For as early as I could remember, my mother had been a bright, cheerful woman deeply interested and involved in the world around her. However, in the last fifteen years of her life, she had to live with senile dementia (老年癡呆). I would go to my home to pay her a visit in California and she would curiously look at me and then ask, “Who are you?” I would answer, “I’m your own son, of course.” “Where do you live?” She would ask. “In Virginia”, I would tell her. “Isn’t that interesting,” she would say, “I have a son in Virginia.”
Mother seemed only forgetful as well as confused at the beginning of that disease, but sometime later she would go through different time of intense anxiety. She would keep walk ing through the house she used to live in most of her life crying uneasily that she would like to go home. Or sometimes she left home and wandered away if she were unattended for a short time.
Hoping to make her happy and put her mind at ease I would take her in my car, visiting sites where she used to live when she was a child. In the yard of the hillside house in Shipman I sat in the car and admired the view of the old oaks and long green lawn(草坪). I pictured my mother there was a little girl playing with the pet lamb she had been so fond of. I looked to her for some response. She shook her head and said, “I want to go home.”
Over the years I have decided that what my mother was calling home was not a place, but a time. I think it was a time when she was much younger, when her children were still underfoot, when her husband was still energetic and attentive.
Watching my mother’s suffering set me wondering where I would have in mind if someday I couldn’t find home and wanted to go there. In this family we tend to be long-lived and we grow fuzzy (糊涂的) minded as the years go by. At eighty I have already noticed some alarming symptoms. My doctor says the forgetfulness is only natural and that it comes with age. Still the fear of senile dementia is haunting there. Someday if and when I become even more cloudy minded than I am now, unable to drive and unable to tell you where "home" is, my dear son, I expect I will ask you to take me home, I know you will do your best to find the place I need to be. I leave these notes for your guidance.
小題1:What’s the main idea of the first and second paragraphs?

A．The mother of the author could not find her home.

B．The mother of the author could not remember who’s his son.

C．The author’s mother suffered with serious senile dementia.

D．The author didn’t know how to cure his mother.

小題2:Which of the following is NOT the symptom of the mother of the author?

A．forgetful

B．confused

C．cheerful

D．uneasy

小題3:What’s the meaning of the underlined word “picture”?

A．photograph

B．describe

C．a(chǎn)ppear

D．paint

小題4:What can you infer from the third paragraph?

A．The author cared much about his mother.

B．The mother of the author liked pet lambs very much.

C．The author found a very little girl who was playing with a pet lamb.

D．The mother of the author did not like her usual home.

小題5:What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Where Is Home?	B．A story about a son and a mother.
C．Everyone will suffer with senile dementia.	D．Take Mother Home.

Dear Alcohol,
You’ve been around forever. I can remember all the pain you’ve caused for me.
Do you remember the night you almost took my father’s life? I do. He loves you. Sometimes I think he loves you more than he loves me. He’s addicted to you, to the way you promise to rid him of his problems only to cause more of them. You just sat back and laughed as his car went spinning through the street, crashing into two other cars. He wasn’t the only one hurt by you that night.
Do you remember the night of my first high school party? You were there. My friends were intrigued by you. They treated you as if they were never going to see you again, drinking all of you that they could. I spent two hours that night helping my friends who had fallen completely. “I’m so embarrassed,” they said as I held their hair back so that they could vomit (嘔吐). “I’m sorry,” they said when I called taxies for them, walking them out and paying the driver in advance. “This won’t happen again,” they said as they were sent to the hospital to have their stomachs pumped. Two 15-year-old girls slept in hospital beds that night thanks to you.
Do you remember the night when you took advantage of my 17-year-old neighbor who had to drive to pick up his sister from her dance lessons? Do you know how we all felt when he hit another car and killed the two people in the other car? He died the next morning too. His sister walked home from her dance lesson, and passed police cars and a crowd of people gathering on the sidewalk just two blocks away from the dance studio. She didn’t realize her brother was in the midst of it all. She never saw him again. And it’s all your fault.
I wish you’d walk out of my life forever. I don’t want anything to do with you. Look at all the pain you’ve caused. Sure, you’ve made people happy too from time to time. But the damage you’ve caused in the lives of millions is inexcusable. Stop luring (引誘) in the people I love. Stop hurting me, please.
Sincerely,Anonymous
小題1:What is author’s purpose in writing to alcohol?

