Hi！Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you knew was in trouble—and was he? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP (超感覺知覺).
　　ESP stands for Extrasensory Perception. It may be called a sixth sense. It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away.
　　Here's an example. A woman was ironing clothes. Suddenly she screamed, "My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair!" Just then, a telegram came. The woman's father died of a heart attack. He died sitting in a chair.
　　There are thousands of stories like this one on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what's behind these strange mental messages. Here's another example—one of hundreds of dreams that have come true.
　　A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said, "There's room for one more." The man felt the driver seemed dead, so he ran away. The next day, when the man was getting on a crowded bus, the bus driver said, "There's room for one more."
　　Then the man saw that the driver's face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn't get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into flames. Everyone was killed!
　　Some people say stories like these are coincidences. Others, including some scientists, say that ESP is real. From studies of ESP, we may someday learn more about the human mind.
小題1:According to the passage, the author believes that the sixth sense is ________.

A．in existence

B．imaginative

C．not real

D．impossible

小題2:ESP lets people know _________.

A．a(chǎn)bout events before they happen

B．a(chǎn)bout events after they happen

C．a(chǎn)bout events that are happening some distance away

D．A and C

小題3:In the last paragraph the underlined word "coincidences" probably means _______.

A．things that may not happen

B．things that happen in a dream

C．things that must happen

D．things that happen by accident

小題4:This article is mainly about ________.

A．the human dream	B．the sixth sense
C．the human mind	D．a(chǎn) crowded bus

Honey from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people and many animals like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper - a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees' nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey and the wax always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined(堅(jiān)定的) in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.
小題1:Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?

A．It's small in size.	B．It's hidden in trees.
C．It's covered with wax.	D．It's hard to recognize.

小題2:What do the words "the follower" in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．A bee.

B．A bird.

C．A honey seeker.

D．A beekeeper.

小題3:The honey guide is special in the way              .

A．it gets its food	B．it goes to church
C．it sings in the forest	D．it reaches into bees' nests

小題4:What can be the best title for the text?

A．Wild Bees	B．Wax and Honey
C．Beekeeping in Africa	D．Honey-Lover's Helper

What will city life be like in the future? Some people think that life in the cities is going to be horrible. They say that cities will become more and more crowded. As the number of people increases, there will be less space for each person. This overcrowding will cause other problems — more crime, dirtier streets , and worse problems with traffic than we have now. How will people find enough drinking water, energy (such as gas and electricity ), and housing? Because life will be hard, people who live in cities will worry more, and they may become sick. For these reasons, some say that nobody will want to live in city areas.
How can we deal with such problems as overcrowding, crime, and traffic? In some cities, thousands of people are already sleeping in the streets because there is little suitable housing — and because houses are too expensive. The crime rate isn’t going down. Instead, it is increasing so fast that many people are afraid to go out at night. Traffic is also getting worse. More and more often, traffic jams are so bad that cars don’t move at all for several streets. These problems have been getting worse, not better, so many people see no hope for the future of the city.
Los Angeles, California, for example, has no subway system and buses are slow. Instead, many commuters (乘、開車上班族) drive many miles from their homes to work. Many of these drivers spend several hours each day on busy freeways. New York, however, has a big transit system — buses, commuter trains, and subways. Because the public transportation is crowded and dirty, many people drive private cars, and the traffic jams are worse than that in Los Angeles. A taxi driver complains, “I was driving home, but in forty-five minutes I moved only two miles! Finally, I turned off the engine and just sat there. A lot of people left their cars where they were in the middle of the street and went into a bar for a few beers!”
On the other hand, some cities have clean, fast and pleasant public transportation systems. In Paris, France, and Toronto, Canada, for example, anyone can use buses or subways to move quickly from one part of the city to another.
小題1:What do some people think is the main problem of the future city like?

A．Poor housing.	B．Overcrowding.
C．Environmental pollution.	D．Traffic jams.

小題2:The best way to work out the traffic problem in Los Angels might be _________________.

A．cutting down the number of private cars

B．providing more buses in the freeway

C．building a subway system

D．persuading people to live nearer to their workplaces

小題3:Which of the following sentences is NOT TRUE?

A．Thousands of people are already sleeping in the streets.

B．The crime rate isn’t going down.

C．The traffic jams are so bad that cars don’t move at all for several streets.

D．Many people have a positive attitude towards the future of the city.

