In many cultures white is often associated with something positive. A white-collar job, for instance, is the kind of job many people look for, working with your brain and not your hands.

White has a clean and pure image. That is why doctors, dentists, and nurses usually wear white uniforms. Babies are dressed in white at baptisms（洗禮）and brides wear white wedding gowns at weddings. White in these cases is the symbol of innocence or purity.
Sometimes white is used in expressions that are not good. “Whitewash” is one such expression. At first, “whitewash” meant to paint over something with white paint to make it look better. However, it means something different today: to hide or to cover up mistakes or failures.
A “white elephant” is another example of white used in a negative way. In ancient Thailand, a white elephant was regarded as a sacred animal, but it was very expensive to keep. The kings of those days presented a white elephant to the people they wanted to ruin. Once they received this holy, royal animal as a gift, they were not allowed to sell or kill it. Today, a “white elephant” means something that is big, useless, and unwanted. In America, when people want to get rid of their furniture or clothes, they often have a “white elephant sale”.
小題1:The text is mainly about________.

A．the meanings of white in English culture

B．the history of some English idioms

C．some interesting customs in English culture

D．some useful English words and expressions

小題2:Which expression has an historical background ?

A．White-wash.	B．White-collar.
C．White elephant.	D．White elephant sale.

小題3:In which statement does “white” have a negative meaning?

A．A boy is dressed in white at baptisms.

B．A bride wears a white wedding gown.

C．A man whitewashes his crime.

D．A girl finds a white collar job.

小題4:From the text we can learn that _______.

A．a(chǎn) white-elephant sale is useful to the poor

B．the white color is important in our daily life

C．a(chǎn) white-collar job used to be easy to get

D．expressions with white have different meanings

小題5:The author develops the text mainly by ______.

A．a(chǎn)nalyzing its cause and effect

B．providing typical examples

C．comparing different ideas

D．following the time order

On June 17, 1774, the officials from Maryland and Virginia held a talk with the Indians of the Six Nations. The Indians were invited to send boys to William and Mary College. In a letter the next day they refused the offer as follows:
We know that you have a high opinion of the kind of learning taught in your colleges, and that the costs of living of our young men, while with you, would be very expensive to you. We are sure that you mean to do us good by your proposal（提議）; and we thank you heartily. But you must know that different nations have different ways of looking at things, and you will therefore not be offended（冒犯） if our ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the same as yours. We have had some experience of it. Several of our young people were formerly brought up at the colleges of the northern provinces: they were taught all your sciences; but when they came back to us, they were bad manners, ignorant（無知的）of every means of living in the woods–they were totally good for nothing.
　We are, however, not the less thankful by your kind offer, though we refuse to accept it; and, to show our grateful sense of it, if the gentlemen of Virginia will send us a dozen of their sons, we will take care of their education, teach them in all we know, and make men of them.
小題1:The tone(語氣) of the letter as a whole is best described as________.

A．a(chǎn)ngry

B．pleasant

C．polite

D．a(chǎn)mbitious

小題2:The Indian chief’s purpose of writing the letter seems to be to ____.

A．politely refuse a friendly offer	B．express their opinions on equal treatment
C．show their pride	D．describe Indian customs

小題3:According to the letter, the Indians believed that ____.

A．it would be better for their boys to receive some schooling

B．they were being insulted by the offer

C．they knew more about science than the officials

D．they had better way of educating young men

小題4:Different from the officials’ view of education, the Indians thought ____.

A．young women should also be educated

B．they had different goals of education

C．they taught different branches of science

D．they should teach the sons of the officials first

San Francisco has long been a favorite place for travelers who are ready to learn languages．The mild （溫和的） year-round climate, shops and restaurants, bars and night-life, and some of the most beautiful scene in the US attract many visitors to this relaxing and welcoming city．Students are sure to find the San Francisco Bay Area an interesting, safe and friendly place in which they can live and study．This is the most important．
English School in San Francisco is located in the heart of the city．It is one of the best San Francisco English language schools．You can see views of the city from your classroom! Many buses stop less than a five-minute walk from the school, which is also just a two-minute walk from the famous Union Square, San Francisco Shopping Centre, the Financial District, Yerba Buena gardens and the Museum of Modern Art．The school is minutes away from the cable cars （纜車） to Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf and a boat ride on the bay．
San Francisco is a great place to study English and learn about American culture, offering excellent opportunities in sports, entertainment and arts．The city borders （接近） excellent beaches, and you can sail or surf all year round．
San Francisco has more restaurants than any other city in the US, and is the home of many theaters, music and dance companies, as well as museums．Just walking through the many areas of San Francisco, you are certain to find something wonderful．
小題1:That San Francisco attracts students most might be ______．

