The garden city was largely the invention of Ebenezer Howard(1850~1928). After immigrating from England to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those days, it was nicknamed “the Garden City”，almost certainly the source of Howard’s name for his later building plan of towns. Returning to London, Howard developed his design in the 1880s and 1890s, drawing on ideas that were popular at the time, but creating a unique combination of designs.
The nineteenth-century poor city was in many ways a terrible place, dirty and crowded; but it offered economic and social opportunities. At the same time, the British countryside was in fact equally unattractive: though it promised fresh air and nature, it suffered from agricultural depression(蕭條) and it offered neither enough work and wages, nor much social life. Howard’s idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the garden city. Howard’s idea was that a group of people should set up a company, borrowing money to establish a garden city in the depressed countryside, far enough from existing cities to make sure that the land was bought at the bottom price.
Garden cities would provide a central public open space, radial avenues and connecting industries. They would be surrounded by a much larger area of green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely farms but also some industrial institutions. As more and more people moved in, the garden city would reach its planned limit---Howard suggested 32,000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away. Thus, over time, they would develop a vast planned house collection, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city would offer a wide range of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid transportation system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a big city.
小題1:What could be the best title for the passage?

A．City and Countryside

B．A New City in Chicago

C．The Invention of the Garden City

D．A Famous Garden City in England

小題2:How did Howard get the name for his building plan of garden cities?

A．Through his observation of the country life.

B．By using the nickname of the reconstructed Chicago.

C．By taking other people’s advice.

D．Through the combination of different ideas.

小題3:According to Howard, garden cities should be built _______.

A．a(chǎn)s far as possible from existing cities

B．near cities where employment opportunities already existed

C．in the countryside where agriculture was developed

D．in the countryside where the land was cheap

小題4:The underlined phrase“drawing on ”in Paragraph 1 probably means______.

A．making use of

B．making comments on

C．giving an explanation of

D．giving a description of

小題5:What can we learn about garden cities from the last paragraph?

A．People would live and work in the same place.

B．Each one would continue to become larger.

C．Their number would continue to rise.

D．Each one would contain a certain type of business.

More than half of parents in the United States are helping , or have helped their adult children who have been hit by high unemployment and stagnant（無變化的）wages, according to a new survey. It showed that present economic conditions are discouraging young adults from leaving home and forcing those who have already gone, so - called boomerang children, to return.
“Parents are continuing their financial involvement longer than we expected,” said Ted Beck, the president and CEO of National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE).
About 60 percent of parents questioned in the survey said they are helping their adult children who are no longer in school financially, providing housing and living expenses.
For an increasing number of adult children, the situation is bad. Two - thirds of adult children, aged 18 to 39, who are not in school said they faced tougher financial pressures than previous generations, according to the survey. And nearly one - third of parents agreed that it was easier for them to earn money than for their children.
Parents are helping their children out of genuine concern, and because they do not want to see them struggle. But Beck said that parents who make sacrifices to help their adult children should be cautious about their own finances.
“If you are taking on extra debt or delaying retirement to help your adult child, you could be making a mistake and putting your own financial future in danger.” Beck warned.
Boomerang children can also cause other problems for their parents. Thirty percent of parents said they had given up privacy since their adult children moved back home, while more than a quarter have taken on added debt, and ten percent have delayed retirement. But the survey also showed that 42 percent of adult children living at home are helping with the cooking and cleaning.
小題1:The underlined words “boomerang children” in the first paragraph likely means ________.

A．a(chǎn)dult children visiting parents often

B．married adult children

C．a(chǎn)dult children depending on parents for financial support

D．a(chǎn)dult children independent and successful in life

小題2:What is Ted Beck’s suggestion to the parents?

A．Asking their children to help with the housework.

B．Leaving their children to struggle to live.

C．Being careful when helping their children financially.

D．Putting off their time of retirement.

小題3:According to the survey, we can know that ________.

