I am a German by birth and descent. My name is Schmidt. But by education I am quite as much an Englishman as a 'Deutscher', and by affection much more the former. My life has been spent pretty equally between the two countries, and I flatter myself I speak both languages without any foreign accent.
I count England my headquarters now: it is “home” to me. But a few years ago I was resident in Germany, only going over to London now and then on business. I will not mention the town where I lived. It is unnecessary to do so, and in the peculiar experience I am about to relate I think real names of people and places are just as well, or better avoided.
I was connected with a large and important firm of engineers. I had been bred up to the profession, and was credited with a certain amount of “talent”; and I was considered—and, with all modesty, I think I deserved the opinion—steady and reliable, so that I had already attained a fair position in the house, and was looked upon as a “rising man”. But I was still young, and not quite so wise as I thought myself. I came close once to making a great mess of a certain affair. It is this story which I am going to tell.
Our house went in largely for patents—rather too largely, some thought. But the head partner's son was a bit of a genius in his way, and his father was growing old, and let Herr Wilhelm - Moritz we will call the family name—do pretty much as he chose. And on the whole Herr Wilhelm did well. He was cautious, and he had the benefit of the still greater caution and larger experience of Herr Gerhardt, the second partner in the firm.
Patents and the laws which regulate them are strange things to have to do with. No one who has not had personal experience of the complications that arise could believe how far these spread and how involved they become. Great acuteness as well as caution is called for if you would guide your patent bark safely to port—and perhaps more than anything, a power of holding your tongue. I was no chatterbox, nor, when on a mission of importance, did I go about looking as if I were bursting with secrets, which is, in my opinion, almost as dangerous as revealing them. No one, to meet me on the journeys which it often fell to my lot to undertake, would have guessed that I had anything on my mind but an easy-going young fellow's natural interest in his surroundings, though many a time I have stayed awake through a whole night of railway travel if at all doubtful about my fellow-passengers, or not dared to go to sleep in a hotel without a ready-loaded gun by my pillow. For now and then - though not through me - our secrets did ooze out. And if, as has happened, they were secrets connected with Government orders or contracts, there was, or but for the exertion of the greatest energy and tact on the part of my superiors, there would have been, to put it plainly, the devil to pay.
【小題1】 The writer preferred to be called ________.

A．a German	B．an Englishman
C．both a German and an Englishman	D．neither a German nor an Englishman

【小題2】Which of the following words cannot be used to describe the writer?

A．Talented

B．Modest

C．Reliable

D．Wise

【小題3】The head of the company where the writer works is ________.

A．Schmidt

B．Moritz

C．Wilhelm’s father

D．Gerhardt

【小題4】 The writer often stayed awake on the train or kept a ready-loaded gun in the hotel, because  ________.

A．some people sometimes let out the secrets of his company

B．the writer occasionally didn’t keep the secrets of his company

C．patents and the laws are strange things to have to do with

D．the secrets were connected with Government orders or contracts

For many years, I was convinced that my suffering was due to my size. I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds, hurts, and rejections with it.
Many weight – conscious people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our worst mistake is believing that being thin equals being loved, being special, and being cherished. We fantasize（夢想）about what it will be like when we reach the long – awaited goal. We work very hard to realize this dream. Then, at last, we find ourselves there.
But we often gain back what we have lost. Even so, we continue to believe that next time it will be different. Next time, we will keep it off. Next time, being thin will finally fulfill its promise of everlasting happiness, self–worth, and, of course, love.
It took me a long while to realize that there was something more for me to learn about beauty. Beauty standards vary with culture. In Samoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds. More importantly, if it’s happiness that we want, why not put our energy there rather than on the size of our body? Why not look inside? Many of us work hard to change our body, but in vain. We have to find a way to live comfortable inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves. When we change our attitudes toward ourselves, the whole world changes.
【小題1】The passage tries to tell us the importance of          .

A．body size	B．attitudes
C．culture difference	D．different beauty standards

【小題2】 What does the word “everything” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．All the problems.	B．All the properties
C．The whole world	D．The absolute truth

【小題3】 What can be inferred about the author?

A．The author is a Samoan

B．The author succeeded in losing weight

C．The author has been troubled by her/his weight.

D．The author probably got wounded in wars or accidents.

【小題4】. According to the author, what is the common view of those who have lost some weight first and gained it back later?

