In high school I joined the girl athletic club. At our first track meet, I entered for the long jump, but was made an alternate（替補(bǔ)）for the 50 yard dash. I didn’t like it, since I was better at long distance, but they assured me I would never have to run; they just ran out of alternate.
As I walked up to the start line, I saw my Dad on the sidelines. He was watching. Position, ready, set and off went the starting gun. Believe it or not, I closed my eyes and ran like I’d never run before.
I knew I didn’t have a chance of winning. But I started to hear cheering and thought for a minute, was it possible? I opened my eyes and to my disappointment, everyone else was crossing the finish line, inches away from each other and I was only half the distance.
That moment felt like days. I felt so stupid. I just wanted to melt into the ground and disappeared. Worse than that, my Dad was watching and then I felt ashamed. I kept running hard as I could, crying all the way towards the finish line. It seemed no one noticed me as I crossed the finish line. I saw my Dad standing there looking at me. I was ashamed to look at him. He walked over to me and said, “I’m so proud of you.” I was surprised, “For what? Everyone else finished before I even got halfway. I looked like a fool.” “Because you didn’t give up, not even when you realized what had happened. You gave it your all and finished.” I laughed and cried at the same time.
I find I can face what seems impossible, even alone and afraid, and, that winning does not always come in as you expect. I give my best effort to all I do, win or lose. I don’t give up in the middle of anything.
小題1:The author meant to compete in        .

A．the 50 yard dash

B．the long jump

C．the long-distance run

D．the high jump

小題2:When the author heard cheering, she thought        .

A．she had the chance to win the game

B．she left others inches away halfway

C．other competitors were encouraging her

D．somebody had won the game

小題3:What happened after the author crossed the finish line?

A．She cried at the sight of her father.

B．Everyone cheered her for her success.

C．Her farther came up and comforted her.

D．She felt ashamed to meet her classmates.

小題4:What lesson can we learn form the author’s experience?

A．What seems impossible always becomes possible.

B．Don’t lose heart halfway whatever you do.

C．Success will come as long as you expect it.

D．Try to do everything until you win in the end.

Barbara and Barry Zucker – Pinchoff, both doctors from New York City, took their three daughters on a walking safari（旅行）last year in Tanzania. Barbara told about their experience in Kinbero, “It is the most remote（遙遠(yuǎn)的）place we have ever been to,” camping with a few other Americans, two Tanzanian guides, and several Hadza（哈扎人）who had time to sit and chat because they had just killed a giraffe.
About 400 members of the Eastern Hadza tribe（部落）live in Tanzania today, the only hunter-gatherers who remain in Africa. The Hadza hunt game, gather edible plants and honey, and move from place to place whenever the weather changers. Every two weeks or so, they move to a new campsite.
At the Pinchoffs’ campsite, three Hadza men stopped by to visit and ended up staying three days. One of the guides gave the men a cigarette. They took out the tobacco, put it in a pipe, and lit the pipe with fire they started.
It takes less than two hours for Hadza women to build a new camp. They make huts（茅屋）by bending branches into round structures about six feet high, and then covering them with long, golden grass. If the weather is very wet, the women may choose a dry cave to set up a camp. Some rock caves have been used over thousands of years and are decorated（裝飾）with ancient rock paintings. Whether they sleep in huts, caves or in the open, the Hadza cover themselves only with thin cloths and depend on fire to keep them warm.
The Hadza refuse to be “settled” into villages or to have the life of farmers. By 1979, almost all of them had returned to their old ways. They Hadza may be the only tribe in Africa the has never paid taxes.
小題1: The passage mainly tells up         .

A．one of the author’s travel experiences

B．the life of the Hadza tribe in Tanzania

C．Barbara’s walking safari in Tanzania

D．the efforts of the Hadza to keep their old ways

小題2:What does the underlined word “game” ( in Paragraph 2 ) probably refer to?

A．Part of a match.	B．Edible wild animals.
C．An area of work.	D．A children’s activity.

小題3:What do we know about the life of the Hadza?

A．They change their campsites regularly.	B．They live mainly on farming.
C．They keep warm using leaves at night.	D．It takes them a long time to set up a camp.

小題4:Where do the Hadza live in wet weather?

A．On the farm.

B．In huts.

C．In caves.

D．In the open.

