We would probably all be amazed if we watched a videotape of ourselves performing basically unconscious acts as we go about the business of the day. These unconscious acts consist of all the little personal habits that we don’t even think about, but definitely should. These are some of the things that present an image of who we are to others, and if we are careless in performing them, this image may well be other than we would like it to be.
Parents who insist that their children practice good manners and habits at home are doing them a great service, for these habits then become lifelong and the natural way they do things. It proves true that their unconscious actions will reflect a well-mannered person.
People who, for example, eat with both arms on the table at home will likely do so when out. Those who are lazy and slow in private will certainly be so in public. Children who are permitted to be disrespectful to their parents will follow suit with other adults, and will, most likely, become adults who are disrespectful of others. This is an area where the saying “practice makes perfect” may be applied.
There is an article about the actress, Audrey Hepburn, known for her beautiful carriage and posture. According to her biographer, her grandmother tied her neck to the back of her chair, at table, so that she would not drop down suddenly over her food, but rather would learn to put only small amounts of food on her spoon or fork and bring them to her mouth. This is a rather extreme “at home” method for the development of erect (直立的) posture, but it does illustrate the effectiveness of practicing good habits so that, when in public, they are instinctive.
【小題1】Which of the following expresses the main idea of the passage?

A．Parents should be responsible for their children’s good habits.

B．The actress is well known for her beautiful posture.

C．We should always be aware of our manners.

D．Without good manners, one can never be perfect.

【小題2】 Those who eat with both arms on the table at home ______.

A．will probably change the habit when eating out with their relatives

B．will probably have the same habit when they have meals in the restaurant

C．will feel embarrassed when having meals with so many strangers in public

D．will always put their arms on the table no matter where they eat

【小題3】 The meaning of “practice makes perfect” in the third paragraph is ______.

A．the more practice one has, the better job he will do

B．the more perfect one is, the more practice he needs

C．if one has enough practice, he will become perfect

D．perfect makes a person practice more

【小題4】Which of the following are NOT true?

A．If we are not careful about our unconscious acts, the images of ourselves presented to others will be quite undesirable.

B．The good habits formed in one’s childhood will benefit him throughout his life.

C．If parents do not care about the disrespectful attitude adopted by their children towards themselves, their children might be disrespectful to others.

D．It is unlikely that a well-mannered person will not embarrass himself in public.

Dear Friend,
The recent success of children's books has made the general public aware that there's a huge market out there.
And there's a growing need for new writers trained to create the $3 billion worth of children's books bought each year ... plus stories and articles needed by over 650 publishers of magazines for children and teenagers.
Who are these needed writers? They're ordinary folks like you and me.
But am I good enough?
I was once where you might be now. My thoughts of writing had been pushed down by self-doubt, and I didn't know where to turn for help.
Then, I accepted a free offer from the Institute to test my writing aptitude(潛能), and it turned out to be the inspiration I needed.
The promise that paid off.
The Institute made the same promise to me that they will make to you, if you show basic writing ability:
You will complete at least one manuscript(手稿) suitable to hand in to a publisher by the time you finish our course.
I really didn't expect any publication before I finished the course, but that happened. I sold three stories. And I soon discovered that was not unusual at the Institute.
Since graduation, I have authored 34 nationally published children's books and over 300 stories and articles.
Free test and brochure
We offer a free aptitude test and will send you a copy of our brochure describing our recognized home-study courses on the basis of one-on-one training.
Realize your writing dream today. There's nothing sadder than a dream delayed until it fades forever.
Sincerely,

Kristi Holl, Instructor
Institute of Children's Literature
【小題1】From the first three paragraphs, we learn that_____.

A．children's books are usually bestsellers.

B．publishers are making $3 billion each year.

C．magazines for teenagers have drawn public attention.

D．there is a growing need for writers of children's books.

【小題2】When finishing the course, you are promised to_____.

A．be a successful publisher

B．become a confident editor

C．finish one work for publication

D．get one story or article published

【小題3】Kristi Holl mentions her experience mainly to_____.

A．prove she is a good instructor

B．promote the writing program

C．give her advice on course preparation

D．show she sold more stories than article

“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton (骨骼) in the closet (衣櫥)?” Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully. “Well, it's something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad's family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be 'a skeleton in his family's closet'. He really wouldn't want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica's father said with anger. “Your family history isn't so good, you know. Wasn't your great-great-grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?”“Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.”“Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica's parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica's closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica's mother sank in a faint (暈倒), waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school's skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They're both crazy,” she thought.
【小題1】According to Jessica's mother, “a skeleton in the close” means ________.

