I used to know nothing about fairy tales. To improve my reading skills, my mother gave me books that
are a little difficult for me to understand. I didn't even know that fairy tales existed until I attended public
school at the age of eight. Of course once I found out about books of this type, I would read them as quickly
as I could.
     Again and again, I begged my mother to take me to the library and let me choose a few. Finally, my
request was granted (允許). After our return from the library, I started reading them eagerly and energetically,
one after another. And I tried to put myself in the female character's shoe. I found she had to suffer before
the handsome prince came to her rescue, and then they would live happily ever after.
     I asked my mother why she never let me know about fairy tales. Looking straight in my eyes, she told me
that life is not like fairy tale. There are good and bad things that will happen through life. At the end, though,
there is not a man that will come and "save" us. We do not need savings; we instead want someone in our lives
to share those good moments and bad ones; we want someone we can rely on and also they can rely on us.
Life is not about "happy ever after".
     What then is life about, mom? Life is the finding things. He holds your hands and says "come with me"
and you live, laugh and love together. But things are not going to be perfect. You still have to face difficulties
together, working hard for your relationship.

1. Before the age of eight, the author _____.

A. received no formal education
B. took no interest in reading books
C. didn't read any books of fairy tales
D. was forced to improve her reading skills

2. What happened to the author after she attended public school?

A. She started to like reading.
B. She was crazy about fairy tales.
C. Her mother always took her to the library.
D. Her mother didn't allow her to read books of fairy tales.

3. What's the author's understanding of fairy tales at first?

A. They reflect part of the real world.
B. They are unreal but worth reading.
C. The major characters always have a happy ending.
D. The major characters will be rewarded for their kindness.

4. How does the author' mother like fairy tales?

A. A must for her kid.
B. Unnecessary for her kid.
C. Easy for her kid to understand.
D. Helpful in building her kid's character.

5. The author's mother intends to explain that _____.

A. life is not perfect
B. no pains, no gains
C. life is about sharing
D. one needs to live on his/her own

     At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible sites (地點(diǎn)) for a house. I have thus
searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live. In imagination I have bought all the farms, one
after another, and I knew their prices.
     The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place. But before
the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me
additional dollars to return the farm to him. However, I let him keep the additional dollars and sold him the
farm for just what I gave for it.
     The real attractions of the Hollowell farm to me were its position, being about two miles from the village,
half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded (相鄰) on one side by the river, and separated from the
highway by a wide field. The poor condition of the house and fences showed that it hadn't been used for
some time. I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest
area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apples
trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields. I wanted to buy it before he
made any more of his improvements. But it turned out as I have said.
     I was not really troubled by the loss. I had always had a garden, but I don't think I was ready for a large
farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted (無(wú)牽掛的). It makes but little
difference whether you own a farm or not.

1. What do we know about the author?

A. He wanted to buy the oldest farm near where he lived.
B. He made a study of many farms before buying.
C. He made money by buying and selling farms.
D. He had the money to buy the best farm in the country.

2. Why did the author decide to buy the Hollowell place?

A. It was of good market value.
B. It was next to the highway.
C. It was in a good position.
D. It was behind a nice garden.

3. Why did the author want to buy the farm in a hurry?

A. He was afraid the owner might change his mind.
B. He hoped to enlarge the forest on the farm.
C. He wanted to keep the farm as it was.
D. He was eager to become a farm owner.

4. The underlined words "the loss" in the last paragraph refer to _____.

A. the money the author lost in buying the farm
B. the sale of the garden in the Hollowell place
C. the removal of the trees around the house
D. the failure to possess the Hollowell place

