Kataria is the founder of the worldwide laughter movement. The celebration of World Laughter Day is a positive activity for world peace and is intended to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter. The first “World Laughter Day” gathering took place in Mumbai, India, on 11th January, 1998. 12,000 members from India and international Laughter Clubs attended it. Now there are over 5,000 Laughter Clubs worldwide on all 5 continents.
“HAPPY—DEMIC” was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India. It took place on 9th January, two years after the Mumbai gathering. In Copenhagen, Denmark, more than 10,000 people gathered at Town Hall Square. The event went into Guinness Book of World Records. “World Laughter Day” is now organized on the first Sunday of May every year. Hundreds of people gather worldwide on that day to laugh together.
Today, many people fear widespread international terrorism. The world has never faced so much unrest before. People are at war within themselves. Laughter is a universal language, which has the ability to unite humanity without religion. Laughter can build a common connection between various religions and create a new world order. The idea may sound over -ambitious(野心太大的), and maybe it is. But maybe it is not. It is our deep belief that laughter and only laughter can unite the world, building up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship.
Studies also say that laughter helps your body do the following: lower blood pressure; lighten depression; reduce stress; work out the heart, especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercise. So in life, when you can laugh, you should laugh loudly and with your entire body-because it’s good for you.
小題1:The purpose of celebrating World Laughter Day is ________.

A．to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter

B．to build a common connection between various religions

C．to reduce stress and lighten depression

D．to lower blood pressure

小題2:The first World Laughter Day gathering outside India took place________.

A．on 11th January, 1998	B．on the first Sunday of May
C．on 9th January, 1996	D．on 9th January, 2000

小題3:The author’s attitude towards laughter movement is ________.

A．positive

B．negative

C．uninterested

D．objective

小題4:The passage is mainly about ________.

A．World Laughter Day and its significance

B．the worldwide laughter movement

C．a(chǎn) universal language

D．laughter.

It is under the CPC’s leadership that China has overcome many challenges in its economic, political and social systems and achieved remarkable progress the world has ever seen. Under the CPC’s leadership, China has become the world’s largest second largest economy. People’s lives have greatly improved, and hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty, an objective fact no one can deny. At the same time, China is quickly becoming a major player on the world stage.
As a responsible nation, China has been playing a growing role and shouldered greater responsibilities in world affairs. Such achievements, especially for a nation with a size equaling to a continent and a population of nearly 1.4 billion, are not easy to make. What roles do you think CPC has played in China? Do you think it’s the CPC leadership that has made China’s economic miracle possible? Is there any room for improvements for the future role of CPC? What challenges will lie ahead for the future leadership of CPC? Please share your opinion with us.
小題1:The purpose of writing the article is to ______.
A. describe the greatest changes in China.
B. describe the importance of China.
C. tell us some challenges facing the CPC. 
D. gain more information about the roles the CPC plays in China.
小題2:According to the passage, CPC refers to              .

A．Communist（共產(chǎn)主義） Party of China

B．Cost Per Click（每次點擊付費廣告）

C．card-programming control （卡片程序控制）

D．Computer Process Control（計算機過程控制）

小題3:How does the author feel about the roles the CPC has played in China?

A．Dissatisfied

B．Amazed

C．Annoyed

D．Proud

小題4:The underlined word " miracle " in Paragraph 2 probably means _____.

A．problem

B．disaster

C．wonder

D．event

小題5:What’s the best title for this passage?

A．What roles do you think CPC plays in China?

B．Why has CPC played an important role in China?

C．China has become the world’s second largest economy.

D．China has overcome many challenges and achieved remarkable progress.

Cold weather has a great effect on how our minds and our bodies work. Maybe that is why there are so many expressions that use the word “cold”. For centuries, the body’s blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, for example, are said to be cold-blooded. Cold-blooded people act in merciless ways. They may do brutal things to others, and not by accident. For example, a newspaper says the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. The killer murdered someone, not in self-defense. He seemed to kill for no reason, and with no emotion, as if taking someone’s life meant nothing.
Cold can affect other parts of the body, the feet, for example. Heavy socks can you’re your feet, if your feet are really cold. But there is an expression—to get cold feet—that has nothing to do with cold or your feet.
The expression means being afraid to do something you have decided to do. For example, you agree to be president of an organization. But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned. All the work of the organization will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being the president when you understand the situation.
Cold can also affect your shoulder. You give someone the cold shoulder when you refuse to speak to them. You treat them in a distant and cold way. The expression probably comes from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of speaking to him face-to-face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you, or to someone who has lied about you to others.
A cold fish is not a fish. It is a person. But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and shows no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone.
Out in the cold is an expression often heard. It means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise, and that he was left out in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be.
小題1:The passage is intended to tell us that ______ .

