As prices and building costs keep rising, the do-it-yourself (DIY) trend (趨勢(shì)) in the U.S. continues to grow.
“We needed furniture (家具) for our living room,” says John Ross, “And we just didn't have enough money to buy it. So we decide to try making a few tables and chairs.” John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Rosses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.
Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $420. “I was deeply upset about it. Now I've finished a car repair course, I should be able to fix the car by myself.”
John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it -yourselfer”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don't have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself.
【小題1】We can learn from the text that many newly married people _______.

A．find it hard to pay for what they need

B．have to learn to make their own furniture

C．take DIY courses run by the government

D．seldom go to a department store to buy things

【小題2】John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to _______.

A．run a DIY shop

B．make it repair things

C．save time and money

D．improve the quality of life

【小題3】When the writer says that Jim has a full-time at home, he means Jim _______.

A．makes shoes in his home

B．does extra work at night

C．does his own car and home repairs

D．keeps house and looks after his children

【小題4】Jim Hatfield decided to become a do-it-yourselfer when _______.

A．his car repairs cost too much

B．the car repair class was not helpful

C．he could not possibly do two jobs

D．he had to raise the children all by himself

【小題5】What would be the best title for the text?

A．The Joy of DIY.

B．You Can Do It too!

C．Welcome to Our DIY course!

D．Ross and Hatfield: Believe in DIY.

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

A few months ago I was at a bus stop in town in the evening. The bus came on time and I took the window seat. The bus was travelling by the seashore and I was enjoying the soft wind while watching the sea waves (海浪). After a few minutes the bus made its next stop. A young boy and a girl got on. They were standing on my left when the bus pulled off. I looked at them in surprise and realized that all the window seats were taken up. They could sit but not together. Suddenly a different wave passed through my body and my inner mind gave me the advice to get up. I got up and offered them my seat. The young lady smiled kindly and said thanks. I took another seat and we parted our ways. I don’t remember whether I got off the bus before them or not.
Months passed by. Suddenly one day while I was standing at the same bus stop waiting some time for the bus to arrive I heard a voice.
“Excuse me, Uncle.” I looked in the direction of the voice. It was a beautiful young lady.
Puzzled, I said, “I do not recognize you.”
She said, “Do you remember you gave us your window seat?”
Puzzled, I said, “Maybe, but what is so great in that?”
She said, “If you had not given your seat that day, perhaps I would have not sat with my friend. By sitting together it helped us bridge a misunderstanding that had been between us forever. Do you know we are getting married next month?”
“Good! God bless both of you,” I replied.
The young lady again said thank you and went on her journey. I realized the importance of giving that day.
【小題1】Why were the young boy and the girl standing on the bus?

A．Because they couldn’t sit together.

B．Because they wanted to enjoy the sea weaves.

C．Because there were no empty seats.

D．Because they preferred to stand.

【小題2】The underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably means that the author had a feeling that ______.

A．the sea wave made him upset

B．he wanted to do something special

C．a(chǎn) wave from the sea passed by him

D．he wanted to make a sea wave in his heart

【小題3】The author’s act of kindness helped the young boy and the girl ______.

A．begin to talk to each other again after a time of silence

B．sit together and become friends very soon

C．know each other and get married

D．clear up a misunderstanding between them

【小題4】From the story, we can know that ______.

