You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.
But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got. 
【小題1】After a short overseas holiday, people tend to _______.

A．expect small changes

B．notice small changes

C．welcome small changes

D．exaggerate small changes

【小題2】How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?

A．Cautiously.	B．Sceptically.
C．Positively.	D．Critically.

【小題3】When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by _______.

A．the relaxed policemen	B．the messy arrivals hall
C．the bank robbers	D．the tight security

【小題4】Which might be the best title for the passage?

A．Back in Britain.	B．Life in Britain.
C．Britain in Future.	D．Britain in Memory.

Children, especially at young ages, are very creative. And creativity can be a glorious thing. Look at all the amazing artists and architects that have created glorious pieces of history. Look at all the authors with the award winning books. Now I am not saying everyone is going to end up this way but creativity is an important part of growing up and becoming who you are. This should be encouraged in young children as well as the older children.
Young children grow up playing with make-believe. And so many people try to make their young child see that their invisible friend isn’t real or that talking when someone is not in the room is weird. To adults it is, but for small children it is them being creative. May it be them playing house, or chef, or playing with stuffed animals, it is their creative part coming out. Some kids can have fun playing with rocks and sticks and it’s because of their creativeness that they can do this. The invisible friend part is another part of being imaginative, and is not a bad thing since they will grow out of that phase. So encourage this and play along with them, play house or stuffed animals or whatever they want to play. Help keep their imagination running. You can even make up games, like treasure hunts, dinosaurs, or super heroes; there is just so much you can choose from.
For older children, talk to them. Help them see things through others’ eyes, or help them see things from a different point of view. Helping children see things from other views helps them keep their minds open for new ideas and new things.
All this can help your children’s minds stay creative. The arts and music, even thoughts are an important part of life and important in our society. If we didn’t have and encourage creative thinking, we wouldn't have had inventors, or philosophers, or as I said before, artists.
【小題1】The underlined word “weird” is the closest in meaning to “_______”.

A．similar

B．strange

C．common

D．natural

【小題2】If a child plays with his invisible friend, it shows that _______.

A．the child is longing for friendship

B．the child has no one to play with in life

C．the child has great imagination

D．there is something wrong with the child’s mind

【小題3】According to the author, if a child talks alone in a room, we should _______.

A．let him be

B．stop him from doing so

C．give him some advice

D．know that he is suffering from loneliness

【小題4】What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A．How creative artists and architects can be.

B．How to help children grow up in a healthy way.

C．What kind of activities children like.

D．How to protect and encourage children’s creativity.

Most British telephone cards are just plain green, but card collecting is becoming a popular hobby in Britain and collectors even have their own magazine, International Telephone Cards. One reason for their interests is that cards from around the world come in a wide variety of different and often very attractive design, There are 100,000 different cards in Japan alone, and there you can put your own design onto a bank card simply by using a photograph or a business card.
The first telephone cards, produced in 1976, were Italian. Five years later, the first British card appeared, and now you can buy cards in more than a hundred countries. People usually start collecting cards because they are attractive, small and light, and they do not need much space. It is also a cheap hobby for beginners, although for some people it becomes a serious business. In Paris, for example, there is a market where you can buy only telephone cards, and some French cards cost up to 4,000 pounds. The first Japanese card has a value of about 28,000 pounds. Most people only see cards with prices like these in their collectors’ magazine.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about __________.

A．the history of phone cards.

B．phone card collecting as a hobby

C．reasons for phone card collecting

D．the great variety of phone cards

【小題2】When did people in Britain begin to use phone card?

A．In 1971.

B．In 1975

C． In 1976.

D．In 1981.

【小題3】The main reason for most people to collect phone cards is that _________.

A．they find the cards beautiful and easy to keep

B．they like to have something from different countries

C．they want to make money with cards

D．they think the cards are convenient to use

【小題4】The writer mentions a market in Paris in order to show that __________.

A．card collecting is popular among young people

B．French and Japanese cards are the most valuable

C．People can make money out of card collecting

D．Card collectors’ magazines are very useful

Peter King, 15 and Mary King, 13 went to see a doctor together. Peter had a bad cold, so the doctor gave him some pills to take. Mary had a bad cough, so the doctor |gave her some cough medicine.                                                      
These are the words on the bottle of medicine:

Cough Medicine Shake well before use. Take three times daily after meals. Dosage: Adults 2 teaspoonfuls Children 8 -14  1 teaspoonful Child 4-7  1/2 teaspoonful Not suitable for children below the age of 4. Store in a cool place. Use before October 1998.

【小題1】Mary should take ____ in a day.

A．2 teaspoonfuls	B．3 teaspoonfuls
C．4 teaspoonfuls	D．1 teaspoonful

【小題2】People aged ____ cannot take this medicine.

A．80

B．15

C．20

D．3

【小題3】Mary or her mother should ____ the medicine after the tenth month of 1998.

