To New Zealanders,their big brother across the Tasman Sea in Australia was always 1.(confidence) and exciting. With the purpose of 2. (find) well-paid jobs,the Kiwis have 3. (traditional) gone west in vast numbers.

     But things are changing. New Zealand has a renewed sense of confidence,and 4.(encourage) by the international success of The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies (三部曲)5. is not only foreign tourists that are heading to Middle-earth. Others are seeking fresh opportunities in a “rock star” economy.

     For 6. first time in 24 years,more people are now heading east from Australia to New Zealand.

     The end of a long mining boom in Australia and the rebounding of its trans-Tasman neighbour's fortunes are among the main 7. (reason) .

     “We’ve been describing New Zealand 8. a rock star in the sense that it has been doing 9. (well) than almost all of the other developed world economies over the past couple of years ,” says Paul Bloxham,HSBC’s chief economist for Australia and New Zealand.

     Recent figures show 10. employ- ment growth in Australia is running at 2%, while across the Tasman Sea the Kiwis are enjoying rates of more than 3%.

     For Barack Obama,public service has been the cause of his life. Obama began his career by moving to the South Side of Chicago to direct the Developing Communities Project,an organisation 1.(form) to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods. After graduating from law school,Obama passed up law firm jobs to head Project Vote,2. helped register 150,000 new African-American voters in Chicago,the 3.(high) number ever registered in a single local effort. Michelle Obama was in charge of Public Allies Chicago,a leadership development program that prepares talented young adults for careers 4.(serve) the public good. Barack Obama believes public service helps both the individuals that serve 5. the communities that benefit.

     Barack Obama calls his years working as a  community organiser in Chicago,s South Side the best education he ever 6. (have) . He believes that all students should serve 7.(they) communities. Studies show that students who participate 8. service-learning programs do better in school,are more likely to graduate from high school and go to college,and are more likely to become active 9. (citizen) . Schools that require service as part of the 10. (education) experience create improved learning environments ;and serve as resources for their communities.

     One of the most historic and significant landmarks in the United States is the San Francisco cable car system. It 1. (run) by the San rancisco Municipal Transportation Agency. The system dates back to 1878. 2. the California Street line first opened. In all,there are three lines 3. (current) operating in the city. There used to be 23 lines in use throughout the city 4. (connect) the diverse communities that make up San Francisco.

     Initially,the simple reason cable cars were used in the city 5. (be) because of its landscape.San Francisco is very hilly,which makes 6.impossible for buses to climb. The solution for this problem was the cable car.

     There are two types of cars today. Single-ended cars and double-ended cars. The single-ended cars have open-sided sections. These cars seat 29 passengers. They travel in both 7. (direction) by using a turntable that turns the car at the end of the line. The double-ended cars are a bit 8.(large) , and can hold up to 68 passengers. It has 34 seats,and grips(把手) for 9. (addition) 34 standing passengers. People who ride the San Francisco cable cars are stepping into part 10.California’s history.

    Every August my family sets out on a road trip. And we always head north. Canada may not be the most exciting of destinations,but we 1.(attract) by its familiarity,cool weather and,most of all,niceness.

     We experience Canadian niceness as soon as we! reach customs. The US border guards are 2.(friendly) and all business. The Canadians,on 3. contrary,are unfailingly polite,even as they question us 4. the number of wine bottles we’ re bringing into the country. One year,we had failed 5. (notice) that our 9-year-old daughter’s passport was out of date. They,nicely,let us enter anyway. The niceness continues for our entire trip,as we meet nice 6. (waiter) , nice hotel clerks,nice strangers.

     Life is hard enough. Why not coat it with politeness? Politeness,at its best,is a way of 7. (honour) others,especially strangers.Politeness makes social interactions run 8.(smooth) and reduces the risk of conflicts. The world,I think,would be a better place if we 9.(be) all a bit more Canadian. Fortunately,Canadian niceness is contagious (有感染力的) . On my annual northern trip,I find 10. (I) slowing down,saying “thank you” and “please” more often than I usually do.

     Although I’m still young to be thinking about college,I 1. (have) my eye on the University of Washington — Seattle for a while now. Since I am a competitive gymnast,my college search began at the end of eighth grade,in hopes 2.earning a scholarship. Seattle is 3 ,000 miles from New Jersey and my parents originally laughed at the idea of me 3. (go) to school so far away. I eventually convinced them 4. (take) me for a visit.

     Ranked 14th 5. (global) by U.S. News & World Report,the University of Washington is a public institution. 6. is clear that students there take academics and athletics very seriously — exactly 7. I was looking for.All of the facilities(設備） are state-of-the-art,and the dorms are super clean. I completely fell in love with the school; even hearing about the 8. (rain) weather in Seattle couldn’t make me love it less.

     A few weeks after my visit,my dream came closer to 9. (real) when I received a verbal(口頭的) commitment to the University of Washington. College is still a few years away,but I can't wait to be a part of such 10. amazing place.

