Dad came in the midnight. We heard every sound, but we pretended to be asleep.
Next morning he looked weak and thin, sitting in a chair by the kitchen fire. The light of the fire shone through his long empty sleeve. Everything went as usual. Grandma found something to do in the bedroom. Grandpa went out for some water. Mother, with her back to us, was getting the cakes ready for breakfast.
But nothing was right. When grandma came out of the bedroom, she walked on tiptoe. When grandpa came back, he said nothing about the weather. At breakfast Mother passed us the fruit and said something, but her voice was too high.
At last my sister, Lou, pushed back her chair. “It’s your turn to wash the dishes.” But I had washed the dishes the night before. I said nothing because it was not right to quarrel in front of Dad just home with the empty sleeve.
“It is your turn,” Lou said again. I looked at her in surprise.
“It is not,” I said because I suddenly remembered Mother had told us to go on as usual.
“Children, children,” Mother said in a quiet, glad kind of voice.
And Dad was smiling because he felt at home at last.
【小題1】What do you know happened to Dad in the story?

A．He was badly ill.	B．He had a long journey.
C．He drank too much.	D．He lost one of his arms.

【小題2】The family        when they saw Dad’s empty sleeve.

A．was too surprised to do anything	B．felt sad and cried a lot
C．tried not to show their feelings	D．showed no worry at all

【小題3】From the story, we know          .

A．the two sisters often quarreled about who should wash the dishes

B．the family liked seeing the two sisters quarrelling after breakfast

C．Dad loved the two sisters very much though they often quarreled

D．Mother told the two sisters to quarrel with each other the night before

【小題4】Which of the following can be the best title of the story?

A．The Quarrelling Sisters	B．Dad Was Back
C．After the Accident	D．An Empty Sleeve

It must have been around nine o’clock when I drove back home from work because it was already dark． As I came near to the gates I turned off the head lights of the car so as to prevent the beam from swinging (擺動) through the window and waking Jack, who shared the house with me． But I needn’t have done so． I noticed that his light was still on, so he was awake anyway—unless he had fallen asleep while reading． I put the car away and went up the steps．
Then I opened the door quietly and went to Jack’s room． He was in bed awake, but he didn’t even turn towards me．
“What’s up, Jack﹖” I asked．
“For God’s sake, don’t make a noise,” he said．
The way he spoke reminded me of someone in pain who is afraid to talk in case he does himself serious injury．
“Take your shoes off, Neville,” Jack said．
I thought that he must be ill and that I had better give way to him to keep him happy． “There is a snake here,” he explained． “It’s asleep between the sheets． I was lying on my back reading when I saw it．I knew that moving was out of the question． I could not have moved even I’d wanted to．” I realized that he was serious． “I was depending on you to call a doctor as soon as you came home,” Jack went on． “It has not bitten me yet but I dare not do anything to upset it． It might wake up． I’m sick of this,” he said．“I took it for granted that you would have come home an hour ago．”
There was no time to argue or apologize for being late．I looked at him as encouraging as I could and went to telephone the doctor．
【小題1】When he got home, Neville found that ＿＿＿＿＿．

A．Jack had fallen asleep while reading	B．Jack had been reading for some time
C．Jack’s light was not turned off	D．Jack was ready to answer the doctor

【小題2】The underlined phrase in Paragraph 6 means ＿＿＿＿＿．

A．impossible

B．no problem

C．no doubt

D．without difficulty

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage﹖

A．Neville and Jack lived in the same house．

B．Neville thought that Jack had fallen ill．

C．Neville really believed that Jack was not making a joke．

D．Neville refused to argue or to make an apology for being late．

【小題4】The reason why Neville thought that Jack must be ill is that Jack ＿＿＿＿．

A．a(chǎn)sked Neville to take off his shoes

B．made a gesture to show the presence of the snake

C．was afraid to upset the snake sleeping between the sheets

D．behaved strangely as if he were badly hurt

【小題5】According to the passage, Neville should have been home at ＿＿＿＿．

A．7 p．m．

B．8 p．m．

C．9 p．m．

D．6 p．m．

Driving Offence Points System
What is Driving Offence Points System?
After the introduction of this system, certain traffic offences will earn the driver points besides other punishment. If a driver makes any of these offences, the points will be recorded. When the driver gets a certain number of points, he will be forbidden to drive for a certain amount of time.   
What are the purposes of this system?
This is a system designed to make road much safer. It can improve standards of driving and reduce the accident rates.
Which traffic offences will result in Driving Offence points?
Of course, not all traffic offences are covered by this system. Only those that have direct effect on road safety are included. There are altogether fourteen items.