5. What does the author believe as important in life?

A. To own a farm
B. To satisfy his needs
C. To be free from worries
D. To live in the countryside

     A proverb (諺語(yǔ)) is a short, well-known saying that expresses a common truth or belief. Proverbs are
popular around the world. Many proverbs give advice on how to live. Some proverbs are hundreds of years
old, but they are still used today.
     For example, my son is just like his father in many ways. We often say the two of them prove the proverb
that the apple does not far from the tree.
     My daughter is very short. She would like to be taller. But I tell her that good things come in small
packages. Some valuable things are very small, like diamonds and other jewels. But I also tell my children that
all that glitters is not gold.
     Something may look valuable, but may not really be valuable. Also, I tell them do not judge a book by its
cover. You should not judge something only by its appearance. Sometimes I tell my children to cooperate to
solve a problem. After all, two heads are better than one. But another proverb says too many cooks spoil the
soup. If too many people try to do something, then the job will not be done well.
     I also tell my children that two wrongs do not make a right. You should not do something bad just because
someone did the same to you.
     Some people are pessimists while other people are optimists. Pessimists always think about how bad things
are or will be; optimists might say that every cloud has a silver lining and they always look on the bright side.
Other people are both pessimists and optimists. They hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
     Some people often worry about what they will do in a situation that might happen in the future. We could
tell them do not cross that bridge until you come to it.
     It is usually much better to prevent a problem from happening than it is to find ways to solve it. So we say
an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

1. The author often comforts her daughter with the proverb that ____.

A. the apple doesn't fall far from the tree
B. good things come in small packages
C. too many cooks spoil the soup
D. two heads are better than one

2. If someone says "two heads are better than one", he means ____.

A. jobs will be done better if two work together
B. a problem will be solved easily by many people
C. jobs won't be done well if there are too many people
D. you can't do something bad even if someone else does it

3. The underlined word"pessimists" in the sixth paragraph refers to those people ____.

A. who always look on the bright side
B. who always expect bad things to happen
C. who are always full of hope for the future
D. who always make preparations for the worst

4. Which of the following are optimists likely to say?

A. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
B. We hope for the best and prepare for the worst
C. Don't cross the bridge until you come to it.
D. Every cloud has a silver lining

     When you think of success, you think of relative achievements in your own world. Each element of your
world is important to you, and there is no need to compare with others. You cannot affect the success of
others; you can affect your own success.
     Success is very much achievable to everybody. Believe that and you have taken the first step. If you do
not believe in yourself, then building self-esteem is your first task. However, believing in your ability to achieve
whatever you want to succeed in, is very important if you are not to be held back by self-doubt throughout
your journey to success.
     There are many things that will affect your ability to succeed, and it is best to focus on those under your
immediate control. Once you do that, then the characteristics you develop can be applied to becoming
successful in a range of activities.
     What is important to you is that, as you start to reach milestones in your ambitions, you should appreciate
your own achievements. Appreciating yourself will strengthen your self-confidence and your determination
to succeed.
     Some of the key characteristics you will find in those who are successful are perseverance, prepared to
research, plan, work hard and practice a lot even when things do not seem to be going well, and an ability to
recover and learn from setbacks. At the beginning of whatever you are trying to succeed in, a strong vision
of your future, planning, and setting yourself achievable tar gets can all play an important role.
     All these qualities, skills and characteristics can be learned and developed. But it is up to you to get things
started. Those who do not start travel nowhere. For others, life can be a continuous journey of fulfillment.

1. According to the passage, if you want to achieve success, what should you do first?

A. Don't compare with others.
B. Bring everything under control.
C. Find out what you have in mind.
D. Feel confident about your ability.

2. Why should you appreciate your own achievements according to the passage?

A. It will allow you to recover from past failures.
B. It will remind you of the vision of your future.
C. It will motivate you to continue pursuing success.
D. It will help you develop your characteristics in everything.

3. The underlined word "setbacks" (in paragraph 5) probably means _____.

A. failures
B. troubles
C. hesitation
D. depression

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. If you are stuck where you are, you cannot travel far.
B. If you don't start trying, you'll never embrace success.
C. If you are brave enough, you can get whatever you want.
D. If you don't study, you can never reach the destination.

     The American book Who Moved My Cheese has been a bestseller all over the world. It teaches people
how to face changes in their lives. Now its author Spence Johnson has written a book just for teens. The
book tells us that when facing changes in our lives, like a new school or new friends, don't be afraid. Instead,
use this change to make a better life. The book gives an example of a change at school. A school is changing
from having two terms to three terms because there are too many students.
     Several teens are talking about this. Most of them are unhappy and worried. But Chris is not. He laughs
and tells a story about two mice, two "little people" and some cheese.
     The four are in a maze (迷宮) looking for the cheese. Here, cheese means something important in life, like
moving to a new class or getting into college. But they find the cheese is gone. The mice realize that they can't
change what has happened and have to find more cheese. This means finding different dreams. The little people,
however, can't do this. They are afraid of changes so they find no cheese.
     After Chris finishes the story, the friends understand one thing: to get more cheese, move m a new direction
quickly. His friends understand how this can be used in the changes all teens face, such as doing well at school
or having good relationships or just feeling good about yourself.

