The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay or small stones. They are not flat, either. They often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plants’ life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants.
The deserts of the world are not uninhabited(not lived by people). People also live outside oases(綠洲), but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, pat them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable, no man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water.
小題1:according to the passage, deserts are mostly made up of _______.

A．clay	B．rock
C．sand	D．stones

小題2:The underlined word “hospitable” has the meaning of being _______.

A．brave	B．cruel
C．strange	D．kind

小題3:In the desert _______.

A．it rains in spring only

B．it rains for a short time every month

C．there is some rain, but far from enough

D．the rainfall is just enough for the plants

小題4:People live _______.

A．only inside the oases	B．only outside the oases
C．both inside and outside the oases	D．in places with regular rainfalls

小題5:From the passage we know that life _______.

A．is hard in deserts	B．is happy in deserts
C．is impossible in deserts	D．in deserts in much better now

It is impossible not to make a mistake at some points in your life. We may as well accept that something will go wrong and we will be to blame. It is therefore sensible to work out some strategies for apologizing, and the best way to apologize is by letter. This way you can take care over every work you write— which you can’t do if you say sorry to someone in person.
We all say or do something that we wish we hadn’t said or done. You may say something that accidentally hurts someone, or you may provide a service which doesn’t come up to the standards that a client or customer expected.
You may feel that it was a genuine mistake which couldn’t be avoided. Rather than dwell on the mistake, you should quickly try to remedy（修補(bǔ)）the problem. An effective letter of apology is an important part of that process.
For the contents of the letter, just remember TABS—Timing, Action, Brevity, Sincerity.
The timing of a letter of apology is essential—it must be sent as soon as possible. Any delay in our sending the letter will only compound the problem. In this case “Better late than never” is not the best motto! The longer you wait before you wait before writing a letter of apology, the more it will seem that you have been coerced（被迫）into writing it.
Although it is important to recognize what has gone before, it is also essential to detail the action you plan to take to rectify whatever it was you did wrong. Research has shown that some indication that you have thought about what future action you plan to take is always well received.
A letter of apology should be brief and the word “sorry” should appear no more than twice. Indicate that you are aware using it a second time—“once again, I am so sorry for…” or “as I said earlier, I am really sorry about…”. Finally, the tone of the letter has to be sincere. In fact, the combination of all the above factors will help in this respect.
And don’t think that letters are out of date in the email—oriented 21st century. An apology email can be worse than no apology at all!
小題1:What kind of advice does the text suggest about apologizing?

A．It’s a good idea to write a letter of apology as soon as something has gone wrong.

B．It’s a good idea to send several emails to apologize.

C．Write a long letter apologizing several times to make your point.

D．Wait to see how they react to your letter before planning to do anything.

小題2:What kind of things do you NOT apologize for?

A．A service that is not as good as it should be.

B．Genuine mistakes.

C．Car accidents.

D．Causing offence or hurt.

小題3:The underlined expression “Rather than dwell on the mistake” in the third paragraph means you _____.

A．should not waste time worrying about what happened.

B．should consider the problem

C．should forget about what happened.

D．should analyse who was at fault.

小題4:How can timing compound problems?

A．If you write immediately, they will be suspicious.

B．If you leave it for a few days, they will know it is your idea to write.

C．Waiting for a few days before you write will show your sincerity.

D．Waiting too long will make it worse because they won’t believe you mean it.

