Lexi Peters, a 14-year-old girl in New York, loves hockey. She’s not only good at playing on her after-school team, but also at playing hockey video games. But when Peters played the popular NHL (National Hockey League) games made by Electronic Arts, something really bothered her. The virtual (虛擬的) character in the game could only be a boy — not a girl.
She didn’t think that was reasonable. There must be many girls playing hockey in the US. So she wrote a letter to Electronic Arts.
“Being represented by a man is unfair to women and girl hockey players,” Peters wrote. “Women’s hockey is a fast-growing sport. I am confident that I’m not the only woman interested in the opportunity to create herself in the game.”
Several weeks later, Peters received an unexpected e-mail from the senior producer for EA Sports’ NHL games, David Littman. “Hi, Lexi,” the e-mail began. “We agree with you!”
Electronic Arts said it would create a female player in the game. “I was thinking you could be the model,” Littman wrote. Peters almost couldn’t believe it. Later, she sent photos of herself taken at all different angles (角度).
And so, when Electronic Arts released the newest version of their game, NHL 12, this fall, Peters was the face of the female player. She can now skate with the NHL’s great players. “It’s strange at first, but you get used to it,” said Peters. “It’s really funny and cool.”
For Peters, there is also an important lesson that she will take with her the rest of her life. “If you have something to say, and you think it’s important, go for it!” she said.
【小題1】What bothered Peters when playing NHL games?

A．There was no girl character in the game.

B．The characters were not real at all.

C．No girls would like to play the game.

D．It was not like playing real hockey games.

【小題2】According to Peters’ letter, we can know that ________.

A．girls were not allowed to play hockey in the past

B．female players can be represented by men

C．boys don’t like to play hockey with girls

D．more and more girls are interested in hockey

【小題3】What was David Littman’s opinion of Peters’ letter?

A．He ignored it.	B．He disliked it.
C．He agreed to it.	D．He voted against it.

【小題4】Peters’ experience tells us that we should ________.

A．enjoy the fun of being a model

B．do what you think important to do

C．work hard to get used to any new situation

D．think about problems from different angles

Most people want to be successful, but never stop to think what it will really take to get there in their chosen field. If it means going back to college for 2 years of night school, could you do it ? If it means reading a book a week for about 6 months in order to really master a new skill ? If you aren’t prepared to do any of those things because they are outside of your comfort zone, then you can forget being succesful. I guarantee you will never reach your goals in life, unless your goals are to be ordinary.
The biggest killer by far is the dreaded “ comfort zone ” where most people live in their entire life. And the funny thing is that people just can’t wrap their heads around the fact that people who have reached some success get tons of time to just relax, but only because they’ve earned it ! If you haven’t built a successful business, or in some way built a career that allow you so much freee time, then you are stuck in the grinding world of nine-to-five jobs everyone else. So how comfortable is that ?
So what can you do about it ? Well, find a way to make something happen in your life--- build a business around your favourite hobby, write a book and publish it, or take a course in stock trading and become an expert at that, working on making enough money to retire. If you don’t take massive action that puts your way of your comfort zone, you will never be successful at much of anything. I promise--- and I don’t make many promises !
Finding real happiness in life can be a mystery for many. That’s why I wrote The Road to Happiness for those who want real success and happiness in life, including spirituality and all the gifts life has to offer.
Don’t wander aimlessly through life. Get focused on your goals, start helping others in need, and live life to the fullest ! Life is too short to be anything but happy. Visit my website and find what you’ve been missing. Sign up for my newsletter and get seven free ebooks, too ! Read hundreds of articles while you’re there in the article section, which is updated daily.
【小題1】This text must be taken from __________.

A．a(chǎn) radio program	B．a(chǎn) website
C．a(chǎn) newspaper	D．a(chǎn) TV program

【小題2】If you want to be successful in life, what should you do first ?

A．We should think what it really takes to be successful in our chosen field.

B．We should focus our full attention on the work in our chosen field.

C．We should live out of the “ comfort zone ” all through our life.

D．We should work together with other people to reach our goals in time.

【小題3】According to this text, why do some people have so much free time to relax ?

A．Because they have enough money to do so.

B．Because they don’t want to be successful.

C．Because they have already earned it through hard work.

D．Because they only work nine to five every day.

【小題4】The writer thinks it necessary for you to __________ if you want to be successful.

