Facebook means never having to say goodbye. The social media web site has earned a reputation for reconnecting old friends. Last week, a guy whom I hadn't seen since my bachelor party five years ago sent me a friend request. I accepted and waited for him to send me a greeting of some kind. He had sought me out, after all.
I learned from his profile that he was in a relationship and had a son. However, I'm pretty sure we won’t ever write wall-to-wall, let alone e-mail each other. But he'll remain a friend of online until one of us makes a point of removing the other from his official list.
My pool of friends consists of family members, college buddies, co-workers from past and present, and friends of friends. There are 35 in all. If I spent some time uploading old e-mail addresses, I'm confident that I could increase my friend count actually.
A person could make a mission out of reconnecting with childhood friends, former classmates, distant cousins, and those one would like to get to know better. And some people can even handle hundreds of on-screen relationships, keeping up with the daily happenings of their small army of companions. After all, there are worse fates than having too many friends.
Thanks to e-mail, the inability to schedule face-to-face meetings no longer means a friendship must come to a close. But even with e-mail, people will lose touch if one or both parties stop writing back. That's normal. People move from school to school, job to job, city to city. You never have to feel guilty for breaking away.
Every day, the masterminds of Web 2. 0 find new ways of making human communication easier. However, convenience can be a crutch. Some things shouldn't be simplified. When it comes to friendship, there can be no shortcuts.
小題1:According to Paragraph l, the web site is famous because _______.

A．it has an interesting name of “Facebook”

B．it helps people get in touch with old friends

C．it can send people a greeting of some kind

D．it reminds people of events in the past

小題2:From the second paragraph we can learn that the writer _______.

A．would write to the friend quite often

B．a(chǎn)sked the friend to e-mail him

C．did get some information about the friend

D．would keep in touch with the friend forever

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

A．There are 35 people in the author's list of friends right now.

B．The author communicates with all the 35 friends by e-mails.

C．The list of 35 friends doesn't include the old e-mail addresses.

D．It is not difficult for the author to increase his friend count.

小題4:What does the author think of the convenience of communicating on line?

A．The technology could not keep true friendship forever.

B．The social web site of Facebook means nothing at all.

C．There will be no ways of making real friends on line.

D．People will not lose friends with the help of the Facebook.

In a book called Magnificent Obsession, by Lloyd C. Douglas, a description is given of people helping others but doing it secretly. When difficult problems worried an individual, friends nearby would meet to discuss possible solutions without the individual knowing their actions. When a solution was agreed upon, one or two of the friends would carry out the plan and solve the problem secretly, to the great delight of the worried individual. The helpers would stand by privately, content with their success. No reward was given to the problem solvers, not even a sincere “thank you”, because they were never known.
This concept is popular today but in a different way. The phrase “pay it forward” is now used when one person helps another. However, the person helped may not be able to repay the person or group that helped them. So rather than return the favor to their helpers, they are supposed to help someone else in the future, which means they pay it forward. It is a sense of responsibility which makes us want to give back in equal measure to the one who has helped us. But, in this case, the responsibility turns to helping someone in the future.
Suppose your elderly grandmother pays part of your schooling. She may tell you there is no need to repay her because it is a gift from someone who loves you very much. Nothing would please her more than to have you use her money to get a good education.
You may never be able to repay her for such a gift. However, she not only gave you some money, but she provided you with an example that you should also help other people who need it.
People with serious needs are everywhere. Many are children who need better clothes, more books and even better schools. Some are elderly people who can’t afford their medicine or a doctor’s care. Consider how you can “pay it forward” rather than pay money back to your grandmother.
小題1:The helpers in the book “Magnificent Obsession” were not rewarded because ________.

A．they hadn’t solved the problems thoroughly

B．they expected to be paid back in the future.

C．they were friends of the worried individual

D．they had solved the problems secretly

小題2: The underlined word “pay it forward” means ________.                    

A．to repay someone who has helped you

B．to help someone else who needs help

C．to help someone who has helped you

D．to pay someone else who needs help

小題3:What does the writer suggest with the example of “your elderly grandmother”?

A．We should also lend a hand to other people in need of help.

