I needed to buy a digital camera, one that was simply good at taking good snaps (快照), maybe occasionally for magazines. Being the cautious type, I fancied a reliable brand. So I went on the net, spent 15 minutes reading product reviews on good websites, wrote down the names of three top recommendations and headed for my nearest big friendly camera store. There in the cupboard was one of the cameras on my list. And it was on special offer. Oh joy. I pointed at it and asked an assistant, “Can I have one of those?”? He looked perturbed (不安). “Do you want to try it first?” he said. It didn’t quite sound like a question. “Do I need to?” I replied ,“There is nothing wrong with it？” This made him look a bit insulted and I started to feel bad. “No, no. But you should try it,” he said encouragingly. “Compare it with the others. ”
I looked across at the others: shelves of similar cameras placed along the wall, offering a wide range of slightly different prices and discounts, with each company selling a range of models based around the same basic box. With so many models to choose from, it seemed that I would have to spend hours weighing X against Y, always trying to take Z and possibly H into account at the same time. But when I had finished, I would still have only the same two certainties that I had entered the store with: first, soon after I carried my new camera out of the shop, it would be worth half what I paid for it; and second, my wonderful camera would very quickly be replaced by a new model.
But something in the human soul whispers that you can beat these traps by making the right choice, the clever choice, the wise choice. In the end, I agreed to try the model I had chosen. The assistant seemed a sincere man. So I let him take out of my chosen camera from cupboard, show how it took excellent pictures of my fellow shoppers… and when he started to introduce the special features, I interrupted to ask whether I needed to buy a carry-case and a memory card as well.
Why do we think that new options still offer us anything new? Perhaps it is because they offer an opportunity to avoid facing the fact that our real choices in this culture are far more limited than we would like to imagine.
【小題1】The shop assistant insisted that the writer should________.

A．try the camera to see if there was anything wrong with it.

B．compare the camera he had chosen with the others.

C．get more information about different companies.

D．trust him and stop asking questions.

【小題2】What does the writer mean by “it would be worth half what I paid for it ”(paragraph 2)

A．He should get a 50% discount.

B．The price of the camera was unreasonably high.

C．The quality of the camera was not good.

D．The camera would soon fall in value.

【小題3】 The writer decided to try the model he had chosen because he________.

A．knew very little about it.

B．didn’t trust the shop assistant

C．wanted to make sure the one he chose would be the best.

D．had a special interest in taking pictures of his fellow shoppers.

【小題4】It can be inferred from the passage that in the writer’s opinion__________.

A．people waste too much money on cameras

B．cameras have become an important part of our daily life

C．we don’t actually need so many choices when buying a product

D．famous companies care more about profit than quality

For travellers who want to experience some of the history and mystery of the ancient world, here is a list of cool destinations for your next holiday.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat (meaning “capital monastery”) was a temple in the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor. It is Cambodia’s best-known tourist attraction and is famed for its beautiful architecture and reliefs. You’ll need at least three days to fully discover the delights of this magnificent site.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu was built high in the Andes Mountains of South America by the Inca in the 15th century. Although well preserved its exact purpose is unknown. It is famous throughout the world not only for its incredible design but also for the natural beauty that surrounds it. Give yourself a week to explore this magnificent site.
Stonehenge, England
The entire Stonehenge site was constructed over thousands of years. But why and how it was built remains a mystery. As the weather can be pretty bleak in winter and the crowds huge in summer, we suggest autumn should be the best time to visit these monster rocks.
Pompeii, Italy
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., Pompeii was buried under many layers of ash, preserving the city exactly as it was when the volcano erupted. Because so many objects were preserved, scientists and visitors are able to better understand daily life in the ancient Roman Empire.
【小題1】Why may people want to visit Machu Picchu?

A．To climb the Andes Mountains.	B．To discover how it was built.
C．To explore both history and nature.	D．To learn to speak Spanish.

【小題2】When is the best time to visit Stonehenge according to the passage?

A．Summer.

B．Spring.

C．Winter.

D．Autumn.

【小題3】Which location offers the most direct view into daily life in the ancient world?

A．Pompeii.

B．Stonehenge.

C．Ankor Wat.

D．Machu Picchu.

【小題4】Where would you probably read such an article?

A．In a travel magazine.	B．In a scientific journal.
C．In a history textbook.	D．In an adventure novel.