A．a(chǎn)bout 50% of parents give money to their adult children to cover the daily cost

B．two - thirds of adult children are faced with financial problems in school

C．one - third of adult children earn money more easily than their parents

D．one in ten parents has delayed retirement

小題4:What is the main idea of the whole text?

A．Adult children are less independent.

B．Parents help support adult children.

C．Bad conditions affect children a lot.

D．Adult children like living with parents.

There are plenty of beauty schools throughout the country that can help you to start a career in cosmetology(美容業(yè)). Nowadays, young people may not be able to afford a four-year college. Students can look forward to attending a beauty school program which will only take a few months to complete and start their career right away to earn money.
There can be many benefits of going to beauty school. The expense is much less than attending a four-year university. Besides, attending beauty school is mostly a hands-on(動手的) experience which appeals to many people. Some students don’t like sitting all day listening to lectures and then having to study at night. What’s more, most beauty school programs keep up with the changing trends and fashion. So you will always be working on different hair types which can be fun and will give you a lot of experience throughout the years of your career.
If you are worried about finding a job after graduation, many beauty schools will offer assistance for immediate job placement and give you peace of mind that you will not be stranded looking for a job. Most colleges and universities are not equipped to do that because of the large number of graduates each year.
Cosmetologists will also make a good salary. The average salary will depend on your location, but you may earn a salary around $3,000 — $3,500 a month. This is not including tips which could be $600 or more a month.
Not only can young people go to cosmetology school, but people of all ages can start this career. As you can see, there are many benefits of beauty schools that can be the perfect opportunity for anyone to become a great cosmetologist.
小題1:How many advantages of going to beauty school are mentioned in Paragraph 2?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

小題2:The underlined word “stranded” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by ______.

A．focused on

B．given up

C．stuck in

D．turned to

小題3:What can be learnt from the passage?

A．A cosmetologist gets paid at least $3,600 a month.

B．Beauty schools are not popular with young people.

C．Graduates can easily be offered jobs by universities.

D．It isn’t suitable for the old to start a career in cosmetology.

小題4:Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．The development of cosmetology

B．How to become a cosmetologist

C．The benefits of beauty schools

D．Going to college or beauty school

Do you have any skiing equipment you no longer need? A ski school in the far north of India could put it to good use.
In March we published a photo story about the extraordinary Zsnskar region in northern India，which is cut off from the outside world for more than seven months of the year，and only accessible (可通行的)via a frozen river．We also included information about the limited use of skiing in the region and the recent creation of the Zanskar Ski School:
“Despite the difficulties of travelling through the region when the snow comes，skiing hasn’t traditionally been used as a means of transport by the locals，largely because trees don't grow here, so there is little in the way of raw materials from which to make skis．In 1995, a group of British scientists in the region noticed the lack of skis and one of them returned to set up the Zanskar Ski School in Padam．The school provides lessons for a small fee and rents skis to the local people. Among the benefits that the school hopes to bring are improved education—children often find it difficult to get to school through the deep snow—and the possibility of offering ski tours to tourists in the future．So far，more than 300 local people have received training，and local doctors and policemen regularly borrow skis.”
But what we weren't able to include in the article is that the ski school is always on the look out for old skiing equipment—particularly of a size suitable for children—and, I thought. Now the European ski season is drawing to a close，there might be a few of you out there who have some old equipment you'd like to see go to a good home．If that's the ease you can get in touch with the school via their website www.zanskarski school.org.
小題1:What's the purpose in writing the text?

A．To raise money to develop this area

B．To attract more tourists to the area

C．To appeal to more locals to attend the school

D．To ask people to give away their skis to the school

小題2:The local people don't use skiing to go about because             .

A．it is against the local custom

B．they don't have the wood to make skis

C．trees are in the way of the skiing route

D．it is dangerous to go skiing in this region

小題3: Who would be the most helpful to the school now?

