Fumbling with the buttons to find a good song while driving has been linked to increased risk of crashes, but is listening to music risky? “It depends on the music,” says a report published in the October issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention.
The study found teenage drivers who played their own music had significantly more traffic violations（違規(guī)） compared with background music designed by the researchers to minimize driving distractions, or no music.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University in Israel recruited(招募) 85 drivers about 18 years old; just over half were male. The subjects were each assigned to drive six challenging road trips that were about 40 minutes long, accompanied by an experienced driving instructor. Music was played on four trips, two with selections from the drivers' playlists, mostly fast-paced vocals, and two with background music, which was a mixture of easy listening, soft rock and light jazz designed to increase driver safety. No music was played on two trips. Subjects rated their mood after each trip and in-car data recorders analyzed driver behavior and errors.
All 85 subjects committed at least three errors in one or more of the six trips; 27 received a warning and 17 required steering or braking by an instructor to prevent an accident. When the music was their own, 98% made errors; without the music, 92% made errors; and while listening to the safe-driving music, 77% made errors. Speeding, following too close, inappropriate lane use, one-handed driving and were the common violations.
The male subjects were more aggressive drivers and made more serious errors than female subjects. The teens played their own music at a very loud volume but significantly decreased the sound level when listening to the safe-driving music, researchers said. Mood ratings were highest on trips with driver-preferred music.
小題1:What is the key information the author wants to give in Paragraph 1?

A．Many drivers played their favorite music while driving.

B．Drivers shouldn’t search for the buttons to find a good song.

C．Song selection has nothing to do with increased risk of crashes.

D．Listening to certain types of music can increase drivers’ errors.

小題2:What does the underlined word “ subjects” refer to in this passage?

A．Something being discussed.	B．People being written about.
C．People being tested.	D．Areas of knowledge or study.

小題3:In the research, soft rock and light jazz are likely to _______.

A．increase drivers’ safety

B．a(chǎn)dd to the pleasure of driving

C．change drivers’ idea of safe driving

D．lower drivers’ guard against danger

小題4:It can be inferred from the passage that in the research ______.

A．the teens committed the most errors

B．the male were more skillful in driving

C．traveling with no music made the least errors

D．driver-preferred music increased the mood ratings

iPhone owners are vainer (虛榮) and spend more on clothes and grooming(儀容) than those who have BlackBerrys and Android phones, new research claims.

BlackBerry owners earn the most and are more likely to have long-term relationships, while people with Android handsets are most creative and the best cooks.
The study, carried out by TalkTalk Mobile, surveyed 2,000 owners of the three major smartphone brands to determine whether the choice of handset was an extension(延伸) of their personality. The study rated users in various walks of life using a point scoring system including personalities, daily habits and the type of industries they work in.
Other results from the study found that people with an iPhone are more image conscious  and generally rate themselves more attractive than those with other handsets. They are most likely to describe themselves as adventurous, bright and are most likely to work in media, publishing and education. They also believe their boss rates them highly. Apple owners also tend to have done more travelling and are the most active on social media sites.
BlackBerry owners were found to be the least punctual(準(zhǔn)時(shí)的) ,but despite putting in the least hours at work they are the most active phone user—sending more texts and making more calls in the average day than any other phone user. They are more social and have more friends overall. They also earn nearly two and a half thousand pounds a year more than other smarphone owners, with an average salary of $27,406. BlackBerry users classed themselves so loud and mainly work in the health, finance or property sectors. They were also found to drink more tea and coffee each day than any other phone user.
Android owners were found to watch more TV than others and drink the most alcohol—consuming more in an average week than iPhone and BlackBerry drinkers. They have the most jobs in engineering, the government and public services and environmental services. They have the best manners and are more shy and relaxed than their counterparts.
Dan Meader, Director of Mobile at TalkTalk, said, “Many of us have our mobile phones on us almost constantly so they do become an extension of us in many ways. It’s interesting to see then how the choice in handset may reflect different aspects of personality and the results do show some unusual differences.”
小題1:What do we know about BlaceBerry users?

A．They work latest.	B．They drink most alcohol.
C．They are the highest earners.	D．They are values most by their bosses.

小題2:The underlined words “image conscious”(Paragraph4) mean caring about        .

A．income

B．a(chǎn)ppearance

C．social media

D．interpersonal relationships

小題3:What were Android users found to be like?

