People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer an opportunity to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child-care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A while one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are more valuable than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting cards stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
小題1: Which is not a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?

A．Parents bring up the children.

B．Parents give love and care to children.

C．Parents educate children to be good persons.

D．Parents pass away before children grow up.

小題2:. What do you know from the passage?

A．Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May.

B．Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.

C．Not all the children respect their parents.

D．Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.

小題3: Which do you think is right about “carnation”?

A．It only has two kinds of colors.

B．It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

C．It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.

D．People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May.

小題4: On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, ________.

A．people usually have family parties.	B．everyone goes to visit the cemetery.
C．children always go to parent’s home.	D．hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts.

小題5: What do you think florists do?

A．They sell flowers.

B．They make bread or pastry.

C．They offer enough room for having family parties.

D．They sell special clothes for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

When I decided to get married, my father decided to share some wisdom. “Lori, it is just as easy to love a rich man as it is to love a poor man, “ he said. My boyfriend didn’t have much money, but I loved him. “What?” I cried. “ How can you say that? I want to marry for love, NOT for money.” “ But why not marry someone you love who has money?” he asked. “Rich men are materialistic（物質(zhì)主義的）. I’d rather marry a poor man who loves me,” I said and he gave in.
And as we went on, with my family growing, I learned why my father put such importance on money. We had to cover the rent, car, electricity, food, and medical bills. We were under lot of pressure. The worries over whether we would be asked to move out or if we had the money to wash our clothes at the Laundromat this week made me question if I did the right thing by marrying a “poor” man.
I realized that I had entered the ranks of the poor. Not that I’d ever been rich. Most of my life, I considered us in the lower middle-class rank. We had a house of our own, food on the table, cars, clothes, and money for college. But now, as I listened to an apartment neighbour talk about her monthly “Mother’s Day” gift, I realized she was talking about her welfare check（政府發(fā)放的救濟(jì)金）. And another young mother tried to “help” me out by connecting me with a friend who stole baby clothes from a department store. “ For a small cut,” she said, “ I could return my ‘purchase’(購(gòu)買的東西）for cash.” It made me sick. How poor was I?
I had a college education but wasn’t using it. I insisted on not missing a minute of our children’s childhood and it came at a price. My husband was working as hard as he could and it wasn’t enough. But somehow we made it.
The kids grew. Today, we look back and see the great values gained by going through those hard years. My children are not materialistic. They never thought they were poor growing up because we always managed to give a little bit of food, money, or clothes to the “poor”. They were satisfied with the simple things in life that come free such as a beach day or a horse back ride from their dad.
We had our worries, but we still treasured our very favorite part of the day when we’d nest (棲息地）under the covers and talked about our future, the kids and how much we loved each other. Sure our financial(財(cái)政的) troubles caused a lot of fights, but we didn’t leave each other. We began to live a better life. We moved to a better community(社區(qū)）with good schools for the kids. And soon, we’ll face a new challenge with wealth. But we’ll never give up.
My father died three years ago. Before he died, he knew I made the right choice. I’m proud of my decision.
小題1:.The writer argued with her father because _________________.

A．she thought her father didn’t love her at all

B．her father thought her boyfriend was too materialistic

C．her father wanted her to marry a rich man while she didn’t

D．she thought her father loved her boyfriend’s money more than him.

小題2:.After getting married, the writer questioned if she had done the right thing to marry her husband because___________.

A．she was often scolded(責(zé)罵)by her father

B．she found her husband was irresponsible(不負(fù)責(zé)任的）

C．he didn’t think her husband loved her deeply

D．they lived a poor life with children to support

小題3:.After their children were born, the writer_______________.

A．often regretted not using her college education

B．worked very hard in order to make more money

C．had to steal baby clothes from a department store

D．looked after her children as a professional (職業(yè)的,專業(yè)的）housewife

小題4:. Why didn’t the writer’s children think they were poor growing up?

A．Because the writer always gave them whatever they wanted

B．Because the writer and her children often helped other people.

C．Because the writer didn’t let her children play with their rich neighbours

D．Because the writer let her children have a good life through receiving help from others.

小題5:.What do you think is the theme(主題）of the story?