Code	Offence	Points
1	Causing death by dangerous driving	10
2	Dangerous driving	10
3	Careless driving	5
4	Driving after drinking or taking drugs	10
5	Driving over speed limit by more than 15 km/hour	3
6	Driving in a motor race on the road	10
7	Failing to stop after an accident	3
8	Failing to give information after an accident	3
9	Failing to report an accident	3
10	Failing to obey directions of police officers	3
11	Crossing double white lines	3
12	Failing to obey traffic signals	3
13	Failing to give way to walkers at a crosswalk Failing to stop for people walking	3
14	Failing to stop at school crossing	3

What will happen if you have got up to 10 points?
If you have got 10 points or above, but still less 15 points, you will receive a warning letter from the Transport Department. This letter will tell your record of Driving Offence Points and remind you of the result of getting more points. It is hoped that this warning will change your driving behavior for the better.
What will happen if you have got 15 points?
If you have got 15 points or more within two years, a court will take away your driving license. The first time you are found guilty you will not be able to drive for three months, but if you are caught a second time you will not be able to drive for six months.
【小題1】The underlined word “Offence”（paragraph 1）refers to ________.

A．a(chǎn) driving habit	B．a(chǎn)n official of road safety
C．bad behavior in the office	D．a(chǎn)n action against the traffic law

【小題2】The Driving Offence Points __________.

A．is a system that helps to improve the driving standards

B．a(chǎn)re points earned because of dangerous driving

C．shows traffic offences of different kinds

D．is a guide dealing with traffic offences

【小題3】What will happen to you if you have got 13 points?

A．You will be punished for the points.

B．Your driving license will be taken away.

C．Your record will be sent to the Transport Department.

D．You will get a warning letter from the Transport Department.

【小題4】What will happen to you if you are caught driving dangerously and two months later you are caught driving after drinking?

A．Your license will be taken away.

B．You will be taken to the police station.

C．You will not be able to drive for 3 months.

D．You will not be able to drive for 6 months.

Have you ever thought about what determines the way we are when we grow up? Remember the TV program Seven Up? It started following the lives of a group of children in 1973. We first meet them as wide-eyed seven-year-olds and catch up with them at seven-year intervals: nervous 14-year-olds, serious 21-year-olds and then grown-ups.
Some of the stories are inspiring, others sad, but what is interesting in almost all the cases is the way in which the children’s early hopes and dreams are shown in their future lives. For example, at seven, Tony is a lively child who says he wants to become a sportsman or a taxi driver. When he grows up, he goes on to do both. How about Niki? She says, “I would like to find out about the moon.” And she goes on to become a space scientist. As a child, soft-spoken Bruce says he wants to help “poor children” and ends up teaching in India.
But if the lives of all the children had followed this pattern, the program would be far less interesting than it actually was. It was the children whose childhood did not prepare them for what was to come that made the program so interesting. Where did their ideas come from about what they wanted to do when they grew up? Are children influenced by what their parents do, by what they see on television or by what their teachers say? How great is the effect of a single important event? Many film directors, including Steven Spielberg, say that an early visit to the cinema was the turning point in their lives. Dr. Margaret McAllister, who has done a lot of research in this area, thinks that the major factors are parents, friends and their wider society.
【小題1】What does the text mainly discuss?

A．New ways to make a TV program interesting.

B．The importance of TV programs to children.

C．Different ways to make childhood dreams come true.

D．The influence of childhood experience on future lives.

【小題2】 What does the underlined word “influenced” mean in the last paragraph?

A．Impressed.

B．Improved.

C．Affected.

D．Attracted.

【小題3】 What are the examples in Paragraph 2 meant to show?

A．Many people’s childhood hopes are related to their future jobs.

B．There are many poor children in India who need help.

C．Children have different dreams about their future.

D．A lot of people are very sad in their childhood.

【小題4】Spielberg’s story is meant to show that _______.

