Henry found work in a bookstore after he finished middle school. He wouldn’t do anything but wanted to get rich. Mr King thought he was too lazy and was going to send him away. Henry was afraid and had to work hard.
It was a cold morning. It was snowing and there was thin ice on the streets. Few people went to buy the books and the young man had nothing to do. He hated to read, so he watched the traffic. Suddenly he saw a bag fall off a truck and it landed by the other side of the street.
“It must be full of expensive things, ”Henry said to himself. “I have to get it, or others will take it away. ”
He went out of the shop and ran across the street. A driver saw him and began to whistle (鳴笛), but he didn’t hear it and went on running. The man drove aside, hit a big tree and was hurt in the accident. Two weeks later Henry was taken to court (法庭). A judge asked if he heard the whistle when he was running across the street. He said that something was wrong with his ears and he could hear nothing.
“But you’ve heard me this time.”said the judge.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Now I can hear with one ear.”
“Cover the ear with your hand and listen to me with your deaf (聾的)one. Well, can you hear me? ”
“No, I can’t. sir.”
【小題1】What was Mr. King? (   )

My House
My mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That’s why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. “For just the two of us,” my mother said, “an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better.” Personally, I think she’s lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?
I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass—I couldn’t wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (扭曲的, 粗糙的) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small tree house, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before Father’s death.
This house is special—maybe only to me—but special nevertheless. It’s the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight snack runs; the smell of my father’s pipe that still exists; the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.
This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up.
【小題1】Why did the author’s mother decide to move?

A．By arguing whether the house was standard.

B．By explaining why the house suited their needs. k.&s~5*u

C．By describing the small things related to her house.

D．By comparing the differences between country and city life.

This brief book is aimed at high school students, but speaks to anyone learning at any stage of life．
Its formal, serious style closely matches its content, a school-masterly book on schooling．The author, W．H．Armstrong, starts with the basics: reading and writing．In his opinion, reading doesn’t just mean recognizing each word on the page; it means taking in the information, digesting it and incorporating it into oneself just as digests a sandwich and makes it a part of himself．The goal is to bring the information back to life, not just to treat it as dead facts on paper from dead trees．Reading and writing cannot be completely separated from each other; in fact, the aim of reading is to express the information you have got from the text．I’ve seen it again and again: someone who can’t express an idea after reading a text is just as ineffective as someone who hasn’t read it at all．
Only a third of the book remains after that discussion, which Armstrong devotes to specific tips for studying languages, math, science and history．He generally handles these topics thoroughly(透徹地) and equally, except for some weakness in the science and math sections and a bit too much passion(激情) regarding history．Well, he was a history teacher — if conveyed only a tenth of his passion to his students, that was a hundred times more than my history teachers ever got across．To my disappointment, in this part of the book he ignores the arts．As a matter of fact, they demand all the concentration and study that math and science do, though the study differs slightly in kind．Although it’s commonly believed that the arts can only be naturally acquired, actually, learning the arts is no more natural than learning French or mathematics．
My other comment is that the text aged．The first edition apparently dates to the 1960s — none of the references(參考文獻(xiàn))seem newer than the late 1950s．As a result, the discussion misses the entire computer age．
These are small points, though, and don’t affect the main discussion．I recommend it to any student and any teacher, including the self-taught student．
【小題1】According to Armstrong, the goal of reading is to________．

