Question: For many people,volunteering is a way of life.Holidays are the time of the year that more people are in a giving mood.Homeless shelters,children's hospitals,and nursing homes are excellent places to give of one's time. Volunteering in Homeless Shelters There is a homeless directory online that anyone can easily access to find the closest homeless shelter to their home.According to the homeless shelter directory,currently there are 3,233 shelters in the US,so it is not difficult to find a shelter.Helping to serve food,picking up donations of food,preparing meals,and cleaning up are things that one can do to help at a homeless shelter. Volunteering in Children's Hospitals Every child needs comfort and joy,especially during the holiday seasons.By visiting sick children in hospitals,an individual provides helping hands by supplementing the services usually done by the hospital staff.Personalizing the hospital experience adds to the comfort and happiness of the children and their families.Volunteers provide help,and positive interactions   which enhance the patient's quality of care.Help is needed almost everywhere in a hospital;from the lobby,parking lot,cafeteria,to admitting,helping with the gift cart,and even reading to children in the waiting rooms or their hospital rooms. Volunteering in Nursing Homes According to the National Center for Health Statistics,"Over 50% of those living in nursing homes do not have close relatives and 46% have no living children." Life in a nursing home is lonely,confusing,and frightening for many residents. Volunteering at a nursing home is a great opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life.Playing cards,sitting with and talking to a resident,taking a walk,or sharing a meal makes a huge difference,especially when they have no other sole on earth to visit them. The three examples above are only a small fraction of institutions in which volunteers are needed.Giving of oneself,especially during the holidays blesses and cheers others. In a children's hospital,which of the following is true? A) Over 50% of those living there do not have relatives. B) A personal visit brings happiness to a sick boy. C) Children live a lonely and frightening life. D) Children love listening to volunteers' reading.
Answer: B

Question: American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing. After World War II, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents became wealthier. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs .  Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers. This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s , many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities. Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying . Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again. What does the author think of cities all over the world? A) They are alive. B) They are hopeless. C) They are similar. D) They are different.
Answer: C

Question: Before my first summer vacation at college, my roommate Ted asked to me to work with him on his father's farm in Argentina. The idea of spending two months in Argentine was exciting. Then I began having second thoughts. I had never been far from New England, and I had been homesick my first few weeks at college. What would it be like in a strange country? What about the language? The more I thought about it, the more the idea worried me.  In the end I turned down the invitation. As soon as Ted asked somebody else to go, I began kicking myself. I had turned down something I wanted to do because I was scared, and had ended up feeling depressed. That unhappy summer taught me a valuable lesson out of which I developed a rule for myself: do what makes you anxious; don't do what makes you depressed.  At the end of my senior year, I began to think about becoming a writer. But my professor was urging me to aim at teaching. I hesitated. The idea of trying to live by writing was a lot scarier than spending a summer in Argentina. Back and forth I went, making my decision, unmaking it. Suddenly I realized that every time I gave up the idea of writing, that downhearted feeling went through me. Giving up on what I really wanted to do depressed me. Right then I learned another lesson. To avoid that kind of depression meant having to bear a certain amount of worry and concern. When I first began writing articles, I was frequently required to interview big names. Before each interview I would get butterflies in the stomach and my hands would shake. One person I particularly admired was the great composer Duke Ellington. On the stage and on television, he seemed the very model of confidence. Then I learned Ellington still got stage fright. If the highly honored Ellington, who had appeared on the bandstand some 10,000 times over 30years, had anxiety attacks, who was I to think I could avoid them? I went on doing those frightening interviews. Then I realized to my astonishment that I was even looking forward to the interviews.... Which of the following opinions does the author probably accept? A) Hesitation leads to depression. B) Anxiety can be a positive drive C) Avoiding anxiety reduces depression. D) Depression is a signal that one is growing up.
Answer:
B