A．a(chǎn) family honor

B．a(chǎn) family secret

C．a(chǎn) family story

D．a(chǎn) family treasure

【小題2】What can we learn about some Australians' ancestors from Paragraph 2?

A．They were brought to Australia as prisoners.

B．They were the earliest people living in Australia.

C．They were involved in some crimes in Australia.

D．They were not regarded as criminals in their days.

【小題3】Why did Jessica bring a skeleton home?

A．She was curious about it.	B．She planned to keep it for fun.
C．She needed it for her school task.	D．She intended to scare her parents.

【小題4】 Jessica's parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because ________.

A．they were crazy.

B．they were over excited.

C．they realized their misunderstanding.

D．they both thought they had won the quarrel.

In Western countries people have been using the installment (分期付款) plan since the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a large number of families in Great Britain buy furniture, household goods and cars by installments. In the U.S.A.,the figure is much higher than in Great Britain, and people there spend over 10 percent of their income on the installment plan.
The price of an article bought on installments is always higher than the price that would be paid by cash. There is a charge for interest. The buyer pays one quarter or one third of the price as a down payment (預(yù)付定金) when the goods are delivered to him. He then makes regular payments, weekly or monthly, until the full price is paid up. The legal ownership of the goods remains with the seller until the final payment has been made.
Installment buying has advantages and disadvantages. It can help couples with small incomes to furnish their homes and start housekeeping. It increases the demand for goods, and in this way helps business and employment,There is,
however, the danger that when business is bad, installment buying may end suddenly, making business much worse. This may result in a great increase in unemployment.
If the people on the installment plan lose their jobs, they will probably not be able to make their payments. If great numbers of people are not able to pay their installment debts, there is a possibility that businessmen cannot collect their debts and will therefore lose money. If businessmen lose money or fail to make a satisfactory profit,it becomes more likely to have a depression (蕭條). This is why, in some countries,the government controls the installment plan by fixing the amount of the down payment and installments to discourage people from buying more than they can pay for on the installment plan.
【小題1】 Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the installment plan?

A．A lot of British families use the installment plan. "

B．More than 10 percent of American families buy things on installments.

C．Americans depend more on installment than British people do.

D．Americans spend one tenth of their income on installment buying.

【小題2】 Goods bought on installments are more expensive than goods bought by cash because_______.

A．the buyer has to pay extra money as interest

B．the delivery of the goods charges extra money

C．the buyer has to pay adown payment

D．the service offered by installment plan charged extra money

【小題3】 What will happen to a buyer if he fails to make the full payment for an item bought on installments?

A．He might lose his job.

B．He will stop owning the item he has bought.

C．He will have to setl what he has bought.

D．He will go into debt.

【小題4】 The advantage of installment buying might include all the following EXCEPT that________.

A．purchasing power is strengthened

B．employment might be increased

C．people develop a good habit of saving money

D．young couples are able to furnish their homes

【小題5】In some countries, the governments control the installment plan to_______.

A．increase employment

B．a(chǎn)void depressions

C．ensure that businesses make good profits

D．ensure that people can pay for what they buy

Growing up in Philadelphia, Lieberman started cooking with his stay-at-home dad when he was seven. His food-loving family had two kitchens, and he quickly learned what was the best way to bake his cakes. Lieberman improved his kitchen skills during a year abroad beforo college, learning from a cook in Italy and study local specialties in Gerrnany, Spain and France. At Yale,he was known for throwing dinner parties, single-handedly frying and baking while mixing drinks for dozens offriends. Just for fun, he and some friends decided to tape a show named Campus Cuisine about his cooking. Lieberman  was a real  college student showing his classmate how to do things like making drinks out of dining-hall fruit. That helped the show become very popular among the students. They would stop Lieberman after classes to ask for his advice on cooking. Tapes of the show were passed around,with which his name went beyond the school and finally to the Food Network.
Food Network producer Flay hopes the young cook will find a place on the
network television. He says Lieberman’s charisma is key."Food T-V isn’t about
food anymore." says Flay, " It’s about your personality and finding a way to keep
people’s eyeballs on your show."
But Lieberman isn’t putting all his eggs in one basket. After taping the first season of the new show, Lieberman was back in his own small kitchen preparing
sandwiches. An airline company was looking for someone to come up with a tasteful,
inexpensive and easy-to-make menu to serve on its flight. Lieberman got the job. 
【小題1】We can learn from the text that Lieberman’s family______.

