The young people who talk of the village as being “dead” are talking nothing but nonsense, as in their hearts they must surely know.
No, the village is not dead. There is more life in it now than there ever was. But it seems that “village life” is dead. Gone for ever. It began to decline about a hundred years ago. When many girls left home to go into service in town many miles away, and men also left home in increasing numbers in search of work, and home was where work was. There are still a number of people alive today who can remember what “village life” meant in the early years of the present century. It meant knowing and being known by everybody else in the village. It meant finding your entertainment in the village of within walking distance of it. It meant housewives tied to the home all day and every day. It meant going to bed early to save lamp oil and coal.
Then came the First World War and the Second World War. After each war, new ideas, new attitudes, new trades and occupations were revealed（展現(xiàn)）to villagers. The long-established order of society was no longer taken for granted. Electricity and the motorcar were steadily operating to make “village life” and “town life” almost alike. Now with the highly developed science and technology and high-level social welfare（福利）for all, there is no point whatever in talking any longer about “village life.” It is just life, and a better life.
Finally, if we have any doubts about the future, or about the many changes which we have seen in our lives, we have only to look in at the school playground any mid-morning; or see the children as they walk homeward in little groups. 0bviously these children are better fed, better clothed, better educated, healthier, prettier and happier than any generation of children that ever before walked the village street.
1．By saying that village is not dead, but “village life” is dead, the writer suggests that_______ .
A．those young people who talk of the village as being “dead” are wrong
B．the two statements are against each other
C．“village life” today is rather uninteresting
D．“village life” today is no longer like what it used to be
2．As is suggested in paragraph 2, villages in the past______________.
A．lived a simpler life than villagers today 
B．knew fewer people than villagers today
C．found it difficult to enjoy themselves
D．like to wash themselves with cold water
3．The expression “…there is no point whatever in talking about…” in paragraph 3 means that______________.
A．there is no end to the talking about …  
B．it is harmful to talk about …
C．it is not meaningless to talk about …
D．there is no reason for talking about …
4．What does the writer think of the “village life today”?
A．Dead.       B．Worse       C．Better.      D．Unclear.

I will never forget what my old headmaster taught me. Normally when you are only 15          years of age you do not remember most of the things that are taught by your teachers. But this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.
It was a normal Monday morning, and he was making a speech to the students on important things in life and about devoting ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:
An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years. His house was dirty, and a stench(惡臭)came out of the house and it smelled horrible. The neighbors could not stand the smell any more, so they asked the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.
The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house to tell the good news to him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire. He said nothing at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg. Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything important for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing.
59. The headmaster told the story to the students to__________.
A. make the students relaxed in the lesson             B. remind the students to think deeply
C. show how poor the old man was                            D. encourage the students to become rich
60. After hearing what the officer said, the old man_________.
A. believed the officer was playing a joke on him. B. didn't know many people respected him a lot.
C. was very angry to find his house broken into.     D. was not so excited as the officer had expected.
61. What did the author learn from the story?
A . One should devote himself to his dream.            B. The old man was foolish not to stop begging.
C. What the headmaster taught was very important.
D. People must have a plan before taking action.
62. Which word can best describe the author's attitude towards the old man?
A. Pity.           B. Disappointment.                 C. Respect.          D. Anger.
63. We know from the passage that ___________________.
the author had a big dream at the age of 15.         
B. the headmaster was popular with the students.
the old man begged every day without stopping.  
D. the neighbors took great pity on the old man.
BDACC 

第二部分閱讀理解（滿分20分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don’t do a very good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.
So, you have to give a speech-- and you’re terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank goodness, it’s over. I’m just no good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again. ”
Cheer up! It doesn’t have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of time doing your research. Then spend plenty of time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they will help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience. Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Just remember: be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to -person contact with your audience.
If you follow these simple steps, you’ll see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet? Give it a try and see what happens.
1. The main idea of this article is _________.
A. you can improve your speaking ability   B. a poor speaker can never change
C. always make a short speech            D. it is hard to make a speech
2. Paragraph 2 implies that ________.
A. many people are afraid of giving a speech   B. many people are happy to give a speech
C. many people do not prepare for a speech    D. many people talk too long
3. The phrase “talk over their heads” means ________.
A. speak too loudly      B. look at the ceiling
C. look down upon them   D. use words and ideas that are too difficult
4. All of the following statements are true except that ___________.
A. few people know how to make good speeches
B. a lecturer does not need to organize his speech
C. research is important in preparing a speech
D. there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability
5. The title for this passage may be _______.
A. Do Not Make a Long Speech   B. How to Give a Good Speech
C. How to Prepare for a Speech   D. Try to Enjoy a Speech  

