after the operation she saw her face in the mirror for the first time. She said "I was scared to look at myself, but when I did it was already marvelous and I couldn't believe it. I thought it would be blue and swollen but it was already beautiful." Now, less than a year after her 15 hour operation, she's trying to rebuild her life and there is no doubt how she feels about her new face: "I have been saved. Lots of people write saying that I need to go on, that it's wonderful. It's a miracle somehow." Although there were ethical questions raised about their decision to carry out the procedure, the doctors who operated on Isabelle are quick to defend their decision. One of them said "Was it possible for her to live without a face? It's easy to say we shouldn't have done the operation, but her life has changed, she goes shopping, goes on holiday, she lives again." What would be the best title of the passage? A) The first face transplant B) A successful face operation C) The most severe damaged face D) The breakthrough of surgery
A: A


Question: Do youwanttoimprovetheway youstudy? Do you feel nervous before a test? Many students say that a lack of concentration is their biggest problem. It seriously affects their ability tostudy, sodotheir test results.If so, use these tips tohelpyou. Study Techniques         *You should always study in the same place. You shouldn't sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don't watch TV while youare studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if youattempttostudyin thisway. Always try tohave a white wall in front ofyou, so there is nothingtodistract(make less concentrated) you.  *Your eyes will become tired if youtrytoread a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book at an angle of 30 degrees. *Don't try to complete too much in one study period.  Finish one thing before beginning another.If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes. Test-taking skills         *All your hard work will be for nothing if youare too nervoustotake your test. Getting plenty of rest is very important. This means donotstudyall night before your test! It is a better ideatohave a  long-termstudyplan. Try tomake a timetable for yourstudywhich lasts for a few months.         *Exercise is a great waytoreduce pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also  improveyour concentration. Eat healthy food too.         *When youarrive intheexamination room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and deeply. Check thetime ontheclock duringthetest, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give thetest paper your undivided attention. Which of the following is not included in the lips? A) Reference books. B) Healthy food. C) Proper timetable. D) Enough rest.
Answer: A


(Q).
Mary likes to invent things. She creates a new language and teaches it to her friend, Jean. Mary and Jean like to talk to each other in their own language because they think no one understands them and it is funny. When they go shopping, they say things like: "Look! He is fat." "This CD is awful." "I want to eat free hamburgers." A clerk comes but he can't understand what they say. He asked them: "May I help you?" Mary and Jean just laugh. What fun it is to create something new. Which is Mary's invention? A) Teaching her friend. B) A new language. C) Go shopping. D) Making hamburgers.
(A).

B