Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, fundingcuts, and many other administrative chores and started to dream of retirement．Sitting in trafficon a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering．I would imagine spending time withmy grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books．Itold myself that I wouldn't sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anythingrequiring a schedule．
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me,leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends．On thesecond day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper …On the third day, ...This is retirement? Itried to tell myself that it was just the transition, that those golden moments were right roundthe 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 withchildren in the poorest neighbourhood．Would I interrupt my newfound "happiness" and returnto 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 thesense of responsibility of the young people on the trip．When I returned home, I offered to workone day a week with a local youth organization．The experience was so positive that I was soonvolunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them intheir voluntary work．
Now，it seems, the tables have turned ．Some days I am the teacher, other days I am thestudent．These young people have reawakened my commitment to social justice issues bychallenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poorand suffer because of greed, corruption and war．Most importantly, they have given me theopportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions．In return, I help them do theircharitable projects overseas．I've gone from running one school to helping oversee theconstruction of schools in twenty-one countries!
【小題1】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．

【小題2】Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?

A．He missed his students in that country．

B．He couldn't reflise his colleague's favor．

C．He was concerned about the people there．

D．He was not satisfied with his retired life．

【小題3】The underlined part "the tables have turned" （Paragraph 5 ） means that thewriter  ．

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

【小題4】What does the writer think of his retired life now?

A．Disappointing．	B．Troublesome．
C．Promising．	D．Meaningful．

Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station(加油站) about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register(收款臺(tái)), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend’s. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I  received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery(電池) was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership—a shop selling cars—was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?”I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
【小題1】The underlined words“took off”in Paragraph  2 mean         .

A．turned off

B．moved off

C．put up

D．set up

【小題2】What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?

A．He had it pulled back to the gas station.

B．The couple sent him a business card.

C．The couple offered to help him.

D．He called his friend for help.

【小題3】The battery of the author’s car was dead because         .

A．something went wrong with the lights

B．his meeting lasted a whole day

C．he forgot to turn off the lights

D．he drove too long a distance

【小題4】By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show         .

A．how to write a thank-you letter

B．how to deal with car problems

C．the kind-heartedness of older people

D．the importance of expressing thanks

Geena David knew she wanted to be a movie star when she was very young．She was not sure what gave her the idea, but she wanted to look like a movie star．“I have a lot of pictures from my childhood of me wearing sunglasses,”she says．“I used to wear them to watch TV．”
Early movie actors started wearing sunglasses not because they looked good, but because their eyes hurt．The lights used on movie sets were extremely bright and could cause a painful problem known as “Klieg eyes”．It was named after the Klieg brothers who invented the lights．Actors wore sunglasses to give their eyes a rest．But when movie stars began wearing their sunglasses in public, they quickly became a must．
Eventually actors started wearing sunglasses in their movies as well as on the street．Audrey Hephburn wore ultra-cool Ray-Ban sunglasses in the 1961 movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s．As a result, Ray-Ban sunglasses started to appear more and more in the movies．In 1979, Ray-Ban “Wayfarers” were worn by Jake and Elwoo d in The Blue Brothers．Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban “Aviator” sunglasses in the 1986 hit, Top Gun．Then in 1997, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made Ray-Ban “Predator” sunglasses famous in Men in Black．
Of course sunglasses aren’t just a fashion statement．The main reason to wear sunglasses is to protect our eyes against UV radiation．UV radiation can damage our eyes, so people now choose their sunglasses carefully．But you don’t have to give up style for safety．The choice of frames and lenses available these days is huge．So you can protect your eyes and still be the coolest person on the beach．
【小題1】What is mainly discussed in this passage?

A．The use of sunglasses．	B．The history of sunglasses．
C．The sunglasses wearing．	D．Why movie stars like to wear sunglasses．

【小題2】Why did Geena David like to wear sunglasses?

