My high school life has been filled with many ups and downs, whether it was social or academic. Even though my current high school was not my first choice, I never regretted attending Southside High School. "Since you have chosen it, then it is the best for you," said my parents. Up until the junior year I did not realize my capabilities   as a student. Being in the IB Program, I was told that my junior year would be the toughest in all the years of high school. With this "little" piece of information, I walked into my junior year, scared of my grades. As weeks went by, I started to believe that the junior year was not as hard as everyone had said, but I was wrong. My grades were rapidly declining  and by the end of the first term I had had five Cs in seven of my classes! I could not believe it --- I did not want to believe it. I tried my best to get my grades up myself without any help from anyone, but my pride just made my grades worse. And I had to miss out on one of the most important speech and debate competitions all year: States. I was heartbroken. I realized that I could not survive my junior year on my own, so I had to get help fast. Once I got a tutor, my grades went from Cs, Ds, and even some Fs, to nothing but As and Bs. I slowly started to gain my confidence back in all of my classes and even myself. By the time the third and fourth quarter came around, I had been on the honor roll twice, and I was receiving awards from speeches and debates, tennis and school. Southside has taught me to always keep my head up and never give up on myself no matter what life throws at me. I am proud to be a Southside Tiger. How did the writer feel when she walked into her junior year? A) Confident. B) Worried C) Curious. D) Uninterested.
B


(Question)
In 1939 two brothers, Mac and Dick McDonald, started a drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. They carefully chose a busy corner for their location. They had run their own businesses for years, first a theater, then a barbecue restaurant, then another drive-in. But in their new operation, they offered a new, shortened menu: French fries, hamburgers, and sodas. To this small selection they added one new idea: quick service,no waiters or waitresses, and no tips. Their hamburgers were sold for fifteen cents. Cheese was another four cents. Their French fries and hamburgers had a remarkable uniformity , for the brothers had developed a strict routine for the preparation of their food, and they insisted on their cooks' sticking to their routine. Their new drive-in became surprisingly popular, particularly for lunch. People drove up by the hundred during the busy noontime. The self-service restaurant was so popular that the brothers had allowed ten copies of their restaurant to be opened. They were content with this modest success until they met Ray Kroc. Kroc was a salesman who met the McDonald brothers in 1954 when he was selling milkshake-mixing machines. He quickly saw the special attraction of the brothers' fast-food restaurants and bought the right to franchise other copies of their restaurants. The agreement included the right to duplicate  the menu, the equipment, even their red and white buildings the golden arches . Today McDonald's is really a household name. In 1976, McDonald's had over$1 billion in total sales. Its first twenty-two years is one of the most surprising successes in modern American business history. Which of the following statement is NOT true? A) Today McDonald's is very popular in the world. B) The first twenty-two years of McDonald's is the most surprising success in American business history. C) Mac and Dick McDonald were content with their business at first. D) It is convenient to eat in a drive-in.
(Answer)
B


Ques: A Chinese actor's divorce from his wife has social media buzzing, with posts about the subject gaining over five billion views. WangBaoqiang announced online on Sunday that he was divorcing his wife, Ma Rong. He alleged that his marriage broke down after his wife had an affair with his agent, and that she had also transferred the couple's joint assets. The topic has sparked a debate about relationships and divorce, and it seems Wang's predicament  has struck a chord with  many -- which could explain the number of views, which are high even by Chinese standards. What exactly are they saying? Chinese netizens seem to have rallied around Wang, with topics like #WangDon'tCry# #WangWeSupportYou#, quickly trending after news of the divorce spread. Statistics by Weibo showed that 87% of netizens' posts condemned Ma for her affair, saying it had shattered her family. Some have even published her home address online. "Wang is a hardworking man from a rural area. She cheated an honest man. I hate these kinds of people,"said one commenter on weibo. But why are they so interested? No other celebrity divorce or marriage has ever caused such a big stir on Chinese social media. On the surface, this might seem like just another Chinese celebrity split. But what is it about this one that's got all of China ruffled up? Some people feel that this divorce seems to fit a certain trope -- of a beautiful but ordinary girl marrying a rich but less good-looking man. It is not uncommon to hear the belief that a couple has to "match" at every level -- be it in status, or physical appearance -- for a relationship to work out. "The concept of being evenly matched is still one that is widely believed in China," Dr Mu Zheng, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology at the National University of Singapore told the BBC's Yvette Tan. It's also making people talk about divorce. A lot of social media discussion has also centred around divorce, and in particular how people can protect themselves. Wang has alleged that his wife transferred... Which section can you find this news in a newspaper? A) Society B) Science C) Culture D) Economy
Ans: A


Ques:DEAR AMY: Last year I got a full-time job as a baby-sitter for a wonderful family with two amazing kids. They have come to treat me as one of their own. But my boyfriend and I are attempting to save much more money for the life we want to build, including marriage, a house and kids. Much as I love my "babies," I'm looking forward to beginning a challenging career in a big company. Should I tell the family that I am looking for a new job? I don't want to find one that requires me to begin work immediately, leaving them without child care, but I also don't want them to assume that I'm leaving right away. Up-in-the-Air Au Pair DEAR AU PAIR: Whatever your arrangement, it is reasonable for them to expect you to be honest and _ They see that you are making changes in your life, and surely they will also understand your desire to advance in a career. Tell them frankly and they should be happy to employ you as long as you are available. Amy DEAR AMY: I am a freshman in a high school. Last summer my best friend was diagnosed with skin cancer. It isn't very serious, but she seems to be becoming more and more depressed. How can I help her be happy again? Best Friend DEAR FRIEND: Your best role is to prop up and encourage your friend when she seems down, and to be supportive and kind to her. You're doing a great job with that, and your friend is lucky to have you in her life. Amy In which column of a newspaper can we probably find the passage? A) Jobs B) culture C) Life D) Entertainment

Ans:
C