In today's society, a college degree tells little about what you know in comparison to what it tells about
what you can learn. For example, the IT world is constantly changing. Anything you learn today will probably
be useless in a few short years. The point is to learn to learn.
     Blogging (寫博客) works exactly the same way. And I believe this to be true regardless of your end goal.
If you're trying to make money , this is very clear. There's always more money to be made. If you're teaching
on a subject, you are constantly looking for new information to share. Even if you're just sharing your words
with others for pleasure, you're continuously improving your writing and storytelling so people don't get bored
of you.
     This is one of the reasons that bloggers burn out. They forget this. They think they have an unlimited
amount of content just waiting to burst from their brain. They get comfortable. Then they start to run out of
juice. Sure, at times it seems that some bloggers just have it. They are experts in their fields and will simply
feed us with invaluable content forever. But this is not true. Pay attention. Even famous bloggers would run
out of content eventually without constant learning.
      The point is easy to see. Don't think you've succeeded. There is no summit. What happens when someone
thinks they've hit the summit? They quickly begin falling down the other side. Always be learning from your
experiences. See what posts work for your readers. Which get the best response? Which are completely
ignored? Which bring in the most Google traffic, or get the most Absence clicks? Don't settle or your blog will
close for ever eventually.

1. Judging from the article, if you have got a college degree, say, in engineering, it means ______.

A. you're good at engineering
B. you've finished learning engineering
C. you've chosen to learn engineering
D. you can find work relating to engineering

2. The writer thinks Blogging works in a way that it requires the writers to ______.

A. be constant learners
B. have academic degrees
C. keep on writing
D. know everything before starting

3. The writer uses the word "it" in the underlined sentence"Sure, at times … have it" to refer to ______.

A. the failure in keeping on writing
B. the knowledge needed for blogging forever
C. the ability of constant learning
D. the comfort enjoyed from blogging

4. The questions in the last paragraph are asked to advise bloggers on how to ______.

A. learn from their experiences
B. learn from others
C. update their knowledge
D. reach blogging summit

     Neighborhoods aren't like they used to be. Sometimes neighbors are complete strangers, even after years
of living yards away. Believe it or not, neighborhoods were once tight-knit communities full of supportive,
friendly and familiar faces. Can they be that way again? You don't have to be an experienced social director
to build bonds in your neighborhood. If you're not happy with the social dynamic in your community, start
making a change today.
     The term "social life" has taken on new meaning, especially for our kids. What was once defined as actual
interaction (e.g. face-to-face) now often refers to the number of Facebook friends or Twitter followers we
can collect. Our social lives have essentially turned inside out, with the focus now being on cyber-space rather
than on reality. "Children play indoors instead of out; most don't even take walks through their streets
anymore," says Jaymes Ian Woode, a relationship counselor. "Moat have grown accustomed to living without
meaningful friendships."
     Change has to start somewhere, and most neighborhoods don't have an official party planner. “To create
change in neighborhoods, it often only takes one person who is willing to reach out," says Woode. "One
person can knock on a neighbor's door and find those who also want to open up. As most salespeople know,
after enough knocks, you are bound to make a sale." Yes, it takes courage and you'll probably have to
overcome some skepticism (懷疑) towards your friendly attitude, but it will be worth it when you actually learn
the names of the people who live around you.
     Susanne Alexander, a relationship coach, recounts some of the ways she has successfully connected with
her neighbors in recent years. "I feel safer and less isolated knowing that I have at least some connection to the
people who live near me," she says. Perhaps her experience will inspire you:
     * Meet neighbors at civic (市民的) events or start an in-home spiritual group.
     * Connect over yard advice or repairs that need cooperation.
     * Exchange numbers with elderly neighbors in case of an emergency.
     * Bring the Sunday comics over to cheer up a neighbor going through a hard time.

1. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. neighborhoods today are better than before.
B. neighborhoods today are as good as before.
C. neighborhoods today are not better than before.
D. neighborhoods today will be worse.

2. According to the second paragraph, what is the new meaning of "social life"?

A. People focus on cyber-space rather than on reality.
B. People like Facebook friends or Twitter followers.
C. People seldom take exercise or have outdoors.
D. People accustom themselves to living with meaningful friendships.

