B

Have you ever been laughed at by others? Being laughed at is a common fear. But a study found that this fear is not the same around the world. It dif?fers from culture to culture.

People in Finland were the least likely to believe that people laughing in their presence were making fun of them. Less than ten per cent of Finns in the study said they would think that, compared to eighty per cent of people in Thailand.

Some people in the study said they felt unsure of themselves in social situ?ations but hid their feelings of insecurity(不安全).Others said they avoided social situations where they had been laughed at before. The study found that people in Turkmenistan and Cambodia were more likely to be in the first group. They would hide their feelings of insecurity if they were around other people's laughter. But people in Iraq, Egypt and Jordan were more likely to try to avoid such situations if they felt they had been laughed at before.

Shy people often avoid situations that would force them into close contact with other people. They worry that something they say or do will make other people laugh at them. But some people worry much more than others. They may have gelotophobia. Gelos is a Greek word. It means laughter. Phobia means fear. This fear of laughter can be truly sad for those who live with it. It can affect how they lead their lives.

In the study, a team from the University of Zurich led more than ninety researchers from around the world. They wanted to understand the difference between normal shyness and true gelotophobia. Another purpose of the study was to compare the levels of fear of being laughed at in different cultures. The researchers surveyed more than twenty-two thousand people in forty-two dif?ferent languages. The findings appeared in the scientific journal Humour.

6.The author asked a question in the first paragraph in order to____________________ .

A. show his/her doubt                     B.  introduce the topic

C.  ask for the answer                    D.  entertain readers

7. Paragraph 3 mainly tells us______________ .

  A.     people in different cultures show different fears of being laughed at

B.     people in Egypt think people laughing at them are making fun of them

C.     people always try to avoid situations where they may be looked down on

D.     many people usually try to hide their feelings when being laughed at in strange places

8. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

  A.     People in Thailand like making fun of others.

B.     People in Iraq, Egypt and Cambodia often avoided people's laughter.

C.     The study found that people of Finland always made other people laugh.

D.     Some people hid their feelings of insecurity if they felt unsure of themselves.

9.According to the passage, shy people often________________ .

  A.     live their life with great fear

B.     fear that they may hurt others

C.     worry much more than others

D.     avoid getting in touch with others

10. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A. The results of the study.                B.  The introduction to the study.

C. The influence of the study.               D.  The importance of the study.

A young girl is calling a neighbour a superhero because of what he did when she was trapped beneath a car. Nick Harris said he didn't know where he found the strength, but somehow he managed to lift a car off the 6-year-old girl last week, earning himself the title of su?perman. "I just think it's a Christmas miracle," Harris said.

Harris said he had tried several times and again to recreate (再現(xiàn))the surprising show of strength because instinct (本能)sent him running to the 6-year-old girl's aid. "I just ran over there, saw the tire on her, and lif?ted the car up to get her out from underneath the car,w Harris said. "I don't know how I did it. I've tried three or four times since then.，，

Harris was dropping off his daughter at Eugene Field Elementary Friday morning when he saw a car back out of a driveway, pinning (使不能動彈)the girl under its tire. That girl turned out to be his daughter's best friend.

"I was expecting her to have bad injuries," Harris said. "I've had broken toes, because a car just backed over my foot. And here this whole car was on top of her. I wasn't expecting it to turn out as wonderful as it did. ，， The first grader was flown to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City by an air ambulance (救護車)， but didn't have to stay long.

"They all call me superman now," Harris said. "I'm just a dad. I'm just a dad that was in the right place at the right time. And I was finally able to help and I did something good.

1,  Why was Harris called a superhero?

A.    He saved a girl by lifting a car.

B.    He won in a Christmas competition.

C.    He pushed off the car on his daughter.

D.    He was always ready to help his neighbours.

2.   Harris tried many times to repeat his action in order to    .

A.    prove he had great strength

B.    find out how he had done it

C.    show his daughter he was a hero

D.    make people believe what happened

3.    Where did the accident happen?

A.    Near Children's Mercy Hospital.

B.    Around his neighbour's home.

C.    Outside a supermarket.

D.    At a school gate.

4.    What can we learn about Harris?

A.    He was fond of the movie Superman.

B.    He had the accident while backing his car.

C.    He drove the injured girl to the nearby hospital.

D.    He was once run over on the foot by a car.

閱讀理解 

A

In light of what has happened in many countries* we can all see how dev?astating (破壞 性的) an earthquake can be. You may be asking yourself, " How do I get prepared for a quake if I don't know that it's coming?"There are some steps that you can take to make your home a little safer in the event that a quake occurs.

Ensure that heavy furniture is not in a position where it could fall onto a bed. If a quake occurs while you are in bed, you do not want your bookcase falling on you. Check and repair deep cracks(裂縫)in ceilings. This is espe?cially important after a quake.