Just Help the Next Person
The only highway to go to work that we had to drive was closed down due to an accident on the bridge. A truck had hit the bridge and made it 36 for any traffic to go over it. So in order to get to 37 I had to go a number of miles out of my way.
Not being that 38 with this road and not knowing 39 all the pot holes in the road were, I topped a hill and right in my path was a big pot hole. I felt and heard the familiar sound of a flat tire. I 40 as far to the right as possible and stopped. I tried several times to change the tire, but 41 .
There I sat out in the country and no way to 42 with anybody. Just then, I looked in my rear view mirror and a 43 was pulling out of a pasture behind me. I was 44 and scared at the same time.
I was struggling to get the 45 out when this man in the pickup pulled in behind me. He got out to introduce himself and 46 to help me. When he got the spare out we discovered that the spare is also 47 . He told me he would take the tire and have it 48 and call my husband.
We got the tire fixed 49 he took me back to my car. My husband was there 50 us when we got back. The kind stranger stayed there and helped my husband 51 the tire. After they finished we 52 thanked him and offered to pay him for his 53 .
I will never forget his words, " your thanks is 54 enough pay and I just hope if this ever happens to my wife or daughter someone will be so 55 as to help them."

小題1:	A．busy B．narrow C．fearful D．unsafe

小題2:	A．school B．city C．work D．shop

小題3:	A．satisfied B．involved C．identified D．familiar

小題4:	A．where B．what C．when D．which

小題5:	A．placed B．rode C．pulled D．managed

小題6:	A．failed B．a(chǎn)bandoned C．passed D．dropped

小題7:	A．catch up B．get in touch C．have to do D．put up

小題8:	A．truck B．pickup C．car D．bike

小題9:	A．excited B．relieved C．determined D．nervous

小題10:

A．car B．wheel C．spare D．trunk

小題11:

A．refused B．offered C．pretended D．promised

小題12:

A．flat B．damaged C．invisible D．lost

小題13:

A．sold B．painted C．packed D．fixed

小題14:

A．but B．so C．a(chǎn)nd D．though

小題15:

A．listening to B．worrying about C．waiting on D．searching for

小題16:

A．break B．change C．clean D．repair

小題17:

A．both B．a(chǎn)ll C．neither D．everyone

小題18:

A．imagination B．trouble C．diligence D．patience

小題19:

A．more than B．less than C．rather than D．better than

小題20:

A．polite B．a(chǎn)ctive C．kind D．wise

Jesse was a great teacher, tutor, mentor, and family member. He was a dedicated (忠誠的)volunteer in the Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa. He went to a place where he knew he could make a difference and wanted to help teach children who otherwise would not have a teacher. He made friends wherever he went and touched the hearts of many.
Jesse was never one to go anywhere without making a good impression on everyone he met. His sudden death in a tragic car accident in Africa brought his family and friends together in a celebration of his life. They came from all over: Africa, Canada, the US. The church was filled with people who knew that Jesse had made a difference in their lives, in the lives of the children, and in the hearts of his loved ones.
Jesse volunteered with the Peace Corps to help educate children in Guinea, Africa. Guinea is a very poor and complex country where tribalism（種族主義） is strong. Each tribe that Jesse worked with wanted him to commit（致力于）to one or the other.
Jesse would not surrender（投降）to tribalism when he took an African name, and he wanted a tribal last name. Each of the two tribes in which he taught insisted that he choose their name. He would not choose but married the tribes' two names into one.
Jesse was a light to all who knew him. We will always remember the joy and love he brought to his work, to his family, his friends. The people who loved Jesse are planning to build a school in Guinea in his honor. So his work continues...
小題1:Why were there so many people remembering Jesse?

A．Because he was a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Guinea.

B．Because he was kind and helpful to people from heart.

C．Because he wanted to make friends with all people.

D．Because he loved children who needed education.

小題2:Jesse died from _____.

A．a(chǎn) tribal fight

B．a(chǎn) traffic accident

C．a(chǎn) sudden disease

D．tiredness of overwork

小題3:The way he dealt with the tribalism was ______.

A．giving in to one side	B．criticizing both sides
C．uniting both sides	D．satisfying both sides

小題4: From this passage we can learn _____.

A．Jesse was a person had great influence in Guinea

B．Jesse was a person who had religion belief

C．Jesse was a hero of many local people

D．Jesse did great contribution to local peace

小題5: The writer wrote this passage _____.

