In much society, there is often greater acceptance of light skin than dark skin; Light skin may be seen as a mark of beauty, intelligence and success. These beliefs can lead to social pressures even within the same group, if some members are darker than others.
The result is that skin lightening has become very common across Africa, Asia and other areas of the world and more people with dark skin are using skin-lighting products, even if it means they may face health risks. They believe that having whiter skin will improve the quality of their lives. Many people think they will have a better family. Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful.
Some beauty care（美容） products and soaps contain chemicals that make skin lighter. However, some of the chemicals are extremely dangerous. The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural barrier(障礙) to protect against sunlight. Then the skin can become thick and discolored. Usually the person will use more of the product in an effort to correct the problem, which just makes things even worse. Doctor Ly says some chemicals are so dangerous that they may lead to blackened fingernails, infections(感染) and serious skin damage.
And these are not the only problems. Experts say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage. They feel regretful and sad. They feel that instead of risking their health, they should have learned to live and accept their skin color as it was.
【小題1】 What’s the result of the wrong understanding of darker skin?

Loma just had to get in touch with someone：“I had to tell my best friend something important. I tried calling her but I couldn’t get through. So I sent her an e-mail and then I spoke to her on MSN. Without technology I would not have been able to tell her. ”
Staying connected with friends and family is important for us. That’s why we asked our readers to tell us how cell-phones, e-mail, blogs, text messaging, and personal pages help them keep in touch. More than 1,500 responded.
Most of them told us they couldn’t live without technology：80％of teens said they need technology to stay in touch. Almost 30％said they’d be completely out of their friends without their cell-phones and other methods of communication.
What do they do when they’ve got news they need to share now? Most teens say they try to reach their friends by phone. But if they don’t reach them, they use QQ, e-mails, and text messaging to get the words out.
Lots of people use one way of communication—like text messaging—to get a friend’s attention and then use another where they can talk more. “My friends and I always tell each other everything that happens. So I send them text messages to tell them to come online so we can talk about it,” said Sabeiha.
“When planning to get together with friends”, Julian said, “the easiest and fastest way I know is to send a text message to my contact group.”Jocelyn said. “If I want to go to see a movie with a few friends, I usually send text message to them. By telephone, you have to call every single friend one by one. But text messaging allows you to send the same message to as many as you’d like, which saves a lot of time. ”
【小題1】 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

The “Sepik Spirit”, constructed in 1989, is built specially to suit the demands of a shallow riverboat for guiding inland waterways. Its shallow draft allows passengers into distant corners of the Sepik Region and areas not otherwise accessible to larger boats. It was refurbished(裝修) in early 2006 to ensure that the Sepik Spirit meets the expectations of the modern travellers. The refurbishment includes new interior and improved noise resistance.
The Sepik Spirit holds 18 passengers in 9 twin bedrooms each with private bathroom. Onboard facilities include a dining room, living room, bar, video and covered upper observatory deck(甲板). The entire boat is air-conditioned. Because the Sepik Spirit is designed to operate in this unique environment, she is the ideal size for exploration. This, combined with small passenger numbers, allows the travellers an excellent experience to little visited areas.
Day trips from the Sepik Spirit are done in an 18-seater riverboat, also designed for the operation. Their open-air design gives the travellers a sense of place, a feeling for the river and its people.
Areas that the Sepik Spirit and her guests may visit are the Karawari River, Blackwater Lakes, Chambri Lakes, the Middle Sepik and the Upper Sepik. The river banks where the boat operates are dotted with many large traditional villages each with its own unique “Haus Tambaran” or spirit house decorated with ancestral figures. Mix with the friendly people and experience a culture that meets very few outsiders.
Please E-Mail if you want to know more about us.
Please note that private touring and transfers are not available on the Sepik Spirit.
Please note that Sepik Spirit departure and termination(終結(jié)，終點(diǎn)) points sometimes change without notice.
AIR TRANSFER COST: US$375.00 one way
【小題1】The “Sepik Spirit” is a riverboat ________.