A．She was a movie star．

B．She wanted to follow a movie star．

C．Wearing sunglasses was good for her eyes．

D．It was good to wear sunglasses when watching TV．

【小題3】Early actors’ eyes hurt because ______．

A．they wore sunglasses	B．they went out in the sun too much
C．the lights on movie sets were too bright	D．their scripts were written in very small writing

【小題4】We may know from this passage that ______．

A．Audrey Hephburn was a famous film star

B．Ray-Ban is the name of sunglasses maker

C．Sunglasses made Top Gun the hit in 1986

D．Men in Black must be an advertisement of sunglasses

【小題5】Now people wear sunglasses ______．

A．just to protect their eyes	B．for fashion and to protect their eyes
C．because of bright lights	D．because movie stars wear them

Douglas Grace talks about his ideal city of the future.
I see the city of the future in three zones——inner， middle and outer. In the inner zone there will be no private cars. Public transport will be free and there will only be ambulances， fire engines， taxis and police cars. This inner zone will be the residential（住宅的） and recreational（娛樂的） area of the city. People will live there and go out to enjoy themselves——to cinemas and restaurants. There will be parks and open spaces， trees and lakes， schools and universities. This way， when people are at home， they can go out easily and safely.
Just outside the inner zone there will be big car parks for all private cars.
The banks and most of the shops and hospitals will be in the middle zone. These are things that people don’t need every day.
All the factories and offices will be in the outer zone. People will travel out of the center to work， and back to the center in the evenings. The inner zone will be cleaner and better to live in and there will be more space for industry on the outside.
This is my ideal city of the future—— a very beautiful place！But I don’t really think things will ever be like that！
【小題1】Where will people live and go out to enjoy themselves？

A．In the middle zone.

B．In the inner zone.

C．In the outer zone.

D．In the inner and middle zone.

【小題2】Where will big car parks be？

A．Just outside the middle zone.

B．Just inside the middle zone.

C．Just outside the inner zone.

D．Just inside the inner zone.

【小題3】What will be in the middle zone？

A．The banks，hospitals and schools.

B．The banks，hospitals and police stations.

C．The banks，schools and car parks.

D．The banks，hospital and most of the shops.

【小題4】Where will the factories and offices be？

A．In the outer zone.

B．In the middle zone.

C．In the inner zone.

D．In the middle and inner zone.

【小題5】Douglas Grace is probably     .

A．a(chǎn) painter

B．a(chǎn) builder

C．a(chǎn) town planner

D．a(chǎn) dentist

One summer my friend and I decided to go to Italy for a holiday and we decided to travel there without going through a travel agency. You know, you would be submerged (淹沒) in crowds of tourists and lose lots of opportunities to get familiar with the country more closely. We started to think over our trip and managed to come up with a free tour of Italy.
The trip was not very long but it was still very impressive. We look forward to going there again! Of course, we spent lots of time arranging the trip, but it was well worth it! Of course I was afraid that something would go wrong and I was especially anxious about my visa, but everything went quite smoothly in the end.
The most difficult part was getting a visa without an invitation. In the Italian consulate(領(lǐng)事館), one must hand in some official paper proving that one has a hotel booked for oneself in order to get the visa. Then we had to solve the ticket problem. Airlines often sell cheap tickets and we bought ours far in advance. The next step was to book a hotel. We finally booked a hotel about thirty km away from the heart of Rome and it was the perfect choice for our trip.
Every day we took a train that carried us to the heart of Rome. Our big house, which was surrounded by the forest, was a rare girl for the fresh air and absolute silence, beautiful views, hospitable (好客的) hosts, comfortable living conditions delighted us to no end. Besides this, we were very lucky that our mistress was Russian. She gave us a lot of advice that was of great use. She told us what transport to choose and where the best places to go.
Don’t be afraid to arrange your trip by yourself. It’s not difficult! The only thing I'll say right now is that we really enjoyed traveling by ourselves. We walked with a map and a guide-book to wherever we wanted and we even met some of our fellow countrymen on the way just two or three times. So, if you're also planning a "single" trip, don't forget to take a Russian-Italian phrasebook as people in Italy prefer to speak in their native tongue.
【小題1】 Why does the author want to go to Italy again?