A．in memory of the teacher	B．in praise of a teacher
C．in honor of a teacher	D．in approval of a teacher

Many of the stories written by Mark Twain take place in Hannibal, Missouri. The small wooden house where he lived as a boy still stands there. Next to the house is a wooden fence. It is the kind described in Twain's book, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," published in1876.
In that story, Tom has been told to paint the fence. He does not want to do it. But he acts as if the job is great fun. He tricks other boys into believing this. His trick is so successful that they agree to pay him money to let them finish his work. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is considered one of the best books about an American boy's life in THE the1800s.
Tom Sawyer's good friend is Huckleberry, or "Huck," Finn. Mark Twain tells this boy's story in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Huck is a poor child, without a mother or home. His father drinks too much alcohol and beats him.
Huck's situation has freed him from the restrictions of society. He explores in the woods and goes fishing. He stays out all night and does not go to school. He smokes tobacco.
Huck runs away from home. He meets Jim, a black man who has escaped from slavery. They travel together on a raft made of wood down the Mississippi River. Huck describes the trip:  "It was lovely to live on the raft. Other places seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft... Sometimes we'd have that whole river to ourselves for the longest time... We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them---. “
小題1:From the second paragraph we learn Tom Sawyer is a ______ boy.

A．kind

B．smart

C．clumsy

D．honest

小題2:The reason why Huck runs away from home is that ______.

A．his family is poor	B．he wants to find a friend live with
C．there’s no warn in his home	D．he loves nature and likes to adventure

小題3: The underlined word “restrictions” can be replaced by _____.

A．limits

B．prohibition

C．forces

D．rules

小題4:Why did Huck feel comfortable living in a raft? Because _____.

A．Huck made the raft by himself	B．Huck could eat fresh food here
C．Huck could have the river there	D．Huck likes to be free

小題5:The stories of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” are probably _____.

A．completely imaginary	B．a(chǎn)ccording Mark Twain’s experiences
C．Mark Twain’s autobiography(自傳)	D．records from his last generation

    On April twenty-second, some American children stayed out of school but they were not punished. They were with their parents. As Faith Lapidus tells us, it was Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
The Ms. Foundation for Women started the program seventeen years ago, in 1993. At first it was just called Take Our Daughters to Work. Gloria Steinem and other foundation leaders pointed to studies showing that self-image suffers as girls become teenagers. They can lose trust in their abilities and intelligence, especially in areas like science, math and technology. So the Ms. Foundation planned a day for parents in New York City to show girls all the possibilities for them in the professional world. But there was so much interest, the organizers decided to make it national.
At first, girls mostly followed their mom or dad around at work to learn about their jobs. Later, employers and schools began to offer organized activities. But from the beginning there were protests(反對(duì)) from parents and others about the exception of boys. So in 2003 the day was renamed Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work.
2007 was the last year that the Ms. Foundation for Women headed the program. Now, the event is run by a twelve-person group called the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation.
The event is connected with Mattel, the company that makes Barbie dolls.
Carolyn McKecuen is president of the foundation. She says a total of about thirty-three million children and adults are involved in the program. About one-third of the adults work at large companies or nonprofit organizations. Another third are in small businesses. The rest work in education.
Carolyn McKecuen says the numbers from this year's event are not final yet. But early reports suggest that participation was up at least ten percent from last year. And she says the foundation is hoping to find support to expand the program internationally. She says there are lots of requests from other countries for information about how to set up similar programs.
小題1:It was called Take Our Daughters to Work at first because ______.

A．girls are considered to be clever than boys

B．girls are considered to be more foolish than boys

C．girls aren’t confident in some areas as they becomes older

D．girls don’t want to learn some science subjects

小題2:Why was the day renamed as Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day later?

A．Because some parents were against only girls’ having the chance.

B．Because some parents wouldn’t like to take their daughters to work.

C．Because some employers were against parents’ taking their children to work.

D．Because some schools didn’t want to give any students’ time to leave school.

小題3:How many years did the Ms. Foundation for Women head the program?

A．17

B．18

C．14

D．10

小題4:From this passage we can learn ______.

A．April twenty-second is a day for some American children to stay out of school for punishment

B．the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is a national in America

C．Mattel is the president of the foundation whose company makes Barbie dolls

D．Lots of other countries want to set up similar programs for parents and children

小題5:The last paragraph shows that ______.

