Ques:I have never understood why so many people visit Rome from late spring to early autumn, when traffic, heat and stressed shopkeepers and waiters lead to the lower tone of the city. Things improve a little in March, April, October and November. But connoisseurs  know that winter is the best time to go there. In winter, the low-flying sun turns Rome into a wonderful stage set. There are days in winter when the sky is kind of blue. And there are also days when you find that you have beautiful sights all to yourself. Perhaps the only period you might want to avoid is the two weeks before Christmas. Italians often leave their shopping late, and traffic in the city is often heavy. But this can also be a good time to come if you are more interested in culture than in fashion shops; if you stay somewhere central, you can beat the traffic by walking everywhere. Christmas in Rome is a low-key  family event. One of the nice things is the way the city keeps going. Although museums and shops are closed, many bars and restaurants stay open, and public transport continues to run. If you are lucky with the weather, it's in January and February that Rome is at its best. Late February can be especially attractive. One sometimes forgets what a difference that extra hour of daylight makes compared with mid-December. And there are always a few days of proper sunshine, when you can picnic in Villa Borghese and Pompeii. In which part of a newspaper would you most probably read this passage? A) Business. B) Travel. C) Kids. D) Eudcation.

Ans:B
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Ques:A job is more than a job, especially to the old. "It's not the money that matters, but the sense of self-worth," 56-year-old Cheng Wonlan said. So, every day Ms Cheng carries a bag of parcels, letters and documents and does her rounds in North Point. She's a courier . Five years ago, Ms Cheng was a nurse at a private clinic. She had worked there for 30 years but became jobless when the doctor moved away. It was difficult for her to find another job as a nurse. "People do not trust my ability when they learn how old I am," she said. After two years of searching, she eventually found another nursing job. But then after two years, she quit. Why? "My colleagues were young and they didn't understand me because of my age. They often asked me, 'You are so old. What are you working for?' I was very unhappy," she said. When the rest of her family left for work, she was lonely and bored at home. Then her neighbours told her about Employees' Retraining Board offering retraining courses for older people. These courses are specifically designed to encourage the older people back to work. "I was interested in courier work. I didn't think my age was a barrier  because I was fit," she said. Upon graduating, Ms Cheng was offered a job by a company. But then Ms Cheng was faced with a conflict: she was caught between honour and employment. "I felt embarrassed about carrying and delivering letters and parcels," she said. It took Ms Cheng 24 hours to make up her mind: there was nothing wrong or embarrassing about doing the job. So she went off to work as a courier. Ms Cheng's employer, Anthony Chong, is delighted with her responsible attitude and said, "I hire older people because they are able and reliable. Age is not an important factor but attitude is. Many old people will not run from difficulties but the young ones will." Why was it difficult for Ms Cheng to find another nursing job? A) Nursing clinics were hard to find. B) She found it difficult to trust others. C) People thought she was too old to work. D) People didn't think she had enough work experience.

Ans:C
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Ques:London is the capital of Britain. It is located in the southeast plain of England. The Thames River goes through this city. The British have lived there for about 3,000 years. The Roman Empire intruded into  Britannia Island in 54 BC. The Romans built the first wooden bridge over the Thames River. London is a world-famous cultural city. There are many famous cultural sites. It is one of the world's great tourist destinations. About eight million people visit London every year. The largest museum is the British Museum, which was built in the 18th century. There are many ancient cultural relics of Britain and of other countries in the museum. The London Tower stands on the southeast of Tower Mountain. It was once a palace, and it is now an exhibition center. Westminster Hall is located on the west bank of the Thames River and was built in 750 AD. It is the largest Gothic building of the world and was a palace in the past, too. The Clock Tower, which is about 97 meters high, is located northeast of the parliament. The famous "Big Ben" weighs about 21 tons and its big pendulum is about 305 kilograms. Hyde Park is one of the great parks in the world and it is in the west district of London. There is a free forum  there and some people give speeches there every week. They can say almost anything, but they can't attack the Queen or support violent revolution. This passage is most probably taken from a website about   _   . A) traveling B) kids C) museums D) Holidays

Ans:A
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Ques:Here's the travel plan for some museums on our "Museums of the World" tour. The Museum of Bad Art (Boston, USA) shows what it describes as "art too bad to be ignored". The museum hopes to bring the worst of art to the widest possible audience and has even published a book of its most "important" works. As part of the visit, we'll be shown some truly awful portraits, landscapes and sculptures. The Washington Banana Museum (Auburn, Washington, USA) contains 4,000 objects related to the history of what the museum describes as "the world's most perfect fruit". We'll be given a guided tour around the museum, during which we'll learn all sorts of interesting things, such as the fact that bananas were introduced to the USA in 1878 in the same exhibition as Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, and that the banana is now the US' number-one selling fruit. The Hair Museum (Avanos, Turkey) is located in a cave in Cappadocia, in Central Anatolia. It contains 160,000 samples of people's hair. You'll be offered a chance to add your own hair to the collection. Later in the year, the museum curator selects 10 donors to attend a pottery workshop. If you're one of them, you'll be invited to stay in his guest house. The museum du Slip (Brussels, Belgium) is devoted to underwear. The idea behind the museum is that everyone is equal in their underwear. You'll be fascinated to know that it has collected samples from all sorts of people, including artists, politicians and pop stars. The Museum de Carrosses Funebres (Barcelona, Spain) is a museum of funeral hearses  . It takes a look at how local people have been transported to their funerals since the 19th century. During the tour, we'll be provided with a fascinating insight into how the people of Barcelona viewed death. Among the 1,000 or so exhibits, pride of place goes to a "flap-coffin", which is a reusable coffin from the 18th century. Which of the following words can best describe the museums? A) Well-known B) Traditional C) Ancient D) Unusual

Ans:
D
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