【題目】The sense of regret after having made a purchase is frequently __________ with the purchase of an expensive item such as a car or house.

A. attached B. associated C. compared D. related

【題目】Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they’ll say, “Success.” The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a “new world” in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. “We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered (無拘無束的) and unrestrained, because each person works for himself … We have no princes, for whom we toil (干苦力活)，starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.” The promise of a land where “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.

Our national mythology (神化) is full of illustration of the American success story. There’s Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American’s best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to “make a fortune in real estate with no money down,” and “dressing for success.” The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it’s as important to be “successful” in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.

But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to “make it” also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the “right” neighborhoods, wear the “right” clothes, eat the “right” foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.

【1】What is the essence of the American Dream according to Crevecoeur?

A. People are free to develop their power of imagination.

B. People who are honest and work hard can succeed.

C. People are free from exploitation and oppression.

D. People can fully enjoy individual freedom.

【2】By saying “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” (Line 10, Para. 1), the author means __________ .

A. the more diligent one is, the bigger his returns

B. laborious work ensures the growth of an industry

C. a man’s business should be developed step by step

D. a company’s success depends on its employees’ hard work

【3】The characters described in Horatio Alger’s novels are people who ___________.

A. succeed in real estate investment

B. earned enormous fortunes by chances

C. became wealthy after starting life very poor

D. became famous despite their modest origins

【4】It can be inferred from the last sentence of the second paragraph that ____________.

A. business success often contributes to a successful marriage

B. Americans wish to succeed in every aspect of life

C. good personal relationships lead to business success

D. successful business people provide good care for their children

【5】What is the paradox (說法) of American culture according to the author?

A. The American road to success is full of nightmares.

B. Status symbols are not a real indicator of a person’s wealth.

C. The American Dream is nothing but an empty dream.

D. What Americans strive after often contradicts their beliefs.

【題目】No one likes to make mistakes. But a new study says organizations learn more from their failures than from their successes, and keep that knowledge longer.

One of the researchers was Vinit Desai, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. He worked with Peter Madsen from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University in Utah.

They did not find much long-term "organizational learning" from success. It is possible, they say. But Professor Desai says they found that knowledge gained from failure lasts for years. He says organizations should treat failures as a learning opportunity and not try to ignore them.

The study looked at companies and organizations that launch satellites--and other space vehicles. Professor Desai compared two shuttle flights.

In two thousand two, a piece of insulating(隔熱的) material broke off during launch and damaged a rocket on the Atlantis. Still, the flight was considered a success.

Then, in early two thousand three, a piece of insulation struck the Columbia during launch. This time, the shuttle broke apart on re-entry and the seven crew members died. NASA officials suspended all flights and an investigation led to suggested changes.

Professor Desai says the search for solutions after a failure can make leaders more open-minded. He points to airlines as an example of an industry that has learned from failures in the past.

He advises organizations to look for useful information in small failures and failures they avoided. He also urges leaders to encourage the open sharing of information. The study appeared in the Academy of Management Journal.

The mistakes we learn from do not have to be our own. We recently asked people on our Facebook page to tell us a time they had done something really silly.

Fabricio Cmino wrote: Not long ago I wanted to watch TV, but it wouldn't turn on, so I did everything I could to start it. Thirty minutes later my mum showed up and, passing by, said to me "Did you try plugging it'? I’m just dusting, Mum!”So she wouldn't notice how dumb I am sometimes!

Bruno Kanieski da Silva told about a time he looked everywhere for his key. It was in his pocket. He wrote: I always promise I will never do it again, but after-a few weeks,where is my wallet? For sure it will be in a very logical place.

【1】From the passage, we can infer that________.

A. The insulating material problem in 2002 didn't arouse enough attention

B. There were no astronauts on Columbia

C. In spite of the problem, Atlantis was considered a success

D. Columbia exploded during its launch time

【2】The writer gives the last two paragraphs to show that________.

A. many people make mistakes in the world

B. mistakes were a very embarrassing thing when found by others

C. we can also draw a lesson from others' mistakes

D. making mistakes was a necessity

【3】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Only organizations can learn from mistakes

B. We can also learn from failures that have been avoided.

C. Lessons from the shuttle flights are more important.

D. Leaders often lack an open mind and seldom share information.

【題目】One of the latest trends（趨勢(shì)） in American Childcare is Chinese au pairs. Au Pair in Stamford, Conn, for example, has got increasing numbers of request for Chinese au pairs from aero to around 4, 000 since 2004. And that’s true all across the country.

“I thought it would be useful for him to learn Chinese at an early age” Joseph Stocke, the managing director of a company, says of his 2-year old son. “I would at least like to give him the chance to use the language in the future, ” After only six months of being cared by 25-year-old woman from China, the boy can already understand basic Chinese daily expressions, his dad says.

Li Drake, a Chinese native raising two children in Minnesota with an American husband, had another reason for looking for an au pair from China. She didn’t want her children to miss out on their roots. ” Because I am Chinese, my husband and I wanted the children to keep exposed to(接觸) the language and culture. ” she says.

