Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have given $500,000 to help the town of Joplin —a town near the Mississippi River, where Pitt’s mother went to school recover from a huge tornado (龍卷風(fēng))that struck on May 22, 2011.
The couple made the donation through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation on Thursday to help rebuild the town of Joplin after about 30% of the buildings were destroyed by the tornado. Over 150 people were killed.
“The Joplin community faces great challenges ahead,” said Brad. "Having spent most of my childhood there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient.
“The locally based Community Foundation of the Ozarks will be working shoulder to shoulder with these Joplin citizens for long to rebuild their lives. We, too, hope to further help with these rebuilding efforts.”
“Last year 42 million people worldwide were hurt by natural disasters,” added Angelina. “So often, these disasters seem far away; but now, the need is right here at home for thousands of people. Our hearts go out to the families in Joplin who have lost so much.”
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks was founded in 1973 and has since grown to include 43 branch community foundations. The Foundation’s task is to improve the quality of life in the Missouri Ozarks area through resource development, community grant making, working together, and public leadership.
“We had a call in the first day or two afterward from an organization representing them,” said Brian Fogle, president of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. "They made several calls afterwards, but we learned that they made a donation.
小題1:Where did the disaster most probably happen?

A．in Britain

B．in the USA

C．in Australia

D．in China

小題2:Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated $500,000 after the disaster_______.

A．by post	B．in the flesh
C．through a foundation	D．through the local Red Cross

小題3:The best title for the passage is______.

A．A disaster by a huge tornado in Joplin

B．Rebuilding efforts after the disaster

C．The Community Foundation of the Ozarks

D．A donation from the Pitts

The trip to the United State opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of similarities as well as differences between American youth and French youth.
The first difference is in appearance. Going around in the U.S., I found that American youth do not really care about their appearance. In the morning, they choose something in their closet and wear it with another thing, often of different colors and styles, without wondering whether their choices make them look strange. The reason behind this is that they don’t care what people look like, but are just interested in their ideas. I think it’s great, but it also causes problems. Since they don’t care about their appearance, they don’t really care about their weight. Often they get fat without realizing it.
There are differences in relationships too. When the American youth fall in love, they don’t really think of the future. Also, there are differences in the rules concerning behavior that is allowed. In some respects, the French are more accepting. For example, in America it is generally unacceptable to make physical display of love. Lovers, actually, can’t kiss or hold each other everywhere they want. People think that not showing love in public places is a way to respect others. On the contrary, the French youth can do almost everything they want.
As for other types of relationships, there are also big differences. Americans act differently from French people in front of unknown people. When an American girl, for example, arrives in front of people she has never met before, she will talk with them, trying to create a kind of tie between her and this new circle of people. The French girls will just think about rather than really do this kind of thing because they are too shy and lacking in self-confidence.
To finish, I noticed that in American classes, when pupils want to say or ask something, they just do it. In general, they don’t really care how the others will judge them. In France, it’s not the same case. If somebody wants to ask something, he/she will think about it before speaking up. I appreciate the freedom in Americans’ behavior, ideas, and ways of expressing themselves.
小題1:The underlined word “respects” in the third paragraph probably means____.

A．a(chǎn)pproaches

B．a(chǎn)spects

C．honors

D．means

小題2:When American youth fall in love with each other, they _________.

A．will not hold each other

B．will rarely display their love in public

C．will always think about their future

D．will kiss wherever they like

小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that French youth may think more about ______.

A．their relationship’s future	B．their public images
C．their physical displays	D．their lover’s ideas

小題4:The passage is mainly about the______ between American youth and French youth.