A．To introduce Mr. Alcohol to the readers

B．To describe the harm alcohol did to his family.

C．To show how much alcohol can hurt people.

D．To show the great fun that alcohol can bring to people’s life.

小題2:What did alcohol do to the author’s father?

A．It made him crash into two other cars and took his life.

B．It made him drink too much and he had to get his stomach pumped.

C．It made him kill two other people when driving.

D．It made him get into a car accident and badly injure himself.

小題3:The underlined phrase “were intrigued by” is closest in meaning to ______.

A．were familiar with	B．were interested in
C．were disappointed with	D．were satisfied with

小題4:What is the tone of the article?

A．Critical.

B．Doubtful.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Humorous.

小題5:What is the main writing technique of the passage?

A．Making something more noticeable than usual.

B．Representing something in the form of a person.

C．Describing something by listing its harmfulness.

D．Comparing one thing with another to make his point clear.

Thank you for trusting me. I enjoy exchanging my ideas with yours
The first thing I want to tell you is that if the boys are calling you names it is their fault, not yours. Boys, at your age, are different from girls. They are trying to prove that they are manly and then often do this by picking on someone who can’t really fight back. This is, of course, wrong but it happens. In general, the boys know they are bigger and stronger than you are, so they can make fun of you and make you cry and then laugh about it. If you let them see that they are hurting you, they will only do it more. It isn’t that they want to hurt you; they simply want to make themselves feel superior（優(yōu)越的）. It’s stupid, but it is common.
In English we say “ sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.” Canadian children learn this from their mothers because the same thing that is happening to you in China also happens here. The best ways of getting the boys to stop calling your names is to simply ignore them, knowing that the names can’t hurt you and that the boys are being stupid. If you can laugh at them they will get tired of trying to make you cry and they’ll give up. It won’t be easy, but, trust me, it will work. There is also something else working in your favor and that is that you are growing up and the boys are beginning to notice you as a young woman. I suspect some of them actually like you and are making fun of you just to get your attention. Again, it’s stupid but it happens. In reality, you can control this situation by not letting them see you getting hurt. Laugh at them, tell them they’re acting like children and they should grow up and then walk away with your head held high.
One more thing, Nancy. It is very important that you stop hurting yourself. If someone else hurts you, it is bad enough but you should’t make it worse by then hurting yourself. Even sticking a pen into your finger can cause an infection and give you a lot of trouble and besides, it hurts. The next time you are disturbed by a group of stupid boys, write to me. You and I can talk about anything you like; about China, about Canada, about travel, anything. Having a conversation with me is better than sticking holes in your fingers, at least I hope it is.
小題1:It can be learned from the passage that the writer is        .

A．a(chǎn) Canadian	B．a(chǎn)n Englishman
C．Nancy’s schoolmate	D．Nancy’s father

小題2:Nancy hurt herself because she      .

A．couldn’t prevent the boys taking interest in her

B．felt it her own fault to be called names by boys

C．found herself more stupid than the boys

D．wanted the boys to see her hurt by herself

小題3:We can learn that the boys call Nancy names mainly because they        .

A．want to prove manly	B．a(chǎn)re bigger and stronger
C．mean to hurt Nancy	D．a(chǎn)ctually like Nancy

小題4:The best way for Nancy to stop being called names is to        .