A．the program becomes more and more welcome

B．the program will come an end without international support

C．the program has been copied by many other countries

D．Carolyn McKecuen wants more and more children to take part in the program

It was several years since Adolf Hitler came into power in Germany. And now his army was marching into some parts of Europe. He must be in the prime(頂峰) of his career.
One day Hitler went to an exhibition where the works of school children were on show. He seemed to have great interest in the exhibits—inventions as well as carvings, drawings. After having walked around the hall and examined everything, he said he was ready to meet the young artists. And soon a group of children came into the room to salute(向-----敬禮) him.
“Well, well. You did very good work.” nodded Hitler in satisfaction. “I promise on my honor I’d satisfy you with whatever you want. What’d you wish to be if I were your father?”
 “A sailor sailing the sea” one of the boys answered.
“Good. I’ll have you join my navy and some day you will rule the oceans.”(海洋)
“Ask for anything? What’d you wish to be if I were your father?” he asked a second boy.
“A painter as great as Rembruant.”
“Good. You are to be sent to the Fine Art School and surely you will make an even greater painter.”
When Hitler caught sight of a sad-looking boy be frowned(皺眉), then quickly forced a smile, “There my boy, in spite of my point of view towards the Jews(猶太人), I’d do you a favor and your dream will come true. What’d you wish to be if I were your father?”
The boy looked straight at the man.
“An orphan(the child who has no parents).” he murmured.（嘟噥）
小題1: Hitler promised to satisfy(滿足) the children with whatever they want because       .

A．he wanted all the children to live a happy life	B．he wanted to make a good impression on the children
C．he liked paintings very much	D．he liked all the children

小題2:Hitler frowned when he saw the sad-looking boy because       .

A．the boy was recognized to be a Jew	B．the boy didn’t come to the front to salute him
C．the boy didn’t want to ask for anything	D．the boy was sad-looking

小題3:Judging by what the boy said we can see that       .

A．the boy’s parents had died	B．the boy had no brothers or sisters
C．the boy hated Hitler very much	D．the boy wanted himself to be an orphan

小題4:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Hitler wanted to be the father of the children.	B．The boy was both clever and courageous(勇敢的).
C．Rembruant was a great painter.	D．Hitler did not like Jews.

“Mom, can I bake some bread?” We were 15, my best friend, Hanna, and I, determined to try our hands at creating some beautiful bread.
“It’s not worth the trouble,” my mother said. “It takes lots of time and makes a big mess. Our bakery bread is delicious without all that effort.”
Begging was useless. Mom’s “no” meant “No!”
But several weeks later, opportunity knocked: My parents were going out for the evening. I immediately invited Hanna to be my partner in bread-baking crime.
We studied the recipe. That was easy. “Mix oil into flour then beat in four of the eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt.”
We were not good at breaking eggs. I tried to learn from my mother.
“Gradually add eight cups of flour. When dough (面團(tuán)) holds together, squeeze it.”
We took turns working like that. “Is the dough ‘holding together’?” we asked each other.
I remembered my neighbor’s instructions: “If it’s too sticky, add some flour; if too dry, add water.”
We added water. Then more flour. Then more water. By then, the mass of our dough had grown very much.
“Place dough on floured surface and squeeze till smooth,” the recipe instructed.
We took turns burying our hands in the damp dough, pinching, squeezing, and feeling it leak between fingers.
“Clean and oil bowl, then return dough to bowl. Cover and let dough rise in warm place for 1 hour.”
This was good news --- we’d have a break. On dirtied kitchen chairs, we dreamed about our beautiful bread. “See?” we would tell my mom. “Isn’t it worth the work?”
Hanna and I couldn’t help glancing at the rising process every few minutes. But nothing was happening.
“Maybe something will happen in the hot oven,” I said.
Unfortunately, when we removed the loaves from the oven, they were like hard stones.
Mom was right; it takes time and effort. It sometimes makes a mess. But still it feels good, somehow, to be part of that long, ongoing chain of bread bakers. Since that night, both Hanna and I have learned to do it right.
小題1:To the writer, what her mother said was __________.

A．law

B．rubbish

C．a(chǎn)dvice

D．warning

小題2:Which of the following can best describe the children’s feelings while making their first bread?

A．Confident; hopeful; disappointed.	B．Curious; hopeful; disappointed.
C．Interested; excited; satisfied.	D．Worried; satisfied; proud.

小題3:Which of the following did the writer do without instructions?

A．Placed dough on floured surface.	B．Added eight cups of flour to eggs.
C．Returned dough to a cleaned bowl.	D．Placed the dough into the hot oven.

小題4:The passage mainly tells us ______________.

