Question: Jason had been watching the X Games on TV. Athletes from all over the world were competing in the most amazing sports. Just then his grandmother walked into the room. "I want to be extreme. Would you really let me do that? You always worry about my safety!" said Jason. "You will have to follow some rules," said his grandmother. "You can only ride in the park -- never on the streets. You have to promise to wear a helmet  . If you hurt yourself too much, I have the right to take your skateboard away. Is it a deal?" "You bet!" Jason was so excited that he jumped off the sofa. A week later he had a board and a helmet. On Saturday, his grandmother dropped him off near the park. He was happy to have a grandmother who let him try new things. Kids in the park were moving quickly up and down the ramps  . They flew into the air and landed as easily as birds. When he watched the X games, Jason felt like he was doing the tricks himself. But watching these kids up close, he knew that none of it was going to be easy. He felt a little bit scared. Very slowly he carried his board to the ramp. Taking a deep breath, he put his right foot on the board. He kicked off with his left foot. For a few seconds he glided   along, just waiting to fall. Then he came to a stop. Kicking off again, he waited for the worst to happen. Again, he stayed up. The third time he kicked, lost his balance, and fell hard on his left knee. It hurt, but it was no big deal! Why had he been so scared? Now he felt calm because things had gone wrong, and he was fine! Next time he kicked off harder and went fast and farther. "Excellent!" said a girl as she passed him. "Extreme!" laughed Jason to himself. "Not quite." The girl praised Jason for his   _  . A) skill B) honesty C) courage D) kindness
Answer: A

Question: In the early days of nuclear power, the United States make money on it. But today opponents   have so complicated its development that no nuclear plants have been ordered or built here in 12 years. The greatest fear of nuclear power opponents has always been a reactor "meltdown". Today, the chances of a meltdown that would threaten U.S. public health are very little. But to even further reduce the possibility, engineers are testing new reactors that rely not on human judgment to shut them down but on the laws of nature. Now General Electric is already building two advanced reactors in Japan. But don't expect them even on U.S. shores unless things change in Washington.  The procedure for licensing nuclear power plants is a bad dream. Any time during, or even after, construction, an objection by any group or individual can bring everything to a stop while the matter is investigated or taken to court. Meanwhile, the builder must add nice-but-not-necessary improvements, some of which force him to knock down walls and start over. In every case when a plant has been opposed, the Nuclear Regulation Commission has ultimately granted a license to construct or operate. But the victory often costs so much that the utility ends up abandoning the plant anyway. A case in point is the Shoreham plant on New York's Long Island. Shoreham was a virtual twin to the Millstone plant in Connecticut, both ordered in the mid-60s. Millstone, completed for $101 million, has been generating electricity for two decades. Shoreham, however, was singled out by antinuclear activists who, by sending in endless protests, drove the cost over $5 billion and delayed its use for many years. Shoreham finally won its operation license. But the plant has never produced a watt power. Governor Mario Cuomo, an opponent of a Shoreham start-up, used his power to force New York's public-utilities commission to accept the following settlement: the power company could pass the cost of Shoreham along to its consumers only if it agreed not to operate the... Governor Mario Cuomo's chief intention in proposing the settlement was to   _  . A) stop the Shoreham plant from going into operation B) urge the power company to further increase its power supply C) permit the Shoreham plant to operate under certain conditions D) help the power company to solve its financial problems
Answer: A

Question: Grammar is the system of a language. People sometimes describe grammar as the "rules" of a language; but in fact no language has rules. If we use the word "rules", we suggest that somebody created the rules first and then spoke the language, like a new game. But languages did not start like that. Languages started by people making sounds which evolved   into words, phrases and sentences. No commonly-spoken language is fixed. All languages change over time. What we call "grammar" is simply a reflection   of a language at a particular time. Do we need to study grammar to learn a language? The short answer is "no". Very many people in the world speak their own, native language without having studied its grammar. Children start to speak before they even know the word"grammar". But if you are serious about learning a foreign language, the long answer is "yes, grammar can help you to learn a language more quickly and more efficiently." It's important to think of grammar as something that can help you, like a friend. When you understand the grammar (or system) of a language, you can understand many things yourself, without having to ask a teacher or look in a book. So think of grammar as something good, something positive, something that you can use to find your way---like a signpost  or a map. Except invented languages like Esperanto . And if Esperanto were widely spoken, its rules would soon be very different. What is the author's attitude towards grammar learning? A) He is against grammar learning. B) He is in favor of grammar learning. C) His attitude is objective . D) His attitude is unknown to us.
Answer:
C