It’s such a happy-looking library, painted yellow, decorated with palm-tree stickers and sheltered from the Florida sun by its own roof. About the size of a microwave oven, it’s pedestrian-friendly, too, waiting for book lovers next to a sidewalk in Palm Beach country Estates, along the northern boundary of Palm Beach Gardens.
It’s a library built with love.
A year ago, shortly after Janey Henriksen saw a Brian Williams report about the Little Free Library organization, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit that aims to promote literacy and build a sense of community in a neighborhood by making books freely available, she announced to her family of four, “That’s what we’re going to do for our spring break!”
Son Austin, now a 10th-grader, didn’t see the point of building a library that resembles a mailbox. But Janey insisted, and husband Peter unwillingly got to work. The 51-year-old owner of a ship supply company modified a small wooden house that he’d built years earlier for daughter Abbie’s toy horses, and made a door of glass.
After adding the library’s final touches (裝點), the family hung a signboard on the front, instructing users to “take a book, return a book,” and making the Henriksen library, now one of several hundred like it nationwide and among more than 2,500 in the world, the only Little Free Library in Palm Beach County.
They stocked it with 20 or so books they’d already read, a mix of science fiction, reference titles, novels and kids’ favorites. “I told them, keep in mind that you might not see it again,” said Janey, a stay-at-home mom.
Since then, the collection keeps replenishing (補充) itself, thanks to ongoing donations from borrowers. The library now gets an average of five visits a day.
The project’s best payoff, says Peter, are the thank-you notes left behind. “We had no idea in the beginning that it would be so popular.” (317 words)
【小題1】In what way is the library “pedestrian-friendly”?

A．It owns a yellow roof.	B．It stands near a sidewalk.
C．It protects book lovers from the sun.	D．It uses palm-tree stickers as decorations.

【小題2】Janey got the idea to build a library from __________.

A．a(chǎn) visit to Brian Williams	B．a(chǎn) spring break with her family
C．a(chǎn) book sent by one of her neighbors	D．a(chǎn) report on a Wisconsin-based organization

【小題3】The library was built __________.

A．by a ship supply company	B．on the basis of toy horses
C．like a mailbox	D．with glass

【小題4】What can we infer about the signboard?

A．It was made by a user of the library.	B．It marked a final touch to the library.
C．It aimed at making the library last long.	D．It indicated the library was a family property.

【小題5】The passage tells us that the users __________.

A．donate books to the library

B．get paid to collect books for the library

C．receive thank-you notes for using the library

D．visit the library over 5 times on average daily

In my living room, there is a plaque (匾) that advises me to “Bloom (開花) where you are planted.” It reminds me of Dorothy. I got to know Dorothy in the early 1980s, when I was teaching Early Childhood Development through a program with Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. The job responsibilities required occasional visits to the classroom of each teacher in the program. Dorothy stands out in my memory as one who “bloomed” in her remote area.
Dorothy taught in a school In Harlan County, Kentucky, Appalachian Mountain area. To get to her school from the town of Harlan, I followed a road winding around the mountain. In the eight-mile journey, I crossed the same railroad track five times, giving the possibility of getting caught by the same train five times. Rather than feeling excited by this drive through the mountains, I found it depressing. The poverty level was shocking and the small shabby houses gave me the greatest feeling of hopelessness.
From the moment of my arrival at the little school, all gloom (憂郁) disappeared. Upon arriving at Dorothy’s classroom. I was greeted with smiling faces and treated like a queen. The children had been prepared to show me their latest projects. Dorothy told me with a big smile that they were serving poke greens salad and cornbread for “dinner” (lunch). In case you don’t know, poke greens are a weed-type plant that grows wild, especially on poor ground.
Dorothy never ran out of reports of exciting activities of her students. Her enthusiasm never cooled down. When it came time to sit for the testing and interviewing required to receive her Child Development Associate Certification, Dorothy was ready. She came to the assessment and passed in all areas. Afterward, she invited me to the one-and-only steak house in the area to celebrate her victory, as if she had received her Ph. D. degree. After the meal, she placed a little box containing an old pen in my hand. She said it was a family heirloom (傳家寶), but to me it is a treasured symbol of appreciation and pride that cannot be matched with things. (360 words)
【小題1】“Early Childhood Development” in Paragraph 1 refers to __________.

