Q: David is an excellent student and he comes from New York. His family was there until he finished eighth grade. David had no choice but to sleep on park benches. Being alone on the streets was scary. One thing kept David going: his determination to do well in school. Even though many things were difficult in David's life, one thing was going very well. David was accepted to a special high school called MC2STEM.It is a public school in Cleveland for kids who are extremely good at science. The school turned out a peaceful place for David. He especially enjoyed having the chance to learn by doing lots of projects. High school wasn't easy. But David says that the school helped him set high standards for himself. Even when he didn't have a place to stay at night, David kept his focus on his schoolwork. While he was homeless, David would sometimes sleep in the park during the day because it was safer. " If you sleep in the daytime in the park, people won't bother you," he says. "you're just taking a nap. It's acceptable." Then David would study through the night. He showered at a friend's house when his friend's parents were at work. All his hard work paid off. In May 2011, David graduated second in his high school class. He was accepted to 22 colleges. He also won a scholarship form the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It will pay for all his college expenses. Last fall, David began attending Harvard University, one of the top colleges in the US."I found the perfect school for me." He wrote in his blog. In the future, David might look for a job at a company like Google. Even better, he would like to start his own company. David says, " I want to work for myself." What's the best title for the passage? A) A top University B) A Poor Student C) Homeless to Harvard D) Winning a Scholarship
A: C


Q: In the 1960s Professor Bolin predicted   that the "greenhouse effect", caused by an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, would lead to important changes in the Earth's climate. At the time his prediction were regarded as science fiction. But it is now gradually agreed that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will double from 0.03% to 0.06% in the next 50 years and that temperatures worldwide will rise by 2degC. Although a temperature rise of 2deg may not seem significant, the local effects may be much greater: in polar regions a rise of 10deg by 2025 is expected and in Northern Europe a rise of 4deg. Indeed the first effects were expected to be felt before the end of the 20th century. But how does the "greenhouse effect" _ and why should such a tiny proportion   of CO2have such a harmful effect? When living creatures breathe out or when things are burned, CO2enters the atmosphere. Until recently all of this was absorbed by plants, which converted   it back into oxygen. However, the balance of nature has been disturbed. In power stations, in factories and in our cars, we are burning more and more fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and this produces huge quantities of CO2--18 billion tons of it enter the atmosphere every year. Added to this, the destruction of forests means that less CO2can be converted into oxygen by plants. So, the amount of CO2in the atmosphere is increasing every year. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A) Only a small portion of the atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide. B) Professor Bolin's predictions were taken seriously in the first place. C) No changes in climate will become noticeable for 50 years or more. D) The rise in temperature will probably be 2 degrees in every part of the world.
A: A


Q: The playwright George Bernard Shaw once said humorously, "England and America are two nations divided by a common language. If he were writing today, he might add 'divided by a common technology--- e-mail'". Two completely different styles of e-mail have formed on either side of the Atlantic-Euromail and Amerimail. Americail is informal and chatty. It's likely to begin with a "Hi" and end with a "Bye". The chances of Amerimail containing a smiley face or an "xoxo" are disturbingly high. We Americans are unwilling to dive into the meat of an e-mail. We feel we have to first inform recipients   about our vacation on the island which was really excellent except the jellyfish were biting and the kids caught a cold, so we had to skip the whale watching trip, then about that investors ' meeting in New York. Amerimail is a bundle of contradictions, casual and yet direct, respectful yet over proud. In other words, Amerimail is America. Euromail is stiff and cold often beginning with a formal "Dear Mr. X" and ending with a simple "Sincerely". You won't find any mention of kids or the weather or jellyfish in Euromail. It's all business. It's also slow. Your correspondent might take days even weeks to answer a message. Euromail is exactly like the Europeans themselves. Recently about 100 managers were asked on both sides of the Atlantic whether they noticed differences in e-mail styles. Most said yes. Here are a few of their observations: "Americans tend to write (e-mail) exactly as they speak." "Why don't you just call me instead of writing five e-mails back and forth?" "Europeans are less interested in checking e-mail". "In general, Americans are much more responsive to e-mail--they respond faster and provide more information." So which is better, Euromail or Amerimail? I realized it's not popular these days to suggest we have anything to learn from Europeans, but I'm fed up with an inbox filled with casual, barely meaningful e-mails from friends and colleagues. If the alternative is a few earnestly written, carefully... What are characteristics of Amerimail? A) Stiff and cold B) Casual and indirect C) Informal and chatty D) Formal and direct

A: C