Mike Maietta was eating lunch when he got a text message from his mom.
“Notre Dame,” it said. “Big envelope!”
Mike, a senior at a Californian high school, shouted with joy. The big envelope meant that the excellent university in Indiana had offered him a place in its Class of 2013. But the $51,300 annual fee is a big obstacle. So Mike and his parents are considering offers from several other colleges and are calculating the costs of tuition, housing and holiday trips home.
This year, money is the driving factor for a growing number of high school seniors, who have to decide what colleges to attend this fall. Less jobs and plunging house prices have changed family spending.
“We’re excited that Mike got into eight great schools,” said Mike’s father, an engineer at Microsoft. “But if you consider going to school out of state, you’ve got to think about all of the other costs: moving, flying back and forth for the holidays. You’re looking at about $3,000 a year, just for travel.”
As families weigh their choices, some are going back to financial aid offices hoping help packages can be increased.
Rachel Brown was happy to get a thick envelope from New York University (NYU). Although she has always wanted to live in Manhattan, she is seriously considering the University of California San Diego (UCSD), because of the high cost in New York.
“The tuition for NYU is twice as much as UCSD,” said Rachel, 17. “My mom doesn’t want me to have a big debt when I graduate, and I don’t want that either. I’d have to take out a loan of $15,000. I’ll check and see if there’s any way that NYU can offer me any financial aid.”
More than 7.6 million American students have filled out the Free Application for Students Aid, a 19.9 percent increase over last year.
This month the Federal Department of Education urged college financial aid officers to give more help to certain families. A record 30,428 students applied for 2,300 places at Stanford, partly because the university increased financial aid for families earning below $10,000.
68. Mike may give up Notre Dame because of ______.
A. travel fees                                                           B. financial concerns
C. poor exam results                                             D. worries about living far away from home
69. The phrase “Big envelope” in paragraph 2 probably refers to “______”.
A. A text message                                                  B. A large gift package
C. An admission letter                                          D. A scholarship letter
70. What can we learn from the passage?
A. The number of American senior students applying for financial aid is increasing.
B. Rachel Brown has given up NYU because of its high tuition and big debts.
C. It is inevitably hard for college students to borrow money to cover costs.
D. An interest-free loan for students helps more students apply for Stanford.              
71. The passage mainly focuses on ______.
A. the calculation of different costs including tuition
B. the extremely hard financial situation in America
C. the excitement of students’ being able to enter ideal colleges
D. the financial crisis of families over college entrance

D
In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit(追求) of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try. ” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve(緩解) can we discover a new meaning in competition.
66. What does this passage mainly talk about?
A. Competition helps to set up self-respect
B. Opinions about competition are different among people.
C. Competition is harmful to personal quality development.
D. Failures are necessary experiences in competition
67. Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?
A. It pushes society forward                       B. It builds up a sense of duty.
C. It improves personal abilities.                 D. It encourages individual efforts.
68. The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means__________.
A. those who try their best to win
B. those who value competition most highly
C. those who are against competition most strongly
D. those who rely on others most for success
69. What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a “desire to fail”?
A. One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others
B. One’s success in competition needs great efforts.
C. One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills
D. One’s success is based on how hard he has tried.
70. Which point of view may the author agree to?
A. Every effort should be paid back.
B. Competition should be encouraged.
C. Winning should be a life-and-death matter.
D. Fear of failure should be removed in competition.

When someone says, "well, 1 guess I will have to face the music. It does not mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you did not do this or that. Terrible music indeed, but it has to be faced. At some time or another, every one of us had to "face the music", especially as children. We can all remember father's angry voice, "I want to talk to you!" and only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!
The phrase "to face the music" is familiar to every American, young or old. It is at least 100 years old. Where did the expression come from?
The first explanation comes from the American novelist James Penimore Cooper. He said in 1851 that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage . When they got their signal to go on, they often said, "Well, it's time to go to face the music." And that is exactly what they did face the orchestra  which was just below the stage.
46. The passage mainly tells us______.
A. how the phrase “to face the music” developed in its own way   
B. what the phrase “ to face the music ” means   
C. when the phrase "to face the music" came into being
D. all the above
47. A person has to face the music especially as he is______.
A. a child      B. a young man     C. a grown-up      D. a player
48.______used the phrase "to face the music" for the first time.
A. Actors     B. The boss        C. The director       D. Cooper     
49. Which of the following statements is wrong?
A. The actor stayed on the stage to enjoy the music.
B. To face the music is usually an unpleasant thing.
C. The original meaning of the phrase “to face the music ” is to face the orchestra.
D. The phrase “to face the music” has been used for more than one century.
50. According to the passage the connotation of the phrase “to face the music” is____
A. to listen to the music               B. to go through something unpleasant    
C. to stand in front of the stage        D. to go to the concert 

