Three wishes
A man and his wife were very poor. They kept hoping for new clothes and good food. The man enjoyed eating, and he especially liked cakes. One night an old woman came to their house and told them she would let them have three wishes. They could wish for anything they wanted.
The man had just finished eating a piece of bread for his dinner, but he was still hungry. He said, “I wish I had a big cake!”
Suddenly a cake appeared on his plate.
“You fool!” His wife cried. “You could have wished for a house full of wonderful food, but you wished for a cake. I wish that cake was on the end of your foolish nose! ”
Immediately the cake stuck to the end of his nose.
Then the man and his wife started blaming each other. “It’s your fault!” she man cried. “No, it’s your fault!” she answered. What could they do? The cake was still stuck to the husband’s nose.
“Oh!” the wife cried. “I wish none of this had ever happened!”
Immediately the cake was gone, and the man was saying, “I’m still hungry. How I wish I had some cakes! ”
But of course nothing happened.
【小題1】. The man quarreled with his wife because ___.

A．he always enjoyed eating

B．his wife hoped that he asked for a house

C．the cake stuck to the end of his nose according to his wife’s wish.

D．he didn’t want anything except cakes

【小題2】The wrong statement of the following is ___.

A．the man made his wishes before dinner

B．the wife made two wishes, which worked

C．the wife wanted her husband to wish for more than a big cake

D．the man wished that the cake were not on his nose

【小題3】Why did the old woman not satisfy the man’s wish when he said he was still hungry and wanted some cakes?

A．Because the old lady was angry with them

B．Because this was the fourth wish.

C．Because the man had made this wish before.

D．Because the cake had been gone.

I found a website that has changed my life for the better. The website is wishuponahero.com and it is all about people helping others, not expecting anything in return.
I am a single mom with a son. My son’s 12th birthday was on October 29th, 2007. Knowing that I didn’t have money to buy him a birthday gift had broken my heart. So I decided to post a wish on wishuponahero.com for people to send my son birthday cards.
Many cards just started coming and my little son was very excited and this went on for about three weeks. The smile on his face and the sparkle (閃光) in his eyes brought me to tears.
Then, in the end of November, he started thinking about Christmas and he already knew that there would not be a tree for him because we didn’t have enough money. However, it didn’t matter to him. All he talked about was how much he wanted to make other children smile. So he decided that what he wanted to do was earn money to buy Christmas cards and send them to other children from poor families. My son went out daily and raked (耙) leaves and walked some dogs to make money. Not only did he buy cards, but he also made enough money to buy all the stamps and lollipops (棒棒糖) to be sent with the cards. He sent out about 100 cards. Doing this brought him that same smile and sparkle in his eyes as did the birthday cards that he received.
【小題1】The single mother posted a wish on wishuponahero.com because _______________.

A．she wanted to buy her son a card on the website

B．she wanted to get something for free

C．she hoped that people could help her

D．she thought her son would like the website very much

【小題2】What did the son think of his birthday cards on October 29th, 2007?

A．Disappointing.	B．Exciting.
C．Cheap.	D．Poor.

【小題3】What can we conclude from the story?

A．Surfing the Internet is of great use.

B．One should take care of his children.

C．People can ask for help from wishuponahero.com.

D．Learning to give makes one’s life more meaningful.

My friend took his colleague to see an art exhibition in north London.
The show was basically piles of breeze blocks (煤渣磚) forming armchair and sofa shapes, painted in primary colors.
Seeing these, the colleague said, “You brought me all the way out here to see this pile of junk when we could have been having a nice lunch?” He continued his rant about the work all the way back to the office.
When they got there my friend said, “You said you don’t like the work, but you haven’t stopped talking about it since you first saw it.”
Whether he liked it or not, he could not forget it.
If the artwork is fresh and new, you can’t expect to like it straightaway, because you have nothing to compare it with.
The effort of coming to terms with things you do not understand makes them all the more valuable to you when you do grasp them.
Good art speaks for itself. That doesn’t mean you have to like it.
So the next time you go to an art show, or look at anything for that matter, observe what effect it has on you and try to form your own opinion.
That way, you become the critic and not a mouthpiece for someone else’s opinions.
【小題1】What does the colleague think about the art exhibition?

A．He feels it a waste of time going to the exhibition.

B．He is very interested in the work shown on the exhibition.

C．He is disappointed that art is abused on the exhibition.

D．He thinks his understanding about art is far better than the author of the work on the show.

【小題2】The underlined word ‘rant’ means ________.

A．praise

B．hatred

C．complaint

D．misunderstanding

【小題3】Which of the following does NOT represent the author’s opinion about art?

A．Good art speaks for itself.

B．Good art doesn’t mean you have to like it.

