“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity,” said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I’ve never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it’s probably worth listening to.
Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you’re a Chinese, you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump(樹(shù)樁) for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.
A book by the UK psychologist Richard Wiseman, called The Luck Factor, argues we can all make ourselves luckier. It’s not about going to a temple to burn some incense(香) hopes that the gods will give you good fortune; it’s practical advice you can follow each day.
Wiseman conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups; those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper,” was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not spot the message.
It’s easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are “l(fā)ucky”, in fact, keep an open mind and don’t go through the same routine every day.
I first came to China in 2002 when it was considered a rather strange thing to do. Like many foreigners, my plan was to teach English for one year. Seven years later, and still here, I’ve had many great opportunities such as writing for newspapers and magazines. I did not dream these would have been possible. I’ve also never been sick, had an accident, got into a fight or had problems with the police. Coincidence? After reading about Professor Wiseman’s studies I think not.
As Wiseman advises, I usually trust my own judgment. Your friends and parents may give you advice based on rational thinking, but it’s important to consider how you feel about each choice you make. Your feeling acts as a warning for a potential problem.
Finally, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.
【小題1】Which of the following proverbs most agrees with the writer’s point?

A．Make the best of a bad job.

B．Rome was not built in a day.

C．All is not gold that glitters.

D．A good heart conquers ill fortune.

【小題2】What do you know about Oprah Winfrey?

A．She became famous through her family background.

B．She was very lucky and seldom suffered setbacks in her life.

C．She is a British talk show host.

D．She became successful by her own effort.

【小題3】 The writer quoted the Chinese tale of a farmer in order to show __________.

A．luck is in your own hand

B．bad luck can turn into good

C．you should not sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you

D．man can conquer nature

【小題1】If someone has an accident in the afternoon, you should ____________.

A．Phone 37499	B．Ensure no one enters the danger area
C．Report to the Police station at J J Thomson Ave	D．Call an ambulance on 1-999

【小題2】Where do you think you can find this notice?

A．In the Assembly area	B．At the Fire station
C．At the University	D．At Turner Hospital

【小題3】Anytime you hear the fire alarm, you should _____________.

A．go to the Assembly area	B．phone the Fire brigade on 37499
C．use the red ‘break glass boxes’	D．make sure the fire alarms aren’t being tested

I moved into a new house in July. Since then I have met a few of my neighbors who are very nice people. For Christmas, I thought I would do something nice for each of the neighbors I know. There were nine neighbors whom I knew by name or spoke with often when I was out in my yard. I knew which houses they lived in.
I decided to add one more to my list. This lady I decided to add lives down the street from me. I meet her every morning walking to work as I drive down the street. She always smiles to me. But I had no idea who she was and which house she lived in.
I planned to make small fruit baskets and leave them on my neighbor’s front porches(門(mén)廊) on Christmas Eve. I signed the cards: "Happy Holidays from 5104 Northumberland Road."
I saved the last for the friendly lady. I finally decided on a house where I met her each morning and guessed that it was hers.
My neighbors really appreciated the baskets and would tell me as they saw me in the yard or they would call, and a couple even came by to thank me.
This morning I found a small note in the mailbox. It was addressed simply: Resident, 5104 Northumberland Road.
The Thank You card really caught me by surprise. I opened it and read the message, "Thank you for the lovely fruit basket you left on our porch. It was very thoughtful. Richard Kelly passed away last week. He talked a lot about how nice it was that someone remembered him in his time of illness. He really appreciated it."
I had no idea who Richard Kelly was and that he had been seriously ill. I had left that nice lady’s basket on his porch by mistake. I wanted to say sorry, but that would be wrong. I believe that Mr. Kelly was meant to have that basket because he was dying. I hate that the nice lady did not get to receive a fruit basket on Christmas, but I believe if she knew what had happened, she would be happy. I feel pleased to have helped Richard Kelly’s last days be more cheerful.
【小題1】How many Christmas gifts did the author intend to send?

A．Nine.

B．Eight.

C．Ten.

D．Eleven.

【小題2】Where did the friendly lady live?

A．She lived at the end of Northumberland Road.

B．Her address was 5104 Northumberland Road.

C．She was thought to share a house with Mr. Kelly.

D．The author was not sure about her address at all.

【小題3】How did the author’s neighbors respond to his gifts?

A．They liked the gifts very much and were thankful.