Psychiatrists(精神病專家)，who work with older parents say that maturity can be an asset(資產(chǎn)) in child raising----older parents are more thoughtful, use less physical discipline and spend more time with children. But raising kids takes money and energy, many older parents find themselves balancing their limited financial resources, declining energy and failing health against the growing demands of an active child. Dying and leaving young children is probably the older parents’ biggest and often unspoken fear. Having late-life children, says an economics professor, often means parents, particularly fathers, “end up retiring much later.” For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream.
Henry Metcalf, a 54-year-old journalist, knows it takes money to raise kids. But he’s  also worried that his energy will give out first. Sure, he can still ride bikes with his athletic fifth grader, but he’s learned that, young at heart doesn’t mean young. Lately he’s been taking afternoon naps to keep up his energy.” My body is aging,” says Metcalf, “You can’t get away from that.”
Often, older parents hear the ticking of another kind of biological clock. Therapists who work with middle-aged and older parents say fears about aging are nothing to laugh at. “They worry they’ll be mistaken for grandparents, or that they’ll need help getting up out of those little chairs in nursery school.” Says Joann Galst, a New York psychologist .But at the core of those little fears there is often a much bigger one. “that they will not be alive long enough to support and protect their child, ” she says .
Many late-life parents, though, say their children came at just the right time. After marrying late and undergoing years of fertility(受孕) treatment, Marilyn Nolen and her husband, Randy, had twins. “We both wanted children,” says Marilyn, who was 55 when she gave birth. The twins have given the couple what they desired for years, “a sense of family.”
Kids of older dads are often smarter, happier and more sociable because their fathers are more involved in their lives. “The dads are older, more mature,” says Dr. Silber, “and more ready to focus on parenting.”
【小題1】Why do psychiatrists regard maturity as an asset in child raising?
A Older parents can better balance their resources against children’s demands.
B Older parents are usually more experienced in bringing up their children.
C Older parents are often better prepared financially.
D Older parents can take better care of their children.
【小題2】What does the author mean by saying “For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream”
A They have to go on working beyond their retirement age.
B They can’t get full pension unless they work some extra years.
C They can’t obtain the retirement benefits they have dreamed of.
D They are unwilling to retire when they reach their retirement age
【小題3】The author gives the examples of Henry Metcalf to show that______.
A many people are young in spirit despite their advanced age
B taking afternoon naps is a good way to maintain energy
C older parents tend to be concerned about their aging bodies
D older parents should exercise more to keep up with their athletic children
【小題4】What’s the biggest fear of older parents according to New York psychologist Joann Galst?
A Being laughed at by other people           B Slowing down of their pace of life
C Being mistaken for grandparents           D Approaching of death
【小題5】What do we learn about Marilyn and Randy Nolen?
A They thought they were an example of successful fertility treatment
B Not until they had the twins did they feel had formed a family
C They believe that children born of older parents would be smarter.
D Not until they reached middle age did they think of having children.

It was a party. I was 18 and it was fresher(大一新生) week. I was at the beginning of a course in English Literature and full of enthusiasm for my subject. She was also 18 and enrolled in a course in physics.
“Your major is of no use to society. What will you do with it when you graduate, other than teach? Plus, you’re going to be poor your whole life,” she said. “You have no soul and your degree is boring. I don’t care how much money you’re going to earn. I’d rather be poor and don’t mind being a teacher. If I love my work I’ll have something far more meaningful than a big bank account!” came the reply.
And so it went, back and forth, neither of us giving the other an inch, each of us stubbornly committed to our prejudice. We were both ignorant, but our ignorance was also society’s ignorance. It had always been that way. Scientists mocked(嘲笑) humanists; humanists laughed at scientists. Back in the 1960s, the physicist-turned novelist C. P. Snow labeled the sciences-humanities divide “a problem of ‘the two cultures’” . He said it was bad for society. The modern world needed well-rounded people.
I think I know better now, but it would have helped if we had been encouraged to think a little more outside our science and arts “boxes”.
That’s why I believe it is healthy that China is beginning a debate on whether it’s wise for young people to have to choose which direction their careers – and lives – will take at such an early age. At the moment, in their second year of high school, students must choose either the sciences or the humanities. After making the choice, they focus their energies on passing the appropriate college entrance exam.
But now, people in China are asking: Is this forced, early decision good for young people or society? Young people need time to explore, to discover where their real talents and interests lie. There are more than just a few middle-aged people out there, stuck in jobs they hate because they made the wrong choice at the wrong time.
And from the point of view of society, isn’t it better for students to delay a while before they decide what to study? Scientists can benefit from learning to develop the critical skills associated with the humanities; students in the humanities, surely, only stand to gain by finding out a little more about science and technology, which are so important to the future of a developing country like China.
With any luck, in the future young people fresh to college will be better informed about the possibilities of education than people of my generation.
【小題1】The author describes what happened at a fresher party to ________.

