Section 6: Reading Comprehension (30%)
 六．阅读理解（30分）
 Directions: In this section, you will have two passages to read. Choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D to answer the questions.
 答题要求：分别阅读下面两段文章，针对每段短文有五个问题，从题中所给的A、B、C及D四个选项中选出最佳答案。
 Passage 1
It seems true that every kid in school is learning English. Why do you want to learn English? Learning English is very useful. Some people want to know English well to gain more knowledge. We can read books, listen to music, watch movies and surf the internet. For example, Songs in their original form tend to be better when you can truly understand them and 55% of all written content on the internet is in English. Whenever you have a problem, you can ‘Google it’ to find a way to solve the problem. Others like to learn English for more practical reasons, such as taking a school exam, getting a job or working in a large international company. For instance, French and Chinese business partners may communicate in English. If you can speak English with confidence and get your message across clearly, it is a critical advantage that can help you advance further in your career.
Learning a language can be so much fun. Some people learn them in order to meet new people from around the world. It’s also fun to learn about other cultures and their traditions. Maybe you like the culture, the country and even have a desire to even live or visit there. As well as being useful and fun, learning a language helps improve your memory, and decision-making skills.
As a required course of schools at different levels in China, and as an item to be tested at different stages of one’s learning and working life, English is with us the whole way through our life. Students’ performance in learning English and in taking English tests is of vital importance to achievements at school and to their opportunities for further learning. In fact, English is an influential factor that affects the quality of life.
English is a global language. We simply have many more options, and those options can help you in life. Like it or not, it is here with us, helping us lead a richer and happier life through a different perspective.
What is this passage mainly about?