3. What is the author's attitude of the neighborhoods today?

A. Indifferent.
B. Supportive.
C. Worried.
D. Satisfied.

4. Where can we most probably read this text?

A. In a local newspaper.
B. In a research paper.
C. In a travel magazine.
D. In a story book.

     After successfully serving their term for 4 years, military service men and women are given the choice to
stay in the military of return to civilian life.
     For some, having to readjust to civilian life is one of the mist challenging assignments our returning soldiers
and marines will ever to undertake. While people may think readjusting should be simple, they must take into
consideration of all physical and mental stress our servicemen went through.
     Post-traumatic Stress Disorder,or PTSD, is a mental disorder that can occur following the experience or
witnessing of life-threatening events such as military battles.
     Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little time. In the military, the marines are given a
two-week course on how to return to civilian life.
     Unfortunately, some will have stress reactions that do not go away on their own, or may even get worse
over time. These individual may develop PTSD.
     People who suffer from PTSD have difficulty sleeping because they are often reliving the experience
through nightmares and flashbacks, and feel deserted or often stand off, and these symptoms can be severe
enough an last long enough to significantly damage the person's daily life.
     Fullerton College, like most colleges, has its own Veteran's (老兵) Office. Ray Bustos has been running the
office for 3 years. Bustos acts as a contact for the school and the veteran students. He makes sure the veterans
returning to school get the right benefits. There are various types of financial aid for soldiers and marines. He
strongly encourages the use of the Veteran Affairs website.
     The website is very informative and extremely helpful for veterans as well as for friends and relatives of
veterans who want to learn more.

1. One purpose of the writer in writing the passage is _______.

A. to introduce some methods to cure PTSD
B. to instruct PTSD patients to return to civilian life
C. to recommend a website to veterans and people concerned
D. to give military service men and women advice on civilian life

2. What problems will some returning soldiers and marines meet with?

A. How to readjust to civilian life.
B. How to get rid of mental diseases
C. How to get along with PTSD patients
D. How to return to school for benefits.

3. Which of the following is true about Ray Bustos?

A. He's a veteran who has just come back from a military combat.
B. He runs Fullerton College with a veteran office.
C. He's in charge of an office dealing with veteran affairs.
D. He provides a lot of financial aid for soldiers and marines.

4. The best title for the passage is ________.

A. PTSD: Killer of A Civilian Life.
B. Ready for a Civilian Life?
C. How to Overcome PTSD.
D. The Last Assignment For All Military Persons.

     The first people who gave names to hurricanes were those who knew them best-the people of Puerto
Rico. The small island of Puerto Rico is in the West Indies, off the coast of Florida. This is where all the
hurricanes begin that strike the east coast of the United States. Often they pass near Puerto Rico or cross
it on their way north. The people of Puerto Rico expect some of these unwelcome visitors every year. Each
one is named after the Saint's Day on which it arrives. Two of the most destructive storms were the Santo
Ana in 1840 and the San Ciriaco in 1899.
     Giving girls' names to hurricanes is a fairly new idea. It all began with a story called"Storm", written by
George Stewart in 1941. In it a weatherman amused himself by naming storms after girls he knew. He
named one Maria. The story describes how Maria grew and developed, and how she changed the lives of
people when she struck the United States.
     Weathermen of the U.S. Army and Navy used the same system during World WarⅡ. They were studying
weather conditions over the Pacific Ocean. One of their duties was to warn American ships and planes when
a storm was coming. Whenever they spotted one, they gave it a girl's name. The first one of the year was
given a name beginning with [A]. The second one got a name beginning with [B]. They used all the letters
from A to W, and still the storms kept coming. They had to use three lists from A to W to have enough names
to go around. This was the first list of hurricane names that followed the alphabet. It served as a model for
the system the Weather Bureau (局) introduced in 1942.
      Before 1950 the Weather Bureau had no special system for naming hurricanes. When a hurricane was born
down in the West Indies, the Weather Bureau simply collected information about it. It reported how fast the
storm was moving and where it would go next. Weather reports warned people in the path of the hurricane, so
that they could do whatever was necessary to protect themselves.
     This system worked out fine as long as weather reports talked about only one hurricane at a time. But one
week in September 1950 there were three hurricanes at the same time. The things began to get confused.
Some people got the hurricanes mixed up and didn't know which was which. This convinced the Weather
Bureau that it needed a code for naming the storms in order to avoid confusion in the future.

