Eyeglasses correct many different types of sight problems, including nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism (散光). Trying to understand those different numbers on an eyeglass prescription (驗光單) requires understanding the measurements optometrists (驗光師) use when fitting you for corrective lenses (鏡片).

Diopters (屈光度)
The numbers on your prescription are given in diopters, whose short form is "D". It is used to measure the focusing power, or amount of correction.
O.S. and O.D.
Optometrists use the Latin short form O.S. and O.D. to distinguish between your eyes. O.S. refers to your left eye, while O.D. refers to the right eye.
Generally, your prescription will show a number for O.S. and O.D. (given in diopters). The farther this number is on a number line from zero, the more correction your eyeglasses should provide. A plus sign means the eye is farsighted, while a minus sign means the eye is nearsighted.
Spherical Value
This plus or minus number for each eye is called the spherical value, or the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness you have. Its short form is "S."
Cylinder
If you have an astigmatism, the optometrist will also measure its degree. The higher the number (given in diopters) marked as the cylinder of astigmatism, (its short form is "C"), the more astigmatism there is in that eye.
Axis
An astigmatism is also measured in terms of its axis, which is a number between 0 and 180. The axis of the astigmatism does not relate to the amount of cylinder, just the location of the irregularity of the astigmatism on that particular eye.
小題1:According to the first paragraph, various sight problems ______.

A．should be understood by the patients

B．can be avoided by wearing corrective lenses

C．should be tested by different optometrists

D．can be corrected by wearing eyeglasses

小題2:If you need a pair of corrective lenses, the optometrist will first value the numbers of ______.

A．Diopters

B．Spherical Value

C．Cylinder

D．Axis

小題3:From the prescription above we can learn that Li Hua ______.

A．is farsighted	B．is nearsighted
C．has no astigmatism	D．is normal in sight

小題4:The text is probably taken from ______.

A．a(chǎn)n education report	B．a(chǎn) school bulletin
C．a(chǎn) local newspaper	D．a(chǎn)n encyclopedia (百科全書)

After students come home from a tiring day at school, they tend to worry a lot about their homework.
Whether students are working on English or chemistry homework, they are simply working on the assignment in order to get it done, attempting to memorize the concepts for the time being and do not absorb any of the information afterward. Students are wasting their time on insignificant assignments rather than effectively using that time to achieve other accomplishments. According to www.dailymail.com, many parents are concerned that homework is being assigned rather than being used to integrate (整合) what teachers are covering in the classroom. In their eyes, if less homework is assigned, students would have much less stress and could focus more on their passions and hobbies.
Homework gets in the way of participating in community service events as well as opportunities for getting a job or being a part of an extra-curricular activity. These responsibilities are important for teenagers to take on because they prepare the teenagers for the "real world." Without the proper exposure to work that is not school related, students will find themselves lost after they graduate. If homework were no longer given, students would have a lot more time to mature in other fields rather than being educated only on academics.
In spite of the fact that teachers want students to do better on tests and absorb the material that they are teaching, homework is not accomplishing its purpose. Because school is becoming increasingly more competitive and challenging, homework is becoming a setback rather than extra practice. Its removal would benefit the well being of teenagers as well as encourage them to get out in the "real world" and discover themselves instead of staring at a pile of assignments.
小題1:Students are wasting their time on insignificant homework because

A．they are working on it carelessly and hurriedly

B．they attempt to get only part of the information memorized

C．they spend too much time doing it without understanding

D．they fail to take in the information after finishing it

小題2:Many parents think that teachers should ______.

A．help students integrate the homework

B．simplify what they teach in the classroom

C．reduce homework to develop students' own interests

D．a(chǎn)ssign more effective homework for students

小題3:From the third paragraph, we can infer that homework might ______.

A．leave students lack of job opportunities

B．make students lose the sense of responsibilities

C．weaken students' social adaptation ability

D．cause students to feel lost after graduation

小題4:The author insists that homework should be ______.

A．made simpler and easier

B．completely cancelled

C．connected with social activities

D．switched over to subject competitions

Comment on CRI
Here are the comments on CRI (China Radio International) given by people from different countries on the Internet.