A．the mild year-round climate

B．its beautiful scenery

C．shops and restaurants, bars and night-life

D．a(chǎn) good place to live and study in

小題2:It is only a two-minute walk from English School to ______．

A．a(chǎn) bus stop	B．the beaches
C．the Financial District	D．Fisherman’s Wharf

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．English School has the most beautiful scenery in the US．

B．Most of the restaurants in the US are located in San Francisco．

C．In San Francisco, one can experience one part of American culture．

D．English School in San Francisco is one of the best in the US．

小題4:The author mainly wants to tell us ______．

A．a(chǎn)bout English schools in the US

B．the places around English School

C．a(chǎn)bout the beautiful scenery in San Francisco

D．San Francisco is a good place to learn language

Salem, the “City of Peace”, is a small city with a big history. It is the second established city in Massachusetts and the second oldest settlement in New England. While Salem has been long known as the “Witch City” due to the notable witch trials of 1692, Salem also played an important part in Revolutionary times and was an active leader of several Massachusetts’ industries, which is why you will find mansions (宅邸) of the country’s first millionaires there.
Salem is located approximately 16 miles (30 minutes) north of Boston and is bordered by Beverly, Danvers, Lynn, Marblehead, Peabody, Swampscott and the Atlantic Ocean. Boston & Maine Railroad serves Salem with transport service, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority maintains a rail stop and bus service. Air service is available from Beverly Airport (5 miles away) and Logan International Airport (16 miles away). Access is also available on a ferry from Boston.
Salem has various restaurants including outdoor cafes, various restaurants and fine dining establishments. For shoppers there are malls and department stores, an open market, a waterfront village, as well as a downtown shopping district.
There are many local artists and musicians who have shops along the city streets. On a nightly basis, one can stop in a local restaurant or nightspot and listen to some of the most creative music. World famous artwork is displayed at the Peabody Essex Museum and the work of local artists can be found displayed in many downtown shops including Artist Row.
The City of Salem has long had a commitment to the promotion of art and culture. The Salem Cultural Council is a local agency of Salem residents that supports public programs and educational activities in the arts, sciences and humanities. Local artists and theaters, such as CinemaSalem, the Salem Theatre Company, the Salem State College Center for the Arts, the Griffen Theater and the Rebel Shakespeare Company provide entertainment and learning opportunities to residents and visitors alike. The Salem Arts Association, Inc. is an entirely volunteer-run nonprofit arts organization. The SAA seeks to bring art, in all its forms, to the community and bring the community, in all its diversity, to the arts in Salem, Massachusetts.
小題1:What would be the best title of this passage?

A．Salem, the Industry City

B．Salem, the Witch City

C．Salem, the City with a Big History

D．Salem, the City of Peace

小題2:Which of the following statements is NOT true about Salem?

A．It is the second established city in Massachusetts with Boston to the north.

B．It was developed in several of Massachusetts’ industries.

C．Every night local restaurants there entertain visitors with some music.

D．Salem is accessible by train, bus, plane and ferry.

小題3:Visitors to Salem have a secure chance to appreciate first-class works of art in ____________.

A．Artist Row	B．Peabody Essex Museum
C．the MBTA	D．the Salem Cultural Council

小題4:After reading the passage, we may decide that ____________.