A．talk to the writer	B．cry and hurt herself
C．fight back and ignore them	D．stick holes in her fingers

Tourism has the power to bring jobs and economic development to popular destination（目的地）, but how should travelers decide where to spend their money? Are some countries more deserving of visitors’ dollars than others?
That’s the idea behind the 10-destination list put together by San Francisco-based non-profit Ethical（有道德的）Traveler, which since 2006,has published an annual guide to the World’s Best Ethical Destinations in the developing world.
“Instead of publishing countries for doing bad things,” said Jeff Greenwald, executive director of Ethical Traveler, “we’re trying to offer a favor, rewarding countries in the developing world that are really trying to do the right thing.”
So which countries are the most ethical? For 2013,the winners are Barbados, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Ghana, Latvia ,Lithuania, Mauritius, Palau, Samoa and Uruguay.
Those 10 countries scored highest in three main areas: social welfare, environmental protection and human rights.
Greenwald explained that countries must have a good tourism infrastructure（基礎(chǔ)建設(shè)）to make the list, but the non-profit Ethical Traveler also uses the list to promote（提倡）some under-visited places that can be a role model for other countries in their region. For example, Latvia earned high marks for improving its environmental efforts and strong human rights record, and the country’s parks and nature reserves make for a great off-the-beaten-path ecotourism trip.
In addition to just visiting these countries, travelers should aim to spend their money in locally-owned business, Greenwald said, to ensure their financial support stays in the country they’re visiting. However, that requires a well-maneged tourism infrastructure. While one could argue those poor places need the money even more, tourism can put pressure on countries that face such challenges.
Erica Avrami, research and education director at the World Monuments Fund(WMF) said that a list of ethical destinations is “a wonderful idea”, the idea of being ethical goes both ways. “There’s also a certain responsibility on the part of the traveler to make sure their own footprint is as minimal as possible,” she said. 
小題1:The passage mainly aims to _______.

A．promote ethical destinations

B．encourage ecotourism trips

C．speed up the development of tourism

D．discuss which countries are ethical destinations

小題2:According to the fifth paragraph Latvia can make the list partially for its _______.

A．good tourism infrastructure	B．regular ecotourism trip
C．strong human rights record	D．good social welfares

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

A．Tourism fails to help develop local economy and provide jobs.

B．All the destinations should equally share the money spent by visitors.

C．Ethical Traveler punishes the developing countries for doing wrong things.

D．Ethical Traveler rewards the developing countries for doing the right thing.

小題4:In the eyes of Erica Avrami  _______.

A．being ethical is not actually a wonderful idea

B．being ethical depends on both travelers and destinations

C．travelers are advised to travel as far as possible

D．travelers should leave as much footprint as possible

You love Jay Chou's songs and you can sing some quite well. So you make a video of your performance and post it online for your friends to see. But what if this led to something beyond your wildest
imagination—a career in music?
Canadian teenager Justin Bieber, 16, has just had the magical experience: He posted homemade videos of his versions of songs by American singer Chris Brown online for his relatives. He received a phone call from Brown, telling him how much he liked his performance. His singing eventually earned him a fan base and a record contract. After releasing a popular record in November 2009, his album My world 2.0 came out last Tuesday.
Bieber sings ballads（民歌）and songs about puppy love. But is he just another gooey (甜膩的) teen idol? David Malitz, a columnist with the Washington Post, doesn't think so. “If we truly want the best forAmerican children, let us pause and give thanks for Justin Bieber，” he writes. “After years of humdrum bubblegum (乏味的搖滾舞曲) from Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, the 16­year­old has thrown a candy­coated wrench (扭轉(zhuǎn)) into Disney's heartthrob (甜心) assembly line by giving young fans something worth screaming their lungs out for lovable pop songs.”
From a boy who grew up below the poverty line with his divorced mom to a star who caused near­riots (近乎失控) in shopping malls, even Bieber himself can't believe his overnight fame, although his kind of success is becoming more and more common in the Internet era.
Interested in hockey, the national sport of Canada, the boy once put up pictures of players on the walls of his bedroom. He dreamed of being a hockey star and used to practice signing his autograph. He doesn't need practice now. He signs autographs, if the girls can get close enough, as a music star.
小題1:What did Chris Brown think of Justin Bieber's singing?

