That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theater. With opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away any possible robbers(搶劫犯). Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment, I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck(垃圾車(chē)) pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eyes. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 a.m. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had got my wallet back. I also had got back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.
【小題1】How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?

A．Cold and sick	B．Lucky and hopeful
C．Satisfied and cheerful	D．Disappointed and helpless

【小題2】From the first paragraph, we learn that the writer was busy_____.
A .solving her problem at the bank         B. taking part in various city activities
C learning acting in an evening school   D. preparing for the first night show
【小題3】On her way home the writer_____

A．lost her wallet unknowingly

B．was stopped by a garbage truck driver

C．was robbed of her wallet by a man with a knife

D．found some homeless people following her

【小題4】From the text, we can infer that the writer_____

A．would stop working at night	B．would stay on in San Francisco
C．would make friends with cleaners.	D．would give up her job at the bank

As computers become more and more popular in China, Chinese are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes(筆畫(huà)) of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more widespread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer. All the students interviewed say they usually use computers.
It's faster and easier to correct the mistakes if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being used more and more often in modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
“When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I'm familiar with it.”
“I'm not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”
Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and efficient to type on a computer, why bother to write by hand?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic (審美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. Besides, handwriting contains the writer's emotion. Through one's handwriting, people can  learn one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression.”
To encourage students to write more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.
【小題1】Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．The Importance of Typing

B．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters

C．Writing by Computer Will Replace Writing by Hand

D．To Type or to Write by Hand

【小題2】The students interviewed prefer to type on a computer mainly because_______.

A．they can correct the mistakes quickly and conveniently

B．they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and essays

C．they find it hard to remember how to write a character

D．computers have become a trend and fashion in China

【小題3】Which of the following statements is NOT true about advantages of handwriting?

A．Handwriting contains the writer's emotion.

B．Handwriting can impress people well and build their self-confidence.

C．The writer's thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting.

D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value.

【小題4】The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 probably means________.

A．getting bored with	B．becoming crazy about
C．becoming dependent on	D．getting curious about

A new generation addiction is quickly spreading all over the world. Weboholism, a twentieth century disease, affects people from different ages. They surf the net, use e-mail and speak in chat rooms. They spend many hours on the computer, and it becomes a compulsive habit. They cannot stop, and it affects their lives. 
Ten years ago, no one thought that using computers could become a compulsive behavior that could affect the social and physical life of computer users. This obsessive behavior has affected teenagers and college students. They are likely to log on computers and spend long hours at different websites.
They become hooked on computers and gradually their social and school life is affected by this situation. They spend all free time surfing and don't concentrate on homework, so this addiction influences their grades and success at schools. Because they can find everything on the websites, they hang out there. Moreover, this addiction to websites influences their social life.
They spend more time in front of computers than with their friends. The relation with their friends changes. The virtual life becomes more important than their real life. They have a new language that they speak in the chat rooms and it causes cultural changes in society.
Because of the change in their behavior, they begin to isolate themselves from the society and live with their virtual friends. They share their emotions and feelings with friends who they have never met in their life. Although they feel confident on the computer, they are not confident with real life friends they have known all their life. It is a problem for the future. This addictive behavior is beginning to affect the whole world.
【小題1】The passage is about________.  

A．the cause of weboholism	B．the advantage of weboholism
C．the popularity of weboholism	D．the influence of weboholism

【小題2】The underlined word "obsessive" in the second paragraph most probably means 

A．a(chǎn)ttractive

B．a(chǎn)ddictive

C．professional

D．potential

【小題3】We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．weboholism has the greatest effect on teenagers

B．teenagers can hardly balance real and virtual life

C．people are addicted to games on the internet

D．virtual life is more vivid and attractive anyway

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT true of weboholism?

A．It contributes to the development of the web.

B．The chat room language may change social culture.

C．The problem will have a negative influence on our future.

D．People addicted to the web often become inactive in real life.

【小題5】The author's attitude towards weboholism is that of being ______.  

