Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
            The official residence of the president of the United States is the White House, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, in Washington, D.C. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia held a meeting in 1792 and decided to hold a contest for the best design for the Presidential House. James Hoban, an architect born in Ireland, was the winner. His bid for the construction of the mansion asked for $200,000, but the final cost of the building came to twice that amount. The work on the project began during the same year, and the grounds of approximately one and a half miles west of the Capitol Hill were chosen by Major Pierre-Charles L’Enfant, who was in charge of city planning. However, the construction continued for several more years, and George Washington had stepped down as president before the building was habitable. When John Adams, the second president of the United States and his wife Abigail moved in 1800, only six rooms had been completed.
      The grey sandstone walls of the house were painted white during construction, and the color of the paint gave the building its name. The building was burned on August 24, 1814, and James Hoban reconstructed the house for President James Monroe and his family, who moved there in 1817. The north portico was added to the building in 1829, water pipes were installed in 1833, gas lighting in 1848, and electricity in 1891. In 1948, inspectors announced that the building was so dilapidated that it was beyond repair and suggested that it was cheaper to construct a new one than repair the existing dwelling. However, the national sentiment was to keep the original form intact, and Congress appropriated $5.4 million dollars for repairs. In 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy launched a program to redecorate the rooms and appointed a Fine Arts Committee to make choices of furnishing and colors.
            The house of the president accords its residents a great deal of space. The living quarters contain 107 rooms, 40 corridors, and 19 baths. The White House contains a doctor’s suite, a dentist’s office, a large solarium, a broadcasting room, and a two-floor basement for storage and service rooms. The office in which the president works is not located in the White House, but in a separate building called the West Wing. The White House stands on 16 acres of parklike land and overlooks a broad lawn, flower gardens, and wood groves.
What does the passage imply about the cost of the White House construction?
A.It did not adhere to the original estimate.
B.It was proposed at the meeting of the commissioners.
C.It was not included in the architectural design.
D.It was considered excessive for the presidential home.

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VII. Read the passage and choose the best answers  :
The Asian Games takes place every four years. The spirit of the Asian Games has been built up over a long period of time, spreading the messages of unity, warmth, and friendship through competitive sport. It helps to establish the relationships among individual athletes, coaches, trainers, officials, volunteers and spectators who come together from many different backgrounds and cultures.
Just 11 countries and regions with 489 athletes participated in the 1st Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951, with only six sports. The 15th Asian Games took place from December 1st through December 15th, 2006, in Doha, the capital of Qatar. More than 10,000 athletes, who represented 45 countries and regions, took part in 39 sports and 424 events of the games. Some new events such as chess and triathlon were also included in the Games.
The world records came in shooting and weightlifting with the Asian bests in archery, athletics, track cycling, shooting, swimming and weightlifting. However, it wasn’t all about the winning of medals, taking part for some was just as much of an achievement for them. The Games have been about more than just the athletes as 16,000 volunteers from 100 countries around the world have worked 100,000 shifts to ensure the 750,000 spectators had an experience of a lifetime. The 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 truly has been the Games of Your Life for all.
How many games and events were organized at the 15th Asian Games?
A.463 sports and events    
B.424 sports and events      
C.346 sports and events    
D.634 sports and events

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.
When naming a child, some parents seem to choose a name based simply on their personal preference. In other families, grandparents or professional name-makers come up with a child's name. In some cases, the time of a child's birth influences how the child's name is determined.In many European cultures, names are typically chosen by parents. Parents' choice for their child's name may be based on names of their relatives or ancestors. For example, in Italy, children are traditionally named after their grandparents. The parents generally use the father's parents' names first. If they have more children, then they will use the mother's parents' names. Similarly, some people in Eastern Europe name their children after relatives who have died. This tradition is seen as a means to protect the child from the Angel of Death.Traditionally in some Asian countries, a child's grandfather or a fortune-teller chooses the child's name. In contrast to the tradition of naming children after relatives, the child's name is chosen to influence the child's character. For example, names may be based on a connection to certain elements such as fire, water, earth, wood, or metal. Or the name might include a written character meaning beauty, strength, or kindness.In certain African cultures, when a child is born plays a large part in determining the child's name. In Ghana's Akan culture, the day a child is born determines the child's name. But each day has different names for boys and girls. For instance, a boy born on Friday is named Kofi, whereas a girl born on the same day is named Afua. Both Kofi and Afua mean "wanderer" or "explorer." Children with these names are seen as travelers.No matter where the name comes from, a child's name is the first gift in life. Whether the name is chosen according to preference or dictated by tradition, it reflects something about a child's culture. For that reason, all names should be treasured and respected.
(Source: Reading Challenge 2 by Casey Malarcher & Andrea Janzen)
The word "treasured" in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to           .
A.valued                     
B.ignored                   
C.developed               
D.revealed