He was just 12 years old when he died. But he brought courage and hope to people around the world.
Nkosi Johnson, who died last June, is remembered today as an AIDS fighter. This young boy challenged his government’s AIDS policies and millions of South Africans in the fight against the disease.
Johnson was the longest survivor born HIV positive（艾滋病病毒攜帶者）.He survived with this deadly disease for 12 years before it claimed his life.
At first, Johnson was expected to live for nine months when his foster mother, Gail Johnson took him in at the age of two. She now runs Nkosi’s Haven across town from her house in Melville. The Haven is home to 20 children living with HIV or AIDS, and 11 of their mothers.
Johnson attracted the world’s attention and stole the hearts of thousands of people across the world at the 13^th International AIDS Conference in Durban in July 2000. He stood in front of a large audience including South African President Thabo Mbeki. He told them that he wanted AZT, a drug used to treat AIDS patients, to be given to HIV-positive pregnant（懷孕的） women to prevent the disease being passed on to their unborn babies. He received a loud cheer at the end of his speech.
Johnson’s speech was broadcast live across the world. With views beyond his age and even a sense of humor, Johnson soon became an international sign of the fight against AIDS and HIV.
小題1:The underlined words “claimed his life” (Paragraph 3) means _______.

A．did harm to Johnson’s life	B．helped Johnson to survive
C．caused the death of Johnson	D．made Johnson weak

小題2:The main idea in paragraphs 5 and 6 is ________.
A     Johnson attracted the world’s attention
B．Johnson stood in front of South African President Thabo Mbeki
C．Johnson wanted AZT to treat AIDS pregnant women
D．Johnson helped prevent the disease being passed on to an unborn baby
小題3:The AIDS child gave the speech in order to _________.

A．steal the hearts of thousands of people

B．be an AIDS fighter

C．get more help from the world

D．fight against the government

小題4:From the passage we can infer that _______.

A．the government’s AIDS policies have to be improved

B．the government did nothing to help those with HIV positive

C．the boy’s speech changed the government’s policies

D．no one lived longer than the boy

小題5:The best title for this passage is        .

A．The Sad Story of an AIDS Child.

B．The Courage of an AIDS Child

C．AIDS, a Deadly Disease

D．A Hero in South Africa

My husband and I are both musicians. I took it  36  granted that one day our daughter Holly would learn to play an instrument.
In 2000 Holly fell  37  and the doctor said she may have been left   38   deaf. “She won’t be able to hear music in any shape or form,” said the doctor. It was a great   39  .
In 2001, her right ear was fitted with a cochlear implant --- electronic equipment that provides a sense of    40   for people who are completely deaf. Seven years later, another was fitted in her    41   ear. The doctors played us a model of what music would sound like to Holly --- I was horrified   42  it was just white noise.
“Holly will hear music,” I   43   saying to myself. I tried to put what had gone wrong right, so we constantly   44  words and sounds to her. She has been having lessons since she was seven . she’s   45  all the time. I’m always surprised by just how much better she does.
When she   46  a national piano competition, the adjudicator   47  Holly for appearing to listen to the sounds she was making --- her whole body, he said to us, was   48  in the process of making music.
I   49  that the model we originally heard of how music sounds with a cochlear implant isn’t   50  holly hears it. The brain is complex and adapts to many   51  ;in some way, Holly has made   52  of it all. She loves life. She doesn’t think about what happened to her and says   53  , “I don’t want to talk about bad things. Let’s talk about good things.”
I was determined that her life would not be   54  by a miserable event, but never imagined that she could   55  what she has. I can only describe this as a miracle.

