(Question)
When a rare disease ALD threatened to kill the four-year-old boy Lorenzo, his parents refused to give up hope. Doctors explained that there was no cure for ALD, and that he would probably die within three years. But Lorenzo's parents set out to prove the doctors wrong. The parents devoted themselves to keeping their son alive and searching for a cure. But doctors and the families of other ALD patients often refused to take them seriously. They thought the efforts to find a cure were a waste of time, and drug companies weren't interested in supporting research into such a rare disease. However, the parents still refused to give up and spent every available hour in medical libraries and talking to anyone who would help. Through trial and error, they finally created a cure from ingredients   commonly found in the kitchen. The cure, named "Lorenzo's Oil", saved the boy's life. Despite the good results, scientists and doctors remained unconvinced. They said there was no real evidence that the oil worked and that the treatment was just a theory. As a result, some families with ALD children were reluctant to try it. Finally, the boy's father organized an international study to test the oil. After ten years of trials, the answer is: the oil keeps ALD children healthy. The families of other ALD patients thought that   _   . A) the research for the new cure would cost too much money B) the efforts of Lorenzo's parents were a waste of time C) Lorenzo's parents would succeed in finding a cure D) Lorenzo's oil was a real cure for ALD
(Answer)
B


(Question)
An evergreen tree is a Christmas tradition in many American homes. The tree is usually a pine or fir dressed with lights and other color1ful decorations. Families might buy a cut tree or go to a tree farm and cut one down themselves. Some people bring a live tree in a pot into their home for the holidays and then put it back outdoors. Some people rent a Christmas tree. Companies might bring the same live tree to the same family year after year. Or the tree might get planted in a park or someplace else where it could help the environment. There are some trees that can be reused year after year because they are made of plastic or metal. Or, instead of a tree, some people have a small, sweet-smelling rosemary   plant, cut to look like a little Christmas tree. Another plant that many people connect with Christmas is the poinsettia  . Poinsettias are native to Mexico. They can be white or pink, but most are bright red. They are named after the first American ambassador to Mexico. Joel Poinsett liked them enough to send some back to the United States. Babies or pets that chew on poinsettias might get sick. But experts say the plant is not as poisonous as some people think. Like millions of other houses, the home of America's first president is decorated for Christmas. George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate is in Virginia. Visitors can hear stories about what Christmas was like at Mount Vernon in the eighteenth century. The museum where visitors begin their tour is decorated with Christmas trees. Which of the following is TRUE about poinsettias? A) American people like them. B) They are considered to be very poisonous by experts. C) They are not widely used as Christmas trees. D) They can only make the old and pets sick.
(Answer)
A


(Question)
What is great art? On the one hand, we can all see that great art is old art which is called great. But how do we know which art of our own times is great, and which will be forgotten? And who decides? These are important questions, for the great art of the past often was not considered great during its own time. When Shakespeare and Charles Dickens were writing, for example, most critics considered them as hack   writers with little or no literary ability. Similarly, Van Gogh and many of the other Impressionist painters of the late nineteenth century were not allowed to participate in events involving what were thought to be the "real" painters of the time, and often they were very poor. Yet today their paintings often sell for millions of dollars, while those so-called "real" painters are now barely remembered. So what makes great art? Can, for example, rock music be great art? Music videos? Cartoons and comics? Those who call themselves critics of the fine arts often have been the last to recognize great art in the past, and we can probably expect this to be the situation today. Critics often don't recognize great art because they tend to be prejudiced against what is popular. Popular works, whether they are novels, movies, or comics, are usually considered to be produced for the sake of money only, and not for the sake of art. But popularity, it seems to me, is one of the three signs that a present-day work of art may come to be thought of as great. The other two are that it is groundbreaking, and that it is inherently   beautiful. Many works have one or even two of these qualities of being popular, unusual, and beautiful. But having all the three often will mean that a work of art will someday be seen to be great, though it may take a good spoonful of time, such as a century or two, to know for sure. What can be inferred from the passage? A) Critics have changed their attitudes to great works. B) Most of the opinions of critics are valueless. C) The work of art itself, not the critics, determines its greatness. D) Works of Impressionist painters will be great one day.
(Answer)

C