A Tshirt a day has kept unemployment away for an American man "who is making about $85,000
a year by selling advertising space on his shirt."
     Jason Sadler,26,was once a former marketing expert from Florida.In 2008,he founded his own
company,"iwearyourshirt",with the idea to wear a Tshirt supplied by any company and then use social
media tools to develop the company.Sadler charges the "face value" of the day for his human billboard
(廣告牌)servic e.So January 1 costs$1,while December 31 costs$365.He said this may not sound like
a lot,but it adds up to $66,795 a year if he sells out every day,which he did this year.He also sells monthly sponsorships(贊助)for $1,500, adding another $18,000 to his income.
     "I walk around,take photos,wear the shirt all day…I blog about those photos,I put them up on Twitter,
I change my Facebook introduction…and then I do a Youtube video.I made about $85,000 this year,"
he told Reuters Television. The average U. S. income is about $615 a week or about $32,000 a year,
according to the U. S.government.
     Sadler has already begun to plan for his year 2013.He is making services larger by hiring another
person to wear a shirt a day on the west coast of the United States.

1. What is Sadler's "face value" of the day December 30?

A. $364.  
B. $365.  
C. $615.  
D. $1,500.

2. It can be inferred that Sadler didn't advertise on ________.

A. Twitter  
B. Facebook
C. Youtube  
D. Reuters

3. Jason Sadler has a new plan to ________ for the year 2013.

A. employ another person to replace him
B. start his business on the west coast
C. stay at home on the east coast
D. double the charge for the service

4. The passage is mainly about ________ in a new way.

A. taking photos  
B. writing blogs
C. making money  
D. selling Tshirts

     When I stepped out the plane from Miami into Charlotte, North Carolina, airport for a connecting
flight home, I immediately knew something was wrong. Lots of desperate people crowded the terminal.
I quickly learned that flights headed to the Northeast were called off because of a storm. The earliest they could get us out of Charlotte was Tuesday. It was Friday. A gate agent stood on the counter and shouted, "Don't ask us for help! We cannot help you!"
     I joined a crowd that ran from terminal to terminal in search of a flight out. Eventually, I found six
strangers willing to rent a van with me. We drove through the night to Washington, where I took a train
the rest of the way to Providence.
     The real problem, of course, is that incidents like this happen every day, to everyone who flies, more
and more often. It really gets to me, though, because for eight years I was on the other side, as a flight
attendant for Trans-World Airlines (TWA).
     I know the days are gone when attendants could be written up if we did not put the lines napkins
with the TWA logo in the lower right-hand corner of the first-class diners' trays. As are the days when
there were three dinner options on flights from Boston to Los Angeles in economy class. When, once,
stuck on a tarmac(機(jī)場停機(jī)坪)in Newark for four hours, a planeload of passengers got McDonald's
hamburgers and fries by thoughtfulness of the airline. I have experienced the decline of service along with
the rest of the flying public. But I believe everything will change little by little, because I remember the
days when to fly was to soar (翱翔). The airlines, and their employees, took pride in how their
passengers were treated. And I think the days are sure to come back one day in the near future.

1.Many people crowded the terminal because _______.

A. they were ready to board on the planes    
B. something was wrong with the terminal
C. the flights to the Northeast were canceled  
D. the gate agent wouldn't help the passengers

2. How did the writer get to Providence at last?

A. by air  
B. by van    
C. by train    
D. by underground

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

A. Incidents happened to those who fly quite often.
B. The writer used to be a flight attendant for Trans-World Airlines.
C. Even a small mistake might cause complaints from passengers in the past.
D. McDonald's hamburgers and fries were among regular dinner options.  

4. What can be implied from the passage?

A. The writer lived in Charlotte, North Carolina.
B. The writer thought the service was not as good as it used to be.
C. The writer with other passengers waited to be picked up patiently.
D. Passengers would feel proud of how they were treated on the plane.

     Some people argue that the pressures on international sportsmen and sportswomen kill the spirit of
sport: the pursuit (追求) of personal excellence. Children kick a football around for fun. When they get
older and play for local school teams, they become competitive but they still enjoy playing. The sportsman representing his country cannot afford to think about enjoying himself, he has to think only about winning. He is responsible for an entire nation's hopes and dreams.
   A good example is the football World Cup. Football is the world's most important sport. It is even
more important now that the United States is seriously taking it up. Winning the World Cup is perhaps
eh greatest of international sporting success. Mention " Argentina " to someone and the chances are that
he'll think of football. In a sense, winning the World Cup " put Argentina on the map ".
     Sports fans and supporters get quite irrational about the World Cup. People in England felt that their
country was somehow important after they won the World Cup. Last year thousands of Scots sold their
cars, and even their houses, and spent all their money traveling to Argentina, where the finals were played.
     So am I arguing that international competitions kill the idea of sport? Certainly not! Do the
Argentineans really believe that because eleven of their men proved the most skillful at football, their
nation is better than all others? Not really. But it's nice to know that you won, and that in one way at least
your country is best.