C．It matters more what impression a piece of art work leaves on you.

D．Learn to be a mouthpiece for someone’s opinion matters more.

【小題4】What suggestion does the author give for going to an art show?

A．Like it whether it is good or not.

B．Don’t compare it with anything.

C．Observe its effect and form your own opinion .

D．Be a good mouthpiece.

Years ago while lying in my hammock （吊床）and drinking JD from the bottle, I noticed my dog dragging something under the fence．Upon inspection, to my disappointment, I realized it was the next door neighbor' s 10 - year - old daughter' s rabbit．For years I had watched her come home from school and head straight out to its cage, free it and play with it in the yard．I knew that day would be no different and fearing for our dog, I had to think fast．
The rabbit was quite dirty, as if it had put up quite a struggle, so I washed it, combed it with the dog brush and blew it dry with the leaf blower．Upon finishing its grooming I jumped the fence and replaced it back in its cage hoping its death would be written off as "natural caused"．
Back to the hammock and JD．Within the hour the neighbor' s Volvo palled in as usual and out popped the little girl, and as usual she headed straight for the cage．Only this time she stopped about six feet away and screamed: " D - A - D - D – Y�。�！"
Her father, panic stricken, stood looking at the cage．Being the good neighbor that I am, I rushed to fence and asked if there was anything I could do．
Her father less than calmly shouted, "What kind of sick individual would dig up a little girl's rabbit and put it back in its cage?"
【小題1】The girl was shocked because _____．

A．the rabbit was killed by someone

B．the rabbit was too clean

C．the dead rabbit was cleaned and put back into the cage

D．the rabbit was asleep in the cage

【小題2】That day the girl ran to the cage _____．

A．because her rabbit was there

B．because she．had a habit of going there to see her rabbit

C．because she wanted to see her rabbit again

D．because the rabbit was dead

【小題3】We can infer that the rabbit ______．

A．was alive before the writer saw his dog dragging it

B．was already dead before the writer saw his dog dragging it

C．was in the cage playing with the dog

D．was at the fence seeking out for food before it was killed by the dog

【小題4】According to the story, the writer _____．

A．was helpful to his neighbor	B．did a smart thing
C．was honest	D．made a mistake

A long time ago, there was a seed and because he was only a seed, nobody noticed him．Thus, feeling inferior （低等的）, the seed gave no importance to his existence （存在）．
Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field under the sun．Later, he was given rain．
Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side．“Thank God for this．I really need some rest,” he heard the traveler say．
“What are you talking about?” the seed quickly asked．He thought the man was making fun of him．No one ever spoke to him like that．
“Who just spoke?” the shocked man asked．
“It is me．A seed．”
`“A seed?” The man looked at the big tree．“Are you joking? You are not a seed．You are a big tree!”
“Really?”
“Yes! Why else do you think people come here?”
“What do they come here for?”
“To feel your shade （樹蔭）! Don’t tell me you didn’t know you had grown over time．”
A moment passed before the traveler’s words brought him pride．
The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life．The years of torture （折磨） by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up．
“Oh! That means I’m not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable．Wow! That’s great!”
【小題1】The seed didn’t realize the importance of his existence because ______．

A．nobody looked after him	B．he was thrown into the open air
C．he was such a small seed	D．he didn’t believe in himself

【小題2】The traveler sat by the seed’s side to ______．

A．escape from the rain

B．thank God for offering him a tree

C．have a rest and enjoy the shade

D．talk with the big tree

【小題3】The author’s purpose of writing the passage is to ______．

A．tell us that we should help each other

B．praise the seed for his strength

C．teach us not to laugh at others

D．tell us never to lose hope

【小題4】Where does the passage most probably come from?

A．A history book．	B．A science book．
C．A storybook．	D．A novel．

On my first trip in the United States , I went to San Antonion . I was on foot . So I went to only three places there : the Alamo , the River Walk , and the Art Gallery . I especially enjoyed visiting the Alamo , a well- known building in America .
When I arrived at the Alamo , I was deeply impressed because it was well kept and in good shape . The Alamo was erected in about 1722, was later used as a fort(保壘) , and has been kept as a state monument(紀念館) to the Texan War of Independence against Mexico . During the battle , all of the Texan defenders were killed . I was surprised at the exhibition of rifles , guns , cannons and swords .
I was especially attracted by the paintings of a war . The paintings expressed the feelings of a painter very well . Even thought about 160 years have passed since the Battle of the Alamo , the exhibit is well kept . When I came out after seeing the exhibition , I felt as if I had a victory . The outer wall of the Alamo was destroyed here and there . When I touched the wall , I could feel the damage . After the war , little remained of the Alamo . All of the windows and doors were destroyed . The top part of the gate way disappeared without a trace(遺跡) . I will remember the Alamo forever . It is one of the best places to visit in San Antonio .
【小題1】It can be inferred according to the passage that the author may be a____ .

