Everyone knows you must exercise regularly to keep good health. Indeed, staying physically fit is a big part of our culture. we consider（or rightly so）that healthy people are attractive people. Since most of us want to be attractive, there is no shortage of exercise clubs, training videos, magazines and books offering to help us stay physically fit.
Unfortunately, however, our culture doesn’t place the same emphasis（強調(diào)） on mental fitness. Although we tend to like men and women with strong, healthy-looking bodies, we don’t have the same degree of respect or attraction for smart, educated, mentally healthy people. This is a pity, because there are great rewards for people who have developed the ability to think well.
If your mind is well trained and flexible(靈活的), you will be able to understand a great deal of what happens around you. And if you are also well educated — that is, if you understand basic science, mathematics, music, art, literature, history and so on — you will find it much easier to make good decisions throughout your life. Over the long run(時期), this leads to a sense of control over your destiny （命運）and a much better life than otherwise(in another way).
People who are poorly educated or who don’t think well — that is, people who are not mentally fit — see things differently. Their world is controlled by mysterious, often malevolent（惡意的）forces. Such people live within a system they will never master, forced to follow rules they will never understand. Although it may not be obvious, most spend their lives being manipulated（控制）by others. They are told what to do, what to think, how to spend their money, and what they should and should not aspire（渴望）to in life.
In my opinion, if you want to live well, you must be able to use your mind well. For this reason, I want you to be able to concentrate, to solve problems, to understand complex （復雜的）ideas, and to think clearly and quickly. Such skills will make it easier for you to make informed decisions, understand current events, choose good friends, manage your money well, make wise lone-term decisions and appreciate music, art and literature.
The key to developing such skills is to enjoy learning, and to have the ability and motivation to teach yourself.
1. The writer of the passage feel disappointed that ____.
A. too little has been done to help people to keep physically fit
B. too much has been done to help people to keep physically fit
C. mentally healthy people are not as popular as physically healthy people
D. physically healthy people are not as popular as mentally healthy people
2. The underlined word “this” in the 3rd paragraph means ____.
A. the understanding of a great deal of what goes on around you
B. the understanding of basic science and mathematics
C. good training in body and mind
D. being able to make good decisions in life
3. The writer of this passage thinks those who are not mentally fit ____.
A. live a poor and mysterious life             
B. can’t control over their life
C. often do what others do                     
D. enjoy being fooled and ruled
4. The best title of the passage will most probably be ____.
A. Train Your Body                               B. Train Your Mind  
C. Make Informed Decisions                   D. Think Hard and Work Hard

Bicycles are a great way to get around. They are fun to ride, especially down hills. And, as you speed along the road, you might also think of ways in which you could improve your bike – make it safer, more efficient, or more comfortable. In fact, the two-wheeled machines make for some cool science projects.
This year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held last May in Cleveland, had three bicycle projects from three countries. Like many of the other experiments presented at ISEF, the bike projects showed that some of the most interesting scientific research often begins by taking a closer look at things you care about.
Renato Angulo Chu had even grander ambitions. The 12th-grader from Lima, Peru, wanted to address some of his country’s economic troubles.
“I see a problem in my country,” Renato said, “If you go to the forests in Peru, in some places you can not find electricity. If you go with my bicycle, you can turn on the lights.”
Renato, 16, spent 3 years designing his special Multibike. The device looks like a fixed exercise bike. It has wires fixed along the frame and a blender fastened to the back. Turning the pedals operates the blender. The same principle can be used to sharpen knives or sweep city streets.
The Multibike can work either as a fixed bike or as a bicycle able to travel city streets and country road. It’s made from inexpensive materials, and the user gets exercise while pedaling to operate a machine.
“You pedal the bike, and you can mix any drink you want,” Renato said. More importantly, he added, the same concept could be used to bring light to houses in remote regions of the rainforest.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Bicycles are the best way to go about.
B. Bikes should be made more comfortable to ride
C. You can improve your bicycle for science research.
D. Many inventions are connected with the bicycle.
2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. ISEF is an exhibition displaying bicycle experiments designed by students.
B. Looking closely at things you are concerned about can lead to scientific research
C. Renato’s improvement of the bicycle has solved the country’s great problem.
D. Renato’s special bicycle will soon be put into use in remote areas.
3. The underlined word “address” in the third paragraph probably has the same meaning as _______.
A. make address written        B. give up    C. work at    D. speak at
4. Renato’s special Multibike has all the following functions except ______.
A. making knives sharp
B. mixing any kind of drinks
C. producing electricity
D. operating a machine with its own electricity
5. It can be inferred that Renato’s special bicycle is mainly designed for ______.
A. distant areas in the rainforest without electricity
B. the use of his own family to make life easier
C. the competition of ISEF to win money to support remote rainforests
D. enough exercise by pedaling it.

