Sometimes people come into your life and you know at once that they were sure to be there. They serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help find out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be: your classmate, neighbor, teacher, long-lost friend or even a real stranger. But you know that every moment they will affect your life in some serious way.
Sometimes things happen to you. At the time they may seem terrible, painful and unfair. But later you realize that without getting over those difficulties you would have never realized your further ability and strength. Everything happens for a reason and nothing happens by chance or with good or bad luck.
The people you meet affect your life, and the successes and failure you experience, create who you are. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.
Enjoy every day even every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people you have never talked to before, and really listen. You should set your sights high, hold your head up, tell yourself you are a great one and believe in yourself.
You can make your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it.
小題1:The people we meet       .
A. all know where to find us 
B. serve us on no purpose  
C. will change us in some way
小題2:From the passage, we know that bad things can make us       .
A. terribly meet bad luck  
B. realize our further ability 
C. find no serious success    
小題3:The underlined word "poignant" in the passage means "       ".
A. 平淡的              B. 明顯的              C. 深刻的     
小題4:The writer's advice is that we should       .
A. never talk to strange people 
B. learn as much as we can each day
C. get over difficulties painfully            
小題5:Which is the best title for the passage?
A. Create Your Own Life  
B. Hold Your Head Up     
C. People You Meet in Life                

In cities with rent control, the city government sets the maximum rent that a landlord (房東) can charge for an apartment. Supporters of rent control argue that it protects people who are living in apartment. Their rent cannot increase; therefore, they are not in danger of losing their homes. However, the critics say that after a long time, rent control may have negative effects. Landlords know that they cannot increase their profits. Therefore, they invest in other businesses where they can increase their profits. They do not invest in new buildings which would also be rent-controlled. As a result, new apartments are not built. Many people who need apartments cannot find any. According to the critics, the end result of rent control is a shortage of apartments in the city.
Some experts argue that the minimum wage law can cause problems in the same way. The federal government sets the minimum that an employer must pay workers. The minimum helps people who generally look for unskilled, low-paying jobs. However, if the minimum is high, employers may hire fewer workers. They will replace workers with machinery. Therefore, other things being equal, the number of workers that employers want decreases. Thus, critics hold the opinion that an increase in the minimum wage may cause unemployment. Some poor people may find themselves without jobs instead of with jobs at the minimum wage.
Supporters of the minimum wage say that it helps people keep their dignity. Because of the law, workers cannot sell their services for less than the minimum. Furthermore, employers cannot force workers to accept jobs at unfair wages.
Economic theory predicts the results of economic decision, such as decisions about farm production, rent control, and the minimum wage. The predictions may be corrected only if “other things are equal”. Economists do not agree on some of the predictions. They also do not agree on the value of different decisions. Some economists support a particular decision while others criticize it. Economists do agree, however, that there are no simple answers to economic questions.
小題1:There is the possibility that setting maximum rent may________.

A．cause a shortage of apartments

B．worry those who rent apartments as homes.

C．increase the profits of landlords.

D．encourage landlords to invest in building apartments.

小題2:We can safely say that rent control_________.

A．will always benefit those who rent apartments.

B．is unnecessary.

C．will probably bring inactive effects in the long run.

D．is necessary under all conditions

小題3:There will be the problem of unemployment if ________________.

A．the minimum wage is set too high..

B．the minimum wage is set too early.

C．the workers are unskilled.

D．the maximum wage is set for poor workers.

小題4:The passage tells us about _______________.

A．the relationship between supply and demand.

B．the possible results of government controls.

C．the necessity of government control.

D．the urgency of getting rid of government control.

小題5:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．The results of economic decisions cannot always be predicted.

B．Minimum wage cannot always protect employees.

C．Economic theory can help predict the results of economic decision if other factors are not changing.

D．Economists usually have the same prediction about an economic decision.

Imagine that you are in school, giving a speech to your class. Now think what it feels like when stammering (口吃) makes it a struggle to communicate your thoughts and feelings to other people.
The King’s Speech, which won the best picture at the Academy Awards in March, 2011, focuses on stammering along with other speech-related problems. The movie tells the story of Britain’s King George VI, who became king after his brother Edward VIII gave up the crown to marry an American woman.
As a result of British actor Colin Firth’s performance, people are starting to realize that stammering can damage a person’s self-confidence and cause him or her to escape from life.
“The serious problem is unseen and unheard,” said Norbert Lieckfeldt, an expert at the British Stammering Association, in an interview with a news reporter.
“Stammering masks your ability,” he said. “It's a serious disability.”
Most stammerers face bullying (欺負(fù)) in school, something that is “usually carried over into the workplace”.
George VI’s stammer took away his confidence as a speaker. But Samantha Mesango, a speech coach based in the UK, believes that speech problems are more common than most people realize. “Some simply don’t like the sound of their own voice; others are scared of speaking in public,” she said.
Travis Treats from St．Louis University praised The King’s Speech. He said it shows that “how one’s speech does not mean what one is inside”. He also added that people who stammer need to be heard and our society should recognize that they have a lot to give to the world.
小題1:The author writes the first 3 paragraphs to           .