A．People having old skiing equipment．

B．Students in the Zanskar Ski School

C．Locals in Zanskar region

D．Tavellers enjoying skiing

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

A．An extraordinary region in India

B．A home for old skis

C．A good means of transport

D．A popular sport—skiing

Disneyland may look like a straightforward theme park. But there’s a secret world hidden behind the balloons, castles and cotton candy — a place where wild cats wander at midnight, Mickey Mouse hides in the wallpaper, and movie stars drink martinis behind closed doors.
Cat security — It’s not easy keeping the ground of Disneyland spotless, as well as free of unwanted pests. Every night after closing time, 200 wild cats were freed into the park to help keep the rodent（嚙齒）population under control. Though Disney doesn’t comment on the matter, rumor（傳聞）has it that the cat taskforce dates back to 1957. After unsuccessful attempts to chase them out of the park, Disney decided to put the cats to work instead.
Hidden Mickeys—At Disneyland the round-eared Mickey Mouse image is everywhere. But you can also see hundreds of “Hidden Mickeys” across the park, which are very difficult to spot: they’re camouflage （偽裝）in the architecture and landscaping as well as in the smallest stylistic details.
Cocktail（雞尾酒）behind closed doors—Disney is dry unless you can manage to get your name on the list at Club 33. The secret cocktail club has a limited membership of just 487 and a waiting list of approximately 14 years. Walt Disney designed the club as a special space to entertain possible investors; since then, it has hosted US presidents, film stars and foreign guests.
Always on stage—At Disneyland, a doorman isn’t a doorman, he is a “cast member”. So are the large numbers of cashiers, painters, ride operators, gardeners and performers. All “cast members” are trained to follow a specific rule that helps preserve the Disney magic. On the list of dos and don’ts? Never break character. If wearing a costume that belongs in Fantasyland, don’t set foot in Tomorrowland—it might Confuse visitors or break the park’s orderly image. Cast members have a Disney “l(fā)ook book” that details the fresh-faced ideal—no long fingernails, beards, or unnaturally colored hair allowed. It’s a return to Walt Disney’s All-American standards: when the park opened even guests with facial hair weren’t allowed entrance.
小題1:The reason why there are many wild cats in Disneyland is that ________.

A．they’re in charge of the cleaning of the park

B．they’re allowed to act as cleaners and guards

C．they have to keep watch in the daytime

D．they have a comfortable house to live in

小題2:From the passage we can know that in Disneyland “Hidden Mickeys” are _________.

A．small

B．obvious

C．everywhere

D．dishonest

小題3:What do the underlined Words “Disney is dry” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．It’s easy to join the Club 33.	B．The ground keeps dry.
C．It doesn’t often rain.	D．Drinking alcohol is forbidden.

小題4: From the last paragraph, we can know the workers in Disneyland _______.

A．must know the dos and don’t

B．needn’t have their facial hair shaved

C．can wear unnaturally colored hair

D．mustn’t get in Tomorrowland

The United Nations is warning that the world is not prepared to deal with the fast growth of cities. The World Economic and Social Survey 2013 calls for new ways to meet the needs of city populations. More than 6.5 billion people are expected to be living in cities by 2050.
Most new city dwellers will be in developing countries. The United Nations says the effect on limited resources in many countries will be huge. The World Economic and Social Survey points to the increasing demand for energy, water, sanitation, public services, education and health care.
The world population is expected to rise to more than nine billion by 2050, two-thirds of all people are expected to live in cities. The United Nations says about 80 percent of this growing urban population will be found in Africa and Asia.
The report says sustainable development of urban areas requires coordination and investments to deal with important issues, these include land-use, food security, job creation and transportation.
Willem Van Der Geest is with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, he says cities need to work closely with rural communities, so that food supplies can be secured, and the environment can be protected.
"We need enough integration(整合，融合) with cities... An integration between the rural and urban economies is absolutely vital for issues of nutrition, food security, and environmental sustainability."
The report says development in a sustainable（可持續(xù)發(fā)展）way is important to end poverty. The report also examines the problem of food insecurity, which affects hundreds of millions of people around the world. One in eight people still severely lack nutrition.
UN officials say some things are clear. The Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, Shamshad Akhtar, says world food production will have to increase by 70%, that increase will be needed to feed the additional 2.3 billion people expected on the planet by the middle of the century. She says an important part of meeting that need is to waste less food. "There has to be efforts to reduce food wastage. ."
Food and nutrition security are core elements of the sustainable development agenda.
小題1:The survey includes the following statements except that ______.