A．small things can create great happenings in life

B．giving is more important than receiving

C．offering one’s seat to others will lead to a marriage

D．we sometimes forget what happened in the past

The word “conservation” has a thrifty meaning. To conserve is to save and protect, to leave what we ourselves enjoy in such a good condition that others may also share the enjoyment. Our forefathers had no idea that human population would increase faster than the supplies of raw materials: most of them, even until very recently, had the foolish idea that the treasures were “l(fā)imitless” and could “l(fā)ast forever”. Most of the citizens of earlier generations knew little or nothing about the complicated and delicate system that runs all through nature, and which means that, as in a living body, an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to all the others.
Fifty years ago, nature study was not part of school work; scientific forestry was a new idea; wood was still cheap because it could be brought in any quantity from distant woodlands; soil destruction and river floods were not national problems; nobody had yet studied long-term climatic cycles in relation to proper land use; even the word “conservation” had nothing of the meaning that it has for us today.
For the sake of ourselves and those who will come after us, we must now set about correcting the mistakes of our forefathers. Conservation should be made part of everybody's daily life. To know about the water table (水位) in ground is just as important to us as a knowledge of the basic math formulas(公式). We need to know why all watersheds (上游集水區(qū)) need the protection of plant life and why the running current of streams and rivers must be made to give their full benefit to the soil before they finally escape to the sea. We need to be taught the duty of planting trees as well as of cutting them. We need to know the importance of big, grown trees, because living space for most of man's fellow creatures on this planet is figured not only in square measure of surface but also in cubic（立方體的） volume above the earth. In a word, it should be our goal to restore as much of the original beauty of nature as we can.
【小題1】The author's attitude towards the use of natural resources is_________.

A．positive

B．uninterested

C．optimistic

D．critical

【小題2】According to the author, the greatest mistake of our forefathers was that________.

A．they had no idea about scientific forestry

B．they had little or no sense of environmental protection

C．they were not aware of the importance of nature study

D．they had no idea of how to make good use of raw materials

【小題3】To avoid repeating the mistakes of our forefathers, the author suggests that ________.

A．we plant more trees

B．natural sciences be taught to everybody

C．environmental education be given to everybody

D．we return to nature

【小題4】How can you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?

A．Our living space on the earth is getting smaller and smaller.

B．Our living space should be measured in cubic volume.

C．We need to take some measures to protect space.

D．We must preserve good living condition for both birds and animals.

Until recently, women in advertisements wore one of three things — an apron, an attractive dress or a frown. Although that is now changing, many women still feel angry about offending advertisements. “This ad degrades women.” they protested（抗議）.Why does this sort of advertising exist? How can advertisers and ad agencies still produce, sometimes, after months of research, advertising that offends the consumer?
The ASA, the body which deals with complaints about print media, is carrying out research into how women feel about the way they are pictured in advertisements. Its conclusions are likely to be what the advertising industry already knows: although women are often annoyed by the ads, few feel strong enough to complain.
Women are not the only victims of poor and boring stereotypes（老套）— in many TV commercials men are seen either as useless, childish fools who are unable to perform the simplest household tasks, or as inconsiderate fellows, always on the lookout for an escape to the pub. But it is women who seem to suffer more from the industry’s inability to put people into an authentic present-day situation. Yet according to Emma Bennett, director of a London advertising agency, women are not aggressive or extremely angry about those stereotypes and sexist （歧視婦女）advertising. “They just find it annoying or tiresome.”
She says that it is not advertising’s use of the housewife role that bothers women, but the way in which it is handled. “The most important thing is the advertisement’s tone of voice. Women hate being insincerely praised or given desperately down-to-earth common-sense advice.”
In the end, the responsibility for good advertising must be shared between the advertiser, the advertising agency and the consumer. Advertising does not set trends but it reflects them. It is up to the consumer to tell advertisers where they fail, and the process of change will remain slow until people on the receiving end take the business seriously and make their –feelings known.
【小題1】Despite recent changes in attitudes, some advertisements still fail to        .

A．change women’s opinions of themselves

B．show any understanding of consumers’ feelings

C．persuade the public to buy certain products

D．meet the needs of the advertising industry

【小題2】According to the writer, the commonest fault of present-day advertising is to         .

A．condemn the role of the housewife

B．ignore protests about advertisements

C．present a misleading image of women

D．picture the activities of men wrongly

【小題3】Emma Bennett suggests that advertisement ought to        .

A．give further emphasis to practical advice

B．change their style rather than their content

C．use male images instead of female ones

D．sing higher praise for women than before

【小題4】We can learn from the passage that advertising industry should         .