A．He didn't like it.	B．He liked it very much.
C．He didn't say anything.	D．He supported Justin Bieber.

小題2:What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?

A．He had a happy family.

B．His family was very poor once.

C．His family was rich.

D．His family helped him a lot.

小題3:What's Justin Bieber's hobby?

A．Singing.

B．Hockey.

C．Signing.

D．Making records.

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

A．Justin Bieber's overnight singing online.

B．Justin Bieber's common experience.

C．Justin Bieber's life.

D．Justin Bieber's records.

Chinese New Year Celebration is the most important celebration of the year. Chinese people may celebrate the Chinese New Year in slightly different ways but their wishes are almost the same; they want their family members and friends to be healthy and lucky during next year.    
Chinese New Year Celebration usually lasts for 15 days. Celebratory activities include Chinese New Feast, firecrackers, giving lucky money to children, the New Year bell ringing and Chinese New Year Greetings. Most of Chinese people will stop the celebrating in their home on the 7th day of New Year because the national holiday usually ends around that day, however celebrations in public areas can last until the 15th day of New Year.
It is the money given to kids from their parents and grandparents as New Year gift. The money is believed to bring good luck, ward off monsters; hence the name "lucky money". Parents and grandparents first put money in small, especially-made red envelopes and give the red envelopes to their kids after the New Year's Feast or when they come to visit them on the New Year. They choose to put the money in red envelopes because Chinese people think red is a lucky color. They want to give their children both lucky money and lucky color.
小題1:What can we learn from the Paragragh 1？

A．Chinese New Year Celebration is one of the most important celebrations in China

B．Chinese New Year Celebration can bring luck to them during the next year

C．Some different celebrations still exist

D．Kids can get their lucky money during the Chinese New Year Celebration

小題2:Where can we meet some celebrations in the 13th day of the New Year in China？

A．Wal-Mart Stores	B．Your uncle’s family
C．Yuanmingyuan Imperial Garden	D．High school

小題3:Which way is not mentioned in the passage below to celebrate New Year？

A．Set off fireworks	B．Come over relatives
C．Receive presents	D．Get lucky money

小題4:Where can we probably find the passage？

A．A travel brochure	B．A newspaper
C．A tradition guide	D．A textbook

High childcare costs are putting British mothers off going out to work. It really is that simple. Eurostat figures show that 66 per cent of mothers in the UK work, less than France (72 per cent), Denmark (86 per cent), the Netherlands (78 per cent) or Germany (69 per cent). This not only damages Britain’s economic prosperity—it limits women’s careers and squeezes family incomes. It would be fine if this is the choice parents want to make, but it isn’t. Half of those surveyed want to go to work and the expense of childcare is one of the key reasons they couldn’t.
Despite claims made by Labour (工黨) about childcare, a forthcoming (即將到來的) report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) confirms the true legacy of their time in government. They left behind a childcare system with high costs to parents, variable quality and patchy (不均勻的) coverage, despite soaring government spending. British parents now face the highest childcare bills in the world after Switzerland.
In the Eighties and Nineties under Mrs Thatcher and John Major, the picture was very different. Mothers in England were more likely to go out to work than their Dutch or German counterparts. But the position has reversed, despite a huge rise in public spending.
So why does the British Government spend more on childcare than France or Germany, even though the costs given to parents are sky-high? As always, under the previous government, money was frittered away (浪費(fèi)) without adequate focus on improving quality. Instead of clear and transparent funding, four separate funding streams were created, skewing (偏離) the market and confusing parents and providers alike. The majority of the money was given away in cash benefits; so much of it did not get through to the front line.
The IPPR report points out that continental systems, in countries such as Germany, France, Denmark and the Netherlands, manage to deliver better value for money. What all of these systems have in common is a focus on quality, with greater flexibility and autonomy given to local providers. They also see a much higher proportion of government money getting to the front line.
小題1:Which of the following doesn’t belong to the disadvantages caused by the mothers prevented from going to work?