A．varieties of demands are hard to meet because of the increasing population in Africa and Asia.

B．one way to put an end to poverty is to be able to develop for a long time.

C．transportation is an important issue to deal with when it comes to sustainable development of urban areas.

D．hundreds of millions of people around the world are affected by the problem of food insecurity.

小題2:From the passage we can infer that ______.

A．cities grow so fast that the world can’t find out new ways to deal with the growing population.

B．the growing city dwellers who mainly come from the developing countries greatly challenge limited resources in the world.

C．sustainable development of urban areas requires coordination and investments to deal with important issues

D．food wastage is an effective way to feed the additional 2.3 biilion people by the middle of the century.

小題3:What is the best titile of the passage?

A．The World Economic and Social Survey 2013.

B．City Population Will Increase to 9 Billion.

C．Cities Need to Cooperate with Rural Areas.

D．The World Is Not Prepared to Deal with the Fast Growth of Cities.

小題4:The passage is chosen from ______.

A．a(chǎn) textbook

B．a(chǎn) travel guide

C．a(chǎn) novel

D．a(chǎn) newspaper

Driving a car is not just handling controls and judging speed and distance. It requires you to predict what other road users will do and get ready to react to something unexpected. When alcohol is consumed, it enters your bloodstream and acts as a depressant (抑制藥), damaging eyesight, judgment and co-ordination(協(xié)調(diào))，slowing down reaction time and greatly increasing the risk of accidents. Even below the drink driving limit, driving will be affected.
Alcohol may take a few minutes to be absorbed into the bloodstream and start action on the brain. Absorption rate is increased when drinking on an empty stomach or when consuming drinks mixed with fruit juice. To get rid of alcohol from the body is a very slow process and it is not possible to speed   it  up with any measures like taking a shower or having a cup of tea or coffee.
The present Road Traffic Ordinance states clearly that the limit of alcohol concentration is:
50 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood; or
22 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath; or
67 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of urine(尿液).
Drivers who cause traffic accidents, or who commit a moving traffic offence or are being suspected of drink driving will be tested.
Any driver found drinking beyond the limit will be charged. The driver declared guilty may be fined a maximum of HK $25,000 and be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison and punished for 10 driving-offence points; or temporarily banned from driving.
The same punishment applies to failing to provide specimens(樣本)for breath, blood or urine tests without good excuse.
Drink driving is a criminal offence. Be a responsible driver, think before you drink. For the safety of yourself and other road users, never drive after consuming alcohol.
小題1:The first paragraph is mainly about______.

A．the introduction of driving skills

B．the damage of drinking to your body

C．the effect of drinking on driving

D．the process of alcohol being absorbed

小題2:The underlined Word“ it” in the second paragraph refers to “______ ”.

A．a(chǎn)lcohol

B．a(chǎn)bsorption

C．blood

D．process

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

A．Drinking below the drink driving limit has no effect on driving.

B．Alcohol is taken in more quickly when drunk with fruit juice.

C．Having a cup of tea helps to get rid of alcohol from the body.

D．50 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of breath is below the drink driving limit.

小題4:A driver suspected of drink driving ________.