A．Salem is a preferred city for millionaires now

B．the promotion of art and culture in Salem is totally government action

C．once an important industrial city, now Salem has a strong cultural atmosphere

D．visitors to Salem will find few choices in dining and shopping

China is casting such a huge shadow on the United States that many Americans are struggling to learn Chinese in order to maintain their competitive edge, "Interest in learning Chinese among American youth and their parents has grown dramatically in the past five years," said Vivien Stewart at the Asia Society, a US group trying to bridge the gap between Americans and people of Asia and the Pacific．
China, the world's most popular nation, is critical to the United States because it is a leading trader, consumer and investor- Its political influence is also rising across the globe．It has replaced the United States as the world's largest consumer and become the second largest economy in the world after the superpower status and its telling effects politically, economically and culturally are driving the interest to learn the language, experts say．
From kindergartens to high schools, studies by the Asia Society show, there is a "rapid rise" in interest among pupils to study the Chinese language．
Even though the US State Department has stressed the Chinese language "critical " to national prosperity and security, the "current infrastructure （基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施）to support recruitment （招生） of students and teachers as well as the growth of high quality programs is -badly inadequate," an Asia Society study says．The Society has set a target of having at least 5% of American high school students learning Chinese by 2015．"Millions of Chinese are learning English, but only 24,000 Americans are learning Chinese," said Andrew Corcoran of the San Francisco - based Chinese American International School．
The most popular languages after English in the United States at present are Spanish and French.
小題1:The passage mainly tells the readers that _____,

A．China is getting under a shadow from USA

B．American competitive edge is shaking

C．Americans object to learning Chinese

D．Chinese appeals to more Americans

小題2:Based on the context, what does the underlined word "inadequate" （in Paragraph 5） mean?

A．leading	B．interesting
C．disappointing	D．promising

小題3:According to the text which of the following is TRUE?    

A．Culture can have an effect on exciting persons'

B．USA has got the high quality current

C．Chinese ranks 4th on the American Language

D．Politics decides language studying

小題4:What might be the most suitable title for this passage?   
A, US Government Requires its People to Learn Chinese       
B．Chinese Gains its Popularity with Most Americans    
C．China's Economy Helps to Spread its Language                 
D．Americans Show Interest Learning Chinese 

US bees operation keeping groups have been attacked seriously by so called Colony （群體）Collapse Disorder．Almost 1/2 of their worker bees have vanished during the past season．This disorder has also been reported in Israel, Europe and South America．Bees fly away from the hive and never return．Sometimes they are found dead; other times they are never found．Many crops and trees depend  on pollination^^}） by bees to help them grow． 
A new report says a virus may be at least partly responsible for the disorder in honey bee colonies in the United States．This virus is called Israeli acute paralysis virus．It was first found in Israel in 2004．lan Lipkin at Columbia University in New York and a team reported the new findings in Science Magazine．Doctor Lipkin says the virus may not be the only cause．He says it may work with other causes to produce the collapse disorder．
The team found the virus in colonies with the help of a map of honey bee genes that was published last year．They examined thirty colonies affected by the disorder．They found evidence of the virus in twenty-five of them, and in one healthy colony．The next step is further testing of healthy hives．
The researchers suggested that the United States may have imported the disorder in bees from Australia．They say the bees may carry the virus but not be affected．
The idea is that unlike many American bees, the ability of Australian bees to fight disease has not been hurt by the varroa mite．This insect attacks honey bees, which could make the disorder more likely to affect a hive．Australian bee producers object to these suspicions．
And some researchers suspect that bee production in the United States is down mainly because of the weather．Honey bees gather nectar from flowers and trees．The sweet liquid gives them food and material to make honey．But cold weather this spring in the Midwest reduced the flow of nectar in many flowers．Many bees may have starved．Dry weather in areas of the country could also be playing apart．
Wayne Esaias is a NASA space agency scientist who keeps bees in his free time．He lives in central Maryland, where he has found that flowers are blooming a month earlier than they did in 1970, which may be partly responsible for the disorder. Wayne Esaias is organizing a group of beekeepers to document nectar flow around the country.
小題1:What is the author’s attitude toward the cause of this disorder?

A．Doubtful.

B．Neutral.

C．Supportive.

D．Negative.

小題2:The researchers found the virus sharply by            .

A．studying the published Science Magazine

B．researching the causes of bee death

C．examining some affected colony

D．exploring a connected chart

小題3:The passage is mainly developed by             .

A．presenting the effect and analyzing its causes

B．making comparisons between two countries

C．providing data and examples

D．following the time order

小題4:How many possibilities may be involved in the bee disorder according to the passage?