A．have relatives in Europe	B．love cooking at home
C．often hold parties	D．own a restaurant

【小題2】 The Food Network got to know Lieberman________.

A．a(chǎn)t one of his parties	B．from his teacher
C．through his taped show	D．on a television program

【小題3】What does the word"charisma" underline in the text refer to ?

A．A natural ability to attract others.	B．A way to show one’s achievement.
C．Lieberman’s after-class interest	D．Lieberman’s fine cooking skill

【小題4】Why did the airline company give Lieberman the job?     

A．He could prepare meals in a small kitchen.

B．He was famous for his shows on Food TV.

C．He was good at using eggs to make sandwiches.

D．He could cook cheap, delicious and simple meals.

【小題5】 What can we learn about Lieberman from the text?

A．He is clever but lonely.	B．He is friendly and active.
C．He enioys traveling around.	D．He often changes his menus.

I have been using the Internet since I was five years old, when my dad first sat me down in front of a computer and connected me the World Wide Web.
I’ve always felt like a master of the Internet world. AOL Instant Messaging, MSN, Gmail, Facebook, Myspace -- I’ve got it all under control. I thought there was nothing more to it besides checking my e-mail and wasting my time, until I was introduced to electronic commerce(e-commerce): business on the Internet.
Some online businesses are run from one-room home offices. Others have hundreds of employees (雇員) across the world. Have you ever heard of Amazon.com, Yahoo.com?
My friends often said they got cheap textbooks off Amazon.com, or had a good deal (交易) on Steve Madden shoes that were on sale at SteveMaden.com. Unfortunately for me, I continued my “e-commerceless” Web-surfing, not knowing about all the deals I was missing out on.
That is, of course, until my sister finally sold the idea to me.
“Why are all these packages arriving in the mail for you, Katy?” I asked her one day. Strange envelopes (信封) had been put on our doorstep for weeks now, each one always addressed to my sister; and we all know little sisters should never be getting more mail than their elders!
“Oh, it’s the things I ordered online!” she answered. I watched speechlessly as she opened them. There was no way our parents were letting her spend that much money- online or off!
“How much did all of this coat?”
“Oh, only about $15 in all!” She said excitedly. “Everything on eBay is on sale! It’s a way better than going to the mall.”
I felt as if there had been a store right in my backyard that I had never walked into! That week, I ordered a used Spanish textbook for my summer course online for 10 percent of the publishing price. A few days later, I bought an iPod protector and a book or two via the wonderful eBay.com.
【小題1】From the first two paragraph we can conclude that the author        

A．had no experience using computers

B．had no idea of what e-commerce is

C．only used the Internet to check e-mail

D．thought surfing the Internet was a waste of time

【小題2】 The writer didn’t find out about e-commerce until       

A．he stopped web-surfing

B．he visited a store in his backyard

C．his sister explained the packages she got by mail

D．his friends told him about the online deals they made

【小題3】We can infer from the last paragraph that the author       .

A．never enjoyed shopping that much

B．loves the big store in her backyard

C．feels she is a true master of the Internet

D．has begun to enjoy online shopping

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

A．To tell the readers how he begins online shopping.

B．To do business on the Internet.

C．To make an online shopping ad.

D．To advise people not to do online shopping

According to some researchers, you should not praise children for everything that they do. It does not help them build self-confidence.
Most parents and teachers agree that praise can help increase children’s self-confidence —the more, the better. However, according to some researchers, only proper praise is good for children. If adults praise everything children do, it makes children look for praise all the time, not trying to do their best. "Teachers should not say things like ’good job’ or ’nice work’ whenever a child does anything. They should encourage them to continue to improve," some researchers advise.
Another idea is that children with high self-confidence are happier, and do better at school. About this, Marshall Duke, a researcher in children, says, "High self-confidence brought in by too much praise does not make children happier, get more, or become able to do more. Finding a child’s advantages (強(qiáng)項) and developing them can help build confidence more than too much praise can." Praise also loses its effect (影響) if it is given equally to all students.
"It’s important to tell children the truth about what they’ve done. Honest feedback (反饋) is far better than empty praise," Duke adds. "People have got into the habit of not telling children when they’re wrong. That makes it hard for them to deal with difficulties when they grow up. That’s just how the world is."
【小題1】According to some researchers, if parents praise their children too much, their children will ______.