I went on line to check if my pay was in my bank account（賬戶）. To my amazement I discovered that not only had I been paid, but a company I’d never worked for had also paid me! I know I would have been beside myself (情緒失控) if my own salary was not in my account, so I tried to get the money back to the right person. Easier said than done.
The bank couldn’t help as it “wasn’t a bank problem.” The human-resource department at the company that paid me was unable to help as I didn’t have enough details. I rang the bank again. Thankfully I had a sympathetic call operator who gave me a name, so I again rang the company “Daniel” worked for.
I expected the bank would contact me to arrange to take the money from my account and repay Daniel. I heard nothing for a month and the money remained in my account when Daniel called, explaining he’d tried to get back his money but had been unsuccessful as neither the bank nor his company felt it was their error. He had rung to ask if I could speak to the bank, but after chatting for a few minutes we realized we could probably fix this problem ourselves.
We decided I would take the money from my account and he would pick it up from me. Due to my busy job I was unable to meet Daniel personally but he left me a lovely bottle of wine in exchange for what was rightfully his. I never had any intention of keeping Daniel’s pay but red tape（繁瑣手續(xù)）made it difficult to do the right thing. It all came down to two people being able to do what a huge bank and a large company couldn’t do — admit a mistake has occurred and fix it.
【小題1】What was the attitude of the author towards the extra money in his bank account?

A．He didn’t know what to do with it.	B．He felt lucky to get it.
C．He thought of keeping it for himself.	D．He wanted to return it to the right person.

【小題2】 How was the problem solved in the end?

A．The author and Daniel solved the problem themselves.

B．It cost Daniel a lovely bottle of wine to get back his money.

C．The author gave the money back to the company.

D．The call operator offered to solve their problem.

【小題3】From the passage we can infer that _________.

A．the bank could solve the problem soon and easily with the red tape

B．some large organizations usually have troublesome official rules

C．Daniel didn’t know the error until he contacted the author

D．it was easy for a company to have a mistake which had occurred fixed

On a BA flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged South African lady found herself sitting next to a black man. She called the cabin crew attendant over to complain about her seating.
“What seems to be the problem, Madam?” Asked the attendant.
“Can’t you see?” She said, “You’ve sat me next to a black. I can’t possibly sit next to this dirty disgusting human. Find me another seat!”
“Please calm down, Madam,” the attendant replied, “The flight is very full today, but I’ll tell you what I’ll do—I’ll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class.”
A few minutes later, the attendant returned with the good news, which she delivered to the lady, who cannot help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin.
“Madam, unfortunately, as I guessed, economy is full. I’ve spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class.”
Before the lady had a chance to answer, the attendant continued.
“It’s most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, according to this special situation, the captain felt that it was unbelievable that someone should be forced to sit next to such an obnoxious(討厭的) person.”
Having said that, the attendant turned to the black man sitting next to the lady, and said, “So if you’d like to get your things, sir, I have your seat ready for you.”
At that moment, the surrounding passengers stood and gave a long-lasting ovation (歡呼) while the black man walked up to the front of the plane…
【小題1】What made the white South African lady angry?

A．She had to find the attendant to complain.

B．She couldn’t find another seat to sit down.

C．The passenger next to her is dirty.

D．She sat next to a black man.

【小題2】Who will fly in first class?

A．The attendant.

B．The white woman.

C．The black man.

D．The captain.

【小題3】How many types of seats are there in the plane?

A．2

B．3

C．4

D．5

【小題4】 What was the “special situation” that the attendant mentioned in Paragraph 8?

A．The woman was obnoxious.

B．The black man was obnoxious.

C．The white woman can’t sit next to a black man.

D．The passengers around can’t stand the woman any longer.

【小題5】From the passage, we can make a conclusion that __________.

A．people don’t like those who look down on others

B．the attendant aboard is unfriendly

C．the white lady was refused to go on the plane at last

D．many passengers aboard don’t like to sit next to the black man.

I am a writer. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language — the way it can evoke（喚起） an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth. Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all—all the Englishes I grew up with.
Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California, I’ve been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” English. But feel embarrassed to say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than “broken”, as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness. I’ve heard other terms used, “l(fā)imited English,” for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people’s perceptions（認(rèn)識）of the limited English speaker.
I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother’s “l(fā)imited” English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
I started writing fiction in 1985. And for reasons I won’t get into today, I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for lack of a better term might be described as “broken”, and what I imagine to be her translation of her Chinese, her internal（內(nèi)在的）language, and for that I sought to preserve the essence, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure: I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show; her intention, her feelings, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.
【小題1】By saying “Language is the tool of my trade”, the author means that ______.

