I looked at my beautiful Christmas tree and sighed. It was time. The New Year was a week old and my tree still stood in the corner of our room with its collection of memories proudly displayed in a shower of colorful lights. I’d procrastinated（拖延，耽擱）long enough.
I got up, went to the garage and dragged all the boxes into the room. The garland(花環(huán))was the first to come down. The tree looked naked(光禿禿的)already. I took the large ornament（裝飾物）off next. They made a large pile on our bed. An hour later, our bed was covered with Christmas memories. Each pile contained an ornament along with its matching brothers and sisters from sets purchased many years ago.
I prepared the boxes and carefully placed ornaments in their protective packaging, pausing every few minutes to admire a favorite. “Hey, little Santa!” I held the Santa from my childhood. “Thanks for being my friend for almost fifty years.” He was a little ragged but still gives me a flood of wonderful memories. “Until next year, my dear friend.”
There was a collection of handmade ones. My children made in the their first years of school, more than twenty years ago. Made by tiny hands, they are far from perfect in design, but every year they go on my memory tree－memories of young giggles(咯咯地笑)on Christmas morning and a smiling face when they handed them to me when I came home from work. “Look what we made, Daddy!”
“Oh! It is beautiful. Let’s find a special spot on the tree for it.” Every year since, they are displayed.
A few hours after I started, the filled boxes were back in the garage, the room was vacuumed(用吸塵器清掃)and I sat staring at a barren(空蕩蕩的)corner. The room seemed so empty. It took me two days of work to assemble(收集)and decorate my tree, but only a few hours to take it apart.
My tree is like a good marriage or a great friendship. Like the tree, they take a long time to assemble and decorate with memories, but can be torn down quickly.
Every year I have to put my tree away, but not my marriage or friendships. I take great care of those. They get to glow in the corner of my life for as long as I live. I get to analyze my tree and find memories for a few weeks every year. I can do the same with the loves in my life every day. Take great care of your friendships and your marriage. Once they come down, they aren’t as easy to put back together as a Christmas tree. Stand them in that special spot in the corner of your heart and admire their glow.
小題1:In the author’s eyes, the Christmas tree      .

A．is a collection of childhood memories

B．is a symbol of long-lasting relations

C．takes too much time to decorate

D．is full of out-of-date ornaments

小題2:To the author, a Christmas tree is similar to a good marriage in that      .

A．both take time to build but fall apart easily

B．both remind him of bittersweet memories

C．both need to be admired for some time

D．both get less attractive over the years

小題3:What is the main theme of the article?

A．We’d better put away Christmas decorations and recycle them each year.

B．Friendships and marriages should be valued and managed carefully.

C．Memories with friends and family should be cherished and relived.

D．We should decorate Christmas trees with personal stuff and recycle.

People often view the “l(fā)ast” moments of an event positively simply because they signal the end of an experience, say experts.
University of Michigan researchers found that even if an experience is painful or negative, but ends on a good note, people will consider it to be positive.
“Endings are powerful,” said Ed O’Brien, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan.
O’Brien and colleague Phoebe Ellsworth, the Frank Murphy Distinguished Professor of Law and Psychology, conducted a chocolate tasting experiment with 52 college students to test the theory.
Volunteers could taste five different Hershey’s Kisses chocolates—milk, dark, cream, caramel and almond – but did not know in advance how many pieces they would eat or the type. Participants rated how much they enjoyed the chocolate and described each flavor so that the researchers could record the order in which the randomly (隨機的) selected treats were eaten.
Volunteers were assigned to the “next” or the “l(fā)ast ” condition by chance.
In the “next” condition, the experimenter said “Here is your next chocolate” before offering each chocolate, including the fifth.
For the “l(fā)ast” condition, the experimenter said “Here is your last chocolate” before offering  the fifth chocolate.
These participants rated the fifth chocolate more enjoyable than volunteers in the “next” condition.
As predicted, participants who knew they were eating the final chocolate of a taste test enjoyed it more.
In fact, when asked to pick their favorite chocolate, the majority of “l(fā)ast” participants chose the fifth – even though the flavor of the fifth was randomly chosen.
They also rated the overall experience as more enjoyable than volunteers who thought they were just eating one more chocolate in a series.
O’Brien says these findings may have far-reaching implications. For example, the last book or film in a series or the last speaker in a symposium (研討會) may receive unwarranted praise.
The last job applicant, meanwhile, may look more qualified.
小題1:Which of the following is TRUE about the experiment?

