I was born an albino.No one in my family had ever known what an albino was,what it meant to be an albino,and what had to be done differently because I was an albino.  My parents treated me just like they treated everybody else.That was just about the best thing they could have done.It helped me trust myself,so when the annoyances came along,I could deal with them.  True,my photo always looked like a snowball with two pieces of coal for eyes.Kids would tease me,asking if I was joining the circus and calling me "Whitey".Like most albinos,I had terrible eyesight,and my grades suffered until eventually I overcame my feeling ashamed of myself and realized it was okay to ask to sit in the front of the classroom so I could see the blackboard better.People stared at me when I held reading material right at the tip of my nose so I could see it well enough to read.Even when I was eight or nine.movie-theater clerks started asking me to pay adult prices because I "looked older".  The worst part for me was that because my eyesight was so bad,I couldn't play sports very well.I didn't give up trying,though.And I studied harder.  Eventually,I got better at school and loved it.By the time I got to college 1 was double majoring,going to summer school and devoting myself to every kind of extracurricular activity I could find.I had learned to be proud of being an albino.I did my best to make "albino" a positive word.And I decided to make my living with my eyes.  I couldn't see well enough to play spots,but with a solid education and the drive to do it.I could make a living involved in the field I loved.I've done it now for more than thirty years in print and in video,and now in cyberspace.People make jokes about how I'm the only "blind editor" they know,but most of the time the jokes are signs of respect.And I make jokes about being an albino.  I was just a proud albino kid from the coal country of Pennsylvania.I now realize that being born an albino helped me to overcome difficulties,gain confidence,and be proud of my personal... Why are people's jokes about the author mostly signs of respect? A) Because he is an albino. B) Because he has a solid education. C) Because they think he is a great "blind editor". D) Because they think he is proud of his achievement.
C


Paris Passengers carried per day: 4.4m Cost of ticket: 80p flat fare Length: 131 miles    Lines: 14   Stations: 297 In Paris there are pleasures for those who use the Metro  -- many of them artistic. The graceful Art Nouveau dragon-fly entrances are just the most noticeable on a Metro system which celebrated its 100thanniversary by spending 30 million francs (PS2.9million) on making its stations works of art. On my way home I pass Bonne Nouvelle station in the heart of Paris's cinema district. There, during the cinema festival this summer, special lighting effects dot the platforms and films are projected onto the large advertising boards. More than anything the metro is efficient. "When I worked on line 4", says a retired driver, "we had exactly 30 minutes and 15 seconds to complete the journey. If it took any longer, they cut our pay." But there are problems. Many Metro stations have too many stairs, and changing lines at big interchanges  can be tiresome. Moscow Passengers carried per day: 9m Cost of ticket: 12p Length: 164 miles    Lines: 11   Stations: 162 The first underground passage for the Moscow Metropolitan started in 1932. Three years later the trains started running. They haven't stopped since-- every 90 seconds or two minutes during rush hour, every five minutes the rest of the time, from 6 a.m. till 1 a. m. There may be a crowd of people but there is seldom a wait. The trains take you through spacious and spotless stations. For tourists it's a major sightseeing attraction: from Russian Art Deco to neo-classical, the Metro stations are not to be missed. Tokyo Passengers carried per day: 7m Cost of ticket: 90p ~ PS1.68 Length: 177 miles    Lines: 12   Stations: 209 Trains do not just arrive on time in Tokyo. They stop right on the platform mark so that passengers can line up knowing exactly where the doors will open. Train driving is a respectful job for life, for which the applicants must pass a strict screening of health checks, interviews and written exams before they can put on the enviable... Metro rail drivers in Paris must  _  . A) keep to the train schedule strictly B) complete the journey gracefully C) stop right on the platform mark D) understand the special lighting
A


Q: I work in a nursing home and my job is to take care of the elderly. This year, a very sweet old lady that I cared for,Alice, had gone through a difficult time .She got _ and so she had been in the hospital twice .In November I was finally able to get her back to her"home". Alice had thought her daughter was coming to visit her on Christmas day and that they were going to have the whole family together like the old days. When she finally realized that that happy moment was not going to happen,she was very sad.Knowing that her daughter was coming after Christmas was not enough to make her feel happy,I hated the idea of her being alone on the holiday! On Christmas Eve,I gave her a surprise by asking if she could like to go to a candlelight service at church that night Instead of taking her to my church,I took her to her old neighborhood church where all her friends were. We got there early and I got her a seat where her friends could see her as they came in.Then soon some of her friends came to the church and they rushed over to greet her and sit with her. The candlelight service was beautiful and Alice got a lot of love from her old and new friends there. The truth of the story is that I am the one who got the best gift: the smile on Alice's face What is the best title for this passage? A) A special candlelight Christmas Eve B) The dream of all old lonely lady C) My special job D) The true love
A: A


Q: Each year on February 2nd, there is special festival called Groundhog Day ( )' forecasting event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. When it comes, people from around the world, including 5,000 in the small town today, watch this tongue-twisting  small town for a sign from one groundhog that supposedly predicts when that years' spring will arrive. If it's a cloudy day outside when the groundhog _ from its cave, then spring will arrive early that year. However, if it is sunny outside, the groundhog will supposedly be scared by its own shadow, hiding underground for six more weeks of cold weather. Of course, Punxsutawney Phil's prediction is no more able to guarantee the extended forecast than your local weatherman. ABC News reports that an analysis by the National Climate Data Center found that Phil's predictions are more often wrong than right. Philis is also found to have made some unpleasant predictions. Ever since 1887, he has predicted 99 extended winters and just 16 early springs .Nine of the years' predictions were unavailable, according to ABC. The holiday began as a German tradition in 18th century and became even more of a cultural phenomenon after the 1993 film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. Punxsutawney Phil has become a celebrity in his own right.  Each year, the fatter animal with long teeth is watched by millions as he emerges from a cave in the town he is named after. Phil has become so beloved by the town that he actually lives in the local library with his "wife" Phyllis. Taking inspiration from the hard state of Bill Murray's character in the classic film, Yahoo contributor Owen Rust says Groundhog Day is a good time to reflect on one's routines. How does Punxsutawney Phil become a celebration? A) By an accident. B) From people's life improving. C) By his own attractive force D) From much money raised by the town.

A: C