Manners nowadays in metropolitan cities like London are practically non-existence, it’s nothing for a big, strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus, much less stand up and offer his seat to her.
This question of giving up seats in public transport is much argued by young men, who say that, since women have claimed equality, they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy 禮貌、謙讓) and that those who go out to work should take their turn in the rat race like anyone else. Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men. Even if it is not agreed, however, that young men should stand up for younger women, the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old, the sick and the burdened. Are we really so lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferently reading the paper or a book, saying to ourselves “First come, first severed”, while a grey-haired woman, a mother with a young child stands? Yet this is all too often seen.?
Older people, tired and quick-tempered from a day's work, are not angels, either-far from it. Many a brisk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses and tubes. One cannot commend this, of course, but on does feel there is just a little more excuse.?
If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all, however, it seems imperative（迫切的）, not only that communications in transport should be improved, but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. All over cities, it seems that people are too tired and too rushed to be polite. Shop assistant's won't bother to assist, taxi drivers growl at each other as they dash dangerously round corners, bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus, and so on and so on. It seems to us that it is up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such deterioration（惡化）.?
小題1:What is the writer's opinion concerning courteous manners towards women??

A．Since women have claimed equality, they no longer need to be treated differently from men.?

B．It is generally considered old-fashioned for young men to give up their seats to young women.?

C．"Lady First" should be universally practiced.?

D．Special consideration ought to be shown to them.?

小題2:According to the passage communication between human beings would not be smoother unless ________.

A．people were more considerate towards each other?

B．people were not so tired and quick-tempered?

C．women were treated with more courtesy?

D．public transport could be improved.?

小題3:The author probably does NOT agree that in big cities _______.

A．Life will be even worse if no change is made

B．transport conditions are rather poor

C．it’s not uncommon to see people quarrel in public places

D．it’s unreasonable to require the tired people to be polite

小題4:The main purpose of the author is to ________.

A．call on people in big cities to pay more attention to politeness

B．blame the schoolboys’ rude behavior towards elderly women on the tube or bus

C．criticize the fast pace of city life

D．tell young men to give their seats to elderly people

小題5:How could you describe the tone of this passage?           

A．a(chǎn)cceptable	B．opponent
C．negative	D．encouraging

If you travel around the world , you will be surprised to find just how different the foreign customs can be from your own .
A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table . The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself . Also in India , you might see a man apparently shaking his head at another and assume that he is disagreeing . But in many parts of India a shake of the head is a gesture that shows agreement of acceptance .
Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty . In that country you shake your head to indicate “yes” —a nod indicates “no”. The Arabs are known for their hospitality . At a meal in countries on the Arabic Peninsula , you will find that any drinking vessel （容器，器皿）is repeatedly refilled as soon as you drink it up .
In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when sitting talking to someone , even at an important meeting . Doing this when meeting an important person in Thailand , however , could cause offence . It is too informal an attitude for such an occasion . Also when in Thailand you are not supposed to touch the head of an adult —it’s just not done . In Japan , it is quite usual for men to plan evening entertainments for themselves and leave their wives at home . In Europe such attitudes are disappearing .
Customs vary from country to country . Visitors may be at a loss as to what to do in a foreign environment . In such circumstances , the golden rule to follow is : When in Rome , do as the Romans do .
60．In which country , a left — hand is not welcomed ?         .
A．Thailand B．India       C Arabic peninsula D．Bulgaria
61．In which country , if someone shakes his head at another , it shows that he agrees or accepts ?
.
A．Bulgaria B．Thailand C．China      D．Arabic Peninsula
62．Which of the following is impolite in Europe ?         .
A．to cross your legs
B．to touch the head of an adult
C．That men plan evening entertainment and leave their wives at home
D．To drain the glass in your hand
63．If you don’t know the customs in the country where you visit , the golden rule to follow is          .
A．to do as the Romans do B．to do nothing
C．to visit Rome only D．to do as the natives do