小題1:	A．a(chǎn)s B．like C．for D．with

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)sleep B．ill C．silent D．short

小題3:	A．partly B．nearly C．deeply D．totally

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)ccident B．disease C．shock D．surprise

小題5:	A．sound B．noise C．music D．voice

小題6:	A．right B．left C．deaf D．good

小題7:	A．a(chǎn)lthough B．unless C．because D．while

小題8:	A．a(chǎn)voided B．remembered C．imagined D．kept

小題9:	A．repeated B．reflected C．reacted D．responded

小題10:

A．suffering B．crying C．working D．improving

小題11:

A．entered B．quitted C．lost D．visited

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)sked B．cared C．praised D．thanked

小題13:

A．considered B．contained C．invited D．involved

小題14:

A．remind B．believe C．a(chǎn)dvise D．forget

小題15:

A．when B．how C．whether D．why

小題16:

A．states B．positions C．places D．situations

小題17:

A．sense B．choice C．use D．fun

小題18:

A．exactly B．finally C．simply D．generally

小題19:

A．influenced B．decided C．remarked D．introduced

小題20:

A．a(chǎn)chieve B．choose C．take D．expect

This is a story from 28 years ago. My dad was a used car salesman. Every Thursday night, he would head off to Shreveport, LA for an auction. Most of the time, I drove a car over there for him so he could sell it at the auction.
One day, I was riding with my dad when he noticed a hitch-hiker with a backpack. Without hesitation, he pulled the car over and offered him a ride. Dad asked him his name, and proceeded to talk to him about all sorts of things. Dad asked him where he was going. The hitch-hiker told him he was heading for the west. I can’t recall why but he told Dad a lot of things that had occurred to him and that persuaded him to make that decision. He talked about the tragic events that occurred to him several years before. He was low in spirits, but I could see that the hitch-hiker’s attitude was changing as someone was really listening to him.
We drove 45 minutes before the hitch-hiker got off. We pulled over and Dad told him to keep his head up and things would start looking up for him soon. He reached into his pocket and handed the hitch-hiker a twenty-dollar bill. The guy smiled. He nearly lit up right there on the cold, dark highway.
We drove on and my dad did not say a single thing. I was still completely amazed by what I had just witnessed. I was always told by everyone never to pick up a hitch-hiker and yet my dad did it every single time he saw one. While reflecting upon that story I came to understand that just one single kind act could change someone’s life, and I am sure that my father’s deed made that poor man’s day.
小題1:The underlined words “that decision” in Para. 2 refer to ___________.

A．catching the car	B．heading for the west
C．talking about his experiences	D．driving 45 minutes

小題2:What made the hitch-hiker become less upset?

A．The writer’s father offering him a free ride

B．The writer’s father really listening to him

C．The writer’s father agreeing to driving him to his destination

D．The writer’s father talking to him about all sorts of things

小題3:When his father helped the hitch-hiker, the writer ___________.

A．was deeply moved	B．strongly disagreed
C．a(chǎn)dmired his father	D．couldn’t understand

小題4:Which of the following words cannot be used to describe the father?

A．willing to help

B．easy-going

C．far-sighted

D．full of sympathy

小題5:The author wrote the text mainly to _________.

A．show his respect for his father

B．tell a story about his kind father

C．prove his father is the best teacher

D．a(chǎn)dvise people to learn from their fathers

I remember growing up, my mom always said, “Half the fun of doing anything is sharing it with others.” It is so true. Friends and mates allow us to enjoy our success and our joys, comfort us in our challenging moments, and provide a mirror for us to learn more about ourselves. I’ve always looked at friends as the family we choose. They enrich our lives. As Robert Louis Steven once said, “A friend is a present which you give yourself.”
To be a good friend or partner, it’s importable be a good listener. Hear what your friend or mate has to say first rather than jumping to conclusions or getting defensive. Sometimes it is useful to be their mirror, for when they hear their words repeated back to them; it can help them to realize that what they said was not exactly what they meant to say.
Patience, compassion and empathy are also important traits in being a good friend or partner. You know the old golden rule, “Care for others the way you would like them to care for you.” The support of a friend during a tough time could make the difference between success and failure. Encouragement and confidence are priceless gifts that can help change a person’s life.
Take care, though, with whom you choose to have close relationship, for they can have a tremendous impact on your self-esteem and life path. As someone once told me, “the attitude of your friends is like the buttons on an elevator. They will either take you up or down.”
小題1:In order to make good friends, you should do the following except ______.