Many of the employees think their career path and plans begin during their employment or when they already secured a job. But basically, if we look at what becomes of a person, you can root it from the upbringing of the person, to be more specific, from childhood.
As parents, we usually groom our children’s future according to what we are or what we wanted to be. We buy them toys and educational materials according to what we dream our children would become someday. For example, we know that becoming a teacher means a lot of sacrifices and lots of time worked but the pay is not satisfying. Thus, if we see this profession not favorable financially, we discourage our children from becoming teachers. However, the earliest exposure of children is usually in the medical field profession (every time they visit the hospital for consultation or any medical requirements) and the education or teaching profession (by the time they start attending classes). Information other than the two professions mentioned came from the parents and later exposure or experiences when they grew up and learn of their interest according to their special skills.
In career pathing, the parents’ role plays a major part for the individual’s success in identifying their chosen career. The best way is to support the child’s interest and not forcing them to take courses that the parents wanted for themselves. Support can be provided by helping them read materials on their field of interest, exposing them to the career and providing information as to the advantages and great efforts that one may take to accomplish their chosen field. This is not difficult nowadays. The internet and the publications are now very affordable and even the media provides the information for the different careers that our children may take. There are shows and programs that can provide a picture of the different field. But before you go to your television and change the channel of what your child is watching, check first if the program is fit for their age and maturity.
1. The underlined word “groom” in the second paragraph can be replaced by ___________.
A. take care of         B. prepare         C. expect          D. feed
2. Why does the parents’ role play a major part for the individual’s success in identifying their chosen career?
A. Because the best approach is to support the child’s interest.
B. Because parents can help them read materials on their interest.
C. Because parents can provide them with needed information.
D. Because parents’ help and support is extremely important.
3. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. The earlier, the better                     B. Work from childhood
C. Career Path Begins During Childhood        D. Parent’s support in choosing a career
4. It can be inferred that __________.
A. parents play a major part in helping their children choose their career
B. parents have a great effect on their children’s life
C. one’s early education is very important
D. getting information about jobs is not difficult nowadays because of the internet

Online shopping started not so long ago. Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1990. The first online bank opened in 1994. In 1995, Amazon started operating and is now one of the largest online shopping malls. Then in 1996, eBay started its online shopping site.
By sitting at home you can now buy anything from knives to cars. The worry you may have about traveling and parking can be avoided while you shop online. With online shopping, you need not worry about the weather. Online shops have no holidays, closing times or any other problems. You can shop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Some online shops also keep customers’ opinions about each product, so you can easily find out what other customers think about the product before buying it.
When you go for real-world shopping, you can actually touch and feel it, but in online shopping you can only see the pictures. Also if you are shopping online, you have to be careful with your credit cards.
The first step in online shopping is to search for what you want to buy. Once you find the required product, put it in a “shopping cart” and continue shopping. After you have got enough in your “shopping cart”, check out the product. You can add or take out the products in your shopping cart. The next step is to login(登錄) using a username and a password. Enter the address where you want the product to be sent. Some sites even ask for your email, phone numbers, etc. Then wait for the confirmation(確認)of your order. You can also cancel the order if needed. Online shopping is a different experience and you can make shopping online easy when you get used to it.
51. When shopping online, you can _______.
A. buy anything wherever you go      B. park your cars where you want to   
C. touch anything you want to buy     D. know what others think of the product
52. The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A. the things people can buy in online shops
B. people can know different opinions of customers
C. people can do online shopping at their own homes
D. the advantages people can have through online shopping
53. From the text we can know that ______.
A. customers needn’t have a username to buy something online
B. customers must give their emails as well as their phone numbers
C. customers should be careful with their credit cards when shopping online
D. once customers put the products in their “shopping carts”, they can’t change them
54. If you want to buy a cup online, what is the right order of the following things you can do?
a. Enter the address
b. Search for a right cup
c. Wait for the confirmation of the order
d. Put the cup into your “shopping cart”
A. b-c-d-a    B. b-d-a-c    C. a-b-c-d    D. c-d-a-b

