Graduation day is a major accomplishment for anyone in high school. After      your whole life in classrooms, though, what will be next? For some people, graduation is the        time they ever want to see a        again. For others, it is the next step in their education. And the few that are not       either way yet will most likely either go on to college or go into the military. There are always a few people in every        class that don't know what to do,        if you make a good choice, you will not be one of them.
Some of those people that decide that they never want to       a classroom again will most likely       some sort of simple jobs. Others will either find a way aside from school to better themselves,       through travel or giving back to the community.
High school graduates that already have their futures        0ut are pretty rare. They are the       who have been preparing for college from the first day that they         high school. They most likely applied early to the schools that they were interested       and have already dedicated themselves to the career        they want. Most of them will become doctors, lawyers, and business people, etc.
The last group of people is the biggest. It is the students who _     know that they want to do something but have no idea what. Some of them will _      the military and proudly serve our country. Others will go on t0       , take basic courses, and then decide what they want to major in. There will be some students even         to a technical school to learn a specific     that they can contribute to the workforce.        is a stepping stone that can lead you on to better things if you will let it.

小題1:	A．costing B．spending C．taking D．paying

小題2:	A．last B．first C．only D．special

小題3:	A．classmate B．teacher C．classroom D．blackboard

小題4:	A．worried B．afraid C．glad D．sure

小題5:	A．learning B．graduating C．training D．cooking

小題6:	A．but B．and C．or D．then

小題7:	A．notice B．look C．watch D．see

小題8:	A．set up B．turn up C．take up D．look up

小題9:	A．either B．neither C．both D．all

小題10:

A．decided B．chosen C．planned D．realized

小題11:

A． parents B． students C． teachers D． friends

小題12:

A．retumed B．reached C．went D．entered

小題13:

A．in B．on C．for D．with

小題14:

A．who B．that C．what D．where

小題15:

A．even B．ever C．only D．very

小題16:

A．join B．take C．need D．attend

小題17:

A．factory B．office C．shop D．college

小題18:

A．working on B．going on C．keeping on D．tuming on

小題19:

A．ability B．talk C．skill D．job

小題20:

A．Imagination B．Education C．Learning D．Graduation

After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
　　There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
　　Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (Although your eyelids are closed). This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
　　If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion the counting sheep will put you to sleep!
小題1:A good title for this passage is ____.

A．Sleep

B．Dreams

C．Good Health

D．Work and Rest

小題2:The word drowsy in the last paragraph means ____.

A．sick

B．asleep

C．stand up

D．a little sleepy

小題3:This passage suggests that not getting enough sleep might make you _____.

A．dream more often

B．have poor health

C．nervous

D．breathe quickly

小題4:During REM, ____.

A．your eyes move quickly

B．you dream

C．you are restless

D．both A and B

小題5:The average number of hours of sleep that an adult needs is ______ .

A．approximately six hours	B．around ten hours
C．about eight hours	D．not described here

How would you like to sleep with one half your brain asleep and the other half awake? Dolphins sleep this way. Recently, scientists at Indiana State University have discovered that ducks sleep this way too. They found that ducks sleep half awake so they can rest and watch for danger at the same time.
After putting their ducks in a row and videotaping them, some researchers found ducks on the end of each row spent more time asleep with one eye open, apparently looking for predators.
“The more the ducks felt threatened, the more they slept with one eye open,” said lead author Niels C. Rattenborg, a graduate student at Indiana State University, Terre Haute. “The unique aspect is not that they do it, but that they control it. When they sleep at the edge of a group, they tend to realize greater danger, so they spend more time sleeping with one half of their brain.” Ducks with one eye open were still awake enough to detect predators, said the authors of the study, which appears today in the journal Nature.
The researchers studied four groups of four ducks held in plastic boxes, which were arranged in a row. Ducks on the end were found to sleep with one eye open 31.8 per cent of the time, compared to 12.4 percent of the time for ducks in the central position.
Also, ducks in the central position did not open one eye more than the others, while ducks on each end kept the eye facing away from the group open 86.2 per cent of the time. Brain wave readings of the ducks showed that the half of the brain receiving signals from the closed eye indicated that half of the brain was sleeping. Signals from the half of the brain receiving signals from the open eye showed a state between fully awake and asleep.
小題1:The under lined word “predator” is most likely to mean      .

