Koalas are found only in Australia. Even if called koala bear, this animal has nothing to do with the actual
bear; it is not even a mammal (哺乳動物), but a marsupial (有袋動物), like the kangaroo. Its closest living
relatives are the wombats (毛鼻袋熊). A koala is about 60-80cm long and weighs 5-14kg. 
     The name "koala" means "no drink", and refers to the koala's ability to go for days without water. Koalas
get the water content they need from the eucalyptus (桉樹) leaves on which they feed. The koala is the only
mammal with a digestive system that can feed only on eucalyptus leaves-incidentally, these leaves are highly
poisonous if eaten by humans. One individual consumes about 5kg of eucalyptus leaves daily and it may never
drink water!
     The koala is a nocturnal mammal. They prefer to move around just after sunset, spending daytime sleeping
in the form of a tree. A koala spends sleeping 75% of its time. The eucalyptus leaves they eat are rich in fiber
and poor in proteins and fats. The adult must detoxify (排毒) leaves with energy expense, while fiber is hard
to break down. Because of this poor diet, koalas save energy by sleeping most of the day, while their
movements are very slow.
     Koalas only have one young per year. In summer, baby koalas are born about a month after mating. The
female takes it with her mouth and places it into her poach. In 6 months, the young can get out and feed on
leaves. There are probably around 2,000 to 8,000 wild koalas in Australia at present. The extremely fine gray
fur is the reason why koala has been heavily hunted in the past. Koalas are killed every year by dogs, cats,
dingoes, eagles and owls. They also die of disease and accidents.

1. Koalas do not get poisoned when eating eucalyptus simply because of their _____.

A. special need
B. living habitat
C. digestive system
D. born laziness

2. Why does the koala spend most of its time sleeping?

A. To escape from natural enemies.
B. To save its energy.
C. To protect itself from the sun.
D. To detoxify eucalyptus leaves.

3. The underlined word "nocturnal" in the passage refers to "_____".

A. active during the night
B. excited in the daytime
C. inactive during the night
D. upset in the daytime

4. What information will probably be provided following the last paragraph?

A. Steps to protect the koala.
B. Living areas of the koala.
C. Ways the female feeds her young.
D. The decreasing number of the koala.

     Many English learners have difficulty deciding what kind of English accent they want to have. A US
accent, perhaps modeled on the way a Hollywood star speaks? Or maybe you want to imitate (模仿) the
British accent of a BBC news reader?
     Young British people find the US accent attractive while young US people like a British accent. Especially
when the person speaking is of the opposite sex! Let's listen to what they have to say. Stephen Yang, 17, from
London, UK A US accent is cute, especially when a girl speaks it. Whether it's Jessia Alba speaking or the
girl- next-door, the way US girls speak has a sweet tingle that is really sassy (時髦). A girl from Texas recently moved into our neighborhood. Her Texan twang (鼻音) had all the boys here on their knees within seconds of
meeting her.
      To me, accents reflect the attitudes, characteristics and lifestyles of the people. Jennifer Sun, 16, from
New Jersey, US From watching English actors like Daniel Radcliffe, my friends and I have developed a soft
spot for British men. Some are attracted to the qualities of English males, while others admire their sense of
style.
     Everyone, however, agrees that the most appealing aspect of an English man is his accent. For example,
many American girls watch Harry Potter movies over and over again just to listen to the actors speak. The
English accent seems almost like art.

1. In Stephen Yang's opinion, accents just show_______.

A. the beauty of the language
B. how the language is spoken
C. the cultural differences of the speakers
D. the fashion of the day

2. The underlined word "cute" probably means_______.

A. strange
B. exciting
C. attractive
D. fashionable

3. Many American girls watch Harry Porter again and again in order to ________.

A. learn the acting skills of the these stars
B. learn the magic performed by Harry Potter
C. imitate the actors' accents
D. know more about British English

4. What is probably the best title for this passage?

A. British English and American English
B. British Accent or American Accent
C. American English Accent is Most Accepted
D. The difference between British Accent and American Accent.

A: Hello, Judy. How are you getting along with your word processing (文字處理) class?
B: Well, so far progress has been rather slow. I haven't learned the keyboard yet, and I have problems
    remembering all the orders of editing. I get really impatient because I want to master the means to
    operate the computer as soon as possible.
A: Just remember that Rome wasn't built in a day. Word processing (文字處理) can't be such an easy
    matter.
B: You're right. Our teacher keeps telling us that it takes time to learn all the techniques (技巧) of word 
    processing and that we can't master everything in one day.
A: That' s entirely true. But you'll catch on. Just be patient and practise whenever you can.