“Staying with a native speaker is better for children than simply sitting in a classroom, ” says Suzanne Flynn, a professor in language education of Children. ”But parents must understand that just one year with au pair is unlikely to produce wonders. Complete mastery demands continued learning until the age of 10 or 12. ”

The popularity if au pairs from China has been strengthened by the increasing numbers of American parents who want their children who want their children to learn Chinese. It is expected that American demand for au pairs will continue to rise in the next few years.

【1】 What does the term” au pair” in the text mean?

A. A mother raising her children on her own

B. A child learning a foreign language at home

C. A professor in language education of children

D. A young foreign woman taking care of children.

【2】 What can we infer from the text?

A. Learning Chinese is becoming popular In America

B. Educated woman do better in looking after children

C. Chinese au pairs need to improve their English Skills.

D. Children can learn a foreign language well in six months.

【題目】I remembered to lock the door before I left the office, but forgot __________ off the lights.

A. turning B. to turn C. having turned D. to have turned

【題目】The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. One hundred thousand people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.

The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King's baker in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window in the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.

By eight o'clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul's and the Guildhall among them.

Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire. People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat.

The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.

After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect, wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow; but he did build more than fifty churches, among them was new St Paul's.

The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.

【1】It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that ______.

A. many famous buildings were destroyed

B. the birds in the sky were killed by the fire

C. some people lost their lives

D. the King's bakery was burned down

【2】Why did the writer cite (引用)Samuel Pepys’ words?

A. Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire.

B. Because Pepys also wrote about the fire.

C. To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire.

D. To show that poor people suffered most.

【3】Which of the following were reasons for the rapid spread (擴(kuò)散)of the big fire?

(a) There was a strong wind.

(b) The streets were very narrow.

(c) Many houses were made of wood.

(d) There was not enough water in the city.

(e) People did not discover the fire earlier.

A. (a) and (b)

B. (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e)

C. (a), (b), (c) and (d)

D. (a), (b) and (c)

【題目】Larry was on another of his underwater expeditions(探險(xiǎn))but this time, it was different. He decided to take his daughter along with him. She was only ten years old. This would be her first trip with her father on what he had always been famous for.

Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive.

After the first expedition, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures.

Larry’s first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different Spots for free. Larry didn’t even know what the time was, how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.

Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.

【1】What can be inferred from Paragraph2?

A. Larry had some privileges.

B. Larry liked the rented diving suits.

C.Divers had to buy diving equipment.

D.Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive.

【2】Why did Larry have to stay in a cage underwater sometimes?

A. To protect himself from danger.

B.To dive into the deep water.

C.To admire the underwater view.

D.To take photo more conveniently.

【題目】I don't know if she __________, but if she __________, I will let you know.

A. comes; comes

B. will come; will come

C. comes; will come

D. will come; comes

【題目】STEVE EMBER: And I'm Steve Ember with People In America in VOA Special English. Today we remember the singer and actress Lena Horne. During her sixty-year career performing, Lena Horne entertained people with her beauty and rich, emotional voice. She used her fame to fight social injustices toward African-Americans.

Lena Horne was born in New York. At sixteen, Lena became a dancer at the famous club in New York City in 1933. After taking voice lessons, she soon became a singer. In 1940, Lena Horne became the first African-American to perform with an all-white jazz hand. After performing at a club in Hollywood, California, she caught the attention of filmmakers. She soon began making movies. Her films became very popular. In the 1940s, Lena Horne was the first African-American in Hollywood to sing a long -term contract with a major movie studio. Her deal with MGM stated that she would never play the role of a servant. She refused to play roles that represented African-Americans disrespectfully.

Lena Horne once said that World War II helped make her a star. She was popular with both black and white soldiers. She sang on army radio programs and traveled to perform for the troops. These experiences led to Lena Horne's work in the civil rights movement.

Lena Horne sang at rights gatherings. She took part in the march on Washington protest in 1963. It was during this event that Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech. She protested racial separation at the hotels where she performed. She took action so that she and her musicians would be allowed to stay in those hotels. B1ack musicians at the time generally stayed in black neighborhoods.

At the age of eighty, she said she did not have to act like a white woman that Hollywood hoped she would become. She said: "I'm me, and I'm like nobody else."

Lena Horne died in New York in 2010.

【1】 How old was Lena Horne when she died?

A. 93 years old. B. 98 years old.

C. 86 years old. D. 88 years old.

【2】 We can infer from the passage that_____

A. black women were forbidden to perform in the film in the 1940s

B. Lena Horne didn't make any films in the 1960s

C. Lena Horne liked staying at hotel very much

D. black actresses often played roles of servants in the film in the 1940s

【3】 Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Lena Home became the first African-American in Hollywood in her forties.

B. Dena Horne was a friend of Martin Luther King.

C. Lena Horne was involved in civil rights activities in the 1960s.

D. Lena Horne took an active part in sports activities.

【4】 This text is developed

A. by space B. by time

C. by process D. by comparison

【題目】Mr. Black __________ Shanghai in a few days. Do you know when the earliest plane __________ off on Sunday?

A. is leaving; takes

B. leaves; takes

C. is leaving; is taking

D. leaves; is taking