In 2006, a large number of new Internet sites became popular around the world. Some of these are for communication, others for entertainment(娛樂).
The blog is one form of communication that increased in popularity. Through these personal websites(網(wǎng)址), people can share their lives, ideas and opinions on the Internet. People of all ages have their own blogs. For young people, they are a way to show their writing and other forms of self-expression. Blogs also connect people with other people who have the same interests. For example, teachers use blogs to share ideas with other teachers’, as well as experiences and concerns about their work.
YouTube is another Internet site that became more popular last year. This website lets anyone create, share and watch short videos. These include videos of people singing or dancing, or animals doing funny things. Three young men created YouTube almost two years ago as a personal video sharing service. They recently sold it to Google for more than one and a half billion dollars.
Games and entertainment also became a larger part of the Internet last year. One Internet social site is called Second Life. It is an online world in which computer users create a new self and live a different life. They get married, build homes, operate businesses, buy and sell goods, work, play and attend school.
People also take part in fantasy sports leagues with the help of the Internet. A fantasy sport is a game in which each member of a group acts as the owner of a team. Each owner creates a team of real-life professional players to compete against other teams in the league. More than fifteen million American adults play fantasy sports. The industry earns more than one billion（十億） dollars each year from publications, memberships and other costs.
小題1:The passage is mainly about __________.

A．the most popular Internet technology in 2006

B．some new ways for people to communicate or have fun on the Internet

C．one online game called Second Life

D．the high price of playing online

小題2: Who is the owner of YouTube now?

A．Three young men.

B．Google.

C．Computer users.

D．Yahoo.

小題3:Whom does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The people who are interested in blogs.

B．The people who play games on YouTube.

C．The people who play Second Life.

D．The people who are created in Second Life.

小題4:What do we know from the passage?

A．Teachers can share ideas, experiences and concerns about their work with other teachers on any website.

B．More than fifteen million American teenagers play fantasy sports.

C．Second Life helps people get married, buy and sell goods, work, play and attend school in real life.

D．Fantasy sports, a game in which each member of a group acts as the owner of a team, is very popular around the world.

Few Americans remain in one position or one place for a lifetime. They move from town to city to suburb, from high school to college in a different state, from a job in one region to a better job elsewhere, from the home where they raise their children to the home where they plan to live in retirement (退休). With each move they are forever making new friends, who become part of their new life at that time.
For many of them summer is a special time for forming new friendships. Today millions of Americans vacation abroad, and they go not only to see new sights but also with the hope of meeting new people. No one really expects a vacation trip to produce a close friend, but the beginning of a friendship is possible.
The word “friend ” can be applied to a wide range of relationships ---- to someone one has known for a few weeks in a new place, to a fellow worker, to a childhood playmate, to a man or woman, to a trusted confidant (知己).
小題1:. Many Americans move from place to place for the following reasons except           .

A．going to college

B．getting a better job

C．finding a place to live in retirement

D．saving money

小題2:. Summer is a special time when many Americans           .

A．enjoy the sunlight	B．feel strange
C．travel to other countries	D．get a new job

小題3: When summer comes, many Americans             .

A．hope to meet new people

B．expect to find some close friends

C．want to begin lasting friendships with new people

D．Both A and B

小題4: From the passage it can be seen that a “friend” can be             .

A．a(chǎn) fellow worker	B．a(chǎn) football teammate
C．a(chǎn) boy or a girl	D．a(chǎn)ll of the above

小題5:. Which of the following is the topic sentence of Paragraph 2?

A．For many of us summer is a special time for forming new friendships.

B．Today millions of Americans vacation abroad.

C．No one really expects a vacation trip to produce a close friendship.

D．But surely the beginning of friendship is possible.

One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales. She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path .That’s when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train. Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line. Seconds later, she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely’s near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS (導(dǎo)航儀). She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily. Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing. “I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train,” she told the BBC.
Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely’s story in his book When Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it’s not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor singalling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.
It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors.
The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long.
小題1:What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident？

A．She was not familiar with the road.

B．It was dark and raining heavily then.

C．The railway workers failed to give the signal.

D．Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing.

小題2:The phrase “near miss” (Paragraph 2) can best be replaced by______.

A．close hit	B．heavy loss
C．narrow escape	D．big mistake

小題3:Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?

A．Modern technology is what we can’t live without.

B．Digital technology often falls short of our expectation.

C．Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.

D．GPS error is not the only cause for Ceely’s accident.

小題4:In the writer’s opinion, Stevenson’s argument is _______.

A．one-sided	B．reasonable
C．puzzling	D．well-based

小題5:What is the real concern of the writer of this article?

A．The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.

B．The relationship between human and technology.

C．The shortcomings of digital devices we use.

D．The human unawareness of technical problems.

