The worst earthquake in 40 years shook South Asia on Sunday, starting with horrible waves that swept entire villages into the sea. At least 20,000 people in six countries were killed in the disaster, and millions were left homeless.
The quake shook deep beneath the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It was felt more than 3000 miles away in East Africa, where heavy tides kept fishermen at home and resorts（度假勝地）closed.
It was as if the sea had struck the land. Residents of Sri Lanka, a small island country off the coast of India, ran to the hills to find safety from the tsunami. Many took their radios, televisions, and other valuables with them. The disaster hit Sri Lanka hardest. Of its 20million people, 1 million lost their homes, and 10000 died.
“The water simply raised itself up and huge waves came ashore,” wrote eye-witness（目擊者）Peter Thomas from India. “It was moving very fast. The force broke the glass walls of a restaurant on the beach here and damaged hundreds of boats.”
In some places, the tsunami struck with no warning. “The weather was fine with no clouds,” wrote an eye-witness in Indonesia. “Suddenly the seawater just hit the city. In some parts the water was up to chest level.”
A massive（大眾的）effort to help the affected countries is already underway. Leaders from around the world have promised to help, and teams of aid workers and doctors are rushing to the sea. “The United States stands ready to offer all the help to those nations most affected.” Said White House spokesman Trent Duffy. Organizations from the Red Cross to the International Monetary Fund have started fund-raising（籌款）drives to make up the costs of rebuilding.
小題1: The underlined word “tsunami” in Paragraph 5 can probably be replaced by “__________.”

A．fierce wind

B．heavy rain

C．terrible storm

D．large waves

小題2: Which of the following is NOT true when this disaster happened?

A．A sudden storm started with thunder and lightning.

B．The seawater rose suddenly and flooded the land.

C．Huge waves came upon the land, damaging the buildings and boats.

D．The sea struck the land, causing heavy losses.

小題3:In the last paragraph, the writer mainly states __________.

A．lack of help	B．international efforts
C．the fighting against the disaster	D．the result of disasters

小題4:What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Tens of Thousands of People Are in Danger

B．Storm Caused Disasters in South Asia

C．Terrible Quake Hits South Asia

D．International Aid for South Asia

小題5:Where would you probably see this passage?

A．In a textbook.	B．In a newspaper.
C．In a travel guide.	D．In a dictionary.

Maupassant（居·莫泊桑）was born in 1850 in northern France. His early life was not happy. His parents separated when he was 11. Most of his education came informally from Gustave Flaubert—his mother’s friend and his godfather, a journalist and novelist. Often Flaubert would let him take a walk and then ask him to write 100 lines about what he saw. This type of training developed in Maupassant a sense of observation, which he later put to use in his writing. Flaubert also allowed Maupassant to attend his Sunday gatherings with others in his literary circle
For a few years, Maupassant was connected with the Ministry of Public Instruction. It is interesting to note that Monsieur Loisel, a poor man character in The Necklace, worked there. He also served in the French army during the Franco-Prussian War. His favorite writing subjects were peasants, servants, in the city, and the Francd-Prussian War.
At an early age, Maupassant started writing short stories. In 1880, some of his works were published and he received a wide reputation for Boule de Suif (Ball of Tallow). With this success, he began to work full-time on writing. During the next ten years, he wrote over 300 stories, including six novels, three travel books, and a book of verse. Through them, he earn a lot of money.
His writing was classical and simple, avoiding social comments and dirty details. His works often showed a real world and an accurate knowledge of the subject. Although Maupassant wrote in many forms, he received widest recognition for his short stories. By 1890, Maupassant was suffering from the latter staged of syphilis（梅毒）. He died in 1893 in Paris.
小題1: Which of the following is TRUE about Gustave Flaubert?

A．He often went out for a walk with Maupassant.

B．He was a journalist and novelist working for church.

C．He had a great influence on Maupassant’s writing..

D．He often helped Maupassant with his writing homework.