My friend Karen and I were always together. Karen was only a few months older than I. I always thought she was so beautiful, with long hair and blue eyes. I loved Karen so much because she liked me for being the way I was. I could be myself and share my secrets with her and I never felt like I was being judged.
We had so much fun and were really quite silly. One time I asked my mom to make us the same dresses so we could pretend we were twins.
We continued as best friends throughout grade school. One day, Karen was going to another friend’s place and asked me to come along, but I couldn’t go because I had a babysitting job that afternoon. We walked together to the Becker’s home where I was to babysit and then she continued on her way without me. We had agreed that I would meet her at the corner when she returned and I finished my job.
At four o’clock I rushed to the corner so I wouldn’t be late for meeting Karen. Just as I arrived at the corner, I saw Karen crossing the street. In a second it happened. I saw Karen’s body fly up in the sky. A car had hit her！
Karen was on life support for a week before it was decided that they would allow her to go in peace. Karen’s parents wanted to donate her organs(器官)to the hospital, but there was nothing left healthy enough to be used because she was hit so hard.
I have never got so close to another person since Karen died. I do miss her! Do you cherish(珍惜)your friends? If you don’t, please do, as you may lose them one day.
小題1:What’s the best title for the passage?

A．A horrible car accident

B．An unforgettable experience

C．My dearest friend—Karen

D．An unforgettable girl

小題2:When Karen was hit by a car, she was            .

A．on her way to a friend’s place

B．on her way to the Becker’s home

C．shouting to the writer who was so far from her

D．heading to the corner where she and the writer would meet

小題3:Why were Karen’s organs unable to be donated?

A．Because her parents refused to do that.

B．Because all of her organs were seriously damaged.

C．Because the doctors thought it was too cruel.

D．Because no patients needed organs in the hospital then.

小題4:What does the writer suggest we do?

A．Cherish our friends.

B．Accept the fact that people die.

C．Be careful when crossing the street.

D．Never be too close to someone.

If you want to become a fluent English speaker you should take some advice: There are four skills in learning English. They are reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The most important thing you must remember is that if you want to improve your speaking and writing skills you should first master the skills of reading and listening.
Read as much as you can. But your reading must be active. It means that you must think about the meaning of the sentence, the meanings of the unfamiliar words, etc. There is no need for you to pay much attention to grammars or try to understand all the unfamiliar words you come across, but the fact that you see them for the first time and recognize them whenever you see them, for example in other passages or books, is enough. It would be better to prepare yourself a notebook so you can write down the important words or sentences in it.
As for listening, there are two choices: besides reading, you can listen every day for about 30 minutes. You can only pay attention to your reading and become skillful at your reading, then you can catch up on your listening. Since you have lots of inputs in your mind, you can easily guess what the speaker is going to say. This never means that you should not practice listening.
For listening you can listen to cartoons or some movies that are specially made for children. Their languages are easy. Or if you are good at listening you can listen to VOA or BBC programs every day. Again the thing to remember is being active in listening and preferably taking some notes.
If you follow these pieces of advice, your speaking and writing will improve automatically, and you can be sure that with a little effort they will become perfect.
小題1:According to the author, which should you improve first among the four skills?

A．Reading and listening.

B．Reading and writing.

C．Writing and speaking.

D．Speaking and listening.

小題2:The underlined phrase “come across” in Paragraph 2 can probably be replaced by“          ”.

A．meet by accident

B．discover

C．find on purpose

D．look for

小題3:The author seems to agree with the view that            .

A．everyone should listen to VOA or BBC programs every day

B．you needn’t practice listening if you keep on reading every day

C．being good at reading is helpful in improving your listening

D．you should take notes of whatever you are hearing

小題4:The passage is mainly about how to            .