A．she uses English in foreign trade	B．she is fascinated by languages
C．she works as a translator	D．she is a writer by profession

【小題2】The author used to think of her mother’s English as ______.

A．impolite

B．a(chǎn)musing

C．imperfect

D．practical

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A．Americans do not understand broken English.

B．The author’s mother was not respected sometimes.

C．The author’ mother had positive influence on her.

D．Broken English always reflects imperfect thoughts.

【小題4】The author gradually realizes her mother’s English is ______.

A．well structured

B．in the old style

C．easy to translate

D．rich in meaning

【小題5】What is the passage mainly about?

A．The changes of the author’s attitude to her mother’s English.

B．The limitation of the author’s perception of her mother.

C．The author’s misunderstanding of “l(fā)imited” English.

D．The author’s experiences of using broken English.

In the past ten years, many scientists have studied the differences between men and women. And they all got the same answer: The sexes are different, because their brains are different. And this, the scientists say, makes men and women see the world in different ways.
Boys, for example, generally are better than girls at mathematical ideas. Boys also generally are better than girls at the kind of hand and eye movements necessary for ball sports. Girls, on the other hand generally start speaking earlier than boys. And they generally（通常）see better in the dark than boys and are better at learning foreign languages.
What makes men and women better at one thing or another? The answer is the brain. The brain has two sides connected by nerve（神）tracks. The left side generally is used for mathematics, speech and writing. The right side is used for artistic creation and the expression for emotions（情感). In men and women, different areas in each side of the brain develop differently. In boys, for example, it’s the area used for mathematics. In girls, it is the area used for language skills. Another interesting difference is that the two sides of a man’s brain are connected by a smaller nerves than the two sides of a woman’s brain are.
【小題1】Which of the following is best to outline（概括）the article?

A．Research on the Brain	B．Differences between Men and Women
C．People’s Different Brains	D．Who Are Better, Boys or Girls

【小題2】______ men and women think differently.

A．Sex makes	B．The different brains make
C．The different experiences make	D．The influences of society make

【小題3】According to the article, girls are generally better than boys at ______ in your school.

A．Mathematics

B．Physics

C．English

D．Chemistry

【小題4】Which of the following is true?

A．The left side of brain in boys generally develops better than that in girls.

B．The left side of brain in girls generally develops better than that in boys.

C．Men are better than women in all things.

D．The area in girls used for language skills develops better.

【小題5】In men and women the number of nerves connecting the halves of brain _______.

A．is the same

B．is different

C．is zero

D．can’t be found out

I'll be a photographer. I'm going to bring bits of Australia back home with me. I told myself this before, yet I feel so doubtful on this plane that's flying me thousands of miles away. I was so confident yesterday .But today I don't belong to this plane where men sit with briefcases reading newspapers. They're all adults.
I've never been out of the US. And now ,I'm traveling into Australia alone, a world I know nothing about. A part of me recognizes it as home.
I remember little about my mother, but I remember she had an Australian accent and golden hair. She wan fun and she would often take us to New Jersey beaches, where we would spend the whole day taking walks along the shore. My mom told me that in Australia, Christmas was always spent on the beach with friends and family, and everyone wore Santa hat with their bathing suits. It never got cold and bitter there. My mom was different and I was proud of her.
I don't know how she met my father. but after they met several years, they got married and moved into an apartment in New Jersey. Then I was born and we were a perfect family of three who went out to dinner and watched movies in the dark and loved each other.
I know things have been hard on my father since my Mom died years ago. It's hard for me, too, and I have to experience the wonderful place my mom grew up in and loved. My mom talked about Australia so much and now I have to see this place.
This is an adventure.
【小題1】How did the author feel when he was on the plane?

A．Confident	B．Foolish
C．Doubtful	D．Childish

【小題2】The author traveled to Australia alone mainly because he wanted to__.

A．search his fortune there	B．find more about his mother
C．look for his grandparents there	D．find more about this wonderful place

【小題3】The third paragraph is mainly concerned with__.

A．the author's first impression of Australia

B．the author's brief impression of his mother

C．the reason why the author loved his mother

D．the difference between his mother and father

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

A．The author writes this passage to honor his mother.

B．The author decides to learn taking photos in Australia.

C．The author had a good time when his mother was still alive.

D．The author didn't like to live with his father after his mother died.

【小題5】Where did the author most probably write this passage?

A．In America.

B．In Australia.

