(Q).
One afternoon, after finishing shopping in a supermarket, my family and I went to the checkout. I suddenly thought we didn't need any of the junk, and we abandoned all of those, saving $300. That got me thinking about all our pointless expenses in life. With a promise that we'd stop if it was killing us, I convinced the family to take the leap into frugality . The rules were that we would buy nothing for 30 days except absolutely essentials. Our adventure began with a great start. By 9 a.m., my wife, Ruth, had already made cakes from old strawberries and picked flowers I didn't even know we had in the garden. I cleared the car by hand for the first time for years. I read and returned the neighbor's newspaper before he woke up. Total spending on the first day: $0. As days turned into weeks, we became so proficient  at living frugally. We started riding our bikes to save gas. My child's finger painting was recycled as gift wrap for the homemade presents. We started to use an Internet application like Skype for free phone calls and ask neighbors with gardens for extra vegetables and herbs. In the end, we saved more than $2000 by not spending for a month. When we began, I imagined we would rush out the moment we were done and buy a lot of things in the supermarket, then maybe hit the mall or go to the movies. This passage is mainly about   _  . A) how a family managed their daily life B) a family's no-buying try C) a family's way of solving life problems D) how a new idea came up
(A).
B


(Q).
On an elementary school playground, hundreds of children run and jump, smiling and laughing as they play. Watching sea otters  playing in their own environment is like watching children at play. Sea otters, which are presently on the endangered species list, are experiencing an increase in population. Groups of sea otters live on the shores of the North Pacific Ocean. They are seldom found far from land but almost spend their entire lives at sea. The otter has been known to dive as deep as 180 feet and stay underwater as long as minutes. Each day the sea otter eats as much as one-fifth of its body weight in fish or shellfish. Not only are sea otters playful, they are also amazingly resourceful. Their favorite food, abalone  , is protected by a thick shell that sea otters are unable to break with their teeth. Sea otters use stones from the ocean floor and break the abalone open on their bellies  as they move slowly across the surface of the water on their backs, a behavior that makes them one of only a few animals on Earth, including human beings, to use tools! Their intelligence is also displayed while sleeping. In order not to move into dangerous waters, sea otters actually cover themselves with plants on the sea, which keep them in place before falling asleep. Because sea otters have a special means of keeping insulated , they can keep their body heat in their cold environment. They have unbelievably fine fur  that traps tiny bubbles, and that keeps them comfortable when warmed by body heat. However, their fur loses this insulating quality if it becomes dirty. Sea otters have faced dangers from hunters in the past and from oil spills more recently. Fortunately, due to a 1911 agreement and to rescue and habitat protection efforts, the sea otter population has nearly recovered. We can learn from the passage that sea otters   _  . A) mostly stay on the land B) like sleeping among stones C) are increasing in population D) usually hide themselves under plants in the sea.
(A).
C


(Q).
The US will seek to expand its own oil production in an attempt to reduce dependence on imported oil and bring down fuel prices , President Obama says . New contracts for exploration will be signed in non-protected areas of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico. In his weekly speech , the President insisted the US could reduce its need for imported oil and improve safety. Using his speech to tell Americans that he understood their concerns about rising prices, President Obama focused particularly on the price of fuel, which has risen in recent months. US consumers have historically enjoyed cheap fuel , but have seen prices rise in recent months even though US oil production in 2010 reached its highest level for seven years. Although the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was serious, Mr Obama said the Gulf remained a key part of the country's future energy supply. The President's proposals  come after Republicans   introduced a series of proposals that would expand and speed up oil and gas production. The White House has criticized the Republican proposals for safety reasons , but Mr Obama was clear in his speech that he felt safety and environmental standards could be maintained even though production might rise. " I believe that we should continue to expand oil production in America --even as we increase safety and environmental standards ,"he said. "As a nation, we should be investing in the clean, renewable sources of energy that are the solution to high gas prices." Mr Obama has previously called for a step-change in energy policy, saying the US must move towards getting 80%of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. What can we learn from the text ? A) The US has got most of its electricity from clean energy. B) US oil production is too small to keep the present low fuel prices. C) The US produced the most oil in 2010 in its history. D) The Gulf is still important in energy supply in spite of the oil spill in 2010.
(A).

D