1. What is mainly discussed in this passage is _________.

A. why international sport is necessary
B. what international sport is like
C. how international sport goes on
D. what disadvantages international sport has

2. Those who are against international competitions think that ________.

A. sport should not be so popular
B. sport should not be competitive
C. sport should be for personal purpose
D. sport should be made easier

3. We can infer from the passage that the underlined word " irrational " means_________.

A. against reasonable behavior
B. having much knowledge
C. unable to understand
D. eager to know

4. What does the writer mean by saying that winning the World Cup " put Argentina on the map"_____

A. Argentina has the best football player
B. Argentina has become world-famous for football
C. Football is very popular in Argentina
D. Argentina has begun to pay much attention to football

     We show an amazing tolerance for a form of pollution that is a growing problem: noise. Airplane traffic
is increasing by five percent a year. Urban noise is doubling every ten years. By air, land and sea, we are
facing an onslaught of noise that is threatening our ability to live in this world. We have granted ourselves
the right to make noise. But what about our responsibilities? Have we developed a sense of acoustic
responsibility?
     The evidence suggests that we have not. Many people seem to believe they have an unlimited right to
make noise with cars and motorbikes, and with loud music at home and in the street. In some countries
measures have been taken to force people to make less noise. In Britain, for example, a law has been
passed preventing people from disturbing their neighbors with music at night.
     It is widely accepted that we should deal with our rubbish in a responsible way. Noise is in reality a
particularly insidious form of rubbish. It destroys community life, pursues us into our homes, keeps us
from sleeping and is the cause of many stress-related illnesses, as well as hearing loss. Our acoustic
environment belongs to all of us. Everyone has the right to use it, but no one has the right to abuse it.
Let's start using it responsibly.    

1. The underlined word "acoustic" in the first paragraph probably means _____.

A. environment          
B. pollution              
C. sound            
D. rubbish

2. Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

A. Nowadays everyone thinks it's all right to make noise.
B. British law protects people from their neighbors' music at night.
C. The level of noise produced in cities is twice as high now as ten years ago.
D. Noise can sometimes cause hearing loss.

3. The passage is probably written to _______.

A. introduce acoustic responsibility  
B. call for people to make less noise
C. compare rubbish and noise    
D. describe people's attitude to noise

     Getting paid for going to work may sound too good to be true, but it's part of an increasingly popular
scheme for commuters across Europe.
     Employers in Belgium, the Netherlands and other European countries are rewarding staff if they come
to work on a bicycle, paying them for every kilometer they cycle, all in an effort to promote
environmentalism, not to mention a healthier lifestyle.
     In Belgium, cycling commuters are being paid 20 euro cents (29 U. S. cents) per kilometer, whereas
those in the Netherlands can earn 15 cents and participants in Britain up to 20 pence (32 U. S. cents)
per mile-all of it taxfree.
     In Belgium, a popular cycling nation and home to fivetime Tour de France and Giro D'Italia winner
Eddie Merckx, finance ministry figures show that more than 270,000 people took part in the scheme last
year, up from 140,000 in 2006.
     Last year, that meant the Belgian taxman paid out 43 million euros to those who bill for cycling to
work.
     "Higher oil prices and environmental awareness contribute to having more cyclists on the road," said
Dieter Snauwaert, coordinator of the biketowork scheme of the Flemish Cyclists' Union in Belgium.
     One of the most successful corporate proponents has been Belgian discount supermarket chain
Colruyt, which launched the policy four years ago and now has 2,100 participants.
      Colruyt provides employees who live up to 7 km away from work with a bicycle and takes care of
maintenance.
     Company spokesman Victor De Meester said that apart from employees being healthier there were
also other advantages.
     "The more people cycle to work the fewer parking spaces you have to offer. It's not so easy,
especially in urban areas, to expand parking spaces," he said.
     Colruyt, which has more than 22,000 employees, is now looking to target those who live further away
than 7 km (4.4 miles) by offering electric bicycles to make it easier to negotiate larger distances.
     "Our target is 400 participants by 2015 but given the response we have had so far this may be too
low a number," De Meester said.
     Colruyt's belief that employees who cycle to work are healthier than their colleagues who don't is
backed up by research from Dutch organization TNO.
     The researcher found that over the course of a year, cycling employees on average lose one working
day less due to illness than employees who commute by other means.
     If the number of workers who cycle to work increased by one percent, Dutch employers would save
a total of 27 million euros per year, TNO said.