A．an animal that is likely to be friends with ducks

B．a human being who looks after and feeds ducks

C．a scientist who does research work on animals

D．an animal that hunts, kills and eats other animals

小題2:Ducks at the end of each row sleep with one eye open because      .

A．they are looking for food

B．they are watching out for danger

C．they want to enjoy the scenery

D．they are unique in their sleeping habit

小題3:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Ducks with one eye open at the edge can still enjoy a certain degree of sleep.

B．Ducks with less sense of duty usually choose to stay in the center of a row.

C．Ducks on the northern end of a row would keep their eye facing the south open.

D．A video tape recorder was the only electronic device used in the experiment.

Have you ever seen any students whose trousers hang so low that you can see their underwear? What do you think of that? Fashionable? Some of today’s teenagers are big fans of such a look. But recently this trend has been at the center of an argument in Italian middle schools. The headmaster of a school in central Italy has asked students to stop wearing low-rise jeans that expose underwear and parts of the body. His request came after a class trip, when he saw one boy's baggy trousers slide to his feet. He pointed out that this way of dressing is not suitable for school. But in Italy, a nation that takes fashion very seriously, the suggestion caused a debate among parents, teachers and students. The issue is whether the headmaster's request will limit students' freedom— or whether dress in Italian schools is too casual. A parents' group praised the move in favor of good taste, while others advised schools to stop worrying about fashion and fix up old school buildings. “We do not want to kick fashion out,” the headmaster explained, “but extremes of fashion like this are not right in school.” Many other schools have now requested that their students also stop wearing such trousers. Most students have simply ignored the request. Ludovica Gaudio, 14, wore extremely low trousers exposing orange underwear in class. It was cold, so she wore a matching orange scarf. Another 14-year-old said she would probably respect the request, simply for practical reasons. “I don't really feel comfortable in those sort of jeans，” said Sarah Lattanzi, “in winter, when dressed like that, it's quite cold and I am afraid my stomach will ache.”
小題1:What led to the argument in Italian middle schools？______

A．Students' craze for fashions.	B．Clothes that are too exposing.
C．Students' ignoring dress codes.（規(guī)則）	D．Students' underwear.

小題2:Which of the following supports the headmaster's request?___

A．Fashion should be taken seriously.

B．Fashion should not be followed in school.

C．Students should have their freedom in choosing what they wear.

D．Students should be encouraged to have good taste in clothes.

小題3: The argument against the headmaster's request is that ______.

A．dress in Italian schools is too casual

B．fashion should not be followed in school

C．schools should pay attention to things more important than students' clothes

D．low-rise jeans can do harm to youngster's health

小題4:The purpose of this story is to ________

A．show Chinese students that wearing very fashionable clothes in school is under attack in other countries, too.

B．show that dress code is necessary even in a country like Italy

C．let us see that Italian students react differently to schools' requests.

D．tell us that a debate started in Italian middle schools over the way students dress in School