A．The majority of “l(fā)ast” participants chose the almond flavor as their favorite.

B．Some participants enjoyed the experiment more because the last flavor tasted better.

C．The result would be different if researchers had used another brand of chocolate.

D．Some participants didn’t know it was their last chocolate when offered the fifth one.

小題2:What does the underlined word “unwarranted” in the second-to-last paragraph mean?

A．Fake.

B．Unwanted.

C．Unreasonable.

D．Insincere.

小題3:Which of the following is the best title for the article?

A．“Last” is the best.

B．Why “l(fā)ast” matters most.

C．It is the last step that is the hardest.

D．He who laughs last laughs best.

A true apology is more than just acknowledgement of a mistake. It’s recognition that something you’ve said or done has damaged a relationship—and that you care enough about that relationship to want it __46__ .
It’s never __47__ to acknowledge you are in the wrong. Being human, we all need the art of apology. Look back and think how __48__ you’ve judged roughly, said __49__ things, pushed yurself ahead at the expense of a friend. Some deep thought lets us know that when __50__ a small mistake has been made, your __51__ will stay out of balance until the mistake is acknowledged and your regret is __52__.
I remember a doctor friend, telling me about a man who came to him with __53__ illnesses: headache, insomnia, stomachaches and so on. No physical __54__ could be found. Finally the doctor said to the man, “__55__ you tell me what’s on your conscience, I can’t help you.”
After a short silence, the man told the doctor that he __56__ all the money that his father gave to his brother, who was __57__. His father had died, so only he himself knew the matter. The doctor made the man write to his brother making an __58__ and enclosing a __59__. In the post office, the man dropped the letter into the mail box. As the letter disappeared, the man burst into tears. “Thank you, doctor,” he said, “I think I’m all right now.” And he __60__.

小題1:	A．built B．formed C．repaired D．damaged

小題2:	A．difficult B．easy C．foolish D．shy

小題3:	A．long B．often C．much D．soon

小題4:	A．unusual B．harmful C．worthless D．unkind

小題5:	A．hardly B．even C．only D．such

小題6:	A．sense B．brain C．weight D．feeling

小題7:	A．a(chǎn)pologized B．explained C．offered D．expressed

小題8:	A．strange B．fatal C．various D．dangerous

小題9:	A．sign B．injury C．cause D．symptom

小題10:

A．Whenever B．Unless C．Suppose D．Although

小題11:

A．neglected B．a(chǎn)ccepted C．seized D．wasted

小題12:

A．mad B．lost C．a(chǎn)broad D．dead

小題13:

A．order B．excuse C．a(chǎn)greement D．a(chǎn)pology

小題14:

A．note B．card C．check D．photo

小題15:

A．should B．did C．had D．was

Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his now place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult(成年人)I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boy friends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical(挑剔的)air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.
小題1:Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?

A．He was silent most of the time	B．He was too proud of himself
C．He did not love his children	D．He expected too much of her

小題2:When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel         .

A．nervous

B．sorry

C．tired

D．safe

小題3:What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?

A．More critical	B．More talkative
C．Gentle and friendly	D．Strict and hard-working

小題4:The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to           .

A．the author’s son	B．the author’s father
C．the friend of the author’s father	D．the cafe owner

Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there’s a big difference between “being a writer” and writing. In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone as a typewriter. “You’ve got to want to write,” I say to them, “not want to be a writer.”
The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose wish is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year career in the U.S, Coast Guard to become a freelance writer(自由撰稿者), I had no hope at all. What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. It didn’t even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used typewriter and felt like a real writer.
After a year or so, however, I still hadn’t got a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn’t going to be one of those people who die wondering. What if? I would keep putting my dream to the test even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the shadow land of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.
小題1:The writer wrote the passage to ________.