Spiderman is one of the most famous comic book heroes of all time．He was created by Stan Lee in 1963 and was first introduced to the world in the pages of Marvel comic books．
Spiderman’s story is the story of Peter Parker，a child who lost his parents and lives with his aunt and uncle．Peter is a shy，quiet boy wearing glasses and has few friends．One day，on a high school class trip to a science lab，he gets bitten by a special spider．Soon Peter realizes he has amazing powers：he is as strong and quick as a spider and also has a type of sixth sense．He no longer needs his glasses and he can use his super power to fly through the city streets! Remembering something his Uncle Ben has told him，that “with great power，there must also come great responsibility(責(zé)任)，”Peter decides to use his powers to fight enemies who do cruel things to people．And so，Spiderman is born．
Life is not easy for Peter even though he is a superhero．He is in love with Mary Jane but cannot tell her about his amazing powers．Besides，his best friend Harry hates Spiderman! Peter is also short of money and time．He has to sell photos of Spiderman(himself!)to a newspaper and he keeps losing his other jobs because he’s so busy saving people! Yet he has to fight different kinds of cruel enemies．
【小題1】Who created Spiderman?

閱讀理解                     
The easy way out isn't always easiest . I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug , my husband of one month , to a special meal . I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu(菜譜) which included homemade bread . Knowing the bread would take time , I started on it as soon as Doug left for work . As I was not experienced in cooking , I thought if a dozen was good , two dozens would be better , so I doubled（加倍）everything . As Doug loved oranges , I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl . Soon there was a sticky dough (面團(tuán)) covered with ugly yellowish marks . Realizing I had been defeated , I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work , I went on preparing the rest of the meal , and , when Doug got home , we sat down to eat Cornish chicken with rice . He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed . Twice he got up and went outside , saying he thought he heard a noise . The third time he left , I went to the windows to see what he was doing . Looking out , I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin , holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container . When I came out of the house , he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin . Picking up the stick again , he held the lid up enough for me to see . I felt cold . But I stepped closer and looked harder . Without doubt it was my work . The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast (酵母)made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing .It looked like some unknown being from outer space. I could see why Doug was so shaken. I had to admit what the 'living thing” was and why it was there . I don't know who was more embarrassed(尷尬)by the whole thing － Doug or me.
【小題1】The writer's purpose in writing this story is ___________

A．The canned orange had gone bad.

B．She didn't use the right kind of flour.

C．The cookbook was hard to understand.

D．She did not follow the directions closely.

閱讀理解。從ABCD中選出正確的答案。（每題2分，共40分）
It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour a week to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品雜貨）, saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性） as a whole. And it has influenced（影響） us to be more mindful（注意的，留神的）of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
【小題1】Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A．From a stranger.

B．From a newspaper.

C．From TV news.

D．From radio broadcasts.

“If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!”  That may seem a strange thing to say. But touching things can help you to see them better. Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is. When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it. With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too.
All children soon learn what “Don’t touch!” means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things as we might buy: food, clothes. To see something well, we have to touch it.
There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to them!
Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. There you can feel everything on show. If we want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you will really see.
【小題1】 By touching things,________.

Directions: Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A-F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading which you do not need.
In order to present the best presentation and eliminate room for error, you need to keep in mind certain guidelines. Here's are some of my ideas for presenting quality presentation that demand genuine attention from your listeners.
Picking out a topic is the hard part, when it comes to choosing from a list of presentation subjects. It has to be interesting, impactful and unique, therefore it is crucial to choose something you care about rather than randomly selecting one. Ask yourself if it covers angles －is it informative? Will it keep my listeners hooked? Will it create an air of boredom? Will I be able to get all my facts and research done? Is it appealing to me, but not to them?
There's nothing more annoying than have someone blabber on about a topic he/she hasn't done extensive research on. It is obvious from the way they speak, how monotonous their tones sound and how robotic their movement and gestures are. So don't be that someone. Take the effort to learn as much as you can. Make it matter to you, and remember how it can impact your listeners, and enlighten them on things they didn't know about at all.
No one is perfect, and there are bound to be mistakes or circumstances that you didn’t count on and couldn’t avoid. You could stutter with a word, mix up slides, or forget some important sheets of your presentation and so on. Straighten up. Crack a minor joke in your defense. In other words improvise and don't beat yourself up about it or else your presentation will end in disaster. Don't let it ruin the rest of it, and finish the presentation as planned, so that people think more of how well it ended.
The best thing about presenting a topic is eye contact. If you are able to say it by heart, and not by looking at a piece of paper, you will have mastered the most effective presentation technique. Memorize your lines, and points, and only glance at your notes occasionally if you think you may forget something. In the end, if you think that you are well prepared to answer questions, then by all means invite them.