A．He had a great time there.

B．Italy has a lot of attractions.

C．His friend invited him there.

D．He didn't stay in Italy long enough.

【小題2】What does the author think was the hardest in preparing for his Italian trip?

A．Buying cheap airline tickets to Italy before the traveling

B．Getting a visa without an invitation from the Italian consulate.

C．Booking a comfortable hotel on his own in Rome.

D．Solving the ticket problem far in advance.

【小題3】 In the fourth paragraph the author mainly explains

A．the reason why he chose to live in the center of Rome

B．the reason why the hotel he booked was the right choice

C．what transport they chose to travel in their Italian trip

D．the reason why the mistress gave them some advice

【小題4】Which of the following questions has NOT been answered in the passage?

A．Why did the author decide to go to Italy for a holiday for the first time?

B．Why did the author decide not to follow a travel agency?

C．How did the author prepare for his trip?

D．What tools did the author use for his traveling?

【小題5】 From the text we can know the author

A．enjoys traveling everywhere in the world

B．likes being accompanied by tour guides

C．a(chǎn)dvises us to arrange trips by ourselves

D．met with a lot of his countrymen in Italy

One evening I went out and left my 17-year-old son in charge of his 8-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister.On this occasion,the work was made less troublesome by the presence of his girlfriend.I left with complete confidence that the older children would do a wonderful job of babysitting the younger children.Later,I discovered that complete confidence was the last thing I should have left home with.
I had decided to return home earlier than planned so that my son and his girlfriend could go out.I called home with this happy news.But instead of hearing his cheerful,grateful voice on the other end of the line,all I heard was the sound of a telephone ringing.
It was,I should point out,after 10 p.m.,when the two younger children should have been in bed.and when the two older children should have been answering the phone.“I’ll give him a lesson.”I said.I decided they must be outside.Why they might be outside at 10∶30 on a winter night I had no idea,but it was the only explanation I could come up with.
Finally,in desperation,I called his girlfriend’s house.After what seemed like countless rings,his girlfriend answered.“Yes,”she said brightly,“He’s right here.”
He came on the phone.I was not my usual calm,rational(理智的)self.After all,one of the rules of survival for modern parents is that you can’t trust modem teenagers.“Where are the children?”I said.He said they were with him.They had done nothing wrong.My son had taken the younger children over to his girlfriend’s house just for ice cream and cake.This was too good to be believed.Well,it turns out that I shouldn’t have believed it.It was only part of the truth.
The following Saturday evening we were at my parents home,celebrating my birthday.My oldest son gave me the children’s gifts.Mounted and framed were a series of lovely color photographs of my children,dressed in their best clothes,and wearing their most wonderful expressions.They are pictures to treasure a lifetime,all taken by the father of my son’s girlfriend.
【小題1】The author went out and left her eldest son in charge of the younger children
because       .

A．she knew that her eldest son was a good baby-sitter

B．she thought it no hard work to take care of the younger ones

C．she believed he could do well with his girlfriend’s help

D．she could not find a baby-sitter on that winter night

【小題2】When the author called home that evening,she found that       .

A．two younger children had already been in bed

B．the children were preparing a birthday gift for her

C．her son was quarrelling with his girlfriend

D．there was no one answering the telephone

【小題3】What can you learn from the underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph?

A．The author didn’t believe what her son had told her.

B．The author had complete confidence in her son.

C．The author believed her son was telling the truth.

D．The author was moved by what her children had done.

【小題4】What might the children do that evening?

A．They had a birthday party.

B．They framed some photographs.

C．They had their pictures taken.

D．They made some beautiful clothes.

【小題5】What does the author intend to teIl us by the story?

A．Modem teenagers are not worth trusting.

B．It is no easy job to look after young children.