1. Which of the following can be the title of the passage?
A. The Most Successful Supermarket Chain
B. Getting Paid for Cycling to Work
C. Europeans: Enjoying a Healthier Lifestyle
D. Why Cycling Employees Have a Better Body

2. What's the purpose of the scheme?
A. To promote environmentalism.
B. To give money to the staff.
C. To increase the sale of bicycles.
D. To reduce the sale of electric bicycles.

3. Which of the following is NOT the advantage of the scheme?
A. It makes people have healthier bodies.
B. The employers make more profits.
C. It is friendly to our environment.
D. It needs more parking spaces.

4. The money the bicyclers obtain according to ________.
A. the kilometers they cycle
B. the brand of their bicycles
C. the tax they pay
D. the cost of their bicycles

5. What do we know about Belgian discount supermarket chain Colruyt?
A. All its workers are offered bicycles.
B. The charge of the bicycle maintenance is paid by the users.
C. It attaches great importance to the scheme.
D. It has the most participants.

     When do people decide whether or not they want to become friends? During their first four minutes
together, according to a book by Dr. Leonard Zunin. "Every time you meet someone in a social situation,
give him your undivided attention for four minutes. A lot of people's whole lives would change if they did
just that."
     When we are introduced to new people, we should try to appear friendly and self-confident. In
general, he says, "People like people who like themselves." On the other hand, we should not make the
other person think we are too sure of ourselves.
     Hearing such advice, one might say, "But I'm not a friendly, self-confident person. That's not my
nature. It would be dishonest for me to act that way." In reply, Dr. Zunin would claim that a little practice
can help us feel comfortable about changing our social habits. We can become accustomed to any
changes we choose to make in our personality. "It's like getting used to a new car. It may be unfamiliar at
first, but it goes much better than the old one."
     But isn't it dishonest to give the appearance of friendly self-confidence when we don't actually feel that way? Perhaps, but according to Dr. Zunin, "total honesty" is not always good for social relationships,
especially during the first few minutes of contact. There is a time for everything, and a certain amount of
play-acting may be best for the first few minutes of contact with a stranger. That is not the time to
complain about one's health or to mention faults one finds in other people. It is not the time to tell the
whole truth about one's opinions and impressions.
     The author also declares that interpersonal relations should be taught as a required course in every
school, along with reading, writing, and mathematics. In his opinion, success in life depends mainly on
how we get along with other people. That is at least as important as how much we know.

1. When first introduced to new people, we should __________.

A. be friendly and sure of ourselves regardless of the other people's feeling
B. always tell the whole truth even if it hurts
C. appear friendly and self-confident at least for the first few minutes
D. mention faults we find in the other people

2. According to the author's advice, interpersonal relations _______.

A. should be set as a required course in schools
B. are more important than other courses in school
C. are less important than reading, writing and mathematics
D. is the only key to one's success in life

3. The underlined word 'play-acting' in the fourth paragraph means_______.

A. being totally honest                  
B. being a little dishonest
C. acting out what one feels              
D. acting in a play

4. The best title for the passage could be __________.

A. The Key to Success                  
B. Best Ways to Make Friends
C. Personal Relations                
D. The First Four Minutes

     The film "Avatar" has received great popularity around the world. It turned out to be a great success.
The film got ＄1 billion in ticket sales in a very short time. The story in the film happens on an alien(外星人) planet called Pandora where many strange species live. Among the planet's inhabitants(居民,棲息動物),the one that has the most similarities with humans is the Na'vi, and it is the struggle between the Ma'vi
and human invaders (入侵者) that forms the story of the film.
     As to the factors (因素) leading to the film's success, many think that the entertaining feast(盛宴) for
the eyes and the wonderful story shouldn't be forgotten, but the new language invented especially for the
film which provides audiences with a new experience also plays an important part.
     In order to increase the truthfulness of an alien race(外星人), the film's director James Cameron asked an expert in languages from the University of Southern California to invent a language for the Na'vi. Professor Paul Frommer combined the languages spoken among Indians, Africans and mid-Asians and worked
with James Caneron for four years to create the Na'vi language based on the original 30 words that the
director had already come up with.
     According to Professor Frommer, the most important characteristic(特征)of the Na'vi language is that
it could be pronounced. "This is an alien language but obviously it has to be spoken by human actors and
actresses," Professor Frommer told the BBC, "it has to sound natural and it should make human beings
comfortable when using it."
     The language has a vocabulary of around 1000 words but Progessor Formmer hopes to enlarge the
vocabulary in possible follow-ups to the film and in video games. The professor hopes that one day his
creation will be as successful as the Klingon alien language from the "Star Trek"films. "There's a
translation of Hamlet into Klingon and it has received great popularity among the audiences," says
Professor Frommer,"if anything like this happens to the Na'vi language, I'd be very happy."