People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them good food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for lead a different kind of life. The expression, to lead a dog’s life, describes a person who has an unhappy existence.
Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs. They say that to be successful, a person has to work like a dog. This means they have to work very, very hard. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.
Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things.
Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways. People who are unkind or uncaring can be described meaner than a junkyard dog. Junkyard dogs live in places where people throw away things they do not want. Mean dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad. We say his bark is worse than his bite.
Husbands and wives use this doghouse term when they are angry at each other. For example, a woman might get angry at her husband for coming home late or forgetting their wedding anniversary. She might tell him that he is in the doghouse. She may not treat him nicely until he apologizes. However, the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems. He might decide to let sleeping dogs lie.
Dog expressions also are used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard. We do not want it to rain cats and dogs.
小題1:To achieve success, you must ______.

A．feel dog-tired

B．work like a dog

C．become sick as a dog

D．be meaner than a junkyard dog

小題2: To everyone’s surprise, Jack has been employed by a big company, about which we can say, “_______”.

A．Every dog has its day

B．Jack works like a dog

C．His bark is worse than his bite

D．Jack really lives in a dog-eat-dog world

小題3:What kind of people live a difficult life?

A．Those who are in the doghouse.

B．Those who have the dog days.

C．Those who lead a dog’s life.

D．Those whose bark is worse than his bite.

小題4:What does the article mainly talk about?

A．Dogs’ life in America.

B．How to treat dogs well.

C．Why Americans love dogs.

D．Expressions with the word “dog”.

It can’t be true that when in Rome do as the Romans do. So here’s some necessary information for you on what you can talk with the local people in France, Australia and Switzerland, and different customs of these countries.
In France
You’ll find that conversations often turn into heated debates. Give opinions on subjects that you are knowledgeable about. There is rarely a moment of silence, except when the topic under discussion has been exhausting, and nothing new has been introduced.
Food, art ,music and current events or history are welcome topics. The French believe in freedom. You can criticize anyone, but not Napoleon, who is a symbol of French spirit, and never use the standard U.S. opening remark “ What do you do?”
In Australia
Australians tend to be enthusiastic debaters. A wide range of topics may be open to discussion, including religion and politics. The best policy, however, is to wait for Australian companions to bring up subjects: be prepared to hear their arguments.
Sport is a common topic of conversation in Australian and Australians tend to use sporting comparison. Australian like to criticize themselves, but they can’t stand criticism from others.
Don’t talk big. Australians prefer to judge your competence and abilities through your actions. People who show off their education in conversation may be subject to tease.
In Switzerland
The Swiss may seem cold. Once you get close to them, however , you’ll find that they are honest and responsible people, who will be loyal to your interests.
They are good listeners and will remember practically everything you say to them. Sometimes they will even go so far as to take notes while you speak. The Swiss are very private people, so you should avoid asking personal questions. They can be rather serious, so it is advisable to avoid making jokes on them.
小題1:According to the passage, when talking you are advised_______.

A．to discuss the heated issue with the French

B．not to use sporting comparison with Australians

C．to have the Australians start a subject

D．not to ask people of the three countries personal questions

小題2:We can learn from the passage that___________.

A．Australians may not show off their education before others

B．Australians like to criticize other people

C．you can express your ideas for everything you know little about to the French

D．you can criticize anyone in France because you have freedom

小題3:What is the theme of the passage?

A．How to adapt to the life abroad.

B．What to argue about with foreigners.

C．How to find better topics.

D．What to talk about with foreigners.

小題4:Following the passage, the author would most probably tell us_____

A．effective communication with foreigners

B．customs of the three countries

C．his or her own experiences

D．how to be a good listener

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most loved children's books of all time, and many adults enjoy it as well. It tells the story of a young girl named Alice, who follows a rabbit entering a magical world called Wonderland: she has many experiences which seem to change the rules of reasoning or common sense. The popularity of the book comes from its imagination, interesting story, and art work.
The writer of the book is Lewis Carroll. In fact, Lewis Carroll was not the writer's real name. His real name was Charles Dodgson. One day, he took a boat ride down the Thames River to have a picnic with three little girls who were friends of the family. To keep them entertained on the ride, he told them a story in which Alice, the middle child, was the main character. They enjoyed the story very much.
Charles later wrote the story down under the name Alice's Adventures under Ground and gave it to Alice as a Christmas present. Later, he gave a copy to his friend George MacDonald. George read it to his children and they loved it. George suggested to Charles that he make a book from his story. Charles then wrote more parts to the story until it was around 35,000 words. It was first printed in 1866, with art work by John Tenniel, under the name Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The book was an immediate success. 
One of its first fans was Queen Victoria. She immediately requested a collection of all of Lewis Carroll's works. She was surprised to find that they included many works on math. In fact, Charles Dodgson was a highly respected mathematician. This can be seen in many puzzles and plays on reasoning that appear in his books and poems.
Since the story was first printed, it has kept selling up to the present day. It has been translated into over fifty languages and has had several movies based on it. The story is even mentioned in the popular 1999 film The Matrix by the character Morpheus.
小題1:The passage is mainly about _____.

