Worries aside, fans of Big Ben will still be able to hear its unique chimes during special occasions such as New Year's Eve. But if we do miss hearing Big Ben on a regular basis, we could always set its sound as our message tone.

　　　4．Why did Big Ben fall silent?

　　　A．To get Big Ben repaired.

　　　B．To create a quiet environment for residents.

　　　C．To protect the workers' ears.

　　　D．To remove some politicians' anger about it.

　　　5．What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 4 refer to?

　　　A．Big Ben needs to be repaired.

　　　B．Big Ben is a symbol of Britain.

　　　C．The UK is losing its voice in the world.

　　　D．Big Ben should ring on special occasions.

　　　6．Why did Britons react emotionally?

　　　A．Fears about Big Ben falling silent forever.

　　　B．Threat coming from the rise of other countries.

　　　C．Worries about not being able to visit Big Ben anymore.

　　　D．Worries about the UK losing its influence on the world.

　　　7．Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

　　　A．Britons React Emotionally to Big Ben's Silence.

　　　B．Britons are Worried about the Fall of the UK.

　　　C．Britain is Losing its Place at the Top Table.

　　　D．Big Ben Falls Silent for Four Years.

　　　The end of the school year is in sight - Christmas cards, candy canes and of course, end of year reports.

　　　While most parents welcome an assessment of their kids' performance, they do not expect their own input to be evaluated. But a school in the UK is changing that. As well as assessing their students, they are dishing out grades to mums and dads. Parents that are really involved in their kids' education are rewarded with an A, and parents that haven't done their bit get a disappointing D.

　　　The school, Greasley Beauvale Primary in Nottinghamshire, uses standard such as whether mums and dads have attended school events such as plays and parent teacher evenings to decide on the grade. The school's principal, Donna Chambers, said that the scheme had been well received.

　　　"There were some critics. In spite of it, between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of parents started out in the lower categories but now that has been reduced to just two per cent," she explained.

　　　Chambers hopes that the scheme will help motivate parental involvement. "The system is important because you have got to get the parents on board from day one. That one hour initial conversation saying they could improve will make a difference to the rest of that child's academic life", she said.

　　　But while the scheme may be well intentioned, it is likely to be connected with parent shaming. There are lots of reasons why some mums and dads might not be involved in school activities such as work commitments, looking after younger children or caring for elderly relatives.

　　　And of course, being involved in your kid's education doesn't begin and end at school. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes from helping with homework to keeping uniforms freshly laundered. And what about all the parents who stayed up sewing special costumes at the last minute? Surely that earns a gold star instead of a grade!

　　　8．What do schools usually do at the end of the school year?

　　　A．Evaluating kids' performances. B．Making Christmas cards.

　　　C．Dividing candies. D．Grading parents.

　　　9．What does the school's principal Chambers say about the scheme?

　　　A．It uses a new way to evaluate kids.

　　　B．It has gained much acceptance.

　　　C．It gives parents further education.

　　　D．It improves kids' motivation for learning.

　　　10．What does the author think of parents being involved in kids' education?

　　　A．It adds to parents' burden.

　　　B．It brings shame to parents.

　　　C．It means far more than being graded.

　　　D．It increases parents' commitment to education.

　　　11．What is the passage mainly about?

　　　A．There is too much stress for parents about their children's academic life.

　　　B．Parents as well as their children are on the list of the year school report.

C．Parents should be involved in children's school life.