The effects of air pollution on natural conditions have been a disturbing problem for many years. Some scientists hold the view that the air inside houses may be more dangerous than the air outside. It may even be one hundred times worse.
Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution, which can cause a person to feel tired, to suffer eye pain, headache and other problems. Believe it or not, some pollutants can cause breathing diseases of blood and even cancer.
What made us feel relieved is that there’s growing concern about the problem now. It is true that when builders began constructing houses and offices they did not want to waste energy. To do this they built buildings that prevented or limited the flow of air between inside and outside. For the same purpose, man-made building materials were employed to build houses, which are now known to let out some harmful gases.
Facing the serious challenge, scientists have been searching for a way to handle the problem. To everyone’s delight, they discovered a natural pollution control system for building—green plants, though they do not really know how plants control air pollution. Scientists suppose that a plant’s leaves absorb or take in the pollutants and in exchange gives out oxygen through its leaves and tiny organizations on its roots. Therefore they recommend that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square meters of space. Because studies indicate that different plants absorb different chemicals, the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants. In conclusion, having green plants inside your house can make it a prettier and healthier place. Why not try?
小題1:Which of the following statements is TRUR?

A．Outside air pollution is more harmful than the air inside.

B．Scientists have discovered how plants control air pollution

C．Indoor air pollution may cause diseases including cancer.

D．Only large plants can absorb harmful gases indoors.

小題2:According to scientists, some kind of indoor pollution can be found in ________.

A．every old building

B．every modern house

C．a(chǎn)ll kinds of houses

D．a(chǎn)ll kinds of offices

小題3:What does the underlined part “To do this” refer to in Para3?

A．To build houses and offices

B．To limit the air flow inside

C．To use man-made materials

D．In order not to waste energy

小題4:The reason why we should use different kinds of plants to clean the air is that ___.

A．plants can drive out all kinds of pollutants indoors

B．plants can absorb different harmful indoor chemical

C．plants can take in all pollutants inside and outside

D．plants may give out more oxygen than people need

Most people regard zoos as safe places for animals, where struggles such as difficulty finding food and avoiding predators（捕食性動物） don't exist. Without such problems, animals in zoos should live to a ripe old age. But that may not be true for the largest land animals on Earth. Scientists have known that elephants in zoos often develop diseases, joint problems and behavior changes. Sometimes, they even become unable to have babies.
To learn more about how captivity(監(jiān)禁) affects elephants, a team of international scientists led by Mason, a biologist, compared the life spans of female elephants born in zoos with female elephants living outdoors in the wild. Zoos keep detailed records of all the animals in their care, documenting factors such as birth dates, illnesses, weight and death. These records made it possible for the researchers to analyze 40 years of data on 800 elephants in zoos.
The team found that female elephants born in zoos lived an average of 16.9 years. Their wild counterparts（同類事物） who died of natural causes lived an average of 56 years——more than three times as long.
Scientists don't yet know for sure why wild elephants seem to live so much better than their zoo-raised counterparts. Mason thinks stress and obesity(肥胖) may be to blame. Zoo elephants don't get the same kind of exercise as they do in the wild, and most are very fat. Elephant social lives are also much different in zoos than in the wild, where they live in large groups.
Another finding from the study showed that elephants born in zoos were more likely to die earlier than elephants captured in the wild and brought to zoos. Mason suggests stress in the mothers in zoos might cause them to have babies that are less likely to survive.
The study raises some questions about acquiring more elephants to keep in zoos. While some threatened and endangered species living in zoos reproduce successfully and keep healthy populations, that doesn't appear to be the case with elephants.
小題1:The text tells us that zoo elephants are different from other zoo animals because they________

A．develop health problems.

B．1ive to a ripe old age.

C．a(chǎn)re not afraid of predators.

D．have difficulty eating food.

小題2:What do the scientists find in their research?

A．Female elephants live longer than male elephants.

B．Female zoo elephants die earlier than their wild counterparts.

C．Female zoo elephants live longer than their wild counterparts.

D．Both elephants in zoos and those in the wild live in large herds.

小題3:Which of the following does the author suggest in the last paragraph?

A．Zoo-born elephants should be attended more carefully

B．Elephants are no longer an endangered species.