A．differences

B．friendship

C．similarities

D．relationships

The young boy saw me, or rather, he saw the car and quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his bunches of bananas and bags of peanuts. Though he appeared to be about twelve, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life. “Bananas 300 naira. Peanuts 200 naira.” He said in a low voice. I bargained him down to 200 totals for the fruit and nuts. When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira bill. He didn’t have change, so I told him not to worry. He said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.
When, two weeks later, I saw the boy again, I was more aware of my position in a society where it’s not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the burning sun. My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us.
I pulled over and rolled down my window. He had a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts ready. I waved them away. “What’s up?” I asked him.
“I…I don’t have money to buy books for school.” I reached into my pocket and handed him two fresh 500 naira bills. “Will this help?” I asked. He looked around nervously before taking the money. One thousand naira was a lot of money to someone whose family probably made about 5,000 naira or less each year. “Thank you, sir.” he said. “Thank you very much!”
When driving home, I wondered if my little friend actually used the money for schoolbooks. What if he’s a cheat? And then I wondered why I did it. Did I do it to make myself feel better? Was I using him? Later, I realized that I didn’t know his name or the least bit about him, nor did I think to ask.
Over the next six months, I was busy working in a news agency in northern Nigeria. Sometime after I returned, I went out for a drive. When I was about to pull over, the boy suddenly appeared by my window with a big smile ready on his face.
“Oh, gosh! Long time.”
“Are you in school now?” I asked.
He nodded.
“That’s good,” I said. A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted. “Here,” I held out a 500 naira bill. “Take this.” He shook his head and stepped back as if hurt. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “It’s a gift.”
He shook his head again and brought his hand from behind his back. His face shone with sweat. He dropped a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts in the front seat before he said, “I’ve been waiting to give these to you.”
小題1:What was the author’s first impression of the boy?

A．He seemed to be poor and greedy.

B．He seemed to have suffered a lot.

C．He seemed younger than his age.

D．He seemed good at bargaining.

小題2:The second time the author met the boy, the boy ______.

A．told him his purpose of selling fruit and nuts

B．wanted to express his thanks

C．a(chǎn)sked him for money for his schoolbooks

D．tried to take advantage of him

小題3:Why did the author give his money to the boy?

A．Because he had enough money to do that.

B．Because he had learnt to help others since childhood.

C．Because he held a higher position in the society.

D．Because he had been asked by the news agency to do so.

小題4:Which of the following best describes the boy?

A．Brave and polite.	B．Kind and smart.
C．Honest and thankful.	D．Shy and nervous.

Water costs money．In some places water is hard  1  ．What  2  when a town
has these problems？A small town in California found a happy  3．
　　Very little rain ever fell there．The town had no water of its own．The water it used was 4 from a river 300 miles away．As more people  5  live in the town，  6   water was needed．Now water 7  to be brought in from 600 miles away．All these cost 8  money．
　　The town  9  a plan．It found a way to clean its “dirty” water．Once the cleaned water was reused  10  many ways．Five man-made lakes were built．Here people could swim and fish and go  11  ．They could have picnics in their new parks．Farmers had more water  12  their crops．New factories can be built，now that they have the promise of 13  ．
　　In most places，water is used and thrown 14  ．The town that saved  15  water
has saved the town！

小題1:	A．supplying B．getting C．to get D．to supply

小題2:A．happens    B．happening  C is happened     D．happened
小題3:A．key        B．a(chǎn)nswer     C answering  D．way

小題4:	A．fetch B．take C．brought in D．guided

小題5:	A．come to B．came to C．coming to D．came for

小題6:	A．many B．plenty of C．more D．many more

小題7:	A．has B．had C．must D．needed

小題8:	A．many B．a(chǎn) few C．a(chǎn) great many D．a(chǎn) lot of

小題9:	A．put B．made C．supply D．noticed

小題10:

A．for B．by C．a(chǎn)t D．in

小題11:

A．boating B．to boat C．to boating D．on boating

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)s B．with C．for D．to

小題13:

A．water enough B．enough water C．crops enough D．enough crops

小題14:

A．off B．of C．a(chǎn)way D．out of

小題15:

A．it’s B．its C．one’s D．his

Is this a car? Is it a smart phone? Is it a gaming machine?
Yes to all three. The Toyota Fun-Vii is a pleasure palace on wheels.
If Toyota has its way, paint jobs could become a thing
of the past, because it has introduced an amazing car that can
change its whole look in an instant.
The Vii in Fun-Vii, which stands for “Vehicle, Interactive,
Internet” It is a small three-seater car that looks like a smart phone, so it is called a smart phone on wheels．Inside and out, most aspects of the car can interact（互相作用） with the internet and be controlled by a smart phone．The magical car allows the owners to download pictures from their phones onto the outside, so that the look of the car could be changed instantly．The color inside could also be changed to reflect the owner's mood．Just as the company president Akio Toyoda said, "A car must appeal to our emotions．If it's not fun, it's not a car．"
Its outside and inside are not made of solid paint but touch screens that can display pictures and videos．A network update function downloads all the latest software to make sure the car is always up-to-date, and it can provide the latest entertainment as well as information about its surroundings to the driver．As you drive around, the thoughtful car allows you to communicate with your friends in the nearby cars．It also helps you find your way from one place to another． It's all because the car is networked with all the other cars on the road and drives itself． The smart car is a practical, family sized vehicle fuelled by hydrogen, and it is one of the futuristic concept cars under the theme of "fun to drive, again"．It heralds （預(yù)示） a not-too-distant future where people, cars and society are linked．
小題1:Which of the following may not be a key word for the concept car?