A．Be a good listener	B．Be patient, compassionate
C．Be careful	D．Be generous to your friends

小題2:What will you do to your friends according to the passage?

A．Buy your friend a mirror.	B．Point out their mistakes if there is any
C．Give them encouragement and confidence.	D．Pay attention what they do

小題3:What does the underlined sentence in the passage mean?

A．It is different whether you have friends or not.

B．The support of friends counts when you have difficulties.

C．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

D．You are certain to succeed if you get the support of friends.

小題4:Which of the following statements is not right according to the passage?

A．It is good to share your fun with other.

B．The friend is a mirror for us to learn more about others.

C．You’d better be a good listener if you want to be a good friend.

D．Be careful to choose your friend.

Violin prodigies（神童）, I learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. Most of the great performers of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries were born and brought up in Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world’s greatest violinists, the reason for this phenomenon. “It’s very clear, “he told me. “They were all Jews and Jews at the time were severely oppressed and ill-treated in that part of the world. They were not allowed into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage.” As a result, every Jewish parent’s dream was to have a child in the music school because it was a passport to the West.
Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence in a certain field and is able to nurture (培育) talent. Nowadays the most nurturing societies seem to be in the Far East. “In Japan, a most competitive society with stronger discipline than ours,” says Isaac Stern, “children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including music. When Western music came to Japan after World War II, that music not only became part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well.” The Koreans and Chinese, as we know, are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.
That’s a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work, biological inheritance plays an important role in the making of a prodigy. J. S. Bach, for example, was the top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.
小題1:Jewish parents in Eastern Europe longed for their children to attend music school because ______.   

A．it would allow them access to a better life in the West

B．Jewish children are born with excellent musical talent

C．they wanted their children to enter into the professional fields

D．it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country

小題2: Nurturing societies as mentioned in the passage refer to societies that ______.

A．enforce strong discipline on students who want to achieve excellence

B．treasure talent and provide opportunities for its full development

C．encourage people to compete with each other

D．promise talented children high positions

小題3:Japan is described in the passage as a country that attaches importance to ______.

A．a(chǎn)ll-rounded development	B．the learning of Western music
C．strict training of children	D．variety in academic studies

小題4:Which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according to the passage?

A．A natural gift.	B．Extensive knowledge of music.
C．Very early training.	D．A prejudice-free society.

Would you like a burger or fried chicken for lunch? No Way! Please pass me the salad  36 ．
Hi, my name is Mor­gan Jacobs, and I decided to be a vegetarian  37 I love all animals．I have read and seen pictures of  38  happens toanimals that are raised for their meat．It makes me so 39  ．Baby cows and chickens live their  40   lives in places that are too small for them．They have no  41   to move about．This is so 42  ．They suffer and do not get to
43  their lives．
I don't like other animals that also only live to be 44 by people while they are alive and the 45  they are killed．I feel sorry for them．
The best thing 46  being a vegetarian is all the tasty and healthy foods I eat．Vegetables and fruits are healthy for your body．47 , 1 think they taste better than meat．Oranges have vitamin C．I love the  48  of watermelon, peaches, and strawberries．Green vegetables  49 me feel strong．I enjoy drinking lots of soymilk to  50 my bones calcium（鈣）．
I have a life threatening allergy（過敏）to nuts, seeds, and peanuts,  51  I eat soy butter to get my protein!
I  52  in being kind and loving to people and animals, being good to the earth, and 53  life, including animals!
54   is known to all, animals are our friends．We should live in  55  with the animals．If we destroyed the animals, we would destroy ourselves．

小題1:	A．too B．a(chǎn)lso C．either D．instead

小題2:	A．because B．unless C．whether D．while

小題3:	A．that B．which C．what D．how

小題4:	A．excited B．sad C．glad D．happy

小題5:	A．short B．long C．colorful D．useful

小題6:	A．time B．room C．need D．problem

小題7:	A．cruel B．interesting C．necessary D．probable

小題8:	A．like B．hate C．enjoy D．love

小題9:	A．played B．eaten C．looked D．fed

小題10:

