"Friendship is one of the basic bonds between human beings." While the characteristics of friendship
might vary from one country to another, people from all cultures not only enjoy friends but need them.
Many studies have shown that teenagers who have no friends often suffer from psychological disorders.
It has been shown that teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group, need companionship and a sense
of belonging. The negative consequences of loneliness have also been observed among the elderly. The death
of a spouse (配偶) often leaves a widow or a widower totally bereft (失去理智). If, however, they are
surrounded by friends and relatives and if they are able to express their feelings, they are more likely to recover
from their grief.
     "No man is an island." In other words, we are all parts of society. We all need the love, admiration, respect
and moral support of other people. If we are fortunate, our friends will provide us with all of these necessary
aspects of life. As most people observe, there are many levels of friendship. The degree or intensity of
friendship varies depending on the personality of the individuals involved and the context of the relationships.
Outgoing persons enjoy being surrounded by many people whereas shy persons are perhaps content with
fewer but more intense friendships. 　　
     Everyone is not equally open with all their friends. The degree of closeness is determined by many factors. Close friends can be formed at any stage in one's life but they are usually very rare. Not very many people have more than a few really close friends. Irrespective of the level of closeness, all friendships are based on reciprocity(互惠), honesty and a certain amount of love and affection.

1. "No man is an island" (Line 1, Para. 3) implies that _______. 　

A. everyone is a part of an island
B. man cannot be an island 　
C. everyone is just a part of society
D. society is an island

2. The degree of closeness of friendship mainly depends on ________. 　

A. age
B. belonging
C. personality
D. culture

3. The author thinks that close friends ________. 　

A. can be easily formed when one is young
B. cannot be long-lasting 　
C. are not rare for everyone
D. are rare for most people

4.The word "irrespective" (Last sentence, Para. 5) means ________.

A. not respecting
B. dishonoring
C. regardless
D. considering

                                                                   Goldie's Secret
     She turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall. No way could I have sent her away. No way,
not me anyway. Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before."We're moving house."
"No space for her any more with the baby coming." "We never really wanted her, but what could we have
done? She was a present." People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal. And she was one of
the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen.
     I called her Goldie. If I had known what was going to happen I would have given her a more creative
name. She was so unsettled during those first few days. She hardly ate anything and had such an air of
sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed. Heaven knows what had
happened to her at her previous owner's. But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down.
Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire.
     That's why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk.
We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless. Eventually I couldn't
hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she
could.
     By the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie. But when I saw her licking (舔)
the four puppies (幼犬) I started to feel sympathy towards them. "We didn't know what had happened to
her, " said the woman at the door." I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and
she just disappeared." "She must have tried to come back to them and got lost," added a boy from behind
her.
     I must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother. And I've
learnt a good lesson: not to judge people.

1. How did the author feel about Goldie when Goldie came to the house?

A. Shocked.
B. Annoyed.
C. Sympathetic.
D. Upset.

2. In her first few days at the author's house, Goldie _____.

A. sat by the fire
B. was angry
C. ate a little
D. felt worried

3. Goldie rushed off to a farmhouse one day because she _____.

A. found her way to her old home
B. heard familiar barkings
C. wanted to leave the author
D. saw her puppies

4. The passage is organized in order of _____.

A. effectiveness
B. time
C. importance
D. complexity

     Hidden in our subconsciousness (潛意識) is a perfect mental picture. We see ourselves on a long trip that
goes across the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we think in the passing scene of cars
on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle feeding on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring
from a power plant, or row upon row of corn and wheat, of flat lands and valleys, of mountains and rolling
hills, of city skylines and village halls.
     But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the
station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true
and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles,
condemning (譴責(zé)) the minutes for loitering (虛度)- waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
     "When we reach the station, that will be it!"we cry."When I'm 38." "When I buy a new 450SL Mercedes
Benz!" "When I put the last kid through college." "When I have paid off the debt!" "When I get a promotion."
"When I reach the age of regent, I shall live happily ever after!"
     Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy
of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
     "Relish (appreciate) the moment" is a good motto, actually it isn't the burdens of today that drive man mad.
It is the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today. 
     So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice-cream, swim
more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. Then the station
will come soon enough.