1. This dialogue suggests that Judy and the partner ______.

A. may be friends
B. are studying in the same class
C. are both learning word processing
D. are both tired of study

2. What's the main idea of the dialogue?

A. Word processing isn't an easy thing at all.
B.Only step by step can we master something.
C. True friendship will benefit our progress.
D. Truth comes from practice.

3. "Rome wasn't built in a day" means that we should be ______.

A. patient
B. hardworking
C. friendly
D. impatient

     Recently Dr. Cleiman has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle. During the hours when you labor
through your work, you may say that you are"hot". That is true, the time of day when you feel most energetic
(full of energy) is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak(top). For some people the peak comes
during the forenoon (上午前). For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why
this is so.
     Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what this energy cycle means and which
cycle each member of the family has.
      You cannot change your cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better."Habits can help," Dr.
Cleiman believes. If your energy cycle is low in the morning but you have an important job early in the day,
rise before your usual hour, and then you will work better at your low point.
     Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a lazy yawn (哈欠) and stretch. Sit on the
edge of bed before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome searching for clean clothes by laying
them out the night before.

1. Dr. Cleiman did not explain in the passage ______.

A. how people can make their life fit their cycle
B. whether everyone has a daily cycle or not
C. why people have their energy cycle of body at different times
D. what will happen in the family if the couple fail to realize which cycle each member has

2. For what reason may husbands and wives quarrel with each other?

A. Either of them gets up late in the morning.
B. Husbands and wives have different cycles of energy.
C. Either of them wants to change the cycle of the other's.
D. They do not know which cycle they themselves have.

3. According to the passage,_______.

A. one should get up earlier if he wants to work better at his low point in the morning
B. one can change his cycle
C. whenever you feel hot, your energy cycle reaches the highest
D. your cycle must be in the morning if you can get up early

4. Which of the following can save your energy in the morning?

A. Getting up late.
B. Jumping out of bed as quickly as possible.
C. Looking for clean clothes.
D. Sitting for a while before getting out of bed.

5. Which of the following statements is wrong?

A. If you know your cycle you can make good use of time.
B. If you know your cycle you can change it to fit your life.
C. Father and son do not necessarily have the same cycle.
D. Having a habit of doing something can make people affected less by their energy cycle.

    The new iPhone 3G should please everyone. Its look and feel are only slightly improved,
but a faster network loads Web pages more quickly, true GPS functionality allows it to easily
find places nearby, and the new $199 price (down from $400) makes it an affordable luxury.
    Before deciding whether to buy, however, make sure you can actually take advantage of
the iPhone 3G's high-speed data network. 3G stands for third-generation, which in non-geek
speak translates to Web pages and mail messages that, ideally, load about three times faster
than on the original iPhone. Even better, 3G coverage enables you to make a phone call and surf
the Web at the same time. That's great, if you live or work in a place where the 3G network of
AT&T (美國電話電報公司) (the sole wireless carrier of the iPhone) is active. That's not so
great in cities like New York where AT&T's cellular coverage is awful. As one of my colleagues
in New York City, who bought the original iPhone, commented, "It's just a toy. You can't make
phone calls on it, so I carry my Verizon phone with me all the time."
    The real fun begins when you tap on the icon called "App Store" and start browsing the hundreds
of add-on applications that have been developed just for the iPhone. You'll find tons of games (I like
JirboBreak, a free game inspired by the Atari classic Breakout) and mobile versions of popular
websites like Pandora, Facebook, MySpace and the New York Times. Most apps will cost you,
but the vast majority are $9.99 or less. The apps work on the old iPhones too, but you'll enjoy them
a lot more on the iPhone 3G because many of the programs, including Yelp (local business reviews),
Whrrl (mobile social networking) and UrbanSpoon (restaurant reviews), use your exact location-
provided by the iPhone 3G's GPS chip-to make recommendations. The apps also load much faster
over the 3G network.

1. The new iPhone 3G has following features except that _____.

A. It looks and feels better
B. It has a faster network
C. It is easy to locate a place
D. It is too expensive for people to buy

2. Why do one of my colleagues carry Verizon phone with him all the time?

A. Because iPhone 3G is just a toy.
B. ecause he prefers Verizon phone better.
C. Because AT&T's cellular coverage is terrible there.
D. Because Verizon phone enables him make a phone call and surf the Web at the same time.

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage.

A. App Store will offer you great fun.
B. many apps have been developed for the iPhone.
C. Most apps are very expensive.
D. Pandora, Facebook, MySpace and the New York Times are popular websites.