People	Comments
Yingtian Hu Guangzhou, China	This is the first time that I participate in CRI. And I like it very much. I hope its website will become the most excellent one with the foreign languages. And I choose the important news which I think has a great influence on our society and our lives. In the end, I hope that more and more persons join in CRI and make it perfect!
SujanParajuli, Select city, Nepal	I am both a regular listener of CRI and visitor of its wonderful Website. First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to CRI for its great efforts to keep the listeners up-to-date during the year 2008. We, the listeners, are greatly grateful to CRI for its praise-worthy efforts to quench the thirst of its dear listeners. During the Year 2008, I found all of your programs quite interesting, informative and educational.  Once again, thanks a lot for offering bonanza of information, news, entertainment and many items which have indeed broaden the horizons of our knowledge and understanding as well.
Ibrahim Rustamov, Tajikistan	With CRI, I was impressed by China’s rapid development in all spheres. But I felt so sorry to get to know about the snowstorms in China and Wenchuan earthquake. CRI and CCTV play a great role in introducing China to the world! Kudos! My friends and I wish CRI all the best!
Mike Thatcher, London	My family and I are all keen on Chinese Culture, especially the beautiful Chinese folk music. Various interesting programs by CRI just open a window for us foreigners, through which we can know more about China and have a better understanding of the Chinese culture. Best wishes to CRI! Best wishes to China!

小題1:Which of the following benefits of CRI is NOT mentioned above?

A．CRI helps to keep its listeners up-to-date.

B．CRI helps its listeners to better understand China.

C．CRI helps its listeners to practice and improve foreign languages.

D．CRI helps its listeners broaden their knowledge with its rich contents.

小題2:The underlined phrase “quench the thirst” refers to _____.

A．satisfy one’s need	B．supply drinks
C．take care of	D．keep in touch with

小題3:What can be concluded from the four comments?

A．CRI has a great influence on our society and lives.

B．Wonderful though CRI is, there are still many weaknesses.

C．CRI plays an important role in introducing the world to China.

D．CRI has made great efforts to make itself better and gained popularity.

Chinese Dinner Table
Of course, the main difference on the Chinese dinner table is chopsticks instead of knife and fork, but that’s only superficial. Besides, in decent restaurants, you can always ask for a pair of knife and fork, if you find the chopsticks not helpful enough. The real difference is that in the West, you have your own plate of food, while in China the dishes are placed on the table and everyone shares. If you are being treated to a formal dinner and particularly if the host thinks you’re in the country for the first time, he will do the best to give you a taste of many different types of dishes.
The meal usually begins with a set of at least four cold dishes, to be followed by the main courses of hot meat and vegetable dishes. Soup then will be served (unless in Guangdong style restaurants) to be followed by staple food ranging from rice, noodles to dumplings. If you wish to have your rice to go with other dishes, you should say so in good time, for most of the Chinese choose to have the staple food at last or have none of them at all.
Perhaps one of the things that surprise a western visitor most is that some of the Chinese hosts like to put food into the plates of their guests. In formal dinners, there are always “public” chopsticks and spoons for this purpose, but some hosts may use their own chopsticks. This is a sign of genuine friendship and politeness. It is always polite to eat the food. If you do not eat it, just leave the food in the plate.
People in China tend to over-order food, for they will find it embarrassing if all the food is consumed. When you have had enough, just say so. Or you will always overeat!
小題1:The real difference on dinner table between China and West is that___________.

A．You’re treated to a formal dinner for the first time.

B．On Chinese dinner table, chopsticks replace knife and fork.

C．The host will do the best to give you a taste of many different types of dishes.

D．You have your own plate of food in West while in China everyone shares the dishes.

小題2:If you have a dinner in a Chinese home, in which order will the food be served?
a. serving soup.
b.a set of four cold dishes.
c. staple food such as rice, noodle or dumplings.
d. the main courses of hot meat and vegetable dishes.

A．badc

B．cabd

C．bdac

D．cdab

小題3:The “public chopsticks and spoons” are used to ______.