A．should provide specimens for testing

B．will be forbidden to drive for 3 years

C．will be punished for 10 driving-offence points

D．should pay a maximum fine of HK $ 25,000

Most musicians agree that the best violins were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins. But they aren’t the same. Why are these old Italian violins so special? Many people think they have an answer.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only those from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood of the violin is very important. It must be from certain kinds of trees. It must not be too young or too old. Perhaps the violin makers of Cremona knew something special about wood for violins.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this is the secret of the Italians.
Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists make new violins that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish（清漆）, which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. Since no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish, no one can make the same varnish today.
There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona. And there are not many of the old violins left. So these old violins are becoming more and more precious.
小題1:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．The Secrets of Cremona Violins

B．The History of Italian Violins

C．Special Musical Instruments

D．How to Make the Best Violins

小題2:The main purpose of the first paragraph is to_______________

A．list some facts	B．raise a question
C．give an opinion	D．offer an answer

小題3:What is still unclear about Cremona violins according to the writer?

A．The shape．

B．The size．

C．The wood．

D．The varnish．

小題4:Which of the following words can best describe Cremona violins?

A．Light．

B．Shining．

C．Valuable．

D．Modern

小題5:What can we learn from this passage?

A．Modem things are always better than ancient ones

B．Ancient things are always better than modem ones

C．Once a cultural relic is lost．it Can never be recovered

D．Varnish for violins will become more and more precious

“Whatever",totally tops most annoying word in the poll (民意測驗).So, you know, it is what it is, but Americans are totally annoyed by the use of‘ whatever"’ in conversations. The popular term of indifference (不感興趣）was found most annoying in conversations by 47 percent of the Americans surveyed in a Marist College poll on Wednesday.
“Whatever"easily beat out “you know",which especially annoyed a quarter of interviewers. The other annoying expressions were "anyway"(at 7 percent), “it is what it is” (11percent) and “at the end of the day(2 percent).
"Whatever" is an expression with staying power It left everyone a deepimpression in the song by Nirvana (“oh well, whatever, never mind”）in 1991 and was popularized by the Valley Girls in the film “Clueless”,later that decade. It is still commonly used, often by younger people.
It can be a common argument-ender or a signal of indifference. And it can really be annoying. The poll found "whatever" to be consistently(始終地) disliked by Americans regardless of their race, sex, age, income or where they live.
“It doesn't surprise me because ‘whatever’，is in a special class, probably, said Michael Adams, author of “Slang(俚語)~The People's Poetry" and an associate professor of English at Indiana University. "It's a word that -and it depends on how a speaker uses it -can suggest being not worthy of attention or respect.” Adams, who didn't take part in the poll and is not annoyed by "whatever," points out that its use is not always negative. “It can also be used in place of other neutral(中性的）phrases that have fallen out of favor, like ‘six of one, half dozen of the other’ ” he said. However, he also noted that the negative meaning of the word might explain why “whatever” was judged more annoying than the ever-popular “you know”.
小題1:Which tops second among the annoying expression according to the passage?'

A．Whatever.	B．You know
C．Anyway.	D．It is what it is.

小題2:What can we know about the word "whatever"?

A．It became popular because of Nirvana.

B．It can be commonly used at the beginning of an agreement.

C．Old people like it while young people don't.

D．Almost half of the Americans surveyed disliked it.

小題3:In Adams' opinion, the reason why “whatever”, was judged more annoying may be that_____.

A．most of the people don't like it

B．it can be used in place of other neutral phrases

C．it carries certain negative meaning sometimes

D．the poor don't like it

小題4:Which of the following statements is true?

A．Adams is not only a writer but also a professor.

B．“Whatever” is a signal of concern.

C．Adams is angry at the word “whatever”

D．"Whatever" will be replaced by "You know”

小題1:What you have just read is a _______.

A．note

B．report

C．schedule

D．poster

小題2:What is going to take place on 2 February, 2013?

A．A party for close friends to meet and have fun

B．A party to celebrate a traditional festival.

C．A big event to welcome a Chinese new year.

D．A social gathering to raise money for wildlife.

小題3:Which of the following statements is true?

A．Tickets are sold in Kwun Tong High School

B．It's unnecessary to take soft drinks with you.

C．Free digital cameras are provided for everybody

D．Festival food will be served without extra charge.