A．Fun．

B．Interactive．

C．High-speed．

D．Smart．

小題2:According to the text, Toyota Fun-Vii is _____．

A．a(chǎn) new concept car not powered by gas

B．a(chǎn)n amazing car without any pollution

C．the latest software from network

D．a(chǎn) gaming machine with high speed

小題3:The owners of the Fun-Vii can reflect their mood by _____．

A．downloading images to change the outside

B．interacting with computers while driving

C．changing the color inside the car

D．changing the speed of the car

小題4:What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us?

A．The ways of driving the Fun-vii.

B．How can you find your way in the Fun-Vii．

C．The unusual look of the Fun-Vii．

D．The new functions of the Fun-Vii．

小題5:We can infer from the text that the Fun-Vii _____．

A．will finally replace all the present cars

B．will completely solve the problem of energy shortage

C．will make car paint industry face a difficult situation

D．will take the place of a smart phone

There at a secondhand clothing store in Northampton Mass, my l4-year-old son, John, and I noticed the coat. While the other coats drooped (低垂), this one looked as if it were   41  itself up. The coat was beautifully made, with a Fifth Avenue label and an  42   price of $28, which was popular just then with   43  , but could cost several hundred dollars new. John tried it on and the  44   was perfect.
John  45   the coat to school the next day and came home with a big smile. “Did the kids like your coat?” I asked. “They loved it,” he said,   46   folding it over the back of a chair and smoothing it flat. Over the next few weeks, a   47  came over John. Agreement replaced contrariness (作對) and   48   discussion replaced fierce argument. He became more mannerly and  49  , eager to please. He would generously lend his younger brother his tapes and lecture him   50   his behavior. When I mentioned this   51  to his teacher and wondered what caused the changes, she said laughing. “It   52   be his coat!” Another teacher told him she was giving him a good mark not only because he had earned   53   but because she liked his coat. At the library, we ran   54  a friend. “Could this be John?” he asked surprisingly,   55  John’s new height, appreciating the cut of his coat and holding out his hand, one gentleman to another.
John and I both know we should never   56   a person’s clothes for the real person within them.   57  , there is something to be said for wearing a standard of excellence for the world to see and for   58  what is on the inside with what is on the outside.
For John, it is a time when it is as easy to try on different  59  to life as it is to try on a coat. The whole world, the whole future is stretched out ahead, a vast landscape   60  all the doors are open. And he could picture himself walking through those doors wearing his wonderful, magical coat.

小題1:	A．turning B．holding C．showing D．hanging

小題2:	A．unreasonable B．unbearable C．unbelievable D．unfair

小題3:	A．teenagers B．a(chǎn)dults C．women D．men

小題4:	A．color B．price C．style D．fit

小題5:	A．sent B．carried C．brought D．wore

小題6:	A．casually B．comfortably C．carefully D．quickly

小題7:	A．happiness B．change C．smile D．matter

小題8:	A．reasoned B．heated C．wild D．strong

小題9:	A．considerate B．handsome C．hopeful D．curious

小題10:

A．of B．on C．in D．a(chǎn)t

小題11:

A．incident B．a(chǎn)ccident C．a(chǎn)ffair D．event

小題12:

A．can B．must C．will D．should

小題13:

A．this B．them C．it D．one

小題14:

A．down B．with C．into D．a(chǎn)fter

小題15:

A．looking up at B．looking down on C．putting up with D．coming up with

小題16:

A．change B．mistake C．trade D．turn

小題17:

A．However B．Moreover C．Therefore D．Besides

小題18:

A．a(chǎn)ttaching B．joining C．relating D．matching

小題19:

A．mean B．methods C．a(chǎn)pproaches D．measures

小題20:

A．where B．why C．how D．when

There are many different ways of seeing a town for the first time. One of them is to walk around it, guide-book  26  hand. Of course, we may  27  with our guide-books the history and  28  developments of a town and get to know them.
 29  then, if we take our time and  30  in a town for a while, we may get to know it better. When we  31  it as a whole, we begin to have some  32 , which even the best guide-books do not
answer. Why is the town just  33  this —— this shape, this plan, this size? Why do its streets  34  in this particular way, and not in any  35  way?
Here even the best guide-book  36  us. One can’t find the information in it about how a town has developed to the  37  appearance. It may not describe the original  38  of a town. However, one may get some idea of what it  39  look like by walking around the town. One can also imagine  40  the town was first planned and built. Then one can learn more about in what direction the town  41  to develop.
What is the  42  of studying towns in this way？For me, it is  43  a matter that one gets a greater depth of pleasure by visiting and seeing a town with one’s own eyes. A  44  visit to a town may help one better understand why it is attractive  45  just reading about it in a guide-book.

小題1:	A．in B．a(chǎn)t C．by D．on

小題2:	A．write B．study C．tell D．remember

小題3:	A．strange B．similar C．separate D．special

小題4:	A．But B．Before C．Since D．Until

小題5:	A．march B．work C．stay D．wait

小題6:	A．look at B．1ook after C．1ook for D．1ook up

小題7:	A．ideas B．opinions C．feelings D．questions

小題8:	A．of B．for C．1ike D．a(chǎn)s

小題9:	A．open B．run C．begin D．move

小題10:

A．one B．more C．other D．such

小題11:

A．helps B．tricks C．fails D．satisfies

小題12:

A．old B．normal C．first D．present

小題13:

A．capital B．meaning C．design D．change

小題14:

A．used to B．seemed to C．had to D．happened to

小題15:

A．what B．how C．when D．where

小題16:

A．stops B．a(chǎn)ppears C．starts D．continues

小題17:

A．point B．view C．problem D．difficulty

小題18:

A．nearly B．simply C．generally D．hardly

小題19:

A．costly B．formal C．group D．personal

小題20:

A．from B．than C．through D．with

When I was seven, my father gave me a Timex, my first watch. I loved it, wore it for years, and haven’t had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago. Why? Because I don’t need one. I have a mobile phone and I’m always near someone with an iPod or something like that. All these devices (裝置) tell the time — which is why, if you look around, you’ll see lots of empty wrists (手腕); sales of watches to young adults have been going down since 2007. 
But while these wise people have realized that they don’t need them, others — including some distinguished ones of our time — are spending total fortunes on them. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Breitling command shocking prices, up to £ 250.000 for a piece.
This is ridiculous. Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars. Expensive clothes hang better than cheap clothes. But these days, all watches tell the time as well as all other watches. Yes, you may say expensive watches will come with some extra functions — but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea to test its function of waterproof, or need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole by using its compass? So why pay that much of five years’ school fees for watches that allow you to do these things?
If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five-pound note. Instead, the Swiss re-invented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds’ worth of advertising, as a message about the man —— usually a famous star, wearing it. Rolexes are for those who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family; a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world. 
Watches are classified as “investment items” (投資項目) now. A 1994 Philippe recently sold for nearly £ 350, 000, while 1960s Rolexes have gone from 15, 000 to 30, 000 plus in a year. But, to some wealthy people, a watch is more than an investment. It’s a valuable toy for self-satisfaction, a matter of fashion. Prices may keep going up — they’ve been rising for fifteen years. But when fashion moves on, the owner of that £ 350, 000 treasured object will suddenly find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Times. 
小題1:The sales of watches to young people have fallen because ______. 

A．they have other devices to tell the time

B．they think watches are too expensive

C．they have little sense of time now

D．they prefer to wear an iPod on their wrists

小題2:It seems ridiculous to the writer that ______. 

A．some people often dive 300 metres deep into the sea

B．expensive clothes sell much better than cheap ones

C．cheap cars usually don’t run as fast as expensive ones

D．expensive watches with unnecessary functions still sell

小題3:What can be learnt about Swiss watch industry from the passage?

A．It targets rich people as its potential customers.

B．It seems hard for the industry to beat its competitors.

C．It wastes a huge amount of money in advertising.

D．It is easy for the industry to re-invent cheap watches.

小題4:Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Timex Being better than Rolex

B．My Expensive Childhood Timex

C．Super-level Watches? Not for Me!

