I’ve changed my mind. “ I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my dad back.” Lucien Lawrence’s letter to father for Christmas written after his schoolteacher’s father had been knifed to death outside his school gate, must have touched everyone’s heart. Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn’t see the stars in the sky. When those whom we love depart from us, we cannot see the stars for a while.
But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again. And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father there too, either in your mind and heart. I find that my parents, who died years ago, still figure in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive. I still live to please them and I’m still surprised by their reactions. I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself that I couldn’t wait to cable my parents. The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all my mother said was “ I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children!” I haven’t forgotten. The values of my parents still live on.
It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care. Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence have been to face the aggressors, and to lay down my life for those in my care? How many people would want me back for Christmas? It’s a serious thought, one to give me pause.
I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet “Deliver my soul from the sword, and my darling from the power of the dog.” Yet I know the death comes to us all, and sometimes comes suddenly. We must therefore plan to live forever, but live as if we will die tomorrow. We live on, I’m sure, in the lives of those we loved, and therefore we ought to have a care for what they will remember and what they will treasure. If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today.
【小題1】. According to the whole text we can see that the first paragraph ________.

A．puts forward the subject of the text.

B．shows the author’s pity on the kid.

C．acts as an introduction to the discussion.

D．makes a clear statement of the author’ views

【小題2】. In the second paragraph the author mainly wants to explain to us _______.

A．how much he misses his parents now

B．why his parents often appear in his dream

C．when Lucien will get over all his sadness

D．how proud he was when he succeeded in life

【小題3】. What feeling did the author’s mother express in her reply?

A．Proud

B．Happy

C．Disappointed

D．Worried

【小題4】 In the author’s opinion, the value of a person’s life is ________.

A．to leave a precious memory to the people related

B．to have a high sense of duty to the whole society

C．to care what others will remember and treasure

D．to share happiness and sadness with his family

【小題5】. What does the writer mean by the sentence taken from an old poem?

A．Call on criminals and murderers to lay down their guns.

B．Advise parents stay with their children safely at home.

C．Spend every day meaningfully in memory of the death.

D．Try to keep violence and murder far away from society.

John Steinbeck once said, “All Americans believe they are born fishermen. For a man to admit to a distaste in fishing would be like denouncing (公開指責) mother – love or hating moonlight.”
I can’t say that I’m the biggest John Steinbeck fan. Actually, the only thing I can ever remember reading by him was “The pearl” when I was in middle school, but I couldn’t agree more with the man when it comes to fishing. Whether I am on a boat in the middle of the Lay Lake, fishing off the shores of the Florida Keys for tarpon or catching rainbow trout in the Shoshone River of Wyoming, fishing is my life.
According to the American Sports Fishing Association, the fishing industry brings in more than $ 116 billion per year from fishermen across the country.
Though a beautiful picture to imagine, fishing is much more than that. Fishing is a way of life for many people and a way to escape everyday stress. Being a fisherman makes me a member of a wonderful group of people extending to all walks of life. Even President Obama can be found fishing on his farm in Texas with his good friend Roland Martin when the job gets too stressful.
I can remember fishing with my grandfather when I was 5 years old on his boat at Lake Mitchell. Although I didn’t understand what I was doing, I did know that my grandfather was happy and that made me happy. Since then I’ve spent the past 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama.
After days of practice, before and after work, I slowly developed an understanding of fishing. My boss, Ric Horst, took me back to the Shoshone, and I managed to bring in a 19–inch cutthroat trout. Fishing with Ric was a life–changing experience for me. He not only showed me how to fish correctly, but also told me how fishing could be a way to escape your problems.
Since then, prime–time season seems to take forever to arrive.
Now, with the ending of February and beginning of March in sight, the excitement of heading out Lake Tuscaloosa or Lake Lurleen before classes and catching something has finally returned.
【小題1】What John Steinbeck said in the first paragraph implies that ______________.

A．Americans are believed to be the offspring of fishermen

B．it is unthinkable for an American to admit his dislike of fishing

C．all Americans are expert at fishing

D．those who dislike fishing would not love their mother

【小題2】．The writer came to understand the real meaning of fishing ______________.

