Cause and effect is one way to explain things that happen around us. Many things happen because something caused or influenced them to happen. Sometimes it is hard to look at a cause and find out what causes the effect. It may help you to start with the effect and use your reasoning(推理的) skills. Think about all the things you know that could be reasons for the effect you can see.
For example, you may see someone putting on a heavy jacket. This is the effect. To look for a cause, think to yourself, “What would make someone put on a heavy jacket?” Maybe the person works in the penguin pen(企鵝圈養(yǎng)地) at a Sea World. Maybe the person is going to visit an ice skating rink where the air is kept very cold. All of these things could be a cause for putting on a heavy jacket.
Now, think about a second example. The effect is a boy named Abi has to go to the head teacher’s office. What are the possible causes? Maybe he bullied(欺負(fù))another student. Maybe he is just being picked up early. Maybe he is being given a prize!
Here is another example for you to think about its cause and effect. Cait, 13, was trying to fall asleep when her 8-year-old brother,Doug, came into her room. He looked around a bit, but seemed really out of it. Then Doug went back into the hallway and stood there looking straight up at the hall light for quite a while. Little brothers can be very strange, this was really much too strange. Cait didn’t know what to do. Just then, Cait’s father appeared and explained that Doug was sleepwalking. What’s the cause and effect, could you tell?
小題1:According to the second paragraph, which of the following is an effect?

A．Someone will go outside into cold weather.

B．Someone works in the penguin pen.

C．Someone puts on a heavy jacket.

D．Someone will go to visit an ice skating rink.

小題2:Abi has to go to the head teacher’s office. Which of the following isn’t the possible  cause?

A．He bullied another student.	B．He is going shopping.
C．He is being picked up early.	D．He is being given a prize.

小題3: What was Doug doing when his sister Cait tried to fall asleep?

A．He was going outside	B．He was reading a story.
C．He was leep walking.	D．He was looking for his dad.

小題4:Which of the following is cause and effect?

A．Tony got up and had a glass of water.

B．We came home and found him sleeping.

C．The ball was lost and a window was broken.

D．Tim was late again and his teacher got angry.

小題5:What is the best title for the text?

A．Truth and lies	B．Work and sleep
C．Cause and effect	D．Life and dreams

Remains of ancient civilization are places which were designed and built as a lasting tribute(致敬）to some individuals or events. By visiting these ______ monuments, you are sure to be amazed by how ____ the ancient civilization that existed centuries before you was. Some of the facilities which could be dated back hundreds of years ago are still in use today. Besides, you will also ______ at the mysterious stories behind it. The Great Wall, _____, is probably the best-known monument of China, which consists of a network of walls and towers through which the attack warnings could be received within minutes. _____ then had enough time to prepare. Estimates (估算）of the total length of the monument ______, depending on which sections are included and how they are measured. One of the _____ mysteries is that, although some of the wall is _____ in special radar images taken by satellites, astronauts have confirmed that the existing wall is not several thousand years old, nor is it, as many people had _____ visible to the human eye form outer space.
Even older than the Great Wall of China is the Great Pyramid(金字塔）of Giza. Over a 20-year period, thousands of workers made the vision become ____ with numerous blocks, each weighing more than two tons. It’s still a(n) _____ to modern people how ancient men handled_____ of these giant stones in a time when cars or boats never existed some 4500 years ago. The pyramid served not only as a tomb for King Khufu, but also a place of _____ activity. The number of the God’s servants at that time showed the importance of such activities. After Khufu died, his body was carefully treated with various medicines and materials and was wrapped in order to be ____ for long. According to ancient Egyptian belief, the pyramid, where the mummy was placed, provided a place for the king to pass into the afterlife. Then his servants performed rituals(儀式）to bring _____ to the dead king’s soul, removing all the unrest and pain from his next life.

小題1:	A．modern B．historic C．official D．commercial

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)dvanced B．technical C．overlooked D．energetic

小題3:	A．stare B．wonder C．a(chǎn)im D．call

小題4:	A．in addition B．in other words C．however D．for example

小題5:	A．Mechanics B．Workers C．Astronauts D．Soldiers

小題6:	A．extend B．remain C．vary D．progress

小題7:	A．long-standing B．widely-used C．carefully-chosen D．clearly-stated

小題8:	A．recognizable B．reasonable C．reliable D．responsible

小題9:	A．proved B．claimed C．threatened D．requested

小題10:

A．reality B．tradition C．mansion D．civilization

小題11:

A．burden B．secret C．solution D．fortune

小題12:

A．finance B．storage C．transportation D．production

小題13:

A．sports B．religious C．fighting D．family

小題14:

A．preserved B．recovered C．buried D．restored

小題15:

A．leadership B．peace C．honour D．inspiration

The traditional distinction between products that satisfy needs and those that satisfy wants is no longer adequate to describe classes of products. In today’s prosperous societies, the distinction has become unclear because so many wants have been turned into needs. A writer, for instance, can work with paper and pencils. These are legal needs for the task. But the work can be done more quickly and efficiently with a word processor. Thus a computer is soon viewed as a need rather than a want.
In the field of marketing, consumer goods are classed according to the way in which they are purchased. The two main classes are convenience goods and shopping goods. Two lesser types are specialty goods and unsought(主動(dòng)提供的) goods. It must be emphasized that all of these types are based on the way shoppers think about products, not on the nature of the products themselves. What is regarded as a convenience item in France (wine, for example) should be a specialty goods in the United States.
People do not spend a great deal of time shopping for such convenience items as groceries, newspapers, toothpaste, aspirin, and candy. The buying of convenience goods may be done routinely, as some families buy groceries once a week. Such regularly purchased items are called staples. Sometimes convenience products are bought without enough thinking; someone has a sudden desire for an ice cream sundae(圣代) on a hot day. Or they may be purchased as emergency items.
Shopping goods are items for which customers search. They compare prices, quality, and styles, and may visit a number of stores before making a decision. Buying an automobile is often done this way.
Shopping goods fall into two classes; those that are recognized as basically the same and those that are regarded as different. Items that are looked upon as basically the same include such things as home appliances, television sets, and automobiles. Having decided on the model desired, the customer is primarily interested in getting the item at the most favorable price. Items regarded as essentially different include clothing, furniture, and dishes. Quality, style and fashion will either take precedence(優(yōu)先) over price, or they will not matter at all.
小題1:It can be learned from the first paragraph that ______. 

A．a(chǎn) writer needs a word processor

B．needs and wants can’t be separated clearly

C．the way to distinguish the products is unimportant

D．a(chǎn) computer is a need rather than a want

小題2:The example of wine is used to illustrate that ______.

A．goods are classified differently in different countries

B．the types of the product lie on the people rather than its nature

C．Frenchmen often drink but Americans sometimes do

D．one product may belong to many types

小題3:Staples are items that ______.  

A．a(chǎn)re convenient to purchase

B．a(chǎn)re purchased without enough thinking

C．people “want but don’t need”

D．people are in constant need of

小題4:Shopping goods that are considered as basically the same are those that ______.   

A．consumers don’t care where to buy them

B．consumers spend much time searching for

C．satisfy similar needs of the consumer

D．can be found in nearly every shop

According to a study by SallieMae, 84 percent of undergraduate students have credit cards, and by the time they are seniors, they have accumulated US＄4,100 in debt, on top of whatever student loans they may have taken out.
Credit cards are the most convenient form of payment, and they are aggressively marketed to college students. Reportedly, a typical college student carries 4.6 credit cards and US＄3,173 in credit card debt.
Credit cards seem to be a fact of life, not just student life. In the long term, using a credit card properly and paying off the balance can help establish a card history and increase your credit score, which will come in handy when you need an important loan, for a house or car, for example. Your credit score can affect even unrelated things like insurance rates. Credit cards also offer more protection for users than debit cards （借記卡）.Under federal law, the credit card holder is only responsible for the first US＄50 in fraudulent(欺詐的)purchases in cases of theft or loss. However, debit card users are responsible for the first US＄500.
SallieMae found some good news in the fact that two thirds of students had discussed credit issues with their parents, but 84 percent said they needed more information. Those who didn’t get any guidance were more likely to be surprised when they found out how much they owed.
While credit cards offer the easiest access to money, they make it easy to live outside your means. Less than a fifth of students surveyed paid off their balance every month, and carrying a balance brings finance charges, sometimes at a very high interest rates.
SallieMae found that almost 40 percent of students chose their first credit card based on direct mail, which is probably why students get credit card offers in the mail. But when the credit card offers flow in, be sure that you read the fine print. Offers of low or no interest rates can disappear, leaving you a debt that climbs beyond your ability to pay it off.
小題1: What does the first paragraph imply?

A．Most of the senior students are shocked to see how much they owed.

B．Students can only take out loans from credit cards.

C．Most of students’ loans come from credit cards.

D．Credit cards have a bad effect on college students.

小題2: The underlined part “come in handy” in the third paragraph probably means “_______”.

A．bring trouble

B．make mistakes

C．be important

D．be useful

小題3: According to SallieMae, what is the possible reason why students get so many credit card offers in the mail?

A．Many students’ first credit card is based on direct mail.