A．do a lot of actual work

B．write a book and publish it

C．take a course in stock trading

D．make enough money to retire

The quest for success always begins with a target. As Berra once said, “You got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there.”
Too many people wander through life like sleepwalkers．Each day they follow familiar routines, never asking, “What am I doing with my life?” and they don’t know what they’re doing because they lack goals．
Goal-setting is a focusing of the will to move in a certain direction．Begin with a clear conception of what you want．Write down your goals and date them—putting them into words clarifies them．Rather than concentrating on objects to acquire and possess, focus on fulfilling your desires to do, to produce, to contribute—goal-setting that yields the true sense of satisfaction we all need．
It’s important to visualize（想象）yourself accomplishing your goal．While losers visualize the penalties（不利）of failure, winners visualize the rewards of success．I’ve seen it among athletes, statistics contrasting air and highway safety, but it made no difference．I had read too many articles describing crash scenes and imagined these scenes vividly．I had programmed myself, without realizing it, to stay off planes．
Then one summer I had the opportunity to fly on a private plane with friends to a resort；I didn’t want to miss out on a great vacation．So I spent two weeks imagining a smooth flight on a beautiful sunny day and an easy landing．
When the day arrived, I was eager to go．To everyone’s surprise, I got on the plane and I loved every minute of it, and I still use the techniques I employed that day．
【小題1】According to the passage, if you want to be successful, the first thing for you to do is   ________．

A．find the right methods	B．be careful about everything
C．know your ability	D．have a clear goal

【小題2】If you have a target, you will ________．

A．wander like a sleepwalker

B．know well what you are doing

C．do the same work every day

D．put it into words

【小題3】The problem with the author before he overcame his fear of air travel is that________．

A．he didn’t know air travel is safer than highway travel

B．he couldn’t imagine himself accomplishing his goal

C．he read too much about plane crashes and tried to avoid flying

D．he wanted to take a private plane instead of a public one

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

A．Define Your Coal

B．Visualize Rewards of Success

C．Overcome the Fear of Air Travel

D．Sleepwalking Through Life

I was 15. She looked like she was over 70. But on that day. I think she understood me more than anyone else.
Walking into the church that Sunday was hard. I had never let anyone see me cry. But I knew I would cry that day .My grandfather was suddenly ill .The doctors said he might not live much longer. Everyone in my family was crying .Grandpa was the sweetest man in the world .Why was he leaving us?
There weren't many people at church that day. One of them was an old lady sitting at the end of my row. She was smiling. I closed my eyes and prayed （禱告）for my grandfather to get better. Soon, my eyes were full of tears. I opened my eyes and saw a hand in front of me. It was giving me a tissue(紙巾)。
The old lady was sitting next to me, smiling. She didn't say a word. She just gave me a tissue and a smile. I tried to thank her, but only tears came out. Then she took my hand. I looked into her eyes. They were clear and blue, and they make me feel peaceful. Her smile said to me :I am with you. Everything will be OK. I closed my eyes again. When I opened them, she wasn't there. I left the church but still couldn't find her. I never saw her again.
My grandfather died the next week. We all cried a lot. But when I thought of that old lady's warm smile, I felt a little better.
How did she know how I was feeling ? I wish I could see her again, to say thank you.
【小題1】The author went to church to _____.

A．pray for grandfather.

B．a(chǎn)sk the old lady for help.

C．a(chǎn)void being seen crying.

D．thank the old lady.

【小題2】Whose hand does the underlined word "It" in Paragraph 3 refer to

A．Grandfather's

B．The old lady's.

C．The author's.

D．Father's.

【小題3】What do we know about the old lady ?

A．She knows the author.	B．She can't speak.
C．She needs understanding.	D．She is very kind.

【小題4】What made the author feel better after Grandfather died ?

A．The old lady's words.	B．The old lady's smile.
C．The old lady's eyes.	D．The old lady's hand.

We were talking about engagement when my boyfriend, Jack, had to go to war. I was so afraid of losing him; the only way I could stay sane(保持清醒) was to dance. I became very good and critics praised me, but I could feel was the ache in my heart, no knowing whether the love of my life would ever return. And then one day a letter from him came:“I have lost my leg. I am no longer a whole man and now give you back your freedom. It is best you forget me.”
I made my decision there and then I left the city. When I returned I had bought myself a cane(拐杖) and learned to limp convincingly. I told everyone I had been in a car crash and that my leg would never completely heal again. My dancing days were over. No one suspected the story. And I made sure the first person to hear of my accident was a reporter. Then I travelled to the hospital. They had pushed him outside in his wheelchair. I leaned on my cane and limped to him.
I told him he was not the only one who had lost a leg, even if mine were still attached to me. I showed him newspaper clippings of my accident. “ There is a whole life waiting for us out there! And I am not going to carry you—you are going to walk yourself.”
I limped a few steps towards him and showed him what I’d taken out of my pocket.” Now show me you are still a man,” I said. He bent to take his cane and struggled out of that wheelchair. I could see he had not done it before, because he almost fell on his face. But I was not going to help. Finally he managed it on his own and walked to me and never sat in a wheelchair again in his life.
What I showed to him was engagement rings. And I would limp with him for the rest of life.
【小題1】The author felt ache in her heart though critics praised her dancing because_______.