   It is midnight on September 22, 2012. The sky above Manhattan，New York is filled with a curtain of colorful light. New Yorkers are fascinated by the beautiful aurora (極光). However, their fascination is short-lived.
Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker (閃爍), then become unusually bright for a few seconds. Then all the lights go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power.
Besides the US, Europe, Japan and China are also hit by the same terrible event. It is a violent solar flare (太陽耀斑) ,150 million kilometers away on the surface of the sun.
Science fiction? No. A report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences in January this year says it could happen.
A massive solar flare is most likely on a spring or autumn night in 2012, according to the report.
Solar flares are huge explosions on the surface of the sun. In a matter of just a few minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and release as much energy as a billion megatons (百萬噸) of TNT explosives. Solar flares release a stream of charged high-energy particles (粒子). They are called “solar winds”.
If one solar “wind” should hit the Earth’s magnetic shield (磁場), the result could be terrible for humans.
But there’s no need to run for cover from solar winds. They do not harm life on Earth, they only affect the way we live, especially since we depend so much on modern technology. They can pump extra electricity into power lines and pipelines, causing blackouts and fuel leaks. Solar winds are also known to affect mobile phone operations and may disrupt wireless Internet services.
Moreover, solar winds can prevent normal satellite operations, and disrupt radio communications and navigation systems such as the Global Positioning System.
Auroras are powered by solar wind. This wind blows past the Earth at about 400-700 km per second and creates storms in the Earth’s magnetic environment. In the polar regions these explode into southern or northern polar lights.
The most serious solar storm that hit Earth in history happened in 1859. It caused the failure of telegraph systems in Europe and North America.
So, for humans, the sun is a double-edged sword. Without the sun, there would be no life on Earth. Without the sun, Earth would be a frozen dark ball floating in space. However, on the other hand, the sun can disorder our lives from time to time.
56. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. It introduces to readers the advantages and disadvantages of the sun.
B. It describes a science fiction set in Manhattan on 22 September 2012.
C. It shows readers the way in which solar winds form inside the sun.
D. It explains what solar flares are and their effects on human life.
57. The first two paragraphs are written ____.
A. to show a beautiful scene in a true story
B. to describe the beautiful scenery of Manhattan
C. to describe the power problem around the world
D. to introduce the topic of this passage
58. What can we conclude from the passage?
A. Solar flares will do great harm to those who are using the Internet.
B. Solar flares cannot reach as far as the polar regions.
C. Solar flares are huge explosions that happen inside the sun.
D. But for our reliance on technology, solar flares wouldn’t
affect us so much.
59. Solar winds will likely affect us in the following ways EXCEPT that ____.
A. normal satellite operations will be stopped
B. the lights in the areas affected will go out at the same time
C. people on the streets will be struck to death
D. some navigation systems will be out of order