A．the process of making bread	B．the conflict between mother and daughter
C．the first experience of making bread	D．the way of doing housework

Most, if not all, Chinese have become richer thanks to 28 years of reform and opening up. But are we any happier?
　　Various surveys attempt to answer this question. Though experts have presented varying percentages based on different standards, their answers tend to find we are generally happier, and the number of optimists rises each year. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ 2006 Blue Book on social progress says 70 per cent of rural and urban citizens surveyed in 2005 reported a feeling of happiness and were optimistic about their futures.
　　But each survey shows a worrisome fact that 10 per cent, at the lowest, of citizens were not content with their lives or not hopeful about the future. We cannot be content with the fact that at least 130 million of our countrymen are not happy.
　　Although a sense of happiness remains a luxury（奢望）for many of our countrymen because of poverty, we agree wealth is not the only factor of happiness. For most of us, except the extremely rich and naturally born optimists, there simply are too many variables (可變物) that may kill the feeling of happiness. These include, but are not limited to, rising housing prices, tight and instable job market, back-breaking schooling expenses and medical bills.
The most common one, however, is a low sense of security (安全). Some experts pointed that in the low-and-middle income group there was too much uncertainty regarding employment, income, housing, medical situations, and education. How can you feel happy when you always have to prepare yourself for the unexpected?
It may be beyond the government’s reach, not to mention duty, to guarantee (保證) higher income for every citizen. But it does have a burden to create an environment where all citizens can feel a reasonable level of security.
小題1:From the second paragraph we learn _____________________.

A．70 % of Chinese people feel happy and optimistic about their future

B．the data and the conclusions of the surveys are the same

C．the surveys about the sense of happiness were carried out in 2006

D．the purpose of the surveys is to find out the percentage of rich people

小題2:The following factors of happiness are mentioned in the passage EXCEPT _________.

A．security

B．environment

C．wealth

D．employment

小題3:The underlined word “countrymen” in Paragraph 3 refers to ___________.

A．people from the countryside	B．people from cities
C．people from all countries	D．Chinese citizens

小題4: According to the passage, the author tends to hold the view that _________.

A．the wealthier we get, the happier we become

B．though we get wealthier, we do not feel happier

C．it is the government’s duty to raise every citizen’s income

D．the government should make sure all citizens feel a good level of security

Testing has taken the place of teaching in most public schools. Pretests, drills, tests, and retests. They know that the best way to read a textbook is to look at the questions at the end of the chapter and then read the text quickly for the answers. I believe that my daughter Erica, who gets excellent marks, has never read a chapter of any of her school textbooks all the way through. And teachers are often heard to say proudly and openly that they teach to the test.
Teaching to the test is a curious phenomenon（現(xiàn)象）. Instead of deciding what skills students ought to learn, helping students learn them, and then using some methods of assessment（評(píng)價(jià)） to discover whether students have mastered the skills, teachers are encouraged to teach the students in the opposite way. First one looks at a test. Then one chooses the skills needed not to master reading, but to do well in the test. Finally, the test skills are taught.
The ability to read or write might suggest the ability to do reasonably well on standardized tests. However, neither reading nor writing develops simply through being taught to take tests. We must be careful to avoid mistaking preparations for a test of a skill with the acquisition（習(xí)得）of that skill. Too many discussions of basic skills make this misunderstanding because people are tested rather than concerned with the nature and quality of what is taught.
Recently, many schools have faced what could be called the crisis of comprehension or, in simple words, the phenomenon of students with grammar skills still being unable to understand what they read. These students are quite good at test taking and filling in workbooks. However, they have little or no experience reading or thinking, and talking about what they read. They know the details but can’t see or understand the whole. They are taught to be so concerned with grades that they have no time to think about meaning, and reread things if necessary.
小題1: The author mentions Erica’s performance in her study in order to show_________.

A．her cleverness in test taking	B．the good way to take tests
C．the improper way of teaching	D．the best way to read textbooks

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The teachers are curious about teaching to the test.

B．Skills in general are not only useless but often mislead students.

C．Ability to read and write has nothing to do with ability to do well in tests.

D．Preparations for a test of a skill do not mean the acquisition of that skill.

小題3: In the author’s opinion, __________.

A．some good methods of assessment should take the place of tests

B．more attention should be paid to the nature and quality of what is taught

C．students should not be concerned with grades but do more reading and thinking

D．students needn’t learn grammar skills because they are useless for understanding

小題4:By “crisis of comprehension” (in Paragraph 4) the author means many students ______.

A．a(chǎn)re too much concerned with grades

B．fail to understand the real goal of education

C．lack proper practice in grammar drills

D．do well on tests but can’t understand what they read