1. The practice of giving girls' names to hurricanes was started by ______.

A. a radio operator
B. an author
C. a sailor
D. local people

2. The purpose for which weathermen of the army and navy began using girls' names for
hurricanes was ______.

A. not given in the article
B. to remember a certain girl
C. to keep information from the enemy
D. to follow the standard method of the United States

3. The Weather Bureau began naming hurricanes because it would help them ________.

A. make use of military records
B. remember them
C. collect information more rapidly
D. warn people more efficiently

     "Soon, you're going to have to move out!" cried my neighbor upon seeing the largest tomato plant known
to mankind, or at least known in my neighborhood.
     One tiny 9-inch plant, bought for $1.25 in the spring, has already taken over much of my rose bed,
covering much of other plants, and is well on its way to the front door.
     Roses require a good deal of care, and if it weren't for the pleasure they give, it wouldn't be worth the
work. As it is, I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year. bushes must be pruned (剪枝)
in early spring, leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later. It was the space
available(可用的) in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant. A big mistake.
     Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out be even more perfect for tomatoes. The daily watering
coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing (施肥) have turned the little plant into a tall bush. The cage I placed
around it as the plant grew has long since disappeared under the thick leaves.
     Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold; First, I have to find the red ones among the leaves,
which means I almost have to stand on my head, and once found I have to reach down and under, pick the
tomatoes and withdraw(縮回) my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won. I found two full-blown
white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June. But they were weak and the leaves already yellow
for lack of light.
     Here I am faced with a painful small decision: To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that
offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and
treasured roses. Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind, I'll think about that tomorrow.

1. What ate the requirements for the healthy growth of rose?

A. A lot of care and the right soil.
B. Frequent pruning and fertilizing.
C. Tomato plants grown alongside.
D. Cages placed around the roots.

2. The writer planted the tomato because ______.

A. it cost only $1.25
B. the soil was just right for it
C. there was room for it in the garden
D. the roses' branches needed to be covered

3. This year the writer's roses were _______.

A. removed from the rose bed
B. picked along with the tomatoes
C. mostly damaged by too much sunlight
D. largely hidden under the tomato plant

4. By saying "the prize so dearly won" in paragraph 5, the writer wants to ______.

A. show the difficulty in picking the tomatoes
B. show the hardship of growing the roses
C. express her liking for the roses
D. express her care for the tomatoes

5. In the situation described in the text, one good thing is that ______.

A. the roses cost the writer little money
B. the writer has a daily harvest of tomatoes
C. someone will help the writer make the decision
D. the writer can now enjoy both the roses and tomatoes

     When building houses, people used to think about not only the climate of the areas but also the building
materials and the fashions for their houses. However, since electricity became more and more expensive,
people began to pay much more attention to the energy they could get for their houses and the new ways
they could find to protect their houses from both cold and heat.
     Now, houses of an old yet new type have been widely built. In some parts of the world, people share
their houses with their livestock (家畜). During cold weather, they gather their cows, goats, or other animals
and keep them on the first floor of their houses. The reasons are that the animals can be protected from the
cold and that they can help to heat the houses as well. The body heat given off by the animals rises to the
second floor of the houses, where people live. By sharing their houses with their livestock, people gain a
source of heat.
     People who live in or near cities do not usually keep livestock. However, home builders use the fact that
heat rises. This natural law can be used in building houses in these areas. Instead of keeping livestock on the
first floor, builders fill it with large rocks. As they are open to the sun's rays during cold weather, these rocks
take in heat. They also give off the heat, and, of course, the warm air rises into the living areas of the houses.
So these houses are energy-saving.
     House-building becomes a great challenge (挑戰(zhàn)) to building designers and energy engineers. They try to
meet this challenge by learning from old traditions and by using modern technology. And someday in the future, people will be able to live in more energy-saving houses.

1. What did people begin to consider as electricity was no longer cheap?

A. The climate of their areas.
B. The energy for their houses.
C. The fashions for their houses.
D. The building materials for their houses.