D．Watches — a Valuable Collection

We convince ourselves that life will be better once we are married, have a baby, then another. Then we get frustrated because our children are not old enough, and that __1__ will be well when they are older. Then we are frustrated __2__ they reach adolescence and we must deal with them. Surely we’ll be __3__ when they grow out of the teen years.
We tell ourselves our __4__ will be better when our spouse(配偶)gets his/her act together, when we have a nicer car, when we can take a __5__， when we finally retire. The truth is that there is no better time to be happy than __6__.If not, then when? Your life will always be full of challenges. It is better to admit as much and to decide to be happy __7__it all. For the longest time, it seemed that life was about to start—real life.
But there were always some obstacles along the way, an ordeal(苦難) to __8__， some work to be finished, some time to be given, a bill to be __9__.Then life would start. It finally dawned on me that those __10__ were part of life. Little by little, that point of __11__ also helped me see that there isn’t any road to happiness.
Happiness is the road. So, enjoy every moment. And bear in mind that __12__ waits for no one. So stop __13__ school to end, for a return to school, to lose ten pounds, to __14__ ten pounds, for work to begin, to get married，...before deciding to be happy.
Happiness is a voyage, not a destination. There is no __15__ time to be happy than...NOW! Live and enjoy the moment.

小題1:	A．we B．they C．a(chǎn)ll D．nothing

小題2:	A．because B．but C．so D．a(chǎn)nd

小題3:	A．luckier B．happier C．older D．healthier

小題4:	A．life B．study C．children D．condition

小題5:	A．rest B．bath C．breath D．vacation

小題6:	A．before B．ever C．just then D．right now

小題7:	A．instead of B．in addition to C．in spite of D．up to

小題8:	A．meet with B．go ahead C．turn to D．get through

小題9:	A．paid B．got C．a(chǎn)sked D．printed

小題10:

A．a(chǎn)chievements B．obstacles C．duties D．opinions

小題11:

A．view B．life C．position D．condition

小題12:

A．happiness B．time C．a(chǎn)ge D．road

小題13:

A．a(chǎn)sking for B．supposing C．waiting for D．hoping for

小題14:

A．gain B．reduce C．weigh D．enjoy

小題15:

A．worse B．better C．more D．less

Whether we’re 2 years old or 62, our reasons for lying are mostly the same: to get out of trouble, for personal gain and to make ourselves look better in the eyes of others. But a growing body of research is raising questions about how a child’s lie is different from an adult’s lie, and how the way we deceive changes as we grow.
“Parents and teachers who catch their children lying should not be alarmed. Their children are not going to turn out to be abnormal liars,” says Dr. Lee, a professor at the University of Toronto and director of the Institute of Child Study. He has spent the last 15 years studying how lying changes as kids get older, why some people lie more than others as well as which factors can reduce lying. The fact that children tell lies is a sign that they have reached a new developmental stage. Dr. Lee conducted a series of studies in which they bring children into a lab with hidden cameras. Children and young adults aged 2 to 17 are likely to lie while being told not to look at a toy, which is put behind the child’s back. Whether or not the child takes a secret look is caught on tape.
For young kids, the desire to cheat is big and 90% take a secret look in these experiments. When the test-giver returns to the room, the child is asked if he or she looked secretly. At age 2, about a quarter of children will lie and say they didn’t. By 3, half of kids will lie, and by 4, that figure is 90%, studies show.
Researchers have found that it’s kids with better understanding abilities who lie more. That’s because to lie you also have to keep the truth in mind, which includes many brain processes, such as combining several sources of information and faking that information. The ability to lie — and lie successfully  — is thought to be related to development of brain regions that allow so called “executive functioning”, or higher order thinking and reasoning abilities. Kids who perform better on tests that involve executive functioning also lie more.
小題1:What’s the purpose of children telling lies?

A．To help their friends out.

B．To get rid of trouble.

C．To get attention from others.

D．To create a popular image.

小題2:The underlined word “deceive” in Paragraph 1 can be replaced by “      ”.

A．tell lies	B．handle troubles
C．raise questions	D．do research

小題3:From the second paragraph we can know that       .

A．which factors can reduce lying

B．why some lie more than others

C．it is normal for kids to tell lies

D．how lying changes as kids grow

小題4:It can be inferred from the passage that        .

A．children’s lies are the same as adults’

B．the better kids are, the more they lie

C．the older kids are, the more they lie

D．kids always keep the truth in their mind

小題5:What is NOT included in the passage?

A．The reasons why kids tell lies.

B．Which kind of kids tells more lies.

C．Experiments about lying of young kids.

D．What to do with lying children.