B．We should work hard to get a good education.

C．We should learn to respect our grandparents.

D．We should never forget to repay people for their help.

小題4:By writing the passage, the author wishes people in the world to be ________.

A．honest

B．mysterious

C． unselfish

D．unforgettable

The world economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a potential hunger crisis in poor countries and an energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past two years. And oil prices have increased more than three times since the start of 2004. These food-price increases, combined with increasing energy costs, will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even affect political stability. Practical solutions to these problems do exist, but we'll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally.
Here are three steps to ease the current food crisis and avoid the potential for a global crisis. The first is to promote the dramatic success of Malawi, a country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and seeds with high productivity. Malawi’s harvest doubled after just one year. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in the rich world, or $10 billion altogether.
Second, the U.S. and Europe should abandon their policies of paying partly for the change of food into biofuels (生物燃料). The U.S. government gives farmers a taxpayer-financed payment of 51 cents per gallon of ethanol (乙醇) changed from corn. There may be a case for biofuels produced on lands that do not produce foods — tree crops, grasses and wood products — but there’s no case for the government to pay to put the world’s dinner into the gas tank.
Third, we urgently need to weather-proof the world’s crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond — which collects rainwater to be used in dry weather — can make the difference between a good harvest and a bad one. The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation Fund to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise.
小題1: An international fund based on the Malawi model would______.

A．cost each of the developed countries $10 billion per year

B．give poor farmers access to fertilizer and highly productive seeds

C．decrease the food prices as well as the energy prices

D．a(chǎn)im to double the harvest in southern African countries in a year

小題2:With the second step, the author expresses the idea that ______.

A．we should get alternative forms of fuel in any way

B．it is misleading to put tree crops into the gas tank

C．it is not wise to change food crops into gas

D．biofuels should be developed on a large scale

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

A．The world has made a serious promise to build farm ponds.

B．A Climate Adaptation Fund has been established to help poor.

C．A rain-collecting pond is a simple safeguard against dry weather.

D．It makes a great difference whether we develop wood products or not.

小題4:In the passage, the author calls on us to______.

A．slow down but not to stop economy

B．a(chǎn)ct now so as to relieve the global food shortage

C．a(chǎn)chieve economic growth and political stability

D．develop tree crops, grasses and wood products

Yellowstone Tour & Travel has been helping people plan their Yellowstone Park vacations for 25 years. We are a one-stop shop (一站式服務(wù)點) for all Yellowstone vacations including arrangements for Yellowstone tours, activities, and air and ground transportation.
Yellowstone Tour & Travel specializes in individual and family Yellowstone vacations, group tours, and international travelers. Take a moment to go through our website and learn more! We offer:
Yellowstone and Grand Teton Park Guided Summer Van (有篷車) Tours --- Daily summer “See Yellowstone” Park van tours and geyser (間歇泉) gazing tours, Yellowstone evening wildlife tours, and Yellowstone photography tours. Don’t miss Old Faithful, Yellowstone’s own Grand Canyon, or Mammoth Hot Springs. We also offer a Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Wyoming mini-bus tour. See Yellowstone wolves, grey bears, buffalo, and try Yellowstone bird watching.
Lamar Valley Wolf & Wildlife Tour --- Add a whole new plan to your Yellowstone Snowmobile adventure with our new “Lamar Valley Wolf and Wildlife Tour.” Lamar Valley is located in northern part of Yellowstone. Four wolf groups make Lamar Valley their home constantly challenged by other moving groups in the park. This is your best chance to see the wolves in Yellowstone in winter!
Snowmobile Yellowstone Park --- Discover the wonder of Old Faithful in winter, herds wild deer and cows within your reach; once-in-a-lifetime experience with your professional Yellowstone Guide. Watch Yellowstone wolves and bald eagles.
Adventure Snowmobile Packages --- Offered in three surrounding National Forests; snowmobile to Two Top Mountain or into Island Park, Idaho.
REMEMBER: Yellowstone National Park has seasonal closures of some roads and entrances. Before planning your vacation, please call us and we can ensure that your route / activities will be available!
Please visit our website and contact us for further information or assistance in planning your Yellowstone Country Adventure Vacation, or book a reservation online! Make your Yellowstone Dream a reality.
小題1: What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Yellowstone Tour & Travel is a company with a history of over 25 years.