B．It costs the banks little to mail out credit cards.

C．Students don’t like to go to the bank to open a credit card account.

D．Banks have no other way to let students use their credit cards.

小題4:What is the theme of the third paragraph?

A．The advantages of using debit cards.

B．The similarities between credit cards and debit cards.

C．The advantages of using credit cards.

D．Credit cards are the most convenient form of payment.

The dirt road made our car jump as we traveled to the Millennium Village in Sauri, Kenya. We passed the market where women sat on the dusty ground selling bananas. Little kids were wrapped in cloth on their mothers’ backs, or running around in bare feet and torn clothing. When we reached the village, we walked to the Bar Sauri Primary School to meet the people. Welcoming music and singing had almost everyone dancing. We joined the dancing and clapped（鼓掌）along to the joyful, lively music. The year was 2004, the first time I had ever been to Sauri.
The Millennium Village project was created to help reach the Millennium Development Goals, which were set by the United Nations in 2000. The plan is to get people out of poverty, assure（確保）them of access to health care and help them stabilize the economy and quality of life in their communities. The goals are supposed to be met by 2015; some other targets are set for 2025. But our first sight of Sauri showed us there was plenty of work to do.
On that day in 2004, we followed the village leaders into Yala Sub-District Hospital. It wasn’t in good shape. The rooms were packed with patients who probably wouldn’t receive treatment, either because the hospital did not have it or the patients could not afford it. There was no running water or electricity in the hospital. It is hard for me to see people sick with preventable diseases who are near death when they shouldn’t have to be. I just get scared and sad.
Malaria（痢疾）is one disease, common in Africa, which is preventable and treatable. Mosquitoes carry malaria, and infect people by biting them. Kids can die from it easily, and adults get very sick. Mosquitoes that carry malaria come at night. A mosquito net, treated with chemicals that last for five years, keeps malarial mosquitoes away from sleeping people. Each net costs $5. There are some cheap medicines to get rid of malaria too. The solutions are simple, yet 20,000 kids die from the disease each day. So sad, and so illogical. Mosquito nets could save millions of lives.
We walked over to see the farmers. Their crops started to die because they could not afford the necessary fertilizer（肥料）and irrigation. Time and again, a family will plant seeds only to have an outcome of poor crops because of lack of fertilizer and water. Each year, the farmers worry: Will they harvest enough food to feed the whole family? Will their kids go hungry and become sick?
Many kids in Sauri didn’t attend school because their parents couldn’t afford school fees. Some kids are needed to help with housework, such as fetching water and wood. In 2004, the schools had minimal supplies like books paper and pencils, but the students wanted to learn. They all worked hard with the few supplies they had. It was hard for them to concentrate, though, as there’s no midday meal.
Great changes have taken place in these years. Today, Yala Sub-District Hospital has medicine, free of charge. Water is connected to the hospital, which also has a generator（發(fā)電機(jī)）for electricity. There are no school fees, and the school now serves midday meals for the students. The attendance rate is way up. All this is encouraging supporters of the Millennium Villages project.
There are many solutions to the problems that keep people poor. What it will really take is for the world to work together to change poor areas forever. When my kids are my age, I want this kind of poverty to be a thing of history. It will not be an easy task. But Sauri’s progress shows us all that winning the fight against poverty is achievable in our lifetime.
小題1:In Paragraph 1, the writer describes the kids’ clothes to show that _________________.

A．local children spent a lot of time outside

B．local parents were not responsible

C．local villagers were very poor

D．local villagers were very friendly

小題2: What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 3?

A．Medical conditions.	B．Agriculture.
C．Education.	D．Economy.

小題3:What does the underlined word “minimal” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．Many.

B．Few.

C．Colorful.

D．Various.

小題4:Because there was no midday meal in school, __________________.

A．kids lacked energy to study attentively

B．many kids dropped out of school

C．kids made more efforts to study hard

D．many kids had to go back home for lunch

小題5:This story is mainly about _____________________________.

A．the education in an African village

B．the schools and hospitals in an African village

C．the poverty and the progress of an African village

D．the author’s car journey to an African village

German Prime Minister Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his         and diplomatic talent, but his contributions to the society include many of today’s social insurance programs. During the middle of the 19^th century, Germany,          other European nations,          an unusual outbreak of workplace deaths and accidents as a result of growing        .         in part by Christian sympathy for the helpless as well as a practical political impulse to get the          of the socialist labor movement, Bismarck         the world’s first worker’s compensation law in 1884.
By 1908, the United States was the          industrial nation in the world that lacked workers’ compensation insurance. American’s injured workers could seek          in a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers.        , employees had to prove that their injuries directly          employer’s lack of care and they themselves were ignorant about potential danger in the workplace. The first state workers’ compensation law in this country passed in 1911, and the program soon          throughout the nation.
After World War II, benefit payments to American workers did not       the cost of living. In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were in the 1940s, and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for a family of four. In 1970, President Richard Nixon set up a national          to study the problems workers’ compensation. Two years later, the committee issued 19 key recommendations,          one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels to 100 percent of the states’ average weekly wages.