4. From the passage we know that the attitude of the author toward iPhone 3G is _____.

A. doubtful
B. appreciative
C. optimistic
D. pessimistic

     Proverbs are quite common in spoken English. We don't normally put them in a composition or a letter.
Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean. Here are a few examples.
     1) "Once bitten, twice shy." If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This
proverb is also used to apply to many things and not only to dogs. If you have been cheated at a shop, you
will not go the same shop again.
     2) "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to
catch one than to see two birds in a bush but not able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have
already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in future.
     3) "Too many cooks spoil the broth (soup)". When too many people do something, they get in each other's
way and do a bad job.
     4) "To pour oil on troubled waters" is to try to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in
trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people.
However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough.
     5) "Don't be a dog in a manger( 槽 )" means " Don't be selfish." In a stable ( 馬房 ), the manger is the
place where the horse's food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bark when a horse comes
to get its food. The dog does want to eat the lay in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it.
     6) "He is sitting on the fence" means that somebody will not say whether he is in favor of a plan or against
it. He is sitting on a fence between two opposing sides, perhaps waiting to see which side will win.
     7) "He who pays the piper calls the tune." A piper is a musician. The man who employs or pays a musician
can say what tunes the man will play. Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say
how it will be carried out.
     8) "You can't get blood out of a stone" means that you cannot get something from a person who has not
got any of the things you want. e. g. you cannot get a million dollars from a poor man.

1. Peter has a bicycle which is much too small for him but he does not want to let his younger brother
    ride on it. His mother is angry and says to him: ______.

A. You can't get blood out of a stone
B. Don't be a dog in a manger
C. The early bird gets the worm
D. To pour oil on troubled waters

2. Mr. Wang paid for a new school. Some people didn't like the design of the school but they
    didn't argue with Mr. Wang because ______.

A. he was sitting on the fence
B. once bitten, twice shy
C. he who pays the piper calls the tune
D. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

3. Mrs. Lin wanted to buy a new dress. Her husband suggested that she buy it from a shop near their home.
    Mrs. Lin disagreed because she had been cheated by that shop. So she said: "I won't go there again
     because ______."　

A. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
B. I am sitting on the fence
C. once bitten, twice shy
D. too many cooks spoil the broth

4. Mr. Brown had quite a good job in Hong Kong but he thought that if he went to Singapore, he might
    get a much better job with more money and a larger house. His wife didn't want him to leave his job
     in Hong Kong and she reminded him that ______.

A. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
B. too many cooks spoil the broth
C. you can not get blood out of a stone

     Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessary so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here's how:
       1. Plan your time carefully. When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. then decide a good, regular time for studying. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.
     2. Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television! When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.
      3. Make good use of your time in class. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.
     4. Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Review the important points that your teacher mentioned in class. If you know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.
       5. Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be overly worried. There are other methods that might help you with your studying. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.

     A new study has been carried to test the role of story telling in lowering blood pressure. Dr.Thomas
Houston, a professor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, led a group of scientists that
investigated how pre-recorded videos of hypertension (高血壓) patients' talking about their medical histories
helped another group of patients with high blood pressure to control their condition over several months.
     Houston was surprised by their studies that suggested that communication can be a powerful tool in
medicine. They showed that those who had had similar experiences, when talking to someone with a similar
background, could help change their behavior to become healthier. Hypertension is difficult to control, since
it is dependent on diet, exercise and mental state. Medical treatments with drugs, and lifestyle therapies(療法)
have been relatively ineffective because people find it hard to follow those medical requirements.
       In the test, his team carefully chose their story-tellers from 230 members of a patients' community with
whom they could most easily relate. Next, they divided their study population into two groups. One received
three interactive (互動) DVDs containing the tellers' stories of their experiences in living with and treating their
hypertension. The other were given educational discs on an unrelated health topic. The study volunteers
reported that they had listened to the DVDs, and after three months, those who heard the stories of the
hypertensive patients lowered their blood pressure.
     While the study did not address how the story-telling influenced the patients' behavior, Houston suspects
that watching patients of similar backgrounds who had a similar medical experience helped to motivate them
to seek medical help to their hypertension. They found that after six months the difference in blood pressure
between those who watched the story-tellers and those who observed the unrelated videos remained,
suggesting that the story-telling continued to have an effect.