Half of the world’s population is affected by Asian monsoons（季風）, but monsoons are difficult to predict. American researchers have put together a 700-year record of the rainy seasons, which is expected to provide guidance for experts making weather predictions.
Every year, damp air masses，known as monsoon，produce large amounts of rainfall in India, East Asia, Northern Australia and East Africa. All this wet air is pulled in by a high pressure area over the Indian Ocean and a low pressure area to the south.
According to Edward Cook , a weather expert at Columbia University in New York., the complex nature of the climate systems across Asia makes monsoons hard to predict. In addition, climate records for the area are too recent and not detailed enough to be of much use. Therefore, he and a team of researchers spent more than fifteen years traveling across Asia, looking for trees old enough to provide long-term records. They measured the rings, or circles, inside thousands of ancient trees in more than 300 places.
Rainfall has a direct link to the growth and width of rings on some kinds of trees. The researchers developed a document they are calling a Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas. It shows the effect of monsoons over seven centuries, beginning in the 1300s.
Professor Cook says the tree-ring records show periods of wet and dry weather. “If the monsoon basically fails or is a very weak one, the trees affected by monsoons at that location might put on a very narrow ring. But if the monsoon is very strong, the trees affected by that monsoon might put on a wide ring for that year. So, the wide and narrow ring widths of the chronology that we developed in Asia provide us with a measure of monsoon variability.” With all this information, researchers say they can begin to improve computer climate models for predicting the behavior of monsoons.
“There has been widespread famine and starvation and human dying in the past in large droughts. And on the other hand, if the monsoon is particularly heavy, it can cause extensive flooding.” said Eugene Wahl, a scientist with America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “So, to get a sense of what the regional moisture patterns have been, dryness and wetness over such a long period of time in great detail, I would call it a kind of victory for climate science.”
小題1:What’s the passage mainly about？

A．The effects of Asian monsoons.

B．The necessity of weather forecast.

C．The achievements of Edward cook.

D．A breakthrough in monsoon prediction.

小題2:It is difficult for experts to predict Asian monsoons because _______.

A．it is hard to keep long-term climate records.

B．they are formed under complex climate systems.

C．they influence many nations.

D．there is heavy rainfall in Asia.

小題3:What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Long and detailed climate records can offer useful information for monsoon research.

B．The Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas has a monsoon record for about 1,300 years.

C．The trees affected by monsoon grow fast if the monsoon is weak.

D．The rainfall might be low although the monsoon is strong in monsoon-affected areas.

小題4:According to Professor Cook, the rings of the trees _______.

A．determine the regional climate.

B．have a great influence on the regional climate.

C．offer people information about the regional climate.

D．reflect all kinds of regional climate information.

小題5:Which of the following best describes the tone of this passage?

A．Matter-of –fact

B．Pessimistic

C．Humorous

D．Friendly.

This winter, the air quality over the north China plain was so bad that it was actually off the standard scale. The air pollution reached levels that the World Health Organization describes as dangerous. On Thursday, heavy smog blanketed most of northern and eastern China again. 
It is reasonable to ask why the air pollution is so bad this winter. Weather conditions and topographic(地形學的) factors have been given as reasons, but, although contributing factors, these are not to blame. The worsening air pollution is linked to an energy mix that relies heavily on coal and to motor vehicle emissions(排放). But despite the astonishing growth of motor vehicles in our cities, it is the burning of coal that is the biggest cause of air pollution. More than half of the country's power plants are located in the eastern region and China's coal consumption has more than doubled in the past decade, reaching 3.8 billion tons last year, accounting for almost half the world's total coal consumption. And with coal occupying nearly 70 percent of the country's primary energy consumption, it has become critical to reduce the use of coal if we are to solve the nation's overall air pollution problem.
In the face of the poisonous air recently, one citizen said, "we have nothing but hot air to purify the skies". In fact, the government plans to have 350 billion yuan ($55.67 billion) investment in improving coal-fired facilities and limiting the use of yellow-label cars that do not meet the Euro I emissions standard and so on.
However, it would be far more effective to reduce emissions at the source, which means that the biggest challenge currently facing government departments is saying "no" to the country's air polluting offenders. According to the Joint Prevention and Control Plan on Air Pollution in Key Regions released recently by the State Council, the amount of coal the nation consumes is set to rise by 30 percent during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan. This is not going to let anyone breathe easier. 
This highlights a key problem when it comes to environmental issues in this country - economic development comes first. The fundamental cause of the worsening air pollution is the idea of economic growth at any cost, which has resulted in ever-worsening pollution. And the priority(優(yōu)先權)given to economic growth presents another problem, namely the failure of existing environmental protection policies and regulations to control pollution. For instance, the current weak regulations covering emissions would suggest there has been a significant reduction in emissions when clearly this is not the case. Also those enterprises found breaking the regulations are still far lower than the cost of treating the pollution they produce. This means even if many large-scale enterprises with lagging production capacity(能力) fail to meet the requirements for environmental protection, the environmental protection department is incapable of shutting these enterprises down or forcing their relocation. 
Dealing with air pollution requires taking action at the local level to reduce vehicle emissions and at the regional level to reduce industrial emissions. But it also requires giving more priority to environmental issues in policymaking. Our hope is that the environmental protection department will be truly capable of saying "no" to pollution, and it will raise standards and effectively enforce them, and that governments at all levels will prioritize quality of life not just economic growth.
小題1:The writer mentions the heavy smog in parts of China in Paragraph1 in order to_____.