A．Women should always make a decision by themselves

B．Listening to the old is important when people get married

C．Money doesn’t matter as much as love in marriage

D．Children don’t mind whether they have a poor family or not

Men can be beautiful too, right?
CHINA is going to host the 18^th World University Student Beauty Contest in Guangzhou this December. This year for the first time the contest will include a male section. Students from over 130 countries will compete for Mr. and Miss Beauty. The contest is one of the most respected beauty contests in the world. It was copied by the United Nations University (an international university belonging to the United Nations) in 1986.
Stick to studying
LI Yining, an economics professor at Peking University, said that he would not encourage students to try their luck in the stock market (股市). “They should stress study,” Li said, in his speech at Beijing Foreign Studies University. When asked, the professor said he expected house prices in Beijing to continue to rise. Li thinks the government should provide more affordable houses for low-level income people.
Campus cinema
Students at over 100 universities will have a digital cinema on campus after the National Day holiday. The 21^st Century Digital Film on Campus Project was launched at the end of September. The ticket will cost 3-8 yuan, rather than 30-40 yuan at cinemas in town. Students often download movies online or watch DVDs. Now they can enjoy original films in the digital cinema. The digital cinema will show a variety of films other than Hollywood blockbusters (好萊塢大片).
Getting practical
All 12,000 graduates from vocational school in Shanxi Province have landed a job, according to the provincial government. In the past five years, it is estimated that over 95 percent of the professional school graduates have found jobs. However, the number for university graduates is 70 percent. Some employers said that they prefer professional school graduates who learned something more practical in school and expected lower salaries than university students.
小題1: In the third part, the underlined word “l(fā)aunched” may mean ______.

A．started

B．ended

C．told

D．mentioned

小題2: Where can the material be chosen from?

A．A novel.

B．A newspaper.

C．An advertisement.

D．A fashion magazine.

小題3:. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．More than 130 countries will take part in the 18th World University Student Beauty Contest.

B．The ticket for digital film will cost 3-8 yuan.

C．In the past five years, over 95 percent of the university graduates have found jobs in Shanxi.

D．Over 100 universities took part in the 21st Century Digital Film on Campus Project.

小題4:. Professor Li thinks that ______.

A．the house prices in Beijing will keep going up.

B．the students should try their luck in the stock market.

C．the government can do nothing about housing problem.

D．the students should not only pay attention to study.

小題5:. What can we infer from the passage?

A． In Shanxi, the professional school graduates are less popular with employers than university graduates recently.

B．The digital cinema will only show Hollywood blockbusters.

C．The graduates from universities can put what they learned into practice more easily.

D．No men competed in the World University Students Beauty Contest before this year.

My mother is a geneticist, and from her I learned that despite our differences in size, shape and color, we humans are 99.9 percent the same. It is in our   36   to see differences: skin, hair and eye color, height, language. But also in our nature, way down in the DNA that   37  us human, we are almost the   38 .
I believe there is more that unites us than   39  us.
My mother came to the US from India. She is   40  enough that she got her service  41  in a diner in 1960s Dallas. My father is a white boy from Indiana whose   42  came from Germany in the mid-1800s.
It seems   43  to admit now, but I never   44  that my parents were different colors. One day, I watched my parents walk   45  the street of our church together. They were   46  in the service that day, and as they walked, I saw their hands   47  together in unison(一致地). I noticed for the first time how dark my mother was, and how white my father was. I knew them as my parents   48  I realized their skin color. I'm sorry to say that now when I see a mixed-race    49  walking down the street, I see the "mixed race" first and the "couple" second.
When my parents married in 1966, there were   50  places in this country that had laws  51  mixed marriage.   52 , my white grandfather,   53  father had been a typical racist, was not against their marriage.
Some of us are men, some are women. Some are young, some old. Some of us are short and others   54 . Some right-handed, some left-handed. We have lots of differences; we are all  55 . But deep down inside us, down in our DNA, we are 99.9 percent the same. And I believe we need to remember that.

小題1:	A．feature B．character C．nature D．quality

小題2:	A．gets B．lets C．has D．makes

小題3:	A．same B．different C．familiar D．similar

小題4:	A．differs B．divides C．departs D．splits

小題5:	A．yellow B．white C．dark D．brown

小題6:	A．turned out B．turned down C．turned over D．turned back

小題7:	A．a(chǎn)ncestors B．parents C．family D．origin

小題8:	A．silly B．wise C．stupid D．foolish

小題9:	A．noticed B．looked C．watched D．observed

小題10:

A．in B．up C．out D．down

小題11:

A．entering B．running C．a(chǎn)ttending D．participating

小題12:

A．rocking B．shaking C．swinging D．waving

小題13:

A．unless B．a(chǎn)fter C．before D．until

小題14:

A．marriage B．couple C．double D．twins

小題15:

A．a(chǎn)lways B．a(chǎn)lso C．a(chǎn)lmost D．still

小題16:

A．a(chǎn)llowing B．preventing C．encouraging D．banning

小題17:

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

小題18:

A．which B．whose C．that D．what

小題19:

A．long B．high C．tall D．kind

小題20:

A．similar B．familiar C．unique D．same

Sir,
Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set (eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a ‘remarkable’ price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare’s plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them.
Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice.
You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds, and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside.
I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgment, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me.
Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid.
Yours faithfully,
SIMON WALKER
小題1: Simon Walker wrote the letter to ________

A．urge for the final solution to the problem with the unwanted books.