A．Charles' family life

B．a(chǎn) girl's adventurous experience

C．a(chǎn) magical world called wonderland

D．the birth of a book and its lasting influences

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

A．The writer published his works under his real name.

B．The character Alice was based on from George's child.

C．John contributed partly to the popularity of the book.

D．Charles offered a copy to George as a present.

小題3:We can learn from the passage that _____.

A．Queen Victoria asked for a few of Charles' writings

B．Charles was good at reasoning and writing

C．Charles had his works translated into fifty languages

D．The Matrix was based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

小題4:Which of the following is the right order of the passage?
a. Charles gave his story to Alice as a Christmas present. 
b. Charles had a picnic with three little girls on the Thames. 
c. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was first printed in l866. 
d. More parts were added to the story by Charles. 
e. The book won a large number of fans.

A．c-b-a-d-e

B．c-a-b-e-d

C．b-a-d-c-e

D．b-a-c-e-d

Tim Burton attempts to work his gothic magic over one of the best loved stories of all time—Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There.
Alice, now 19, attends a party at a Victorian estate, only to find she is about to be proposed to by a rich suitor（求婚者）in front of hundreds of snooty（傲慢的）society types. She runs off, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland—a place she visited many years before, yet she doesn’t remember. The white rabbit claims to have come back for Alice because she is the only one who can slay（殺死)the Jabberwock, the beast who guards the Red Queen’s empire. Alice remains completely unaware of why she is in Wonderland, and is confused about the fact that she had once visited Wonderland years before.
Now, Wonderland has changed into a dark, scarier place than it used to be. Alice then embarks on an adventure of self discovery, and to save Wonderland from the Red Queen’s reign（統(tǒng)治）of terror with the help of her Wonderland friends.
小題1:The story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was written by____________.

A．Tim Burton

B．Lewis Carroll

C．Alice

D．the passage doesn’t tell us

小題2: Alice runs off because maybe___________.

A．she doesn’t like that party

B．she is too snooty

C．she doesn’t like the suitor

D．she wants to get married

小題3:In the last paragraph, the phrase “embarks on” means _________.

A．starts to do something

B．gets onto a ship

C．refuses to do something

D．finds something

小題4:This passage would most likely to be found __________.

A．on a film poster

B．in a government document

C．in a novel

D．in an entertainment magazine

When you visit America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (however, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided, but there will certainly be a cafeteria (自助餐館). Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than next. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools; and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in the big National Parks.
In these great National Parks, you may meet guests you don’t expect to see. An American friend told me a little story. In the middle of a moonless night she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief — it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paw, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!
There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”,  where they receive lodgers (房客). You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning — looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon!　
小題1:Which of the following is TRUE about motels?

A．The word “motel” is formed by two words.

B．They are free for people who arrive by car.

C．If you want to stay at a motel, you must have a car.

D．You can only find motels in the big National Parks.

小題2:Which of the following is NOT provided by motels?

A．Meals.

B．Swimming pools.

C．TV.

D．Baths.

小題3:The underlined word “crept” in the second paragraph probably means “______”.

A．ran fast

B．rushed out

C．threw away

D．moved slowly

小題4:The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.

A．a(chǎn)n interesting story

B．we may meet animals in the National Parks

C．the experience of the author’s friend

D．bears usually look for food at night

小題5:From the last paragraph, we can learn that in New York during the tourist season ______.

A．tourists can find gold there

B．it is difficult to find a room there

C．tourists can have a sweet dream there

D．there is a warning for tourists to New York

Americans like to travel on their yearly holiday.Today，more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small houses or inns （客棧） instead of hotels.They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning.
Rooms for the night in private homes with breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years.In the past five to ten years，these bed-and-breakfast places have become popular in the United States.Many of these America’s bed-and-breakfast inns have only a few rooms,others are much larger.Some inns do not provide telephones or televisions in the rooms，others do.
Staying at a bed-and-breakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel.Usually the cost is much less.Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone’s home.The owners are glad to tell about the areas and the interesting places to visit.Many vacationers say that they enjoy the chance to meet local families.
小題1:68.Americans take a holiday trip _____.