A．remind people to stay in doors because of the bad air quality

B．show people’s concern about the priority to economic growth

C．introduce the issue about the serious air pollution

D．highlight the importance of government’s policies and regulations

小題2:Why is it a big challenge for the government to say “no” to the air polluting offenders in China?

A．Because enterprises are encouraged to develop economy at the cost of the environment.

B．Because much emphasis has been laid on economic growth regardless of the cost.

C．Because it’s impossible to relocate the enterprises for lack of money.

D．Because the production capacity of enterprises falls behind the required speed.

小題3:It can be learned from the passage that the essential reason for the worsening air conditions in China is_______.

A．the sharp growth of coal consumption in recent years

B．the rapid increase of motor vehicles in cities

C．the building of power plants in northern China

D．the poor weather conditions caused by complex geographical factors

小題4:According to the writer, which of the following is the key to solving the air pollution problem?

A．Giving priority to economic development in policymaking.

B．Making environment-friendly policies and carrying them out effectively.

C．Increasing investment in the construction of coal-fired facilities.

D．Limiting the use of cars not meeting the required emission standard

小題5:Which best describes the writer’s tone in the passage?

A．Pessimistic.

B．Convincing.

C．Doubtful.

D．Concerned.

This site , all-birds. com, is about bird watching. Enjoy your browsing. There is much to learn and see.
Bird Watching Equipment
Some items that might make bird watching more enjoyable are binoculars （ 雙目望遠鏡） , a camera, some kind of system for keeping notes, and maybe a back pack． Birders often keep lists of the birds they see along with notes about the habits． There is some great bird log software that will let you keep records on your computer． For more details on choosing binoculars see our Binocular -Optics page．
Clothes
If you are walking through a wooded area just wear clothes you would wear on any hike or field trip． You are best off wearing clothes with dull colors that mix into the background． Greens, browns, and grays are good． Avoid fabrics that rustle（沙沙響）easily． Depending on the birds you are watching you may want to get rain gear, rubber boots and warm clothing． For birds such as owls that you might look for in the evening a strong flashlight is also handy．
Choosing a Bird Field Guide
Take a good field guide to identify birds． Look for clear color pictures that make it easy to recognize one bird from another． Next to each picture should be detailed descriptions of each bird's anatomy, habits, and what it eats． The guide should have information about what habitat each species uses． Many guides have maps showing the range of different birds along with their migration patterns．
Where and When to see Birds
Learning the habitats of birds in your area will increase the number of birds you see, and make  your birding more enjoyable． If you know that Meadow larks are likely to be in open grassy areas, and  dippers are forage along stream beds, you may be looking for them if you are in those types of  habitats． Edge areas where different types of habitats meet will likely have more species in them． You  are more likely to see specific birds at certain times of the day． For example songbirds are easier to see  two to three hours after dawn, or just before sunset． This is when songbirds are most actively feeding．  Many small birds will be silent or even hidden during the rest of the day． After sunup is the best time to see eagles and hawks． Visibility is best for hunting at this time, and they can soar on the thermal currents from the warmed air． Birds like owls are more likely to be seen in the evening． Many  shorebirds and waders rest at high tide and feed when the water rises or falls．
Photographing Birds
Patience in Bird Photography
Most birds are afraid of people, and all species have their own comfort zone． With a little  time you can learn the comfort zone of the birds you are photographing． Once they know that you  are not a threat you may be able to get closer．
Type or Style
Your reason for photographing birds may determine your style and the kind of equipment you  use． If you are just recording the kinds of birds you see you don't need to get as close, and you  can use less expensive equipment, then you need for high quality prints.
Photographing Birds in Flight
Photographing birds in flight can be fun． Many digital cameras have a tracking function． With these you focus on the bird, and then as you track it the lens will keep focus．
Use Your Yard
Choose an open area where the birds will get direct sunlight, showing off their magnificent colors．
Try using props
Birds will often land on a stick or post near a seed feeder before going to the feeder． The background was just an out of focus fence but you can use anything you want for a background, and then wait for a bird to perch.
小題1:The main purpose of the passage is to _____.

