Where do most writers get their ideas? For Yoshiko Uchida, it all began with Brownie, a five-month-old puppy. So excited was Yoshiko by Brownie’s arrival that she started keeping a journal, writing about all the wonderful things Brownie did and the progress he made.
Soon she was writing about other memorable events in her life, too, like the day her family got their first refrigerator. She also began writing stories, thanks to one of her teachers. Yoshiko wrote stories about animal characters such as Jimmy Chipmunk and Willie the Squirrel. She kept on writing, sharing the kitchen table with her mother, who wrote poems on scraps of paper and the backs of envelopes.
Yoshiko grew up in the 1930s in Berkeley, California. Her parents, both of whom had been born in Japan, provided a loving and happy home for Yoshiko and her sister. They also provided a stream of visitors to their home who later found their way into Yoshiko’s stories. One visitor who later appeared in several of Yoshiko’s stories was the bad-tempered Mr. Toga, who lived above the church that her family attended. Mr. Toga would scold anyone who displeased him. The children all feared him and loved to tell stories about how mean he was and how his false teeth rattled (咯咯響) when he talked.
Yoshiko also included in her stories some of the places she visited and the experiences she had. One of her favorite places was a farm her parents took her to one summer. The owners of the farm, showed Yoshiko and her sister how to pump water from the well and how to gather eggs in the henhouse. They fed the mules that later pulled a wagon loaded with hay while Yoshiko and the others rode in the back, staring up at the stars shining in the night sky. Yoshiko, who lived in the city, had never seen such a sight. As Yoshiko gazed up at the stars, she was filled with hope and excitement about her life. The images of that hayride stayed with her long after the summer visit ended, and she used them in several of her stories.
The experiences Yoshiko had and the parade of people who marched through her young life became a part of the world she created in over twenty books for young people, such as The Best Bad Thing and A Jar of Dreams. Because of such books, we can all share just a little bit of the world and the times in which this great writer grew up.
【小題1】The author tells about Mr. Toga’s false teeth in Paragraph 3 in order to ____________.

A．show health care was not good enough in Berkeley during the 1930s

B．provide an interesting detail in Yoshiko’s life and stories

C．show Yoshiko’s young life was difficult and frightening

D．tell about a beloved relative who helped Yoshiko learn how to write

【小題2】In Paragraph 4 “the stars” probably refer to ____________.

A．family relationships	B．terrors in the night
C．limitless possibilities	D．sacrifices to benefit others

【小題3】 What does the underlined part in the last paragraph mean?

A．Yoshiko loved to write about parades.

B．Yoshiko met many interesting people.

C．Yoshiko liked to go for long walks with others.

D．Yoshiko preferred to talk to her pets instead of to people.

【小題4】What is the main idea of this story?

A．People who live in the city should spend as much time as they can in the country.

B．Writers like Yoshiko Uchida must communicate with as many writers as possible.

C．Those who move to the United States often miss their homelands for many years.

D．Writers like Yoshiko Uchida look to the richness of their lives for material.

What do you do if you are hit in the mouth and one of your teeth is knocked out? A dentist(牙醫(yī))may be able to put the tooth back in for you, but you have to get to the dentist first．In the meantime, you have to store the tooth so that it will stay healthy．
The simplest thing to do is put the tooth back into your mouth, or you could put it in milk．Frank Courts, a dentist at the University of Florida, worked with other researchers to find the safest way of keeping knocked-out teeth．He tried putting teeth into milk, into water, and into cell-culture medium(細(xì)胞培養(yǎng)液)．He also tried, just drying the teeth in the open air．He used teeth that had to be removed from people’s mouths for various reasons．The teeth were put into one of the solutions(溶液)or stored in the air for one hour．Then cells from the root of the teeth were scraped-off the teeth．Dr．Courts and the others then studied how healthy these cells were．
The cell-culture medium worked best to keep a knocked-out tooth healthy outside the mouth．However, few people keep cell-culture medium handy at home or in school．
The next best thing was milk．But Dr．Courts said that the best thing of all was to wash the tooth and put it right back into its socket(牙槽)in the mouth．For some people, though, this is just too painful or upsetting．So milk will do, until you get your tooth (and your mouth)to a dentist．
【小題1】This passage is mainly about             ．

A．how a dentist can save a knocked-out tooth

B．how to keep a knocked-out tooth healthy

C．how Dr．Courts and other researchers made their experiments

D．how to put a knocked-out tooth back into its socket

【小題2】The best way to keep a knocked-out tooth healthy outside the mouth is to store it       .