B．Yellowstone Tour & Travel is a company serving people 25 years.

C．Yellowstone Tour & Travel has a one-stop shop for most vacations.

D．Yellowstone Tour & Travel can lend visitors planes and ships.

小題2:Yellowstone Tour & Travel can serve the following EXCEPT _________.

A．girl vacations

B．family vacations

C．group tours

D．international travels

小題3: If you want to see grey bears, buffalo, you may join __________.

A．Yellowstone and Grand Teton Park Guided Summer Van Tours

B．Lamar Valley Wolf & Wildlife Tour

C．Snowmobile Yellowstone Park

D．Adventure Snowmobile Packages

小題4: In Lamar Valley, you can have the best opportunity to see __________ in winter.

A．bald eagles

B．buffalo

C．grey bears

D．wolves

American is the country on the move. In unheard of numbers, people of all ages are exercising their way to better health. According to the latest figures, 59 percent of American adults exercise regularly—up 12 percent from just two years ago and more than double the figure of 25 years ago. Even non-exercisers believe they would be more attractive and confident if they were more active. It’s hard not to get the message. The advantages of physical fitness are shown on magazine covers, postage stamps, and television ads for everything from beauty soaps to travel books. Exercise as a part of daily life did not catch on until the late 1960s when research by military doctors began to show the good points of doing regular physical exercises. Growing publicity(宣傳) for races held in American cities helped develop a strong interest in the ancient sport of running. Although running has leveled off in recent years as Americans have discovered equally helpful and sometimes safer-forms of exercise.                                                  
As the popularity of exercise continues to increase, so does scientific evidence (根據(jù)) of its health benefit. The key to fitness is exercising the major muscle group strongly enough to almost double the heart rate and keep it doubles for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Doing such physical exercises three times or more a week will greatly improve physical health in about three months.
小題1: According to the essay, what was the percentage of American adults doing regular physical exercises two years ago?                                                                                

A．About 70%.

B．Nearly 60

C．Almost 50%.

D．More than 12%.

小題2: A growing interest in sports didn’t developed until______________.                             

A．25 years ago

B．two years ago

C．the late 1960s

D．now

小題3:Which of the following if the closest in meaning to underlines phrase “l(fā)eveled –off”?       

A．became very popular	B．stopped being popular
C．reached its lowest level in popularity	D．stopped increasing in number

小題4: It can be learnt from the passage that the good points of exercise___________.               

A．a(chǎn)re to be proved	B．a(chǎn)re to be further studied
C．a(chǎn)re supported by scientific evidence	D．a(chǎn)re self- evident

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

A．Different Forms of exercise	B．Exercise——The Road to Health
C．Scientific Evidence of Health Benefit	D．Running——A Popular Form of Sport

In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射)so that they won't carry disease. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people's houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a feeding place for birds in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be that their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely, but pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.
小題1: The passage mainly talks about____ .

A．how to keep disease from pets	B．pets in Canada
C．how to take good care of pets	D．life of the old in Canada

小題2:They give their pets injections before keeping them at their houses because ____.

A．the pets are sick	B．the pets are wild
C．they want to stop them from getting sick	D．they want them to sleep on the way home

小題3:In Canada, children leave their parents when they grow up because ____.

A．they don't love their parents any more	B．they can only find jobs far from their parents
C．their parents’ houses are too small	D．they wouldn't depend on their parents any more

小題4: Which of the following is TRUE？

A．People buy animal food only at the animal food stores.	B．Pets eat better than people.
C．Almost every family has a birdcage in his house.	D．Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat.