Greece declared a national state of emergency on Saturday as scores of forest fires that have killed at least 46 people continued to burn out of control, leaving some villages trapped within walls of flames, cut off from firefighters.
Although most of the fires have been on the Peloponnesian Peninsula, some broke out on the outskirts of Athens on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of homes and closing a major road linking the capital to the main airport for several hours. The national fire brigade said that by evening it had brought those blazes under control, including one that came within about six miles of the city.
The country has been vulnerable to fire this summer because of drought and three consecutive heat waves that sent temperatures soaring over 100 degrees. More than 3,000 forest fires have destroyed thousands of acres of wooded areas since June; the earlier fires killed nine people. The latest spate of fires on the peninsula started Friday. Strong, hot winds have spread the flames.
Firefighters expect the death toll to rise, because they have not yet been able to search some areas that had been overrun by flames.
Hardest hit by the fires were a dozen small villages t around the town of Zaharo in the western peninsula, where at least 12 people, including some who may have been trying to flee by car, were killed. Scores of other residents, including elderly and disabled people, remained trapped in their homes, phoning in to local television and radio stations, crying for help.
Late Saturday, Mr. Karamanlis, Prime Minister of Greece appeared on national television and declared that he was mobilizing all of the country’s resources to control the fire. Mr. Karamanlis also suggested that the recent fires might have been purposely set. “So many fires sparked simultaneously in so many regions is no coincidence,” he said, “We will get to the bottom of this and punish those responsible.”
The overstretched national fire services are being helped by an estimated 6,000 soldiers mobilized for the operation. A fleet of water-dumping aircraft was expected from France, Germany and Norway, after Greece appealed to the European Union for “urgent assistance.”
51.The writer mainly wants to tell us that ______ in the passage.
A. firefighters battles fearlessly in Greece to control the fire
B. constant fires in Greece have caused great life and wealth lose
C. Greece is facing great danger as forest fires continue to break out
D. Greek government is investigating the cause of recent forest fires
52. We can know from the passage that ______.
A. Athens, capital of Greece was not threatened in the fire
B. Greek government did not take effective measures to control the fire
C. many people had to leave their homes to avoid fire
D. all people endangered by the fire have already got immediate and proper help
53. According to the passage, which of the following might not contribute to the recent forest fires in Greek?
A. Storm thunders in summer
B. Lack of rainfall
C. Extremely hot weather this summer
D. Hot and strong wind
54. We can learn from the passage that ______.
A. now the fire crisis in Greece has come to an end
B. assistance from EU members is expected to come to help Greece
C. firefighters in Greece so far can still manage the situation
D. the number of people who die in the fire is expected not to rise any more
55. Mr. Karamanlis believes the forest fires in Greece _______.
A. is a happening by chance                             B. is a natural disaster
C. might be caused by human       on purpose             D. is a punishment of nature

C
No one can believe that the over 6,300-kilometer Great Wall might disappear some day. Believe it or not, the Great Wall is being destroyed by people. Less than 20 percent of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty, is still perfect, but about 80 percent is in danger. The Great Wall can be called "great" mostly because of its amazing length. But we should realize that the length was made up of one brick at a time. If we do nothing to save the Great Wall, it will become a series of separate wasteland rather than a historic site.
The Great Wall is actually a series of walls built and rebuilt by different dynasties over the past 2,000 years. It began in the rule of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty(221 BC-206 BC), and lasted into the Ming Dynasty. The parts built before the Ming Dynasty have nearly disappeared. People are familiar with sections such as Badaling in Beijing and Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu, because they have been open to tourists for many years. But those sections far away from the public eyes have been almost forgotten.
Few local people knew the 3-metre-high walls made of earth and stones beside them are part of the Great Wall. The lack of knowledge is considered as one of the main reasons behind human.
The bricks on the Great Wall are carried off by countryside people to build their houses, sheep corrals and pigsties. Some were taken away to build roads. Bricks carved with people's names are put away as remembrances. Rubbish is spread over the battlements. The bricks can be sold for 15 yuan per tractor load. Those who destroyed and are destroying the Wall know its name, but are not clear about its cultural meaning. It will take a long time to let them know this. The local farmers not only carried off the body of the Wall but also dug out the entire base.
It is necessary to protect the Great Wall. First of all, the officials should be aware of the importance of the Great Wall. Young Chinese should know more about the nation's great civilization and learn to love it.
64. Why does the writer say the Great Wall might disappear?
A. It is useless from now on.
B. It will be replaced by a new one.
C. Some parts of it are being destroyed.
D. It is too old to be used again.
65. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. The Great Wall was completed in the Ming Dynasty.
B. Not all the foreign tourists like the Great Wall.
C. The first part of the Great Wall was built in 221 BC.
D. The Qin Great Wall was protected well.
66. The underlined part "those sections far away from the public eyes" (in Paragraph 2) refers to the parts of the Great Wall _____.
A. that are too difficult to find
B. nobody can watch
C. that are too far to be seen
D. that are not well-known to the public
67. What's the main reason of the Great Wall's being destroyed?
A. The local people are short of culture knowledge.
B. The local people need bricks and stones to build houses.
C. The local people think that the Great Wall is not important.
D. The local people sell the bricks for a living.

Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast（盛宴）. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.In time, other colonies（殖民地）began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed（宣布）the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
1. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated      .
A. in spring              B. summer  C. in autumn             D. in winter
2. The first to celebrate thanksgiving were      .
A. some people from England   B. the American Indians
C. Sarah Josepha Hale         D. Governor Bradford
3. We can infer from the passage that New England must be      .
A. in the U. S. A.  B. in Great Britain
C. in Canada   D. on some island off the Atlantic
4. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest.
B. Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations.
C. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God.
D. There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.
5. The passage mainly tells us      .
A. how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A.
B. how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated
C. that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday
D. how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places

You may have heard the term "the American Dream". In 1848, James W. Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams. That 19th century "American Dream" motivated (激發(fā)起) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".
The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors but also waves of immigrants throughout that century and the next. People from Europe, and a large number of Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold in the streets. But most, instead, worked as railroad labourers. They created the oldest Chinatown, in San Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill".
In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work. Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare.
Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley. People poured their energy into the Internet. This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortunes in America.
Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive. However, the new American Dream is no longer just about money. It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice.
The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has become the model of the new American Dream. After years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a movie superstar and then governor. Many people hope his story can save the American Dream and give California a brighter future.  
小題1: It can be inferred that _____.

A．America’s golden dream could never be realized

B．America’s golden dream had bought great fortunes to Chinese immigrants

C．each period of time has its own taste of the American dream

D．determination and hard work are the best way to realize the American dream

小題2:Why did most of the early immigrants work as railroad laborers?

A．Because they could earn more money as railroad laborers.

B．Because they had to make a living by working as railroad laborers.

C．Because they thought railroad was the first step to find gold.

D．Because railroad laborers were greatly honored at that time.

小題3:The underlined sentence “his story can save the American Dream” (in the last paragraph) indicates that _____.

A．the dream of seeking fortunate in America is easy to realize

B．most of the immigrants to America don’t reach their previous goal

C．the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the common examples of the immigrants

D．the immigrants have made great contributions to California

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

A．Wave of Immigrants to America	B．Make Fortunes Abroad
C．Hard Work Leads to Success	D．Changes of America’s Golden Dream

Are you a big fan of pirate（海盜） stories? Do you know how to talk like a pirate? You can have fun on September 19th. This special holiday is called International Talk Like A Pirate Day. It was invented in 1995 by two young Americans, John Baur and Mark Summers.
These two good friends came up with this idea when they were playing racquetball, and began to talk like pirates. At that moment, they thought, “Young people are interested in pirate. But there is no such a chance for people to get together to share it. Why not have a day when everybody talks like a pirate?” They decided to make September 19th the date. Since then, Baur and Summers have tried hard to promote Talk Like A Pirate Day. As Baur said, “We've talked like pirates, and encouraged several of our friends to do so every September 19th.”
At first, this day was only known by a few people. In 2002, Baur and Summers sent a letter about their invented holiday to Dave Barry. This columnist（專欄作家）really liked their idea. He promoted the holiday and made it known to more and more people. Now, it has really become an international holiday. On Talk Like A Pirate Day, you need to dress like a pirate. You should wear a big hat or maybe cover one of your eyes. You can pretend to be any kind of pirate that you can find in any story or movie.
Having fun and being relaxed are not the only best things about the holiday. Young people share the same interest and childhood dreams that day. That's why it is welcomed by so many people, especially young people.
Unlike traditional holidays, International Talk Like A Pirate Day is a brand new holiday which is invented by the youth themselves and celebrated by themselves too. Because of Baur and Summers' imagination and creativity, thousands of young people's pirate dream come true. Next time, when you have a good idea, why not share it with your fiends and insist on your belief? Maybe you can create another wonderful holiday for the youth in the future.
小題1:How did John Baur and Mark Summers invent the special holiday?

A．Many young people asked them to do it

B．They did it just for pleasure

C．They thought out the idea by chance and imagination

D．They did it in order to honor pirates

小題2:Why are the holiday become more and more popular？.

A．You can have fun and relax yourself freely.

B．young people can exchange ideas and dreams on the day

C．young people can have fun and be relaxed.

D．you can play the role of the pirate in the movie on the day

小題3:Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．It was Dave Barry who made more people know the holiday.

B．Talk Like A Pirate Day is a young, active and lively holiday

C．Thanks to John Baur and Mark Summers’ imagination and creativity, a lot of people realize their pirate dream.

D．The holiday has been popular since the birth of it.