A．objective

B．positive

C．opposed

D．a(chǎn)cceptable

When buying from a dealer, the law says that a car must be:
As described:
This includes the history of the car as well as its specification．For example, if the dealer described the car as previously having “one careful lady owner”, it shouldn’t turn out to have had several previous “boy racer” owners.
Of satisfactory quality:
It must meet the standard that a reasonable person would regard as acceptable and be free from any quality problem．Also, bear in mind that a second-hand car will have a slightly different definition of what is considered “satisfactory, because there’s certainly an element of wear and tear．
Fit for the purpose:
It must be reasonable fit for any normal purpose and this includes any purpose that you specify to the seller．
●If any of the above is violated, then in theory, you may have the right to reject the vehicle and get your money back if you’re reasonably quick. Alternatively, the dealer might offer to replace or repair the car; reduce the price of offering a partial refund(退款).Once you’ve informed the dealer that you wish to reject the car , you must stop using the vehicle.
●If the rejection is not accepted, then it’s up to you to prove your case. You’ll need to pay for an independent assessment of the car and sue（打官司，起訴）for damages. If you do choose a repair, insist the dealer provide you with a hire car or pay any reasonable traveling expenses thus produced while your new car is in the garage.
●If the car is new, it’s likely that the claim will be too high to be fought. Using the small claims procedure to you may have to pay for legal representation. All this can be pretty daunting and expensive. You need to weigh up the pros and cons before rejecting a car. Would a repair do just as well? Selecting a dealer who offers a clear exchange policy may help.
【小題1】According to the text, what is essential after you inform the dealer of your wish to reject the car?

A．Stopping using it	B．Demanding traveling expenses．
C．Suing for damages．	D．Proving your case．

【小題2】If the dealer offers to repair the car you have bought, which of the following is acceptable?

A．Asking the dealer to provide you with repair tool sets

B．Asking the dealer to provide you with a hire car

C．Asking the dealer to pay all of your traveling expenses．

D．Asking the dealer to return all your money．

【小題3】Which of the following words has the closest meaning to the underlined word “daunting” in
the last paragraph?

A．Different．

B．Discouraging．

C．Effective．

D．Convenient．

【小題4】What does the writer want to say in the last paragraph?

A．Buyers should select a dealer that offers to repair the car．

B．Buyers should never reject a new car．

C．It’s necessary that a new car should be repaired．

D．Rejecting a new car is not necessarily the best choice．

【小題5】After reading the passage, you will be better at         .

A．choosing a car	B．making a claim
C．dealing with car sellers	D．suing for damages

I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal (谷類食物), eggs or toast. While others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from other kids' too. But at least I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, then we be gone one hour or less—not one hour and one minute. And she always insisted upon us telling the truth. Now you can see how mean she was.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook. We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath, while the other kids always wore their clothes for days. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.
Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie in bed, “sick” like our friends did, and miss school. Our marks in school had to be up to par(達(dá)到正常水平). Our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, being as different as she was, would settle for nothing less than ugly black marks.
As the years rolled by, we were one by one put to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. And whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? You're right, our mean mother. She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults.
Now I am trying to raise my three children. I am filled with pride when my children think I am mean because, you see, I had the meanest mother in the world.
【小題1】What does the sentence “But at least I wasn't alone in my sufferings.” mean?

A．The author's mother was only mean to her.

B．The author's mother suffered her.

C．The author's mother was mean to her sister, brothers and her.

D．The author wasn't alone because of suffering.

【小題2】Why was the author's mother mean to her children?

A．Because she wanted her children to be top students in school.

B．Because she wanted her children to bring home colored report cards like her friends did.

C．Because she wanted her children to drop out.

D．Because she wanted her children to do their best at school and be educated and respected citizens.

【小題3】Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Some of the children weren't able to go to college because of their mean mother.

B．Mother didn't let the author tell lies.

C．Mother asked the author to wear clean clothes.

D．The author could not miss school even if she was ill.

【小題4】The passage was written in a way of _______ tone?

A．humorous

B．hateful

C．ridiculous

D．critical

Jenny went to visit her friends in New York last weekend. Her friends met her at the airport on Friday afternoon and drove her to the hotel. They had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and went to see a film after that.
Jenny and her friends set out early on Saturday morning for a farm and stayed there until Sunday morning. During their stay, they went fishing and swimming in the small river on the farm. They played football in the field and enjoyed a big meal around a camp fire（篝火）, singing and dancing till late into the night．
Nobody could get up early on Sunday morning． So when they got back to New York City, it was about three o’clock in the afternoon. They drove right to the airport because Jenny didn’t want to miss her plane back home. Jenny only stayed in New York for two nights but she had a great time with her friends．
【小題1】Jenny went to New York ____________ .

A．to do some shopping	B．to see her friends
C．to spend her summer holiday	D．to find a job

【小題2】How did Jenny get to New York?