To Design Perfect School Uniforms設(shè)計完美的校服
題材：文化教育難度：＊＊＊＊詞數(shù)：381標(biāo)準(zhǔn)時間：15分鐘完成時間：______ 正確數(shù)：______
Believe it or not, there are good reasons for wearing a school uniform. It makes you   1__  proud of your school. It builds a common spirit of unity (整體) among students and   2   them of the values and history of their school. But for most students, school uniforms are not something to be proud of   3 .
“Why   4  the school uniform just one day a week? Always wearing the same clothes makes me feel boring,” a senior student from a high school complained (抱怨). “I don’t like the big English letters of the name of our school on the back,” said a junior student “They could be   __5 .” The main student complaints about school uniforms are: simple colors, boring designs and bad   6 . And a teacher at a middle school in Guangzhou said that   7  a teacher and a mother, she eagerly   8  the quality of school uniforms will be improved soon.
What has caused all these problems? Chen Hong, a uniform designer in Shenzhen, pointed out that problems   9  because the whole society doesn’t see the   10  of the school uniform.
“Most designers are  11  to stick to the same old fashion,  12 _ there are no professionals (專業(yè)人員)   13  work for students,” Chen said.
His company   14  most of the awards in the first national competition for school uniforms last month in Nanning, Guangxi.
“Besides, high quality calls for a high price,” said Chen. “But in some schools, the annual (一年一度) expense for each student’s uniform is only 50 to 60 yuan. How can we produce high quality clothes with so   15  money?”
Even with these problems, efforts have been made   16  the situation, according to Zhai Shiliang,   17  of the School Uniform Administration and Service Center in Beijing. A school clothes competition was held in April in Beijing. Thirty-seven uniforms,   18  in schools next spring, were selected from 570. “We will offer the samples (樣品) for schools to choose,” Zhai said.
“The perfect uniform should remind the students of the school’s honor and cause them to be proud of it   19  they are,” Chen said. Zhai added, “During the 2008 Olympic Games, the whole world will see the new appearance of our   20  century young generation with new school uniforms.”

小題1:	A．take B．feel C．to take D．to feel

小題2:	A．remains B．remember C．reminds D．recalls

小題3:	A．a(chǎn)t all B．in all C．for all D．a(chǎn)fter all

小題4:	A．not to wear B．to wear C．not wear D．wear

小題5:	A．large B．larger C．small D．smaller

小題6:	A．quantity B．a(chǎn)mount C．quality D．unit

小題7:	A．a(chǎn)s B．like C．for D．with

小題8:	A．wishes B．needs C．wants D．hopes

小題9:	A．come through B．come up C．come in D．come on

小題10:

A．importance B．important C．design D．possibility

小題11:

A．like B．possibly C．unlikely D．likely

小題12:

A．if B．a(chǎn)lthough C．because D．because of

小題13:

A．what B．which C．that D．×

小題14:

A．won B．has won C．wins D．had won

小題15:

A．few B．little C．much D．many

小題16:

A．improve B．develop C．change D．to change

小題17:

A．a(chǎn) head B．the head C．Head D．head

小題18:

A．being seen B．to be seen C．to see D．will be seen

小題19:

A．whenever and wherever B．when and where C．what and who D．whatever and whoever

小題20:

A．19th B．20th C．21st D．22nd

I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what it’s like to work in a field dominated by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the universe, the shape of space-lime and the nature of black holes.
At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it didn’t bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement-jobs, research papers, awards-was viewed through the lens of gender(性別) politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain versus right brain, or nature versus nurture(培育), I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.
Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Still, I don’t tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about.
1. Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?
A. She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields.
B. She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination
C. She is not good at telling stories of the kind
D. She finds space research more important
2. Form Para 3, we can infer that people would attribute (歸結(jié)于) the author’s failures to___
A. the very fact that she is a woman
B. her involvement in gender politics
C. her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist
D. the burden she bears in a male-dominated society
3. How does the author feel when talking about her class?
A. worried  B. satisfied   C. excited  D. concerned
4. What does the image the author presents to her students suggest?
A. Women students needn’t have the concerns of the generation
B. women have more barriers on their way to academic success
C. Women can balance a career in science and having a family
D. Women now have fewer problems in pursuing a science career