A．Damaging Britain’s economic development.

B．Causing damage to women’s careers.

C．Decreasing the family incomes.

D．Causing childcare costs to go up.

小題2:According to the second paragraph, we can infer that the former government of the Labour Party _______.

A．was highly praised by British people

B．made British people face the highest childcare bills

C．left behind a childcare system full of problems

D．managed to decrease the government spending

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

A．in the Eighties and Nineties, mothers in the UK were likely to work

B．there is a prejudice against mothers in the UK employment market

C．most of the mothers surveyed in the UK don’t want to work

D．the percentage of mothers who work in the UK is the lowest in the world

Every day is a gift, and if you look forward to spending each day with happiness, wake up every morning with a positive attitude and enjoy a beautiful day!
Set up a daily plan for yourself and ensure that you reserve enough time for your homework. Also, don’t forget to spare some time for play! Stop being lazy and start participating in your life instead of just watching it pass by. Try to do something fun and constructive every day. Read a book, write something interesting in your diary, try a new hobby, spend time with your friends, or just watch your favorite show on television, and you will see how every moment of your day unfolds. You’ll achieve better results, and ultimately greater success.
However, every day will not be the way you want it to be. Some days will be good, while some will be bad. You won’t be always happy and smiling. You may come across many challenges. Don’t forget to remind yourself to slow down and take care of yourself. In today’s busy lifestyle, it is necessary to relax to bring balance and joy back into your life. So, take charge of your life. Enjoy and appreciate the small things around you. Do a good deed and make others happy. Sometimes, doing something as simple as having a cup of tea with an old friend or a family member, listening to a cheerful song, or just writing down all the things that make you happy could indeed turn your day around!
Review and analyze your day before you retire at night. Reward yourself for completing the set goals and prepare the stage for the next day. This will impact your sleep and overall happiness levels. Plan for the next day, take a good rest, and wake up fresh the next morning!
If you will you are doing the same things every day, step out of your comfort zone and set aside some time to do things you have never done before. Stretch your limits. Not only will it make a boring day exciting but it will also build your confidence.
小題1:Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A．Teachers

B．Students

C．Workers

D．People in general

小題2:Why is “Read a book” mentioned in the second paragraph?

A．To show readers how to make them happy.

B．To tell readers to learn hard for their future.

C．To supply readers with ways of killing time.

D．To offer readers suggestions on hobbies.

小題3:What can we infer from the third paragraph?

A．Every day is beautiful and worth-remembering.

B．Your future is up to yourself and your friends.

C．A good start is definitely good for the future.

D．You should make a difference in your day.

小題4:Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Planning your schedule for the next day the night before.

B．Getting into the habit of self-praising with goals achieved.

C．Rising early to get ready for your day with positive energy.

D．Trying something new to learn from it to stretch your limits.

小題5: What would be the best title for the passage?