C．It may not be a wise policy to keep elephants in the zoo.

D．Zoos should keep more animals except elephants.

小題4:Which of the following can be the best title?

A．Comparison between two species of elephants

B．Longer lives for wild elephants

C．Female elephants suffer from poor health.

D．Longer lives for zoo animals.

A car needs gas to run and your body also needs food to work for you. Eating the right kind of food is very important. It can help your body grow strong to take care of what you eat.
There are four main food groups altogether. The dairy group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all these food together, you will be given enough energy during the day.
It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time. Or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may seem easy to finish your supper with fish and chips all the time. But you will find yourself tired in these days and you can not think quickly.
Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having a good eating habit with some exercise is the key to your health.
小題1:Which of the following diets do you think is the best one?

A．Eggs, tomatoes and chicken.

B．Milk, bread, cabbages and beef.

C．Corn, fish, cream and pork.

D．Rice, bean curd（豆腐）, apples, fish and chicken.

小題2:Which of the following is a good eating-habit?

A．Going to school without any breakfast

B．Eating fish and chips for supper all the time.

C．Eating your lunch in a very short time.

D．Having at least one food from all four groups in each meal.

小題3:The underlined word “dairy” in the second passage means _____________.

A．the food made out of cows such as milk and butter

B．the shop that sells milk and butter

C．a(chǎn) farm where cows are kept

D．a(chǎn) place where milk products are made.

小題4:In this passage the writer mainly tells us that _____________.

A．enough energy helps people think more quickly

B．taking exercise can keep your body strong

C．every person needs food to grow well

D．right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy

Save the Animals
Animals are natural resources(資源) that people have wasted all through our history.
Animals have been killed for their fur and feathers(羽毛), for food, for sport, and simply because they were in the way. Thousands of kinds of animals have disappeared from the earth forever. Hundreds more are on the danger list today. About 170 kinds in the United States alone are considered in danger.
Why should people care? Because we need animals. And because once they are gone, there will never be any more.
Animals are more than just beautiful or interesting. They are more than just a source of food. Every animal has its place in the balance (平衡) of nature. Destroying one kind of animal can create many problems.
For example, when farmers killed large numbers of hawks(鷹), the farmers’ stores of corn and grain were destroyed by rats and mice. Why? Because hawks eat rats and mice. With no hawks to keep down their numbers, the rats and mice multiplied(繁殖) quickly.
Luckily, some people are working to help save the animals. Some groups raise money to let people know about the problem. And they try to get the governments to pass laws protecting animals in danger.
Quite a few countries have passed laws. These laws forbid(禁止) the killing of any animal or plant on the danger list. Slowly, the number of some animals in danger is growing.
小題1:Animals are important to us mainly because __________.

A．they give us a source of food

B．they are beautiful and lovely

C．they keep the balance of nature

D．they give us a lot of pleasure

小題2:What has happened to the animals on the earth?

A．About 170 kinds of animals have disappeared forever.

B．Thousands of kinds of animals are gone forever.

C．A few kinds of animals have died out.

D．All kinds of animals are in danger.

小題3:Why do people kill animals?

A．They kill animals for something they need.

B．They kill animals to raise some money.

C．Animals destroy their natural resources.

D．Animals create many problems.

小題4:What can we conclude from the fact that quite a few countries have passed laws protecting animals in danger?

A．Animals in danger will be kept away from people.

B．Animals in danger will not be killed any more.

C．The number of some animals in danger will increase.

D．Every person will know the importance of protecting wild animals.

I began working in journalism when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.
“ How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“ None.”
“ Where did you go?”
“ The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“ What did you do?”
“ Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“ You just stood there?”
“ Didn’t sell a single one.”
“ My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “ Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel. It was the first nickel I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“ If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “ you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.
小題1:Why did the boy start his job young?

A．He wanted to be famous in the future.	B．The job was quite easy for him.
C．His mother had high hopes for him.	D．The competition for the job was fierce.

小題2:From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.

A．excited

B．interested

C．a(chǎn)shamed

D．disappointed

小題3:What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

A．She forced him to continue.	B．She punished him.
C．She gave him some money.	D．She changed her plan.

小題4:What is the text mainly about?

A．The early life of a journalist.

B．The early success of a journalist.