A．a(chǎn)ll the year round	B．for years
C．every year	D．every other year

小題2:69.Staying at the bed-and-breakfast inns,_______.

A．the travelers needn’t pay anything

B．the travelers don’t have to pay for the telephone or television

C．the travelers can meet and talk with the local people

D．the owners will show the travelers around the area

小題3:70. Which if TRUE according to the passage?

A．European and American vacationers like staying at bed-and-breakfast inns.

B．All Ameicans enjoy traveling

C．These bed-and-breakfast inns are all old historic buildings

D．Staying at a bed-and-breakfast inns is just like at the traveler’s home

More than half of the world’s population live in cities. Traffic and pollution are becoming big problems in big cities all over the world. In cities like Mexico City, Shanghai or Cairo the quality of air is getting worse every day. In the United States, people spend more time sitting in traffic jams.
Some of the world’s cities have already found the answer to the problem. In Bogota, the capital of Columbia, the government has taken measures to improve the quality of life for the city’s 8 million people. They created over a thousand new parks, a new public transport system, and built hundreds of cycling and walking paths. People who live in the city also joined in making their city one of the most livable (適合居住的) places in South America.
Today city planners around the world are looking for ways to provide more room for living and less room for cars. In America, public transport has increased over 2 % since the mid 1990s — not much but a start. More and more people leave their cars at home and get on buses, trains or even ride a bike to work. Some cities are far better at planning than others. In Amsterdam, for example, only 40 % of the population use their cars to get to work, 35 % ride bikes while 25% use public transport. In Paris, about half of the city’s workers drive their cars to work.
For cities in developing countries, the problems have just started. Traffic is getting worse as more and more people can afford to buy a car.
小題1:The writer listed Mexico City, Shanghai and Cairo as examples of cities of ______.

A．heavy traffic	B．a(chǎn)ir pollution
C．rapid development	D．large population

小題2:What did Bogota do to improve the quality of life for its people?

A．It shut down some factories in the city.

B．It introduced a foreign public transport system.

C．It encouraged people to plant trees in the city.

D．It built new parks and a new public transport system.

小題3:From the third paragraph, we can learn that ______.

A．35% of the population in Paris ride bikes to work

B．half of the people in Amsterdam drive their cars to work

C．a(chǎn) quarter of the people in Amsterdam use public transport

D．American public transport has increased much since the 1990s

小題4:What would be the best title of the text?

A．Ways to solve traffic jams

B．New changes in transport systems

C．People’s new choice in big cities

D．Parks instead of cars for cities

In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business .But he was not a good artist .So he invented a very simple camera (照相機(jī)).He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden .That was the first photo.
　　The next important date in the history of photography (攝影術(shù)) was in 1837.That year, Daguere, another Frenchman, took a picture of his reading room .He used a new kind of camera in a different way. In his picture you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest thing. This kind of photo was called a Daguerreotype.
　　Soon, other people began to use Daguerre's way .Travelers brought back wonderful photos from all around the world .People took picture of famous buildings, cities and mountains.
　　In about 1840, photography was developed .Then photographers could take picture of people and moving things .That was not simple .The photographers had to carry a lot of film(膠片) and other machines. But this did not stop them, for example, some in the United States worked so hard.
　　Mathew Brady was a famous American photographer. He took many picture of great people .The pictures were unusual because they were very lifelike(栩栩如生的)
　　Photography has also became one kind of art by the end of the 19th century .Some photos were nor just copies of the real world .They showed feelings, like other kinds of art.
小題1:The first photo taken by Niepce was a picture of ____________

A．his business

B．his house

C．his garden

D．his window

小題2:The Daguerreotype was____________.

A．a(chǎn) Frenchman	B．a(chǎn) kind of photo
C．a(chǎn) kind of camera	D．a(chǎn) photographer

小題3:If a photographer wanted to take pictures of moving things in the year of 1840, he had to__________.

A．watch lots of films

B．buy an expensive camera

C．stop in most cities

D．take many films and something else with him.

小題4:Mathew Brady______________.