A．a(chǎn)lways look for praise

B．increase self-confidence

C．become strong

D．do better in their studies

【小題2】 In order to help children build self-confidence, some researchers advise parents to ______.

A．make them live more happily

B．let them do more difficult work

C．help them do better in school

D．encourage them to improve

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

A．Praise makes children become successful.

B．Children don’t know what they’re really good at.

C．The same praise for all children has no meaning.

D．Duke thinks praise is more important than finding children’s strengths.

【小題4】 What is the last paragraph about?

A．It’s important to have the habit of praising children.

B．Children should know their mistakes as soon as possible.

C．We should praise children honestly and tell them their mistakes.

D．What children with high self-confidence are like.

When women sit together to watch a movie on TV, they usually talk simultaneously（同時的）about a variety of subjects, including children, men, careers and what’ s happening in their lives. When groups of men and women watch a movie together, the men usually end up telling the women to shut up. Men can either talk or watch the screen -- they can’ t do both -- and they don’ t understand that women can. Besides, women consider that the point of all getting together is to have a good time and develop relationships -- not just to sit there like couch potatoes staring at the screen.
During the ad breaks, a man often asks a woman to explain the plot and tell him where the relationship between the characters is going. He is unable, unlike women, to read the subtle body language signals that reveal how the characters are feeling emotionally. Since women originally spent their days with the other women and children in the group,  they developed the ability to communicate successfully in order to maintain relationships. For a woman, speech continues to have such a clear purpose: to build relationships and make friends. For men, to talk is to relate the facts.
Men see the telephone as a communication tool for sending facts and information to other people, but a woman sees it as a means of bonding. A woman can spend two weeks on vacation with her girlfriend and, when she returns home, telephone the same girlfriend and talk for another two hours.
There is no convincing evidence that social conditioning, the fact that girls’ mothers talked them more, is the reason why girls talk more than boys. Psychiatrist Dr Michael Lewis, author Social Behaviour and Language Acquisition, conducted experiments that found mothers talked to and looked at, baby girls more often than baby boys. Scientific evidence shows parents respond the brain bias of their children. Since a girl’ s brain is better organized to send and receive speech, we therefore talk to them more. Consequently, mothers who try to talk to their sons are usually pointed to receive only short grunts in reply.
【小題1】While watching TV with others, women usually talk a lot because they       

A．a(chǎn)re afraid of awkward silence with their families and friends

B．can both talk and watch the screen at the same time

C．think they can have a good time and develop relationships

D．have to explain the plot and body language to their husbands

【小題2】 After a vacation with her girlfriend, a woman would talk to her again on the phone for hours in order to              .

A．experience the happy time again	B．keep a close tie with her
C．recommend her a new scenic spot	D．remind her of something forgotten

【小題3】What does the author want to tell us most?

A．Women’ s brains are better organized for language and communication

B．Women love to talk because they are more sociable than men.

C．Men do not like talking because they rely more on facts.

D．Social conditioning is not the reason why women love talking.

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

A．Women Are Socially Trained to Talk

B．Talking Maintains Relationships

C．Women Love to Talk

D．Men Talk Differently from Women.

Transport Guide
The Brisbane City Council (BCC) is responsible for bus and ferry services with in the city limits and suburbs. Most buses will either arrive at the city or an interchange where connecting buses can be caught．BCC buses operate from 5:30 am to 11:00 pm Monday to Thursday and 5:30 am to 12:00 a m on Fridays. On weekends and public holidays buses operate less frequently Pre-paid bus tickets can be purchased from the QUT (Queensland University of Technology)bookshop, the campus news agency, most other news agencies and general stores, and any BCC Customer Service Centre. Short-term students at QUT cannot use their ID cards to gain a discount fare on BCC public transport. You will need to buy an adult ticket to travel. Bus fares are dependent on the number of zones you have to travel. There are several types of ticket:

Zone	Cost (AUD)
	Single	Daily	Off-peak Daily	Ten-Trip Saver	Weekly	Monthly
1	2.50	4.20	3.50	16.80	16.80	67.20
2	2.90	5.00	4.10	20.00	20.00	80.00
3	3.30	5.80	4.70	23.20	23.20	92.80

Single: one way ticket to reach your destination, including transfers within 2 hours.
Daily: unlimited travel within the zones.
Off-peak Daily: discounted unlimited travel between 9:00 am and 3:30 pm and after
7:00 pm Monday to Friday, and all day on weekends and public holidays.
Weekly: unlimited travel within the zones for one week from the date of issue.
Monthly: unlimited travel within the zones for one calendar month from the date of issue.
Ten-trip Saver: 10 trips at any time within the zones on buses and ferries only.
Transport routes, timetables and fare information are available from:
Public Transport Information Centre
69 Ann Street (corner of George St)
Brisbane City
Phone l3 12 30(Transport Information Service)
【小題1】 The transport guide above is most likely provided by       ．

A．Public Transport Information Centre	B．the Brisbane City Council
C．Queensland University of Technology．	D．BCC Customer Service Centres

【小題2】 We can learn from the passage that        ．

A．buses are scheduled as usual on weekends and public holidays

B．regular students at QUT need to buy adult tickets

C．Pre-paid tickets can be bought from the Public Transport Information Centre

D．Ten­-trip Savers can be used at off-peak time

【小題3】An exchange student staying at QUT for five days has to travel between zones every day．What type of ticket would he probably buy?

A．Single．

B．Weekly．

C．Off-peak Daily．

D．Ten-trip Saver．

A company advertised in the newspaper for a sales position. Details of the requirements, salary and benefits were given. It was also clearly stated that applicants needed to take an aptitude test (能力傾向測試) and an interview. However, looking at the whole advertisement, one could not find any contact information of the company.
Most interested applicants thought that it was the company’s HR department’s carelessness or a printing error. They therefore waited patiently for the newspaper to publish an amendment(訂正). But instead of waiting for the newspaper to publish the company details, another three applicants took the initiative(主動性) to find out the company’s contact information themselves.
Tim did a search on the Internet. By typing the company’s name, he easily obtained all the information including its contact number. Lisa called up the local telephone number search service and found out the company’s office number. She called up the office and got the required contact information. Donna put in a greater effort in her search. She remembered seeing a poster by the same company in the city so she drove all the way down and made a few rounds to search for it. She finally found it together with the company’s contact information.
Three days after that advertisement was published in the newspaper, most interested applicants were still waiting eagerly for an amendment. On the other hand, the application letters and resumes of Tim, Lisa and Donna had already reached the hands of the company’s HR manager. They were then called up for an interview. During the interview, all went well and immediately they were hired. The three of them were a little surprised at how fast things went on. They were expecting for an aptitude test as stated in the advertisement. The HR director answered them, smiling, “Our test is hidden in the advertisement itself. To be a good salesperson in this age, he or she has to be broad-minded and very importantly, does not follow rigid (死板的) steps or rules. You are all clever. In a short time, you’ve managed to find ways of contacting us. It shows clearly that you have passed the test with flying colors!”
The fools sit around waiting for their chances whereas the wise actively take actions with great initiative.
【小題1】According to the passage the company wanted to test the applicants’ ______.

A．sales skills

B．carefulness

C．a(chǎn)ttitude

D．initiative

【小題2】 Whose search skill is the easiest of all?

A．Tim’s.

B．Lisa’s.

C．Donna’s.

D．None.

【小題3】What can we infer from the passage?

A．The HR manager of the company made a mistake.

B．The company meant to omit (遺漏) its contact information.

C．The HR manager of the company was unfit for his / her job.

D．A printing error occurred in the advertisement in the newspaper.

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

A．Many applicants thought the company made a mistake.

B．The advertisement was very special to many applicants.

C．Whoever found the company’s contact information didn’t need to have an interview.

D．The company needed broad-minded and clever salespersons.

【小題5】The writer wants to tell us through this passage that ______.

A．no contact information seen in an advertisement might not be the company’s mistake

B．a(chǎn)pplicants should be careful not to be fooled by the company’s advertisement

C．opportunity always belongs to whoever is active and broad-minded

D．there are many successful chances to be found in this age