A．when he was reading “The pearl” by John Steinbeck

B．when he went fishing with his grandfather at Lake Mitchell

C．after he had spent 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama

D．after he went fishing with his boss, Ric Horst on the Shoshone

【小題3】What can be inferred from the text?

A．The author is at most 21 years old.

B．The author regards fishing as a very important part in his life.

C．The author agreed with John Steinbeck the most when he was in middle school.

D．President Obama often goes fishing in public in order to collect idea for his job.

【小題4】．According to the author, __________________.

A．people can get to know VIPs when fishing.

B．people can smooth away all the troubles by fishing

C．Fishing is a way of communication

D．Fishing is a way to make a living for most American people

【小題5】．What is the purpose of the writing?

A．To describe the writer’s experience and understanding of fishing.

B．To explain the reason why so many Americans like fishing.

C．To make others understand the industry of fishing.

D．To express his opinions about fishing in different time of the year.

For six hours we shot through the landscape of the Karoo desert in South Africa. Just rocks
and sand and baking sun. Knowing our journey was ending, Daniel and I just wanted to remember all we had seen and done. He used a camera. I used words. I had already finished three notebooks and was into the fourth, a beautiful leather notebook I’d bought in a market in Mozambique.
Southern Africa was full of stories. And visions. We were almost drunk on sensations. The roaring of the water at Victoria Falls, the impossible silence of the Okavango Delta in Botswana . And then the other things: dogs in the streets, whole families in Soweto living in one room, a kilometre from clean water.
As we drove towards the setting sun, a quietness fell over us. The road was empty -- we  hadn’t seen another car for hours. And as I drove, something caught my eye, something moving   next to me. I glanced in the mirror of the car; I glanced sideways to the right, and that was when I saw them. Next to us, by the side of the road, thirty, forty wild horses were racing the car, a cloud of dust rising behind them -- brown, muscular horses almost close enough to touch them, to   smell their hot breath. I didn’t know how long they had been there next to us.
I shouted to Dan: “Look!”, but he was in a deep sleep, his camera lying useless by his feet.   They raced the car for a few seconds, then disappeared far behind us, a memory of heroic forms   in the red landscape. When Daniel woke up an hour later I told him what had happened.
“Wild horses?” he said. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“I tried. But they were gone after a few seconds.”
“Are you sure you didn’t dream it?”
“You were the one who was sleeping!”
Typical, he said. “The best photos are the ones we never take.”
We checked into a dusty hotel and slept the sleep of the dead.
【小題1】 During their journey in Africa, the two travelers______.

A．made friends with local residents

B．complained about the poor living conditions

C．enjoyed the sunset in the Karoo desert most

D．recorded their experiences in different ways

【小題2】 What did Daniel think when he woke up and was told what had happened?

A．He always missed out on the best thing.

B．He had already taken beautiful pictures.

C．A sound sleep was more important.

D．The next trip would be better.

【小題3】 What is the passage mainly about?

A．How to view wildlife in Africa.

B．Running into wildlife in Africa.

C．Tourist attractions in southern Africa.

D．Possible dangers of travelling in the desert.

Grown-ups know that people and objects are solid. At the movies, we know that if we reach out to touch Tom Cruise, all we will feel is air. But does a baby have this understanding?
To see whether babies know objects are solid, T. Bower designed a method for projecting an optical illusion of a hanging ball. His plan was to first give babies a real ball, one they could reach out and touch, and then to show them the illusion. If they knew that objects are solid and they reached out for the illusion and found empty air, they could be expected to show surprise in their faces and movements. All the 16- to 24-week-old babies tested were surprised when they reached for the illusion and found that the ball was not there.
Grown-ups also have a sense of object permanence, We know that if we put a box in a room and lock the door, the box will still be there when we come back. But does a baby realize that a ball that rolls under a chair does not disappear and go to never-never land?
Experiments done by Bower suggest that babies develop a sense of object permanence when they are about 18 weeks old. In his experiments, Bower used a toy train that went behind a screen. When 16-week-old and 22-week-old babies watched the toy train disappear behind the left side of the screen, they looked to the right, expecting it to reappear. If the experimenter took the train off the table and lifted the screen, all the babies seemed surprised not to see the train. This seems to show that all the babies had a sense of object permanence. But the second part of the experiment showed that this was not really the case. The researcher substituted a ball for the train when it went behind the screen. The 22-week-old babies seemed surprised and looked back to the left side for the train. But the 16-week-old babies did not seem to notice the switch. Thus, the 16-week-old babies seem to have a sense of “something permanence,” while the 22-week-old babies had a sense of object permanence related to a particular object.
【小題1】 The passage is mainly about          .