A．By train.

B．By bus.

C．By plane.

D．On foot.

【小題3】Where did Jenny and her friends go on Saturday?

A．To the farm.	B．To the Chinese restaurant.
C．To the airport.	D．To the railway station.

【小題4】When did Jenny go back home?

A．On Saturday afternoon.	B．On Sunday morning.
C．On Saturday evening.	D．On Sunday afternoon.

【小題5】How long did Jenny stay in New York?

A．One night.

B．Two nights.

C．Three nights.

D．Four nights.

Beat the Burglar
Don’t invite crime---take basic, sensible precautions. Your house and possession are valuable and must be properly protected. When you buy a lock, you buy time. The best prevention is delay and noise which could mean discovery. 

When you leave it---lock it! First of all, fit security locks to all doors and windows and a safety chain on the front door. Secondly, use them! If you have any ladders or tools, don’t leave them lying about in the garden, lock them away. “Safe” or “secret” places for keys and valuables are not reliable --- nine times out of ten, they are the first place a thief will look.

When you move house… When you move into a new home even if it is fitted with security locks, change them. You don’t know who else may have keys. Never let strangers into your house. An official-looking cap is not enough, ask for proof of identity and look at it carefully --- if you are still not satisfied, don’t let the person in.

Valuables need special protection Valuables should really be given special protection --- preferably by leaving them with your bank. A small security safe works too, but not to the most determined burglar. It is also important to keep an up-to-date list of valuables and their descriptions. In the case of fine art, paintings, or jewelry, color photographs can sometimes be of assistance to the police if you are unfortunate enough to have them stolen. Enter the details on the back of the pictures. But don’t keep such documents in your house, keep them at the bank or with your insurance company.

Going on holiday? Don’t talk about your holidays and future plans loudly in public. Do remember to cancel the milk and newspapers and also to draw curtains back. Operate a “Good Neighbor” program to ensure that mail is taken in, the house is checked regularly and that lights are put on. Call at your local police station and tell them you are going away. Make sure that they know how to contact you in case of trouble. Don’t leave cash or valuables in the house --- take them with you or put them in the bank.

【小題1】When moving into a new house, you are supposed to __________.

A．buy a safe	B．change the locks
C．visit your neighbors	D．stay away from strangers

【小題2】Which is the safest way to protect your valuables?

A．Taking pictures of your valuables.

B．Putting your valuables in your safe.

C．Keeping your valuables at the bank.

D．Giving a list of your valuables to the police.

【小題3】When you are away for holidays, you __________.

A．should cancel your mail

B．shouldn’t leave your keys to your neighbors

C．shouldn’t make it known that your home is empty

D．should ask the police to check your house regularly

【小題4】What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To inform people of safety standards.

B．To introduce the advantages of banks.

C．To prove the importance of security locks.

D．To educate people on prevention of burglars.

Now some women are spending a weekend at Mother’s Camp（營(yíng)地）. There, husbands and children are not allowed. Why would a woman want to take a vacation without her family? Some women say they need time to be alone.
At Mother’s Camp a woman has room to herself. She can sleep, read or watch TV, and no one will bother her. No children will ask, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” No husband will say, “Oh, dear, I can’t find any clean socks.” In fact almost 50% of women in the United States work outside the home. Many of them work full-time and then come home to a second job----taking care of their homes and families. These working women say one of their biggest problems is housework.
In the United States, working wives do about 75% of the housework. Many of their husbands say they want to help. But then they burn the rice or they can’t find the pans. They ask so many questions that their wives decide it is easier to do the job themselves.
Some women go to Mother’s Camp just to get a break from housework. For two days they don’t cook, they don’t clean, they don’t look after their children and husbands. What do they do? They enjoy warm, sunny weather, walking, swimming or boating in a clear blue lake and sing songs around the campfire. They relax away from home. They have a really wonderful vacation at Mother’s Camp.
【小題1】 From this passage we can see      in the United States.

A．women want to work outside the home

B．working wives do most of the housework

C．husbands do as much housework as their wives

D．women do not like to stay at home with their families

【小題2】At Mother’s Camp, women can’t         .

A．watch TV	B．read newspapers
C．swim in the lake	D．bring their husbands and children

【小題3】Why would some mothers like to be alone? Because        .

A． they don’t like their husbands and children

B． they have to work full-time

C． they are too busy to relax themselves

D． they want a new life

【小題4】        is one of the biggest troubles for working wives in the United States.