A．cold weather has a great effect on human bodies

B．many English expressions contain the word “cold”

C．cold is a word closely linked with human emotions

D．the word “cold” has many different meanings in English

小題2:The underlined word “brutal” in Paragraph 1 most probably means “______”.

A．impolite

B．illegal

C．cruel

D．extreme

小題3:Which of the following expressions can best describe a person who is unwilling to offer anything to others?

A．Cold-blooded.

B．To get cold feet.

C．A cold shoulder.

D．A cold fish.

小題4:You can say Tom ______ if the teacher gives all the boys except him a pen as a prize.

A．is given the cold shoulder

B．is left out in the cold

C．has got cold feet

D．is murdered by a cold-blooded killer

小題5:We can draw a conclusion from the passage that ______ .

A．a(chǎn)ll the expressions containing the word “cold” have a negative meaning

B．a(chǎn)ll the expressions containing the word “cold” have something to do with cold

C．people who show no human emotions or feelings have cold blood

D．many parts of the human body can be badly affected by cold

Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks at play each time we reach out for that particular brand(品牌) of product on the shelf.
Colouring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packaged(包裝) in greens, yellows or browns because we think of these as healthy colours. Ice cream packets are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver.
When some kind of pain killer was brought out recently, researchers found that the colours turned the customers off because they made the product look weak and ineffective. Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package—blue because we think of it as safe, and white as calm.
The size of a product can attract a shopper. But quite often a bottle doesn’t contain as much as it appears to.
It is believed that the better-known companies spend, on average, 70 percent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging!
The most successful producers know that it’s not enough to have a good product. The founder of Pears soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to promote (推銷) their goods, came to the conclusion: “Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius(天才) to sell it.”
小題1:Which of the following may trick a shopper into buying a product according to the text?

A．The cost of its package.	B．The price of the product.
C．The colour of its package.	D．The brand name of the product.

小題2:The underlined part “the colours turned the customers off” (in Para.3) means that the colours _________.

A．a(chǎn)ttracted the customers strongly

B．caused the customers to lose interest

C．tricked the customers into shopping

D．had weak effects on the customers

小題3:Which of the following is the key to the success in product sales?

A．The way to promote goods.

B．The discovery of a genius.

C．The team to produce a good product.

D．The brand name used by successful producers.

小題4:According to the passage, we know that _________.

A．making soap is so easy that any fool in the world can make it.

B．greens, yellows or silver are considered to be healthy colours.

C．25 years ago, the founder of Pears soap was a pretty girl herself.

D．the size of a product can have an effect on the shoppers.

小題5:Which of the following would be the best title for this text?

A．Choice of Good Products

B．Disadvantages of Products

C．Effect of Packaging on Shopping

D．Brand Names and Shopping Tricks

Many English learners have difficulty deciding what kind of English accent they want to have． A US accent, perhaps modeled on the way a Hollywood star speaks? Or maybe you want to imitate（模仿） the British accent of a BBC news reader?
Young British people find the US accent attractive while young US people like a British accent． Especially when the person speaking is of the opposite sex(異性)! Let’s listen to what they have to say．
Stephen Yang, 17, from London, UK
A US accent is cute, especially when a girl speaks it． Whether it’s Jessia Alba speaking or the girl- next-door, the way US girls speak has a sweet tingle that is really sassy(時髦)． A girl from Texas recently moved into our neighborhood． Her Texan twang（鼻音） had all the boys here on their knees within seconds of meeting her．
To me, accents reflect the attitudes, characteristics and lifestyles of the people．
Jennifer Sun, 16, from New Jersey, US
From watching English actors like Daniel Radcliffe, my friends and I have developed a soft spot for British men．Some are attracted to the qualities of English males, while others admire their sense of style．
Everyone, however, agrees that the most appealing aspect of an English man is his accent． For example, many American girls watch Harry Potter movies over and over again just to listen to the actors speak．
The English accent seems almost like art．
小題1:In Stephen Yang’s opinion, accents just show__________．