The global financial crisis is likely to cause increased mental health problems as people struggle to deal with poverty and unemployment, the World Health Organization warned Thursday．
Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are already affected by mental problems such as depression and bipolar disorders （帶躁狂的抑郁癥） and the current market meltdown （崩潰） could worsen feelings of despair among people who can't stand such illnesses．
The United Nations agency said the impact could be especially marked for those living in low and middle income countries where access to treatment is often limited．
"We should not be surprised at the turbulence （動(dòng)蕩） and likely consequences of the current financial crisis．Now we are seeing a huge gap in taking care of people in great need," WHO director general Margaret Chan told at a meeting of mental health experts．
"It should not come as a surprise that we continue to see more stresses, suicides and mental disorders," Chan warned．
Benedetto Saraceno, director of WHO's mental health, said mental health disorders affected one in four people at some point in their lives．
Mental and neurological disorders are often chronic （慢性） and disabling, he said．Nearly 1 million people commit suicide worldwide every year, a large part of them are young adults．
Asked about the financial crisis, Saraceno said, "Poverty can be the consequence of such events, the debts, despair and sense of loss that may reach middle and lower classes．Even the poor can be affected by this crisis．"
"There is clear evidence that suicide is linked to financial disasters．I am not talking about the millionaire's jumping out of the window but about poor people," he said．The global crisis could be expected to affect the "stability of communities and families", according to Saraceno．
60．According to the passage, the chief result of the worldwide financial crisis is that        ．
A．more people will be poorer
B．more people will be out of jobs
C．more people will suffer from mental problems
D．more people will commit suicide
61．The United Nations agency worried that              ．
A．more rich people would commit suicide
B．the financial crisis might especially influence developing or underdeveloped countries
C．the current market meltdown could worsen feelings of despair
D．hundreds of millions of people in the world were already affected by mental problems
62．It can be inferred that              ． 
A．far more work should be done to help those who are mentally ill
B．it will be surprising to see more people commit suicide
C．a(chǎn) mental disorder is a chronic disease
D．many more young adults commit suicide worldwide than people of other ages
63．The best title for the passage is              ． 
A．Global Financial Crisis．
B．Mental Disorders Resulting From Global Financial Crisis．
C．Suicides as a Result of Market Meltdown．
D．Chronic Mental Disorders．

　                              Fear can be a wonderful feeling in our lives, protecting us from dangerous situations and keeping us safe. But fear can also limit our lives significantly. While it may not be conscious, fear may make us think we are unacceptable or that what we have to offer isn’t valuable. Fear may make us feel that we are not safe being ourselves.
To avoid feeling fear, we may limit our lives greatly, living in tiny boxes. Living this way gives us the illusion(假象) of safety but leaves us with an unfulfilling life of no passion. If we shine a light on many of our fears, we see they have a very limited view of what is “safe” and how to “protect” us. Many of our fears are concerned only with protecting us from humiliation(羞辱) and failure. While these fears are doing their jobs incredibly well, they are doing so with faulty and outdated programming. Many fears we have as adults are trying to protect us as they protected us when we were children. Indeed, many of our current, automatic reactions to fear were actually formed when we were children.
Even so, it’s important not to judge ourselves for feeling these types of fears. If we judge ourselves, we will bury our fears or disguise them. By denying our fears, however, we also deny our energy, creativity and passion.
So what do we do with fear? We recognize the fear for what it is--- a feeling we’ve experienced many times in the past and a feeling we will experience many times in the future. We become very familiar with our own particular brand of fears and how we allow them to control our lives. It is especially beneficial for each of us to become aware of the particular behavior patterns we’ve adopted when we feel fear, so we can look at our reactions with a sense of humor and compassion. Then, if we wish, we can choose a different response, which can be a scary yet very exciting experience.
66. According to the first paragraph, fear sometimes                   .
A. protect us when we’ve made mistakes          B. makes sure our feelings are not hurt
C. brings great change to our everyday life        D. makes us lose confidence in ourselves
67. It can be inferred from the passage that the author                 .
A. thinks it difficult to control our fear             B. believes fears protect us negatively
C. thinks it’s good to criticize ourselves            D. values the advantages of feeling fear
68. According to the author, the ways we react to fear                    .
A. vary from person to person            B. have been formed since childhood
C. develop during our growth            D. will not change until we get old
69.The last paragraph mainly tells us                       .
A. what is the essence of fears         B. usual reactions we have when feeling fear
C. how to deal with fears reasonably     D. the importance of humor and compassion
70.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Is fear managing your life?         B. Be calm when feeling fear
C. What do you fear most?           D. Passion, chance and fear