A．Three

B．Four

C．Five

D．Six

小題5:From the passage we can infer that            .

A．American bees are more likely to defend themselves against hurt from other insects than Australian ones

B．A collection of plants production in U.S ay be influenced by the bee disorder

C．Israeli acute paralysis virus should be responsible for the disorder

D．The solution to the disorder will be found eventually

In the decade（十年）of the 1970s, the United Nations organized several important meetings on the human environment to study a very serious problem．We humans are destroying the world around us．We must learn to protect them, or life will be very bad for our children and grandchildren．
There are several major aspects to this problem．
Population
Most problems of the environment come from population growth．In 1700 there were 635 million people in the world; in 1900 there were 1．6 billion; in 1950, 2．5 billion; and in 1980, 4．4 billion．In the year 2010 there will be 7．3 billion．More people need more water, more food, more wood, and more petroleum．
Distribution
Scientists say there is enough water in the world for everyone, but some countries have a lot of water and some have only a little．Some areas get all rain during one season．The rest of the year is dry．
Petroleum
We are using up the world’s petroleum．We use it in our cars and to heat our buildings in winter．Farmers use petrochemicals to make the soil rich．They use them to kill insects on those plants．These chemicals go into rivers and lakes and kill the fish there．Thousands of people also die from these chemicals every year．Chemicals also go into the air and pollute it．Winds carry this polluted air to other countries and other countries．
Poverty
Poor farmers use the same land over and over．The land needs a rest so it will be better next year．However, the farmer must have food every year．Poor people cut down trees for firewood．In some areas when the trees are gone, the land becomes desert．However, people need wood to cook their food now．Poor people cannot save the environment for the future．
We now have the information and the ability to solve these huge problems．However, this is not a problem for one country or one area of the world．It is a problem for all humans．The people and the nation of the world must work together to protect the world’s resources．No one controls the future, but we all help make it．
小題1:According to the passage, our world is being destroyed mainly because ______．

A．pollution is getting worse and worse

B．population are increasing greatly

C．we humans are using up all of our natural resources

D．distribution is not reasonable．

小題2:Good distribution means ________．

A．having things in the right place at the right time．

B．cutting down forests and selling them to other countries．

C．building water systems to carry water to farms．

D．conserving our natural resources

小題3:The best title of the passage should be ________

A．The World Being Destroyed

B．A Serious Problem We Should Pay Attention to

C．Aspects That Destroyed Our World

D．Conserving the World’s Natural Resources

It is hardly surprising that clothing manufacturers（生產(chǎn)商） follow certain uniform standards for various features of clothes．What seems strange, however, is that the standard adopted for women is the opposite of the one for men．Take a look at the way your clothes button．Men’s clothes tend to button from the right, and women’s form the left．Considering most of the word’s population----men and women----are right-handed, the men’s standard would appear to make more sense for women．So why do women’s clothes button from the left?
History really seems to matter here．Buttons first appeared only on the clothes of the rich in the 17th century, when rich women were dressed by servants．For the mostly right-handed servants, having women’s shirts button from the left would be easier．On the other hand, having men’s shirts button form the right made sense, too．Most men dressed themselves, and a sword drawn from the left with the right hand would be less likely to get caught in the shirt．
Today women are seldom dressed by servants, but buttoning form the left is still the standard for them．Is it interesting? Actually, a standard, once set, resists change．At a time when all women’s shirts buttoned form the left, it would have been risky for any single manufacturer to offer women’s shirts that buttoned from the right．After all, women had grown so used to shirts which buttoned from the left and would have to develop new habits and skills to switch．Besides, some women might have found it socially awkward to appear in public wearing shirts that buttoned from the right, since anyone who noticed that would believe they were wearing men’s shirts．
小題1:What is surprising about the standard of the clothing industry?

A．It has been followed by the industry for over 400 years．

B．It is different for men’s clothing and women’s．

C．It woks better with men than with women．

D．It fails to consider right-handed people．

小題2:What do we know about the rich men in the 17th century?