Pop music is the name for different forms of popular, commercial(商業(yè)) music. It had its beginning in the USA and spread throughout the whole world during the 1950s and 1960s. It is widely liked by the young people. The best known early form of pop music was “rock’ n’ roll”; another was “blues”. A more recent development is “folk-rock”. Pop music has taken the place of native music in many parts of the world; it has caused the number of people for jazz to become much smaller than it was in the 1950s and earlier, and it has now begun to rule musical stage productions. It’s a big industry. Much pop music is without artistic value, but the work of some pop singers, e.g. the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the groups like Floyd and Crosby, Stills and Nash, is on a higher musical level. And there is still a great interest in it today. Pop music concerts and festivals are held all over the world.
小題1:All of the following forms belong to pop music EXCEPT __________________.

A．blues

B．rock’ n ’roll

C．jazz

D．folk-rock

小題2:According to the article, the number of people for jazz in the 1950s and earlier was ___________ it is today.

A．much greater than

B．much smaller than

C．a(chǎn)s great as

D．a(chǎn)s small as

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE?

A．No pop music is on a high musical level.

B．Much pop music is very artistic.

C．Pop music is highly artistic.

D．Not all pop music is without artistic value.

小題4:“It is a big industry” means that _______________.

A．it makes a lot of musical instruments (樂器)

B．it is a big musical and commercial business

C．the pop singers are very hard-working

D．pop music is on a very high musical level

A Beautiful Mind
    A mathematician who goes mad is not a subject most directors consider commercially attractive, but then Ran Howard isn’t among most directors. Despite an impressive list of credits, A Beautiful Mind is his most successful work to date, combining a psychological drama with a moving love story to produce a film that is as interesting as it is entertaining.
The Oscar winning Russell Crowe has put himself in line for further honors with his acting John Nash, the Nobel Prize winning mathematician troubled by schizophrenia (精神分裂癥). A Beautiful Mind pictures Nash as an unusual hero，not just because of his academic achievements but also because of the courage he displays while battling his illness．
In 1947, Nash was one of many great young minds at Princeton. “To find a truly original idea is the only way to distinguish myself,” the proud and determined student declared. His exploration of such an idea afforded him little time for the normal socializing. His shyness and straight forward approach brought him few friends.
After finally hitting on a revolutionary new idea, Nash’s career took off and his reputation as secured. He balanced research work with teaching, which is where he met the bright and beautiful student Alicia (played by Jennifer Connelly). Things in his life were going well when his talent for code breaking brought him to the attention of the military that employed him during the early stage of the cold war with Russia. However, the stress of his work made Nash’s illness develop．
Crowe’s performance is perfect. He and Connelly ignite (make something exciting) the film’s passionate love story and Connelly’s wonderful performance makes the audience moved by Alicia, whose courage, strength and faith in her husband are the primary reasons for his recovery.
小題1:This passage is most probably ________．

A．a(chǎn) book review

B．a(chǎn) movie review

C．a(chǎn) movie poster

D．a(chǎn)n advertisement

小題2:Which can replace the underlined phrase “hitting on” in the fourth paragraph?