A．throw away	B．take two times
C．stop to take	D．take 3 times more

It’s a nightmare for Huazhong University of Science and Technology （HUST）: within a week，two students committed suicide by jumping off dorm buildings．對(duì)于整個(gè)華中科技大學(xué)來說，這簡(jiǎn)直就是場(chǎng)噩夢(mèng)：一周之內(nèi)，兩名學(xué)生在宿舍跳樓自殺。
Officials from the university are reluctant to give interviews．校方官員們不愿接受采訪。
“We had a hard time calming down students who were shocked at the suicides,” said Zhang Jingyuan，one official of HUST．
“Media coverage may arouse some students’ negative emotions again．Suicide can be contagious,” Zhang said．他說，“媒體的報(bào)道將會(huì)再次引發(fā)學(xué)生的消極情緒，自殺是會(huì)傳染的�！�
The university reacted promptly to the first suicide on October 23．對(duì)于今年10月23號(hào)發(fā)生的第一起自殺事件，華中科技大學(xué)迅速做出應(yīng)急措施。
Advisors and class leaders conducted dorm-to-dorm checks to find students suffering depression．Then psychologists offered one-on-one counseling to them．輔導(dǎo)員和班長(zhǎng)們走訪了每個(gè)宿舍，找出遭遇抑郁的學(xué)生。然后，心理咨詢師會(huì)為這些學(xué)生提供一對(duì)一的心理咨詢。
Notice boards publicizing tips for identifying peers’ mental problems and offering help were set up in front of dorm buildings．Leaflets carrying similar information were handed out to each dorm．宿舍樓前豎起一些布告欄，為同學(xué)們普及關(guān)于如何發(fā)現(xiàn)身邊人遭遇心理問題并提供幫助的小貼士。印有類似內(nèi)容的小冊(cè)子也被分發(fā)給每個(gè)寢室。
However，the second suicide came seven days later．然而，七天后，第二起自殺事件發(fā)生了。
Both students were described as men of few words．Their schoolmates didn’t see anything to indicate suicide．據(jù)周圍人描述，這兩名學(xué)生都很少言寡語。他們的同學(xué)都沒有覺察到任何自殺前的征兆。
Zhang revealed that the two students had been bothered by mental disorders．But the school didn’t know this until the students’ close friends outside school and their parents unveiled the truth after the suicides．章勁元透露，這兩名學(xué)生曾經(jīng)飽受心理疾病的困擾。但是學(xué)校對(duì)此并不知情，他們校外的好友和家長(zhǎng)也是在自殺事件發(fā)生后才說出實(shí)情。
According to Zhang，there are only three full-time counselors working in the university’s counseling center for its 60,000 students．He complained: “It’s unrealistic to rely only on counselors to detect students’ mental problems．”據(jù)章勁元說，全校共有六萬名學(xué)生，但學(xué)校的心理咨詢中心只有三位全職心理咨詢師。他抱怨說：“僅僅依靠心理咨詢師來察覺學(xué)生的心理問題，這是不現(xiàn)實(shí)的�！�
Effective prevention comes from long-term education for life instead of temporary intervention to meet an emergency，said Hu Yi’an．Hu delivers a course of lectures on life and death at Guangzhou University．He worries that universities have paid little attention to education for life．有效的預(yù)防來自于長(zhǎng)期的生命教育，而并非遭遇緊急狀況時(shí)的臨時(shí)干預(yù)，胡毅安（音譯）說。他在廣州大學(xué)教授以生命和死亡為主題的課程。他為各大高校給予生命教育的關(guān)注少之又少而擔(dān)憂。
“Education for life helps students respect and love life so they won’t resort to ending their lives when they have difficulties,” said Hu．“生命教育可以幫助學(xué)生尊重、熱愛生命，這樣一來，當(dāng)他們遇到困難的時(shí)候就不會(huì)選擇結(jié)束生命了,” 胡毅安說。
According to Hu，the principles can be incorporated into everyday teaching．胡毅安還表示，這些觀念可以融入到日常教學(xué)中去。
Hu is also concerned that some universities are conveying discriminatory message that will hold back students from seeking help．胡老師也很擔(dān)心一些大學(xué)傳遞出帶有歧視性的信息會(huì)使得學(xué)生們不愿去尋求幫助。
When HUST conducted the dorm-to-dorm examination，students with poor academic performance were paid special attention．In March，Peking University also released a controversial policy，which required teachers to have a chat with students “with biased thinking”．當(dāng)華中科技大學(xué)校方挨個(gè)宿舍進(jìn)行走訪時(shí)，學(xué)習(xí)成績(jī)較差的學(xué)生也被給予了特別關(guān)照。三月份，北京大學(xué)也推行了一項(xiàng)備受爭(zhēng)議的政策，該新規(guī)要求教師們要找那些學(xué)生中的“激進(jìn)分子”談話。
However，Hu suggested that students step out of their comfort zone to seek real-life communication．
【小題1】The underlined word “reluctant” in paragraph 2 probably means “       ”．

A．willing

B．unhappy

C．refused

D．decided

【小題2】Which measure the university took to the first suicide is incorrect?

A．Conducting checks to find out the students’ depression．

B．Offering counseling to the students．

C．Setting up notice boards publicizing tips for identifying peers’ mental problems and offering help．

D．Handing out leaflets to each student．

【小題3】Which of the following is right according to the text?