A．babies’ understanding of objects	B．effects of experiments on babies
C．babies’ sense of sight	D．different tests on babies’ feelings

【小題2】 In Paragraph 3, “object permanence” means that when out of sight, an object         .

A．still exists

B．keeps its shape

C．still stays solid

D．is beyond reach

【小題3】. What did Bower use in his experiments?

A．A chair.

B．A screen.

C．A film.

D．A box.

【小題4】. Which of the following statements is true?

A．The babies didn’t have a sense of direction.

B．The older babies preferred toy trains to balls.

C．The younger babies liked looking for missing objects.

D．The babies couldn’t tell a ball from its optical illusion.

The "Occupy Wall Street" movement gained more support on Wednesday as unions and students joined in. With the protests developing from a group of young people's camping out near the New York Stock Exchange on September 17 to large-scale (大規(guī)模的) movements across the country and around the world, people can't help asking: What has led to "Occupy Wall Street?"
Three years after the severe economic crisis, the U.S. economy now is stuck again. Protesters are not satisfied with the present economic situation since unemployment rate is above 9 percent and economic growth has slowed. The housing market is still struggling for a recovery three years after the bubble (泡沫) burst. People are losing their houses even after they have paid a large amount of mortgage(抵押). It is getting difficult for young people to find jobs. People feared that a similar crisis like the one in 2008 may be already on its way.
It is Wall Street that possessed the most riches. It is Wall Street greed that, at least partly, led to the financial crisis in 2008. It was Wall Street's "fat cats" who take taxpayers' aid money as their own big bonus (獎金). With the growing economic crisis around the world, people realize that Wall Street is responsible for it. So they try to target people who created the crisis.
The majority of the protesters are young people under 30. Many of them are unemployed. Some are students with mountains of loans (貸款). Some are hard-working people about to lose their houses even if they have paid a large amount of mortgage. They are complaining that the hard-working middle class is getting poor, yet Wall Street stays wealthy.
William Cohan, author of Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the world, wrote recently that Wall Street not only learned nothing from the 2008 crisis, they are also trying to kill all reforms that might "break this dangerous cycle in which bankers get very rich while the rest of working people suffer from their mistakes."
【小題1】. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The cause of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement.

B．The demand of the protesters of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement.

C．The popularity of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement.

D．The development of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement.

【小題2】. According to the second paragraph, what set off the “Occupy Wall Street” movement?

A．The housing market.	B．The bad economic situation.
C．The mortgage	D．The high unemployment rate.

【小題3】. We can learn from the passage that Wall Street is the symbol of          in the USA.
A. civilization        B. power                        C. wealth            D. fashion
【小題4】We can infer that William Cohan         .