A．in cell-culture medium

B．in milk

C．in water

D．in the open air

【小題3】Milk can be used instead of cell-culture medium to put a knocked-out tooth in because    ．

A．milk works better to keep the tooth healthy	B．milk causes less pain
C．cell-culture medium is not usually handy	D．cell-culture medium is more expensive

【小題4】“Dr．Courts said that the best of al1 was to wash the tooth and put it right back into its socket in the mouth．”In the sentence, the word “best” means              .

A．cheapest and healthiest	B．least painful and cheapest
C．quickest and least painful	D．easiest and healthiest

Unbelievable view appealed to me by accident．Just then, I checked once again: the somewhat tiny wood was having a leaf．Could I trust my own eyes? Had the hot sun annoyed me? After all, it  as summer in Costa Rica, a country in Central America.
I left off, wiping sweat from my eyes．Then I moved the wood with my finger．It stopped．It looked up at me with big triangular eyes．Surprise! It was a mantid, a kind of insect, instead of a piece of wood．
The mantid was hanging upside down on a branch．Its wings made it look like a piece of tree bark．Then I noticed something else．The leaf wasn't a leaf at all．The hungry mantid was really eating another insect—a katydid．By now, all that was left of the katydid was a pair of wings．A few moments later, the wings dropped to the ground．The mantid folded its long legs．It sat still．Now it looked even more like a piece of wood than when I had first seen it．
I thought about how I had been fooled by these clever animals．Then I thought about how the two insects go about trying to trick each other．Both mantids and katydids are masters of make-up．Katydids are particularly good at it．Many look like something they are not．Katydids often look like plants．Many seem to be leaves．Others look like leaves of grass．All day, the bugs try to stay perfectly still．Because their bodies look like plants, most animals interested in killing them don't bother them while katydids eat plants．
【小題1】What is the main topic of the text?

A．An experience of watching insects．

B．The fake image of mantids and katydids．

C．The fight between mantids and katydids．

D．The living habits of mantids and katydids．

【小題2】What caused the author amazed at first?

A．The hot sun in summer．'

B．The quick moving of the wood．

C．The sight of wood eating a leaf．

D．The fight for food between mantids and katydids-

【小題3】When the mantid was hanging upside down on a branch, it was ____．

A．waiting for its other food	B．enjoying its food- katydid
C．eating a leaf from the branch	D．having a break under the tree

【小題4】Based on the passage, it can be inferred that the mantid ____．

A．is a kind of meat-eafer	B．is easy to be found by a katydid
C．looks more like a green leaf	D．mainly lives on the green leaves

Answer the following questions by using the information taken from a dictionary page．（You may read the questions first．）
jaguar: n．a(chǎn) type of large, yellow-colored cat with black markings found in the southwestern region of the U．S．a(chǎn)nd in Central and South America．
jargon: 1．n．a(chǎn)n unknown language that seems strange or impossible to understand．2．n．a(chǎn) language made up of two or more other languages: His jargon was a mixture of French and English- 3．n． the special vocabulary of a field or profession: Her report on computers was filled with jargon．4．n．speech that doesn't make sense．
jaunt: 1．n．a(chǎn) trip taken for fun．2．v．to go on a brief pleasant trip: We jaunted to the country last
Saturday．javelin: 1．n．a(chǎn) spear most commonly used as weapon or in hunting．2．n．the contest in which a javelin is thrown．3．n．a(chǎn) lightweight metal or wooden spear that is thrown in track-and-field contests．4, v．to strike, as with ajavelin．
jazz: 1．n．a(chǎn) type of music that originated in New Orleans and is characterized by rhythmic eats．2．n．popular dance music influenced by jazz．．3．n．slang empty talk．4．a(chǎn)d．of or like jazz: a jazz band, jazz records．
Jennet; n．a(chǎn) small Spanish horse．
【小題1】Which meaning of the word javelin is used in the sentence below?
At the competition, Jack drew his arm back and threw the javelin 50 yards．

A．Definition 1

B．Definition 2

C．Definition 3

D．Definition 4

【小題2】Which meaning of the word jargon is used in the sentence below?
Doctors often speak in medical jargon．

A．Definition 1	B．Definition 2
C．Definition 3	D．Definition 4

【小題3】What does the word jazz mean in the following sentence?
Don t give me that jazz, for lam a practical person．

A．nonsense	B．a(chǎn) kind of dance
C．a(chǎn) type of music	D．rhythmic beats

A father sat at his desk poring over his monthly bills when his young son rushed in and announced, "Dad, because this is your birthday and you're 40 years old, I'm going to give you 40 kisses, one for each year!" When the boy started making good on his word, the father cried out suddenly, "Oh, Andrew, don't do it now; I'm too busy!"
The youngster immediately fell silent as tears welled up in his big blue eyes．Apologicaliy the father said, "You can finish later．"
The boy said nothing but quietly walked away, disappointment written over his face．That evening the father said, "Come and finish the kisses now, Andrew!" But the boy didn't respond．
Unfortunately, a few days later after this incident, the boy had an accident and was drowned．His heartbroken father wrote．．．
"If only I could tell him how much I regret my thoughtless words, and could be sure that he knows how much my heart is aching．"
Love is not only giving．Any loving act must be warmly accepted or it will be taken as rejection and can leave a scar．If we are too busy to give and receive love, we are too busy! Nothing is more important than responding with love to the cry for love from those who are near and precious to us, because there may be no chance at all as in the case of the little boy．
【小題1】What does the underlined phrase "poring over" mean?