1. The book Who Moved My Cheese is _____.

A. written all over the world
B. read across the world
C. sold only in America
D. loved only by teens

2. What does the text mainly discuss?

A. Never change in our lives.
B. Change when you like to do.
C. Change with the changes.
D. Pay attention to the changes.

3. The underlined word "four" ( Paragraph 3) refers to _____.

A. mice and little people
B. students
C. cheese
D. readers

4. In our lives, we should learn from _____.

A. mice
B. little people
C. Chris
D. Spence Johnson

5. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

 A. The author is British.
B. There are three terms in every school.
C. Most teens don't understand Chris' story.
D. The book tells teens how to face changes in their lives.

     To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.
     Common sense is not all that common.
     Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
     These three popular misquotes (戲謔的引語(yǔ)) are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human
nature. To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don't want
to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do. The original quote about human
nature went like this:"To err is human, to forgive, divine (神圣的)." This saying mirrors a deal people should
be forgiving of others' mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite-find someone else to pass the blame on to.
However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity.
     Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that
will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Commonsense tells you that you take an
umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine.
Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going
on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company, "the right hand does
not know what the left hand is doing."
     And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art?
One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people. get the idea that it's
okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary (直接推論) to that: if good excuse is "good" even
if it isn't honest, then where is the place of the truth?

1. According to tile passage, which of following seems the most human?

A. To search for truth.
B. To achieve one's ideal.
C. To make fun of others'mistakes.
D. To criticize others for one's own error.

2. According to the author, what is a sign of a man's maturity?

A. Doing things his own way.
B. Bearing responsibility for his mistakes.
C. Making as few mistakes as possible.
D. Thinking seriously about his wrongdoing.

3. Which of the following is N0T based on common sense?

A. A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company.
B. A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.
C. A company's next move follows a good plan.
D. A lawyer acts on fine judgments.

4. What is the author's opinion about a good excuse?

A. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.
B. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.
C. A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty.
D. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.

5. What would be the best title for his passage?

A. A Mirror of Human Nature
B. To Blame or to Forgive
C. A Mark of Maturity
D. Truth or Excuse

                                                               Community College
     Here I am, a senior. After four years of high school, I have learned a lot of lessons. Some were
good and valuable. And I have also learned others just from growing up and being around other
teenagers.
     I started senior year with a 1.5 GPA (＝grade point average平均分,相當(dāng)于65%), which is not
even close to what I am capable of. The last three years I fooled around and cut lots of classes. Now,
I can easily say that it is the only thing in life that I regret. Next year I will watch most of my friends go
to college while I lost that chance. This does not mean that I am giving up on my dreams, but when I
started high school, my goal was to get great grades and go to a competitive college.
     At first I blamed the people around me for my bad experiences, but I've learned that it's my fault
when bad things happen. In the last three years I realized that I am the only one in control of myself.
While making my teachers and my peers the excuse for not wanting to go to class, I developed a huge
lying problem.
     If I could start over, I would in a heartbeat, but I can't, so instead of beating myself up, I try talking
to younger teenagers about the importance of doing well in school by explaining the situation I got myself
into. Community college looks like a great opportunity. I am looking forward to taking many credits and
receiving good grades. I see community college as a year to turn my life around. It's my ticket out of here
to wherever I want to go. I have another chance to make my future and I've promised myself I won't
mess up.
     We need to study history so we won't repeat our past; I've studied my personal history, and will
avoid my mistakes in the future. I am ready for the next task in life, the only question is, is it ready for
me?

1. The author takes the community college seriously because he wants to ________. 

A. show his ability to be one of the top students
B. prove that others did wrong to him before
C. improve himself and win others' respect
D. get the opportunity to apply for a good job

2. Which of the following is NOT the author's advice? 

A. To behave well at school is necessary.
B. Others should be blamed for our hard time.
C. Learn from past, don't make mistakes.
D. Be hopeful, choose community college.

3. From the passage, we know that the author is ________.

A. easygoing and hard working                        
B. confident and responsible
C. sensible and independent              
D. honest and ambitious

4. The underlined phrase "fooled around" in the second paragraph means "________"． 

A. wasted time    
B. played tricks
C. made faces          
D. felt ashamed