A．show how harmful stammer is for common people

B．introduce a famous movie winning great awards

C．tell the story of the king who suffers from stammer

D．draw readers’ attention to the problem of stammer

小題2:We learn from the passage that           .

A．stammerers face bullying in school but not in the workplace

B．Edward VIII gave up his crown because he was a stammerer

C．stammerers should be understood and can contribute to the world

D．the sufferings caused by stammer haven’t been found yet

小題3:According to Norbert Lieckfeldt,           ．

A．the voice of stammering people cannot be heard

B．people who stammer do better in work than school

C．there are a lot of things that stammering people can give to us

D．the serious problem of stammering remains unseen and unheard

小題4:The paragraph that follows the last will probably talk about           ．

A．the success the king made by overcoming stammer

B．the medical treatments given to the stammerers

C．doctors’ opinions upon the serious stammer problem

D．how popular the movie The King’s Speech will become

Have you ever wished that you could make your little sister’s teddy bear talk to her? Or have you ever wanted to bring a puppet (木偶) to life? If so, you may be interested in learning the art of ventriloquism (腹語(yǔ)術(shù)). A ventriloquist can make an ordinary object seem to be alive by giving it a personality, movement, and speech.
Your object can be a puppet, or a doll. Give your new “friend” a name, and then decide on the personality that he will have. The next step is to give your friend movements that agree with the personality you have chosen.
Now you can learn to make your “friend” talk. A ventriloquist will control his mouth and lips so that it will appear that his voice is coming from the object he is using. This will take practice, but you can do it.
First, decide on a voice that is different from your own. It could be higher or lower than yours, or could even have a special accent. Then, find a clean teaspoon and hold the handle between your front teeth. Now, using the voice you created for your friend and holding the handle of the teaspoon tightly between your teeth, look into a mirror and talk. Practicing with the spoon in your mouth will help you learn to keep your mouth from moving. Now try telling a joke in your normal voice and have your friend speak in his voice. Practice those words until you can say them without your lips moving at all.
Ventriloquism is fun. It also requires hard work to become good at it. The most important thing to do is practice. But if you are willing to take the time to give your friend an interesting personality, to practice lively movements, and to work on good mouth control, then you will be well on your way to becoming a ventriloquist!
小題1:According to the text, a ventriloquist           .

A．is a person who can make puppets

B．needs to work with another person

C．can speak without using his mouth

D．can make an object seem to speak

小題2:You need to hold the handle of a teaspoon between your front teeth so that           .

A．your voice will change

B．your mouth won’t move

C．you can look humorous

D．you can feel your mouth’s movements

小題3:If you want to be good at ventriloquism, you         .

A．need to spend much time practicing

B．must learn from famous ventriloquists

C．should learn at least one special accent

D．must have a great doll to practice with

小題4:What would be the best title for the text?

A．How to tell jokes

B．How to make puppets

C．Secrets of ventriloquism

D．Tips on making friends

If there is one thing I’m sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It’s not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives — the big political stories, the coverage（報(bào)導(dǎo)）of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though. It’s already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic（基因）engineering. In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do — as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
It’s quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted（傳送） electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact, I’m pretty sure that how it will happen in the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read — sports and international news, etc.
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media. They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn’t happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound in the air. And as for the Internet, it’s never really pleasant to read something just on a screen. 
小題1:What is the best title for the passage?

A．The Best Way to Get News.

B．The Changes of Media.

C．Make Your Own Newspaper.

D．The Future of Newspaper.

小題2:In the writer’s opinion, in the future, _______. 

A．more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news

B．newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer

C．newspapers will cover more scientific researches

D．more and more people will prefer watching TV to reading newspapers

小題3:From the passage, we can infer _______. 

A．newspapers will win the competition among the different media

B．newspapers will stay with us together with other media

C．television will take the place of newspaper in the future

D．the writer believes some media will die out

小題4:The phrase “feed off” in the last paragraph means ______.

A．depend on

B．compete with

C．fight with

D．kill off

The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added -- a communications blackout caused by solar storms.
　　After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
　　Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
　　"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
　　At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物質(zhì)拋射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. "A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is the greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.
　　Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.
　　The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太陽(yáng)耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
　　Professor Richard Harrison, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advanced warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem," he said.
小題1:The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to____________ during the 2012 Olympics.