B．They were thankful that they wanted to be friends.

C．They all made phone calls to say “Thank You”.

D．They all visited him by person to show gratitude.

【小題4】What does the author mean in the last paragraph?

A．He was regretful that the nice lady didn’t receive his gift.

B．He was glad to have made Mr. Kelly’s life more pleasant.

C．He thought Richard Kelly deserved to receive that basket.

D．The old lady was happy to sacrifice to make Kelly happy.

Women are on their way to holding more than half of all American jobs. The latest government report shows that their share of nonfarm jobs nearly reached fifty percent in September.
Not only have more and more women entered the labor market over the years, but the depression has been harder on men. In October the unemployment rate for men was almost eleven percent compared to eight percent for women.
Industries that traditionally use lots of men have suffered deep cuts. For example, manufacturing and building lost more jobs last month. But health care and temporary employment services have had job growth. Both of those industries employ high percentages of women.
Thirty years ago, women earned sixty-two cents for every dollar that men earned. Now, for those who usually work full time, women earn about eighty percent of what men earn. And women hold fifty-one percent of good-paying management and professional jobs.
Yet a study released Thursday said men still hold about nine out of every ten top positions at the four hundred large companies in California. The results have remained largely unchanged in live years of studies from the University of California, Davis.
Also, a new research paper in the journal Sex Roles looks at the experiences of women who are the main earners in their family. Rebecca Meisenbach at the University of Missouri in Columbia interviewed fifteen women. She found they all valued their independence and many enjoyed having the power of control, though not all wanted it.
But they also felt pressure, worry and guilt. Partly that was because of cultural expectations that working women will still take care of the children. Also, men who are not the main earners may feel threatened.
The job market continues to suffer the effects of last year’s financial crash. Now, a judgment has been reached in the first case involving charges of criminal wrongdoing on Wall Street.
Last week, the government lost its case against two managers at Bear Stearns, the first investment bank to fail last year. A jury found Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin not guilty of lying to investors.
The hedge funds they supervised lost their value in two thousand seven. But jurors said there was no clear evidence that they meant to mislead investors.
The Justice Department continues to investigate other companies.
【小題1】Why is the unemployment rate for men higher.

A．Because there are more men workers in industries.

B．Because many industries mainly employing men now don’t need so many workers.

C．More and more women take the place of men.

D．Because health care and temporary employment services don’t employ men.

【小題2】It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A．women haven’t got complete equality as men

B．only by becoming the main earners in their family can women gain a high position

C．a(chǎn)ll women now value independence and the power of control

D．taking care of children is now shared by men and women

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Men hate that women earn more money.

B．It is commonly believed that women should take care of children.

C．The job market has recovered from the effect of the financial crisis.

D．Now women working full time earn more than men.

【小題4】 Why does the government accuse two managers?

A．They contributed to the financial crash.	B．They led a corrupt life.
C．They lied to investors.	D．A jury found them misleading investors.

High-quality customer service is preached(宣揚(yáng)) by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done.
Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of retail store, but instead will alert their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers and anyone who will listen.
Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide to frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde group and Wharton school.
“Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers.” Said Paula Courtney, president of the Verde group. “The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”
On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four other, and will no longer visit the specific store for every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be disastrous to retailers.
According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. Ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers.
The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered(塞滿了的) shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople.
During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty peaking spaces. This guidance got rid of the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space.
Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers.
“Retailers who’re responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren’t so friendly.” Said professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”
Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.
【小題1】Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?

A．Few customers believe the service will be improved.

B．Customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around them.

C．Customers have no easy access to store managers.

D．Most customers won’t bother to complain even if they have had unhappy experiences.

【小題2】Shop owners often hire moonlighting police as parking attendants so that shoppers         .

A．can find their cars easily after shopping	B．won’t have trouble parking their cars
C．can stay longer browsing in the store	D．won’t have any worries about security

【小題3】What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?

A．Design of the store layout.	B．Hiring of efficient employees.
C．Manners of the salespeople.	D．Huge supply of goods for sale.

【小題4】To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to        .