A．a(chǎn) program directed by Dorothy

B．a(chǎn) course given by the author

C．a(chǎn)n activity held by the students

D．a(chǎn)n organization sponsored by Union college

【小題2】 In the journey, the author was most disappointed at seeing __________.

A．the long track	B．the poor houses
C．the same train	D．the winding road

【小題3】Upon arriving at the classroom, the author was cheered up by __________.

A．a(chǎn) warm welcome	B．the sight of poke greens
C．Dorothy’s latest projects	D．a(chǎn) big dinner made for her

【小題4】What can we know about Dorothy from the last paragraph?
A. She was invited to a celebration at a restaurant.
B. She got a pen as a gift from the author.
C. She passed the required assessment.
D. She received her Ph. D. degree.
【小題5】What does the author mainly intend to tell us?

A．Whatever you do, you must do it carefully.

B．Whoever you are, you deserve equal treatment.

C．However poor you are, you have the right to education,

D．Wherever you are, you can accomplish your achievement.

Many people think that listening is a passive business. It is just the opposite. Listening well is an active exercise of our attention and hard work. It is because they do not realize this, or because they are not willing to do the work, that most people do not listen well.
Listening well also requires total concentration upon someone else. An essential part of listening well is the rule known as ‘bracketing’. Bracketing includes the temporary giving up or setting aside of your own prejudices and desires, to experience as far as possible someone else’s world from the inside, stepping into his or her shoes. Moreover, since listening well involves bracketing, it also involves a temporary acceptance of the other person. Sensing this acceptance, the speaker will seem quite willing to open up the inner part of his or her mind to the listener. True communication is under way and the energy required for listening well is so great that it can be accomplished only by the will to extend oneself for mutual growth.
Most of the time we lack this energy. Even though we may feel in our business dealings or social relationships that we are listening well, what we are usually doing is listening selectively. Often we have a prepared list in mind and wonder, as we listen, how we can achieve certain desired results to get the conversation over as quickly as possible or redirected in ways more satisfactory to us. Many of us are far more interested in talking than in listening, or we simply refuse to listen to what we don’t want to hear.
It wasn’t until toward the end of my doctor career that I have found the knowledge that one is being truly listened to is frequently therapeutic(有療效的) In about a quarter of the patients I saw, surprising improvement was shown during the first few months of psychotherapy(心理療法), before any of the roots of problems had been uncovered or explained. There are several reasons for this phenomenon, but chief among them, I believe, was the patient’s sense that he or she was being truly listened to, often for the first time in years, and for some, perhaps for the first time ever.
【小題1】The phrase “stepping into his or her shoes” in paragraph 2 probably means _______.

A．preparing a topic list first	B．focusing on one’s own mind
C．directing the talk to the desired results	D．experiencing the speaker’s inside world

【小題2】What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?

A．How to listen well.	B．What to listen to.
C．Benefits of listening.	D．Problems in listening

【小題3】According to the author, in communication people tend to ________.

A．listen actively	B．listen purposefully
C．set aside their prejudices	D．open up their inner mind

【小題4】According to the author, the patients improved mainly because _______.

A．they were taken good care of.	B．they knew they were truly listened to.
C．they had partners to talk to.	D．they knew the roots of problems.

【小題5】What type of writing the article likely to be?

A．Science fiction

B．A news report.

C．A medical report.