A．taste different dishes

B．consume the food in the plate

C．show the friendship and politeness

D．put food into the plates of their guests

小題4:According to the message, the author’s attitude towards Chinese dinner table is______

A．critical

B．objective

C．negative

D．positive

There are many fun, free activities that you can do as a family. All that is required is a bit of imagination and some time. And the best part is that these are the kind of fun, family memories a child will remember for a lifetime.
Family Game Night
Kids often get games for Christmas or birthdays, and would love to have a chance to play with their family. Or, make up some games of their own. Charades（字謎游戲）is a fun game that will challenge children to use their imagination. Divide the family into teams and let each team come up with words and the other has to act out.
Family Art Time
Pick some time for the family to sit down and come up with their own art. It doesn’t need to be just a drawing－take some old magazines, let the kids cut out pictures and paste them into their own shape. Or let them use leaves, branches and whatever else they can find to make something from their imagination.
Family Picnic
Taking the family for a picnic is a great way for some fun that doesn’t cost any money. If the weather is nice, take them to a park or playground and let them have a day of playing.
Family Field Trip
A family field trip doesn’t have to cost a cent. Ask a nearby farm if you can bring your kids out for a tour and to see some of the animals. Or take them to a park to find certain items from nature. Ask a local business if you could bring the family for a tour to see how things work－you might be surprised at the number of people who would be excited to share what they do with others, and it could be an interesting lesson for kids.
小題1:When playing the game charades, kids are supposed to ______.

A．prepare some cakes for each other

B．sing a song for each other in turn

C．connect actions with certain words

D．be quick to follow others’ actions

小題2:Which activities in the passage depend much on the kids imagination?

A．Family Game Night ＆ Family Art Time

B．Family Game Night ＆ Family Picnic

C．Family Picnic ＆ Family Field Trip

D．Family Field Trip ＆ Family Game Night

小題3:It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______.

A．you may share your own experience with workers

B．It costs a lot to visit a park for a family

C．a(chǎn)ll the people will be excited to share what they have with you

D．you should ask for permission from the farm owner

小題4:The passage is mainly intended for ______.

A．teachers

B．teenagers

C．tourists

D．parents

Is it necessary for a young man to have an apartment as a prerequisite（先決條件） for marriage? Housing has become a major obstacle（障礙） for Chinese young men hoping to start a family. China may breed a new group of bachelors, men caught in the trap of unaffordable houses.
Since early 2009, the housing market has once again become a hot pot at boiling point. Even with allowance（津貼） and special government policies, home prices in China's first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are riding the crest（波峰）of a rising wave. According to the "2010 China Marital Status Report" released on Dec 15, 2010, about 70 percent of women interviewed said that housing, a stable income and some savings were the main requirements for marriage.
From the report, we can see that housing is given top priority（優(yōu)先權(quán)） and that women see an apartment as essential(必不可少的) to show that the man is responsible and can provide for his family.
Personality and morals lay outside the top three matrimonial （婚姻的）requirements. Some women and their families hold the traditional position and take it for granted that the home issue should be the man's responsibility, which doesn’t agree with the contemporary independent spirit of women and gender equality. These marriage values reflect the fact that many women consider marriage another form of "social welfare".
Things may be different overseas. Social housing, provided by European authorities, offer the less wealthy people their own piece of real estate. Such housing is usually apartments in tall buildings with 10 or more floors on the outskirts of town, whose main advantage is the low rents.
For many Americans, houses don't pose an obstacle to getting married. They often buy a house after the wedding, because more and more people are reconsidering their real estate worship, and going back to a more rational(理性的) mode of consumption.
In Japan, renting is the custom for newly married young couples. Few young couples can afford to purchase property. Up to 67.1 percent of young couples choose to rent. Generally speaking, renters account for most people younger than 40 in Japan.
Young people should be free to enjoy being young, without the huge pressure of trying to buy property. Society should help create an environment for them to grow up. Don't let the poor bachelor group become a suffering layer（層） of our society.
小題1:Which of the following is Not True according to the text?

A．Home prices have been extremely high since early 2009.

B．In the modern society, women don’t want to be independent.

C．Chinese government has already done something to control home prices.

D．Lots of Chinese young men couldn’t get married because of their economic capability.

小題2:What does the underlined word “outskirts” probably mean?