A．Officials of HUST were willing to give the details about the suicide．

B．HUST didn’t respond to the first suicide．

C．What the university about the suicide was a success．

D．Their close friends and parents did know the students had mental disorder．

【小題4】What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Two students of HUST committed suicide．

B．What can we do to prevent the student’s suicide?

C．The reasons why the students committed suicide．

D．The dangers in the universities in China．

Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with doubts by many as being a major part of the “l(fā)ive now pay later” syndrome（綜合癥）．Along with hire-purchase, rental and leasing schemes（租賃項(xiàng)目）, they provide encouragement to spend more money．Of course, it is only the hotheaded who give way to the temptation to live, temporarily at least, beyond their means, and such people would no doubt manage to do so even without credit cards．
Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces of plastic. They prevent need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies．
All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis which may work out as high as 25 per cent a year, yet sensible purchasing using a card can mean that you obtain up to seven weeks, interest-free credit．Using the card abroad, where items frequently take a long time to be included on your account, can extend this period even further．
It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. It is necessary to consider the amount of credit granted; interest rates, which may vary slightly; the number and range of outlets（經(jīng)銷店）, though most cards cover major garages, hotels, restaurants and department stores; and of course, what happens if your card is lost or stolen．A credit card thief may be sitting on a potential goldmine particularly if there is a delay in reporting the loss of the card．
However, if used wisely, a credit card can cost nothing, or at least help to tide you over a period of financial difficulty．
【小題1】The hotheaded are people who ________．

A．spend more money than they have

B．spend less money than other people

C．save money

D．make money

【小題2】The disadvantage of credit cards is ________．

A．to enable you to buy things without carrying large amount of cash

B．to encourage people to spend more money

C．to be always useful in emergencies

D．to help people tide over a period of financial difficulty

【小題3】Deciding on a particular credit, you do not have to consider ________．

A．the amount of credit granted

B．the number and range of outlets

C．the possibility of loss of money

D．the department stores where you are going to use your credit cards

【小題4】The underlined words in the last paragraph probably means ________．

A．floating with the tide of	B．going through a difficult period of
C．rising and falling with the tide of	D．a(chǎn)ttempting to go against the tide of

What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic(認(rèn)錯(cuò)的) about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
【小題1】What is the passage mainly about?

A．The importance of working hard at school.

B．Choosing a career according to one’s strengths.

C．How to face one’s weakness.

D．The value of school work.

【小題2】The writer thinks that a student to have a part-time job is probably ___.

A．a(chǎn) good way to find out his weak points

B．one of the best ways of earning extra money

C．of great use for his work in the future

D．a(chǎn) waste of time he could have spent on study

【小題3】From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he ___________.

A．should pay more attention to learning skills and developing abilities

B．will be regretful about his bad results

C．may also do well in his future work

D．should restart his study in school

【小題4】From the last paragraph we know one should _________.

A．make full use of one’s own weak points

B．study harder for a new school record

C．a(chǎn)pologize for one’s own school record

D．face one’s own weak points bravely

Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes— they are failing because the “ academic” classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art— there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge — certainly not a good preparation for the real world.
【小題1】Music and drama are not included in the high-school curriculum mainly because________.

A．the school committee pays no attention to them

B．the school is afraid of losing financial support

C．the students are not interested in both of them

D．the state standardized test is more important.

【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The sufficiency of the classes determines students’ performance in the mastery test

B．students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons

C．The school committee completely influences students’ attitude towards the arts

D．Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today’s school system.

【小題3】We can learn that music and art can ________.

A．make students round-shaped people in future

B．provide students with analytical thinking

C．motivate students in creativity and expression

D．prevent students graduating from high school

【小題4】The best title of the passage can be ________.

A．Who Killed Music and Drama?

B．Can Curriculum Go Without Music?

C．Why is Music So Important?

D．How To Prepare For the Real World?

When newspapers and radio describe the damage caused by a hurricane（颶風(fēng)） named Hazel, girls named Hazel are probably teased（取笑） by their friends. To keep out of trouble, the Weather Bureau says,“Any resemblance between hurricane names and the names of particular girls is purely accidental.”
Some women became angry because hurricanes are given their names, but many other women are proud to see their names make headlines. They don’t even care that they are the names of destructive storms. Because more women seem to like it than dislike it, the Weather Bureau has decided to continue using girl’s names for hurricanes.
In some ways a hurricane is like a person. After it is born, it grows and develops, then becomes old and dies. Each hurricane has a character of its own. Each follows its own path through the world, and people remember it long after it gone. So it is natural to give hurricanes’ names, and to talk about them almost if they were alive.
【小題1】What happens to girls named Hazel according to the passage?

A．They suffer from hurricanes.

B．The Weather Bureau look for them.

C．Others often make fun of them.

D．They can’t find boyfriend.

【小題2】The underlined word“resemblance”probably means ______.

A．trouble

B．difference

C．sameness

D．success

【小題3】Public opinions make the Weather Bureau ______.

A．consider the disagreement of some women

B．go on naming hurricanes after women

C．name hurricanes after men

D．look for a new method to name hurricanes

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