I reached Cairo and took a taxi to Tahrir Square. The taxi dropped me off across the street from
Hardee' s, a fast-food restaurant. In the cold January air, two street children came to me with cries
for food.
As a world traveler, I was used to beggars. But seldom had I been so moved by the sincerity of the
plea (懇求) . I asked them to wait while I went inside to buy them food. Since I was traveling on a
tight budget and was even skipping meals on occasion, part of me identified with the children's hunger.
But mostly, the children reminded me how rich I really was.
     At the counter I ordered two hamburgers for the boys. Then, as the hamburgers were being cooked,
I overcame my remaining stinginess(小氣)and bought them one of Hardee' s delicious, big chocolate chip
cookies.
     As they took the hamburgers, they showed me with 30 seconds of nonstop blessings, praying that
Allah would bless me always. After they finished, I reached into the bag and pulled out the cookie,
extending it for them to take. Both boys fell silent, and tears welled up in their eyes as they insisted this
was too much. They refused the cookie six times. On my seventh attempt, after a long silent pause.
they held out their hands and took the cookie.
     The events that night are now in the past, but there are moments when I'm transported back to that
empty square and to the honest faces of two boys. Five years later, I still ask God's blessings for those
two Egyptian boys. While they had nothing material to give, they gave me something greater. an
awareness of my spiritual poverty and a desire for a softer heart.

1. Which of the following serves as the best title for the story?

A. An Unforgettable Trip.
B. Beggars Who Gave.
C. A world Traveler.
D. Food That Was Refused.

2. From the story we know the writer         .

A. paid a visit to Cairo in winter to help the poor
B. bought cookies and coffees for the two boys
C. traveled with chop cookies in his bag occasionally
D. went hungry at times in order to save money

3. Why did the two beggars refuse to accept the cookies at first?

A. They pretended to behave politely.
B. They had eaten too much to have more.
C. They felt content with what they had got.
D. They intended to test the writer's sincerity.

4. Which of the following can best describe the writer?

A. Considerate and generous.
B. Rich but merciless.
C. Brave and thoughtful.
D. Helpful but cautious.

     I have had the privilege of meeting some very interesting people over the years. Some of these
people made a great impact on my life, my views and personal philosophy. Others I met had the
opposite effect because they represented attitudes, behavior and beliefs that were directly opposed
to my views on life and my feelings about the value of all people.
     One such person I met was a woman in her late seventies. She had been an active woman, raised
a family and had engaged in helping others, and developed her own crafts to sell at selected craft
shows throughout the year.
     When I met her for the first time, I couldn't believe that she was in her late seventies - I would
have placed her age more in her early sixties. After speaking with her for a short period, it was only
then that the conversation seemed to turn to age. And, it wasn't a conversation about the frailty (脆
弱) of age, or the aches and pains, or about pleasures lost.
     The conversation, instead, focused on her zest for life and all the things that she was in the planning
stages of doing. And, what she was planning to do wasn't about going to a seniors group so she and
her husband could go on a bus tour. What she was planning was an excursion (旅行) to Europe,
unaccompanied by any tour operator or taken around the usual sights by a local guide.
     She really impressed me a lot because of her zest for life; for an uncompromising view of the future
not in the least affected by her age; for the undying faith in knowing that there was a great deal of life
yet to be discovered and experienced and yearning for each new image, discussion, smell, cultural
uniqueness or experience.

1.From the text we know_____________.

A. the woman had much sight-seeing around the world.
B. the woman was willing to help others.
C. the woman made great wealth by selling crafts.
D. the woman talked a lot about her age.

2.The old woman impressed the author because ______________.

A. she kept young in spite of her age
B. she had experienced a lot in life
C. she never gave in to the aches and pains in life
D. she had a positive outlook on life

3.What kind of tone does the author use to describe the woman?

A. Doubtful.
C. Concerning.
C. Sympathetic.
D. Appreciative.

4.The underlined word "zest" in the fourth paragraph probably means"_________".

A. enthusiasm
B. concept
C. view
D. satisfaction

     I was walking along the deserted main street of a small seaside town in the north of England looking
somewhere to make a phone call. My car had broken down outside the town and I wanted to get in
touch with the Automobile Association .Low gray clouds were drifting across the sky and there was
a cold damp wind blowing off the sea. It had rained in the night and water was dripping from the bare
trees that lined the street. I was glad that I was wearing a thick coat.
     I could see no call box, nor was there anyone at that early hour I could ask. I had thought I might
find a shop selling the Sunday papers or a milkman doing his job, but the town was completely dead.
     Then suddenly I found what I was looking for. There was a small post office, and almost hidden
from sight in a dark narrow street next to it was the town's only public call box, which badly needed
a coat of paint, I hurried forward but stopped in astonishment when I saw through the dirty glass that
there was a man inside. He was very fat, and was wearing a cheap blue plastic raincoat and rubber
boots. I could not see his face - he was bending forward over the phone with his back pressed against
the glass and didn't even raise his head at the sound of my coming nearer and nearer. Carefully and
surprisedly, I remained standing a few feet away and lit a cigarette to wait my turn. It was when I threw
the dead match on the ground that I noticed something bright red trickling from under the call box door.