A．urban areas	B．rural areas（鄉(xiāng)下）
C．suburbs	D．downtown areas

小題3:Why do many women take housing as one of the main requirements for marriage?

A．Because they can’t afford a house.

B．Because they enjoy their social welfare.

C．Because their families want them to marry men with houses.

D．Because they think it’s a symbol of the men’s sense of responsibility.

小題4:The author uses the examples of European countries, America and Japan to show that __________?

A．new couples in those countries like to rent houses

B．the situation is different in some foreign countries

C．it’s better to live in those countries than live in China

D．their governments have done more than Chinese government

小題5:The last paragraph is mainly about the author’s hope that __________?

A．the society can develop rapidly

B．young people can lead a happy life

C．a(chǎn)ll the young people can afford houses

D．the poor bachelors can become rich and enjoy their life

The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on well with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly-held image of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.
An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it had ever been in the past. “We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seem to be about their families,” said one number of the research team. “They’re expected to be rebellious and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds: they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There’s more negotiation and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don’t want to rock the boat.”
So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-year-old Daniel Lazall. “I always tell them when I’m going out clubbing. As long as they know what I’m doing, they’re fine with me.” Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”
Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments, “Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change from helping out with the family business to taking it over. ”
小題1:What is the popular image of the teenagers today？

A．They worry about school.

B．They dislike living with their parents.

C．They have to be locked in to avoid troubles.

D．They quarrel a lot with other family members.

小題2:The study shows that teenagers don’t want to __________.

A．share family responsibility

B．cause trouble in their families

C．go boating with their family

D．make family decisions

小題3:Compared with parents of 30 years ago, today’s parents ____________.

A．go to clubs more often with their children

B．a(chǎn)re much stricter with their children

C．care less about their children’s life

D．give their children more freedom

小題4:According to the writer, teenage rebellion __________.

A．may be a false belief

B．is common nowadays

C．existed only in the 1960s

D．resulted from changes in families

小題5:What is the passage mainly about？

A．Negotiation in family.

B．Education in family.

C．Harmony in family.

D．Teenage trouble in family.

I used to be ashamed of my grandma. I know that's a　   　 thing to say, but it was true until today, so I have to　    it.
The　    started when my friend Katy found Grandma's false teeth floating in a glass on the bathroom sink. I was so used to seeing them that I　     took notice of them. But Katy shouted, laughing and　   　 to tell everyone about it. I had to get down on my knees and　     her to shut up so my grandma wouldn't　    and get hurt.
After that happened, I　    there were a million things about Grandma that were embarrassing.
Once she took Jill and me out to Burger King.　    ordering our hamburgers well-done, she told the person behind the counter, "They'll have two Whoppers (巨無霸) well-to-do. " Jill burst out laughing, but I almost　   .
After a while, I started wishing I could　    Grandma in a closet. I even complained to my parents. Both my parents said I had to be careful not to make Grandma feel　    in our home.
Then last Wednesday, something happened that　    everything completely. My teacher told us to help find interesting old people and　    them about their　    for a big Oral History project. I was trying to think of someone when Angie pushed me gently.
"Volunteer your grandmother," she whispered. "She's　    and rich in experience."
That was the last thing I ever thought Angie would say about my grandma.
This is how I ended up on　     today interviewing my own grandmother before the whole school assembly (集合). All my friends and teachers were listening to her　     she was a great heroine. I was　     of my grandma and hoped she would　     know that I had been ashamed of her.

小題1:	A．funny B．common C．terrible D．clear

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)dmit B．receive　　　 C．refuse　　　　 D．show

小題3:	A．quarrel　　　 B．a(chǎn)ccident　　　 C．trouble　　 　 D．a(chǎn)dventure

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)lready　　　 B．a(chǎn)lways　　　　 C．simply　　　 　 D．hardly

小題5:	A．enjoying B．pretending　 　 C．imagining　 　 D．continuing

小題6:	A．warn　　　　　 B．demand　　　　 C．a(chǎn)dvise　　　 D．beg

小題7:	A．mind　　　　　 B．hear　　　　　 C．see　　　　　 D．fall

小題8:	A．expected B．declared　　　 C．realized　　 　 D．doubted

小題9:	A．Because of B．Except for 　 C．Such as 　　 　 D．Instead of

小題10:

A．died 　　　　 B．cheered 　　　 C．disappeared　　 D．suffered

小題11:

A．meet B．a(chǎn)void　　　　 C．a(chǎn)rrange 　　 　 D．hide

小題12:

A．independent　 B．inconvenient　 C．unwelcome　　 D．unfamiliar

小題13:

A．changed B．finished　　　 C．stopped　　　　 D．prepared

小題14:

A．interview 　　 B．report 　　　 C．tell D．write

小題15:

A．news B．lives　　　　 C．a(chǎn)dvantages　　 D．a(chǎn)chievements

小題16:

A．free　　　　 　 B．popular　　　 C．interesting　　 D．embarrassing

小題17:

A．show B．stage　　　　 C．duty　　　　　 D．time

小題18:

A．a(chǎn)nd then 　　 B．even if　　　 C．so that D．a(chǎn)s if

小題19:

A．sure　　　　 　 B．proud　　　　 C．a(chǎn)shamed　　　 D．a(chǎn)fraid

小題20:

A．never　　　　 B．even　　　　　 C．still D．once

For most people, shopping is still a matter of wandering down the street or loading a cart in a shopping mall. Soon, that will change. Electronic commerce (trade) is growing fast and will soon bring people more choices. There will, however, be a cost: protecting the consumer from being cheated will be harder. Many governments therefore want to apply street regulations to the electronic world. But politicians would be wiser to see cyberspace as a basis for a new era of corporate self-regulation.
Consumers in rich countries have grown used to the idea that the government takes responsibility for everything from the stability of the banks to the safety of the drugs or their rights to refund when goods are faulty. But governments cannot enforce national laws on businesses whose only presence is on the screen. Even in a country where a clear right to compensation exists, the on-line customer in Tokyo, say, can hardly go to New York to get a refund (退款) for a clothes purchase.
One answer is for government to cooperate more: to recognize each other’s rules. But that requires years of work and volumes of detailed rules. And plenty of countries have rules too fanciful for sober countries to accept. There is, however, another choice. Let the electronic businesses do the regulation themselves. They do, after all, have a self-interest in doing so.
In electronic commerce, a reputation for honest dealing will be a valuable competitive asset. Governments, too, may compete to be trusted. For instance, customers ordering medicines on- line may prefer to buy from the United States because they trust the rigorous screening of the Food and Drug Administration; or they may decide that the FDA’s rules are too strict, and buy from Switzerland instead.
Customers will still need to use their judgment, but precisely because the technology is new, electronic shoppers are likely for a while to be a lot more cautious than customers of the normal sort. And the new technology will also make it easier for them to complain when a company lets them down. In this way, at least, the advent(出現(xiàn)) of cyberspace may argue for fewer consumer protection laws, not more.
小題1:In case an electronic shopper bought faulty goods from a foreign country, what could he do?

A．Refuse to pay for the purchase.	B．Go to the seller and ask for a refund.
C．Appeal to consumer protection law.	D．Complain about it on the Internet.

小題2:In the author’s view, businesses would place a high emphasis on honest dealing because in the electronic world _______.

A．international cooperation would be much more frequent

B．consumers could easily seek government protection

C．a(chǎn) good reputation is a great advantage in competition

D．it would be easy for consumers to complain

小題3:We can infer from the passage that in licensing new drugs the FDA in the United States is______.

A．very quick

B．very cautious

C．very slow

D．rather careless

小題4:According to the author, what will be the best policy for electronic commerce?

A．Self-regulation by the business.	B．Strict Consumer protection laws.
C．Close international cooperation.	D．Government protection.

小題1:How many family members are there in Mandy’s host family?

A．4.

B．5.

C．6.

D．7.

小題2:Next month, Mandy is going to visit__________.

A．Pattaya beach	B．Phuket Island
C．Phairat’s hometown	D．Bangkok

小題3:From the letter we know that Mandy is__________ when she stays in Thailand.

A．bored

B．quiet

C．excited

D．proud

小題4:What is the letter mainly about?

A．Study trip in Thailand	B．Food culture in Thailand
C．Elephant riding in Thailand	D．International schools in Thailand