A．take its job more eagerly

B．do more pioneering work

C．take notice of the public opinion

D．concentrate on the products advertised

Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive (欺騙)? When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture.
For example, someone might say, I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!
This guy's a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought $ 200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false, but he left out important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth. Half truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Some politicians often use this trick. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents (對(duì)手) says, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However, an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers  will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might say, “Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
【小題1】How much did the lottery winner lose?

A．One hundred dollars.

B．Two hundred dollars.

C．Three hundred dollars.

D．Four hundred dollars.

【小題2】We may infer that the author believes people should ______.

A．buy lottery tickets

B．make use of half-truths

C．not take anything at false value

D．not trust the Yucky Company

【小題3】What do the underlined words “net gain” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．final increase	B．big advantage
C．large share	D．total saving

【小題4】What can we know from the example of the Yucky Pill advertisement?

A．False statements are easy to see through.

B．Half-truths are often used to mislead people.

C．Doctors like to act in advertisements.

D．Advertisements are based on facts.

Hot words on the Internet don’t stay hot for long. “Geili” and “fuyun”, last year’s biggest linguistic innovations, are practically prehistoric in Internet terms. What’s buzzing now is “hold steady”
The term comes from a segment (片段) on the Taiwanese TV show University which features Miss Lin(Xie Yilin) giving a lecture on how to behave like a fashion queen at parties or on the bus. The extremely funny lecture is mainly an over-the-top mockery(嘲笑) of the fashion world, but Miss Lin makes a point: We need to hold steady in pressure-filled or embarrassing situations.
Holding steady, Internet slang for “staying poised”, is one of the qualities the public has been looking for lately as pressures on marriage, work and money can easily drive people crazy. The quality was demonstrated by a girl named Su Miaoling this year. The contestant in the TV singing competition Super Girl carried herself with an air of confidence on stage and kept her cool when others got anxious. “I like your poise(淡定). Very few contestants on this stage can keep calm like you do,” said one of the show’s judges, Hu Haiquan, to Su. Internet users dubbed Su “Sister Poise”.
Poise is also appreciated in Western culture as an essential quality of a well-mannered person. Each year, the National League of Junior Cotillions of the US releases a list of the Ten Best Mannered People. Kate Middleton made it onto the list in 2011 “for the poise and dignity with which she conducts herself in the public spotlight”. The Duchess of Cambridge was also acclaimed earlier this year for her remarkable poise at the royal wedding.
Good news for many, poise is not genetic----it can be acquired with a bit of effort. A personal growth guidance gives tips on how to stay poised. “Take a few deep breaths when you are facing a situation that tests your patience; practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves; use self-affirmation by saying ‘I choose to be calm in any situation’; write down your affirmation daily to imprint the goal,” reads the site.
【小題1】According to the passage, what does “hold steady” mean?

A．well balanced	B．hold still
C．remain stable	D．keep calm

【小題2】Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Poise isn’t born with people, so it can be acquired.

B．Under different pressures, people hope to keep calm.

C．“Hold steady” comes from a lecture given by a fashion queen.

D．In western culture, holding steady is a quality of well-mannered people.

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT the way to hold steady?

A．learn to use self-encouragement.

B．Write the goals to be achieved

C．Practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves.

D．Take deep breaths when facing difficult situations.

【小題4】The purpose of this passage is to_______.

A．introduce the Internet hot term “hold steady”

B．tell funny stories about how to hold steady

C．demonstrate how to keep calm under pressure

D．give advice on how to keep cool in daily life

People who like their traveling have their reasons. They believe that traveling can help them expand their field of view, especially in the geographical and historical sense. They also think that touring will give them more chances to enjoy different kinds of food and experience new things that would never be brought by other activities. But those who dislike traveling also have some reasons.
Traveling, in my opinion, dose more good than harm. Most importantly, it broadened our mind. We can get in touch with other civilization（文明）, culture, customs and ideas.
Through history, most people traveled because of necessity —not for pleasure. People traveled just in order to remain alive. They searched for food to eat or places to live in. They sometimes ran away from enemies. This is not to say that no one ever traveled just for the fun of it. In ancient times, for example, rich Romans traveled all the way to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games, and festivals. Of course, some people decided to travel just out of curiosity. They wanted to find out what it looked like beyond the horizon（地平線）. Also business travel has been going on for centuries. Traders could not only make money but also learn to speak several languages and be introduced to different cultures.
So, traveling does enrich our mind and draw new ideas to us. There is no doubt that we can get much from it.
【小題1】How many reasons for traveling are mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A．Three

B．Four

C．Five

D．Six

【小題2】In the writer’s opinion, traveling can be _______.