A．was very lifelike

B．was famous for his unusual pictures

C．was quite strong

D．took many pictures of moving people

The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France, and then adopted by historians of culture, by art historians, and eventually by music historians, all of whom applied it to European culture during the 150 years spanning 1450-1600. The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries wanted to restore the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human—as opposed to spiritual-values. Fulfillment in life—as opposed to concern about an afterlife—became a desirable goal, and expressing the entire range of human emotions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer frowned on (不贊同). Artists and writers now turned to secular (非宗教的) as well as religious subject matter and sought to make their works understandable and appealing.
These changes in outlook deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period—how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed, experienced, discussed, and disseminated. They could see the architectural monuments, sculptures, plays, and poems that were being rediscovered, but they could not actually hear ancient music—although they could read the writings of classical philosophers, poets, essayists, and music theorists that were becoming available in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modern music did not have the same effect. For example, the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed disappointment with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors, painters, architects, and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature. The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a specific set of musical techniques. Furthermore, music changed so rapidly during this century and a half—though at different rates in different countries—that we cannot define a single Renaissance style.
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?

A．The musical compositions that best illustrate the developments during the European Renaissance.

B．The musical techniques that were in use during the European Renaissance.

C．The European Renaissance as a cultural development that included changes in musical style.

D．The ancient Greek and Roman musical practices used during the European Renaissance.

小題2:According to the passage, Renaissance artists and writers had all of the following intentions EXCEPT _______.

A．to use religious themes

B．to express only the pleasant parts of human experience

C．to produce art that people would find attractive

D．to create works that were easily understood

小題3:The word "disseminated" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _______.

A．played

B．documented

C．spread

D．ignored

小題4:What can be inferred about the music of ancient Greece and Rome?

A．It expressed different ideals than classical sculpture, painting and poetry.

B．It was played on instruments that are familiar to modern audiences.

C．It had the same effect on Renaissance audiences as it had when originally performed.

D．Its effect on listeners was described in a number of classical texts.

Face masks are commonly used in ceremonies and performances. They not only hide the real face of the mask wearer but they often evoke powerful emotions in the audience—danger, fear, sadness, joy. You might think, because so many things vary cross-culturally, that the ways in which emotions are displayed and recognized in the face vary too. Apparently they do not. Recent research on masks from different cultures supports the conclusion that masks, like faces, tend to represent certain emotions in the same ways. We now have some evidence that the symbolism used in masks is often universal.
The research on masks builds on work done by anthropologists, who used photographs of individuals experiencing various emotions. These photographs were shown to members of different cultural groups who were asked to identify the emotions displayed in the photographs. Emotions were identified correctly by most viewers, whatever the viewer’s native culture.
Coding schemes were developed to enable researchers to compare the detailed facial positions of individual portions of die face (eyebrows, mouth, etc.) for different emotions. What exactly do we do when we scowl? We contract the eyebrows and lower the corners of the mouth; in geometric terms, we make angles and diagonals (斜線) on our faces. When we smile, we raise the corners of the mouth; we make it curved.
Psychologist Joel Arnoff and his colleagues compared two types of wooden face masks from many different societies—masks described as threatening versus masks associated with nonthreatening functions. As suspected, the two sets of masks had significant differences in certain facial elements. The threatening masks had eyebrows and eyes facing inward and downward and a downward-facing mouth. In more abstract or geometrical terms, threatening features generally tend to be angular or diagonal and nonthreatening features tend to be curved or rounded, a face with a pointed beard is threatening; a baby's face is not. The theory is that humans express and recognize basic emotions in uniform (一致的) ways because all human faces are quite similar, skeletally and muscularly.
小題1:What does the passage mainly discuss?

A．The techniques for comparing facial expressions across cultures.

B．The photography of faces.

C．Cultural variations in mask.

D．The uniformity of facial expressions in revealing emotions.

小題2:According to the passage, masks are used in performances to _______.

A．disguise the real emotions of the performers

B．cause members of the audience to have strong emotions

C．remind the audience that an illusion is being created

D．identify the cultural background of the performers

小題3:What does the author mean by stating, "the symbolism used in masks is often universal"?

A．Masks are sometimes used to hide emotions.

B．Performers often need help conveying emotions to an audience.

C．Not all societies use masks in their rituals.

D．People from different cultures generally express certain emotions in similar ways.

小題4:The passage mentions "baby’s face" in the last paragraph as an example of a _______.

A．typical human face

B．source of inspiration in the creation of masks

C．nonthreatening face

D．face that expresses few emotions