The two-week vacation at the end of summer school ended yesterday. Kevin had gone nowhere during his vacation. He had the money, but he hated to travel alone. He used to take vacations with Gary, his youngest brother, but they had a big argument at the end of their last vacation. Each of them had spent the last three years waiting for the other to apologize.
Kevin did not feel good about being on non-speaking terms with his favorite brother. But he was not going to ask for forgiveness when, in his mind, this whole misunderstanding was his brother’s fault.
So Kevin’s summer vacation was spent in his own “back yard.” As usual, he had planned to clean up his apartment. As usual, two weeks later his apartment looked just as it had two weeks before.
He did do one thing new and different during his vacation. There was a new coffee shop on Foothill Street. It served 25 varieties of delicious coffee at reasonable prices, and the staff was genuinely friendly. The shop was air-conditioned at a slightly chilly temperature. About eight small round tables were inside. Outside were four bigger tables. Each had four white metal chairs around it, and several big umbrellas provided shade. Even on hot afternoons, there was usually a pleasant breeze.
Kevin visited the coffee shop four times during his vacation. He always sat at a table outside by himself and read the free daily paper. Each day he was there, he read most of the newspaper articles while he enjoyed two cups of coffee.
Between articles, he took breaks by watching the nearby traffic and pedestrians. The coffee shop was next to a huge parking lot. The lot was for customers of a grocery store, movie rental store, pharmacy, bank, and restaurant. Kevin considered his outdoor seat the perfect place for one of his favorite activities—people watching.
The coffee shop, with its excellent location and coffee, had helped make his vacation a pleasant one. But he knew in his heart, had his brother been there to join him just one day, his vacation would have been a perfect one.
【小題1】 Why didn’t Kevin go anywhere during his vacation？

Employment practices often reflect the needs of employers several decades ago．Times have changed．And so too has the Canadian workforce．Yet many employment practices have not kept pace with this change．For example, some work environments and washrooms designed for able-bodied workers seldom accommodate people who use a wheelchair．
Modernizing these practices is what employment equality is about．For example, making sure work benches and washrooms are adapted for disabled people entering the workplace paves the way for workers who become disabled on the job．By doing so, any given group of people? formerly discriminated against-now has access to better employment opportunities．
The objective, of course, is to make the workplace reflect Canadian society．However, this does not necessarily mean setting and enforcing quotas(實(shí)行配額）. Rather, it means identifying the barriers to employment and designing measures, with achievable goals and clear timetables, to remove them．
For example, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees-Canada’s largest union, it would be unrealistic in the short term to insist that because half of the working age population is women, that half of the employees of an engineering firm should be women．At this moment, there would not be enough qualified female engineers．
A reasonable numerical goal would be based on the number of women who actually are engineers （8% ） and those who are studying to become engineers （25% ）．A short term goal of 13% would be appropriate without running the risk of hiring unqualified people．
Equally important is to ensure people who have been disadvantaged the chance to become qualified for new opportunities．If aboriginal people （土著居民） , for example, can’t qualify for certain jobs because they haven’t had access to appropriate educational opportunities, then an employment equality program would have to address that problem with training programs.
Employment laws in this country cannot be considered displeasing if they guarantee all Canadians fair and equal access to the workforce.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about how to ____.