小題2: From text we know Monsieur Loisel is _______.

A．a(chǎn) man selling necklaces

B．a(chǎn) character in one of Maupassant’s works.

C．a(chǎn) short story written by Maupassant

D．a(chǎn) friend of Maupassant the Ministry of Public Instruction

小題3: What are the characteristics of Maupassant’s stories?

A．They have few social comments.

B．They are simple and humorous.

C．They only focus on the lives of peasants.

D．They are full of imagination.

小題4:What can we learn about Maupassant from the text?

A．Only in his 30s did he begin to write stories.

B．He did not received any formal education.

C．He spent his last years happily.

D．Boule de Suif was his first success.

	u GONE WITH THE WIND Author: Margaret Mitchell ￥25 (in bookstores) ￥18 (online) Gone With the Wind is a best-seller, which tells a story that happened in the American Civil War. Scarlett O’Hara is a woman in the story who is full of energy. She is strong and saves her family but is very selfish at the same time.
u A LITTLE PRINCESS Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett ￥18.3 (online) Motherless Sara Crewe was sent home from India to school at Miss Minchin’s. Her father was very rich and she lived a rich and comfortable life. Then her father died and Sara lost everything. She had to learn to do with her changed life. Her strong character made her able to fight successfully against her poverty (貧窮) and the scorn (嘲笑) of her fellows. It’s an excellent book with 4 tapes for children.
		u PETER PAN Author: J.M Barrie ￥15 (in bookstores) ￥12 (online) It is a children’s story full of imagination and adventures, which is about Wendy, John, and Michael Darling’s adventures in Never—Never Land with Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up. The children are happy and lovely. (with 2 tapes)
u UNCLE TOM’S CABIN Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe ￥20 (in bookstores) The most famous novel in American history, Uncle Tom’s Cabin talked about the struggle (斗爭) between free states and slave states during the American Civil War and is as powerful today as when it first came out 150 years ago.
			u THE SECRET GARDEN Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett ￥35 (in bookstores) ￥30 (online) Mary Lennox, a sickly orphan (孤兒), finds herself in her uncle’s dark house. Why are so many rooms locked? Why is one of the gardens locked? And what is that crying she hears at night? Through the power of hope, friendship, and the magic (魔法) of nature, the brave girl brings the house and a long-lost garden back to life.

小題1: All of the following books have children as their main characters (主角) except _________.

A．PETER PAN	B．GONE WITH THE WIND
C．A LITTLE PRINCESS	D．THE SECRET GARDEN

小題2: We can know from the passage that _________.

A．there are only three books with tapes

B．we can buy 5 kinds of the above books in bookstores

C．two of the above books are written by Frances Hodgson Burnett

D．THE SECRET GARDEN is ￥5 cheaper in bookstores than online

小題3: Mary in THE SECRET GARDEN brings the house and a long-lost garden back to life with the help of _________.
a. the power of hope  b. friendship    c. her uncle      d. nature’s magic

A．a(chǎn)bc

B．a(chǎn)cd

C．bcd

D．a(chǎn)bd

小題4: This article may appear ___________.

A．a(chǎn)s an advertisement	B．a(chǎn)s an introduction to the western literature (文化)
C．in a Chinese film	D．only to middle school students