A．voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly

B．shop around and make comparisons between stores

C．settle their disputes with stores in a diplomatic way

D．put pressure on stores to improve their service

Department stores sell ready- to-wear clothing, which is also called ready-made clothing. Such clothing is made in fixed sizes. Those people who find that ready-made clothing fits them well can save money by buying it. Most often, people do not fit exactly into a producer’s size. Their clothing must be altered to make it fit better. However, most alterations are not very expensive. The small cost of most alterations means that ready-made clothing can meet the needs of most customers.
Those who can afford it often get someone to design and make their clothing. Such clothing is called custom-made. The person who makes it measures the customer, and then sews it so that it fits perfectly. Alterations are not needed. Custom-made clothing is largely sewn by hand, has better quality, better material, and is of the style you have chosen. Of course, it costs much more than ready-to-wear clothing. You need to pay the difference for the special fitting and better skill that you are receiving. This often means that you spend double or more than you would for a ready-made garment.
Custom-made clothing is not always that much better than ready-made clothing. It costs more partly because only one garment has been made, just for you. Companies that produce ready-made products make thousands of garments at a time. This means they can buy large quantities of material. Workers cut each size by the hundreds. Companies work out ways to make the garments quickly by machine and pay workers according to their skill. Thus they can sell the finished products at a low price while still making money. Most of the clothing sold in the United States is made in this way. Customers gain from the lower prices which are made possible by mass production. It may or may not give them high quality.
【小題1】 According to the passage, people who buy ready-made clothing ______.

A．wish to make alternations	B．will spend less money
C．want to make it better	D．can fit into the sizes

【小題2】We can learn from the passage that custom-made clothing is_______.

A．specially made	B．fashionably designed
C．chosen by few people	D．made with difficulties

【小題3】Which of the following is true about ready-made clothing?

A．It is of poor quality.	B．It suits all people.
C．It is labor-saving to make it.	D．It takes more time to make it

【小題4】The purpose of the writer is _______.

A．to explain why custom-made clothing costs more

B．to show the advantages of mass production

C．to tell readers how to make money from ready-made clothing

D．to provide information about different kinds of clothing

When milk arrived on the doorstep
When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note----“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”----and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn’t freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete. Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.
Recently, I saw an old milk box in the countryside. I took it home and planted it on the back porch （門(mén)廊）. Every so often my son’s friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.
【小題1】Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer____.

A．to show his magical power

B．to pay for the delivery

C．to satisfy his curiosity

D．to please his mother

【小題2】What does “this” in the third paragraph refer to?

A．The milkman’s magic power

B．The milkman’s kindness to me

C．The note to change an order

D．The home delivery service

【小題3】What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy’s house?

A．He wanted to have tea there.

B．He was a respectable person.

C．He was treated as a family member.

D．He was fully trusted by the family.

【小題4】Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?

A．Nobody wants to be a milkman now.

B．It has been driven out of the market.

C．Its service is getting poor.

D．It is forbidden by law.

【小題5】Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?

A．He missed the good old days.

B．He wanted to tell interesting stories.

C．He missed it for his milk bottles.

D．He planted flowers in it.

She is quiet, soft-spoken and has a kind face and a strong heart. She is my mom, Lili.
When I was nine, Lili quitted her job and started her own business. She said she didn’t want to stay at home and work as a housewife: “It’s a waste of life.” Lili became so busy that she spent less and less time with me. She didn’t help me with my schoolwork. It was, in her words, “so that you can develop your independence”. We quarreled because she rarely showed up at parents’ meetings.
Like mother, like daughter. I have many things in common with Lili. I want everything to be under control. I want to be perfect and I don’t expect other people to help me. I push myself hard to achieve my goals.
After I started to go to high school, Lili and I were too busy to communicate much with each other.
In biology class I began to be depressed. When the teacher showed us a picture of a butterfly, I was scared and screamed. I had a vision of thousands of butterflies flying toward me.
That night I told Lili about it. The next morning, I saw that she had red eyes with black circles around them.
She took me to see a therapist (治療師). Three hours later, the therapist told Lili that my life was like a wheel spinning (旋轉(zhuǎn)) faster and faster and that was the reason for what had happened to me. I only realized it when my body couldn’t stand the pressure anymore. At these words, Lili burst into tears. “It’s all my fault, she’s just a kid and I didn’t have time to take care of her….”  To be honest, I had never seen Lili cry before.
After that, Lili began to spend more time at home, cooking and dragging me to do sports. I realized she was the one who would always be there when I was in real trouble. No mom is perfect, but she is the one who really cares about her kid.
【小題1】Lili quitted her job and started her own business because _________.