C．It’s no good to have a girlfriend at an early age.

D．Her children have a caring and tender heart.

When a dirty and untidy orange cat showed up in the prison yard，I was one of the first to go out there and pet it．I hadn’t touched a cat or a dog in over 20 years．I spent at least 20 minutes，knelt down behind the kitchen as the cat rolled around，relaxed．What he was expressing outwardly, I was feeling inwardly．It was an amazing bit of grace to feel him under my hand and note that I was reaching a life or another creature with something as simple as my care．
Over the next few days，there were other prisoners responding to the cat．Every yard period，a group of prisoners gathered there．They stood around talking and taking turns petting the cat．These were guys you wouldn’t usually find talking to each other．Several times I saw an officer in the group，not chasing people away, but just watching and seeming to enjoy along with the prisoners．Bowls of milk and water appeared along with bread, wisely placed under the edge of the dustbin to keep the birds from getting it．
The cat was obviously homeless and in pretty bad shape．People said that the cat came to the right place．He's getting treated like a king．This was true．but as I watched I was also thinking about what the cat was doing for us．There was a lot of talk about what's wrong with prisons in America．We need more programs．We need more psychologists or treatment of various kinds．Some may even talk about making prisons more kind．But I think what we really need is a chance to practise our own kindness．Not receive it，but give it．After more than two decades here，I know kindness is not a value that's encouraged．It's often seen as a weakness．
Instead，the culture encourages keeping your head down，minding your own business，and never letting yourself be weak．
The cat did my heart good to see the effect he had on me and the men here．By simply saying，”I need some help here”，he did something important for us．He needed us．And we needed to be needed．I believe we all do．
【小題1】From the passage，we can learn that the author was           ．

A．a(chǎn)n animal protector

B．the cat owner

C．a(chǎn) prison officer

D．a(chǎn) prisoner

【小題2】Which of the following statements is true?

A．The cat was dirty because it was kept in prison．

B．The officer in the prison enjoyed petting the cat．

C．The prisoners prepared food for both the cat and birds．

D．The author realized the importance of practising kindness．

【小題3】We can infer from the third paragraph that              ．

A．showing love to others can make prisoners strong

B．the American prison culture will be improved

C．the author is not content with the prison culture

D．caring for others is encouraged in American prisons

【小題4】What is the best title for the passage?

A．Caring Makes Us Human．	B．Prison Culture is Important．
C．Animals Need Care．	D．Everyone Needs to be Cared for．

【小題5】In Paragraph 2，the author mentioned that “Several times I saw an officer in the group，not chasing people away, but just watching and seeming to enjoy along with the prisoners．”to              ．

A．show us the officer and prisoners get along well with each other

B．show us the American prison culture does need improvement

C．show us the officer and prisoners all like cat

D．show us the American prison culture is great

I began working in journalism(新聞工作)when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.
“ How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“ None.”
“ Where did you go?”
“ The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“ What did you do?”
“ Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“ You just stood there?”
“ Didn’t sell a single one.”
“ My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “ Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickle(五分鎳幣). It was the first nickle I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence(自信), and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“ If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “ you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.
【小題1】Why did the boy start his job young?

A．He wanted to be famous in the future.

B．The job was quite easy for him.

C．His mother had high hopes for him.

D．The competiton for the job was fierce.

【小題2】From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.

A．excited

B．interested

C．a(chǎn)shamed

D．disappointed

【小題3】What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

A．She forced him to continue.	B．She punished him.
C．She gave him some money.	D．She changed her plan.

【小題4】 What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?

A．The war between the boy’s parents.

B．The arguing between the boy and his mother.

C．The quarrel between the boy and his customers.

D．The fight between the boy and his father.

【小題5】 What is the text mainly about?

A．The early life of a journalist.

B．The early success of a journalist.

C．The happy childhood of the writer.

D．The important role of the writer in his family.