A．attract more people to photograph birds

B．help birders learn how to identify and understand birds

C．call on people to set some comfort zones for birds

D．inform birders of the results of a scientific research on birds

小題2:Clothes in ______ are highly recommended when you are going bird watching．

A．red

B．yellow

C．brown

D．blue

小題3:________ are likely to be seen at 7 in the morning．

A．Owls

B．Shorebirds

C．Songbirds

D．Larks

小題4:Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A．A stick in the yard may scares birds off when you are photographing them．

B．It will be wise for birders to hire a guide for themselves．

C．Birders have to bring some notebooks to keep records of birds' habits．

D．A flashlight will come in handy when you look for owls．

There is no doubt that Apple is well aware of the increased competition in the market and could be in a hurry to put another product out there, said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst at IDC Mobile Devices Technology and Trends. Given its history with product launches and business policy, though, Apple probably isn’t going to rush an iPhone release simply to put it on shelves, he said.
“If you’re Tim Cook (CEO of Apple), you’re thinking if you want to pay more attention to how to keep growing that bottom line and keep investors(投資人) happy, or continue with the same approach from Apple, which is do what we can do and manage products and releases in the best way they can work for us. Apple usually does things in their own time, and I’m having a hard time buying this May or June timeline.” Llamas told Mac News World.
While it’s probable that Apple is surely in a testing stage for its next smartphone, consumers likely have a standard wait for the finished product, said Colin Gibbs, analyst at GigaOm Pro.
“It typically takes a year or longer to create a state-of-the-art smartphone, so no one should be surprised Apple is in the testing stages with the next iPhone. And while it’s possible that Apple could launch the next iPhone this spring or summer, I’m not expecting to see it until a little later in the year,” he told Mac News World.
When it does launch, though, it could be in a variety of colors, said Gibbs. “Apple has already tested the waters with releasing colored products when it revamped (更新，翻新）its iPod line last fall, so it is understood that it would want the new change with its smartphone, as well”.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the new iPhone becomes available in some new colors,’’ he said. “That could be done pretty cheaply, and it would give Apple a new marketing angle.”
小題1:According to Ramon Llamas, Apple always ______.

A．tries to please its investors

B．rushes to put new products to market

C．ignores the fierce market competition

D．does things as planned

小題2:As for the next iPhone, Colin Gibbs didn’t mention ______.

A．the stage of its being tested

B．the rough time of its being released

C．the function to be improved

D．the wide variety of its color

小題3:What’s Colin Gibbs’ attitude towards the next iPhone?

A．Disapproving.

B．Indifferent (漠不關心的).

C．Doubtful.

D．Objective.

小題4:This passage is presented in the form of ______.