2. People in some areas gain a source of heat by _______.

A. keeping their livestock downstairs
B. protecting their livestock from the cold
C. sharing their houses only with their cows
D. living on the second floor with their livestock

3. The underlined words "natural law" in the third paragraph refer to the fact that _______.

A. heat raises the temperature in the houses
B. heat goes in the upward direction
C. heat goes up if temperature is raised
D. heat increases the temperature of rocks

4. From the passage, we can conclude that ______.

A. people will no longer consider building materials in the future
B. energy-saving buildings will become more popular in the future
C. almost all people will move into the houses heated by large rocks
D. energy engineers will devote themselves only to modern technology

     There are two kinds of physical activity which require special training. The first demands exact careful
movements of the muscles (肌肉). This kind of activity must be strictly controlled because even a slight
movement in the wrong direction will lead a mistake. To type quickly, for example, a person needs training;
the slightest movement of a finger in the wrong direction may cause a spelling mistake. A dancer who has to
dance on the point of her shoes or turn around on one foot must be trained for a long period of time before
she can sense her own center and balance herself. You may have seen a girl walking on a rope across an
empty space, which, too, requires a lot of practice.
     The second kind of physical activity needs greater strength or extra effort. Most of us get tired if we try
to run half a mile without stopping, but a specially-trained person can do this without much effort. Three
years ago, some scientists carried out experiments, which produced meaningful and unexpected results. They
wanted to find out whether a certain amount of physical exercise would injure those suffering from heart
problems. They selected some male patients and trained them in continuous bicycle riding. They were
surprised to find that the harmful effect of given amount of physical effort was actually less on the hearts of
these trained patients than on those of the patients who were not similarly trained. This is important because
it shows that regular physical exercise enables us to make better use of the oxygen (氧氣) we breathe in and
that this training, in fact, reduces the amount of work our hearts do. Many tasks which are hard for untrained
people are not hard at all for trained people.

1. The first kind of physical activity must be strictly controlled because _______.

A. a mistake in the wrong direction is dangerous to the fingers
B. a wrong movement in a direction will cause no mistakes
C. a movement in the wrong direction will cause a mistake
D. a slight movement of a finger will lead to a mistake

2. What must a dancer do before she can balance herself?

A. She must dance on the point of her shoes.
B. She must receive long-time training.
C. She must turn around on one foot.
D. She must perform again and again.

3. The experiments done by some scientists showed that ______.

A. some male patients were asked to ride bicycles regularly in the experiments
B. the physical exercise had more harmful effect on the hearts of the untrained patients
C. the physical exercise was harmless to the male patients with heart trouble
D. the physical exercise could be helpful for the patients to take in more oxygen

4. What would be the best title for this text?

A. Training Our Bodies
B. Physical Activities
C. Movement Training
D. Extra Body Effort

     Goods must be of proper quality, must be as described on the package and must be fit for any particular
purpose made known by the seller.Those three rules used for the goods you buy can also be used for the
goods you get on hire, or for the goods you get as part of a service.
     There are also rules which deal with the standard of services you get-from, say, travel agents, shoe
repairers, hairdressers and builders. These tell you what you should expect from any service you pay for.
     A person providing a service must do so:
     With reasonable care and skill.You should expect a proper standard of workmanship (工藝). A new
house should have straight walls and the roof must not leak.
     Within a reasonable time. A shop should not take three months to repair your TV. You can always agree
upon a completion time with the supplier of the service.
     You, the customer, must pay:
     A reasonable charge for a service, where no price has been fixed in advance. A trader can not expect a
large payment for a small job.

1.The underlined word "these" in Paragraph 2 refers to "_____ ".

A. the services
B. the workers
C. the goods
D. the rules

2. What should the supplier do when offering a service?

A. He should determine the completion time himself.
B. He should provide free repairs within three months.
C. He should make sure the service meets proper standards.
D. He should reach an agreement on the payment with his workers.

3. The passage is trying to _____.

A. ask the customer to buy goods and services of high quality
B. advise the buyer how to pay a reasonable price for a service
C. tell the customer what rights he has once he pays for something
D. warn the seller what he sells must meet the buyer's requirements

     Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts more intelligent (具備智能的).
They will help shoppers find paper cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill.
     The touch-screen devices (觸摸屏裝置) are on show at the Food Marketing Institute's exhibition here
this week, "These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker," said Michael
Alexander, manager of Springboard Retail Networks Inc., which makes a smart cart computer called the
Concierge.
     Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July. A similar device, IBM's"Shopping Buddy", has recently
been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts.
     Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with
items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you
should put something back on the shelf.
     "The whole model is driven by advertisers' need to get in front of shoppers," said Alexander."They're
not watching 30-second TV ads anymore."
     People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a
preferred customer card to start a system (系統(tǒng)) that will organize the trip around the store. If you're
looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen
showing where you are and where you can find them.
     The device also keeps a record of what you buy. When you're finished, the device figures out your bill.
Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.
     The new computerized shopping assistants don't come cheap. The Buddy devices will cost the average
store about $160,000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $500 for each device.

