The passengers on the subway who caught a glimpse of me may have thought I was strange. In particular a gentleman sitting opposite me was always staring at me, looking at the cheese bread on the floor in front of me and then staring back at me. A passenger probably dropped it by mistake and got off at a previous stop, but the gentleman might not think so. “Next stop, St. Patrick Station” — my stop was quickly coming up. I had few minutes to either take the cheese bread, which nobody else was claiming, or left it there.
In those few minutes I felt my pride getting in the way. “What would others on the subway think of me if I took the cheese bread? Would they think that I was poor and hungry? Would they think that I was stealing?” The ignorant thing to do was say “yes” to any of those self-imposed questions. Actually, they were just my own thoughts. Though I would leave the subway, walk a block to my office, get settled at my desk, and sit comfortably in my office for the whole day, I couldn’t get rid of the enormous sense of guilt and regret.
My thoughts once pushed me towards pride and ignorance, but finally I had to admit I was wrong. This missing cheese bread could be a gift for a homeless person who suffered from cold and hunger. So why not overcome a little bit of my pride and pass along so much kindness?
Just as the doors opened at my stop, I grabbed the cheese bread and left the subway. It felt awesome, but I didn’t care if people were looking at me or what they were thinking. Instead of going directly to my office as usual, I walked a few more blocks up to Queen’s park, where I often saw a homeless man sitting outside. I always wanted to give him something, but only today I walked toward him, who wrapped himself in a sleeping bag. I was full of satisfaction, and so did the homeless man, I thought.
小題1:The gentleman kept staring at the author because _______.

A．he wanted to talk to the author

B．the author appeared too nervous

C．the author was going to get off

D．he might think the author dropped the bread

小題2:The underlined word “self-imposed” in paragraph 2 probably means “_______”.

A．easily obtained	B．deliberately created
C．strongly supported	D．completely unaccepted

小題3:Why did the author grab the cheese bread when he got off?

A．He noticed that no one was looking at him.

B．He didn’t want to see the cheese bread to go to taste.

C．He valued kindness more than his own pride.

D．He remembered a homeless man at that very moment.

When we were very small, we realized that having friends was important. The need for friends continued as we grew into our teens. Friends played a big part in the development of our personalities. As adults, it is still important for us to have friends.
True friends are people who like us though we make mistakes and who listen to us and tell us the truth. Friends support our decisions and tell us when we’re wrong. They laugh with us and share our sadness. They are our partners and share interests with us. They stimulate us when we are feeling down. They are people with whom we aren’t afraid of sharing our secret wishes or what is really on our minds.
Friends, you fell safe and warm. At times, they also help with our everyday life, cooking a meal, helping with chores, or giving us a lift when we need.
Friends also are there to offer advice, an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on..
Friends also help us reduce stress. They not only listen to us when we fell stressed, but also discuss with us how to friends help us forget about problems at work or at home. For a short time, we can lose ourselves in a pleasant activity and perhaps laugh and breathe more easily.
小題1:What is the best title for the passage?

A．How to Reduce Stress	B．How to Make New Friends
C．The Importance of Friends	D．The Qualities of Good Friends

小題2:The underlined word “stimulate”in Paragraph 2 probably means ­­­­­­­­­­­­_________.

A．educate

B．encourage

C．remember

D．dislike

小題3:We can learn from the third paragraph that friends always _________.

A．laugh at us when we’re foolish	B．tell us other people’s secrets
C．share our sadness and interests	D．support us when we need help

小題4:According to the passage, we can reduce stress by _____.
① making more new friends             ② discussing our stress with friends
③ ignoring our problems for a while       ④ sharing interests with friends