    Every morning I wake up to the normal sun 1. (shoot) through the left window. My dog,Donald,barks madly. He 2. (insist) that every morning at exactly 7:04,he has to go outside. Can’t that dog just take 3. rest?

    After I go outside for 2. 5 minutes,I realize I have to deal 4. my boss in 48. 6 minutes. I sit for two minutes. Afterward,I take my normal six minutes to shower,three minutes to shave,two minutes to brush my teeth 一 just 5. the dentist told me 一 and five minutes to figure out6. I am going to wear. That leaves me 4. 5 minutes 7. (read) The New York Times.Then I take 20 minutes to drive to work. Once I arrive,it takes 2. 1 minutes to hear the 8.(bore) story about what Ron did last night and four minutes for my boss to turn up.

    Spending 9. 34 hours at my job,driving 26 minutes home,taking two minutes to walk Donald and only getting 24. 7 minutes before lying down and not falling asleep for 12. 5 minutes can 9.(real) drive someone crazy,but not me. The thing 10. can make me crazy is if something goes wrong. When one thing goes wrong,all breaks loose.

  A Thousand Splendid Suns,1. (write) by Khaled Hosseini,shows the influence that Afghanistan’s violent history has had on individuals ,2. (especial) its women.

   Hosseini describes the 3. (life) of Laila and Mariam,and their struggle against society and the Taliban .They are both married to a shoemaker,Rasheed,4. is constantly abusing them. Initially,Mariam,Rasheed's first wife,doesn’t like Laila,but she soon realizes 5. she is in desperate need of a friend.

   Khaled Hosseini’s purpose is 6.(show) the hardships of women in Afghanistan and all they must stand in the household as well as society. The constant fear of a bomb 7.

(hit) a house appears frequently in the story,making 8. all the more heart-breaking.

   A Thousand Splendid Suns is a remarkable story of two women in a society that is 9.(willing) to see Mariam and Laila as equals. Not only 10. Hosseini tell a story of women trying to survive,but he gives the reader knowledge of a lifestyle that is foreign.I’ m happy to recommend the book to you.

   Many years,ago,A1 Capone owned Chicago. Capone wasn't 1 for anything heroic but for cruelty (殘暴) .

   Capone had a 2 named “Easy Eddie." Eddie was very good!In fact,Eddie's skill at legal tricks kept Capone out of 3 for a long time.

   To show his 4 , Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big,but Eddie got special 5 as well. For instance,iie and his family occupied a large house with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day.

   Eddie lived a(n) 6 life and gave little consideration to the 7 that went on around him. 8 Eddie did have one soft spot. He had a son,whom he loved dearly. Eddie 9 that his young son had clothes,cars,and a good education.

   And,10 his involvement with organized crime,Eddie even 11 to teach his son right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a 12 man than he was.

   Yet,with all his 13 and influence,there were two things he couldn't give his son: he couldn't pass on a good name or a good 14 .

   One day,Easy Eddie reached a 15 decision. He wanted to right those wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the 16 about A1 Capone,clean up his 17 name,and teach his son about integrity (正直) . To do this,he would have to testify (作證) against Capone,and he knew that the 18 would be great. But he testified.

   Within the year,Easy Eddie's 19 ended in a burst of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. But in his eyes,he had given his son the 20 gift he had to offer,even at the heaviest cost he could ever pay.

1. A. ready   B. famous   C. anxious   D. thankful

2. A. friend   B. son   C. servant   D. lawyer

3. A. the city   B. the country   C. prison   D. control 

4. A. respect   B. regret   C. achievement   D. appreciation 

5. A. rewards   B. favors    C. chances   D. responsibilities 

6. A. lonely   B. active   C. enjoyable   D. peaceful 

7. A. cruelty   B. fight   C. show   D. shame

8. A. So   B. But   C. Because   D. Or

9. A. worried   B. believed   C. found out   D. made sure 

10. A. in spite of   B. due to   C. in addition to   D. instead of 

11. A. agreed   B. refused   C. tried   D. forgot 

12. A. smarter   B. better   C. richer   D. stronger 

13. A. happiness   B. luck   C. knowledge   D. wealth

14. A. example   B. explanation   C. lesson   D. plan

15. A. quick   B. final   C. sensible   D. difficult

16. A. story   B. truth   C. news   D. discovery

17. A. popular   B. professional   C. big   D. bad

18. A. profit   B. praise   C. cost   D. waste

19. A. career   B. life   C. adventure   D. love 

20. A. greatest    B.kindest     C. most powerful   D. most generous

   As consumers,we all want low prices,but how can big retailers(零售商) afford to make their prices so attractive? What they do not do is 1 their own profits to reduce prices. They pass those “l(fā)ow prices” along the supply chain to the 2 , who are forced to 3 with each other globally to be the cheapest. The producers then have to pass on the cost of 4 production to their workers. That is to say,they can only 5 these workers — some of them are the poorest in the world — minimum salaries or less.