B．complain about getting books he didn’t want.

C．a(chǎn)dvise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd..

D．show his anger to Cosmo Books Ltd..

小題2: The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for ________

A．unlimited number of Cosmo Books.

B．fifteen pounds and fifty pence.

C．a(chǎn) set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare.

D．a(chǎn) book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare.

小題3:Mr. Walker answered the advertisement because ________

A．he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price.

B．he wanted a set of Shakespeare’s works which was a good bargain

C．he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time.

D．the set he already had was not particularly attractive.

小題4: It can be inferred that _______

A．Cosmo Books have sent bills for books that they have not sent.

B．Several sets of books have been sent to Mr. Walker free of charge.

C．Mr. Walker hasn’t received the books that he ordered.

D．Mr. Walker took some action after receiving the books he did not order.

小題5:. The tone of the letter is that of _______

A．bitterness

B．respect

C．humor

D．a(chǎn)nnoyance

Federal regulators Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergency alert（警報(bào)）system using text messages delivered to cell phones.
Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years，particularly among young people.The wireless industry’s trade association, CTIA，estimates（估計(jì)）more than 48 billion text messages are sent each month.
The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act，a 2006 federal law that requires improvement to the nation's emergency alert system.The act tasked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies.
“The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings.and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public.has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during,disasters and other emergencies. ”FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan.
Participation in the alert system by carriers—telecommunications companies is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry.
The program would be optional for cell phone users. They also may not be charged for receiving alerts.
There would be three different types of messages，according to the rules.  
The first would be a national alert from the president，likely involving a terrorist attack or natural disaster.The second would involve “approaching threats，”which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings. The third would be reserved for child abduction（綁架）emergencies,or so-called Amber Alerts.
The service could be in place by 2010.
小題1: What is the purpose of the approved plan?

A．To warn people of emergencies via messages.

B．To popularize the use of cell phones.

C．To estimate the monthly number of messages.

D．To promote the wireless industry.

小題2: The improvement to the present system is in the charge of ________.

A．CTIA	B．the Warning Alert and Response Network
C．FCC	D．federal regulators

小題3: The carriers' participation in the system is determined by ________.

A．the US federal government	B．mobile phone users
C．the carriers themselves	D．the law of the United States

小題4:. Which of the following is true of cell phone users?

A．They must accept the alert service.

B．They may enjoy the alert service for free.

C．They must send the alerts to others

D．They may choose the types of messages

小題5:. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A，Cell Phone Alerts Protecting Students
B.   Cell Phone Alerts by Wireless Industry
C. Cell Phone Alefts of National Disasters
D. Cell Phone Alerts Coming Soon

There are two kinds of people in the world. Those of the first kind are born idlers (游手好閑者), taking interest in nothing. It seems what they live for is to pass time idly. They simply don’t know why they have to do so, nor will they bother to ask. The other kind are those who take things seriously and never wish to idle away their life. But only a part of the second group are eager enough to make success. All the others fail to make enough effort to make their dreams come true. 
Why do things so happen to them? What are the reasons?
I later find out that some people are determined. They are “igniters” that catch fire of their own, giving light and heat. But that’s not the case with others. They may be fuels but not igniters. As pieces of wood or coal, they need a match or a lighter to make them burn so that their energy can be released to give off light and heat.
The majority of people need some igniter to light them. Thus igniter becomes a must for those people to succeed. Unless a suitable igniter comes their way, they will always remain idle like cold unused firewood or coal.
Fortunately, such an igniter is not difficult to meet. One may find it in an instructive book, a film story, a few words of a close friend, some advice of a good teacher, a pleasant journey, or an unexpected love.
Any of these, coming at the right time, can serve as an igniter to start one’s enthusiasm for learning or for a better career, to turn him from a passive state of waiting to an active state of pursuing, to lend him strength to go ahead bravely. In that case, what he has prepared for years will be quickly turned into fruitful reality.
Such an igniter may turn up of itself, but most likely we have to find it ourselves. Never let a chance slide away, for it is the key to your success.
小題1: According to the text, “________” are the persons that can light many people so that their energy can be released to give off light and heat.

A．idlers

B．igniters

C．fuels

D．serious people

小題2: According to the writer, what do most people definitely need to succeed? 

A．Storing a lot of energy.

B．Great interest in everything.

C．An igniter coming at the right time.

