Ques: Dear Sir, I am writing to express my concern about the plans to build a motorway near our village. Haldersham is one of the loveliest villages in England. It is peaceful and quiet, and it is situated in a very attractive valley. There are also several beautiful countryside walks in the surroundings, with a view of many rare trees and plants. Most of the people who live in Haldersham have moved here from other places, often from London and other big cities. They have bought houses here to live in a place far away from the noise and the stress of the big city. They paid a lot of money for their houses, but they knew they would get a high quality of life for it. If the planned motorway is built, life in Haldersham will change greatly. There will be a lot of noise around us, and nobody will want to go on the walks. House prices will certainly go down, because nobody will want to buy houses in a place close to a motorway. Haldersham will become an ugly place. I don't think any of the people living in this beautiful village want that, and we all believe exposure to noise pollution can have a direct influence on our health. So, let's all tell the politicians who support the motorway plans what we think about them! Yours faithfully, Hilary Riley Many people move to Haldersham because_. A) it has a good environment B) it is not far away from big cities C) they want to be a help to the village D) they prefer to study rare plants in this area
Ans: A

Ques: Every culture has a recognized point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests passed. In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have their license, they drive into the grown-up world. "Nobody wants to ride the cheese bus to school," said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She brought the pressure back to memory, especially from kids from wealthier families. "It's like you're not cool if you don't have a car," she said. According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19-year-olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay. Not all families can afford cars for their children. In cities with subways and limited parking, some teenagers don't want them. But in rich suburban areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car. But police say 16-year-olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many parents pause before letting their kids drive. Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17 to apply for his learner's permit. Chad said he has accepted his parents' decision, although it has caused some teasing from his friends. "They say that I am unlucky," he said, "But I'd rather be alive than driving, and I don't really trust my friends on the road, either." In China, as more families get cars, more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an adult? When Chad said "I don't really trust my friends ...", he meant that  _ A) he might run into his friends if he drove B) he didn't agree with his friends C) he might not be safe if his friends drove D) he was afraid that his friends might well lie to him
Ans: C

Ques: Have you eaten too much over the holidays? You should try fidgeting for a while. Those around you might not like it, but scratching (moving your nails against a part of your body) and twitching (moving suddenly and quickly when you don't want to) is an important way of burning up calories .  American researchers have found that some people's squirming (continuously turn your body when nervous) and wigging (move in small movements, especially from side to side) equals several miles of slow running each day.  The scientists, based at the National Institute of Health's laboratory in Phenix, Arizona, are studying why some people get fat and other stay slim.   In one study 177 people each spent 24 hours in a room in the institute where the amount of energy is measured by their oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. By the end of the day, some people had burned up 800 calories in toe-tapping, (moving the front part of your foot up and down) finger-drumming (hitting your fingers continuously and lightly against something hard) and other nervous habits. However, others had burned up only 100 calories.   The researchers found that slim women fidget more than fat women, but there was no significant difference in men. Heavy people burn up more energy when they fidget than thin people do. If someone is thin in a pleasant way, we say they are   _  . A) skinny B) bony C) slim D) underweight
Ans: C

Ques: I discovered the power of fear when I became stuck to my driveway, as if my feet were crazy--glued to the cement .As much as I tried, I could not move them. The realization that my daughters were playing in Nancy's house, just one-half block away, paralyzed  my legs, making me unable to move when I neared the end of our driveway. Dense, black smoke was rising from behind the Sycamore Maple trees on the other side of the street and was enveloping three houses, making them barely visible. Nancy's house was one of them. I tried to call out for my daughters hoping to see them run safely to my arms, but my voice was also stuck - stuck in my throat with no intention of coming out. There I stood, helpless, paralyzed and silenced by fear, unable to protect the two little girls I loved more than even I had realized. Although trapped in a body that couldn't move or speak, I could still hear. I could hear other mothers anxiously calling their children. I could hear a frightening silence that covered the neighborhood instead of the usual happy voices of children. And, finally, I could hear the alarm of the fire engine. As the alarm announced, "We're on our way," it instantly dissolved the crazy glue that had held my feet to the cement and it unlocked the soundproof box that had silenced my voice. I was free to make sure my daughters were safe. As I continued down the driveway, two little girls, my two little girls, ran toward me from across the street. They had come home to tell me about the fire in the garage next to Nancy's house. Not only did my feet and voice work now, but my eyes were also in good working order and had no trouble producing tears. What does the author suggest at the end of the story? A) She burst into tears of relief and happiness. B) She was really thankful to see her girls saved. C) She was too excited to believe what she saw. D) She overcame her fear and fully recovered,
Ans:
A