   That's why FAIRTRADE,a social movement has appeared. David Simpson,one of the staff 6 ,aWe first visit existing producers to take a close look at their products and their business strengths and weaknesses. 7 everything is good,we sit down and work out an action plan,a strategy,together. Sometimes the producers might need help or 8 in order to get their products to meet the market demands. But what is much more 9 is that we also agree to buy directly for a fair price that is 10 ,that is,we will not suddenly offer to pay less. The FAIRTRADE minimum price defines the 11 price that a buyer of FAIRTRADE products must pay the producer. The minimum price is 12 based on talks between FAIRTRADE producers and traders and makes sure that producers receive a price,which 13 the cost of workable production. This 14 workers to start climbing out of poverty. Later,we provide training in marketing and other 15 so that producers can gradually become independent. Meanwhile,the products themselves are already being 16 in our own FAIRTRADE shops and in an increasing number of other shops."

   FAIRTRADE products are now recognized 17 and sales are rising. Consumers realize they are buying a quality product at a competitive price while 18 the producer. Instead of increasing the profits of the middlemen,their 19 are building a Aiture for some of the world's 20 people.

1. A. show   B. cut   C. increase   D. earn

2. A. workers   B. consumers   C. retailers   D. producers

3. A. argue   B. compete   C. cooperate   D. discuss

4. A. mass   B. quick   C. cheap   D. efficient

5. A. pay   B. bring   C. lend   D. send

6. A. agrees   B. explains   C. complains   D. imagines

7. A. If   B. Because   C. Though   D. Unless

8. A. praise   B. friendship   C. success   D. support

9. A. convenient   B. practical   C. important   D. interesting

10. A. decided   B. guaranteed   C. suggested   D. permitted

11. A. average   B. selling   C. lowest   D. fairest

12. A. set   B. changed   C. predicted   D. admitted

13. A. returns   B. shares   C. ignores   D. covers

14. A. advises   B. forces   C. allows   D. expects

15. A. interests   B. skills   C. facts   D. processes

16. A. presented   B. sold   C. used   D. examined

17. A. widely   B. quickly   C. excitedly   D. eagerly

18. A. trusting fi. training   C. encouraging   D. helping

19. A. kindnesses   B. improvements   C. presents   D. purchases

20. A. saddest   B. busiest   C. poorest   D. weakest

   The ice roads of Canada's far north are only made of ice that spreads for many miles across nothing but open,frozen lakes. The 1 that truckers bring to these barely-accessible areas are always extremely important to the mines there. If an important piece of machinery does not get 2 , the company will have to 3 eight months for the next delivery to be sent,because the ice roads are only 4 for 3-4 months of the year. After that,they become 5 as the ice thickness feegins to thin in places.

   Driving on the ice roads isn’t a(n) 6 that every truck driver can do,though. Most drivers who try this sort of work 7 at the first sound of the ice cracking under the great 8 of their trucks. Others make it across the frozen ice to their destination but decide the 9 for them isn't worth the money,10 even the slightest mistake or fault in the road could cost a driver his / her life.

   The trucks all travel in groups at a slow and 11 pace,and keep the same distance from each other to reduce the chance of a(n) 12,but if a truck has to 13 for any length of time a major disaster could occur. The 14 is not able to bear the pressure of a constant weight in one spot,and if a truck breaks down,it is a race against 15 to get it moving again. If a truck does break through the ice and 16 ,a trucker has less than a minute to get out of the icy water before he 17 .

   Dianne Rowland,18 of an ice road trucker,said she would not let her husband go again 19 she saw a television series that told the story of ice road truckers. Their three daughters 20 their mother.

1. A. workers   B. materials   C. foods   D. drinks

2. A. finished   B. made   C. designed   D. delivered

3. A. spend   B. save   C. wait   D. kill

4. A. usable   B. valuable   C. acceptable   D. suitable

5. A. disappointing   B. different   C. disturbing   D. dangerous

6. A. job   B. offer   C. interest   D. journey

7. A. stay around   B. stay up   C. turn around   D. turn up

8. A. height   B. weight   C. speed   D. size

9. A. pain   B. trouble   C. distance   D. stress

10. A. because   B. when   C. until   D. but

11. A. relaxed   B. steady   C. gentle   D. careful

12. A. event   B. mistake   C. accident   D. change

13. A. repair   B. move   C. continue   D. stop

14. A. ice   B. truck   C. space   D. destination

15. A. money   B. energy   C. time   D. courage

16. A. disappear   B. sink   C. tremble   D. crash

17. A. dies   B. returns   C. tries   D. drives

18. A. friend   B. daughter   C. mother   D. wife

19. A. before   B. although   C. after   D. while

20. A. listened to   B. agreed with   C. pointed to   D. talked with