A．going to a movie at an early age helps a child learn about society

B．a(chǎn) single childhood event may decide what one does as a grown-up

C．parents and friends can help a child grow up properly

D．films have more influence on a child than teachers do

During a state of deep relaxation, several physiological changes take place in the body: the body’s oxygen consumption is reduced; the heart beat decreases; muscle tension and sweating ease, and there is decreased sympathetic （交感的） nervous system activity．This restful state not only allows the body to repair and restore itself, but it has a calming effect on the consciousness．
How to achieve this state of relaxation, however, is a matter of opinion, and in some medical circles, a matter of controversy．A recent report by Dr．David Holmes of the University of Kansas in the journal “American psychologist” said that simply sitting in an armchair has just as many beneficial characteristics for the body as meditation （冥想） does．Researchers of other relaxation techniques disagree．These experts believe that more structured techniques, such as meditation, lead to a condition of deep relaxation．
The debate goes on, but one thing appears to be clear: the relaxation response can be reached by a number of methods, and the methods themselves are not as important as getting there．One day, one method may work best; on another day, an alternative method may be more appropriate．Once you are aware of all the methods, you can find the one that works best on you．
Some of the relaxation techniques are meditation, auto analysis and progressive muscle relaxation response．More than just sitting quietly in a chair, they have the added benefit of structure and discipline, and for these reasons appear to be more effective for most individuals．
【小題1】According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true when a person is in a state of deep relaxation?

A．The body takes in less oxygen．

B．The heart beats less frequently．

C．Muscles become tense and the body sweats easily．

D．The consciousness becomes more or less calmed．

【小題2】People seem to agree that ____．

A．sitting in an armchair benefits a person as meditation does

B．structured relaxation techniques are more beneficial for a person

C．to achieve a state of deep relaxation is possible through various means

D．what people are all struggling for is a state of deep relaxation

【小題3】In the third paragraph, the phrase “getting there” means _____．

A．a(chǎn)rriving at one’s destination

B．getting what one wants most

C．finding out a suitable relaxation technique

D．reaching a state of deep relaxation

【小題4】The author’s attitude toward relaxation discussed in the passage is best described as ______．

A．sceptical

B．objective

C．optimistic

D．critical

Younger adults who get either little sleep or a lot of it may see a greater expansion in their waistlines（腰圍）over time, a study published suggests. Researchers found that among black and Hispanic adults younger than 40, those who typically slept for five hours or less each night had a greater accumulation of belly fat over the next five years, versus（相比于） those who averaged six or seven hours. Those who slept eight hours or more in bed each night also showed a bigger fat gain - but it was less obvious than that seen in "short sleepers."
The study, reported in the Journal Sleep, does not prove that too little or too much sleep directly leads to excess fat gain. But the findings support and extend those of other studies linking sleep duration - particularly a lack of sleep - to weight gain and even to higher risks of diabetes(糖尿病) and heart disease. Among participants younger than 40, the study found, those who said they slept for five hours or less each night gained more belly fat than those who averaged six or seven hours of sleep. On average, short sleepers showed a 32 percent gain in visceral（內臟的）fat, versus a 13 percent gain among those who slept six or seven hours per night, and a 22 percent increase among men and women who got at least eight hours of sleep each night. A similar pattern was seen with superficial abdominal（腹部）fat.
The findings, according to lead researcher Dr. Kristen G. Hairston, support the belief that sleep habits affect weight and health in general. "Sleep is an important part of your overall health - not just in whether you're tired during the day," she said.
There may be indirect effects; people who get too little sleep may be too tired during the day to exercise, while those who spend a lot of time in bed may spend less time being active, relative to people who sleep fewer hours. Research also suggests that sleep loss alters people's levels of appetite-regulating hormones（荷爾蒙）- which could, in theory, cause them to overeat. Depression, which often affects people's sleep and has been linked to weight gain, could also be a factor, Hairston noted.
【小題1】Who may have the higher risk of being fat over the next five years?

A．Jack, a Hispanic man, aged 35, sleeps for 3 hours every night.

B．Candy, a black woman, aged 41, sleeps for about 5 hours every night.

C．Bob, an American, aged 50, sleeps for more than 12 hours every day.

D．John, a student in Africa, sleeps for more than 6 hours every week.

【小題2】What does the study, reported in the Journal Sleep find?

A．Too little or too much sleep directly gives rise to the fat gain.