A．How to make the most of your day

B．How to lead a happy and satisfying life

C．Act now without delay to change your life

D．Spare time to focus on daily responsibilities

Whether you’re eating at a fancy restaurant or dining in someone’s home. Proper table manners are likely to help you make a good impression. According to a US expert, Emily Post, “All rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness.”
While Henry Hitchings of the Los Angeles Times admits that good manners can reduce social conflict, he points out that mostly their purpose is protective - they turn our natural warrior-like selves into more elegant ones.
So where did table manners come from?
In medieval England, a writer named Petrus Alfonsi took the lead to urge people not to speak with their mouths full. And King David I of Scotland also proposed that any of his people who learned to eat more neatly be given a tax deduction (減除).
Disappointingly, that idea never caught on. It was during the Renaissance, when there were real technical developments, opinions of correct behavior changed for good. “None of these was more significant than the introduction of the table fork,” wrote Hitchings. “Gradually, as forks became popular, they brought the new way of eating, making it possible, for instance, to consume berries without making one’s fingers dirty.”
Forks were introduced to Britain in 1608 and 25 years later, the first table fork reached America. Yet while most of the essentials (基本要素) are the same on both sides of the Atlantic, there are a few clear differences between what’s normal in the US and what holds true in the UK. For example, in the US, when food needs cutting with a knife, people generally cut a bite, then lay aside the knife and switch the fork to their right hand. Then they pick up one bite at a time. By contrast, Britons keep the fork in the left hand and don’t lay the knife down.
Though globalization has developed a new, simpler international standard of table manners, some people still stick with the American cut-and-switch method.The Los Angeles Times noted, “They are hanging on to a form of behavior that favors manners above efficiency.”
小題1:What does the story mainly talk about?

A．The importance of proper table manners .

B．The development of table manners in Western countries.

C．Some unwritten rules of table manners in the US and UK.

D．Differences between American and British table manners.

小題2:The underlined phrase “caught on” in the passage probably means ______.

A．worked in practice	B．became popular
C．drew attention	D．had a positive effect

小題3:Which of the following events influenced people’s table manners most according to the article?

A．The introduction of forks.

B．The tax deduction policy.

C．The rise of the Renaissance.

D．Petrus Alfonsi’s efforts in promoting table manners.

小題4:What can we conclude from the article?

A．British and American table manners are completely different from each other.

B．American people pay more attention to their table manners than British people do.

C．With globalization, the American cut-and-switch method has been abandoned in the US.

D．British people’s way of using a knife and fork may be more efficient than American people’s.

I always knew that I depended way too much on my phone.       I didn’t know how much, so I decided to do this challenge to find out.
Every morning since I got a smartphone, I’ve used The Weather Channel App to find out what to      . On the first morning I had to dress without guidance, but       I was able to guess that the day would be cold and foggy by looking out of my window.
I couldn’t tell what time it was. I haven’t worn a       for more than a year, because my phone showed the time. So I was late for       friends who had been on the bus for two hours from Santa Monica to Palos Verdes. I was also late for my part-time job. And      , I couldn’t call people to tell them that I was running late.
Getting places was harder, too. I got       because I couldn’t use the GPS (汽車導(dǎo)航系統(tǒng)) on my phone. My driving, though, got a lot       because I no longer had my phone in one hand checking directions while       with the other.
But the number one trouble was not having my contact list (聯(lián)絡(luò)簿). I forgot to write down my friends’ and family members’ phone numbers before I       the challenge. It was sad to realize that I couldn’t       my brother’s and my mom’s cell phone numbers. Oh, how I wished to turn on the phone for just a second to look up phone numbers!
Even with all the problems, however, I found       not worrying about missing a text message or an e-mail.
This       was a great learning experience. It surprised me how I’d taken no notice of even the       things like remembering phone numbers. We all should take some time to think about how we can depend       on our cell phones.

小題1:	A．But B．And C．Then D．Still

小題2:	A．carry B．take C．wear D．see

小題3:	A．hopefully B．thankfully C．strangely D．surprisingly

小題4:	A．ring B．hat C．suit D．watch

小題5:	A．picking up B．bringing up C．calling out D．making out

小題6:	A．even so B．a(chǎn)fter all C．in all D．even worse

小題7:	A．caught B．lost C．changed D．hurt

小題8:	A．happier B．slower C．safer D．quieter

小題9:	A．moving B．chatting C．writing D．driving

小題10:

A．started B．forgot C．supported D．reported

小題11:

A．collect B．copy C．read D．remember

小題12:

A．silence B．peace C．patience D．confidence

小題13:

A．work B．lesson C．challenge D．project

小題14:

A．hardest B．simplest C．nicest D．clearest

小題15:

A．less B．more C．little D．much