C．At home

D．On the Plane

The fact that blind people can see things using 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．
Some of our preferences 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．
【小題1】The passage tells us that salesmen have____ ．

A．tried colors on blind people

B．found out that colors affect sales

C．developed a special subject of color psychology

D．discovered the relationship between color and psychology

【小題2】It can be inferred from the passage that__ _．

A．blind people cannot sense color differences

B．foods sell well in green or blue wrappings

C．w hat color we prefer depends on our state of mind

D．a(chǎn) bright color has exactly the opposite effect to red

【小題3】The most effective color in the passage for warning people is____．

A．red

B．dark blue

C．green

D．bright yellow

【小題4】If someone is in an angry mood, which color is better for him to become quiet?

A．Red．

B．Dark blue．

C．Brown．

D．Bright yellow

【小題5】Which of the following do you think is the best title for the passage?

A．Colors and Feelings	B．Colors and Sales
C．The Blind and Colors	D．Preferences for Colors

I had the meanest mother in the world．While other kids ate candy for breakfast．I had to have cereal, eggs and toast．Others had cakes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a sandwich．As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids'．But at least I was not alone in my suffering．My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did．
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times．She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing．We had to wear clean clothes every day．Other kids always wore their clothes for days． We reached the height of disgrace （恥辱） because she made our clothes herself, just to save money．
The worst is yet to come．We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning．So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law．She made us work I
believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us．Through the years, our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing．My mother, however, would only be satisfied with black marks．None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout （輟學(xué)者）．
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults．Using this as a background, I'm now trying to bring up my three children．I'm filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world．
【小題1】From the passage we can learn that the writer's mother was____．

A．not generous at all	B．very cruel to her children
C．very mean with money matters	D．very strict with her children

【小題2】Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?

A．Eating differently from other kids．	B．Letting mother know where they were．
C．Going to bed early and getting up early．	D．Wearing clean clothes made by mother．

【小題3】It can be inferred from the passage that____．

A．the writer's family lived a miserable life

B．a(chǎn)ll the other kids studied better than the writer

C．Mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law

D．the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies

【小題4】Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The writer is very thankful to her mother．

B．The writer has a deep hatred for her mother．

C．Mother practiced economy in running her home．

D．The writer is strict with her children when bringing them up．

【小題5】The passage was written in a way of__  __tone．

A．humorous

B．hateful

C．ridiculous

D．impatient

Ok, I admit it: Emoticons(表情符號) are popular. Some people even think they are fun. Many seem unable to get through an e-mail or Instant Message chat sentence without using one. Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications.
Some, however, such as editor and Hollywood scriptwriter John Blumenthal, blast the use of emotions as “ infantile(幼稚的) just like the people who use them”. He believes that words themselves should be enough. “If you’re being funny, happy or sad, that should be apparent from the comment that goes before the emoticons,” he argues.
In the eyes of Blumenthal, the use of emoticons is a gender issue. “Men don’t use emoticons very much. Maybe not at all.,” he said. “Teenage girls and women seem to use them a lot. Maybe there’s an emoticons gene.”
It’s an interesting opinion, but it is not shared by all.
In an interview with The New York Times, Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, said that emoticons are popular because our brains are programmed “ to seek out representations of humanity”. He believes that they appeal not because they are shortcuts for the lazy, but because they tap into（輸入）something beyond language. They reach to our need to be with and communicate with people.
All of these arguments may be somehow valid（正確的）. Each one of us will choose to communicate in our own way. I do not have much time for emoticons. I tried to use one once and felt like I was stealing into a primary school class that I had no place being in. I’d rather let my words do the talking.
Friends, however, send me messages and e-mails full of emoticons. I have no problem with this, I don’t regard any of my friends as lazy or immature. It’s just a question of individuality.
【小題1】According to the article, emoticons are popular because_________.

A．most of them look funny

B．they are easy for lazy people to use

C．they add feeling and character to a communication

D．a(chǎn) reader cannot understand a message without them

【小題2】 Which of the following views would John Blumenthal agree with ?

A．Instant Message chatters are childish.

B．It’s enough to use language in digital communication.

C．Men never use emoticons.

D．There is an emoticon gene in everybody.

【小題3】From the text, we can conclude that the author________.

A．feels he has no difficulty using emoticons

B．thinks emoticons don’t suit him

C．encourage his friends to use emoticons

D．believes that emoticons are suitable for everyone

【小題4】What is the main point of the article ?

A．Advice on language used over the Internet.

B．The history of emoticons.

C．Arguments over the use of emoticons.

D．Reasons for the popularity of emoticons.