A．Housework	B． Working outside the home
C．When to take a vacation	D． Looking after their children

【小題5】What’s the best title for this passage?

A．Busy Working Mothers	B．Welcome to Mother’s Camp
C．Mothers Relax Away from Home	D．Mothers in the US

I got interested in the idea of standing desks about a year ago. The health advantages of standing instead of sitting for eight hours a day are clear, so when the company Ergotron invited me to review their WorkFit C-Mod Dual Desk, I jumped out of my chair---really.
After several hours putting the desk together, I finally got to try it out. The standing desk had a desktop that I could use for writing.
At first I absolutely loved it. Standing during the day instead of sitting was fantastic. Although I felt more tired after all that standing during the day, I knew the health benefits were worth the slight discomfort. However, after the initial novelty (新奇)of the desk wore off, I realized that I could not use it in the long term.
It was just not practical. While using the desk for a month , I could definitely foresee problems arising from using it full time.
I enjoy having a lot of things on my desk. The standing desk just did not have enough room for all of my things.
I can easily foresee awkward situations when I put that desk in an office space. When someone comes into your office, does your guest have to stand as well? If you office is big enough, maybe you have room for two chairs for you and a visitor, which is great. Yet for the ordinary worker in a small office, the standing desk creates a very awkward situation.
Additionally, the amount of money I would have to spend to replace my current workspace with a standing desk was another issue. The desks I have looked at were highly expensive.
Yes, spending the day standing can offset(抵消) many of the negative effects of too much sitting, but we humans are designed for movement. Through activity changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, you can easily increase the time you spend on your feet. Best of all, those options are completely free.
【小題1】When the author was asked to try the standing desk out, he was ____.

A．excited

B．surprised

C．unhappy

D．uninterested

【小題2】When first using the standing desk, the author ___.

A．thought it was boring	B．thought it was wonderful
C．felt less tired than usual	D．felt quite uncomfortable

【小題3】According to the author, a standing desk ____.

A．takes up too much space	B．is suitable for long-term use
C．is cheaper than traditional desks	D．is impractical though good for health

【小題4】What does the author mainly tell us in the text?

A．How to use the standing desk.	B．What he does during the workday.
C．His opinion on the standing desk.	D．The advantage of the standing desk.

Since the pre-historic times, man has had an urge to satisfy his needs. Be it hunger, shelter or search for a mate, he has always controlled the situations to his advantage. Probably this might be the reason why we humans are the most developed of all living species on the earth. As we climbed the steps of development, we somehow left behind common sense and logical thinking -- we forgot that we have stopped thinking ahead of time.
If you are hungry, what do you do? Get a piece of your favorite meal and stay quiet. Just like your stomach, even your mind is hungry. But it never lets you know, because you keep it busy thinking about your dream lover, favorite star and many such things. So it silently began to care about your needs and never let itself grow. When mind looses its freedom to grow, creativity gets a full stop. This might be the reason why we all sometimes think "What happens next?", "Why can't I think?" "Why am I always given the difficult problems?" Well, this is the result of using our brain for thinking of not-so-worthy things.
Hunger of the mind can be actually satisfied through reading. Now why reading and not watching TV? Because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from the childhood. Just like that to develop other aspects of our life, we have to turn to reading. You have innumerable number of books in this world which will answer all your "How to?" questions. The interesting part of the book is stored in your mind as a seed. Now this seed is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new ideas. The same seed, if used many times, can help you link and relate a lot of things, of which you would have never thought in your wildest dreams! This is nothing but creativity. More the number of books you read, your mind will open up like never before.
【小題1】What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To show humans are the most developed.

B．To introduce the topic of the passage.

C．To indicate people have different needs to satisfy.

D．To explain why people need to read.

【小題2】What does the author mean by saying "When mind looses its freedom to grow, creativity gets a full stop."

A．When mind keeps growing, creativity fully stops.

B．When freedom is lost, creativity gets a full stop.

C．When mind stops growing, creativity fully stops.

D．When growing is lost, creativity gets a flail stop.

【小題3】The paragraph following the passage is probably about ______.

A．how the pre-historic man feeds his mind

B．what other advantages reading brings

C．how to develop creativity

D．how to satisfy your mind by watching TV

【小題4】 The author tends to tell us ______.

A．reading can satisfy your all needs	B．reading can result from creativity
C．reading can feed your mind	D．reading can realize your dreams