Some kids start to drink alcohol (酒精) at a young age. They think it is part of becoming an adult. They also think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it. They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs (毒品). It is easy for kids to get liquor （酒精飲料）by using fake identification (偽造證件).
Parents may start to notice a change in their child’s behavior if the child starts drinking. Kids who drink sometimes stop doing things they normally liked to do. They may keep telephone calls and meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things. They act moody (喜怒無常) and do not have the same eating and sleeping habits.
Parents need to stay involved (牽涉) in their kids’ lives. They should talk to their children about their problems to be aware of any changes.
Parents can be the best protection. Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves. It helps them resist（抵抗） doing bad things even when other kids are doing them. Parents can also help set a good example by not drinking and driving. They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows.
Give the children good ideas on how to say “no” to drinking, even when they are at a party. Try not to overreact or panic (驚慌) if the child tries alcohol. How you handle it can affect their attitude. It may be helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews (宵禁令) and rules about parties or other events.
小題1:Which of the following is NOT the reason why some kids have an early start of drinking?

A．They want to show their maturity (成熟) by drinking alcohol.

B．Drinking alcohol is much cooler than taking drugs.

C．They are affected by many other people around them.

D．They can get liquor easily.

小題2:According to the passage, what changes may happen to the kids who start drinking?

A．Nothing serious will happen to them.

B．They keep the same eating and sleeping habits.

C．They can control their moods quite well.

D．Sometimes they act secretly.

小題3:According to the writer, if parents find their children try alcohol, they had better ________.

A．punish them at once

B．a(chǎn)sk the police for help

C．a(chǎn)sk their children’s friends for help

D．set up curfews and rules about parties or other events with other parents

小題4:Which is the main subject discussed in the passage?
Teen health.                         B. Teen education.
Teen drinking                       D. Parents’ worries.

We may look at the world around us, but somehow we manage not to see it until whatever we've become used to suddenly disappears.  36 , for example, the neatly-dressed woman I 37 to see -- or look at -- on my way to work each morning.
For three years, no matter  38 the weather was like, she was always waiting at the bus stop around 8:00 am. On  39  days, she wore heavy clothes and a pair of woolen gloves. Summertime  40  out neat, belted cotton dresses and a hat pulled low over her sunglasses. 41  , she was an ordinary working woman. Of course, I  42  all this only after she was seen no more. It was then that I realized how  43 I expected to see her each morning. You might say I   44  her.
“Did she have an accident? Something  45 ?” I thought to myself about her  46 .  Now that she was gone, I felt I had  47 her. I began to realize that part of our  48   life probably includes such chance meetings with familiar 49 : the milkman you see at dawn, the woman who 50  walks her dog along the street every morning, the twin brothers you see at the library. Such people are   51  markers in our lives. They add weight to our  52  of place and belonging.
Think about it.   53  , while walking to work, we mark where we are by  54 a certain building, why should we not mark where we are when we pass a familiar, though  55 , person?
36. A. Make               B. Take           C. Give               D. Have
37. A. happened          B. wanted         C. used                  D. tried
38. A. what                B. how                 C. which                 D. when
39. A. sunny               B. rainy           C. cloudy            D. snowy
40. A. took               B. brought         C. carried            D. turned
41. A. Clearly              B. Particularly      C. Luckily              D. Especially
42. A. believed             B. expressed        C. remembered         D. wondered
43. A. long               B. often            C. soon               D. much
44. A. respected            B. missed             C. praised            D. admired
45. A. better               B. worse               C. more              D. less
46. A. disappearance        B. appearance           C. misfortune         D. fortune
47. A. forgotten            B. lost                 C. known             D. hurt
48. A. happy               B. enjoyable            C. frequent           D. daily
49. A. friends             B. strangers            C. tourists            D. guests
50. A. regularly            B. actually             C. hardly             D. probably
51. A. common             B. pleasant           C. important          D. faithful
52. A. choice              B. knowledge           C. decision            D. sense
53. A. Because             B. If                C. Although           D. However
54. A. keeping             B. changing         C. passing             D. mentioning
55. A. unnamed             B.unforgettable         C. unbelievable        D. unreal