A．writer	B．Chinese
C．European	D．foreigner to Americans

【小題2】The underlined word “erected” (in Paragraph2) means ______ .

A．found

B．invented

C．repaired

D．built

【小題3】People come to visit the Alamo now for ______ .

A．its height and shape

B．its history and the story about it

C．the exhibits in it

D．its shape

【小題4】Which of the following may be the best title for this passage ?

A．A Famous Building in America

B．My First Visit to America .

C．The Texan War of Independence against Mexico .

D．My Impressions of the Alamo in San Antonio , Texas .

Fear plays no part in this latest problem．“I’m not afraid I'll lose my children．I won't lose my children. We live together, and nothing, nothing,” she repeats, her voice rising when speaking to John's lawyer, “will stop me from being with my children. A law? Yeah, right. Don't disturb me when it comes to my children. You are never going to win. If John wants to see them, I cannot stop him. He's their father­­—I want them to see him! However, his visit in his present condition will disturb the children's stable (穩(wěn)定的) life．”
John, who has spent much of his time in California, recently, has only hired a house for himself in Pennsylvania, according to his lawyer. "If he'd like to stick to a regular life, I'd be more than happy to do that，" Jane says. "The best thing for any child of a divorced (離婚的) parent is a stable life. I want nothing more than for him to set up a stable life for himself, so that he can be part of making our children's lives more stable. "
While matters of money and care won't be settled for weeks, Jane hardly puts her life on hold. Last week the ABC network announced that Jane would return with her own show, Twist of Jane, in which she gives advice to other moms．Jane and her eight children will also return to ABC in a series of Jane Plus 8 specials showing them on various adventures．It’s a rest for Jane, who insists that she needs her new，busy life to provide for her family．“I have to lead such a life, and I’m thankful that I’ve built it to the top where now I can support my children．”she says．
And whether a bellicose(好斗的)dance judge or a bellicose former wife, Jane plans to keep on facing attacks on her. “Some people try to knock me down—only to make me more fierce，more protective，more determined to do better，”she says．“Go ahead, take me on. This will just make me stronger．”
【小題1】According to Jane in the first paragraph, the law              

A．can’t take her children away from her

B．can’t do anything with the case

C．will best settle the problem

D．will disturb her children

【小題2】 What does “to do that” refer to in the second paragraph?

A．To live with John．

B．To hire a house for John．

C．To allow John to see the children

D．To ask John to set up a regular life.

【小題3】What does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph mean?

A．Jane’s life is very difficult．

B．Jane continues to live as usual．

C．Jane almost can’t control her lire

D．Jane works very hard to live a happy life．

【小題4】 Which word can best describe Jane?

A．Proud．

B．Fierce．

C．Determined．

D．Independent

Sitting by her Pinocchio lamp, she smiled at me as her tiny hands' shadow danced on the bedroom wall．"A rabbit!" she laughed with all the delight of a four-year old．Her blue eyes shone with pride as she showed me the animated image she had created．"Daddy, will you show me how to make a tiger?" she asked．"Sure," I said, "and then we'll read a story and tell your angels goodnight．"To my youngest daughter, that meant her bedtime prayer．
Today my daughter is seven, and I no longer get to read the story．She reads it to me, complete with expressive accents for the story characters．
To say I'm proud of our relationship would be an understatement．We have shared days of joy as well as tragedy．Our time together has strengthened the relationship of love and special "life stuff" that is all our own．
I am richer for having planted the spirit of trust in this gentle little person; we have grown together spiritually, learning much from each other．The special times we spend together, like nights by a Pinocchio lamp, create memories that we will treasure for the rest of our lives．
So it is with all of our relationships．The trust factor is vital for relationships to develop．Think of one of your fondest memories, and you will no doubt find a remarkable relationship at its center--one with a spiritual quality that shines outward from the heart．
Time together, caring acts, and unconditional love build trust．I suggest that we each spend plenty of time with our personal "Pinoechio lamps"--those special ways that we choose to strengthen our relationships．
Relationships take time to develop and maintain．It is not always easy, but the results are priceless．"Nights by a Pinoechio lamp", wherever those might be for you, will create enduring relationships of golden "life stuff", spiritual gifts that no one can take away．
【小題1】The underlined words in the third paragraph refer to all EXCEPT ______．

A．hands' shadow dancing on the wall

B．reading bed stories

C．sharing each other's tragedy

D．praying to the angels for goodnight

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

A．The author thinks the relationship with his daughter is so simple that he can't describe with plenty of words．

B．If you take time to attempt to build relationship, you will find it easy to get the satisfactory results．

C．Plant the spirit of trust into others and you will create valuable memories for each other．

D．It's not worth spending time developing relationship if you meet the failure at last．

【小題3】Why does the author write the passage?