D．Popular science

When international aid is given, steps must be taken to ensure (確保)that the aid reaches the people for whom it is intended. The way to achieve this may not be simple. It is very difficult for a nation to give help directly to people in another nation. The United Nations Organization (UNO) could undertake to direct the distribution of aid. Here however rises the problem of costs. Also tied with this is time. Perhaps the UNO could set up a body of devoted men and women in every country who can speedily distribute aid to victims of floods and earthquakes.
More than the help that one nation can give to another during a disaster; it would be more effective to give other forms of help during normal times. A common proverb says, “Give me a fish and I eat for day, teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.” If we follow this wise saying, it would be right to teach people from less developed nations to take care of themselves. For example, a country could share its technology with another. This could be in simple areas like agriculture or in more complex areas like medical and health care or even in building satellites. Even small country is able to help less developed nations. Sometimes what is take for granted, like the setting up of a water purification plant or the administration of a school, could be useful for countries which are looking about to solve common problems. It does not cost much to share such simple things. Exchange students could be attached for a number of months or years and learn the required craft while on the site. They can then take their knowledge back to their homelands and if necessary come back form time to time to clear doubts or to update themselves. Such aid will be truly helpful and there is no chance of it being temporary or of it falling into the wrong hands.
Many countries run extensive courses in all sorts of skills. It will not cost much to include deserving foreigners in these courses. Besides giving effective help to the countries concerned, there is also the build-up of friendships to consider. Giving direct help by giving materials may be effective in the short run and must continue to be given in the event of emergencies. However, in the long run what is really effective would be the sharing of knowledge.
【小題1】According to the author, how could international aid reach the victims in time?

A． By solving the cost problems

B． By solving the transportation problems

C． By setting up a body of devoted people in every country.

D． By relying on the direct distribution of the UNO.

【小題2】What does the author try to express in the underlined sentence?

A．Providing food is vital	B．Learning to fish is helpful
C．Teaching skills is essential	D．Looking after others is important.

【小題3】The second paragraph is developed mainly _________.

A．by example

B．by process

C．by comparison

D．by contrast

【小題4】Which aid is likely to fall into the wrong hands?

A．A medical team.	B．An exchange program.
C．A water plant.	D．Financial support.

【小題5】What can we infer about international aid from the passage?

A．It is facing difficulties

B．It is unnecessary during normal times

C．It should be given in the form of materials

D．It has gained support developed countries

“People are ruder today because they are rushed and more ‘time poor’ than ever before, ” says Patsy Rowe, “ Manners have fallen off the radar(雷達). ” Due to our strong attraction to electronic equipment it is a wonder more people don’t wake up each morning and greet the singing birds with a complaint（抱怨）about the noise. Here are some examples of rudeness.
Some people prefer to do almost everything over the internet. To them, dealing with an actual human is like an evolutionary step backward. It feels very slow because humans don, t work at 4G speeds. When you have dinner with friends, you will often notice someone paying more attention to his mobile phone. We have programmed ourselves to think that every new message brings life-changing news, so taking calls and checking our texts are more important than talking to the people we are with. What is worse, some people even tend to send anonymous（匿名的） rude messages by email.
However, rudeness is never acceptable, Don, t assume it is OK to be rude if the person you, re in touch with won, t recognize you. If you have something awful to say, have the courage to face the person and say it, write a letter or email and sign it, or forget it. Upsetting people with unsigned messages is cruel and disgusting.
We shouldn′t blame technology for our shortcomings. Technology is here to help us, but we should not allow it to take over our lives. An important step is acknowledging our shortcomings. People spend a lot of time pointing out bad manners but it would be even more help if we′d publicly acknowledge good manners when we see them.
【小題1】What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in Paragraph I?

A．People can tell good from bad behavior.

B．Radar is able to observe human behavior.

C．People care little about their behavior.

D．Radar can be used to predict human behavior.

【小題2】Some people are less willing to deal with humans because

A．they are becoming less patient

B．they are growing too independent

C．they have to handle many important messages

D．they have to follow an evolutionary step backward.

【小題3】The author thinks sending unsigned awful messages is

A．Ridiculous

B．disgusting

C．a(chǎn)cceptable

D．reasonable

【小題4】What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．We should applaud good behabior.

B．Technology can neber be blamed

C．We should keep pointing out mistakes.

D．Technology will take over lives one day.