A．the beauty of the language

B．how the language is spoken

C．the cultural differences of the speakers

D．the meeting of the day

小題2:The underlined sentence in paragraph means that __________．

A．All the boys broke their knees

B．All the boys fell to the ground

C．All the boys liked her accent very much

D．All the boys imitated（模仿）her accent

小題3:Many American girls watch Harry Porter again and again in order to __________．

A．learn the acting skills of the these stars

B．learn the magic performed by Harry Potter

C．imitate the actors’ accents

D．know more about British English

小題4:What is probably the best title for this passage?

A．British English and American English

B．British Accent or American Accent

C．American English Accent is Most Accepted

D．The difference between British Accent and American Accent．

When many people in the west think of China, the animal that they think of is the dragon. For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. Many popular legends tell how dragons have killed brave knights and eaten beautiful young girls.
For Chinese people, however, the dragon is not an evil monster. It’s a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. The dragon’s main task is to create harmony and bring rain. Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual (儀式).
China isn’t the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. Wales in the UK, has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. Another country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, a tiny country between China and India.
Almost all countries in the world have an animal symbol representing their countries. This is particularly obvious during sports. The English think lions to be brave and proud animal and the English football teams have three lions on their football shirts.
Australia is famous for kangaroos, of course. The national rugby team is more commonly known as the Wallabies, a type of small kangaroo.The South African team is known as the Springboks, a type of African antelope. Likewise the New Zealanders, whether playing sports or not, are commonly known as kiwis. A kiwi is a native New Zealand bird that can’t fly.
All countries are proud of their symbols, which they feel reflect national characteristics or the beauty and variety of their natural environments. Recently, a Shang hai professor claimed that using the dragon as a national symbol could make western countries have a negative view of China. But in an Internet survey 90% of Chinese people wanted to keep the dragon.
小題1:In the opinion of the west, the dragon is ______.

A．a(chǎn) terrible animal that is not popular

B．a(chǎn) cultural and spiritual symbol of good luck

C．a(chǎn) reflection of China’s national characteristics

D．a(chǎn)n animal that can create harmony and bring rain

小題2:Which of the following does NOT use the dragon as its national symbol?

A．China.

B．Wales.

C．Bhutan.

D．India.

小題3:According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The national rugby team from the South Africa is well known as the Wallabies.

B．The Australian team is known as Springboks, a type of kangaroo.

C．The New Zealanders are commonly known as kiwis only when playing sports.

D．The dragon is mentioned to have been used on the flag in two countries.

When my family moved to America in 2010 from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect(尊敬) elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
By Jack
小題1:Jack brought the couple their food very fast because _______.

A．the manager asked him to do so

B．he respected the elderly

C．the couple wanted him to do so

D．he wanted more pay

小題2:When Jack called the couple “elderly”, they became _______.

A．nervous

B．satisfied

C．unhappy

D．excited

小題3: In Jack’s hometown, _______.

A．people dislike being called “old”

B．people are proud of being old

C．many people reach the age of seventy or eighty

D．the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants

小題4: Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got.

B．Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience.

C．The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple.

D．From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture.

Although English is not as old as Chinese, it is spoken by many people around the world every day. English speakers are always creating new words, and we should be able to know where most words come from.
Sometimes, however, no one may know really where a word comes from. Did you ever think about why hamburgers are called hamburgers, especially when they are not made with ham( 火腿 )? About a hundred years ago, some men went to America from Europe. They came from a big city in Germany called Hamburger. They didn’t speak good English, but they ate good food. When some Americans saw them eating round pieces of beef, they asked the Germans what it was. The Germans did not understand the question and answered. “We came from Hamburger.” One of these Americans owned a restaurant, and had an idea. He cooked some round pieces of beef like what the men from Hamburger ate. Then he put them between two pieces of bread and started selling them. Today “ hamburgers” are sold in many countries around the world.
Whether this story is true or not, it certainly is interesting. Knowing why any word has a certain meaning is interesting, too. The reason may be found in any large English dictionary.
小題1:According to the writer, English ______.

A．is as old as Chinese	B．is not so old as Chinese
C．is older than German	D．is very difficult to learn

小題2:According to the story,_______.