A．looking in on	B．looking out for
C．looking through	D．looking around

【小題2】The boy is going to give his father 40 kisses because ______．

A．his father is very busy

B．this is the boy' birthday

C．the boy wants to play with his father

D．this is his father' birthday and he's 40 years old

【小題3】What happened to the youngster later?

A．His heart was broken．	B．He died unexpectedly．
C．He ran away from home．	D．He fell silent all the time．

【小題4】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．A Love Story	B．Love Your Son
C．A Father and a Son	D．Love is a Two-way Street

Prepare: Plan ahead and think about what you are going to say. In the words of Mark Twain, it usually takes you more than three weeks to prepare for it.
Know your subject: Always make sure that you know the subject and have background information at hand for question time.
Know you audience: Find out who you will be addressing so that you can tailor(適合) your comments accordingly.
Make a point: Keep your speech short and brief and have a few clear points that you need to convey(傳達(dá)).
Practice: Never learn your speech by heart as your speech will become stilted, but do practice it a few times in front of the mirror, your parents or your dog.
Eye contact: If the thought of looking into a sea of faces scares you, adjust your gaze（注視）regularly at different points in the room to create the same effect.
First impressions: Your first impression is important when making a public presentation. Find out about dress codes(準(zhǔn)則) at the place so that you look your best and, if possible, check the microphone beforehand to ensure you know how to use it.
Get help: If public presentations are a major part of your life, read up on the art of speech---writing and delivery to improve your skills.
【小題1】The advice benefits (有益于)____________________.

A．teachers

B．a(chǎn)ctors

C．speechmakers

D．spokesmen

【小題2】Knowing your subject helps you __________.

A．make a perfect speech

B．make better answers when asked questions about the subject.

C．keep a clear head

D．a(chǎn)ttract people’s attention

【小題3】 The underlined word “stilted” probable means ________ here.

A．unnatural

B．unnecessary

C．unpleasant

D．undeveloped

【小題4】If asked for more advice besides what has been mentioned in the text, you may suggest ______.

A．eye contact with the audience	B．proper clothes
C．proper tones and body languages	D．more practice

                                             79 Mayfair Road
Plumton, Kent
October 10th
Dear Rosemary,
I was very glad to get your letter this morning. I really ought to have written to you---it was my turn, I know----but I have been terribly busy. The children seem to take up all my time. I am thinking of sending Ann to a nursery school. She’ll be four next month. Baby has just started to walk and doesn’t give me a moment’s peace. But you know what it is like! How are all your children? I’m sure they love living in the country.
I’m afraid we can’t come over to see you next Sunday, as you suggest. Tom’s mother is coming to spend the day with us. What about the Sunday after that----- the twenty-second? We are free that day and should love to come. We’re longing to see your house.
Let me know, then, if the Sunday after next suits you. May we come for lunch? We’d like to leave fairly early in the evening to avoid the heavy traffic on the roads.
Love from us all,
Edna
【小題1】 Edna can not see Rosemary the following Sunday because_____.

A．she is afraid of the traffic	B．Tom’s mother is coming to see them that day
C．she prefers to come on 22nd	D．she is terribly busy with the children

【小題2】What doesn’t give Edna a moment’s peace?

A．That she has been thinking of sending Ann to a nursery school

B．That Tom’s mother will come soon

C．That she has been thinking of going to see Rosemary’s new house

D．That her baby has just started to walk

【小題3】We can infer from the letter that Tom is_________.