A．She wasn’t sure if Jack still loved her.

B．Jack became handicapped and couldn’t walk

C．Jack asked her to forget about him

D．She was afraid that Jack might die in the war

【小題2】What decision did the author make after she received Jack’s letter?

A．To see Jack in the battlefield.	B．To leave the city for travel.
C．To give up dancing.	D．To see a reporter.

【小題3】What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 2?

A．She visited a hospital.	B．She broke her leg.
C．She helped push Jack’s wheelchair.	D．She had a car crash.

【小題4】After they met in the hospital, Jack ______.

A．gave her the engagement rings	B．got rid of the cane
C．picked up the hope of life	D．lived without a wheelchair

【小題5】Which of the following words can best describe the author?

A．Strong and optimistic	B．Clever and faithful
C．Timid but faithful	D．Brave and helpful.

Paula Radcliffe, chasing (角逐) a third London marathon title (馬拉松冠軍), says she has become a stronger person after her terrible experience at the 2004 Athens Games.
Radcliffe, who failed to complete the Olympic marathon and the 10,000m last August, said: “Athens made me a stronger person and it made me care less about criticism.”
“In the past I wanted to please everyone, but now I am going to listen even more to the people around me.”
She didn’t care about criticism made at the weekend by Liz McColgan, who felt Radcliffe should have rested and let her body recover after her failure in Athens.
“Liz is someone I look up to but she hasn’t spoken to me since last year and if she really cared for me, I'm sure she would have contacted me.”
Instead Radcliffe won the New York City marathon just 11 weeks after Athens.
“In New York I wasn’t in my best state but I did know I was good enough to win the race.”      Radcliffe insisted her only goal in Sunday’s race would be winning a third title and not chasing world records.
However, Radcliffe has not ruled out (排除) in the future chasing her "final" world record time and questioned sayings that marathon runners have the ability in their career to produce only four or five world-class times.
“I don't think that—although I can't put a number on it,” said Radcliffe. “That changes from person to person.”
Radcliffe is sure she can better her winning London 2003 performance at some point in the future. Following a successful three-month training period in the United States, the 31-year-old will chase a third title on Sunday after her first victory in 2002 and again 12 months later.
Radcliffe clocked a time of 2:18:56 in her first 42.2-kilometer race three years ago.
Afterwards she set a "mixed course" mark of 2:17:18 five months later in Chicago before lowering that to a time of 2:15:25 in the 2003 London event.
【小題1】Radcliffe’s failure in Athens made her       .

A．develop respect for Liz.	B．love people around her more.
C．rest for five months.	D．face criticism calmly.

【小題2】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Radcliffe broke the world record in the New York City marathon.

B．Radcliffe didn't fully recover before the New York City marathon.

C．Radcliffe won her first marathon title in the New York City marathon.

D．Radcliffe had a 3-month training before the New York City marathon.

【小題3】By saying “I can't put a number on it,” Radcliffe means she’s not sure        .

A．if she has the ability to set a new world record.

B．if she can win another race though she has won many times.

C．how many times a marathon runner can set the world record.

D．if she has the ability to produce four or five world-class times.

【小題4】What can we learn from Radcliffe's story?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Well begun is half done.
C．A friend in need is a friend indeed.	D．Where there is a will there is a way.

Recently, one of my best friends, whom I’d shared just about everything with since the first day of kindergarten, spent the weekend with me. Since I moved to a new town several years ago, we’d both always looked forward to the few times a year when we could see each other.
Over the weekend, we spent hours and hours, staying up late into the night, talking about the people she was hanging around with. She started telling me stories about her new boyfriend, about how she experimented with drugs and was into other bad habits. I was blown away! She told me how she had been lying to her parents because they didn’t want her around him.
I tried to convince her that she was ruining her future and heading for big trouble. But she didn’t believe me. Her self-respect seemed to have disappeared. I just couldn’t believe that she really thought it was acceptable to hang out with such a loser.
By the time she left, I was really worried about her. It had been so discouraging, and I had come close to telling her several times during the weekend that maybe we had just grown too far apart to continue our friendship—but I didn’t. I put the power of friendship to the ultimate(最終的)test. We’d been friends for far too long. I had to hope that she valued me enough to know that I was trying to save her from hurting herself. I wanted to believe that our friendship could conquer (克服)anything.
A few days later, she called to say that she had thought long and hard about our conversation，and then she told me that she had broken up with her boyfriend．I just listened on the other end of the phone with tears of joy running down my face. It was one of the truly rewarding moments in my life.
Never had I been so proud of a friend.
【小題1】From the beginning of the text，we can learn that the author     .

A．lost touch with the girl several years ago.

B．used to spend weekends with the girl.

C．moved to the same town as the girl.

D．kept in touch with the girl.