B．People are subject to heart disease due to the lack of sleep.

C．It is admitted that sleep plays an important part in our health.

D．Researchers find a longer sleep time is better for our health.

【小題3】What does the lead researcher Dr. Kristen G. Hairston agree with?

A．People should do some exercise in their daily life.

B．There is a close link between sleep habits and health.

C．More nutrition is greatly needed when we lack sleep.

D．More and more people tend to sleep less than before.

【小題4】What can we infer from the passage?

A．Younger adults getting little or much sleep may become fat.

B．We are supposed to do exercise as much as possible to keep fit.

C．We should keep a good sleep habit to improve our health.

D．We have to spare no efforts to drive depression away.

【小題5】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Sleep Habits Linked to Fat Gain in Younger Adults.

B．Doing Exercise Is the Best Way to Keep Fit.

C．Our Waistlines Can Be Driven Away Right Now.

D．Diabetes No Longer bother all of Young People.

       It takes courage to stand up at work．Now more and more people are standing up when they are working on something important．Standing up is in fashion．Medical researchers have found that people who stand at work tend to be much healthier than those who sit．But I wasn't just looking for better health — standing would also improve how I work and relax my body．
In recent years, many office supply companies have begun to sell adjustable desks．These so-called "sit / stand" models are equipped with an electric motor that lets them shift from chair height to person height at the push of a button．Unfortunately, sit / stand desks tend to be expensive, hard to find and not very easy to test in person．
I discovered that when I worked standing up, my mind was clearer and new ideas kept coming to me．I suspect that this is because when you're standing, you feel a bit unchained from your desk．If I got stuck on a word or sentence as I wrote it, I found myself shaking my arms, bouncing （跳） on my feet or stepping away from the desk for a bit — things I couldn't do in a chair．Often, standing up seemed to relax my mind enough for me to get over creative barriers．
There's another thing about standing for a long time: I tend to get hungrier than I do when I sit on a chair．That feels like confirmation（證實） of the stand-up advocates’ belief that you burn more calories when you stand than when you sit．For this reason alone, I' m hoping that one day mass-market furniture companies can make many low-priced versions of sit / stand desks．We could all work with a bit more standing up．
【小題1】The author likes standing up while working because __________．

A．he wants to show that he has a lot of courage

B．researchers say standing makes one healthier

C．he intends to catch up the fashion trend

D．he hopes to improve his work and relax himself

【小題2】It can be inferred from the text that   ________．

A．a(chǎn)djustable desks are mass-produced now

B．a(chǎn)djustable desks are easy to operate

C．cheaper adjustable desks will soon be available

D．a(chǎn)djustable desks can be tried out easily

【小題3】What is the main idea of the text?

A．Standing up at work is a better choice．

B．Standing up at work takes courage．

C．Standing up at work burns more calories．

D．Standing up at work will replace traditional sitting．

Women are now as likely to use the Internet as men—about two-thirds of both genders, yet a new study shows that gaps remain in what each sex does online.
American men who go online are more likely than women to check the weather, the news, sports, political and financial information, the Pew Internet and American Life Project reported Wednesday. They are also more likely to use the Internet to download music and software and to take a class.
Online women, meanwhile, are bigger users of e-mail, and they are also more likely to go online for religious information and support for health or personal problems.
“For men, it’s just, ‘give me the facts,’” said Deborah Fallows, who wrote the report based on six years of Pew surveys, “For women, its ‘Let’s talk about this. Are you worried about this problem?’ It’s keeping in touch and connecting with people in a richer way.”
About two- thirds of the 6,403 adults surveyed by Pew during 2005 said they use the Internet. By gender, it was 68%of the male respondents, and 66%of the female participants---a statistically insignificant(不重要的)difference given the study’s margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2%points. In 2002, by contrast, the gap was slightly larger: 61%vs. 57%.
The surveys find that for many activities, such as getting travel information or looking up a phone number, men and women are equally likely to use the Internet.
【小題1】 According to the passage, which of the following is not what American men who go online do?

A．Checking the weather and the news.	B．Searching for religious information.
C．Downloading some music.	D．Taking a class.

【小題2】 What is the probable meaning of the sentence “gaps remain in what each sex does online”?

A．There are some difference between men and women in the US.

B．There is a slight difference between the numbers of men and women online in the US.