A．is the organizer of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement

B．lives on Wall Street

C．is against the “Occupy Wall Street” movement

D．approves of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement

It’s good to make mistakes, and here is why.
First of all, mistakes are a clear sign that you are trying new things. It’s always good to try new things because when you are trying new things you are growing. If you never try anything new, how can you improve? How can you expand? The simple answer is “You can’t”. Look around you. With very few exceptions, either everything you see in your physical world or every single detail of every single thing is the result of someone trying something new.
Another good thing about mistakes is this: When you are making mistakes, you are learning. Consider this: Edison failed 10,000 times before he perfected the light bulb. When asked how it felt to fail that many times, he said that he hadn’t failed 10,000 times, but rather had learned 10,000 things that didn’t work．
Finally, when you make a mistake you are much closer to success. Why?
Because when all is said and done, you will have tried some number of things before you succeeded. Every time you make a mistake you eliminate one of those things and are one step closer.
But this all doesn’t mean that you should go ahead without considering the consequences of a mistake. Quite the contrary, when you try something new you have to be willing to set some reasonable limits so that in the event that it doesn’t work out the way you want it to, you will be in a position to try again.
We all have limited resources in the form of time and money so don’t blow them all on one approach to a problem. Realize that it probably won’t be perfect the first time and allocate (分配) these resources appropriately so you can learn, make corrections, and try it again. Only by accepting and using your mistakes in this way can you make significant advances in your business and your career．
There is an old saying that goes, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough．”
So go forth and make mistakes. And learn. And grow. And prosper（成功）．
【小題1】From the second paragraph, we can conclude that _______．

A．mistakes are unnecessary for development

B．we are afraid of trying new things

C．it’s common for people to make mistakes

D．mistakes are better than not trying

【小題2】 The underlined word “eliminate” means _______．

A．avoid

B．Remove

C．accept

D．solve

【小題3】. According to the article, one thing you should pay attention to about making mistakes is   ．

A．avoiding making the same mistakes

B．accepting the punishment willingly

C．taking consequences into account

D．trying things out one by one

【小題4】. What would the writer probably suggest we say to ourselves when we make a mistake?

A．Never mind, I can always try again．

B．I’d better stay out of trouble．

C．Ok! Now I can learn something．

D．Look at this mess. Anyone would be upset．

If practicing an attitude of gratitude(感激） during the storms of life is too much for you right now, that’s OK. When things are tough, most people have a hard time being thankful. They're so caught up in what's wrong in the present moment that they simply can't see some things are still right.
If that's true for you, then accept it. You're going through a particularly difficult or unhappy period of time, and don't like it one bit. Very normal, very human. But remember this: there is always something to be grateful for. It may be only a small comfort right no, but it is a start. Make a list of some of the terrible things that didn't happen. For example:
       You're in debt... but you're not homeless.
       You lost your job... but you didn't lose your health.
       You broke your leg... but you didn't break your neck.
        Your mother has Alzheimers disease... but your father doesn't.
No matter how bad things are, they could always be worse. Start finding gratitude for what might have happened, but didn't. It does help a lot. Of course, you may not be thankful for everything- but you can always be thankful for something.
【小題1】How many "terrible things that didn't happen" are listed in this passage?

A．Two

B．Three

C．Four

D．Five

【小題2】The writer thinks it ____ for people to feel unhappy in time of difficulty.

A．necessary

B．normal

C．great

D．helpful

【小題3】.What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To discuss ways to make a list of terrible things

B．To explain what is gratitude towards the storms of life.

C．To persuade people to be thankful for what didn't happen.

D．To show people different ways to consider their tough situations.

【小題4】. How is the passage organized?

A．Explanation―Comparison―Topic

B．Argument―Opinion―Discussion

C．Comparison―Argument―Explanation

D．Introduction―Discussion―Conclusion

Why do people drink too much, eat too much, smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What’s to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn’t quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it’s having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first taste of beer. Feeling sick, wasn’t it? When my father gave me my first try of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette — it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation (attraction) that you need your will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically (諷刺的是), only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to such experiences, can ever someday come to develop a “taste” for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, just in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren’t self-control failures — far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control, but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it.
【小題1】What do most people think causes bad behavior?

A．Being forced by others.

B．Not having enough will power.

C．Enjoying their first experiences.

D．Following the examples of their friends.

【小題2】 The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove ______.

A．will power helps develop bad habits sometimes

B．drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers

C．self-control should be developed when one is young

D．everyone can be challenged by different temptations

【小題3】In the last paragraph, the author stresses (強調) that ______.