1. The underlined word "they" (paragraph 1) refers to _____.

A. supermarkets
B. shop assistants
C. shopping carts
D. shop managers

2. Which of the following is the correct order of shopping with computerized shopping carts?
a. Start the system.
b. Make a shopping list.
c. Find the things you want.
d. Go to a self-checkout stand.

A. abdc
B. bacd
C. acbd
D. bcad

3. We can learn from the last paragraph that ______.

A. intelligent shopping carts cost a large sum of money
B. the Concierge is cheaper than the Buddy devices
C. shop assistants with computer knowledge are well paid
D. average stores prefer the Concierge to the Buddy devices

4. What might be the most suitable title for the text?

A. New age for supermarkets
B. Concierge and Shopping Buddy
C. New computers make shopping carts smarter
D. Touch-screen devices make shopping enjoyable

1. Susan, a biology student, has a particular interest in wildlife. She is curious about how people and wildlife
    can co-exist peacefully in an area. She would like to study the environment and wild animals. With
    information she gathers in the camp she hopes to complete her project on wildlife.
2. Mike is eager to stay away form the busy city life for a while. He and his classmates have decided to join
    a summer camp where they can learn outdoor skills and learn to solve problems all by themselves.
3. Jane is longing for a break from school life. She wants to try something different and exciting. She is
    especially interested in mountain biking and water sports.
4. George is a born leader and is popular among his classmates. As a chairman of the Student Club, he often
   organizes activities and games. He'd like to attend wilderness courses which offer youth a chance to learn,
    lead and succeed.
5. Tom is a sports fan and a lover of the outdoors. Besides water sports, he enjoys horse-racing and hiking.
    He would like to go to a camp which offers a great variety of sports. 
Summer's almost here, and a summer camp near you provides piles of summer fun…
Hot Places
A
* CALIFORNIA: log Cabin Wilderness Camp Getaway (L. A. Area Council, 233 Scout Way, Los Angeles,
   CA 90026; [213] 4134400): Backpacking (背包徙步旅行) is the top activity at this camp, including classes
   in backpacking stove (火爐) operation, back country first aid, water purification (凈化), and map and
   compass skills.
B
* WISCONSIN: Gardner Dam Scout Camp(Bay-Lakes Council, P.O. Box 267, Appleton, WI 54912;
  [920] 734-5705): Whitewater canoeing (激流獨(dú)木舟運(yùn)動) is offered if you want to have fun on the river.
  A 35-mile overnight mountain biking trip is for those who prefer to stay on dry land. The camp is for boys
  and girls 12-18.
C
*KANSAS: Spanish Peaks Scout Camp( Santa Fe Trail Council, 1513 E. Fulton Terrace, Garden City,
  KS 67846; [620] 275-51620): Rock climbing around the camp and mountain climbing, including an attempt
  of topping East Spanish Peak. Join us and meet new friends and learn new activities.
D
*IDAHO: Camp Aspen Ridge (Trapper Paths Council, 1200 East 5400 South, South Ogden, UT 84403;
  [801] 479-5460): Horseback riding and hill walking are popular on the paths. Swimming, canoeing, rowing 
  and fishing activities are offered on the lake. Learn about the culture and have fun!
E NORTH CAROLINA:
*Camp Bud Schiele (Piedmont Council, 1222 E. Franklin Blvd. Gastonia, NC 28053; [704] 8642694): Learn
  about the environment of the area while taking trips deep into the woods. Then spend Friday testing what 
  you've learned against other groups. Activities are in some of the most untouched wilderness areas across 
  the state.
F
*MAINE: Camp Roosevelt (Katahdin Area Council, Bangor, ME 04402; [207] 866-2241): The log cabin dining
  house was built in 1929 and offers good camp food. Once you get your fill, take on the camp's Leaders
  Today program, which will have you climbing, jumping and working your way to better leadership skills.