C．Men and women in the US have difference tastes about what they do online.

D．Men and women in the US have difference way of surfing the Internet.

【小題3】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．A small part of women in the US go on line today.

B．Women in the US going on line are only concerned with personal problems.

C．Men are still more likely to use the Internet than women.

D．The gap between both sexes going online in 2002 was slightly larger than that in 2005.

【小題4】 What’s the author’s purpose of writing the article?

A．To tell us the different aims of men and women in the US who go online.

B．To show why men and women are equally likely to use the Internet.

C．To teach us how to surf the Internet.

D．To offer us some information of both sexes’ going online in the US.

When you have a post-office box, the postman doesn’t bring letters to you, but you go to the post-office and get your letters and parcels from your box. The box is locked, only you have the key, so the letters and parcels are safe.
One day the headmaster of a school wrote to the post-office and asked for a post-office box for his school. He soon got an answer. It said, “We will give you a post-office box in one month.”
Three months later, the headmaster wrote to the post-office and said, “Why haven't we got a post-office box yet?”
This was the answer from the post-office:
“Dear sir,
We gave you a post-office box two months and wrote to you then to tell you. Here is the key to your box. You will find our letter to you in it.”
【小題1】When you have a post-office box, _____.

A．it is easier for you to write letters	B．you will have more letters than parcels
C．you get your letters in front of your house	D．you got to the post-office to get your letters

【小題2】The word “key” in this passage means _____.

A．郵件

B．密碼

C．編號

D．鑰匙

【小題3】The headmaster _____.

A．wrote many letters to the post-office	B．didn’t like the postman
C．didn’t know how a post-office box worked	D．forgot to pay for the post-office box

【小題4】When the post-office said that you could get a post-office, he meant _____.

A．you may go to the post-office to get your mails

B．you must wait to get the post-office box

C．you must write again to get the key

D．you must pay for the box before you got it

【小題5】Which of the following might not be true?

A．If you want to get a post-office box, you must let the post-office know.

B．When you get a post-office box, you have to do the work of a postman.

C．You go to the post-office to get the key to your box.

D．After you get a post-office box, the post man will not send mails to your house.

By the time a student starts to apply (申請) for a US university, much of his or her record, including grades and after-school activities, has been set in stone. For this reason, the student must in his or her first year of high school start getting ready for college. He or she also has to decide on the non-academic (非學業(yè)的) tasks, which are important to improve the student’s chances of getting in.
1. After-school activities
When it comes to high school activities, quality is better than quantity (數(shù)量). Admissions (錄取) officers do not want to see a student who has joined dozens of organizations (組織) for a short period of time.
Many students try to do this towards the end of their high school. But schools want to see a student who has been with one organization for all or most of high school. A student who can do this shows maturity (成熟). It is the quality that admissions officers look for as it is one of the markers of future success.
2. Leadership
Schools want to see a student who has taken on a leadership role in an organization. A student can show leadership by taking on any role that needs extra commitment (奉獻) and responsibility.
If you do not have a great title (頭銜) such as president, be sure to explain any leadership roles you have taken. This kind of involvement (參與) in school activities shows you are the responsible person that admissions officers look for.
3. Consistency (一致性)
Admissions officers like an application (申請) to be consistent. For example if there is a high school activity you particularly (特別地) love, it would help if that activity matches your future academic and career interest.
Of course not everything needs to be consistent. Otherwise (否則) the student would be narrow and this is not what schools are looking for. However, you cannot have different parts of your application saying conflicting (矛盾的) things.
【小題1】Who was the article written for?

A．US college students hoping to study in China.

B．Chinese college students hoping to study in the US.

C．Third year high school students hoping to study in the US.

D．Teenagers hoping to study in the US.

【小題2】The underlined phrase "set in stone" in Paragraph 1 probably means ______.

A．made clear	B．something unchangeable
C．become obvious	D．a(chǎn)t the right level(水平)

【小題3】The author’s suggestion is to ______.

A．try as many different organizations as possible

B．start planning for college at the beginning of high school

C．make everything in an application consistent

D．put non-academic tasks before academic tasks

【小題4】According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Students should choose after-school activities they have great interest in.

B．It’s already too late for first year students to apply for a US university.

C．It is necessary for a student to be a president if he/she is to apply for a US university.

D．Students should concentrate on just one activity in high school.