“The Lord of the Rings”, one of the best sellers in the new millennium(千年), was made up of three parts—“The Fellow Ship of the Ring”, “Two Towers”, and “The Return of the King”. Millions upon millions of people have read it in over 25 different languages, but fewer know about the author and the history of the composition of the creative masterwork.
John Ronald Refuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. His parents died when he was a child. Living in England with his aunt, Tolkien and his cousins made up play languages, a hobby that led to Tolkien’s becoming skilled in Welsh, Greek, Gothic, Old Norse and Anglo—Saxon.
After graduating from Oxford, Tolkien served in World War I. In 1917, while recovering from trench fever he began composing the mythology for The Rings. As a professor of Anglo-Saxon in the 1930s at Oxford, Tolkien was part of an informal discussion group called the Inklings, which included several writers. The group was soon 1istening to chapters of Tolkien’s imaginative work “The Hobbit”.
Hobbit was a name Tolkien created for people that could best be described as half-sized members of the English rural(鄉(xiāng)村的)class. Hobbits live in hillside holes. One of them，Bilbo Baggins, looks for treasures with a group of dwarves(侏儒). On the way, he meets the twisted, pitiful creature Gollum, from whom he sees a golden ring that makes the holder invisible.
One of Tolkien’s students persuaded her employer, publisher Allen & Unwind, to look at a draft (草稿). The chairman of the firm, Stanley Unwind, thought that the best judge for a Children’s book would be his ten-year-old son. The boy earned a shilling for reporting back that the adventure was exciting, and “The Hobbit” was published in 1937.
It sold so well that Unwind asked for a continuation. Over a dozen years later, in 1954, Tolkien produced “The Lord of the Rings”, a series of books so creative that they hold readers both new and old -- after their publication.
小題1:What can we learn from the text?

A．“The Lord of the Rings” didn't sell well in the last millennium.

B．People know better about Tolkien himself than about his works.

C．Tolkien was quite familiar with Old English.

D．Tolkien knew very well about different kinds of local languages in Africa.

小題2:What can we learn about "Hobbit" that Tolkien created in his works?

A．Hobbit was a race living in English downtown areas.

B．Hobbit was a local people who were very tall and strong.

C．Hobbit was a social group of people who lived in old castles.

D．Hobbit was a group of people who were mostly dwarves.

小題3: Which of the following helped most in making “The Hobbit” published?

A．One of Tolkien's students.	B．Stanley Unwind's son.
C．Allen & Unwind.	D．Bilbo Baggins.

小題4:What is mainly discussed in the text?

A．“The Lord of the Rings” and its writer.

B．A completely new masterwork in the new millennium.

C．A famous professor at Oxford University.

D．The power of the magic ring.

小題5: Which of the following shows the right order of Mr. Tolkien's life experience?
a. He had his “The Hobbit” published.
b. He became a member of the Inklings.
c. He served in World War I.
d. He became an undergraduate at Oxford.
e. His work “The Lord of the Rings” came to the world.
f. He moved to England to live with his aunt.

A．f-d-b-c-a-e	B．f-d-c-b-a-e
C．f-c-d-b-e-a	D．d-f-c-a-b-e

In this voyage I visited my new colony on the island, saw the Spaniards(西班牙人), had the whole story of their lives and of the villains(罪犯) I left there; how at first they treated the poor Spaniards badly,·how they afterwards agreed, disagreed, unired, separated, and how at last the Spaniards were forced to use violence with them; how they gave in to the spaniards, how honestly the Spaniards used them ---- a history, if it were entered into, as full of variety and wonderful accidents as my own part ---- particularly, also, as to their battles with the Caribbeans, who landed several times upon the Island, and as to the improvement they made upon the Island itself, and how five of them made an attempt upon the main land, and brought away eleven men and five women prisoners, by which, at my coming, I found about twenty young children on the Island.
Here I stayed bout 20 days, left them supplies of all necessary things, and particularly of arms, powder, shot, cloths, tools, and two workmen, which I brought from England with me, namely a carpenter and a smith.
Besides this, I shared the Island into parts with them, reserved to myself the property of whole  but gave them such parts resoeetively as they agreed on; and having settled all things with them and encouraged them not to leave the place, I left them there.
From then on I landed the Brazils, from where I sent a bark, which I bought there, with more people to the island; and in it, besides other supplies, I sent seven women, being such persons as I found proper for service, or for wives to such as would take them. As to the Englishmen, I promised them to send them some women from England, with a good cargo(船貨) of necessaries, if they would apply themselves to planting ---- which I afterwards could not perform. And the fellows proved very honest and diligent after they were mastered and had their properties set apart for them. I sent them also from the Brazils five cows, three of them being big with calf, some sheep, and some pigs, which when I came again were considerably increased.
But all these things, with an account how 300 Caribbeans came and invaded(入侵) them, and ruined their plantations, and how they fought with that whole number twice, and were at first defeated, and one of them killed; but at last a storm destroying most of their enemies’ boats, they destroyed almost all the rest, and renewed and recovered the possession of their plantation, and still lived upon the Island.
All these things, with some very surprising incidents in some new adventures of my own,  for ten years more, I may perhaps give a further account of the story.
小題1:From Paragraph l, we know _______ .