A．They feel angry about the regained weight

B．They are indifferent to the regained weight

C．They feel optimistic about future plans on weight control.

D．They think they should give up their future plans on weight control.

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table, I couldn't help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked, “So, how have you been?” And the boy—who could not have been more than seven or eight years old—replied. “Frankly, I've been feeling a little depressed lately.”
This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn't find out we were “depressed”, that is, in low spirits, until we were in high school.
Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don't seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.
Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?
Human development depends not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of gaining social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new social positions. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages; traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.
In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation（揭示） machine has been equipped in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation （誘惑）,  many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more attractive moving pictures.
Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information which children will gain. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.
【小題1】 According to the author, feeling depressed is ____________.

A．a sure sign of a mental problem in a child

B．a mental state present in all humans, including children

C．something that cannot be avoided in children's mental development

D．something hardly to be expected in a young child

【小題2】According to the author, that today's children seem adult-like results from ____________.

A．the widespread influence of television

B．the poor arrangement of teaching content

C．the fast pace of human scientific development

D．the rising standard of living

【小題3】 What does the author think of communication through print for children?

A．It enables children to gain more social information.

B．It develops children's interest in reading and writing.

C．It helps children to read and write well.

D．It can control what children are to learn.

【小題4】What does the author think of the change in today's children?

A．He feels their adult-like behavior is so funny.

B．He thinks the change worthy of note.

C．He considers it a rapid development.

D．He seems to be upset about it.

Today I was at the mall waiting for friends, when a lady wearing a knit hat and a sweater came up to me and, shivering, said, “I’m homeless. Would you mind buying me some food?”
In that split second, everything I’d learned since kindergarten flashed through my mind. Don’t talk to strangers… Be a good citizen… People will take advantage of you… Treat others as you wish to be treated…I guess love won the debate. “Sure,” I said. “What would you like?”
She thought and then said, “I’d like to get Chinese food.” We headed upstairs. She ordered soup, an egg roll, white rice, and pepper chicken. I would normally think that was a lot, but she had probably barely eaten in the last few days. I got my usual – lo mein and General Tso’s chicken.
Meanwhile I was eating my lo mein, picking around the cabbage and the other vegetables. Joyce said, “If you don’t like it you can take it back.” I told her that I liked it, but was not fond of the vegetables. She broke into a big grin. “You don’t like vegetables, huh? Neither did I. But now I do.” I immediately felt guilty. How could I be picking at my food across from someone who barely gets to eat at all?
I tried my best to finish, but she seemed to sense my guilt and said, “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want it.” How could she know what I was feeling? I told her the dish was my favorite, but I just eat slowly.
She got up to get a to-go box. “Would you like one?” she asked, but I refused. I realized that this food would probably last her for a few days, and I was glad she had ordered a lot.
“Would you like these?” I asked, gesturing at the food I had left untouched. “Oh, no, thank you,” she said. “This is enough.” I got up to throw my tray away, feeling guilty again.
“I need to meet my friends now,” I explained. “It was so nice to meet you, Joyce.”
“You too, Claire,” she replied with a smile. “Thank you.”
I headed to the theater, and she went back downstairs. I kept puzzling, Why is Joyce homeless?  She shouldn’t need people to buy her dinner. She was a nurse. She got good grades. She took pictures for her yearbook. She was the person I hope to be in the future. How could such a good life be rewarded with horrible luck?
Anyway, I wish her the best, and hope that the force that brought us together will help her find what she deserves in life.
【小題1】 From the second paragraph we know that the writer ___________.

A．debated with the girl over moral issues

B．hated having to make a quick decision

C．hesitated before she decided to reach out

D．fell in love with the girl at first sight

【小題2】The writer felt guilty for a moment because _________.

A．she was particular about food and also wasted so much

B．she was a strict vegetarian who ate very little

C．she didn’t order enough food for the girl

D．she urged the girl to take her share of food

【小題3】 Why did Joyce end up unemployed and homeless?

A．She was a victim of high education.

B．She actually had some kind of mental disorder.

C．She graduated with average grades.

D．The reason is not yet given.

【小題4】 The passage is intended to _________.