1. Why does the author describe the mental picture?

A. To lead us into a perfect world.
B. To let people enjoy the scenery.
C. To introduce an actual trip of his.
D. To compare it to our life's journey.

2. How do people feel when they're on their trip?

A. Puzzled.
B. Happy.
C. Relaxed.
D. Impatient.

3. What does the author mean by "Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today" in Line 2 Paragraph 5?

A. Regret and fear are responsible for the loss of today.
B. We must be careful of the two thieves: regret and fear.
C. Regret and fear stop us from enjoying our present life.
D. We're frequently challenged by the two: regret and fear.

4. Why does the author write the passage?

A. To teach us a good lesson.
B. To tell us the right attitude to life.
C. To advise us to forget our worries.
D. To stop us wandering along the aisles.

     There is one thing that everyone wants more than anything else. 1_____ They think that when they have
enough money to buy such things as houses, farms, and cars, they will have the one thing that everyone
wants.
     Other people believe that if they know enough they will find this thing. 2_____ Still others think that if they
have power, they will find this thing. Some people keep telling themselves:"When I'm a boss, I will no longer
have to search for this thing."
     What is it that everyone wants more than anything else? What is it that all of us keep working and striving
for (奮斗) each day? 3_____ .
     Happiness is a strange thing. 4_____  What will make one man happy may not make another man happy.
Some men say that happiness comes from helping others; other men say that happiness comes from making
life more pleasant for everyone. What do you mean when you say "That makes me happy."? 
     5_____  Perhaps you will learn something that will bring you peace of mind, comfort, money or it may be
what you search for-happiness.

A. Happiness means the same to everyone.
B. Read what different people have said about happiness.
C. They study all their life in search of it.
D. When one man feels happy, another man will feel sad.
E. Some people try to get it by making money.
F. It does not mean the same to all men.
G. It is happiness.

     A boy was born to couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy
was the apple of their eyes. When the boy saw around two years old, the husband saw a medicine bottle
open. He was late for work so he asked the wife to cap the bottle and put it in the cupboard. The mother,
preoccupied in the kitchen, totally forgot the matter.
     The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to it and, fascinated with its color, drank it all. It happened
to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages (劑量). When the child fell down, the mother
hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was unconscious. She was terrified how to face
her husband.
      When the distraught (心煩意亂的) father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at
his wife and uttered just four words.
     What do you think those four words were? The husband just said,"I love you, darling".
     The husband's totally unexpected reaction is proactive (積極主動(dòng)的) behavior. The child is dead. He
can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he
have taken time to put the bottle away, this would not have happened. No point in attaching blame. She had
also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband.
That is what he gave her. 
     Sometimes we spend time asking who is responsible or who's to blame, whether in a relationship, in a
job or with the people we know and miss out on the warmth in human relationships we could receive by
giving each other support. After all, shouldn't forgiving someone we love be the easiest thing in the world
to do? Treasure what you have. Don't multiply pain, anguish and suffering by holding onto forgiveness.
     If everyone could look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be fewer problems in the world.
Take off all your envies, jealousies, unwillingness to forgive, selfishness, and fears and you will find things
are actually not as difficult as you think.

1. The meaning of the underlined phrase is ____.

A. an adult
B. a healthy boy
C. the love of the parents
D. a naughty boy

2. Why was the mother terrified to face the husband?

A. Because she was afraid of her husband.
B. Because she thought that was her fault.
C. Because she poisoned her son herself.
D. Because she wanted to kill herself.

3. What does this passage mainly talk about?

A. Be careful to do everything.
B. Forgive what you shouldn't forgive.
C. Treasure what you have now.
D. Envy can mislead the way you go.

4. Which column of a paper can we find this article?

A. Financial aid to students.
B. Grand view of science.
C. Enjoying the countryside view.
D. Life and society.