A．Loud.

B．Brave.

C．Polite.

D．Confident.

小題4:Dan Meader may agree that the kind of mobile phone we use           .

A．will decide the way we live our life

B．can be a window into the lives we lead

C．can change our personalities gradually

D．has become the most important part of our life

小題5:How is the text organized?

A．By drawing comparisons.	B．By giving reasons only.
C．By providing examples.	D．By giving solutions.

However urban life strikes you，cities worldwide have been growing even more rapidly．Some of this growth has occurred in the developed world，but the most dramatic increase has been in the Third World．Almost all the world’s population growth over the next 30 years will take place in the cities of developing countries
By the year 2030，for the first time in history，60 percent of the world’s people will be living in cities．
This is actually good news in some ways．“Cities are the fundamental building blocks of prosperity,” says Marc Weiss，chairman of the Prague Institute for Global Urban Development，“ both for the nation and for families．” Industrial and commercial activities in urban areas account for between 50 and 80 percent of the gross domestic product （GDP） in most countries of the world“ there’s the crazy notion that the way to deal with a city’s problems is to keep people out of them,” Weiss continued．“But the problems of the rural life are even more serious than those of the city．” For better or worse，urban-watchers are clear on one point: The quality of life for most people in the future will be determined by the quality of cities．Those cities will be bigger than ever．And yet，population numbers by themselves don’t determine a city’s prospects； after all，Addis Ababa，Ethiopia，and Hamburg，Germany，have the same population．Nor is explosive growth necessarily the determining factor．“City problems,” one authority points out，“mostly have to do with weak，ineffective，and usually unrepresentative city governments．”
小題1:The passage mainly discusses ______________．

A．Big cities．	B．City life．
C．Population．	D．Gross Domestic Product．

小題2:According to the passage，in the year of 2030 _______．

A．there will be 21 cities having a population of more than 10 million．

B．rural area will be extinct．

C．most people will live in cities．

D．the third world will keep abreast with the developed world．

小題3:In the author’s opinion，_________．

A．better city，better life

B．both urban and rural areas have a larger population

C．the larger population，the faster a city develops

D．both urban and rural areas have larger gross domestic products

小題4:Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The developing countries develop faster than the developed countries．

B．Cities contribute more to the GDP than the villagers．

C．Some problems are more easily solved in cities than in country．

D．It’s impossible to solve urban problems by getting people out of cities．

小題5:The last paragraph implies that ____________．

A．public services are ineffective．

B．cities are increasing too fast．

C．population is not linked with development．

D．government should be responsible for the problems in the cities．

Many of the world's pollution problems have been caused by the crowding of large groups of people into the cities．Supply for the needs of the people leads to further      by industry．If the rapid increase of world population continues at the present rate, there may be much greater      to human beings．
Some scientists speak of the increase in numbers of people as "population pollution''．
About 2,000 years ago, the world population was about 250 million．It       a billion in 1850．By 1930 the population was two billion．It is now six billon．It is      to double by the year 2020．If the population continues to grow at the same rate, there will be 25 billion people in the       a hundred years from now．
Man has been      the earth's resources more and more       over the past years．Some of them are almost gone．Now many people believe that man's greatest problem is how to control the       of the population．The material supplies in the world will be far from enough to       the human population if the present rate of increase continues．
There is already over-crowding in many cities and starvation in some countries．Many people believe that human survival in the future       on the answer to the question．

小題1:	A．progress B．pollution C．education D．production

小題2:	A．danger B．harm C．benefit D．hardship

小題3:	A．got B．took C．brought D．reached

小題4:	A．suggested B．hoped C．expected D．said

小題5:	A．world B．country C．star D．end

小題6:	A．discovering[ B．using C．digging D．destroying

小題7:	A．seriously B．dangerously C．rapidly D．steadily

小題8:	A．existence B．start C．growth D．birth

小題9:	A．increase B．starve C．construct D．support

小題10:

A．depends B．a(chǎn)grees C．saves D．passes

Welcome to Australia
The Great Outdoors
Australia is the world’s oldest continent and indigenous Australians have one of the world’s oldest culture．
In Australia you will see unique plants and animals and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world．Many parks have information centres offering advice on where to go, what to see and how to see it--for both your personal safety and to protect our sensitive, natural environment．
Banks and Money Matters
Banks are generally open between 9:30am and 4pm on Monday to Thursday and 9:30am and 5pm on Friday．
Foreign currency or traveller’s cheques can be changed at all banks and some of the larger hotels．There are currency exchange facilities at all international airports．
___________________
Take care! Our sunlight is very strong and you can get sunburnt．
For best sun protection, it is advisable to wear:
A broad-brimmed hat
A shirt with a collar and sleeves
Sunscreen with high protection factor．
Swimming
We have so many beautiful places to swim--beaches, lakes, rivers and creeks．
Many of our waters are safe for swimming, but if you have any doubts, ask before entering the water．
Most of our popular ocean beaches have patrols with life-saving service．Red and yellow flags mark the area that you are advised to swim within．
If there are no flags and no life guards on the beach, talk to local people about the best areas to swim．
Staying Safe on the Roads
Australians drive on the left-hand side of the road．
For safety, everyone in the car, including children, must wear a seat belt．
Motor cyclists and bicyclists are required to wear a helmet．
Watch out for native animals crossing the roads, especially at night．Road signs are erected in places where animals are commonly seen．
小題1:What is the best title of the third part of the passage?

A．The Sun	B．Enjoy the Sun
C．Warning	D．Outdoor Activities

小題2:If you arrive in Sydney at 5:10pm on Friday, where can you probably get your money changed on that day?

A．At a bank．	B．At any hotel．
C．At a store	D．At the airport

小題3:What advice can you get at the park information centre?

A．Advice on how to wear a broad-brimmed hat．

B．Advice on how to drive safely in the park．

C．Advice on how to protect our environment

D．Advice on where to go to see a kangaroo．

小題4:How can you ensure your safety when swimming?

A．You can swim in whichever lake you like

B．You should swim with the life guard．

C．You can swim where there are red flags．

D．Always find a local person to ask about how to swim．

小題5:Which of the following word might be the closest in meaning with the underlined word “erected”?

A．set up

B．protected

C．stood

D．noticed

Swiss International Air lines（SWISS）will introduce daily non-stop flights between Beijing and Zurich．
The new service to the financial center of Switzerland is expected to start on Dec．12,2012，which marks an expansion of services for the Chinese market．In May 2008，SWISS already started direct flights to Shanghai．
The first flight to Europe has a special price of 2,680 yuan，which does not include taxes and fuel surcharges．
“I am delighted the airlines of Switzerland can contribute to growing economic ties between the two countries with new daily flights scheduled，”says SWISS CEO Harry Hohmeister．
“We are witnessing a growing demand for tourist travel in both directions．”
Apart from Shanghai and Hong Kong，Beijing will be the third Chinese destination for SWISS．
The new route marks a return to Beijing for SWISS：the airlines previously flew to the Chinese capital as late as June 2003．
SWISS will initially operate its new daily non-stop Beijing-Zurich flights with an Airbus A340-300（219 seats）and Airbu: A330-300（236 seats）air-crafts．
The modem SWISS business class offers the most suitable comforts since the seats can be adjusted into a two-meter-long bed．
Seating firmness and softness can be adjusted thanks to air cushions．
With the introduction of the new SWISS service from Beijing，the Lufthansa Group Airlines may attract more Chinese customers when traveling to Europe．
SWISS．Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines already connect five Chinese cities with Europe and beyond．
This airlines group is the leading European airlines network in the Chinese market．
In the summer of 2011，the Lufthansa Group operated 78 weekly flights from China including Hong Kong to Europe．
SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group as well as a member of the Star Alliance，the world's biggest airlines grouping．
小題1:According to the passage，from Dec．12,2012，      ．

A．it will only take us a day to fly from Beijing to Zurich

B．we can fly directly from Beijing to Zurich

C．the first flight from Beijing to Europe will only cost you 2,680 yuan

D．the direct flight to Shanghai started by SWISS will be canceled

小題2:Why is the new flight added?

A．SWISS wants to offer good service to Chinese people．

B．SWISS wants to contribute to growing economic ties between the two countries

C．There is a growing demand for tourist travel in both directions．

D．SWISS wants to create more opportunity for people to work．

小題3:What's special about the Airbus of the new flight?

A．The Airbus can carry more passengers than other planes．

B．The seats in it can be adjusted into comfortable beds．

C．It offers all kinds of services for passengers to choose from．

D．It has two kinds of air cushions on its seats．

小題4:What's the right relation between SWISS，Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines?