A．style B．road C．way D．type

小題11:

A．in B．a(chǎn)t C．to D．a(chǎn)bout

小題12:

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

小題13:

A．smell B．color C．size D．taste

小題14:

A．force B．make C．cause D．get

小題15:

A．leave B．take C．bring D．give

小題16:

A．so B．but C．yet D．or

小題17:

A．believe B．think C．consider D．imagine

小題18:

A．inspecting B．respecting C．expecting D．inspiring

小題19:

A．It B．What C．As D．Which

小題20:

A．harmony B．memory C．terms D．search

The cars were honking （鳴叫） on the road one morning as I was walking to the park．I walked on and soon found the cause — a little taxi that had got stuck in the middle of the road．There was sweat on the driver's face as he tried to start the engine again and again — nothing happened．"No petrol,"
I said to myself and then found myself getting angry．"Why doesn't the fool move his taxi to the side?" I thought, so did all the others who honked and shouted．
He got up tiredly, and the passenger in the taxi got out．He was a young man in a white shirt, who watched the driver try to push it to the side．"Stupid guy!" I said．"Can't he lend a helping hand? "
I watched as the poor driver pushed it to the side．Cars, buses and trucks went past cursing （咒罵） the poor man．The young man took another taxi and went off．
The taxi driver began mending his taxi．"Stupid passenger!" I said to him．"He didn't help you!" The taxi driver slowly got up．"Sir!" he asked, "Did you?" I looked at him guiltily, then looked away, and walked away fast, asking myself, "Did I help the poor man push his taxi?"
What had I been doing as the traffic jam took place? How had I helped deal with the problem? Did I help the poor man push his taxi? I’d done my bit, with my mouth．But never had I moved to solve the problem．I was shocked with guilt as I heard him asking, "Sir! Did you?"
小題1:Why did a traffic jam happen on the road when the author was walking to the park?

A．There was too much traffic in the street．

B．Truck drivers attempted to go ahead of others．

C．A taxi driver couldn't start his engine．

D．A young man wasn't good at driving．

小題2:The author's attitude toward the passenger is that of __________．

A．a(chǎn)nger

B．respect

C．sympathy

D．guilt

小題3:Why did the author feel guilty?

A．Because he blamed the driver wrongly．

B．Because he didn't help the driver, either．

C．Because he tried to help but failed in the end．

D．Because he didn't persuade the passenger to help．

小題4:From the incident, the author learnt a lesson that we should     _________．

A．criticize those who don't help

B．hurt the self-respect of others no more

C．think more of those who are in need

D．stop talking and start to help

When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall.
Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
小題1:“the talk of the town” means _________ .

A．they were in the newspaper

B．people spread mean rumors about them

C．they were the most popular things happening

D．they were discussed in a city meeting

小題2:What does the author think about Tom Thumb’s wedding?

A．People gave it too much of their attention.

B．It helped people cheer up in a dark time.

C．It was funny and ridiculous.

D．Tom and Lavinia were stupid.

小題3:Which of the following is the best clue to the fact that Tom was smart?

A．He became a billionaire at twenty-five.

B．He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age.

C．He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon.

D．He married a school teacher.

小題4: It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because ________ .

A．the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom were tap dancing

B．it made Tom feel taller

C．the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted

D．the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller

小題5:What does the author imply in the last paragraph?

A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine.

B．People are always disappointed during wartime.

C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose.

D．People should be married even if they are small.