C
You may have heard the term "the American Dream". In 1848, James W. Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams. That 19th century "American Dream" motivated (激發(fā)起) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".
The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors but also waves of immigrants throughout that century and the next. People from Europe, and a large number of Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold in the streets. But most, instead, worked as railroad labourers. They created the oldest Chinatown, in San Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill".
In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work. Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare.
Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley. People poured their energy into the Internet. This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortunes in America.
Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive. However, the new American Dream is no longer just about money. It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice.
The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has become the model of the new American Dream. After years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a movie superstar and then governor. Many people hope his story can save the American Dream and give California a brighter future.
1. It can be inferred that _____.
A. America’s golden dream could never be realized
B. America’s golden dream had bought great fortunes to Chinese immigrants
C. each period of time has its own taste of the American dream
D. determination and hard work are the best way to realize the American dream
2. Why did most of the early immigrants work as railroad laborers?
A. Because they could earn more money as railroad laborers.
B. Because they had to make a living by working as railroad laborers.
C. Because they thought railroad was the first step to find gold.
D. Because railroad laborers were greatly honored at that time.
3. The underlined sentence “his story can save the American Dream” (in the last paragraph) indicates that _____.
A. the dream of seeking fortunate in America is easy to realize
B. most of the immigrants to America don’t reach their previous goal
C. the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the common examples of the immigrants
D. the immigrants have made great contributions to California
4. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Wave of Immigrants to America            B. Make Fortunes Abroad
C. Hard Work Leads to Success                  D. Changes of America’s Golden Dream

Romantic love is a culture trait found primarily in industrialized societies. Elsewhere in the world, pragmatic(重實(shí)效的) considerations rather than flights of fancy are often used to make a choice of partner, and romantic love is seen as an unfortunate inconvenience that gets in the way of the ordinary, rational process of mate selection. Traces of this attitude persist in the American upper classes, where daughters are expected to marry “well”-----that is, to a male who is eligible by reason of family background and earning potential. Most Americans, however, see romantic love as essential for a successful marriage, and tend to look askance（輕蔑地）at anyone who marries for a more practical reason in which love plays no part.
The phenomenon of romantic love occurs when two young people meet and find one another personally and physically attractive. They become mutually absorbed, start to behave in what appears to be a flighty（充滿幻想的）, even irrational manner, decide that they are right for one another, and may then enter a marriage whose success is expected to be guaranteed by their enduring love. Behavior of this kind is portrayed and warmly endorsed（贊同）throughout American popular culture, by books, magazines, comics, records, popular songs, movies, and TV.
Romantic love is a noble ideal, and it can certainly provide a basis for the spouses to “l(fā)ive happily ever after.” But a marriage can equally well be founded on much more practical considerations”----as indeed they have been in most societies throughout most of history. Why is romantic love of such importance in the modern world? The reason seems to be that it has some basic functions in maintaining the institution of the nuclear family（小家庭）.
1. Romantic love is less frequently found in many non-industrial societies because people in these societies_______.
A . firmly believe that only money can make the world go round
B. fail to bring the imaginative power of the mind into full play
C. fondly think that flights of fancy prevent them from making a correct choice of partner
D. have far more practical considerations to determine who will marry whom
2. The word eligible (in Line5, Para. l), could best be replaced by ____.
A . qualified   B. available  C. chosen  D. influential
3. According to the passage, most Americans _____.
A. expect their daughters to fall in love with a male at first sight
B. regard romantic love as the basis for a successful marriage
C. look up to those who marry for the sake of wealth
D. consider romantic love to be the most desirable thing in the world
4. What can we learn from the second paragraph about romantic love?
A. It is a common occurrence among the old.
B. It is primarily depicted by books.
C. It is characterized by mutual attraction and absorption.
D. It is rejected as unreasonable.
5. The author seems to believe that ___________
A. romantic love makes people unable to think clearly in the process of mate selection
B. only romantic love can make a marriage happy ever after
C. much more practical considerations can also be the basis for a successful marriage