A．she wanted to make more money	B．she was not willing to look after me
C．she didn’t want to waste her life	D．she likes keeping busy

【小題2】 We quarreled because __________.

A．she began to spend less and less time with me

B．she didn’t help me with my schoolwork.

C．she seldom attended the parents’ meetings in my school.

D．Lili and I were too busy to communicate much with each other.

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

A．Most women don’t want to be a housewife.

B．Most children want their mothers to accompany them at home.

C．We need to understand our mothers’ busy life.

D．Although mothers are not perfect, they all love the children

【小題4】 Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．Lili is a quiet, strong-willed woman.

B．Lili began to spend more time at home after visiting the therapist.

C．I was scared and screamed in biology class because I hate butterflies.

D．I only realized my life was like a wheel when my body couldn’t stand the pressure anymore.

【小題5】 What is the best title for the passage?

A．Mom Does Care.	B．A Busy but Successful Mother.
C．Change From Mother to Businessman.	D．A Student’s Opinion on Mother.

We’re all connected. You can send an e-mail message to a friend, and your friend can pass it on to one of his or her friends, and that friend can do the same, continuing the chain. Eventually, your message could reach just about anyone in the world, and it might take only five to seven e-mails for the message to get there.
Scientists recently tested that idea in a study involving 24,000 people. Participants had to try to get a message forwarded to one of 18 randomly(隨意地，隨機(jī)地) chosen people. Each participant started by sending one e-mail to someone they knew. Those who received it could then forward the e-mail once to someone they knew, and so on.
Subjects, who were randomly assigned by researchers from Columbia University in New York, lived in 13 countries. They included an Australian police officer, a Norwegian veterinarian, and a college professor.
Out of 24,000 chains, only 384 reached their goal. The rest petered out, usually because one of the recipients was either too busy to forward the message or thought it was junk mail.
The links that reached their goal made it in an average of 4.05 e-mails. Based on the lengths of the failed chains, the researchers figured out that two strangers could generally make contact in five to seven e-mails.
The most successful chains relied on casual acquaintances rather than close friends. That’s because your close friends know each other while your acquaintances tend to know people you don’t know. The phenomenon, known as the strength of weak ties, explains why people tend to get jobs through people they know casually but aren’t that close to.
So, start networking and instant messaging now. As they say in show business: It’s all about who you know.
【小題1】If you want to get into touch with a stranger in the world, how many e-mails might it take for the message to reach him/her?

A．5 to 7

B．18

C．13

D．384

【小題2】Who does the word “subjects” refer to in the passage?

A．the 384 participants who lived in Australuia

B．the Norwegian veterinarians and college porfessors

C．the 24,000 people randomly assigned by reaearchers

D．the 18 people randomly chosen from 13 countries

【小題3】What does the phrase “peter out” mean in the fourth paragraph？

A．die out

B．pass away

C．disappear

D．pick out

【小題4】Why do people tend to get jobs more easily through casual acquaintances than close friends?

A．Because close friends don’t talk with each other so much.

B．Because casual acquaintances can help you know more people and make more friends.

C．Because close friends don’t spend so much time gathering together.

D．Because casual acquaintances are kinder and more willing to help others.

【小題5】 In which part of a newspaper will readers read this passage?

A．Culture

B．Entertainment

C．Information and Technology

D．Health

Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn’t matter where you live-in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village-the chances that you will be disturbed by jet aeroplanes, transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc. are almost everywhere .We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they are working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be very frightening experience for human beings. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓).The noise level in some disco is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
A recent report about noise and concentration(專(zhuān)心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really affects their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise, which doesn’t change too much (music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.
【小題1】The best title for this passage is _______________.

A．Noisy Life	B．Background Noise
C．Disturbed Concentration	D．Changeable Noise

【小題2】From this passage, the pollution of noise _______________.

A．doesn’t matter much	B．has become worse everywhere
C．has become better in big cities	D．has become better in villages

【小題3】“Background music” in the passage means _______________.

A．music played in the concert	B．a(chǎn) kind of noise coming into your ears
C．music helps people to concentrate	D．music played while people are working

【小題4】Some people may have their hearing hurt _______________.

A．while they are in completely silence	B．while they are dancing violently
C．while they are listening to loud pop music	D．while they are listening to soft music

【小題5】Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating is _____.

A．a(chǎn)ny kind of noise	B．great changes in level of noise
C．background noise	D．various background music