A．①②③

B．②③④

C．①②④

D．①③④

Last weekend, my kids along with few other kids from the neighborhood volunteered to help me wash my car. My 10-year-old daughter came up with the idea of   36 other people’s cars as well. It was pretty    37   outside and I had no plans to   38   being in the bright sun. She    39   wanted to give lemonade（檸檬汽水）to passers-by for free. I had seen little kids   40   and sell fresh lemonade for a small cost but not free. Although I felt    41  , I decided to help her.
  42   she asked me, “What if we    43   this a smile car wash?” I couldn’t hold back my tears and    44   her and the other kids to go outside the house and come up with    45    ideas. While I kept myself busy in drying the car, the gang walked up to me with a（n）  46  with beautiful images of smiles. They had “Free Car Wash” written on it and the    47    of their exercise was “smile”. It was pretty neat to see a team of kids ranging 5-11 years with the   48 to do something for others.
All that seemed  49  and came right from their heart. Nothing seemed to 50    to them: their playtime, the heat outside—they just wanted to   51 others and do something nice in the community!
I helped them make some fresh lemonade and brought out some additional   52   to help clean cars. Passers-by were    53    and one even shouted back to them saying “God Bless You, my kids…” One of them even tried giving them 5 dollars, which they refused. A pretty heartwarming  54  !
I feel blessed by being    55   by such wonderful and loving souls.

小題1:	A．drying B．washing C．repairing D．decorating

小題2:	A．quiet B．dirty C．different D．hot

小題3:	A．continue B．a(chǎn)void C．suggest D．practise

小題4:	A．therefore B．further C．a(chǎn)lready D．hardly

小題5:	A．choose B．serve C．buy D．enjoy

小題6:	A．confused B．worried C．popular D．difficult

小題7:	A．Finally B．Simply C．Luckily D．Then

小題8:	A．show B．leave C．make D．order

小題9:	A．challenged B．encouraged C．invited D．expected

小題10:

A．creative B．ready C．changed D．familiar

小題11:

A．board B．picture C．idea D．car

小題12:

A．purpose B．trouble C．secret D．theme

小題13:

A．need B．imagination C．duty D．sense

小題14:

A．important B．disappointing C．hopeful D．natural

小題15:

A．matter B．mean C．belong D．refer

小題16:

A．relax B．try C．smile D．help

小題17:

A．food B．money C．rags D．fruit

小題18:

A．interested B．a(chǎn)mazed C．bored D．frightened

小題19:

A．story B．scenery C．scene D．view

小題20:

A．surrounded B．understood C．refused D．supported

How hard we have all prayed(祈禱) to grow up quickly, and looked forward to the happy days of being a grown-up and enjoying the many interests that a youth should have.
At last, you have grown up. At least you are no longer a child. They call you “young lady”. You then enjoy the pleasure of being a young lady. You are proud of being a grown-up teenager. People welcome you-this young lady-heartily. You are glad that your prayer has been answered.
But there is always something that troubles you a lot. You say; “Papa and Mama, give me some money please. My pocket money is all gone already.”
“No”, they say, “your age is a dangerous age. If you have too much money to spend, it won’t do you any good.” Then you have to stay at home because you dare not go out with an empty pocket.
Another time you tell your grandma, “Grandma, see, I am a grown-up now.”
“Good, now, you can sit here and knit (編織) this for me while I go and have a rest.” To show that you are no more a child, you have to sit there the whole afternoon doing the work, which only a grown-up can do. After an hour, you find it hard to do, and give the knitting basket back to your grandma. Your grandma criticizes your work. You hear what she says, “Such a big girl can’t do such easy work.” You wish then you were a child again.
But the fact is, you are growing up, and you can’t help it. That’s the way it goes!
小題1:The passage is told about _______ problems.

A．a(chǎn) growing-up boy’s	B．a(chǎn) teenage girl’s
C．a(chǎn)n old woman’s	D．a(chǎn) grown-up’s

小題2:It is clear that the writer, as a teenager, ________.

A．is pleased with the present life

B．is unhappy about growing up

C．doesn’t think her, present life happy enough

D．knows happy life will come to her soon

小題3:How does she know her prayer has been answered?

A．People treat her as a young lady

B．She is no longer a kid.

C．People begin to call her teenager.

D．She can join women in all kinds of activities.

小題4:From what her parents say, we know _________.

A．they don’t believe she is already a teenager

B．it’s dangerous for a girl to spend money

C．they love her more than before

D．they still regard her as a child

小題5:Having heard her grandma’s criticism, _________.