C．The happy childhood of the writer.

D．The important role of the writer in his family.

When you are learning English, you find it not clever to put an English sentence, word for word, into your own language. Take the sentence “How do you do?” as an example. If you look up each word in the dictionary, one at a time, what is your translation? It must be a wrong sentence in your own language.
Languages do not just have different sounds, they are different in many ways. It’s important to master(掌握) the rules for word order in the study of English, too. If the speaker puts words in a wrong order, the listener can’t understand the speaker’s sentence easily. Sometimes when the order of words in an English sentence is changed, the meaning of the sentence changes, But sometimes the order is changed, the meaning of the sentence doesn’t change. Let’s see the difference between the two pairs of sentences.
“She only likes apples.”               “Only she likes apples.”
“I have seen the film already.”           “I have already seen the film.”
When you are learning English, you must do your best to get the spirit(精神實質(zhì)) of the language and use it as the English speaker does.
小題1:From the passage we know that _______when we are learning English.

A．we shouldn’t put every word into our own language

B．we should look up every word in the dictionary

C．we need to put every word into our own language

D．we must read word by word

小題2:The writer thinks it is _______ in learning English.

A．difficult to understand different sounds

B．necessary to remember the word order

C．important to master the rules in different ways

D．easy to master the rules for word order

小題3:We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．the meaning of an English sentence always changes with the order of the words

B．The order of words can never change the meaning of an English sentence

C．sometimes different order of words has a different meaning

D．if the order of words is different, the meaning of the sentence must be different

小題4:“She only likes apples.” ________.

A．is the same as “Only she likes apples.”

B．is different from “Only she likes apples.”

C．means “She likes fruit except apples.”

D．means “She doesn’t like apples.”

For many parents, raising a teenager is like fighting a long war, but years go by without any clear winner. Like a border conflict（沖突）between neighboring countries, the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?
Both sides want peace, but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict. In part，this is because neither is willing to admit any responsibility for starting it. From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ （青少年）complete unreasonableness. And of course, the teens see it in exactly the same way, except oppositely. Both feel trapped.
In this article, I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the trap. The first no-win situation is quarrel on unimportant things. Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanness of the bedroom, the preferred style of clothing, the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school, or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends. Second, blaming. The goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong. Third, needing to be right. It doesn’t matter what the topic is—politics, the laws of physics, or the proper way to break an egg—the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong，for both wish to be considered an authority—someone who actually knows something—and therefore to command respect. Unfortunately, as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other, they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress.
小題1:Why does the author compare the parent teen war to a border conflict?

A．Both can continue for generations.

B．Both are about where to draw the line.

C．Neither has any clear winner.

D．Neither can be put to an end.

小題2:What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict.

B．The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict.

C．The teens accuse their parents of misleading them.

D．The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents.

小題3:Parents and teens want to be right because they want to__________.  

A．give orders to the other	B．know more than the other
C．gain respect from the other	D．get the other to behave properly

小題4:What will the author most probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?

A．Causes for the parent-teen conflicts

B．Examples of the parent-teen war

C．Solutions for the parent-teen problems

D．Future of the parent-teen relationship

A common misconception (誤解) -about scholarships is that they are only available for the smartest students with the highest GPAs. However, this just isn't even close to true. There are scholarships out there for every type of student seeking a college education. Let's take a look at each type a bit more in depth.
Academic Scholarships
Academic scholarships are also often referred to as merit (優(yōu)點) scholarships, though a merit scholarship can mean anything that has some level of contest to it. These are fox; the students with the 4.0 GPAs, the years as a part of several extracurricular (課外的) activities and the well- rounded applications. They typically have the highest payouts and are considered very well- known as they are often national awards.
Athletic Scholarships
For students with strong academics (學業(yè)的) and physical skills, athletic scholarships are the way to go. There is practically a scholarship for every single sport, from volleyball to football; gymnastics to cheerleading. So, if you are good at anything physical, you should definitely pursue an athletic scholarship.
Scholarships for Minorities
There are also many scholarships for minorities available. Some of these are general and for "all minorities as a collective whole, while others are intended for individual ethnic (種族的) groups. It is also a good idea to apply for a minority scholarship if you are part of fully of a certain ethnicity. You will get to represent your culture and possibly win money -- what more could you ask for?
Scholarships for Women
As with the scholarships for minorities above, there are also scholarships specifically for women. Since colleges were dominated (主宰) by men for many years, scholarships have been created for strong, career-minded women that need assistance paying for college expenses. If you are female, it is strongly recommended you pursue a scholarship for women. Moreover, scholarships for women are typically available in just about any field. Be specific!
小題1:In the author's opinion, ______.