A．arouse readers' curiosity

B．explore social problems

C．teach readers a lesson

D．share a personal story

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is also the most neglect (忽視). Common reasons for not eating breakfast include having no time, not feeling hungry, traditional dislike and dieting.
Breakfast simply means “break the fast’’. Your body spends at least 6 to 12 hours each night in a fasting state. In the morning your body needs energy for the day’s work ahead. 
A good breakfast should provide 1/3 of your total calorie(卡路里)needs for the day. On average, we eat 400 less calories for breakfast than for dinner. If breakfast doesn’t appeal (吸引) to you in the morning, try eating a lighter dinner earlier in the evening or save half of your dinner for breakfast in the morning.
If you still aren’t hungry in the morning, start with something small like juice or toast or have a nutritious (有營養(yǎng)的) mid-morning snack (小吃) later when you are hungry.
So, you say you are on a diet. Some people fear that eating breakfast will make them hungrier during the day and they will eat more. It is true that eating breakfast is likely to make you feel hungry throughout the day. That is because your body is working correctly. Although you may feel as if you are eating more all day long, in reality you are probably not.
Not eating breakfast can also cause you t overeat, since a fall in blood sugar often makes you feel very hungry later. To make matters worse, since your body is in a slow state, it will not be able to burn those extra calories very efficiently (有效). If you feed your body healthy snacks and meals throughout the day, you are less likely to become hungry and stuff (填飽) yourself as soon as you begin to eat.
Since breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day, choosing the right food is important. The best breakfast foods are fruits ,juice, lean meat and grain products such as bread, rice, noodles and cereals.
【小題1】. What is the meaning of the word “fast” in the phrase“break the fast”? 

A．movement

B．going without food

C．quickness

D．certain kind of food

【小題2】. If you don’t want to have breakfast in the morning, according to the writer’s suggestion, you should________.

A．see a doctor to have an examination	B．have a little supper
C．go to a restaurant to enjoy a good meal	D．have a good supper

【小題3】. Eating breakfast, in fact, makes your body_________.

A．work out of order	B．produce too much energy
C．work well	D．feel hungry quicker

【小題4】 Not eating breakfast will_________.

A．save a lot of money	B．do harm to your health
C．do good to your health	D．help you keep in shape

【小題5】 In the last paragraph the writer mainly_________.
A. persuades us to have a good breakfast    
B. tell us what food isn’t suitable for breakfast
C describes when and how we should have our breakfast
D .tell us what food we should have for breakfast

My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening near my parents’ tomb in the churchyard.
“Hold your noise!” came a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the tombs at the side of the church. “Keep still, you little devil(小鬼), or I’ll cut your throat!”
A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. He seized me by the chin(下巴).
“Tell us your name!” said the man. “Quick!”
“Pip, sir.”
“Show us where you live,” said the man. “Point out the place!”
I pointed to where our village lay, on the flat in-shore among the alder-trees and pollards, a mile or more from the church.
The man, after looking at me for a moment, turned me upside down, and emptied my pockets. There was nothing in them but a piece of bread.
“You young dog,” said the man, licking his lips, “what fat cheeks you ha’ got. Darn me if I couldn’t eat em, and if I han’t half a mind to’t!”
I earnestly expressed my hope that he wouldn’t, and held tighter to the tombstone on which he had put me; partly, to keep myself upon it; partly, to keep myself from crying.
“Now then lookee here!” said the man. “Where’s your mother?”
“There, sir!” said I.
He started, made a short run, and stopped and looked over his shoulder.
“There, sir!” I timidly explained, pointed to the tombstone. “That’s my mother.”
“Oh!” said he, coming back. “And is that your father alonger your mother?”
“Yes, sir,” said I; “him too; late of thisparish(教區(qū)).”
【小題1】 The “voice” in the second paragraph came from______.

A．the church

B．the man

C．the bank

D．the boy

【小題2】The boy probably lived  _____.

A．in the parish

B．in the valley

C．in the city

D．in the country

【小題3】We can infer from the passage _____.

A．the boy was very calm and smart

B．the man hit the boy in the face

C．the boy would forever remember the raw afternoon

D．the man was very kind and considerate

【小題4】The passage is most probably adapted from________.