A．the Spaniards were always getting along well with the villains

B．the Spaniards were always the rulers of the island

C．the Spaniards and the villains both ruled the island peacefully

D．the Spaniards and the villains once had battles witll each other

小題2:In Paragraph 2, the place where I stayed was probably ________.

A．a(chǎn) wild island	B．a(chǎn) deserted downtown
C．a(chǎn) primitive supermarket	D．a(chǎn) new city

小題3:The underlined word “respectively” in the third paragraph probably means ______ .

A．separately

B．particularly

C．specially

D．surprisingly

小題4:The writer of the story once went to _______.

A．Japan and Brazil	B．England and Brazil
C．France and Spain	D．Korea and Caribbean

小題5:From the story, we can judge the Writer might be _______ .

A．a(chǎn)n invader

B．a(chǎn) carpenter

C．a(chǎn)n adventurer

D．a(chǎn) prisoner

I used to believe in the American dream that meant a job，credit and success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us separately chasing the same thing.
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell apart. I found myself homeless and alone. I had my truck and $ 56. I searched the countryside for some place I could rent for the cheapest possible amount. I came upon a deserted cottage in a small remote valley.I hadn't been alone for 25 years. I was scared, but I hoped the hard work would distract and heal me.
I found the owner and rented the place for$ 50 a month.The locals knew nothing about me.  But slowly they started teaching me the art of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets,  tools and canned deer meat and began sticking around to chat. They would ask if I wanted to meet cousin Albie or go fishing. They started to teach me a belief in a different American dream, not the one of individual achievement but of neighborliness. Men would stop by with wild berries, ice cream or truck parts to see if I was up for courting. I wasn't, but they were civil anyway.The woman on that mountain worked harder than any I'd ever met. They taught me how to store food in the stream and keep it cold and safe._I_learned_to_keep_enough_for_an_extra_plate_for_company.
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were necessary for a civilized life, were non­existent in this place.Up on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my relationships with my neighbors.
After four years in that valley, I moved back into town. I saw a lot of people were having a really hard time, losing their jobs and homes. With the help of a real estate broker (房地產(chǎn)經(jīng)紀(jì)人) I chatted up at the grocery store, I managed to rent a big enough house to take in a handful of people. It's four of us now，but over time I've had nine come in and move on to other places from here. We'd all be in shelters if we hadn't banded together.
The American dream I believe in now is a shared one. It's not so much about what I can get for myself; it's about how we can all get by together.
小題1:Before a series of unhappy events happened, the writer________.

A．had a well­paid job	B．worked hard for his American dream
C．worked hard and liked to share	D．felt hopeless about his American dream

小題2:What does the underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refer to?

A．The house.	B．The job.
C．The company.	D．The American dream.