閱讀理解（共14小題；每小題2分，滿分28分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的（A、B、C和D）四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該選項(xiàng)標(biāo)號(hào)涂黑。
A
I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.” ks5*u
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and when I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib（肋骨）might have pierced（穿透）a lung...”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy… I am so sorry…”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay. ”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said. “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though. ”He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.
【小題1】 The author was in bad mood that morning because _______.

A．his father had a terrible accident

B．he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends

C．his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema

D．his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends

【小題2】Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?

A．Because he didn’t go along with his father.

B．Because he was rude to his father that morning.

C． Because he failed to come earlier after the accident.

D．Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital.

【小題3】 The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that _______.

A．he had a poor memory	B．he didn’t hear what his son said
C．he just wanted to comfort his son	D．he lost his memory after the accident

【小題4】 What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?

A．Don’t treat your parents badly.

B．Don’t hurt others with rude words.

C．Don’t move the injured in an accident.

D．Don’t be angry with friends at small things.

A morning rarely began so perfect. I took in the fresh air and felt my heart run into an enthusiastic rhythm. Though cool, the sun warmed my back as it rose over the horse from not far from my house. The slightest wind danced on my skin. Just enough to keep a runner form overheating. My ever-faithful jogging partner, a black dog named Nika pulled my leg with her mouth, mirroring my eagerness to start our run.
We raced forward with determination, ready to leap tall buildings and race against speeding trains. We pushed harder and ran faster, demonstration our skill and impressing passing motorists and neighbors.
We kept on running until we hit the Beast, a name for a very difficult, nearly two-mile long steep climb.
Only a few paces into the Beast, I gasped for air. Far short of superhero status, my enthusiasm and active steps were lost somewhere at the base of the hill. A vision of the newspaper and a cup of coffee waiting in my kitchen appeared, attracting me to turn back toward home.
With a glance I noticed Nika wasn’t doing any better. She continued to faithfully follow me, putting one paw in front of the other, but without her former eagerness. Her tiredness touched me. And in that moment, I felt a sudden spark of renewed determination to press on. I couldn’t allow this mountain to get the better of us. To improve both our spirits, I managed to shout, “Good girl, Nika! Keep going…you can do it!”
“I’m encouraging a dog, for heaven’s sake!’’ I needed to pull myself together. With a few simple words, I changed our course. One moment we were on the edge of quitting. The next, our feet picked up the pace and we continued. Though tired and discouraged myself, with a few kind words I impacted a dog’s ability to go further. I’m sure I could have completed the opposite with ill-chosen comments and an unpleasant tone. Instead, the Beast was defeated and we flew like heroes the rest of the way home.
Life is full of beasts to conquer. For some, it is the seemingly impossible climb of cancer. For others, their beast takes the shape of parenting a child or a teenager. Uphill climbs come in all shapes and sizes, common only in their ability to defeat, discourage and tempt tired travelers to quit. Sometimes all that’s needed is a few spoken, well-timed words of encouragement from a fellow runner – someone who sees the struggle, dares to jogs alongside, and cares enough to say, “Keep going! You can do it! You’re not alone. I believe in you!”
【小題1】 The writer starts the text by describing________.

A．the beautiful scene of the morning

B．his or her preparations for a jogging

C．a(chǎn) lively dog named Nika

D．the growth of crops at the farm

【小題2】 The writer mentioned the newspaper and coffee to suggest that he or she _______.

A．liked reading newspapers while drinking coffee

B．had an intention to give up running

C．would treat himself or herself to coffee after running

D．might appear on the newspaper for the long running

【小題3】 The writer decided to continue running _______.

A．a(chǎn)fter he or she found the dog was still energetic

B．because they came near the top of the hill

C．when he or she noticed the tired dog

D．before they arrived at the bottom of the hill

【小題4】 What does the writer expect to show by telling the story?

A．Words are powerful than deeds.

B．Beasts in life aren’t easily to conquer.

C．Dogs are the best friend of humans.

D．Try it one more time before giving up.