小題1:	A．a(chǎn)rtistic B．literary C．military D．economic

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)long with B．other than C．a(chǎn)part from D．rather than

小題3:	A．experimented B．explored C．experienced D．excluded

小題4:	A．urbanization B．revolution C．evolution D．industrialization

小題5:	A．Inspired B．Touched C．Organized D．Motivated

小題6:	A．feedback B．statement C．proof D．support

小題7:	A．discovered B．created C．uncovered D．revealed

小題8:	A．unique B．only C．powerful D．most

小題9:	A．rights B．help C．compensation D．support

小題10:

A．For example B．However C．Consequently D．Moreover

小題11:

A．resulted in B．stood for C．resulted from D．deal with

小題12:

A．spread B．promoted C．stretched D．placed

小題13:

A．put up with B．face up to C．benefit from D．keep up with

小題14:

A．community B．committee C．a(chǎn)uthority D．government

小題15:

A．including B．insisting C．installing D．investing

When I was growing up, 16 was always a magical age, a symbol of maturity, responsibility and of course more independence and freedom.  I sat through the hours of Driver’s Ed classes eager to get out on the road. I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license.
But it’s a different story for today’s teens. In January, the U.S. Department Transportation released 2012 data that showed only 30.7 percent of U.S. teens got their license at age 16, Twenty years before, that number was almost 45 percent.
There are numbers of reasons for the fall – off. The growing responsibilities like paying for insurance and high gas prices discourage teens from getting behind the wheel. Plus, many teens today are so busy with homework, endless hours of activities and part-time jobs, that finding the time for Driver’s Ed classes may be more difficult that ever.
In addition, many states have raised the driving age, or restricted when teens can drive and who they can have in the car. Parents may also be making their own personal restrictions until they feel their teens are responsible enough to drive safely.
Driving is part of the American culture, but it’s not the central focus like it was 25 years ago. They have so many other things to do now. One of the more interesting factors delaying teens driving might be the change of their social life. Today, teens need to look no further than Face book or other social networking sites to connect with their friends. There is simply less need, maybe less desire, to be able to grab the keys and go.
Michelle Wei got her license as a senior in high school because her digital social life made it easy not to drive. “If I couldn’t get a ride to see my friend who lives a town over,” the 19-year-old said, “I could talk on IM or Skype.”
Research has shown that these online relationships can lead to higher quality friendships, so it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, it’s important to find a balance. If old face-to-face friendships are good, why not drive to find them?
小題1:We can infer from the first paragraph that _______ .

A．Driver’s Ed classes allowed teens to know what maturity was

B．getting a driving license at 16 was a must for American teens

C．16 was considered an age when one could get his driver’s license

D．teens could drive on the road without taking Driver’s Ed classes

小題2:What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Desire to drive on the road declines among American teens.

B．Getting a license costs much more than ever before.

C．Social networking sites are changing the life of American teens.

D．American teens are becoming more responsible than ever.

小題3:Michelle’s Wei’s example is used to explain ________.

A．why American teens are crazy about digital social life

B．what social networking websites are bringing to American teens

C．to what degree the Internet is affecting the American car culture

D．what the Internet does to help teens to get a driving license

小題4: The last paragraph is reminding the readers that _______ .

A．the Internet has a bad effect on the teen’s social life

B．teens should keep a balance in choosing their lifestyle

C．a(chǎn)ctual contacts can be replaced by talking on line

D．face-to-face friendship is always the best choice

Transportation and communication networks bring people together. Yet sometimes people themselves create barriers to transportation and communication. In some countries, laws stop people from moving freely from place to place.
Over the centuries, many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race, religion, or nationality. In the Middle Ages, for example, Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities. South Africa's government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travel within the country. Some governments require all citizens to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they move.
Countries set up Customs posts at their borders. Foreign travellers must go through a Customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country. Usually travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas(簽證). Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year.  Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country, or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay.
Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication. When two governments disagree with each other on important matters, they usually do not want their citizens to exchange news or ideas freely. Countries often try to keep military or industrial information secret.
Today, people have the ability to travel, to communicate, and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before. Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily. The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome. But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers, people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas.
小題1:The examples in paragraph 2 are used to tell the readers that _______      

A．Customs posts are necessary at the borders of the countries

B．people have been allowed to travel freely within the country

C．people have not been permitted to travel freely for various reasons

D．travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas

小題2:Some governments limit the freedom of communication because___        

A．they think such freedom will lead to wars

B．they more often than not agree with each other on important matters

C．they intend to keep their national secrets unknown to others

D．they want to show their authority over communication

小題3:We may learn from the passage that _______   

A．people do not care about the removal of barriers between countries.