A．SWISS is the customer of the Lufthansa Group Airlines

B．Austrian Airlines is a part of SWISS．

C．SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group．

D．SWISS belongs to Austrian Airlines．

小題5:What is the passage mainly about?

A．SWISS already started direct flights to Shanghai．

B．SWISS adds direct flights from Beijing to Europe．

C．Beijing will be the third Chinese destination for SWISS．

D．SWISS is the world's biggest airlines grouping．

Twice in the past few days, I've witnessed families arguing to the point of having major 'falling outs' (when you get so angry with each other that there is threat of withdrawing love from a family member and/or abandoning the relationship). Last night, one of those situations occurred and a friend contacted me on QQ and asked my advice.
Their situation arose where a son-in-law had disagreements with his wife and then got into a quarrel with his mother-in-law and father-in-law. In the end, the son-in-law threatened to cut off all relationship with his in laws and also to deny his in laws a relationship with his own daughter, their granddaughter. 
Not only did the son-in-law threaten his wife's parents, but he has followed through with his threat and hasn't allowed his wife or his child to have any contact with his wife's parents in almost a year.
The first question my friend asked me was, "Michael, what do you do when you get into a quarrel with your family?" I said, "I don't know." They said, "Well what about when you quarrel with your mother or one of your siblings (brother or sister)?" I said, "I don't know." He said, "Well, what would you do if you got into an argument with your in laws when you were married?" I said, "I don't know." He said, "What do you mean that you don't know?" I said, "Well, I never got into a quarrel with my in-laws, my mother or my siblings." He said, "Be serious, Michael. I need some help with this situation." I said, "I am serious. I never quarreled with mother, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law or brother-in-law. At least not in my adult life (since I turned 18 years old)." My friend found it hard to believe that I never did any of these things. I suppose (I really don't know; Ha!) that many people wouldn't believe that an entire family could maintain a such a level of peace, harmony, respect and love. The truth is, my family doesn't do those things.
You may wonder 'why' we don't do that. Well, I never really thought about 'why' we don't do that. But I do know, we don't. So, I did the most logical thing I could think of. I asked my mother 'why' we don't quarrel, argue, fight and have such situations. Some people believe that if you don't argue, quarrel and fight, then, you don't care enough. I would say that my family cares very deeply for each other and love each other and express our love to each other, very often. We don't believe that you have to quarrel, argue and fight in order to show that you care and that you love the other. Instead, we show that we love, care and respect each other by, well, loving, caring and respecting each other.
小題1:What can we infer from the passage？

A．The writer doesn’t care his family.

B．The writer has cultural differences with his friends.

C．The writer often quarrels with his family member.

D．The writer knows why their family don’t quarrel.

小題2:How did the quarrel mentioned in the passage happen?
A.The son-in-law had disagreements with his wife.
BThe son-in-law had disagreements with his in laws.
C.The son-in-law had disagreements with his daughter.
D.The son-in-law threatened to cut off relationships with his in laws.
小題3:How many questions did the friend ask the writer?

A．2

B．3

C．4

D．5

小題4:How do the members in the writer’s family live in harmonious？

A．by quarrelling with each other.

B．by showing love, care and respect to each other.

C．by living together with each other.

D．by giving gifts to each other.

An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow(烏鴉) rested on their window.
The father asked his son, “What is this?”
The son replied “It is a crow.”
After a few seconds the father asked his son the second time, “What is this?”
The son said, “Father, I just now told you; it is a crow.”
After a little while, the old man again asked his son the third time, “What is this?”
At this time some expression of anger was felt in the son’s tone when he said to his father, “It is a crow, a crow.”
A little later, the father again asked his son the fourth time, “What is it?”
This time the son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? Although I have told you so many times? It is a crow. Are you not able to understand this?”
A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old diary which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his  son to read that page. The following words were written in it:
Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa. When a crow was sitting on the window, my son asked me 23 times what it was, and   I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not at all feel angered. I rather felt affection for my innocent(單純的) child.
So ……
If your parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but be kind to them. Be considerate to your parents.
小題1:How many times did the father asked his son the same question?

A．Twice.	B．Three times.
C．Tour times.	D．Twenty-three times.

小題2:What was written in the diary mainly shows_________.

A．the son’s foolishness	B．the father’s loneliness
C．the father’s love for his son	D．the son’s curiosity

小題3:After reading the diary, the son most probably felt_________.