D
Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.
By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power”.
Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many, if not most, highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head, but if you keep a journal(日志) of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project, you’ll probably have more success.
Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example, but if you are learning something new, write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem—why you want to solve it, and why it is worth solving, and you’re half way there.
Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often, they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.
47.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.A Way on How to Write
B.Increase Your Brain Power Through Writing
C.Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing
D.How to Start Your Writing
48.According to the passage, writing can help you a lot EXCEPT_______.
A.to increase your brain power      B.to improve the ability to remember
C.to develop your interest in study   D.to strengthen the understanding of a topic
49.The underlined sentence “you’re half?way there” in the fourth paragraph means that_______.
A.you are already successful
B.there’s a long way for you to go to reach your goal
C.you are left wondering what to do
D.you have been on the way to success
50.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Writing can cure people of their brain disease.
B.People who can keep all thoughts in mind are more likely to succeed.
C.Writing a book about one topic is the only way to understand it.
D.The more you write, the more logical you will be.

E
In the UK, most children have their midday meal at school, but in many schools, parents can choose what their children eat. The children can have a school lunch—a hot, cooked meal; or they can take a packed lunch with them, which usually includes cold food like sandwiches.
Often parents prepare lunches on the basis of what their children want. Cathy, a mother of three children, told us, “My children have packed lunches, because they say they hate school dinners. I make 3 packed lunches every morning, so we’re like a sandwich bar in our kitchen in the morning.”
However, another mother, Susan, made her choice based on the nutritious value of the food. She said, “My daughter always has school dinners. I think she probably gets healthier food by having a cooked lunch at school than she would if I made sandwiches.”
But how healthy are school dinners? Kaz, a father, wasn’t impressed with them. “Fizzy (有泡沫的) drinks were offered and I think there were a lot of chips.”
The question of how healthy school food is was brought to Jamie Oliver, who launched a campaign to improve children’s nutrition, after spending a year working in a school kitchen. The TV series about the campaign won an award this week.
He was horrified (驚恐的) at the junk food he saw being served, which included burgers, pizza and chips.  He decided to ban the junk, and started cooking good stews (燉菜) and curries for the children instead.
Jamie improved the school dinners in that particular school, and trained the dinner ladies to cook healthy food. Then he put pressure on the government to improve the standards of school food across the country. And it looks as if the changes have begun.
57 What would be the best title for the passage?
A. School Dinners           B. Healthy Food
C. Dinners in the UK         D. Research on Dinners
58. The underlined phrase “on the basis of” in the second paragraph probably means “______”.
A. by comparison           B. according to
C. in spite of               D. for the good of
59 We can learn from the passage that ______.
A. in Britain, all children have their lunch at school  
B. Cathy’s children like school dinners
C. stews and curries are healthy food
D. Jamie Oliver works in a school kitchen
60. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. There are many schools in Britain.
B. Susan chooses food for her daughter according to its nutrition.
C. In the past, the food provided by British schools was not healthy enough.
D. None of the parents in Britain like school food.

IV．閱讀理解(共11小題，每題2分，滿分22分)
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
A
It all began as we were standing in front of the bathroom mirror, while I fixed Amanda's blonde hair. I said, “I love you, AmandA．” “And, I love you,” she replieD．“Well, I love you more.” Her eyes lit up as she recognized the cue (暗示) for the start of another “I love you more” match. “Nuh-uh,” she laugheD．“I love you the most.” “I love you bigger than a volcano!” I countered---a favorite family phrase in these battles of love. “But, Mom, I love you from here to ChinA．” A country she’s learning about from our new neighbors up the street.
We volleyed back and forth a few favorite lines. “I love you more than peanut butter.” “Well, I love you more than television.” “I even love you more than bubble gum.” It was my turn again, and I made the move that usually brought victory. “I love you bigger than the universe!” On this day, however, Amanda was not going to give up. I could see she was thinking. “Mom,” she said in a quiet voice, “I love you more than myself.”
I stopped, surprised by her sincerity. Here I thought I knew more than she diD．I thought I knew at least everything that she knew. But I didn’t know this. My four-year-old daughter knows more about love than her 28-year-old mom.
61．From the passage, we can know the two people _____________.
A．often quarreled with each other     B．felt bored about the real life
C． were fixing each other’s hair     D． loved each other deeply
62．Which is the best title for this passage?
A． I Love You More         B． My Daughter Grows Up
C． Parents’ Love               D．Children’s Love