A．she has to lie in bed, doing nothing

B．she knows she has already worked the whole afternoon

C．she wishes she were not growing up

D．she finds it isn’t her turn to do knitting

There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care．To water his flowers，he used two buckets．One was a shiny and new bucket．The other was a very old and dilapidated one，which had seen many years of service，but was now past its best．
Every morning, the gardener would fill up the two buckets．Then he would carry them along the path，one on each side，to the flowerbeds．The new bucket was very proud of itself．It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled(溢出)．The old bucket felt very ashamed because of its holes：before it reached the flowerbeds，much water had leaked along the path．
Sometimes the new bucket would say，“See how capable I am ! How good it is that the gardener has me to water the flowers every day ! I don’t know why he still bothers with you．What a waste of space you are !”
And all that the old bucket could say was，“I know I’m not very useful，but I can only do my best．I'm happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me，at least. ”
One day，the gardener heard that kind of conversation．After watering the flowers as usual，he said，“You both have done your work very well．Now I am going to carry you back．I want you to look carefully along the path．”
Then the two buckets did so．All along the path，they noticed，on the side where the new bucket was carried，there was just bare(光禿禿的)earth；on the other side where the old bucket was carried，there was a joyous row of wild flowers，leading all the way to the garden．
小題1:What does the underlined word “dilapidated” probably mean ?

A．dirty．

B．dark．

C．worn-out．

D．plain-looking．

小題2:What was the old bucket ashamed of ?   

A．His past．

B．His aging．

C．His manner．

D．His leaking．

小題3:The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to _______.

A．laugh at the old one	B．take pity on the old one
C．show off its beautiful looks	D．praise the gardener’s kindness

小題4:Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?

A．Because it was used to keep a balance．

B．Because it stayed in its best condition．

C．Because it was taken as a treasure．

D．Because it had its own function．

Waiting for the airplane to take off, I was happy to have a seat by myself．Just then, an air hostess approached me and asked, “Would you mind  26   your seat? A couple would like to sit together．” The only 27 seat was next to a girl with her arms in casts（石膏），a black-and-blue face, and a sad expression．“ 28  am I going to sit there,” I thought immediately．But a soft voice spoke, “She needs help．” Finally, I  29  to move to that seat．
The girl was named Kathy．She 30  in a car accident and now was on her way for  31 When the snack and juice arrived, it did not take me long to 32  that Kathy would not be able to 33 herself．I considered 34  to feed her but hesitated, as it seemed too 35  to offer a service to a 36  ．But then I realized that Kathy’s need was more 37  than any of my discomfort．I offered to help her eat, and 38 she was uncomfortable to accept, she 39  as I expected．We became closer and closer in a short period of time．By the end of the five-hour trip, my heart  40  , and the 41  was really better spent than if I had just sat by myself．
I was glad I had reached  42  my comfort zone to sit next to Kathy and feed her．Love  43  flows beyond human borders and remove the fears that keep us 44 ．When we  45  to serve another, we grow to live in a larger and more rewarding world．

小題1:	A．losing B．changing C．taking D．giving

小題2:	A．comfortable B．suitable C．a(chǎn)vailable D．favorable

小題3:	A．No problem B．No way C．Nowhere D．No doubt

小題4:	A．decided B．wanted C．regretted D．promised

小題5:	A．was B．would be C．used to be D．had been

小題6:	A．treatment B．travel C．pleasure D．business

小題7:	A．know B．say C．realize D．recognize

小題8:	A．eat B．feed C．choose D．support

小題9:	A．offering B．needing C．stopping D．trying

小題10:

A．impolite B．far C．close D．fast

小題11:

A．girl B．neighbor C．passenger D．stranger

小題12:

A．unusual B．direct C．important D．shameful

小題13:

A．when B．a(chǎn)lthough C．since D．a(chǎn)s

小題14:

A．refused B．wondered C．cried D．did

小題15:

A．had warmed B．had jumped C．had broken D．had cheered

小題16:

A．life B．money C．time D．energy

小題17:

A．below B．through C．a(chǎn)cross D．beyond

小題18:

A．seldom B．never C．hardly D．sometimes

小題19:

A．separate B．independent C．silent D．upset

小題20:

A．happen B．stretch C．wait D．continue

Bobby was sitting out in his back yard in the snow. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them. Try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother’s Christmas gift.
Ever since his father had passed away three years ago, his mother worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage could only be stretched so far.
What the family lacked in money and material things, they more than made up for in love and family unity. They ran the household in their mother’s absence. All three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother.
It was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing. Bobby started to walk down to the street. He walked from shop to shop. Everything seemed so beautiful and so out of reach. It was starting to get dark, then suddenly his eyes caught a shiny dime. Never has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby did at that moment.
He went inside a flower shop. When the owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower. The shop owner looked at Bobby, then said, “You just wait here and I’ll see what I can do for you.”
The shop owner returned holding red roses all tied together with a big silver bow. Bobby’s heart sank as the owner placed them gently into a long white box. “That will be ten cents, young man,” said the shop owner, reaching out his hand for the dime. Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime.
Then the shopkeeper’s wife appeared. “Where are the roses you were fixing?”
The shop owner replied, “A strange thing happened to me this morning. I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn’t sure at the time whether I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway. When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was.”
小題1:According to the first three paragraphs we know that _____.

A．Bobby’s sisters didn’t help Bobby to buy a gift

B．Bobby had known what gift he’d give to his mother

C．the children in the family all loved their mother

D．Bobby’s family was rich before his father died

小題2:Why did Bobby walk along the street?

A．Because he didn’t know what to do.

B．Because he wanted to try his luck there.

C．Because he wanted to get some money.

D．Because he hoped to see what he could get.

小題3:What could he buy with a dime then?

A．A flower.

B．Nothing.

C．A piece of cake.

D．Many flowers.

小題4:Bobby slowly gave the dime to the shop owner because _______.

A．he did not want any rose flowers

B．the flowers weren’t worth a dime

C．the shop owner would cheat him

D．he hardly believed what had happened

小題5:From the last two paragraphs we can infer that the shop owner ______.

A．was shocked by the voice he heard

B．was always ready to help others

C．didn’t know how to run a business

D．was good at making up stories

A woman was in a hurry to go to the airport. She told the cab driver to drive quickly. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she was not aware they were going by a different route.
Suddenly, a man got inside the cab. He took her handbag where she had placed her visa, passport, and all her money for the trip.
The driver, who was in cahoots with the robber, left her in the middle of that dark street. She cursed the world for being so mean to her, and thought how unlucky she was in that situation.
That very same night, she heard some shocking news．Tears flowed down her face．Flight 230,which was the plane that she was supposed to have boarded, had crashed．If she had not lost her precious belongings, she could have lost something far more important—her life．
Sometimes bad things really happen．We lose money, fail our exams, or are rejected by others．There are times when nothing seems to go our way．
So what should we do about it? Should we be disappointed? The answer is a resounding “No!" We must get rid of all these frustrations and start all over again in the consistent faith that we will get what we deserve．
Don't waste your time and energy on things that can't be changed．Continuous worrying will only affect your health and you'll be doing much more damage than what was previously done．
What if it was the other way round? What if we never ran out of good luck?
There was a man who won the lottery．He thought he was the luckiest person in the world．He became greedy and wasted all his money on everything he could get his hands on．
One day, he made it to the front page of the newspaper again．But this time, it was a different story．He had been killed because of his riches．
If you attain good luck, you can never be too secure about it．Hope for protection and guidance．Life is so unpredictable．You never know what will happen next．
Live one day at a time．we sometimes subject ourselves to unnecessary emotional trouble．We ask ourselves: "What if I don't get this done in time?" or "What if my family leaves me and I've got no one else to turn to?"
Live for the moment．Do what must be done for the present and the future will turn out just fine． Believe me．And believe in yourself．As Captain Planet always says: "The power is yours!"
小題1:The underlined phrase "in cahoots with" in Paragraph 3 probably means "____"．

A．was forced by	B．was fighting bravely with
C．had cooperated with	D．was trying to beg

小題2:From the passage, we learn that___．

A．the woman was lucky to miss her flight

B．some people just never run out of good luck

C．robbers will get what they deserve

D．if you feel yourself lucky, you will continue to be so

小題3:According to the author, which of the following is the right attitude to adopt towards life?