A．Edna’s husband

B．Edna’s son

C．Edna’s neighbor

D．Edna’s father

A patient came to see me about the stress in her life. She described all the things she had to do －one was to make her bed－from the moment she woke up until she flew out of the door for work. I suggested she experiment by not making her bed for two weeks. She was shocked, probably thinking I’d been raised by wolves in a forest. However, she went along with my idea.
Two weeks later she went into my office beaming. She had left her bed unmade for the first time in 42 years－and nothing bad had happened. “And you know what?” she said. “I don’t dry my dishes anymore, either.”
This woman had made two major breakthroughs (突破). One was discovering that she had choices in her life that she had never seen before. The other was giving herself permission to be less that perfect. This story shows an important principle (原理) about managing time: No one can do it all. Each of us has to make choices and accept trade – offs. The problem is, many people choose in ways that put themselves and their health last. They take better care of their houses and cars than they do of themselves. They put everyone else’s needs ahead of their own.
So what is the solution? There’s an easy way. Decide what you want in your life, and put that first. On a daily basis, that should include regular meals, enough sleep and time with your family. Exercise, leisure, friendships and hobbies should also be regular aspects of life. The point is to do something for yourself every day. The choice is yours: whatever makes you feel good about yourself and your life. Take a nap. Take a walk. Take time to play the piano. Stop bringing your briefcase home from the office. Stop keeping your house as clean as your mother kept hers. Fill more of your time with want – to – dos instead of have – to – dos.
【小題1】What is the solution to the problem of managing time?

A．Doing more exercises every day.	B．Taking time to visit friends regularly.
C．Stopping making bed occasionally.	D．Doing what you want to do first.

【小題2】What does the word “beaming” in Line 1, Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Worrying

B．Smiling

C．Depressed

D．Luckily

【小題3】What is the major problem of most people managing time?

A．Most people do not take care of their health.

B．Most people put others’ needs ahead of their own.

C．Most people cannot keep balance on managing time.

D．Most people do not take time to relax themselves.

【小題4】What is the author’s attitude toward people’s problems in the passage?

A．Matter – of – fact.

B．Negative.

C．Indifferent.

D．Worried.

A man heard that a certain government wanted a clerk, so wrote and asked for the position. But while he was waiting for an answer, a friend of his introduced him to the head of the department, who gave him the job. Several months later, while the man was working in the department, he got a letter that had been sent to him from the place he used to live in. This letter said,
“Dear sir,
We are sorry to have to tell you that we cannot offer work in this department because we do not think that you would be able to do the work successfully.
Your faithfully.”
The man laughed, but when he looked at the letter more carefully, he saw that he had signed it himself.
【小題1】At the beginning of the story the man wanted ____.

A．to be a clerk in a certain government	B．his friend to introduce him job
C．to visit the head of the department	D．to get an answer from the department

【小題2】 The first paragraph mainly tells us ____.

A．how the man knew the news that a clerk was needed

B．how the man got a job with the help of his friend

C．how the man wrote to the department to get the job

D．how he was waiting for the answer from the department

【小題3】He got a letter that had been sent to him, which means ____.

A．he himself received the letter

B．someone else got it and then didn’t bring it to him

C．someone else got it and then brought it to him

D．the government sent it to him

【小題4】What do you think of the man?

A．He was too careless.	B．He was very honest.
C．He was very clever.	D．He was rather stupid.

【小題5】Choose the right order of the events given in the passage.
a. He got a letter one day   b. He got a job in the department.
c. The letter told him he was unfit for the job.
d. His friend introduced him to the head.
e. He found he signed the letter himself.
f. He wanted to get a job in the government department.

A．a(chǎn),b,c,d,e,f

B．c,b,d,a,f,e

C．f,d,b,a,c,e

D．f,b,a,e,c,f

“Cool”is a word with many meanings．Its old meaning is used to express a temperature that is a little bit cold．As the world has changed，the word has had many different meaning．
“Cool”can be used to express feelings of interest in almost anything．
When you see a famous car in the street，maybe you will say，“It's cool．”You may think，“He's so cool，”when you see your favorite footballer．
We all maximize（擴(kuò)大） the meaning of“cool”．You can use it instead of many words such as “new” or “surprising”．Here's an interesting story we can use to show the way the word is used．A teacher asked her students to write about the waterfall（瀑布）they had visited．On one student's paper was Just the one sentence，“It's so cool．Maybe he thought it was the best way to show what he saw and felt．
But the story also shows a scarcity（缺乏）of words．Without “cool”，some people have no words to show the same meaning．So it is quite important to keep some credibility（可信性）．Can you think of many other words that make your life as colourful as the word “cool”？ I can．And I think they are also very cool．
【小題1】We know that the word "cool" has had ________.

A．only one meaning	B．no meanings
C．many different meanings	D．the same meaning

【小題2】In the passage，the word“express” means“________”.

A．see

B．show

C．know

D．feel

【小題3】If you are _______ something，you may say，“It’s cool.”

A．interested in	B．a(chǎn)ngry about
C．a(chǎn)fraid of	D．unhappy with

【小題4】In the passage，the writer suggests（暗示）that the word “cool”________．

A．can be used instead of many words

B．usually means something interesting

C．can make your life colorful

D．may not be as cool as it seems