    When a close friend dies, it often forces you to consider your own death. The more you have in common with the friend, the more his death will make you wonder about your own. Sometimes you will naturally say to yourself, "It could just as easily have been me." Such a death has a way of reminding us how fragile life is, and it may cause you to reassess（重新評價） the direction of your own life.
Jack's story is a good example. A successful businessman making a lot of money, Jack didn't spend as much time with his family as he wanted. His job required him to work long hours. But three years ago one of his best friends, a man who worked in the same office, had a heart attack. He died while celebrating his daughter's eighteenth birthday in a restaurant. He was only fifty years old.
Not long after his friend's death, Jack started to have a chest pain. Finally he had a good physical check-up. He received a clean bill of health. But the chest pain continued. He kept thinking of the death of his friend. Jack thought about how much his friend missed in life and he saw how hard it was for his friend's family to manage after he passed away.
Jack realized that he didn't want to end up his life that way. He talked his feelings over with his wife and children, and decided to change his way of life. The family moved to a small town where he started a simple life. Now he is running a small art gallery（畫廊）. He is relaxed, and says he has never been so happy in his life, and he has got no more chest pain.
63. Your close friend's death is __________________ to you.
A. a warning           B. common            C. a direction of life     D. an example
64. The underlined sentence in the third paragraph means "________________".
A. The doctor didn't write a word on his bill
B. The doctor didn't want Jack to pay for the bill
C. The doctor didn't find anything wrong with him
D. The doctor didn't want to treat his pain
65. His friend's death made Jack ________________.
A. lose much interest in life
B. realize that he missed the friend very much
C. doubt his way of life
D. ill for some time
66. While living in the small town Jack ________________.
A. earns less money    B. gets more time  K^S*5U.C#O%
C. has a happier life    D. does all these mentioned above

第三部分：閱讀理解（共20小題；每小題2分，滿分40分）
閱讀下面短文,從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C、D)中,選出最佳選項,并在答題卡上將該       項涂黑。
Reina  wrote in her blog (博客）；“a few months ago I took my cat to the vet(獸醫(yī)）because she was old and very sick . The vet injected her in the stomach and said she would die .She tried to stand but she couldn't .It took at least twenty minutes for her to die . I sat in the room with her and the vet came in a couple of times and finally he said she was gone . I will never forget how she died .Was she frightened ? What was wrong with the old way ?"
Dear Reina
My beloved cat Bugle was very sick with kidney (腎）failure and I took him to the vet . I stayed with him for 10 minutes , holding him in my arms and loving him as we always did ,and he look at me ,as if to say ,"It's ok ....I'm ready." After that the vet came in and injected him with the shot that would put him into a quiet sleep .All the while I held him and told him I loved him , then the vet said his heart stopped beating .They placed him in a little box and I took him home and buried him in the yard where we always run and played ,right under his favourite bush .I still cry myself to sleep ,even though I  am a grown man of 65 years of age ! That cat means everything to me .I have a little stone on his grave and it says ,"Bugle ,my beloved cat ,you were so smart and loving ,I shall miss you every   day for the rest of my life !"
I am sorry for your loss and I know you must feel.I hope this comforts you some .
Love COL Bright .
56  Why did Reina go to the vet ?
A To get some advice on pet care       B To give her cat some medical care
C TO have her cat's stomach examined  D To have her cat's life ended in Comfort
57.  It seemed that Bright treated his pet cat as ______
A a close neighbour B  a good helper  C a part of his family  D a new friend
58  According to the passage , we can learn that Reina and Bright ________
A both suffered pet loss B  both had an old sick pet cat
C are close friends    D have similar life experience
59  Bright replied to Reina in order to _______
A comfort her           B share his story 
C encourage her         D tell her to forget her past         

A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clear will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.
Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.
57. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.
A. not sticks and stones but words will hurt us 
B. inspiring words give us confidence
C. negative words may let us down               
D. words have a lasting effect on us
58. There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______
A. almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves
B. we can benefit from talking to ourselves
C. talking to ourselves always gives us courage
D. it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone
59. The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______
A. praise ourselves                                          
B. remind ourselves
C. make ourselves relaxed                                
D. give ourselves amusement
60. The author would probably hold the view that ___________
A. encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers
B. negative words may stimulate us to make more progress
C. people tend to remember friendly words
D. it is better to think twice before talking to others