A．Don't waste your time and energy because time is limited．

B．There's no need to worry or get frustrated．Just believe in yourself．

C．Even when everything seems to be going well, we should keep fully alert．

D．Worrying about what you don't have means you miss out on opportunities for other things．

小題4:The stories are intended to tell us___．

A．fortune only favors the prepared mind

B．gains and losses go hand in hand

C．misfortune might be a blessing

D．we should save up for a rainy day

“Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I was disappointed. “Don’t worry. One day your luck will change.”
I didn’t pay attention to her words. After finishing my college education, I decided to look for a job in a radio station. I wanted to host a sports programme. I went to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station. But I got turned down every time.
In one station, a kind lady said to me that I hadn’t got enough experience. “Get to a small station and work for some time,” she said.
When I went back home, my dad told me that a businessman had opened a store and needed someone to help him. But again, I didn’t get the job.
I felt really down. “Your luck will change,” Mum said to me. Later, I tried another radio station in Iowa. But the owner, a nice man, told me he had already had someone to work for him. As I left his office, I asked, “How can someone be a sports announcer (播音員) if he can’t get a job in a radio station?”
I was waiting for the lift when I heard the man call, “What did you mean? Do you know anything about football?” He let me sit in front of a microphone and asked me to try to imagine that I was giving my opinion on a football game, and finally I succeeded.
On my way home, Mum’s words came back to me, “One day your luck will change, Son.”
小題1:What was the writer’s ideal（理想的） job?

A．A sportsman.	B．A shop assistant.
C．A sports announcer.	D．A businessman.

小題2:Why didn’t the writer get the job in Chicago? 

A．Because he was too young.

B．Because he didn’t get a college education.

C．Because he was not a good-looking person.

D．Because he hadn’t got enough experience.

小題3:The sentence “I got turned down every time” means “　　　”.

A．I was refused every time	B．I was successful every time
C．I lost my way every time	D．The door of every station was closed

小題4:The writer got a job 　　　 in the end.

A．in Chicago	B．in his home town
C．in a college	D．in Iowa

Terry was a middle-aged leather trader whose repeated failure in career made him a depressed man, often __16__ that he had been cheated by others. One day he told his wife he was so __17__ with the city that he had to leave.
So his family moved to another city. It was the evening of a weekend. When Terry and his wife were busily __18__ up their new home, the light suddenly __19__. Terry was regretful to have forgotten to bring along __20__ and had to wait __21__ in a low mood. Just then he heard light, hesitant __22__ on his door that were clearly audible (聽(tīng)到) in the __23__ night.
“Who’s it?” he wondered, since Terry was a __24__ to this city. And this was the moment he especially hated to be __25__, so he went to the door and opened it __26__. At the door was a little girl, shyly asking, “Sir, do you have candles? I’m your neighbor. ” “No,” answered Terry in anger and shut the door __27__. “What a nuisance!” He complained over it with his wife. “No sooner had we settled down than the neighbor came to __28__ things.”
After a while, the door was knocked again. He opened it and found the same girl outside. __29__ this time she was __30__ two candles, saying, “My grandma told me the new neighbor downstairs might need candles. She __31__ me here to give you these.” Terry was very __32__ by what he saw. At that moment he suddenly realized what caused his __33__ in life. It was his __34__ and harshness (刻薄) with other people. The person who had cheated him in life was __35__ nobody else but himself, for his eyes had been blurred (蒙蔽) by his unsympathetic mind.

小題1:	A．complaining B．telling C．hoping D．pretending

小題2:	A．pleased B．disappointed C．exhausted D．encouraged

小題3:	A．looking B．turning C．coming D．tidying

小題4:	A．went on B．went down C．went out D．went through

小題5:	A．candles B．matches C．lights D．bulbs

小題6:	A．happily B．patiently C．hopefully D．helplessly

小題7:	A．steps B．words C．knocks D．screams

小題8:	A．dark B．quiet C．noisy D．crowded

小題9:	A．newcomer B．stranger C．guest D．settler

小題10:

A．called B．disturbed C．watched D．offered

小題11:

A．surprisingly B．delightedly C．impatiently D．willingly

小題12:

A．gently B．kindly C．politely D．violently

小題13:

A．lend B．sell C．harness D．borrow

小題14:

A．And B．But C．So D．For

小題15:

A．holding B．hiding C．fetching D．lifting

小題16:

A．suggested B．commanded C．sent D．forced

小題17:

A．frightened B．pleased C．puzzled D．surprised

小題18:

A．failure B．success C．complaint D．determination

小題19:

A．warmth B．coldness C．kindness D．sympathy (同情)

小題20:

A．doubtfully B．hardly C．a(chǎn)ctually D．nearly