D．Wonderful dreams about a bright future.

小題3: The writer writes the article to _________.

A．describe two kinds of people

B．encourage people to find chances to succeed

C．praise those who work hard

D．make fun of idlers

Rush hour traffic is a problem in many big cities around the world. Commuters(上下班者)rush to and from their jobs in cars, buses, subways, trains, and even on bicycles. Large cities in the United States have two rush hours—one in the morning and one in the evening. But in cities in other parts of the world, there are four rush hours. In Athens and Rome, for example, many workers go home for lunch and a nap. After this midday break, they rush back to their jobs and work for a few more hours.
In Tokyo, there's a big rush hour underground. Most of the people in Tokyo take the subways. The trains are very crowded. Subway employees called packers wear white gloves and help pack the commuters into the trains when the doors close. They make sure that all purses, briefcases, clothes, and hands are inside the trains.
In Seoul, many commuters prefer to take taxis to get to work.. To hail a cab，many people stand at crossroads and raise two fingers. This means they'll pay the cab driver double the usual fare. Some people even raise three fingers! They'll pay three times the normal rate。
Streets in Rome are very crowded with automobiles and mopeds(摩托自行車)during rush hours. The city can't make its streets wider, and it can't build new highways, because it doesn't want to disturb the many historic sites in the city, such as the Forum and the Coliseum. It took the city fifteen years to construct a new subway system. Construction had to stop every time workers found old artifacts and discovered places of interest to archaeologists(考古學(xué)家).
In many big cities, there are special lanes on highways for carpools. These are groups of three or more people who drive to and from work together. They share the costs of gas and parking and take turns driving into the city.
Getting to work and getting home can be difficult in many places around the world. Rush hour traffic seems to be a universal problem.
小題1:Big cities have traffic problems during rush hours because there are _______

A．special lanes on highways	B．many commuters
C．four rush hours	D．many cars on the street

小題2:Most of the commuters in Tokyo _______

A．take subway trains to work	B．a(chǎn)re packers
C．take taxis to work	D．carry briefcases to work

小題3:To “hail a cab” means to _______

A．pay double the normal fare	B．try to get a cab
C．prefer to take taxis	D．to stand at crossroads

小題4:Commuters in carpools probably_______

A．live in the city	B．take the subway to work
C．save money on gas and parking fees	D．have special license plates(牌照)

A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders．Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience(服從), while children complained(抱怨)that their parents did not understand them at all．What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time．Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric(結(jié)構(gòu))of our society．
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life．In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation(職業(yè))．In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents．
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do．Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them．Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other．
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations．In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight．The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities．
No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature(特點(diǎn))of American life for some time to come．Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes．
小題1:The main idea of the first paragraph is that _______．

A．the generation gap suddenly appeared

B．the generation gap is a feature of modern social life

C．people can reduce the generation gap

D．many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap

小題2:The word “around” in Paragraph 1 means _______．

A．on all sides	B．near
C．in every direction	D．in existence（存在）

小題3:Which cause of the generation gap is not mentioned in the passage?

A．Young people like to choose their own life styles．

B．American society is changing very fast．

C．Parents place high hopes on their children．

D．Modern education makes them think differently．

小題4:In American society, young people often _______．

A．depend on their parents to make a life

B．stay with their parents in order to get a chance for higher education

C．seek the best advice from their parents

D．have very little in common with their parents

小題5:Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Parents should be strict with their children．

B．The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom．

C．The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation．

D．The generation gap does not exist in American society．

Everyone knows that the Frenchmen are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?
At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs in the UK found that 70% felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public. Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy. As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood.” Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green – eyed monster” and the UK is its home.
Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little were given the chance to destroy the large amount of money given to others – but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.
This seems to prove that the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently reported that the UK is now the world’s fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.
“It is not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems proud or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”
Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were more friendly, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.
小題1:Most entrepreneurs surveyed believe that        .

A．the British people hate success

B．the British people are hardworking

C．love of success is Britain’s national character

D．they are considered as “green – eyed monsters”

小題2:What does the result of the Warwich University’s test show.

A．Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love money.

B．Most people would rather fail than see others succeed.

C．An imaginary amount of money does not attract people.

D．Most people are willing to enjoy success with others.

小題3:The writer of the passage seems to suggest that         .

A．jealousy is Britain’s national character

B．British entrepreneurs are not fairly treated

C．the scientists at Warwich University did a successful test

D．the entrepreneurs in the UK do not behave properly

小題4:The best title for this article can be            .

A．Be More Modest and We Will Love You More

B．Proud Entrepreneurs

C．The Frenchmen are Romantic While The British are Hostile

D．Only Pains but No Gains