A．the extinguishing of the Olympic torch

B．the collapse of broadcasting systems

C．the transportation breakdown in London

D．the destruction of weather satellites

小題2:According to the passage, scientists are convinced that __________.

A．the sun’s activities have little to do with the earth

B．the London Olympic broadcasting will be possibly influenced by the 2012 peak of sunspots

C．the 2012 Olympic Games are during the solar maximum of throwing out greatest number of sunspots

D．solar explosion will cause strong storms on the earth

小題3:What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?

A．The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.

B．The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.

C．It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.

D．The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections.

小題4:According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.

A．take images of the solar system

B．provide early warning of thunderstorms

C．keep track of solar activities

D．improve the communications on Earth

小題5:Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer

B．Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger

C．Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race

D．Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled

I went to Beijing this National holiday, and it was an interesting experience of my life.
My friends told us that taking the “hard   16 ” to Beijing would be really terrible. So we didn’t know what to   17 . But we were pleasantly surprised when we finally boarded the   18 , which was relatively modern and   19 . During the 14-hour ride we ate peanuts and talked. It was not   20  at all.
It was morning when we arrived. We stepped out of the railway station, having sat in hard seats and not getting much   21 . However, we had energy. First, we tried to get return tickets to Shanghai, but the tickets seller   22  us that tickets would not be on   23  for another two days. We were a little worried about getting   24  , but we made up our minds to   25  for the hotel to put our bags down. After fighting our way   26  the “gypsy” taxi driver who tried to   27  one hundred yuan for the ride, we found another taxi and it   28  cost us thirty yuan to get   29  we had planned to go. When we reached the hotel, there was a window for airplane and train tickets.   30 , the man behind the counter could get tickets that day, which we   31 . The most important lesson about China I ever   32  is to get someone to do your work for you, and it seems to work out much   33 . We were not able to get tickets, but the   34  agents could.
While in Beijing we saw a lot of places of interest, most of which were very   35 . It was fun to be with thousands of people in one place. There aren’t any words to describe it.

小題1:	A．chair B．bed C．bench D．seat

小題2:	A．provide B．happen C．expect D．think

小題3:	A．plane B．train C．ship D．bus

小題4:	A．clean B．dirty C．simple D．long

小題5:	A．easy B．good C．bad D．hard

小題6:	A．trouble B．sleep C．food D．help

小題7:	A．promised B．persuaded C．a(chǎn)dvised D．informed

小題8:	A．sale B．show C．duty D．time

小題9:	A．behind B．out C．back D．through

小題10:

A．a(chǎn)sk B．start C．look D．pay

小題11:

A．towards B．into C．past D．a(chǎn)cross

小題12:

A．charge B．offer C．bargain D．share

小題13:

A．even B．only C．a(chǎn)lso D．still

小題14:

A．where B．which C．what D．how

小題15:

A．Meanwhile B．Otherwise C．Therefore D．However

小題16:

A．couldn’t B．wouldn’t C．shouldn’t D．needn’t

小題17:

A．heard B．taught C．gave D．learned

小題18:

A．harder B．earlier C．easier D．later

小題19:

A．business B．travel C．transport D．hotel

小題20:

A．interesting B．crowded C．famous D．good

My sister and I grew up in a little village in England. Our father was a struggling   16 , but I always knew he was   17 . He never criticized us, but used   18  to bring out our best. He’d say, “If you pour water on flowers, they flourish. If you don’t give them water, they die.” I   19  as a child I said something   20  about somebody, and my father said, “   21  time you say something unpleasant about somebody else, it’s a reflection of you.” He explained that if I looked for the best   22  people, I would get the best   23 . From then on I’ve always tried to   24   the principle in my life and later in running my company.
Dad’s also always been very   25 . At 15, I started a magazine. It was   26  a great deal of my time, and the headmaster of my school gave me a   27 ：stay in school or leave to work on my magazine.
I decided to leave, and Dad tried to sway me from my decision,   28  any good father would. When he realized I had made up my mind,  he said, “Richard, when I was 23, my dad   29   me to go into law. And I’ve   30  regretted it. I wanted to be a biologist,   31  I didn’t pursue my   32 . You know what you want. Go fulfill it.”
As   33  turned out, my little publication went on to become Student, a national   34  for young people in the U.K.  My wife and I have two children, and I’d like to think we are bringing them up in the same way Dad   35  me.