B．閱讀理解：（30分）
Now we can see a man and his wife at the breakfast table. They are not speaking to each other.
They haven’t spoken to each other at the breakfast table for years. The husband is reading his newspaper. We can’t see his face. The wife looks very worried as she gets a cup of tea ready for him. Today she is using a new kind of tea for the first time. The husband picks up his cup. He isn’t interested. He tastes his tea. Suddenly he puts down his newspaper. Something is different! Can it be the tea? He takes another taste. It’s wonderful. He smiles. He looks at his wife and says in surprise, “Doris, when did you cut your hair?” Doris is pleased. She answers, “Two months ago.” Doris asks, “Herbie, when did your hair begin to become white?” He answers, “A long time ago.” Doris says, “We have been together for many years, but we never cared about each other.” Now they aren’t worried any longer. Breakfast is different. Has a new kind of tea changed their lives?
36. This story happens______________________.
A. before breakfast                     B. after breakfast
C. at home                            D. in a teahouse
37. In the passage, we can see ________________________.
A. Doris is drinking tea                 B. Herbie likes the new kind of tea
C. Doris is reading a newspaper           D. Herbie is very young and good-looking
38. Herbie and Doris lived ______________ before this day.
A. a wonderful                        B. an unhappy
C. an enjoyable                        D. a friendly
39. Which of the following statements is true?
A. They are good friends.                B. They have just got married.
C. They like to talk about their hair.       D. They are no longer young.
40. From the passage, we think it may be ______________.
A. a radio programme                   B.  a short film
C. a computer game                     D.  a beautiful painting

The Best of Friends
The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly held image (印象) of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.
An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past. “We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seem to be about their families,” said one member of the research team. “They’re expected to be rebellious (叛逆的) and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds; they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There’s more negotiation (商議) and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don’t want to rock the boat.”
So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-years-old Daniel Lazall. “I always tell them when I’m going out clubbing. As long as they know what I’m doing, they’re fine with it.” Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”
Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments, “Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change from helping out with the family business to taking it over.”
【小題1】 What is the popular image of teenagers today?

A．existed only in the 1960s	B．is common nowadays
C．may be a false belief	D．resulted from changes in families

Just as our degree of individual freedom uncomfortable to many foreign visitors, foreign attitudes toward truth seem uncertain to Americans.
In many countries people will tell you what they think you want to hear, whether or not it is true. To them, this implies politeness. To Americans, it is considered misleading-even dishonest--to distort facts on purpose, however kind the motive. The point is ---our priorities(優(yōu)先) are different; in the United States truth has a higher priority than politeness. We are taught from babyhood that “Honesty is the best policy.” Elsewhere, politeness, honor, family loyalty, “machismo” or many other values might come far ahead of honesty if one is listing priorities.
But with us, trust and truth are of paramount importance. If we say of a man, “You cannot trust him.” This is one of the most damning statements that can be made about him.
In view of such profound differences in values, it is natural that misunderstandings and irritations often occur, especially in exact areas such as the negotiation of contracts. A Mexican has said, “With us b business is like a courtship(求愛).” Americans lack this grace, but on the other hand you can count on their word. You know where you are with them; except in advertising, they will not be “whispering sweet nothings” that they do not mean in order to make you feel desirable!
“How far is it to the next village?” the American asks a man standing by the edge of the road. In some countries, because the man realizes that the traveler is tired and eager to reach his destination, he will politely say “Just down the road.” He thinks this is more encouraging, gentler, and therefore the wanted answer. So the American drives on through the night, getting more and more angry, feeling “tricked.” He thinks the man deliberately lied to him, for obviously he must have known the distance quite well.
Had conditions been reversed, the American would feel he was “cheating” the driver if he implied the next town was close when he knew it was really 15miles further on. Although, he, too, would be sympathetic to the weary driver, he would say, “you have a good way to go yet; it is at least 15 more miles.” The driver might be disappointed, but he would know what to expect.
This often-epeated question of accuracy versus courtesy leads to many misunderstandings between people of different cultures. If you are aware of the situation in advance, it is sometimes easier to recognize the problem.
67．The best title for the passage should be_______.
A．Truth or politeness      B．Truth or lying
C．Cultural differences     D．Honest Americans
68．In American’s view, people who tell you what they think you want to hear, whether or not it is true, are_______.
A．polite            B．honest        C．kind         D．misleading
69．According to the author, misunderstandings and angers often occur as a result of_______.
A．the exactness of negotiation    B．the importance in trust and truth
C．deep differences in values       D．lack of respect
70．According to the author, Americans_______.
A．treat a business deal like a courtship
B．list honor on the top of the list of values
C．do not whisper sweet nothings in advertising
D．expect to know the exact distance when asking the way