小題3:
小題4:

In the 19^th century, Americans from the eastern states moved out west to settle in the rich new lands along the Pacific Coast. The most difficult part of their trip was crossing “the Great American Desert” in the western part of the United States by horse and wagon.
The western desert can be very dangerous. There is little water and there are few trees. But the desert also has scenery of great beauty. Tall towers of red and yellow stone rise sharply from the flat, sandy valley floor. The scene has been photographed many times and appears in movies and on TV.
In Arizona, man-made dams across the Colorado River have made two large lakes in the middle of the dry desert country. At Lake Powell, the red stone arch of Rainbow Bridge rises high above the blue lake.
There are few roads. Many areas of Lake Powell’s shore can only be reached by boat or on foot. But hikers in this empty desert land sometimes find very old native American pictures, painted on the rocks.
In Death Valley, California, the summer temperature rises to 130°F—165°F. There is less than inches of rain each year. Death Valley is the lowest place in America---925 metres below sea level. In the 1800s, many travelers died when they tried to cross this waterless valley in the terrible heat.
Although the desert is dry and seems empty, there is plenty of life if you look closely. Snakes and rats have learned how to live in the desert heat. They live underground and come out at night, when it is cool. Plants such as cacti need very little water. When it does rain in the desert (sometimes only once or twice a year), plants grow quickly, and flowers open in a single day. For a short time, the desert is covered with brilliant (very bright) colours.
小題1:In the 19^th century, Americans moved from east to west because they            .

A．enjoyed the trip	B．wanted to make their home there
C．wanted to find new grassland there	D．had no water to drink

小題2:From this passage. we can conclude that         .

A．the western desert is a good place for people to live in

B．there is little water but there are many trees in the desert

C．the desert is dangerous but it is full of beauty

D．till now, people know little about the desert

小題3:In the 1800s, many travelers died in Death Valley because of            .

A．illness	B．high temperature
C．cold weather	D．poisonous water

小題4:In the desert, animals will die           .

A．if they move about	B．if they can’t make holes underground
C．if they come out at night	D．if they drink much water

For hundreds of years, Japan has been hit, from time to time, by tsunamis（海嘯）, which are caused by earthquakes or underwater volcanoes. The story of the boy Yuuki is the story of such a disaster.
Yuuki lived with his family in a seaside village, below a small mountain. One day, as he played on top of the mountain, Yuuki felt a small earthquake but it was not strong enough to frighten anybody. Soon after, however, Yuuki noticed the sea darken and begin running away from the shore very fast, leaving behind wide areas of beach that had never been seen before.
Yuuki remembered reading that just before a terrible tsunami, the sea suddenly and quickly rolls backward. He ran to the beach, warning the villagers who had gathered to admire the new beach land.
But no one listened. They laughed at him and continued playing in the new sand.
Desperate, Yuuki could think of only one thing to do. He lit a tree branch, raced to the rice fields and began burning the harvested rice. Then he called out, “Fire! Fire! Everyone run to the mountain! Now!”
When everyone reached the mountain top, a villager cried out, “Yuuki is mad! I saw him set the fire.” Yuuki hung his head in shame, but said nothing as the villagers screamed at him.
Just then, someone shouted, “Look!”
In the distance a huge dark wave of water was speeding towards the shore. When it hit the shore, it destroyed everything.
On the mountain everyone stared at the village ruins in terror.
“I'm sorry I burned the fields,” said Yuuki, his voice trembling.
“Yuuki,” the village chief answered. “You saved us all.”
The villagers cheered and raised Yuuki into the air. “We were going to celebrate our rice harvest tonight,” said one, “but now we’ll celebrate that we’re all still alive!”
小題1: Where was Yuuki when the earthquake struck?

A．On the beach.	B．On the mountain.
C．In the rice fields.	D．At home.

小題2:In what order did the following events take place?
a.Yuuki ran to the rice fields.
b.The villagers paid no attention to Yuuki’s word.
c.Yuuki went to warn the villagers.
d.The village was in ruins.
e.The people were screaming at Yuuki.

A．c, b, d, a, e

B．a(chǎn), c, d, b, e

C．c, b, a, e, d

D．a(chǎn), c, d, e, b

小題3:How did Yuuki save the villagers from the disaster?

A．He told them about the earthquake.

B．He explained why the sea was flowing out.

C．He told the village chief to warn the people.

D．He set fire to the rice field.

小題4:What were the people planning to do before the tsunami struck their village?