The greatest source of inspiration for me has always been my father. Though he’s been gone for 17 years, his   21  still resonate（產(chǎn)生共鳴）. He taught me how to run my own race in life. But the most inspiring thing he taught me was to   22 .
One incident is   23  in my mind. It happened when I was a teenager. My sister and I weren’t very fond of a so-called friend of   24 . Dad was a very generous man, and as he’d done with so many people, he’d given this fellow great help. But when he asked for a favor   25 , the guy didn’t deliver.
Dad’s outlook（人生觀）on most things was “Live and let live.” In this case, however, his calmness   26  Terre and me, and we let him know it.
“How can you be nice to that man?” we said to him. “You’ve been so kind to him, and he’s not being kind back. Why would you want to give him the time of day again?”
My father shrugged（聳肩）and said to us, “I do not bend my back with   27 . ”
I didn’t get it at first, but over the years I came to understand the   28 . Holding a grudge（怨恨）doesn’t   29  the person you’re angry with, but it changes you. It makes you heavier and gives you more weight to drag around.
After my father died in 1991, a (n)   30  came from a fellow I’d had a quarrel with years before to   31  his sympathy. He wrote: “I thought I’d tell you how sorry I am   32  the loss of your father. I know he   33  the world to you. I just wanted to let you know that you are in my thoughts. ”
Much moved, I wrote back. I thanked him for his   34 . And then, because he’d   35  
our disagreement, I recalled Dad’s inspiring words. “I am my father’s daughter,” I wrote. “And like him, I do not bend my back with yesterday.”

小題1:	A．lectures B．suggestions C．lessons D．pictures

小題2:	A．forgive B．persuade C．forget D．excuse

小題3:	A．vital B．obvious C．visual D．vivid

小題4:	A．sister’s B．mine C．father's D．mother’s

小題5:	A．in return B．in turn C．by return D．by turn

小題6:	A．relaxed B．moved C．interrupted D．bothered

小題7:	A．a(chǎn)nger B．disappointment C．worry D．yesterday

小題8:	A．reason B．word C．philosophy D．sentence

小題9:	A．change B．hurt C．upset D．disturb

小題10:

A．news B．letter C．message D．information

小題11:

A．explain B．express C．produce D．present

小題12:

A．in B．with C．a(chǎn)bout D．a(chǎn)t

小題13:

A．showed B．represented C．equaled D．meant

小題14:

A．kindness B．sympathy C．understanding D．consideration

小題15:

A．referred B．mentioned C．reminded D．retold

I was very disappointed not to be able to go to the jazz concert last Friday. The announcement in the paper said that you could buy tickets at the theater box office in Richland Hills any day between 10:00 and 4:00. Since I work from 9 o’clock to 5:30, the only time I could go to the theater was during my 45-minute lunch break. Unfortunately, the theater is on the other side of the town, and the bus service between my office and Richland Hills is not very good. But if you are lucky, you can make the round trip in 45 minutes. Last Monday, I stood at the bus stop for fifteen minutes waiting for a bus. By the time I saw one come around the corner, there was not enough time left to make the trip—so I gave up and went back to the office. The same thing happened on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday. On Thursday, my luck changed, I got on a bus right away and arrived at the theatre in exactly twenty minutes. When I got there, however, I found a long line of people at the box office. I heard one man say he had been waiting in line for over an hour. Realizing I would not have enough time to wait in line, I caught the next bus and headed back across the town. By Friday I realized my only hope was to make the trip by taxi. It was expensive, but I felt it would be worth hearing the concert. The trip by taxi only took 10 minutes, but it felt like an hour to me. When I got to the theatre, I was relieved to see that nobody was waiting in line. The reason, I quickly discovered, was that they had already sold all the tickets.
小題1:The writer is probably ______.

A．worker	B．a(chǎn) college teacher
C．manager of a company	D．a(chǎn) clerk

小題2:He learned ______ that there would be a concert last Friday.

A．from his friends	B．from one of his colleagues
C．over the radio	D．from the newspaper

小題3:He could go and buy the ticket ______.

A．a(chǎn)ny day before work hours	B．both before and after work hours
C．only during lunch time	D．on Saturday and Sunday

小題4:The word “relieved” in the last two sentences may best be replaced by “______”.

A．surprised

B．pleased

C．puzzled

D．sorry

小題5:The story is about ______.

A．a(chǎn) good concert

B．someone enjoying a good concert

C．someone trying to buy concert tickets for his friends

D．someone’s disappointment at not being able to go to the concert