A．coming up with

B．coming on

C．putting on

D．putting up with

小題3: The following statements are true EXCEPT that _______．

A．John Nash did not go mad totally

B．Ran Howard is an outstanding director

C．the stress of the academic work caused Nash’s illness

D．Nash’s concentration on his work and his shyness brought him few friends

小題4: We can infer from the text that _______．

A．John Nash volunteered to serve in the army in spite of his illness

B．John Nash gave up his career when troubled by schizophrenia

C．Russell Crowe won another Oscar Award after this movie

D．without Alicia, John Nash wouldn’t have recovered from his illness

NPR has ended its contract with Juan Williams, one of its senior news analysts, after he made comments about Muslims on the Fox News Channel．
NPR said in a statement that it gave Mr． Williams notice of his ending in this organization on Wednesday night．
The move came after Mr． Williams, who is also a Fox News political analyst, appeared on the “The O’Reilly Factor” on Monday． On the show, the host, Bill O’Reilly, asked him to respond to the idea that the United States was facing a “Muslim dilemma（窘境）．”Mr． O’Reilly said, “The cold truth is that in the world today jihad（圣戰(zhàn)）, helped and encouraged by some Muslim nations, is the biggest threat on the planet．”
Mr． Williams said he agreed with Mr． O'Reilly．
He continued: “You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country． But when I get on the plane． I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim clothing and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and known as Muslim． I get worried． I get nervous． ”
Mr． Williams also made reference to the Pakistani immigrant who was guilty this month trying to plant a car bomb in Times Square． “He said the war with Muslims, America's war is just beginning, first drop of blood． I don’t think there’s any way to get away from these facts,” Mr． Williams said．
NPR said in its statement that the remarks “were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and weakened his reputation as a news analyst with NPR”
The public radio organization said it thanked him for many years of service． Mr． Williams did
not immediately respond on Wednesday night to an e-mail seeking comment．
Mr． Williams' contributions on Fox raised eyebrows at NPR in the past． In February 2009, NPR said it had asked that he stop being identified on “The O’Reilly Factor” as a “senior correspondent for NPR,” even though that title was accurate．
小題1: According to the passage, NPR is probably_      ．

A．a(chǎn) TV station	B．a(chǎn) public radio organization
C．a(chǎn) newspaper	D．a(chǎn) website

小題2: NPR has ended its contract with Juan Williams because

A．Juan Williams made comments on the Fox News Channel without NPR's permission

B．NPR was disappointed about Juan Williams’ performance in its programs

C．Juan Williams' remarks about Muslims ruined NPR's reputation

D．Juan Williams' comments and performances didn't agree with NPR's traditions

小題3: What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5'?

A．Juan Williams is afraid of taking a plane．

B．It’s very easy to recognize Muslims because their clothes are special．

C．Muslims are sometimes considered dangerous to the safety of the world．

D．Juan Williams looks down upon Muslims．

小題4: The best title of the passage is        ．

A．NPR ended its contract with Juan Williams

B．Muslims are the biggest threat to the world

C．Juan Williams, the senior news analyst of NPR

D．Fired from NPR, Juan Williams keeps talking on Fox

Ted doesn’t like cars. He wants people to stop driving because cars make the air dirty. Ted had an idea. He said,“I’m going to cycle around North America. I want to show everyone that cycling is a fun way to get around. If more people ride bikes, the air will be cleaner.”
He left his hometown with $160 in his pocket. When he got to San Diego, he met another cyclist. The cyclist invited Ted to speak at a big meeting about the environment. He said,“We’ll pay your airfare to Texas and we’ll pay you to talk about your cycling trip.”Two hours later, Ted was on a plane to the environmental conference and to a big surprise!
While he was at the conference, he met Deanna. It was love at first sight! They talked for six hours straight.
The next day, Ted called Deanna and asked her to finish the trip with him. Deanna said yes, sold everything in her apartment, gave her notice at work, and was on the road with Ted 20 days later!
“It was difficult at first,”said Deanna. “Ted got up every morning at 6:00 a.m., but I wanted to sleep until noon.”After a few days, they started having fun. As they cycled from Florida to Montreal and then back to Vancouver, every day was an adventure. People paid for their food in restaurants and gave them extra money. Some people gave them $50 or $100. They slept in people’s backyards and drank beer with motorcycle gangs.
On their way back to Vancouver, they stopped in Edmonton to visit Ted’s relatives. During the stopover, they got married. People tied a “Just Married”sign and tin cans to the backs of their bikes. They now want to write a book about their trip. “We want people to know that you can be an environmentalist and still have fun, ”Ted said.
小題1: Ted got paid for ______.

A．giving a talk about his cycling trip	B．cycling throughout North America
C．traveling around North America by air	D．a(chǎn)ttending conferences on cycling

小題2: The “big surprise” he had at the conference was that _______ .

A．he met another cyclist who wanted to join him	B．he fell in love with a girl there
C．he gave a long talk lasting 6 hours	D．he had a lot of fun talking about his cycling trip

小題3: The underlined part “gave her notice at work” probably means __________ .

A．Deanna was fired by her boss for not going to work

B．Deanna asked for a long leave from work to join Ted in his trip

C．Deanna told people beforehand that she would leave her job

D．Deanna handed in the notice that she were asked to finish before

小題4:During the trip, Ted and Deanne ___________.

A．found it hard to get up early	B．were attacked by motorcycle gangs
C．never pay for their meals in restaurants	D．got married