1. The author was walking through the small seaside town__________.

A. late morning      
B. before midnight    
C. early morning    
D. late evening

2. The weather of the day was ____, when the story happened.

A. stormy, damp and clear        
B. windy, cold and cloudy
C. rainy, cold and clear              
D. rainy, windy and cold

3. Why was the author astonished when he saw that there was a man in the call box? Because___

A. the man inside was still wearing a raincoat
B. he didn't expect it to be taken up
C. the man had his back with him
D. the man did not seem to be moving

4. The author waited, standing a few feet away from the box because____.

A. it was bad manners to overhear other's phone calls
B. the man didn't notice his coming
C. he wanted to have a cigarette to calm himself down
D. it was not safe to be close to the box

5. What do you suppose happened to the man in the call box?

A. He slept.                              
B. He was too fat to move around.
C. He was lost in his important phone call.    
D. He had most probably been killed.

     Jennie and I met in night school. After having completed the required courses, we started teaching
in the same school. Frequently we had lunch together.
     For a time we were just casual friends, but one day, when I was telling Jennie about my problem
son, we discovered we were kindred spirits. "He's a difficult little character," I explained. Jennie looked
thoughtful, "Maybe you're seeing him with your eyes." She was silent a moment and then added softly,
"It is only with the heart that one sees rightly." I stared at her, "You're quoting that! It's from The Little
Prince, SaintExupery's book for children. One of my favorites. You know it, too?" Jennie nodded, "I
love it. I've read it so often, I've practically memorized it."
     Now, when I think of Jennie, I recall that book, because Jennie-more than anyone I know-possessed
the gift of seeing with the heart.
     From that moment of a treasured book shared, our friendship grew steadily. It wasn't that I didn't have an excellent relationship with my husband and son. But my mother had died shortly after my marriage, and I had neither sisters nor daughters. I realize, now, how I needed someone to share those little, seemingly
unimportant things that add so much to life-things that must be shared to be fully appreciated.
     And it was Jennie who helped me with my fourthgrade problem child. One day I_was_at_my_wit's__
end. "What he needs is a good beating!" I exploded.
     "He's probably had plenty of those," Jennie said. "Maybe he just needs sincere praise for anything he
does right, and a hug or two each day." I followed this suggestion, and eventually, because of Jennie, I
discovered a lovable little boy.
     Looking back, I had to admit that she taught me so much, such as how to love spring. One April day I said, "I hate rain!" And I'll never forget what she said, "You can't hate spring rain! It brings the flowers!" So I learned to love spring rain, too, because it did bring flowers-violets, tulips and daffodils.

1. What does the underlined sentence "I was at my wit's end" mean?

A. I didn't know what to do next.                      
B. I decided to give up.
C. I was hurt by my son deeply.                        
D. I was very proud of my son.

2. We learn from the passage that the author ________.

A. has the gift of seeing with the heart
B. likes spring rain because it seldom rains in spring
C. had lost her mother before her marriage
D. seldom praised her child in the past

3. How does the author feel about her family?

A. No one listened to her seemingly unimportant things.
B. She didn't get along well with her husband and son.
C. She seldom spoke to her mother.
D. She felt quite alone in her family.

4. The passage is mainly about ________.

A. how to educate children properly
B. the fact that we should see nature differently
C. the influence of friendship on our life
D. how friendship begins and develops

     Alex Taw, a 21yearold student from Wiltshire, England. He spent last summer like any other
high school graduate-hanging out with friends, preparing for college, worrying about his university
fees. While most of his peers gave up on their pipe dreams, he sat down with a notebook at home,
and jotted down (草草記下) the question: How can I become a millionaire?
     The result was the Million Dollar Homepage. com. Alex's initial investment was 50 pounds to
buy web space and a domain (領域) name. He divided the blank homepage into one million pixels
(電腦上的像點), 10,000 blocks of 100 pixels each. Each pixel was worth $ 1, minimum purchase:
100 pixels. Within a month Alex had earned some $ 37,000, enough for him to cover the entire cost
of his forthcoming three years at university. In just a few months, he became a real millionaire.
     How did he come up with the idea of the Millionaire Dollar Home Page?
     "Well, I was trying to think of a way to make some money before I started university, as I was
about to take on a huge debt and I was already overdrawn (透支). Swift action was necessary!"
He said.
     He also added, "The important thing is that anything is possible-we are only limited by our
imagination. I always had this belief that a good idea can be successful on its own. I think I've learnt
that if we think deeper there are magical solutions hiding away for us to find."
     His personal philosophy around money is: Money is not everything, but it's an essential part of
the way we live. Having__some__removes__a__certain__amount__of__stress,__but,__unless_
_we__are__careful,__it__can__create__a__new__type__of__stress.
     He also said, "I still want to go to university. Aside from gaining knowledge about business, there
are other reasons-exploring your interests, meeting new people, and being in a creative environment."
     Besides making contributions to society, he would try to encourage and inspire people to think
of creative solutions to problems, whatever they are.