If you see any damage that you are unable to repair, consult a professional. Ensure that you have no gas leaks(泄露)in or around your home.

Have your disaster plan in place. Know where to meet your family. Have your bags packed. Do drills with your family at least twice a year, which will ensure that everyone knows what to do.

What to do during the quake:

Earthquake safety tips are different depending on your place. Here are some tips for various locations.

Indoors： If you stay indoors, get low to the ground and move only to the nearest piece of strong furniture or corner. Crouch(蜷伏)down low covering the back of your neck and head with your hands. Stay away from windows or anything that could fall on you.

Outdoors: If you stay already outdoors, stay out there. Get away from any buildings, power lines, or anything that could fall.

Vehicle; If you are in a vehicle, pull over when you can safely do so. Avoid bridges, tall buildings and power lines.

1.The underlined word "This" in Paragraph 2 probably means " "•

 A.     avoiding hangings on the wall

B.     checking and repairing deep cracks

C.     fixing your furniture in place

D.     moving your bookcase off your bed

2.To make everyone know what to do once there is an earthquake, you should .

 A.     turn to a professional

B.     exercise twice a year to run faster

C.     tell your family where to meet

D.     practise your plan with your family

3. Which of the following is NOT the right way when you stay indoors during a quake?

 A.     Covering your mouth with wet towels.

B.     Avoiding staying near windows.

C.     Covering your neck and head with your hands.

D.     Getting low to the ground and moving to the corner.

4. If you happen to be in your car during the quake, you should .

  A.     rush out of the car quickly

B.     stop your car where it is safe

C.     ensure you are awake in the car

D.     speed your car to a safer place

5.What is the best title of this passage?

  A.     Some safety tips

B.     A disaster plan

C.     How to prepare for an earthquake

D.     How to make our home a little safer

選詞填空

take off   end up   on average   flood in   pick up

1.  The students scored 100 ___________  in the intelligence test, while John got 160.

2. If you don't know what you want, you might______________ getting something you don't want.

3.  He has never studied French; what he ____________knows is what he while living in France.

4. The plane___________________ from the airport and headed south towards Hong Kong.

5. When I drew the curtains back, the sunlight _________________.

5.I think you'd better tell me the _____________ for your being late again and again.

4.Henry has taken _______________the running of the family firm from his old father.

3. Cheer up ！ Everyone may have periods in their lives_____________ everything seems tough.

Smith： Mary, have you got the result of the exam? Mary: No. How is it?

Smith: Terrible. It seems that only half of the students passed the final exam,

Mary: Really? The exam 35.  have been very difficult this time.

Smith; Well, I'm really 36.    ( surprise) too. There are many students who definitely didn't fail. According to Carl, there are eight boys in his class who failed, 37.  (include) himself and George.

Mary: Oh! George is 38.   of the top students in the college. What about his sister, Cather?ine? Did she pass?

Smith: Oh, yes. It seems that she 39.   (get) a good mark.

Mary: That's 40,     (absolute) unbelievable ！ George was 41.  much better student than his sister, and has been working so hard for the last few months.

Smith：It seems 42.   (fair), doesn't it?But, from 43.  I've heard, perhaps he worked too hard. He was ill during the week of the exam.

Mary: Oh, I see. These things happen sometimes. I suppose the teacher will take his illness into account and give him a pass.

Smith: Well,  there is a rumour going around 44.   the head of the Department is leaving.

Mary： Because of the bad result, you mean?

Smith; Well, I suppose so. I'm not sure. Maybe Mr Dustin is going to be the new head of the Depart?ment.

People visit other countries for 25.   (variety) reasons. Some travel on business; 26.   travel to visit interesting places 27.    are only found in other countries, such as the Taj Mahal in India, the temples of Thailand, and the Pyramids at Gi?za.

28.   you go, and for whatever reason? it is important to be safe. A tourist can attract a lot of at?tention from local people. While the majority of people you'll meet when travelling are sure to be friendly and 29.   (welcome) , there are dangers-一theft be?ing the most common. Just as in your home country, do not expect everyone you meet to be friendly and helpful. 

30.   is important to prepare for your trip in advance, and to take precautions (警惕)while you 31.  (travel).As you prepare 32.   your trip, make sure you have the right paperwork. You don't want to get to your destination only 33.    (find) you have the wrong visa, or worse, that your passport is about to expire (到 期). Also, make sure you travel with proper medical insurance, so that if you are sick or injured during your travel, you will be able to get treatment. If you want to drive while you are abroad, make sure you have 34.   international driver's licence.

2. You'd better not leave the medicine  ______________  kids can get at it.