A．choose suitable listening materials

B．deal with new words in reading

C．improve your English as quickly as possible

D．become fluent in speaking and writing English

Mothers can still offer comfort, even from a distance, a new study has found. The results show that simply hearing their mothers’ voice over the phone works just as well at calming the nerves of stressed children as a real-life pat on the shoulder.
The soothing（撫慰的）effect is most likely due to the release of the hormone（荷爾蒙）, oxytocin（催生素）, in the brain, the researchers say. This “l(fā)ove hormone” is known to quell stress and is likely to be involved in social connections, including those between a mother and a child.
Previous work has revealed that this hormone is released during physical contact with a mother. “But it’s clear from these results that a mother’s voice can have the same effect as a hug, even if she isn’t actually standing there,” said the researcher, Leslie Seltzer, a biological scientist.
Seltzer tested a group of 61 girls, aged 7 to 12, by having them make an unprepared speech and solve a series of maths problems in front of a group of strangers, sending their hearts racing and levels of cortisol—a hormone associated with stress—soaring.
Facing a challenge like that raises stress levels of a lot of people. Once stressed, a third of the girls were comforted in person by their mothers with hugs. A third of the girls watched an emotionally neutral 75-minute video. The rest were handed a telephone with their mothers on the line.
For the girls who interacted in person or over the phone with their mothers, the levels of the “l(fā)ove hormone” rose significantly, and the stress-marking hormone was washed away. This effect didn’t show up for participants who watched the video.
Seltzer is now testing the amount of oxytocin released with other communication methods—like text messaging—and hopes to see the research spread out from human subjects. “It’s not just us, of course. Lots of very social species have voices,” she said. “on the one hand, we are curious to see if this effect is unique to humans. On the other, we’re hoping researchers who study vocal communication will consider looking at oxytocin release in other animals and apply it to broader questions of social behavior and evolutionary biology.
小題1:Mothers’ voice over the phone can reduce children’s nerves according to the study, because           .

A．children can imagine their mothers’ hugs on the line

B．children enjoy their mothers’ voice and forget their worries

C．mothers are good at comforting their children, even on the phone

D．mothers’ voice can promote the release of the love hormone

小題2:The underlined word “quell” in the second paragraph probably means “         ”.

A．cause or bring	B．delay or direct
C．stop or reduce	D．develop or train

小題3: From the study, we know that                .

A．the level of cortisol determines how stressed a person is

B．the 61 girls were divided into two groups in the research

C．the recent study had the same results as the previous one

D．watching a video is the best way to reduce one’s stress

小題4:From the last paragraph, we can conclude that          .

A．text messaging has the same effect on oxytocin release as telephoning

B．the effect of a mother's voice on oxytocin in animals is still not known

C．the effect of communication on stress is unique to humans

D．the research has been applied to social behavior and evolutionary biology

It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and went with them. I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib(肋骨) might have pierced(穿透) a lung....”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy... I am so sorry....”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay.”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said, “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though.” He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.
小題1:The author was in bad mood that morning because _______.

A．his father had a terrible accident

B．he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends

C．his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema

D．his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends

小題2:Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?

A．Because he didn’t go along with his father.

B．Because he was rude to his father that morning.

C．Because he failed to come earlier after the accident.

D．Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital.

小題3: The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that _______.

A．he had a poor memory

B．he didn’t want to forgive his son

C．he just wanted to comfort his son

D．he lost his memory after the accident

小題4:What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?

A．Don’t treat your parents badly.

B．Don’t hurt others with rude words.

C．Don’t move the injured in an accident.

D．Don’t be angry with friends at small things.

Loma just had to get in touch with someone: “I had to tell my best
friend something important. I tried calling her but I couldn’t get through. So I sent her an e-mail and then I spoke to her on MSN. Without technology I would not have been able to tell her. ”
Staying connected with friends and family is important for us. That’s
why we asked our readers to tell us how cell-phones, e-mail, blogs, text messaging, and personal pages help them keep in touch. More than 1,500 responded.
Most of them told us they couldn’t live without technology: 80％of
teens said they need technology to stay in touch. Almost 30％said they’d be completely out of their friends without their cell-phones and other methods of communication.
What do they do when they’ve got news they need to share now? Most
teens say they try to reach their friends by phone. But if they don’t reach them, they use QQ, e-mails, and text messaging to get the words out.
Lots of people use one way of communication—like text messaging—to
get a friend’s attention and then use another where they can talk more. “My friends and I always tell each other everything that happens. So I send them text messages to tell them to come online so we can talk about it,” said Sabeiha.
“When planning to get together with friends”, Julian said, “the easiest
and fastest way I know is to send a text message to my contact group.”
Jocelyn said. “If I want to go to see a movie with a few friends, I usually
send text message to them. By telephone, you have to call every single friend
one by one. But text messaging allows you to send the same message to as
many as you’d like, which saves a lot of time. ”
小題1:Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．E-mails.

B．Blogs.

C．Personal pages.

D．Personal letters.

小題2:What do most young people use first when they have news to tell their friends?

A．MSN.

B．QQ.

C．Phones.

D．Text message.