Four simple keys to transform your life
The power of choice.
Every one of us makes countless choices every day. Every choice we make has an impact on our lives. Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel. When hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food. The more important the decision, the greater its effect. For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way.
How do you make choices?
If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those around you. This foundation is to choose based on what’s best for all. Imagine a world where every parent, spouse(配偶), friend, teacher, businessperson, and politician truly did their best to choose what’s best for all involved in every decision they made. We would certainly live in a more caring, supportive world.
It’s the intention.
“But how do I know what is really best?” you might ask. The answer is simple. It doesn’t matter. What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice. What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what’s best for all. If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there’s no need for guilt. Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what’s best for all, your conscience stays clear and open. This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and mind.
What’s best for me, too!
Choosing what’s best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for other. An overly(過度的) exhausted mother can lose her temper easily. Some time off for this mother might seem selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children. So as we move through each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what’s best for all.
【小題1】According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Every one of us makes countless choices every day.

B．Every choice, however big or small, has an influence on us.

C．People act differently towards the person who treated them badly.

D．People tend to reach for a junk snack when hunger strikes.

【小題2】How should we make choices?

A．To be interested in a richer, fuller life.

B．To make life better for ourselves.

C．To base our choices on what’s best for all.

D．To imagine a world where everyone did their best.

【小題3】 According to the author, what is really best?

A．The choice you make.	B．The intention behind your choice.
C．The mistake you learn from.	D．The consequence of your choice.

【小題4】To choose what is best for us, we’d better ________.

A．try to be selfish all the time	B．sacrifice ourselves for others
C．set aside some time for ourselves	D．control our temper before children

Dear Editor,
I have just returned home after studying for a year in Germany. But it seems that my parents don’t understand me now. They expect me to be the same person I was before I went abroad, but I’m not! Why can’t they let me be myself?
Jimmy
Hi, Jimmy,
As far as I know, people who have lived abroad often find that the adjustment （調整） to returning home is more difficult than their adjustment to living in a foreign culture. Why? We expect to have some problems when we go to a new place, speak a different language and learn the rules of a different culture ... But home? ... we know that place!
Your parents expect that the same person who boarded the airplane one year ago will be returning. Especially if they have never been abroad themselves, your parents probably won’t understand the changes that living abroad can cause in a person. On the other hand, you may have maintained (保持) an ideal mental image of your loved ones while abroad, an image that is broken into pieces when you return.
Remember you have been living a different lifestyle in your host country, and you have probably become very independent while staying there alone. Now that you’re home, you will be expected to conform （順應） again to the lifestyle of your family. As a result, you may be upset about your parents’ involvement in your life.
Communication is the key to overcoming this problem. Tell your parents how you are feeling. Share with them information about cultural re-entry（重歸）, and ask them to be patient. This does not mean that you have to forget your experience and give up everything you’ve learned! Learn to find a balance between the old and new, just as you did when first adjusting to your host country’s culture.
【小題1】What is Jimmy’s main purpose in writing the letter?

A．To criticize his parents.

B．To ask for advice about his studies.

C．To complain about his parents.

D．To ask for help.

【小題2】What does the editor think of Jimmy’s problem?

A．It’s unusual.

B．It’s normal.

C．It’s serious.

D．It’s interesting.

【小題3】The editor thinks that both Jimmy and his parents ______.

A．have changed in the past year

B．have unrealistic expectations of each other

C．need to behave like they did before

D．need to find a balance between the good and bad

【小題4】The author suggests that ______ would help solve Jimmy’s problem.

A．patience and trust

B．patience and politeness

C．better communication between family members

D．a(chǎn) deeper understanding of the host country’s culture

Kids in the Kitchen
Some experts serve up some of the factors that make cooking with kids a pleasure rather than a struggle．
【小題1】  ．
For obvious reasons, a grown-up needs to be in charge of the stove, sharp knives and electrical equipment．Dr．Colker advises parents to be watchful, even when their kids are involved in relatively safe tasks．The bottom line is to stay close by, and teach your kids to respect basic safety rules．                                                                
Leave Time
【小題2】  When kids help, you’ll need extra time to teach them some skills．When you're in a hurry, give your kids tasks that don't require much guidance．As they get older and develop more skills, they will become wonderful helpers and even save your time!                                                                                           
Go for Variety                                                                                    
Our experts agree that children can enjoy more than the usual "kid food", such as chicken nuggets and pizza．【小題3】  Sandra K. Nissenberg suggests exploring the produce passage in the supermarket and talking about the unusual fruits and vegetables you find．
Involve Kids in Clean-up and Table-setting
Dr．Laura Colker reminds parents that preschoolers are eager to deal with grown-up tasks．They actually "enjoy the clean-up and table-setting activities", she says．【小題4】
They may also enjoy setting the table and counting the spoons．
Make Cooking a Learning Adventure
Cooking helps kids develop a healthy interest in the lifelong challenge of eating nourishing （有營養(yǎng)的） , delicious meals．Kids learn about science when they heat or cool a mixture and observe how it changes． 【小題5】  And as they wait for the timer to ring, they develop a better understanding of the concept of time．