Lead（鉛） deposits, which accumulated（增加） in soil and snow during the 1960's and 70's, were primarily the result of leaded gasoline emissions originating in the United States. In the twenty years that the Clean Air Act has mandated（托管） unleaded gas use in the United States, the lead accumulation world-wide has decreased greatly.
A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that air-borne leaded gas emissions from the United States were the leading contributor to the high concentration of lead in the snow in Greenland. The new study is a result of the continued research led by Dr. Charles Boutron, an expert on the impact of heavy metals on the environment at the National Center for Scientific Research in France. A study by Dr. Boutron published in 1991 showed that lead levels in arctic (北極的) snow were declining（減少）.
In his new study, Dr. Boutron found the ratios of the different forms of lead in the leaded gasoline used in the United States were different from the ratios of European, Asian and Canadian gasoline and thus enabled scientists to differentiate (分區(qū)) the lead sources. The dominant lead ratio found in Greenland snow matched that found in gasoline from the United States.
In a study published in the journal Ambio, scientists found that lead levels in soil in the North-eastern United States had decreased markedly since the introduction of unleaded gasoline. Many scientists had believed that the lead would stay in soil and snow for a longer period.
The authors of the Ambio study examined samples of the upper layers of soil taken from the same sites of 30 forest floors in New England, New York and Pennsylvania in 1980 and in 1990. The forest environment processed and redistributed (再分配)the lead faster than the scientists had expected. Scientists say both studies show that certain parts of the ecosystem (生態(tài)系統(tǒng) ) respond rapidly to reductions in atmospheric pollution, but that these findings should not be used as a license to pollute.
1. The study published in the journal Nature indicates that ________.
A. the Clean Air Act has not produced the desired results
B. lead deposits in arctic snow are on the increase
C. lead will stay in soil and snow longer than expected
D. the US is the major source of lead pollution in arctic snow
2. Lead accumulation worldwide decreased significantly after the use of unleaded gas in the US ________.
A. was discouraged               B. was carried out by law
C. was forbidden by law           D. was introduced
3. How did scientists discover the source of lead pollution in Greenland?
A. By analyzing the data published in journals like Nature and Ambio.
B. By observing the lead accumulations in different parts of the arctic area.
C. By studying the chemical elements of soil and snow in Northeastern America.
D. By comparing the chemical compositions of leaded gasoline used in various countries.
4. The authors of the Ambio study have found that ________.
A forests get rid of lead pollution faster than expected
B. lead accumulations in forests are more difficult to deal with
C. lead deposits are widely distributed in the forests of the US
D. the upper layers of soil in forests are easily polluted by lead emissions
5. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that scientists ________.
A. are puzzled by the mystery of forest pollution
B. feel ease by the use of unleaded gasoline
C. still consider lead pollution a problem
D. lack enough means to combat lead pollution

High-quality customer service is preached(宣揚(yáng)) by many ,but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done. Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a store, but instead will alert their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers-and anyone who will listen. Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde group and Wharton school.
“Storytelling hurts the boss and entertains consumers,” said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde group.” the store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.” On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four other, and will no longer visit the specific store for every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be bad to bosses.
According to the research, shoppers who bought clothing met the most problems. ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers. The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered (塞滿了的) shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople. During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance eliminated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided fight between those eyeing the same parking space.
Bosses can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions.
Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers. “Retailers who’re responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren’t so friendly.” said Professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help.” Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filling complaints to the boss, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Bosses are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.
1. Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?
A. Most customers won’t bother to complain even if they have had unhappy experiences.
B. Customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around them.
C. Few customers believe the service will be improved.
D. Customers have no easy access to store managers.
2. What does Paula Courtney imply by saying “ … the shopper must also find a replacement” (Line 2, Para. 4)?
A. New customers are sure to replace old ones.
B. It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores.
C. Most stores provide the same
D. Not complaining to the manager causes the shopper some trouble too.
3. Shop owners often hire moonlighting police as parking attendants so that shoppers_____
A. can stay longer walking in the store  B. won’t have trouble parking their cars
C. won’t have any worries about safety  D. can find their cars easily after shopping
4. What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?
A .Manners of the salespeople   B. Hiring of efficient employees
C. Huge supply of goods for sale   D. Design of the store layout.
5. To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to _________.
A exert pressure on stores to improve their service
B. settle their problem with stores in a diplomatic（外交）way
C. voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly
D. shop around and make comparisons between stores