小題3:The underlined part “get the words out” means“     ”.

A．send the message	B．send the e-mail
C．talk with their friends	D．meet their friends

小題4: In which part of a newspaper can you find this passage?

A．Sport.

B．Education.

C．Technology.

D．Culture.

I climbed Kilimanjaro with Lava Expeditions (探險(xiǎn)隊(duì)) during the rainy season.
I flew to Nairobi in Kenya and spent several days there. At my hotel in Nairobi I met the rest of the group with whom I would spend the next week. We all travelled on the bus together for a 6-hour journey into Tanzania and then Arusha , a quiet town.
After we arrived at our hotel in Arusha , we had dinner and a few drinks. Then we were introduced to more members including Taddeus Minja, the main guide, who was very experienced — climbing Kilimanjaro runs through the generations (代) of his family.
The next day the Lava Expeditions members checked if we had the correct and enough clothing for our expedition on Kilimanjaro. Only one person needed to bring more clothes.
After that we set off, walking in the rain through the beauty of the rainforest, all the way to the first camp. I was happy the next few days as the view was so wonderful and changed every day. I suffered a little during the trip and I felt so tired. But the members of Lava Expeditions provided me with lots of encouragement, which was one of the best memories. Finally we reached the top of Kilimanjaro in bright blue skies.
I felt excited about climbing Kilimanjaro and the feeling didn’t change during my trip. Lava Expeditions looked after me so well that I was deeply thankful for their help.
小題1:How did the author get to Nairobi?

A．By bus.

B．By train.

C．By air.

D．On foot.

小題2:What do we know about Taddeus Minja according to the passage?

A．He organized the journey.

B．He was the main guide of Lava Expeditions.

C．He was the manager of a hotel in Arusha.

D．He had little knowledge about climbing mountains.

小題3:How did Lava Expeditions help the author while climbing Kilimanjaro?

A．By carrying bags for him.

B．By offering food to him.

C．By encouraging him.

D．By teaching him climbing skills.

小題4:What did the author think of his climbing Kilimanjaro?

A．Tiring and disappointing.

B．Tiring but excited.

C．Dangerous but exciting.

D．Dangerous and tiring.

小題5:What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To tell readers about Lava Expeditions.

B．To give readers advice on climbing Kilimanjaro.

C．To encourage more people to climb Kilimanjaro.

D．To share his experience of climbing Kilimanjaro.

An earthquake is one of the most common natural disasters. It may cause great damage. So it is wise to learn some simple safety tips to protect yourself or your family members.
Fragile items, like those made of glass are easily broken and should usually be placed on a lower surface, near the ground instead of placing them on cupboards higher up. Never place them near your bed, sofas and other furniture where you would be sitting or lying down. When there is a strong movement, these pieces will fall on the floor directly and not on you.
There is a strong chance of short circuits （短路） and fire breakouts during an earthquake. Make sure you turn off electrical connections and gas immediately when an earthquake happens.
During an earthquake, lie beneath an object that is not easily damaged. Do not go near objects that could directly fall on you. Never use the elevator to go down. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries happen when people inside buildings try to go out. Use the staircases at all times.
If you are outdoors, do not take shelter under a tree, streetlights, electric poles or tall buildings. If you are driving, stop your car and stay in a safe place. Do not park your car under a tree or any tall object.
If trapped in debris (瓦礫堆), cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing. Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can find you. Use a whistle (哨子) if one is available. Never shout for help. Shouting can cause you to breathe in dangerous amounts of dust. Do not light a match because you may burn yourself. Do not move about or kick up dust.
小題1:The purpose of the passage is to tell readers _____.

A．the damage caused by earthquakes

B．the rescue work after earthquakes

C．what to do about earthquakes

D．how to prevent earthquakes

小題2: The underlined word “Fragile” in Paragraph 2 probably means _____.

A．easily broken

B．easily found

C．expensive

D．heavy

小題3:To reduce the injury from the earthquake, items made of glass should be put _____.

A．on cupboards

B．in the bedroom

C．on a lower surface

D．where children can’t reach them

小題4:During the earthquake, people are advised to _____.

A．go out the building at once

B．turn off electricity and gas immediately

C．take shelter under a tree

D．drive to a safe place quickly

小題5:What should people NOT do when they are trapped in debris?

A．Cover their mouth with a handkerchief.

B．Tap on a pipe or wall for help.

C．Use a whistle for help.

D．Light a match for help.