The fact that blind people can see things using other parts of their bodies apart from their eyes may help us to understand our feelings about color. If they can sense color differences, then perhaps we, too, are affected by color without knowing it. Salesmen have discovered by experience over a long period of time that sugar sells badly in green wrappings, that blue foods are considered not agreeable to the taste ,and that cosmetics (化妝品) should never be packed in brown. These discoveries have grown into a whole subject of color psychology (心理學).
Some of our preferences（偏愛）are clearly psychological. Dark blue is the color of the night sky and therefore connected with calm, while yellow is a day color connected with energy and encouragement. Experiments have shown that colors, partly because they are connected with psychology, also have a direct effect on people’s mind. People in bright red surroundings show an increase in breathing speed, heartbeat and blood pressure. Red is exciting. Pure blue has exactly the opposite effect; it is a calming color. Being exciting, red was chosen as the signal for danger, but a closer study shows that a bright yellow can produce a more basic state of alarm, so fire engines in some advanced areas are now rushing around in bright yellow colors that stop buses, trucks and cars.
53. The passage tells us that salesmen have _______.
A. found out that colors affect sales
B.discovered the relationship between color and psychology
C. tried colors on blind people
D. developed a special subject of color psychology
54. If people are exposed to (置身于) pure blue, _______.
A. their body pressure rises          B.they won’t easily feel nervous
C. they want to taste blue foods      D. they will feel like buying things
55. The most effective color in the passage for warning people is _____.
A. red     B.bright yellow     C. dark blue     D. green
56. Which of the following do you think is the best title of the passage?
A. Color and Feelings               B.Colors and Sales
C. The Blind and Colors              D. Preferences for Colors

PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION（30 points）
Directions: Read the following three passages．Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage．
Next time you find yourself drenched (濕透) in an unexpected heavy rain, look on the bright side – it will be a memorable experience. While wet weather may make us feel gloomy, it sharpens the memory and improves our recall. But those who feel in a good mood because it’s a sunny day are able to remember less well, according to memory tests carried by Australian researchers.
Professor Joe Forgas, who led the research, said: “It seems strange but a little bit of sadness is a good thing. People performed much better on our memory test when the weather was unpleasant and they wee in a slightly negative mood. On bright sunny days, when they were more likely to be happy, the flunked it.”
The tests were carried out on shoppers at a store in Sydney, where researchers randomly placed ten small objects on the check – out counter. On rainy days, sad music was played in the store. When it was bright and sunny, customers heard cheery music. This was done to further influence them towards negative or positive moods. After shopping, customers were asked how many of the objects they could remember. Their scores were three times higher when the weather was had and they were feeling angry, compared with those tested on sunny days. The results were published in Journal of Experimental Psychology. A report on the findings said: “They point to a growing body of evidence that the way people think, the quality of their judgments and the accuracy of their memory are all significantly influenced by positive and negative moods.”
Professor Forgas said, “We found that weather – inducted negative mood improved memory accuracy. Shoppers in a negative mood showed better memory and higher discrimination ability.”
A worse mood helped to focus people’s attention on their surroundings and led to a more thorough and careful thinking style, while happiness increased confidence and forgetfulness.
Being happy tends to promote a thinking style that is less focused on our surroundings. In a positive mood we are less likely to make more snap (匆忙的) judgments about people we meet. Mild negative mood, in turn, tends to increase attention to our surroundings and produce a more careful, thorough thinking style.
Accurately remembering everyday scenes is a difficult task, yet such memories can be on importance in everyday life. Surprisingly, the influence of mood states on the accuracy of real-life memories is still poorly understood.
56．What’s the major function of Paragraph 1?
A．To attract readers’ interest.     
B．To introduce the theme of the whole passage.
C．To generalize the whole passage.   
D．To describe a memorable experience.
57．The underlined word “flunked” in Paragraph2 may mean “       ”.
A．conducted B．failed       C．passed      D．understood
58．In the research, researchers play different music to         .
A．make customers become sadder or happier
B．help customers choose what they want
C．promote customers to buy more goods
D．get customers to make a quick choice
59．According to Joe Forgas, on sunny days, people         .
A．will make careful judgments on others
B．tend to pay more attention to their surroundings
C．will have more confidence
D．will have a better recall
60．What can we know from the research?
A．Forgetfulness is rather troublesome.
B．It’s important to feel in a good mood.
C．It’s memorable to experience a rainy day.
D．Gloomy days are good for memorizing things.