A．a news report

B．a science fiction

C．a novel

D．a review

I often write about the bad state of television these days, but recently my mom told me about a story she saw on 60 Minutes that was inspiring, educational, and entertaining for the whole family. I went to the show’s website to see for myself. My mom was right. At a time when even Barbara Walters says she’s really bored with celebrities interviews, this one will not disappoint.
It’s the story of Derek Paravicini, a 30-year-old who was born three months early, physically disabled (he can’t button his own shirt), blind, and severely autistic(自閉的).
Yet, through total luck and coincidence, his family discovered that Derek had a remarkable musical talent when he was three.
Derek can hear any musical composition one time and play it perfectly on the piano.
That’s right. He only has to hear it once.
Even more unbelievable, his brain, like a computer, can keep many songs that he can immediately repeat when asked. But his talent isn’t limited to just learning things by heart. Derek is a true musical genius and artist who plays beautifully in a wide range of styles and can make his own music.
With his talent, Derek has raised millions of dollars putting on charity concerts. He also donates his time to senior centers where he acts as a human jukebox (自動唱機) machine, taking requests from senior citizens who haven’t heard their favorite songs for decades.
As it turns out, Derek loves people and his extraordinary talent has been the key to unlocking his personality and social development.
If you want to inspire your family, pop some popcorn and sit everyone down to watch this excellent piece of journalism. If your kids are like mine, it will cause a great family discussion about the definition of “disability” and the extraordinary ability of the human brain and spirit. It may even give you the perfect answer the next time your child says he or she “can’t” do something. Now that’s priceless.
Who says there’s nothing good on TV?
【小題1】 From the first paragraph, we know that 60 minutes is a TV program on      .

A．interviewing celebrities

B．interviewing the disabled

C．the latest news round the world

D．stating the positive influence of TV

【小題2】 How does Derek help the elderly?

A．By buying them a jukebox machine.

B．By building senior centers for them.

C．By singing the old songs they ask for.

D．By playing the piano to raise money for them.

【小題3】 In the opinion of the author, Derek can     .

A．attract the whole family to watch TV together

B．cause family members to help the disabled

C．help kids understand the ability of their brains

D．encourage kids to accept challenges in life

【小題4】The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to     .

A．prove that there is something good on TV

B．introduce a disabled but gifted musician

C．call on people to show more love to the disabled

D．express personal admiration for Derek Paravicini

              Wal-Mart is not just the world's largest retailer （零售商）. It's the world's largest company, which sells in three months what number-two retailer Home Depot sells in a year.
Wal-Mart exercises its power for just one purpose: to bring the lowest possible prices to its customers. At Wal-Mart, that goal is never reached. The retailer has a clear policy for suppliers: On basic products that don't change, the price Wal-Mart will pay, and will charge shoppers, must drop year after year. But what almost no one outside the world of Wal-Mart and none of its 21,000 suppliers know is the high cost of those low prices. To survive in the face of its pricing demands, makers of everything from bikes to jeans have had to close US plants in favor of obtaining products from abroad.
Indeed, the real story of Wal-Mart, the story that never gets told, is the story of the pressure the biggest retailer constantly applies to its suppliers in the name of bringing us "every day low prices".
The giant retailer' s low prices often come with a high cost. Wal-Mart' s pressure can crush the companies it does business with and force them to send jobs overseas. Are we shopping our way straight to the unemployment line? Of course, US companies have been moving jobs offshore for decades, long before Wal-Mart was a retailing power. But there is no question that the chain is helping accelerate the loss of American jobs to low-wage countries such as Thailand.
People ask, "How can it be bad for things to come into the US cheaply?" Sure, it's great to have bargains. But you can' t buy anything if you' re not employed.
There is no question that Wal-Mart's drive to squeeze out cost has benefited consumers. By now, it is accepted wisdom that Wal-Mart makes the companies it does business with more efficient and focused. Wal-Mart itself is known for continuous improvement in its ability to handle, move, and track goods. It is legendary （傳奇） for forcing its suppliers to redesign everything from their packaging to their computer systems. It is also legendary for quite straightforwardly telling them what it will pay for their goods.
【小題1】 How do suppliers meet the requirements of Wal-Mart?

A．To sell even more goods in three months.

B．To cut down the employment rate sharply.

C．To charge shoppers at a much higher price.

D．To run the business in a well-organized way.

【小題2】 Wal-Mart's low price policy results in ____.

A．more high-paying jobs

B．better designed packages

C．bigger profit of its partners

D．more jobless American workers

【小題3】 What can we infer from the passage?

A．Still more quality goods will be provided.

B．The food you get at Wal-Mart costs least.