A．very disappointed	B．even angrier
C．rather happy	D．deeply ashamed

小題4:What lesson should we learn from the passage?

A．We should be considerate to our parents.

B．It’s important to be a great father.

C．We should form the habit of keeping a diary.

D．Old diaries have extraordinary values.

Finding true happiness is a universal aspiration (渴望). We all want it, but can we all have it? Genuine happiness is written all over our faces when we are truly contented, and, likewise, a forced smile does nothing to hide underlying sadness.
Believing that everyone can create their own lasting joy, Matthieu Richard has been declared the Happiest Man in the World. Richard earned his “happiest man” status after a series of laboratory tests in 2004. Richard has shared his thoughts on happiness with a worldwide audience. As an experienced speaker, he has explained his insights into happiness to everyone, from students to corporate groups. Looking inwards to find joy rather than relying on outer conditions, he believes, is the way to achieve well-being.
“It’s quite clear that the outer conditions are not enough. The way we interpret those outer conditions in our inner experience is what determines either a sense of well-being or misery. We love to go jogging for fitness and we do all kinds of things to remain beautiful, yet we spend surprisingly little time taking care of what matters most: the way our minds function. It’s the essential thing that determines the quality of our experience.” Besides this, Richard stresses that it is not what’s happening around us that makes us unhappy, but rather the way we choose to react to it.
The pursuit of happiness is becoming a modern obsession（癡迷）. As life becomes more complex, our ability to process our reactions to various outside influences comes under strain. “Genuine happiness” he says, “doesn’t mean pleasant feelings one after the other. It’s more like a series of qualities that we can develop as skills — like openness, genuine love, compassion, inner strength and inner peace.” 
小題1:Richard has been declared the Happiest Man in the World _______.

A．because he has shared his thoughts on happiness with a worldwide audience

B．a(chǎn)fter he has explained his insights into happiness to everyone

C．a(chǎn)fter a series of laboratory tests

D．because he tries his best to achieve happiness and well-being

小題2:According to Richard, what is the best way to achieve well-being?

A．Interpreting those outer conditions in our inner experience.

B．Looking inwards to find joy rather than relying on outer conditions.

C．Spending little time taking care of what matters most.

D．Reacting to various outside influences in the modern world.

小題3:What determines the quality of our experience?

A．The way our minds react to outer conditions.

B．Insights into happiness that we hold.

C．The constant pursuit of happiness in our life.

D．Those outer conditions affecting our happiness.

小題4:How can we pursuit happiness?

A．Go jogging for happiness.

B．Do everything to remain beautiful.

C．Make sure that our minds are functioning normally.

D．Develop necessary qualities.

小題1:  When a starving man gets a meal, he begins to think about an overcoat; when an executive gets a new sports car, visions of country clubs and pleasure beats dance into view.
The many wants of mankind might be regarded as making up several levels.  小題2: .
The first and most basic level of wants involves food. Once this want is satisfied, a second level of wants appears: clothing and some sort of shelter. By the end of World War II these wants were satisfied for a great majority of Americans.   小題3: It included such items as automobiles and new houses.
By 1957 or 1958 this third level of wants was fairly well satisfied. Then, in the late 1950s a fourth level of wants appeared: the “l(fā)ife-enriching” level. While the other levels involve physical satisfaction－the feeding, comfort, safety, and transportation of the human body－this level stresses mental needs for recognition, achievement and happiness. It includes a variety of goods and services, many of which could be called “l(fā)uxury” items. Among them are vacation trips, the best medical care, and entertainment. 小題4:    
On this level, a greater percentage of consumer spending goes to services, while on the first three levels more is spent on goods. Will consumers raise their sights to a fifth level of wants as their income increases, or will they continue to demand luxuries and personal services on the fourth level?
A fifth level probably would involve wants that can be achieved best by community action. Consumers may be spending more on taxes to pay for government action against disease, ignorance, crime and prejudice.  小題5: In this way, we can enjoy more fully the good things on the first four levels.

A．Then a third level appeared.

B．Human wants seem endless.

C．When there is money enough to satisfy one level of wants, another level appears.

D．There are several levels of wants in one’s life.

E. At this stage, we now may seek to ensure the health, safety, and leisure.
F. Also included here are fancy foods and the latest styles in clothing.
G. Different people have different wants on each level.