A．expensive

B．funny

C．helpful

D．tiring

【小題3】What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Different kinds of traveling.

B．Traveling enriches our mind.

C．Ways to enjoy yourself while traveling.

D．The advantages and disadvantages of traveling.

It’s often true that jobs for students sometimes lead to employment after graduation, so it’s a good idea to think carefully before you begin working during your college years.
During my entire college life I worked as a bartender （酒吧招待）. I have to say that I really enjoyed that job, and was fond of the idea of making money without doing too much work. I also had the opportunity to socialize （ 交際） while working. I came to be known among the upper class, and gradually became popular on campus because of my job. However, working as a bartender can have the negative side that people tend to think that you enjoy drinking.
All in all, I wish I had thought more carefully before deciding to take that job. I got a Bachelor’s degree （學(xué)士學(xué)位）in English, qualifying（使···有資格） me to work as a writer, but so far I have only been able to use the skills I learned from that part-time job.
It would be different if I had searched for jobs related to writing or editing（編輯） instead of bartending. It’s commonly accepted that employment for students is only temporary （臨時(shí)的），but we should never forget that it can connect to the work we get after we graduate. After all, employers not only look at the degree, but also your previous experience.
So before getting a part-time job while you’re at school, consider what you want to do for the rest of your life.
【小題1】Which of the following is a benefit（好處）of working as a bartender for the author?

A．He had a good time after school.

B．He made connect with many people.

C．He satisfied his curiosity about others.

D．He had learned how to make wine.

【小題2】The underline word “negative” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “ _______”.  

A．bad

B．same

C．wrong

D．bright

【小題3】The author writes the text mainly to _______.  

A．describe his part-time job during his college life

B．tell students to be careful with their part-time jobs

C．convince（使確信）students that bartender is the part-time job

D．a(chǎn)dvise students to look for their future jobs in the college

Americans love to talk and generally it is OK to talk even to strangers about nearly any subject at any time as long as you are polite．However there are some subjects，like racism，American foreign policy，gun ownership，and religion that are best discussed among friends．
In America，it is OK to approach a stranger and start up a conversation with him as long as the subject is not too abstract．In America，it is not considered inappropriate to talk to people you don’t know．Talking to a stranger about the weather or the quality of nearby restaurants，or the prices in a grocery store is all perfectly fine．Even complimenting someone on the car they drive or asking them where they bought their clothes are all appropriate topics of conversation with complete strangers．
Generally，Americans prefer that people say what they think and they respect frankness．Usually when it comes to personal matters，it’s best to accentuate(強(qiáng)調(diào))the positive：don’t tell someone that their children are ugly or that their cooking is terrible．However；it’s OK to tell someone that they are wrong as long as you do so politely and with respect．Americans generally believe that you show someone respect by telling them the truth．Don’t be afraid to be honest with Americans，but be appropriate．
Most Americans will start a conversation with a person they just met by asking them what they do for a living．This question is not only considered appropriate by  Americans，but it’s also considered an important way to learn about someone．
【小題1】The passage mainly tells us       ．

A．how to make friends with Americans

B．how to make proper conversations with Americans

C．what Americans like to talk about in their dailv life

D．what to avoid in talking with Americans

【小題2】When you talk to an American for the first time，you can ask him the following questions EXCEPT “  　 ”.

A．How does America treat other countries

B．Where did you buy your wonderful car

C．What do you do

D．How is the dessert the nearby restaurant offers

【小題3】When you find that an American has made a mistake, you’d better       ．

A．point it out directly and politely

B．pretend not to see it

C．tell his friends about this

D．cover it up for him