C．The value of Mal-Mart is over assessed.

D．Wal-Mart is a very demanding company.

【小題4】What's the best title for the passage?

A．The Fortune Wal-Mart Makes

B．The Wal-Mart you don't Know

C．The Biggest Retailer—Wal-Mart

D．The Money Saving Tip in Wal-Mart

Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia, I saw a small pool of water ahead on the path. I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn't covered by water or mud. As I reached the pool, I was suddenly attacked! Yet I did nothing for the attack. It was so unpredictable and from somewhere totally unexpected. I was surprised as well as unhurt though I had been struck four or five times. I backed up a foot and my attacker stopped attacking me. Had I been hurt I wouldn't have found it amusing. And I was laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly!
Having stopped, laughing, I took a step forward. My attacker rushed me again. He charged towards me at full speed, attempting to hurt me but in vain. For a second time, I took a step backwards while my attacker paused. I wasn't sure what to do. After all, it's just not everyday that one is attacked by a butterfly. I stepped back to look the situation over. My attacker moved back to land on the ground. That's when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments earlier. He had a mate and she was dying.
Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate. He had taken it up on himself to attack me for his mate's sake （緣故）, even though she was clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life, should I have been careless enough to step on her. His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate's safety seemed admirable. I couldn't do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the pool. He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed.     
Since then, I've always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I see huge barriers facing me.
【小題1】Why did the writer change his direction while walking down a path?

A．To get close to a butterfly.	B．To look over the bad situation.
C．To escape a sudden attack.	D．To avoid getting his shoes dirty.

【小題2】What made the man feel funny?

A．Making the attacker pause.	B．Being attacked by a butterfly.
C．Being stepped on by his mate.	D．Discovering the energetic butterfly.

【小題3】From this experience the man learned       .

A．what he should do when faced with trouble

B．people should show sympathy to the weak

C．how he should deal with attacks

D．people should protect butterflies

【小題4】 Which of the following words can best describe the butterfly?

A．Careless.

B．Amusing.

C．Courageous.

D．Aggressive.

I am a person who does not like to wait．I don' t like lines, being put on hold when making a phone call, arriving at an appointment to find that my companion will be delayed and of course, I don * t like waiting rooms．
However, I realize that my agony(痛苦） will not be good for me, as an increasingly, crowded world can only mean one thing—more waiting．
Owing to this, I have taken a measure and decided to turn my disappointment to productive ends．In short, I am looking for what I call "waiting in line books"．
These are books that contain material designed for being read in shortened words, so there is no extended story line to lose track of．Another requirement is that they be small enough to slip neatly into my back pocket．
The other day I went to the supermarket．Convinced that the rain would keep most people away, I was surprised to see that the place was crowded with shoppers．Every checkout was open—and jammed! But I could take out my pocket book and go to work．
The more the world demands that I wait, the more I learn from my waiting library．Look at these titles: One Hundred Things Every American Should Know; The Poetry of Robert Frost; Living Thoughts of Leading Thinkers; Still More Toasts．I have learned interesting and enriching things and much knowledge from these books．
On a recent visit to the general store, I placed my order at the counter along with six or seven other people．The one female employee seemed to have her hands full as she rushed about．"Just be patient," she said to me．
No problem．I quietly opened my dictionary of prose （散文） and poetical quotations． Perhaps the other customers regarded me as a bookish, lonely soul．But little did they realize that I was enjoying the company of Shakespeare, Thoreau, Homer and Ben Johnson．
【小題1】According to the passage, the world ______．

A．needs to produce many materials to use	B．is becoming more and more crowded
C．loses tracks of story line increasingly	D．is crowded with shoppers everywhere

【小題2】How did the author overcome his agony of waiting?

A．By reading books designed to be read in shortened words．

B．By arriving early for an appointment．

C．By taking measures to produce some books for readers．

D．By keeping most people away from the supermarket for some reasons．

【小題3】Which of the following can't be carried in the author's pocket?

A．One Hundred Things Every American Should Know

B．The Poetry of Robert Frost

C．Living Thoughts of Leading Thinkers

D．Homer and Ben Johnson

【小題4】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．The author succeeded in changing his agony into fun．

B．The author was a bookish and lonely soul.

C．Six or seven employees in the store were busy in rushing about．

D．There were fewer customers in the supermarket on rainy days．