In the USA Forbes magazine has published its annual list of the richest people in the world. Bill Gates of Microsoft is the richest man again for the eleventh successive year with a fortune of forty?four billion dollars.
　　There are a record 691 dollar billionaires according to Forbes magazine. Between them they have a fortune of two point two trillion dollars. The highest concentration of the ultra?rich is in New York followed by Moscow and San Fransisco and then London and Los Angeles. But in total the very wealthy live in forty?seven different countries with Iceland Kazakstan? Ukraine and Poland entering the list for the first time this year.
　　Laksmi Mittal,an Indian born steel tycoon （巨頭）enjoyed the biggest increase in personal fortune. His net worth has quadrupled （變成四倍）to thirteen billion dollars making him the world’s third richest man. Ingvar Kamprad founder of the Swedish furniture chain Ikea also saw a big increase in wealth taking him to the sixth place. Developing countries make more of a showing than in past years — there are for example three Russians and four Indians in the top sixty richest people, though surprisingly perhaps none from China excluding Hong Kong. Asian wealth is probably under?represented as its usually spread among families whereas Forbes looks at individuals. Relatively few women feature in the list — among them is JK Rowling,author of the Harry Potter novels ranked 620th with a fortune of 519 million dollars. New entrants to the list include the founders of the Internet search group Google Sergie Brin and Larry Page each worth more than seven billion dollars after their company’s recent stock market debut. The richest Italian is the prime minister Silvio Berlusconi ranked number 25 in the global wealth league.
小題1: Which of the following persons has the largest fortune according to this year’s  Forbes magazine?

A．Laksmi Mittal.	B．Ingvar Kamprad.
C．JK Rowling.	D．Silvio Berlusconi.

小題2:There are about _____ persons with a fortune between 100 million dollars and 519 million dollars in the world.

A．300

B．180

C．70

D．150

小題3:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．No Chinese has entered the top sixty richest people in the world.

B．Russia is a developing country.

C．This is the first time that Sergie Brin and Larry Page has been included in the list.

D．There are more billionaires（億萬富翁） in New York than any other city in the world.

小題4:We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．There are more billionaires in London than in Moscow.

B．Ukraine is a very rich country in the world.

C．JK Rowling’s novels have sold very well.

D．The IT industry is a profit?making industry.

Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning,a middle,and an endwith commercials （商業(yè)廣告） thrown in every three or four minutes. The commercials are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard glides by outside the bus window. "Buy Super Clean Toothpaste.""Drink Good Wet Root Beer.""Fill up with Pacific Gas."Only if you sleep,which is equal to turning the television set off,are you spared the unending cry of "You Need It! Buy It Now!"
The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting,even if you’ve traveled that way before. Usually some things have changednew houses,new buildings,sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it’s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly reckless （魯莽的） or daring,the ride can be as thrilling （驚心動魄的） as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right?or the left?hand lane? After a while,of course,the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you’ve got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.
The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there’s a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat of course,has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you’ve sat with your legs crossed,with your hands in your lap,with your hands on the armrestseven with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at no more ways to sit.
小題1:According to the passage,what do the passengers usually see when they are on a long bus trip?

A．Buses on the road.	B．Films on television.
C．Advertisements on the billboards.	D．Gas stations.

小題2:What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To give the writer’s opinion about long bus trips.

B．To persuade you to take a long bus trip.

C．To explain how bus trips and television shows differ.

D．To describe the billboards along the road.

小題3:The writer of this passage would probably favor .

A．bus drivers who aren’t reckless	B．driving alone
C．a(chǎn) television set on the bus	D．no billboards along the road

小題4:The writer feels long bus rides are like TV shows because .

A．the commercials both on TV shows and on billboards along the road are fun

B．they both have a beginning,a middle,and an end,with commercials in between

C．the drivers are always reckless on TV shows just as they are on buses

D．both traveling and watching TV are not exciting.

小題5:The writer thinks that the end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning because both are .

A．exciting

B．comfortable

C．tiring

D．boring