A．They tended to wear clothes without buttons．

B．They were interested in the historical matters．

C．They were mostly dressed by servants．

D．They drew their swords from the left．

小題3:Women’s clothes still button from the left today because        ．

A．a(chǎn)dopting men’s style is improper for women

B．manufacturers should follow standards

C．customs are hard to change

D．modern women dress themselves

小題4:The passage is mainly developed by         ．

A．a(chǎn)nalyzing causes	B．making comparisons
C．examining differences	D．following the time order

Attempt a guess at the following question: In the English-speaking world, which country has the least affordable homes? You are wrong if you guessed the US, even with the housing bubble (氣泡) and main sadness. Nor is it the UK, where prices have risen because demand is far from supply. According to a recent survey of 227 cities around the globe, you must go south of the equator (赤道) to Australia to find the priciest homes.
The report measured a city’s housing market along the following guidelines. An “affordable” home required three times or less of the average family’s income to purchase. At four times earnings, a home fell into the “unaffordable” category. And a “seriously unaffordable” home needed five times a family’s income. In Australia, homes in the least affordable city cost just about 9.5 times the average income. Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne were only a little under this figure.
Australian officials offered little comment, apart from a general statement on the dismal findings. These prices make the possibility that many Australians will one day own a home largely unbelievable. Land rationing (配給制) and excessive development charges have raised prices, and the problem will only be solved through urgent action by the Rudd government.
Some American cities were also included on the least affordable list, four of which were in California. America is still involved in a mortgage（抵押）crisis, though, affecting the affordability of homes. Yet a number of US cities garnered “affordable” status, namely Dallas and Kansas. Australia had no cities listed in the top fifty places with affordable homes.
The survey suggests that you can find affordable homes in most places, just not if you’re Australian and choose to live down under.
小題1:To buy an affordable house, you should pay _____.

A．3 times or less of the average family’s income

B．4 times or less of the average family’s income

C．5 times or less of the average family’s income

D．9.5 times or less of the average family’s income

小題2:What caused the prices of houses to increase in Australia?

A．The rising family’s income.

B．The demand over supply.

C．The excessive development charges.

D．The decrease of land.

小題3:The underlined word “dismal” in Paragraph 3 may mean _____.

A．cheerful

B．satisfactory

C．difficult

D．gloomy

小題4:What might be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．Affordable Houses

B．A House is a Dream First

C．Housing Bubble

D．Homes Too Expensive

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。
C
China’s economic growth “hard to predict”
The worsening global economic situation makes it difficult for China to predict its growth for next year, a senior official said on Friday.
“How fast China’s economy will grow next year is uncertain,” Liu He, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economy Work, told China Daily.
“To a large extent, the rate will be decided by the external(外部) situation,” Liu said during a discussion with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and other economists in Beijing.
“This year, GDP is estimated to grow at 9.4 or 9.5 percent, down from 10.6 percent last year,” he said. “However, the impact of the current financial turbulence on our economy is much less than on the rest of the world.”
Nicholas Stern, a former UK government advisor, also told China Daily it will take at least one or two years for the world to recover from the recession, which is now spreading from the US and the UK to the rest of the world.
“We don’t know how long the recession will last, but it is unlikely to be short,” he said.
Liu said China can use the downturn(衰退) as an opportunity to restructure its economy, which has relied heavily on government investment, foreign trade and low-cost technology over the past years.
“When the economy is experiencing fast growth, companies are unwilling to upgrade their technologies,” Liu said.
“The slowdown gives such firms the opportunity to enhance(提高) their competitive edge through better technologies.”
(From China Daily 2009-01-11)
小題1:How many people are mentioned in this passage?

A．Only 2.

B．No more than 3.

C．Not more than 4.

D．At least 5.

小題2:It can be inferred from Liu’s words that the impact of the current financial turbulence on China’s economy is ______.

A．more

B．less

C．the most

D．the least

小題3:The underlines word “extent” probably means ______.

A．sense

B．degree

C．size

D．depth

小題4: According to the passage, the reason why Liu said this downturn is an opportunity for China to restructure its economy is that ______.

A．China’s economy will not depend on government investment in the future

B．Foreign trade will grow in the future

C．The downturn will force China’s companies to upgrade their technologies

D．Low-cost technologies will not exist in China