A．without self-control, no one can succeed

B．bad habits don’t always lead to bad results

C．applying self-control correctly is important

D．people can develop wisdom from bad behavior

【小題4】 What would be the best title for the passage?

A．My First Taste of Beer	B．Do You Have Will Power?
C．Will Power Benefits Us	D．Dark Side of Self-control

Grace Kane hangs onto an Olympic dream of clinging to a granite (花崗巖) wall by her fingertips 70 feet from the ground. The fearless girl is only 10, but already has scaled great heights in the sport of rock climbing.
Last week, Kane won a bronze in the 11­and­younger sport class at the USA Climbing Youth National Championships in Atlanta. She was the only competitor of the 31 there with no climbing coach or top­flight facilities in which to train. Climbing will become an exhibition at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil. The hope of enthusiasts is that the sport will gain full status in 2020.“I’m already training for that,” said Kane. “Climbing is my passion, my love, and I want to make something of it.”
Her dad took her to climb rocks on her fourth birthday for the first time and today he can’t keep up with her, “It’s the freedom to let loose,” she said. “When I’m up there, I’m so focused and don’t hear anything. I always feel comforted knowing people are supporting me.”
The bronze in Atlanta qualified Kane for the USA team and November’s International Championships in Ecuador. That’s a trip she might have to miss because it’s too expensive.
Kane held a backyard music concert---she played the guitar and the piano and wrote inspirational songs---and raised $600 for her $1,500 trip to Atlanta. She’s also been sponsored by a shoe company, but must rely heavily on donations from family and friends for travel expenses.
Her mom Heather Kane said the family has chosen “to do whatever we need to help her achieve her goals”. One of Grace’s biggest challenges is finding balance in her life. There’s school, her music and church to fit around climbing.
“Climbing is going to mean sacrificing things other kids might pursue,” Grace said. “But it doesn’t bother me. It’s like playing the piano; you can’t take a break or you’ll lose your touch.”
【小題1】What would be the best title of the passage?

A．Rock climbing gains popularity

B．Grace Kane likes challenges

C．A young climber follows her dream

D．An amazing victory for a young rock climber

【小題2】We can learn from the second paragraph that rock climbing ________.

A．is not an exhibition at the Olympics now

B．is an official event at the Olympics now

C．is not open to children

D．will gain full status in 2020

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE about Grace Kane?

A．She is only interested in rock climbing.

B．She is a girl with many talents.

C．Rock climbing has affected her study.

D．She has won gold medals in several matches.

【小題4】One of Grace’s biggest challenges is to ________.

A．find a capable coach for her

B．get qualified for the USA team

C．raise enough money for International competitions

D．keep balance between rock climbing and other activities

                            B
If a person forgets names, places or facts —and has trouble with everyday things like reading or shopping —it may not mean you are getting old. It could be Alzheimer’s disease. So it’s important to see a doctor as soon as you can.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. But a drug called ARICEPT has been used by millions of people to help their symptoms (癥狀).
In studies, ARICEPT has been proved to work for Alzheimer’s. It has helped people improve their memory over time. It has also helped them to keep doing everyday things on their own.
Ask your doctor if ARICEPT is right for you or your loved one. It is the Number One drug for Alzheimer’s in the world. The sooner you know it’s Alzheimer’s, the better ARICEPT can help.
ARICEPT is good for many but may not be good for everyone. Some people may experience not sleeping well, feeling very tired, or not wanting to eat . In studies, these side effects weren’t serious at all and went away over time. Some people taking ARICEPT may feel light-headed. In this case you should tell your doctors because your condition may get worse.
【小題1】If one suffers from Alzheimer’s,          .

A．he has trouble with his memory

B．he can’t do everyday things on his own

C．he often forgets things because he is old

D．he can’t move about

【小題2】What is ARICEPT?

A．A medicine to cure Alzheimer’s

B．A medicine to delay signs of aging .

C．A medicine to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s .

D．A medicine to cure brain damage .

【小題3】One who is taking ARICEPT should go to see a doctor if he        .

A．can’t fall asleep	B．feels tired out
C．has no desire to eat	D．feels like a drunken man