A．stories

B．comments

C．advertisements

D．debates

What if we could replace oil with a fuel which produced no pollution and which everybody had equal access to? The good news is that we can. In fact, we are swimming in it--- literally.
Hydrogen is one of the building blocks of the universe. Our own sun is basically a big, dense cloud of the stuff. And hydrogen can be used to create electricity for power, heat and light.
The problem is that hydrogen is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It does not exist as a material on its own, but is always part of something else. So it has to be separated before it can be used.
Most commercial hydrogen in use now is created from natural gas. As oil will start to run out in around the year 2030, it makes sense to produce as much hydrogen as possible as soon as we can. But natural gas supplies will also begin to run out soon after. Another source is needed.
Researchers are now using electricity to make water into hydrogen. Companies are working on the problem in their own areas. The first commercial hydrogen “fuel cells” for computers and mobile phones have already come on to the market. Auto companies have also invested over US $2 billion in the production of hydrogen fuelled cars.
The nations of a hydrogen fuelled planet would not fight over energy recourses. There would be a great reduction in pollution. The only by-product of creating hydrogen is pure drinking water--- something that is very scarce in many parts of the world. But that is not where the good news ends. Once the costs of producing hydrogen have been brought down, it will possibly provide power for a third of the Earth’s population that has no electricity.
And electricity creates wealth. In South Africa over the last decade there has been a large programme of electrification. Thanks to the programme, people do not have to spend their days looking firewood to burn for heat. And with electric light, they can work long into the night.
Some scientists see radical changes in the way the human race co-operates. Hydrogen creates electricity, and is also created by it. With dual use fuel cells, everyone who consumes energy could also produce it. Late at night, a man drives home in London and connects his car into the “world-wide hydrogen web,” which it supplies with electricity. A few hours later, a man in Beijing uses that electricity to power the hydrogen cell in his car. Hydrogen could be the first democratic energy source.
Like all dreams of the future, it seems very far away. But the threat of war and terrorism in the Middle East has made governments and businesses more aware of the need to end oil dependency and spend more time and money on hydrogen resource. So maybe the threat of war is not a completely bad thing for the future of the human race.
小題1:What does the underlined word “it” in the last but one paragraph refer to?

A．wealth

B．hydrogen

C．electricity

D．fuel

小題2:What is the problem with using hydrogen as energy?

A．It has by-products.

B．It has to be separated from other materials.

C．It will make energy too cheap.

D．It is too far away from us.

小題3:Why does the author give the example in the last but one paragraph ?

A．To tell us that we produce energy while using hydrogen power.

B．To tell us that hydrogen power does not produce pollution.

C．To show hydrogen power can stop war.

D．To show hydrogen power is cheap.

小題4:What is the author’s attitude about the future?

A．skeptical

B．negative

C．indifferent

D．positive

小題5:What is the passage mainly about?

A．war and energy	B．the future of hydrogen as an energy resource
C．the disadvantages of oil	D．How to end war

The UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all, sometimes it can be confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar. Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect (前景) of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nerve-wracking (令人焦慮不安的). Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join?
Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here are some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week：
● Learn rules. Make sure you know British social etiquette (禮節(jié)). Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
● Be kind. Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.
● Be sociable. The more active you are, the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves his room.
● Bring a doorstop. Keep your door open when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning and effort, Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you’ll be passing on your experience to next year’s freshers.
小題1:We can learn from the passage that ______.

A．Freshers’ Week usually comes in September in UK

B．all the students are required to join certain clubs in UK

C．many freshers are worried about how to fit university life

D．most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities

小題2:Why does the author suggest having wine glasses and snacks handy?

A．To pass the busy university life.

B．To help make friends with other freshers.

C．To show yourself a drinker as others.

D．To enjoy the time in a happy way.

小題3:The main purpose of the passage is to _______.

A．tell the newcomers how to make a new start in universities

B．introduce something about higher education system of the UK

C．inform the freshers of British social etiquette

D．advise the freshmen how to behave well in the beginning