B．people can not remove the obstacles made by themselves

C．barriers should be taken for granted as they always exist

D．man-made barriers are sometimes harder to overcome than natural ones

小題4:Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage?

A．Functions of Communication	B．Barriers Made by People
C．Restrictions on Transportation	D．Progress of Human Society

Americans value competition. They believe that competition      out the best in any individual. They claim that it challenges or even      each person to produce the very best that is humanly possible.     , the foreign visitor will see competition encouraged in the American home and in the American classroom,     at the youngest age levels. You may find the    placed on competition confusing, especially if you come from a society that promotes cooperation   competition among individuals. But Americans teaching in the Third World countries find the lack of competition in a classroom situation equally     . They soon learn that what they had thought to be one of the universal human qualities      only a particularly American or Western value.

小題1:	A．carries B．brings C．picks D．comes

小題2:	A．forces B．causes C．leads D．teaches

小題3:	A．Particularly B．Occasionally C．Consequently D．Accidentally

小題4:	A．even B．still C．only D．a(chǎn)lready

小題5:	A．thoughts B．interest C．a(chǎn)ttitude D．value

小題6:	A．together with B．rather than C．in spite of D．a(chǎn)long with

小題7:	A．puzzling B．unacceptable C．unfortunate D．discouraging

小題8:	A．encouraged B．respected C．represented D．Produced

The world would be a better place if we all had children’s eyes. This is not because children’s eyes are too sharp to allow any blot（污點(diǎn)，瑕疵）to pass without being     , but because adults have too many conflicting concerns to keep their eyes open to all wrongdoing.
Not long before, an examination, intended to     some police officers to higher positions, was held in Gansu province. Someone     with a good idea that 18 primary pupils could be invited to act as invigilators (監(jiān)考人). At that age, students would do as they are told and act fearlessly.      , they caught 25 officers cheating on the spot, which has caused a stir (轟動(dòng)，攪動(dòng)) and      the question of whether adult invigilators would      their duties as well.
The implication of this event goes      its impact on the work style of local police officers and the examinations. Most people said what these children have done points to the sad fact of      being less trustworthy. If adults acted as invigilators, they would quite      turn a blind eye to cheating.
We Chinese have been holding the      that human nature was good at birth: as      of blot as a sheet of blank paper, which can be      with content (good or bad) in the process of growing up. Everything should be done on the basis of certain principles(原則).      , nowadays the repeated reports of cheating in examinations, selling ranks and      and embezzling (挪用) public funds paint a      picture of common social morals.    Adults have become too concerned with their own personal gains to      basic sense of principles. When no one      any principle and the only concern is personal interest, everyone will      , not only those who first break the rules.
Besides, cheats are unfair to honest examinees, and when the success of cheats      more people to cheat, the consequences will be disastrous.
In a word, we adults need to have our eyes as      as children’s on matters of principle.

小題1:	A．praised B．dismissed C．caught D．thrown

小題2:	A．develop B．investigate C．prevent D．promote

小題3:	A．caught up B．came up C．kept up D．put up

小題4:	A．Surprisingly B．Usually C．Safely D．Slowly

小題5:	A．hid B．recommended C．raised D．a(chǎn)ffected

小題6:	A．a(chǎn)ccept B．ignore C．refuse D．perform

小題7:	A．without B．beyond C．into D．for

小題8:	A．tutors B．pupils C．a(chǎn)dults D．teachers

小題9:	A．probably B．suddenly C．luckily D．gradually

小題10:

A．opportunity B．dream C．belief D．hope

小題11:

A．free B．busy C．ugly D．dirty

小題12:

A．described B．filled C．purchased D．charged

小題13:

A．Unless B．Therefore C．However D．Thus

小題14:

A．names B．titles C．goods D．products

小題15:

A．bright B．beautiful C．pleasant D．sad

小題16:

A．care about B．put aside C．contribute to D．come across

小題17:

A．understands B．observes C．possesses D．change

小題18:

A．a(chǎn)ct B．exist C．suffer D．survive

小題19:

A．a(chǎn)dvises B．encourages C．warns D．informs

小題20:

A．beautiful B．young C．wide D．clear