A．warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experience

B．a(chǎn)dvise young people to give up their ideas of becoming a professional writer

C．show young people it’s unrealistic for a writer to dream of wealth and fame

D．encourage young people to gain a writing career

小題2:What can be concluded from the passage?

A．Real writers often find their works interesting and rewarding.

B．A writer’s success depends on luck rather than on effort.

C．Famous writers usually live in poverty and loneliness.

D．The chances for a writer to become successful are small.

小題3:The underlined part “people who die wondering. What if?” refers to “those _______.”

A．who think too much of the dark side of life

B．who regret giving up their careers halfway

C．who think a lot without making a decision

D．who are full of imaginations even upon death

小題4:What is the best title of the passage?

A．how to be a writer	B．how to earn fame
C．how to write well	D．how to keep dreaming

I hadn’t even got a chance to enter the store before an African American woman approached me and asked if I would help her return an item. The item she had   36  was intended for her daughter, but she had already received a   37 one. The lady   38  to exchange the item for something else in the store but she was told she needed an ID   39  the deal could not take place. 
I went to the   40  with the woman so we could use my ID. The sales associate immediately started  41  her of asking the first   42  person she saw to help her. Although that was   43 , I didn’t understand why it   44 . After all, not everyone is given the opportunity to   45  an ID in this country. 
Then, we asked to speak with a manager, who explained that there was no   46  to return the item without a receipt and then went on to say the woman could not   47  she purchased the item.   
“  48 I, a young white female, were to enter the store and request you to make an exchange without a receipt, I would not be   49  the privilege — as I have proof from the past.” I said. He must have realized at that moment what he had done, because he   50  to exchange the item.
There are many valuable lessons in the story. The first is to help a stranger in need. I   51  when the woman asked for my help, but   52  in my head I asked myself, “Why not? What valid   53  do I actually have?” I had none, so I helped her. 
The second lesson is not to judge a book by its   54 . The woman looked poor, but she   55  _ the same treatment as anyone else does.

小題1:	A．purchased B．shown C．lost D．mended

小題2:	A．same B．popular C．similar D．different

小題3:	A．managed B．wanted C．refused D．promised

小題4:	A．for B．or C．a(chǎn)nd D．so

小題5:	A．counter B．department C．market D．window

小題6:	A．warning B．informing C．reminding D．a(chǎn)ccusing

小題7:	A．fair B．familiar C．impossible D．random

小題8:	A．wrong B．true C．reasonable D．meaningful

小題9:	A．mattered B．happened C．passed D．worked

小題10:

A．leave B．pay C．find D．obtain

小題11:

A．request B．place C．way D．need

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)nswer B．prove C．support D．a(chǎn)dmit

小題13:

A．Unless B．And C．Instead D．If

小題14:

A．ordered B．a(chǎn)sked C．denied D．given

小題15:

A．a(chǎn)greed B．prepared C．failed D．remembered

小題16:

A．struggled B．wondered C．hesitated D．nodded

小題17:

A．totally B．gradually C．hardly D．quickly

小題18:

A．feelings B．goals C．reasons D．ideas

小題19:

A．design B．cover C．content D．price

小題20:

A．deserved B．required C．received D．a(chǎn)ppreciated

完形填空(共15小題；每小題1分，滿分15分)
A little boy invited his mother to attend his school’s first teacher-parent meeting. To the little boy’s ___35___, she said she would go. This ___36___ be the first time that his classmates and teacher met his mother and he felt ___37___of her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar(疤痕)that  ___38___nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to ___39___why or how she got the scar.
At the meeting, the people were ___40___by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother in spite of the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed(尷尬)and ___41___ himself from everyone. He did, however, get within ___42___of a conversation between his mother and his teacher.
The teacher asked___43___, “How did you get the scar on your face?”
The mother replied, “When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was___44___afraid to go in because the fire was___45___, so I went in. As I was running toward his bed, I saw a long piece of wood coming down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked___46___ but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us.” She touched the burned side of her face. This scar will be___47___, but to this day, I have never ___48___what I did.
At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears in his eyes. He held her in his arms and felt a great___49___of the sacrifice(犧牲)that his mother had made for him. He held her hand tightly for the rest of the day.