A．To recall his fondest memories．

B．To stress the importance of trust in building relationships．

C．To explain how to create valuable memories．

D．To tell the readers how to educate children．

【小題4】Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A．Life Stuff Of Your Own

B．Nights by a Pinocchio Lamp

C．Unconditional gifts---Love

D．A spiritual quality shining outward from the heart

One silly question I simply can’t understand is "How do you feel?" Usually the question I asked of a man’s action－a man on the go, walking along the street or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He’ll probably say," Fine, I’m all right," but you’ve put a bug in his ear. ——Maybe now he’s not sure. If you are a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk, that he overlooked(忽略)that morning. It starts him worrying a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else. "How do you feel?"
Every question has its time and place. It’s perfectly acceptable, for example, to ask "How do you feel?" if you’re visiting a close friend in hospital. But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying take a train, or sitting at his desk working, it’s no time to ask him that silly question.
When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays, was in his eighties, someone asked him, "How do you feel?" Shaw put him in his place. "When you reach my age," he said, "either you feel all right or you’re dead."
【小題1】According to the writer, greetings such as "how do you feel"_______. 

A．show one’s consideration for others.	B．a(chǎn)re a good way to make friends
C．a(chǎn)re proper to ask a man in action	D．generally make one feel uneasy.

【小題2】The question "How do you feel" seems to be correct and suitable when asked of________.

A．a(chǎn) man working at his desk.	B．a(chǎn) person having lost a close friend.
C．a(chǎn) stranger who looks worried.	D．a(chǎn) friend who is ill.

【小題3】The writer seems to feel that a busy man should _______.

A．be praised for his efforts.	B．never be asked any question.
C．not be bothered(煩擾).	D．be discouraged from working so hard.

【小題4】You’ve put a bug in his ear means that you’ve ________.

A．made him laugh.	B．shown concern for him
C．made fun of him	D． given him some kind of warning.

If you dream in color, you’re not alone: the majority of people today claim to have colorful dreams. But it wasn’t always thus. Research conducted in the early part of the last century consistently found that people reported dreaming most often in black and white.
According to Eva Murzyn at the University of Dundee, there are at least two possible explanations for this strange situation.
The first is the methods used in the researches. The early studies tended to use questionnaires（問卷）, while more modern studies use dream diaries (filled in upon rising in the morning) or so-called “REM-awakening”, which involves interrupting people’s dream-filled periods of sleep to find out what they were dreaming about. People’s memories of their dreams are likely to be less accurate by using the questionnaire approach and they are more likely to reflect their beliefs about the form dreams generally take in an unclear way.
The second explanation has to do with black and white television and film. It's possible that the sudden increase in black and white film and television during the first half of the last century either affected the form of people’s dreams at that time, or affected their beliefs about the form dreams generally take.
According to Murzyn’s findings, it’s the explanation based on media exposure that carries more weight. She used both questionnaire and diary methods to study the dreams of 30 older (average age 64) and 30 younger people (average age 21).
The methodological technique made no difference to the type of dreams people reported. However, the extremely important thing was that, across both questionnaires and diaries, the older participants (who had had significant early life exposure to black and white media) reported experiencing significantly more black and white dreams over the last ten days than the younger participants (22 per cent vs. 4 per cent).
Another finding was that older participants reported black and white dreams and colorful dreams to be of equal clearness. By contrast, the younger participants reported that the quality of black and white dreams was poorer. This raises the possibility that the younger participants didn’t really have any black and white dreams at all, but were simply regarding poorly remembered dreams as black and white.
【小題1】We learn from the text that ______.

A．people in the first half of the last century never had colorful dreams

B．older people are more likely to have black and white dreams

C．the dreams of younger people are always colorful

D．people today don’t have white and black dreams any more

【小題2】What did Murxyn do to find out the explanations for the colors in people’s dreams?

A．She applied both questionnaire and diary methods to study people’s dreams.

B．She used diary methods to record people’s dreams.

C．She chose 60 people to answer her questions about their dreams.

D．She woke people up to record the colors of their dreams.

【小題3】What does the underlined expression “carry more weight” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．be heavier

B．be more powerful

C．be more important

D．be more useful

【小題4】From Murxyn’s findings we can infer that ______.

A．both older people and younger people could report colorful dreams clearly

B．young people don’t have any black and white dreams in fact

C．the color of a person’s dream is decided by one’s age

D．it is probably the color of media that affects the color of one’s dream