A．most people are well - informed about scholarships

B．most people think scholarships should go to the smartest students

C．most people have some misunderstanding about scholarships

D．most people deserve scholarships though not having applied for them

小題2:Tom does well in his lessons and is especially good at sports. The best scholarship he can apply for ______.

A．Academic Scholarships	B．Athletic Scholarships
C．Scholarships for Minorities	D．Scholarships for Women

小題3:Alice is an Indian -American. She prefers to study her own culture and something about ethnology (民族學). Then she'd better apply for ______.

A．Academic Scholarships	B．Athletic Scholarships
C．Scholarships for Minorities	D．Scholarships for Women

小題4: How many scholarships are intended for all ethnic students?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

Of all the things we eat and drink, water is the most important. Not all people realize this, but it is quite true. The human body can live without food for a long time, but two or three days without water usually result in death.
Many people do not understand how much water the human body needs, but many people do not drink enough, especially in the hot weather. Most people drink when they are thirsty but often need more water after exercises.
65 to 70 percent of the human body is water. Water is important in several different ways. Most people need five to seven liters（升） of water every day, but we needn’t drink this amount(量) because a lot comes from the food we have. If we don’t have enough water, however, we will feel tired and many become ill. Do you know what the best drink is? Yes, you are right. Cool water!
小題1:When do we need more water?________

A．In cold weather or after exercises.

B．In hot weather or after exercises.

C．Before breakfast, lunch and supper.

D．When we feel tired or become ill.

小題2:How much water are there in the human body?_________

A．About three fourths of the human body is water.

B．Nearly a half of the human body is water.

C．Less than a half of the human body is water.

D．Almost one fourth of the human body is water.

小題3:Must most people drink five liters（升）of water every day?_______

A．Yes, because water is the most important

B．No, because what we eat contains（包含）water

C．Yes, because we can’t live without water

D．No, because we are not thirsty

小題4:Which of the following is not right?_________

A．Cool water is the best drink.

B．Few people understand how much water the human body needs.

C．All the people don’t realize water is the most important.

D．When we feel tired or become ill, we never need any water.

“It hurts me more than you” and “This is for your own good” — these are the statements my mother used to make years ago when I had to learn Latin, clean my room, stay home and do homework.
That was before we entered the permissive period in education in which we decided it was all right not to push our children to achieve their best in school. The schools and the educators made it easy for us. They taught that it as all right to be parents who take a let-alone policy. We stopped making our children do homework. We gave them calculators, turned on the television, left the teaching to the teachers and went on vacation.
Now teachers, faced with children who have been developing at their own pace for the past 15 years, are realizing we’ve made a terrible mistake. One such teacher is Sharon Klompus who speaks of her students “so passive” and wonders what has happened. Nothing is demanded of them, she believes. Television, says Klompus, contributes to children’s passivity. “We’re talking about a generation of kids who've never been hurt or hungry. They have learned somebody will always do it for them, instead of saying  'go and look it up’, you tell them the answer. It takes greater energy to say no to a kid.”
Yes, it does. It takes energy and it takes work. It’s time for parents to end their vacation and come back to work. It's time to take the car away, to turn the TV off, to tell them it hurts you more than them but it's for their own good. It's time to start telling them no again.
小題1:Children are becoming more inactive in study because _______.

A．they watch TV too often	B．they have done too much homework
C．they have to fulfill too many duties	D．teachers are too strict with them

小題2:By “permissive period in education” (L.1, Para. 2) the author means a time _______.

A．when everything can be taught at school

B．when every child can be educated

C．when children are permitted to receive education

D．when children are allowed to do what they wish to

小題3:The main idea of the passage is that _______.

A．parents should leave their children alone

B．kids should have more activities at school

C．it's time to be more strict with our kids

D．parents should always set a good example to their kids