When I was at university, I worked at the café. Every day I would see people come in, sit there, drink coffee, do some reading or do just whatever they feel like doing. Oh, how I envied them. I wanted so much to do what they were doing. However, I couldn’t because I had to work for nine hours a day and study for the rest of it. So such a desire remained a silly, yet life-ling dream.

Yesterday, I achieved it because I was a director after graduation. It was a perfect day to sit and relax. I chatted with my friends. Then, an old man entered the café with his whole body shaking. Every step seemed to be a huge struggle. He looked so familiar to me but yet, I wasn’t quite sure. While his nurse was ordering at the counter, I walked near to the old man. He had been one of our regular customers at the café! His name is Candido Filio. He is a retired professor of the University of the Philippines for more than 20 years. He founded Scrabble Organization and in his lifetime, he received awares for his works. Mr Filio and I shared a very special interest during my days in that café. He was one of the smartest people I knew. Every day, I watched him write his book and he would always discuss bits and pieces of it with me. Every Sunday the Philippine Star Newspaper had a special page for word puzzles and Filio held the record for being the one who answered all of them in less than five minutes. He encouraged me to try to solve them too and for months and months I did my best to beat him but couldn’t make it.

When I looked at him yesterday, I was both sad and shocked. While we were chatting, I still sensed that he was still sharp, smart and witty. He always loved to laugh, without wasting any minute to enjoy life.

56. As a university student, the author had a life-long dream _____.

A. to enjoy a relaxing life             B. to sit in a café

C. to do some reading                 D. to give up work

57. The description “Every step seemed to be a huge struggle” suggests that the old man_____.

A. walked powerfully                 B. made a big step

C. was very weak                      D. wanted to attract attention

58. The author walked near to the old man in order to _____.

A. order some coffee                 B. have a careful look at him

C. serve him coffee                   D. help him to go to his seat

59. What did Mr Filio and the author share in the past?

A. They drank coffee together.                 B. They share in writing the same book.

C. They chatted and solved word puzzles.  D. They had the same life goal.

60. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to _____.

A. tell us an interesting story

B. share his unforgettable experience with us

C. show how word puzzles help people be positive and sharp

D. call on us to have an optimistic attitude towards life

There used to be a term that was used to describe someone who drove their vehicles down the highway while staring at the scenery. These drivers just drove slowly, taking their own sweet time, as if they had nothing to do and no place in particular to go. Thus, the expression, “Sunday driver”, was born. Consequently, a Sunday driver wasn’t necessarily someone who was driving on a Sunday. A person could be a Sunday driver any day of the week. The expression simply meant that the person was an obstacle to other drivers who were in a hurry.
The expression probably came about because there was a time when people would often decide to go for a relaxing drive on Sunday afternoons. A Sunday drive was a common occurrence years ago and especially on a nice warm sunny day. There were no stores open on Sunday because of the “blue laws”, so you needed to be sure and fill up the gas tank and make any other needed purchases before Sunday arrived.
Some of the states had strict blue laws that even prohibited some activities on Sunday. However, there is still a lot to be said for the slow, gentle life that once existed. It was a time when very few people worked on Sunday except for those professions vital to our well-being such as those in the medical profession. It was a day “set apart” that was used to rest, visit with neighbors and friends, or maybe go to grandma’s house for supper. Today there are many who return to work and children who go back to school overly tired on Monday due to a lack of rest. Perhaps there would be less stress related illnesses if we really kept Sunday as a day of rest

1. 1.

   According to the passage, “Sunday driver” refers to the person who ______

   1. A.
      drives his vehicle on Sundays
   2. B.
      drives for fun and relaxation
   3. C.
      enjoys a weekend break
   4. D.
      makes a Sunday purchase
2. 2.

   What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph l mean?

   1. A.
      Sunday drivers affected traffic flow
   2. B.
      Sunday drivers drove too slowly
   3. C.
      Sunday drivers increased traffic speed
   4. D.
      Sunday drivers felt hatred for other drivers
3. 3.

   What kind of activity was strictly prohibited on Sunday by the laws?

   1. A.
      Visiting with neighbors and friends
   2. B.
      Going to the hospital to see a doctor
   3. C.
      Having a family get-together
   4. D.
      Selling goods or services
4. 4.

   According to the author, Sunday rest would help people______

   1. A.
      earn a lot more money
   2. B.
      experience less pressure
   3. C.
      keep pace with society
   4. D.
      improve academic performance