小題1:	A．enjoyment B．disappointment C．surprise D．excitement

小題2:	A．would B．could C．should D．must

小題3:	A．sick B．a(chǎn)shamed C．a(chǎn)fraid D．tired

小題4:	A．included B．passed C．covered D．shaded

小題5:	A．talk about B．think about C．care about D．hear about

小題6:	A．impressed B．surprised C．excited D．comforted

小題7:	A．hid B．protected C．separated D．escaped

小題8:	A．understanding B．reminding C．hearing D．learning

小題9:	A．carefully B．seriously C．nervously D．a(chǎn)nxiously

小題10:

A．so B．much C．quite D．too

小題11:

A．out of control B．under control C．in control D．over control

小題12:

A．helpless B．hopeless C．senseless D．useless

小題13:

A．ugly B．lasting C．serious D．frightening

小題14:

A．forgot B．recognized C．considered D．regretted

小題15:

A．honor B．sense C．happiness D．pride

One Saturday afternoon, my daughter Alice asked me, “Are all people the same even if they are different in color?”
I thought for a minute, and then I said, “I’ll explain,    36   you can just wait until we make a quick    37   at the grocery store（雜貨店）. I have something    38   to show you. ”
At the grocery store, we    39   some apples --- red, green and yellow ones. Back home, I told Alice, “It’s time to    40   your question.” I put one apple of each    41   on the table. Then I looked at Alice, who had a    42   look on her face.
“People are like apples. They come in all    43  colors, shapes and sizes. On the    44  , some of the apples may not    45   look as the others. ” As I was talking, Alice was    46   each one carefully.
Then, I took each of the apples and peeled（削皮）them,    47   them back on the table, but    48   a different place.
“Okay, Alice, tell me which is which.”
She said, “I    49   tell. They all look the same now. ” “Take a bite of    50  . See if that helps you    51   which one is which. ”
She took    52  , and then a huge smile came across her face. “People are    53   like apples! They are all different, but once you    54   the outside, they’re pretty much the same on the inside. ”
She totally    55   it. I didn’t need to say or do anything else.

小題1:	A．a(chǎn)lthough B．so C．because D．if

小題2:	A．stop B．start C．turn D．stay

小題3:	A．expressive B．encouraging C．informative D．interesting

小題4:	A．bought B．counted C．saw D．collected

小題5:	A．check B．mention C．a(chǎn)nswer D．improve

小題6:	A．size B．type C．shape D．class

小題7:	A．worried B．satisfied C．proud D．curious

小題8:	A．ordinary B．normal C．different D．regular

小題9:	A．outside B．whole C．table D．inside

小題10:

A．still B．even C．only D．ever

小題11:

A．examining B．measuring C．drawing D．packing

小題12:

A．keeping B．placing C．pulling D．giving

小題13:

A．on B．toward C．for D．in

小題14:

A．mustn’t B．can’t C．shouldn’t D．needn’t

小題15:

A．each one B．each other C．the other D．one another

小題16:

A．a(chǎn)dmit B．consider C．decide D．believe

小題17:

A．big bites B．deep breaths C．a(chǎn) firm hold D．close look

小題18:

A．just B．a(chǎn)lways C．merely D．seldom

小題19:

A．put away B．get down C．hand out D．take off

小題20:

A．made B．took C．got D．did

I have this old clock that belonged to my mom. My dad gave it to me years ago after mom passed away.
I have mixed feelings about having the clock. I love it because it was my mom’s, but it also holds some bad memories.
You see, it chimes. It counts out the hour and rings once on the half hour. Or at least it used to. Now you never know what number it will ring.
When my mother was at home dying from cancer, she asked for the clock to be unplugged. Hearing the hours count down really angered and frightened her.
Mom passed away. I decided I wanted to get the clock fixed so I could remember the good hours we had with her.
I took it to a local clock shop the other day.
“I know this has no particular value as a clock, but it was my mom’s and I need to get it fixed,” I said to the shop owner.
I went on to describe the problem.
“We get a lot of these in,” he told me. “Here’s what I do. We remove the clock works (機件) and replace it with a battery-operated movement (機芯) that chimes electronically,” he told me.
“You can’t fix this?”
“No, we don’t have the time nor the parts.”
I thanked him and went home. I called a few other places and was told the same thing.
“How incredibly sad,” I told the last one disappointedly.
How incredibly sad that we have become a society that replaces craftsmanship with convenience and easy fixes. We copy the original instead of creating something new. We duplicate (復制); we don’t originate (發(fā)明).
Sadly, the same goes for our attitude to life itself.
Each of us is an original, one of a kind. But we find it so much easier to copy another style than to develop our own.
We are wannabes (崇拜別人的人) rather than hey-world-look-at-mes.
We fail to see the real value in who we are, so we spend our lives trying to be someone else.
小題1: Why did the author decide to get the clock fixed?

A．Because it was a really old and valuable clock.

B．Because it was the only thing that her mother had left her.

C．Because it brought her memories of being with her mother.

D．Because it left the author with mixed feelings.

小題2: What did the clock shop owners tell the author?

A．The parts that the clock needed were electronic.

B．It would cost a lot to repair the clock.

C．They had never repaired a clock like this before.

D．They could only make the clock electronic.

小題3: The author intends to ________.

A．criticize the irresponsible clock shop owners

B．criticize people who do not value things with a history

C．criticize people who do not have a creative attitude toward life

D．criticize people’s ignorance of traditional craftsmanship

完形填空（共15小題；每小題1分, 滿分15分）
Wings of Angel
I used to hate myself because I wasn’t “normal”. Everyone else could play on the monkey bars and ride on a bicycle, but not   37 . I had a severe spinal cord disorder (脊髓病) and I knew I would always be much   38  than others.
I hated going to school and I hated people   39  at me. I hated seeing others smiling broadly and standing straight and tall. And most of all, I hated looking in the   40  and seeing an ugly hunchback (駝背).
My friends found me distant because I didn’t let others get   41  to me. I thought I was going to go on like this for the rest of my life   42  Angela appeared.
That afternoon, I was sitting by myself in a corner of the school — a spot where no one would   43  me. That’s when I first heard her voice.
“Hi. Can I sit down?”
I raised my head and there she was, with an irresistible smile on her round face.
“What are you looking at?” she asked.
“Ants.”
“What are they doing?”
“No idea.”
“I bet they’re playing games and making friends. Don’t you think so?”
That was how our   44  started and it didn’t stop. We talked about everything under the sun—the ants, the clouds, my situation — until it was sunset.
Then suddenly, she saw my   45 . She just stared.
My heart sank. What I feared most had happened and I knew for sure she would  46  me now.
She stood up, pointed at my back and said, “I know   47  your back is hunched.”
I closed my eyes like a criminal waiting to be sentenced(審判). I begged in my heart for
her to   48  , but she just kept on going. “I know what you’ve got in there. Do you?”
“No,” I answered weakly.
She bent and   49  my ears.
“Your back is hunched because you’ve got a pair of wings from the angels.”  
I was    50   .I looked into her eyes and her kindness touched my heart. From that day on, I started to learn to   51   myself because I have the wings of an angel and a kind-hearted friend.

小題1:	A．them B．it C．myself D．me

小題2:	A．shorter B．taller C．weaker D．slower

小題3:	A．looking B．smiling C．a(chǎn)iming D．glaring

小題4:	A．street B．sun C．mirror D．corner

小題5:	A．closely B．close C．near D．nearly

小題6:	A．a(chǎn)fter B．while C．until D．unless

小題7:	A．disturb B．seek C．comfort D．ignore

小題8:	A．games B．performance C．conversation D．competition

小題9:	A．face B．back C．eyes D．wings

小題10:

A．look up to B．catch up with C．look down upon D．put up with

小題11:

A．that B．why C．whether D．how

小題12:

A．relax B．stop C．leave D．forbid

小題13:

A．said B．spoke C．whispered D．shouted

小題14:

A．worried B．a(chǎn)stonished C．a(chǎn)shamed D．upset

小題15:

A．control B．hate C．forgive D．like