A．few Americans like hamburgers

B．hamburgers are made with beef

C．hamburgers are made with ham

D．hamburgers were sold all over the world about a century ago

小題3:According to the writer, which of the following can be found in any large English dictionary?

A．Where all the new words come from

B．Where those Germans came from

C．The reason why any word has a certain meaning.

D．The reason why English is spoken around the world

小題4:According to the story, the word “hamburger” comes from ________.

A．China because it has a long history

B．England because Germans don’t speak good English

C．the round pieces of beef those people from Hamburger brought to America

D．English speakers because they always create new words

When someone says “well, I guess I’ll have to face the music”, it doesn’t mean that he is planning to go to hear a singer. It is something far less happy, as you are called in by your leader to explain why you did this and did that or why you did not do this or that.
At some time or another, every one of us has to “face the music”, especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry word “I wasn’t to talk to you”  and only because we did not listen to him. What a bad thing it was !
In the middle or at the end of every term, we students have to “face the music”. The result of the exam will decide whether we will face the music or not. If …that means parents’ cold faces and the contempt of the teachers and classmates.
“To face the music” is well known to every American, younger or old. It is at least 100 years old. It really means that you have to do something, no matter how terrible the whole thing might be, because you know you have no choice.
小題1:“To face the music” means “to ____________”

A．do something we don’t like to	B．go to the theater
C．go to the music show	D．do something that we want to

小題2:If you didn’t listen to your father’s words, you would “face the music” ，or ____________.

A．do something to please him	B．do something to make him angry
C．be punished by him	D．be pleased with him

小題3:Before the exam, we’ll have to “face the music”. That’s why ____________.

A．we like to take the exam	B．we are afraid of taking the exam
C．the exam is very important	D．we are afraid to pass the exam

小題4:In the third paragraph. “If...” really means “If _______________”.

A．we got a “D” in the exam

B．we got an “A” in the exam

C．the exam is easy

D．the exam is difficult

What is the difference between a college and a university? This is a good question for students who want to attend a college or a university in the United States.
Colleges and universities have many things in common. Both provide a greater understanding of the world and its past. Both provide education in the arts and sciences. And both can help prepare young people to earn a living.
Students who complete their undergraduate studies either at a four-year college or a university receive a bachelor’s degree. One difference is that many colleges do not offer graduate studies.
Universities are generally bigger, offer more programs and do more research. Modern universities developed from those of the Middle Ages in Europe. The word “university” comes from the Latin “universitas”. This described a group of people organized for a common purpose. The word “college” comes from a Latin word with a similar meaning, “collegium”. In England, colleges were formed to provide students with places to live in. Usually each group of students was studying the same thing. So college came to mean an area of study. But a college can also be a part of a university. The first American universities divided their studies into a number of areas and called each one a college. This is still true.
Programs in higher learning may also be called schools. The University of Arizona in Tucson, for example, has 18 colleges and 10 schools. They include the colleges of pharmacy (制藥學(xué)), education, engineering and law. They also include the schools of architecture, dance and public administration.
College is also used as a general term for higher education. A news report might talk about “college students” even if they include students at universities. Or someone might ask, “Where do you go to college?”
Today, most American colleges offer an area of study called liberal arts. These are subjects first developed and taught in ancient Greece. They include language, philosophy and mathematics. The purpose is to train a person’s mind instead of teaching job skills.
小題1:The passage is probably written to _________.

A．persuade students to go to college instead of schools

B．tell students the differences between colleges and universities

C．help students make a better choice of what kind of colleges they should go to

D．inform students about how much they are going to spend in going to college

小題2:When the term “college students” appears in a newspaper, it may refer to ________.

A．only students studying in colleges

B．students studying in colleges in the USA

C．only students studying in universities

D．students receiving higher education

小題3:What can we learn from the passage?

A．Both universities and colleges include different schools.

B．The purpose of liberal arts is to train a person’s job skill.

C．Both universities and colleges can help prepare students to make a living.

D．Most American universities have 18 colleges and 10 schools.

小題4:The area of study called liberal arts is designed to _______.

A．get students ready to earn a living

B．teach students subjects from engineering to philosophy

C．help students achieve a stronger and clearer mind

D．encourage more students to begin the study of arts