小題4:According to the passage, which of the following can show that the holiday is special?

A．It has a long history.

B．It is a wonderful and instructive holiday.

C．It is a brand new holiday invented and celebrated by the youth themselves.

D．People can make their dream come true on this day.

小題5:Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage？

A．Can you talk like a pirate?

B．Young people’s pirate dream

C．John Baur and Mark Summers

D．September 19th ,—a day in honor of pirates

There was a huge battle between the warriors(武士)of Greece and the people of Troy. Prince Paris from Troy had stolen away the Greek queen; Helen. The Greek warriors set sail for Troy to fight for their queen.  
The battle outside Troy lasted for ten years. The men were fed up and wanted to return to their homes. Athene, goddess of war gave Ulysses the idea for a plan to end the war. They built a big wooden horse which they put in the middle of their encampment（營地）. Next they pretended to give up their camp. In reality many soldiers hid inside the wooden horse.
Once they thought the camp had been abandoned the Trojans went out to check. They needed to know if the war was really over. They walked through the abandoned encampment and eventually found the wooden horse. They could not decide what it was. Some wanted to take it  into the city, others thought that it was a gift to Zeus and feared touching or moving it in case they upset Zeus.  
Some Trojans decided to take it back into the city. They called a large group of troops, attached ropes and pulled it into the city.
A huge celebration started. The city was free from war for the first time in nine years. Everybody feasted, drank and danced until eventually the merriment（歡鬧）was over and they all went to sleep.
This was the moment that the wooden horse opened a big flap（蓋口）hidden underneath. Out crept Ulysses and all of his men. They killed the sleeping troops, rescued Queen Helen, met up with the rest of their army and set sail for home.
The story of the return journey is told in The Odyssey, a collection of poems piecing together the bits of the story from the many different places where the story took place.
小題1:Greece and the people of Troy were at war because________________.

A．they have different views and beliefs

B．Prince Paris from Troy wanted to control Greek

C．they were war-like countries

D．the Greek warriors fought against Troy for their queen stolen away

小題2:What does the underlined phrase “(be)fed up” probably mean?

A．very bored

B．very happy

C．very sad

D．very interested

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

A．The battle outside Troy lasted for ten years.

B．It was Ulysses that thought up the idea for a plan to end the war

C．The Trojans fell into a trap set by Ulysses and all of his men

D．The Greek warriors saved Queen Helen and head home successfully

小題4:What can we learn from the story?

A．Keep a clear brain or you’ll be cheated by something pretending

B．Failure is a common thing in the war

C．strategy(策略) is not an important factor in the war.

D．Victory cannot be gained by cheat and pretence.

小題5:Which of the followings can serve as the best title for the passage?

A．The Trojan Horse

B．A Smart Plan

C．The Trojan War

D．Rescuing Queen Helen

Mauritius, with its full name the Republic of Mauritius, an island country, lies 1,200 miles off the southeastern coast of Africa, and just east of Madagascar, another African island country, which is larger by far than Mauritius. It covers 788 square miles and has a population of 1,100,000, about 750,000 Indians, 300,000 Chinese and 20,000 Whites included. They are living together peacefully, although they share such different beliefs as Hindu, Roman Catholic, Muslim and so on. 
The country can be divided into many parts with different climates all because of its peculiar terrains (地形). In the center there are volcanoes (火山) several thousand feet high, and 90% of its arable land is covered with sugarcane.
There were no people living on the island before the Dutch landed on it in 1638. The Dutch relinquished it in 1710, and five years later, the French came and succeeded in planting sugarcane there. It was conquered (征服) by Britain in 1818. As a result, its official language is English. The main big cities are Beau-Bassin and Mahebourg, with Port Louis as its capital.
Mauritius has many rare and unique animals, such as the snakes, parrots and lizards. The giraffe is a type of animal with a very long neck and legs and yellow skin with dark spots. It is the tallest of all living animals.
Mauritius was extremely poor when it declared its independence in 1968. In the past ten years, obvious economic prosperity (繁榮) has shown itself in this island country. Nowadays its business, culture and tourism are developing rapidly. Every year, thousands of millions of people rush there to enjoy the silver sad beach and song and dance performances with native national characters.
小題1:The underlined word “relinquished” in the third paragraph means _______.

A．took its place	B．gave it up
C．left for it	D．held it out

小題2:The right order that shows the history of Mauritius should be _______.
a. seized by the French          b. became its master
c. ruled by the Dutch            d. conquered by the British

A．b, a, c, d	B．a(chǎn), c, d, b
C．d, c, a, b	D．c, a, d, b

小題3: According to the passage all of the following statements are TRUE except ________.
Arable land covers 90% of the country’s total area   
It was the rule of foreigners that made the Mauritius people live in poverty
More than half of Mauritius population are Indians
Britain ruled the island longer than French and Dutch