小題1:	A．biologist B．manager C．lawyer D．gardener

小題2:	A．strict B．honest C．special D．learned

小題3:	A．praise B．courage C．power D．warmth

小題4:	A．think B．imagine C．remember D．guess

小題5:	A．unnecessary B．unkind C．unimportant D．unusual

小題6:	A．Another B．Some C．Any D．Other

小題7:	A．on B．in C．a(chǎn)t D．a(chǎn)bout

小題8:	A．in case B．by turns C．by chance D．in return

小題9:	A．revise B．set C．review D．follow

小題10:

A．understanding B．experienced C．serious D．demanding

小題11:

A．taking up B．making up C．picking up D．keeping up

小題12:

A．suggestion B．decision C．notice D．choice

小題13:

A．a(chǎn)nd B．a(chǎn)s C．even if D．a(chǎn)s if

小題14:

A．helped B．a(chǎn)llowed C．persuaded D．suggested

小題15:

A．a(chǎn)lways B．never C．seldom D．a(chǎn)lmost

小題16:

A．rather B．but C．for D．therefore

小題17:

A．promise B．task C．belief D．dream

小題18:

A．this B．he C．it D．that

小題19:

A．newspaper B．magazine C．program D．project

小題20:

A．controlled B．comforted C．reminded D．raise

In the US, people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Serving in restaurants is often large; too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself.
Supper and dinner are both words for the evening meal. Some people have “Sunday dinner”. This is an especially big noon meal.
Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.
小題1:Which statement is true?

A．American people like sitting with people they don’t know.

B．A hostess always seats a small group at a large table.

C．American people never sit with people they don’t know.

D．American people will not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking.

小題2:What is served before you order?

A．bread

B．butter

C．coffee

D．cold water

小題3:What do American people always do when servings are too large for them?

A．They take the food home with a doggie bag for their dogs.

B．They leave the food on the table and go away.

C．They take the food home with a doggie bag and enjoy the food later.

D．They ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food for them.

小題4:Sunday dinner is_______.

A．a(chǎn) dinner in the evening	B．A big noon meal
C．a(chǎn) big lunch on Sunday	D．A supper on Sunday

“Hey, Dad, are you going to come to my award ceremony tonight?” I __31___asked my father. “I have to work late tonight. I doubt if I’ll be able to __32__ it on time. I am just too busy right now,” he replied.
My mind could not ___33__the idea that he would be too busy working late. He was also too busy to __34__ my horse show, football games and the 15th birthday party. He always used the same __35__. Why had I even taken trouble to ask? __36__, there was always a slight hope that tonight would be __37__.
As my mother and I arrived at school, two friends__38__ me. “Jill, meet my dad. Dad, this is my friend Jill.” I shook the hand of a tall man. Camera flashes lit up the room, and claps filled the __39__ as students accepted their awards. My name was finally called, __40__ three others. I followed my classmates to the __41__. When I reached out my hand to shake the __42__, a big smile lit up her face. The blinding flash from my mother’s camera ___43__ my eyes and I knew my dad wasn’t there. I walked back to my seat __44___.
Back at home, seeing my dad’s car in the garage. I told myself he would not be __45__. But the strong smell of alcohol hit me as soon as I __46__inside, and I could feel my tears __47__ . I followed the sound of his drunken words and saw him __48__ on the couch.
__49__ did Father lie to me? I threw my award on the floor, walked to my bedroom, and shut the door. Tears rolled down my face. I wondered if I would ever be more__50__ than his whiskey bottle.

小題1:	A．confidently B．eagerly C．proudly D．fearfully

小題2:	A．reach B．keep C．take D．make

小題3:	A．create B．support C．a(chǎn)ppreciate D．a(chǎn)ccept

小題4:	A．watch B．a(chǎn)void C．a(chǎn)ttend D．speed

小題5:	A．excuse B．reply C．promise D．trick

小題6:	A．Besides B．Thus C．Otherwise D．However

小題7:	A．a(chǎn)ctive B．formal C．different D．serious

小題8:	A．recognized B．greeted C．encouraged D．showed

小題9:	A．a(chǎn)ir B．a(chǎn)udience C．school D．playground

小題10:

A．rather than B．other than C．except for D．a(chǎn)long with

小題11:

A．stage B．position C．office D．exit

小題12:

A．Jill’s B．teacher’s C．mother’s D．father’s

小題13:

A．fixed B．touched C．hurt D．inserted

小題14:

A．successfully B．disappointedly C．delightedly D．hopefully

小題15:

A．drunk B．woken C．forgiven D．hidden

小題16:

A．stepped B．noticed C．examined D．glanced

小題17:

A．getting off B．taking down C．building up D．turning around

小題18:

A．learning B．lying C．putting D．carrying

小題19:

A．How B．Where C．Why D．Whether

小題20:

A．perfect B．comfortable C．fortunate D．important