The first time I saw Carlos I would never have believed he was going to change my life. I had my arms full of books and I was tearing into the classroom when 1 ran into something solid. It was Carlos.
“My God, you’re tall,” he said.
Of course, the class began to laugh. Angry. I walked to my seat without a word.
I glanced back to see if Reed Harrington was laughing with the rest. That would be the last straw. But Reed was studying chemistry and did not seem to be aware of anything else. I didn’t know why I considered Reed my friend. Maybe just because he was a good two inches taller than I. Anyway, every time I blew out my birthday candles and made a wish, it was for a date with Reed Harrington.
“Take that seat，” Mr. McCarthy told the cocky newcomer Carlos，pointing to the only empty one，in the back of the room.
Carlos grinned,“But I need a couple of dictionaries.”Again the class laughed, but now they were laughing with Carlos，not at him. He had been here only 10 minutes and already he had them on his side.
It was the school elections that made me think of Carlos again. Reed Harrington was voted president and Carlos vice-president. “How come?”I kept asking myself,“How come this shrimp who’s only been in town for a little over a month gets to be so popular?”
So that morning，I stopped Carlos and said，“It doesn’t seem to bother you — being short.”He looked up at me , “Of course I mind being short. But there isn’t anything I can do about it. When I realized I was going to have to spend my life in this undersized skin，I just decided to make the best of it and concentrate on being myself.” “You seem to get along great,”I admitted, “But what about me? Nobody wants to date a girl taller than he is.” “The trouble with you is you’re afraid to be yourself. You’re smart. And you could be pretty. In fact, you might be more than pretty.” I felt myself turning red…
56．The author was angry because ________.
A．the class made fun of her                                                B．Carlos was too rude to her
C．she had to carry many books                                          D．Reed Harrington didn’t date her
57．Which of the following about Carlos is NOT TRUE?
A．He was popular.                                                                 B．He was new in the school.
C．He was shorter than the author.                                   D．He was chosen president in the school elections.
58．We can infer from the passage that ________.
A．Carlos and the author have become good friends
B．the author will be more confident
C．Carlos always encouraged the author
D．the author was tall
59．What’s the best title of the passage?
A．How to be popular                                                             B．A tall girl
C．Be yourself                                                                          D．Something about Carlos

Fire can help people in many ways. But it can be very dangerous. Fire can heat water, warm houses, give light and cook. But fire can burn things, too. It can burn trees, houses, animals or people. Sometimes big fire can burn forests.
Nobody knows for sure how people began to use fire. But there are many interesting stories about the first time a man or a woman started a fire. One story from Australia tells about a man very, very long time ago. He went up to the sun by a rope (繩子) and brought fire down.
Today people know how to make a fire with matches (火柴). Children sometimes like to play with them. But matches can be very dangerous. One match can burn a piece of paper, and then it might burn a house. A small fire can become a big fire very fast. Fire kills many people every year. So you must be careful with matches. You should also learn to put fires. Fires need oxygen (氧氣). Without oxygen they will die. Cover a fire with water, sand or sometimes with your coat. This keeps the air away from a fire and kills it. Be careful with fire, and it will help you. Be careless with fire, and it will burn you.
49.How did people begin to use fire? _________.
A. Not everybody knows how people began to use fire
B. Nobody knows how to make a fire
C. It is an Australian who started a fire
D. We are not sure how people began to use fire
50.Children mustn’t play with matches because ________.
A. matches burn paper                B. it isn’t interesting
C. they can be dangerous             D. they can burn a house
51.When you are going to put out a fire, you ______,
A. must be careful                       B. should keep air away from it
C. must know it is dangerous         D. should cover it with water

E

Babies are not just passing idle time when they stare goggle-eyed at the television—they are actually learning about the world, U.S. researchers said. Parents may want t limit what their babies see on television , based on the study, said Donna Mumme, assistant professor of psychology at Tufts University in Boston, who led the research. “Children as young as 12 months are making decisions based n the emotional(情感的)reactions of adults around them,” Mumme said in a statement. “It turns out they can also use emotional information they pick up from television. This means that adults might want to think twice before they speak in a loud and harsh voice or let a baby see television programs meant for information about the world. A mother urging her baby to eat some  “yummy” soup on a brother crying in fear when a dog approaches can influence a baby’s reaction. Mumme’s team tested babies to determine. If television has the same influence, showing actors reacting on a videotape to objects such as red spiral letter holder, a blue humpy ball, and a yellow garden hose attachment. Babies aged 10 months or 12 months were later given the same objects to play with. Ten-month-olds did not seem to e influenced by the video buy the 1-year-olds were. When the actors acted neutrally or positively to an object, the babies happily played with them. But if the actor had seemed afraid or disgusted, the babies would avoid the object.
72．Psychology is the study of             .
A．human’s society and its growth
B．human’s hopes had dreams
C．human’s mind and behaviors
D．human’s languages and cultures
73．Which of the following is Mumme’s conclusion?
A．Small babies should not be allowed to watch television programs.
B．Adults need to think twice before they act in front of small babies.
C．TV programs provide small babies with all the information they need.
D．One-year-olds can be emotionally influenced by TV programs.
74．Mumme reached his conclusion by            .
A．measuring the time babies spent in front of TV.
B．making TV programs and advertisements for kids.
C．showing actors how to react to blue bumpy balls
D．observing small babies’ reactions to TV programs
75．Which of the following may the study lead to according to the researchers?
A．Parents may want to limit what their babies see on television.
B．Actors may try to behave themselves well in front of babies.
C．Babies may be allowed to choose what they see on TV.
D．Scientists may stop ignoring babies’ emotional world.