1. We can learn from the text that the pre-recorded videos ______.

A. tell medical histories of hypertension patients
B. introduce some medical treatments of hypertension
C. introduce a good lifestyle for hypertensive patients
D. tell scientific discoveries of the scientist group

2. Houston was surprised to find that ______.

A. hypertension is really difficult to control
B. communication has some medical effects
C. medical treatments have no effect at all
D. people don't follow the medical requirements

3. Which of the following is true about the study?

A. The scientists chose 230 patients from a hospital.
B. Both the groups used the same videos about health topic.
C. The two groups lowered blood pressure in different degrees.
D. The story-tellers were hypertension patients as well.

4. Which of the following could be the best title of the text?

A. The stories of some hypertension patients.
B. Medical treatments of blood pressure.
C. Storytelling may help lower blood pressure.
D. Suggestions about how to lower blood pressure.

     Teaching children to read well from the start is the most important task of elementary schools. But relying
on educators to approach this task correctly can be a great mistake. Many schools continue to employ
instructional methods that have been proven ineffective. The staying power of the "look-say" or "whole-word"
method of teaching beginning reading is perhaps the most flagrant example of this failure to instruct effectively.
     The whole-word approach to reading stresses the meaning of words over the meaning of letters, thinking
over decoding, developing a sight vocabulary of familiar words over developing the ability to unlock the
recommended by advocates of"open" classrooms and with the concept that children have to be developmentally
ready to begin reading. Before 1963, no major publisher put out anything but these"Run-Spot-Run" readers.
     However, in 1955, Rudolf Flesch touched off what has been called "the great debate" in beginning reading.
In his best-seller Why Johnny Can't Read, Flesch indicted(控訴)the nation's public schools for miseducating
students by using the look-say method. He said - and more scholarly studies by Jeane Chall and Rovert Dykstra
later confirmed - that another approach to beginning reading, founded on phonics, is far superior.
     Systematic phonics first teaches children to associate letters and letter combinations with sounds; it then
teaches them how to blend these sounds together to make words. Rather than building up a relatively limited
vocabulary of memorized words, it imparts a code by which the pronunciations of the vast majority of the
most common words in the English language can be learned. Phonics does not devalue the importance of
thinking about the meaning of words and sentences; it simply recognizes that decoding is the logical and
necessary first step.

1. The author indicts the look-say reading approach because ______.

A. it overlooks decoding
B. Rudolf Flesch agrees with him
C. he says it is boring
D. many schools continue to use this method

2. One major difference between the look-say method of learning reading and the phonics method is ______.

A. look-say is simpler
B. Phonics takes longer to learn
C. look-say is easier to teach
D. phonics gives readers access to far more words

3. The phrase "touch-off" (Para 3, Line 1) most probably means ______.

A. talk about shortly
B. start or cause
C. compare with
D. oppose

     Scientific experiments can sometimes go wrong and when they do the results may range from the
disastrous to the troubling. One such experiment took place in South America about fifty years ago.
Whether its final consequences will cause serious damage or nothing more than a small trouble still remains
to be seen.
     The story began in 1956 when an American scientist working in Brazil decided to solve the problem of
increasing the productivity of that country's bees. He imported a very active type of African bee from
Tanzania and mated (交配) it with the more easy-going native variety to produce a new kind of bees. The
new bees worked harder and produced twice as much honey. It seemed that Professor Kerr, for that was
the scientist's name, had a total success on his hands.
     Then things began to go wrong. For some reason as yet unseen, but perhaps as a result of something
in their environment, the new bees began to develop extremely attacking personalities. They became
bad-tempered and easy to be angry, attacked the native bees and drove them from their living places.
     But worse was to follow. Having taken over the countryside, the new bees, with their dangerous stings
(叮), began to attack its neighbours-cats, dogs, horses, chickens and finally man himself. A long period of
terror began that has so far killed a great number of animals and about 150 human beings.
      This would have been bad enough if the bees had stayed in Brazil. But now they are on the move,
heading northwards in countless millions towards Central and North America, and moving at the alarming
speed of 200 miles a year. The countries that lie in their path are naturally worried because it looks as if
nothing can be done to stop them.

1. The results of the South American experiment _____.

A. have caused a serious trouble
B. have proved to be wrong
C. are not yet certain
D. are not important

2. The experiment mentioned in this passage was designed to _____.

A. increase the amount of honey in Brazil
B. make Brazilian bees more easy-going
C. increase the number of bees in Brazil
D. make African bees less active

3. Which of the following may be the cause of the new bees' attacking personalities?

A. Their production of honey.
B. Their hard work.
C. Their living environment.
D. Their bad temper.

4.  The last paragraph implies that _____.

A. the bees have been driven to Central and North America
B. the bees may bring about trouble in more countries
C. the bees must be stopped from moving north
D. the bees prefer to live in Brazil