No one could have failed to be moved had he watched the live televised volleyball game between the Chinese and Cuban women’s teams. As we sat before the television set, with our eyes fixed on the screen, we experienced every kind of feeling. When the two teams played neck and neck, we were on pins and needles, anxious as to what would come next, and when our team fell behind our hearts were in our mouths. Watching the game between those two teams is not only a matter of great joy. For more than that it provides food for thought. Just see how the Chinese women won the game ──by their co ──operation (合作), by their excellent skill, their effort and strong will. A Chinese saying goes, “When two competent opponents (比賽的k^s5*u雙方) meet, the strong ──minded one will win. “This is the spirit of the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team. If every Chinese showed some of the spirit, never losing heart in times of difficulty and remaining clear ──minded in times of advantage (優(yōu)勢), then our nation would stand in the vanguard (前列) of the world family of nations, just as the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team has done, is doing and will do.
44. While watching the game, we _____.
A. had feelings of different kind
B. enjoyed a friendly and wonderful game
C. clapped and cheered only for the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team
D. were eager to know what would happen later on
45. The wonderful game _____.
A. brought us great joy
B. provided us with food for our thoughts
C. gave us not only great joy but also food for thoughts
D. give us a valuable amusement
46. The author believed that _____.
A. the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team was the strongest
B. China was sure to become stronger and stronger if only we have that spirit of the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team
C. The Chinese must remain clear-minded in time of advantage
D. The Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team never lost heart in times of difficulty
47. The best title of the passage might be _____.
A. Watching a Close Volleyball Game
B. The Spirit of the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team
C. Learn from the Members of the Volleyball Team
D. The Strong
──Minded Are the Winners

We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as much as "regular" coffee and it took several years to gain general acceptance (introduction stage). At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity and many brands were introduced (stage of rapid growth). After a while people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off (stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decline when freeze-dried coffees were introduced (stage of decline).
　　The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not decline. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Do you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military?
　　Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections.
　　Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to recapture（奪回） world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles dramatically from year to year to keep demand from falling.
46. According to the passage, when people grow accustomed to one particular brand of a product, its            sales will ______.                       
A. decrease gradually                                 B. become unstable
C. improve enormously                            D. remain at the same level
47. The first paragraph tells us that a new product is _____ .
　A. usually introduced to satisfy different tastes
　B. often more expensive than old ones
　C. often inferior to old ones at first
　D. not easily accepted by the public
48. Marketers need to know which of the four stages a product is in so as to _____ .
　A. work out marketing policies                   B. promote its production
　 C. increase its popularity                                      D. speed up its life cycle
49. The author mentions the example of "backpacks"(Line 4, Para.2 ) to show the importance of             _______ .
　 A. increasing usage among students       B. pleasing the young as well as the old
　 C. exploring new market sections             D. serving both military and civil needs
50. In order to recover their share of the world market, U.S. auto makers are _______ .
　 A. improving product feature                     B. making their products better
C. modernizing product style                    D. increasing product quantity

Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meeting, funding cuts, and many other administrative chores (雜務). I started to dream of retirement. Sitting in traffic on a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering, I would imagine spending time with my grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books. I told myself that I wouldn’t sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anything requiring a schedule.
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great break fast for my wife and me, leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends. On the
second day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper … On the third day, … This is retirement? I tried to tell myself that it was just the transition（過渡）, that those golden moments were right round the corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough, But something was missing.
A former colleague asked a favor. A group of students was going to Jamaica to work  with children in the poorest neighborhoods. Would I interrupt my newfound “happiness” and return to the students, just this once? One trip. That’s all, My bags were packed and by the door.
The trip was very inspiring. I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by the sense of responsibility of the young people on the trip. When I returned home, I offered to work one day a week with a local youth organization. The experience was so positive that I was soon volunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.
Now, it seems, the tables have turned. Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the student. These young people have reawakened my commitment  (責任感)  to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poor and suffer because of greed, corruption and war, Most important, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions. In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas. I’ve gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!
60.What did the writer expect to do after he retired?
A. To stay away from busy schedules.          B. To write some great books.
C. To do some voluntary work                D. To plan for his future.
61.Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?
A. He missed his students in that country.      B. He couldn’t refuse his colleague’s favor.
C. He was not satisfied with his retired life.    D. He was concerned about the people there.
62.The underlined part “the tables have turned”(Paragraph 5) means that the writer        .
A. improved the situation in his school   B. felt happy to work with students again
C. became a learner rather than a teacher    D. changed his attitude toward his retired life
63.What does the writer think of his retired life now?
A. Disappointing     B. Meaningful      C. Promising            D. Troublesome

 To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains. But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain. Its first use was as a shade against the sun!
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese, back in the eleventh century B.C.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in common used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France, and later on in England.
By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe. Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made, in a whole variety of colours.
45. According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient _______.
A. China         B. Egypt       C. Greece         D. Rome
46. Which of the following statements is not true about the umbrella?
A. No one exactly knows who was the inventor of the umbrella.
B. The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun.
C. The umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century.
D. In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade.
47. A strange feature(特征) of the umbrella’s use is that it was used as _______.
A. protection against rain                    B. a shade against the sun
C. a symbol of honour and power              D. women’s decoration
48. In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain ___________.
A. during the Middle Ages   B. by the eighteenth century   C. in Rome   D. in Greece