A．Burn the rice crop.	B．Play on the beach.
C．Climb the mountain.	D．Celebrate the rice harvest.

People need to relax and enjoy themse1ves．One way they can have a good time is to watch a baseball game or another sports event．Even thousands of years ago，groups of people gathered to watch skilled athletes（運(yùn)動(dòng)員）．
　　Over 2000 years ago in Greece，certain days in the year were festival days．These were holidays when people stopped work and enjoyed themselves．They liked to watch athletes take part in  races and other games of skill．
The most important festival was held every four years at the town of Olympia．It was held in honor of the Greek God Zeus（Zus）．For five days，athletes from all parts of the Greek world took part in the Olympic Games．At the Olympic Games，people could watch them box(拳擊)，run，jump and so on．There was a relay race between two teams of men in which a lighted torch（火矩）was passed from runner to runner．The Olympic Games were thought to be so important that cities which were at war with one another had to stop fighting．Just then people were allowed to travel to the games safely．Thousands of people came to Olympia from cities in Greece and from her colonies（殖民地）in Africa，Asia and Italy．They met as friends to cheer their favorite athletes and to enjoy themselves．
小題1:What happened in Greece over 2000 years ago？

A．People needn’t to work．

B．There were often against one another in cities．

C．People watched baseball games．

D．People didn’t go to any games at all．

小題2:What were those countries in Africa？

A．Friends．

B．Enemies．

C．Colonies．

D．Relatives．

小題3:What did people do at the games？

A．They fought．	B．They just talked to friends．
C．They cheered for their favorite athletes．	D．They tried to find friends．

小題4:Greek cities then were fighting so they_____．

A．were weak	B．were safe
C．couldn’t go to other cities freely	D．could see each other

小題5:The best title for the story is“_____”．

A．Greece at War	B．To gather for the Games
C．Stop Fighting	D．Sport

The area south of the Thames at Greenwich has a long history. Throughout time different buildings have been constructed on the same site. The Palace of Placentia, an English Royal Palace built in 1447, no longer exists apart from a few remains under the present buildings.
The grand buildings on the South Bank of the Thames at Greenwich were designed by Sir Christopher Wren, most famous for St. Paul’s Cathedral. The buildings were finally completed in 1745, although some parts started to be used as early as 1705. They’re now part of a university — having served as a naval（海軍）hospital and a naval college and the setting for several cinemas.
But the buildings stand on a site which has a much longer history, of which now only a part remains that is below the ground. For nearly two hundred years, from around 1450 to 1650, Greenwich was one of the main royal palaces of England. Some of the most famous English rulers, such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, not only lived there, but also were born there.
Henry VIII put an armory（兵工廠）there, and there were also gardens, a great fountain (噴泉) and a mass of buildings. The Palace was also in a strategic location, because at the time either side of Greenwich on the Thames were important Royal Dockyards (船廠).
Eventually, though, the Palace fell into disrepair. In 1664, the King at the time, Charles II, decided to replace it with completely new buildings in a modern style. Only a cellar (地窖) from the former Royal Palace now remains, under one of the new buildings. Its red brick, typical of the 16th century, contrasts (對(duì)比) sharply with the white stone above it.
Would you like to join us to have a good view of Greenwich?
小題1:We can learn from the passage that the Palace of Placentia _____.

A．had served as a university	B．was constructed with white stones
C．was designed by Christopher Wren	D．was of particular importance in a war

小題2: The buildings on the South Bank of the Thames at Greenwich now _____.

A．a(chǎn)re in need of repair	B．differ from those in the 16th century
C．were designed in the style of Elizabeth I	D．have a history of more than half a century

小題3:According to the passage, when did the Palace of Placentia disappear from the ground?

A．In the late 1400s.	B．In the early 1600s.
C．In the late 1600s.	D．In the early 1700s.

小題4:Where can we most probably read this passage?

A．In a science report.	B．In a personal diary.
C．In a geography textbook.	D．In a travel magazine.