A．Most young children can easily handle simple kitchen equipment．

B．Cooking with young children requires patience．

C．Measuring ingredients teaches kids about fractions （分數(shù)）．

D．Kids can and should help wash and dry the pots and pans．

E．Keep an Eye on Safety
F．Stay Equipped
G．To introduce new foods, involve your kids in menu planning and shopping.

Actually we have known a lot of examples and meaningful words to support the fact that we should try our best to ease the bad impression of others. Just like the old saying goes, we should give a better assumption to the one than we think he was. But many of us always fail to do this.
Take the situation of my class for example. Right at the beginning of the first semester when we were freshmen we all showed great favor to each other. And when there was an activity that needed some people to join, we would be willing to attend whether it was interesting or not. And we were really like brothers and sisters, and our class was just like a family, a warm family. But now, I feel tired of those meaningless activities not only because of the boring activities themselves but also the cool response of our classmates.
I think the reasons why the passion of most classmates is so low may be as follows:
To start with, many of us take part in more than one organization, which will certainly make us tired. Also, in the study fields, many of us may find that our courses are sometimes difficult to understand or comprehend, especially the specialized subjects. Moreover, “history” teaches us that if one does not study hard, it is possible to fail in the exams. So it is a big and good excuse to say that “I do really want to attend, but I have a lot of homework to do, so...”
Last but not least, some people believe that some of our leaders should not be regarded as a leader, maybe I should say we, as leaders, lost the reputation, support and trust of yours. At least I am the warm-hearted one, although I cannot promise you that your advice will be adopted surely, at least I will spare no effort to “give” you the right to be heard, and to serve you.
Be active to show your talents and abilities and to create a better image of our class. Most important of all, work painstakingly for a better condition that we should have reached.
【小題1】Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Students’ passion for activities was high at first but disappeared gradually.

B．Students’ passion for activities grew gradually because they were interesting.

C．Students were too busy to take part in activities after their classes.

D．Students were unwilling to participate in activities because of their leaders.

【小題2】We can infer from the passage that the writer must be ______.

A．a(chǎn) supporter of activities	B．a(chǎn) responsible teacher
C．a(chǎn) top student in class	D．a(chǎn) devoted class leader

【小題3】The writer hopes that all the members of the class will ______.

A．develop better talents and skills	B．improve their abilities and creativity
C．work together to make a better class	D．a(chǎn)dopt others’ advice patiently

It’s not just women who wear skirts.   【小題1】   In Scotland, men wear a kind of skirt called kilt. The kilt is their national dress and an important part of their tradition.
A kilt is a colored skirt reaching down to the knees. It has checks（格子）on it with different colors, like red and blue.   【小題2】   
  【小題3】   There are many stories about it. One story is that kilt was invented in the 1720s by an English factory owner, Thomas Rawlinson.
Thomas Rawlinson had a number of Scottish workers in his factory and he thought their clothing got in the way of their work.    【小題4】    
Today, most Scotsmen look the kilt as formal dress. They usually only wear them at wedding or big dinner.     【小題5】  

A．Each family in Scotland has it’s own colors.

B．There are only a few men who still wear a kilt every day.

C．How did the Scots start to wear skirts ?

D．It was important for Scots to wear skirts at any time.

E.So he cut their long clothes into shorter skirts.
F.Wearing skirts is very beautiful for women.
G.Men can wear them, too.