【小題2】It can be inferred that the girl       .

A．knew she was in danger.	B．took the author seriously.
C．lost hope of a bright future.	D．used to quarrel with her parents.

【小題3】What’s the author’s purpose in telling the story?

A．To show the power of friendship.

B．To describe the troubles of friendship.

C．To tell the necessity of trusting friends.

D．To tell the importance of keeping up with friends.

Someone asked me, “what do you think of youth?” I showed him a can of COKE. See this?
“C” means “courage”. There’s a seed in everyone’s heart. As long as you really keep watering it, it will grow and harvest. Courage gives us the power to follow our dreams. Believe in yourself and be prepared for anything in the future.
“O” stands for “optimism”. When in trouble, some people feel disappointed but some people still keep their dreams. Be sure to choose the latter. Life is very much like a mirror. If you smile on it, it smiles back on you. If you frown, you will get a similar look in return. Throw away the sadness in your heart while filling it with brightness and hope.
“K” can be understood as “knowledge”. In order to keep up with the times, we should use knowledge to enrich ourselves. Knowledge is the food of thought and, as long as it is put in our brain, we will grow wiser.
“E” is short for “enthusiasm (熱情)”. Enthusiasm is the sign of youth. We use colourful paint-brushes in our hands to create the pictures of youth on our own. Let the sky and sea know we’re young. Let out our enthusiasm wherever we go.
Drink a can of COKE. You will find your youth as refreshing (有活力的) as a can of coke. Enjoy and value your youth.
【小題1】In the passage, the word “COKE” refers to           .

A．a(chǎn) kind of drink young people enjoy

B．what young people should have

C．basic abilities young people need

D．young people’s confidence and pride

【小題2】The seed in everyone’s heart in fact is          .

A．hope

B．knowledge

C．courage

D．imagination

【小題3】What should young people do to prepare themselves for the highly technological future?

A．Learn to be an active learner.

B．Have confidence in themselves.

C．Follow their interests and dreams.

D．Be enthusiastic wherever they are.

【小題4】According to the writer, young people are           .

A．confident

B．optimistic

C．learned

D．enthusiastic

Short and shy, Ben Saunders was the last kid in his class picked for any sports team. "Football, tennis,cricket — anything with a round ball, I was useless." he says now with a laugh. But back then he was the object of jokes in school gym classes in England's rural Devonshire.
It was a mountain bike he received for his 15th birthday that changed him. At first the teen went biking alone in a nearby forest. Then he began to cycle along with a runner friend. Gradually, Saunders set his mind building up his body, increasing his speed, strength and endurance. At age 18, he ran his first marathon.
The following year, he met John Ridgway, who became famous in the 1960s for rowing an open boat across the Atlantic Ocean. Saunders was hired as an instructor at Ridgway's school of Adventure in Scotland, where he learned about the older man's cold-water exploits (成就). Intrigued, Saunders read all he could about Arctic explorers and North Pole expeditions, then decided that this would be his future.
Journeys to the Pole aren't the usual holidays for British country boys, and many people dismissed his dream as fantasy. "John Ridgway was one of the few who didn't say, 'You are completely crazy,'" Saunders says.
In 2001, after becoming a skilled skier, Saunders started his first long-distance expedition toward the North Pole. He suffered frostbite, had a closer encounter (遭遇) with a polar bear and pushed his body to the limit.
Saunders has since become the youngest person to ski alone to the North Pole, and he's skied more of the Arctic by himself than any other Briton. His old playmates would not believe the transformation.
This October, Saunders, 27, heads south to explore from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, an 1800-mile journey that has never been completed on skis.
【小題1】The turning point in Saunders'life came when ________.

A．he started to play ball games

B．he got a mountain bike at age 15

C．he ran his first marathon at age 18

D．he started to receive Ridgway's training

【小題2】We can learn from the text that Ridgway ________.

A．dismissed Saunders' dream as fantasy

B．built up his body together with Saunders

C．hired Saunders for his cold-water experience

D．won his fame for his voyage across the Atlantic

【小題3】What do we know about Saunders?

A．He once worked at a school in Scotland.

B．He followed Ridgway to explore the North Pole.

C．He was chosen for the school sports team as a kid.

D．He was the first Briton to ski alone to the North Pole.

【小題4】The underlined word "Intrigued" in the third paragraph probably means ________.

A．Excited

B．Convinced

C．Delighted

D．Fascinated

【小題5】It can be inferred that Saunders' journey to the North Pole ________.

A．was accompanied by his old playmates

B．set a record in the North Pole expedition

C．was supported by other Arctic explorers

D．made him well-known in the 1960s

A hug is a wonderful thing and it is a great gift to share with people. For some people, a hug is considered to be a great way to say “I care.” A hug communicates support, affection(喜愛(ài)), unity and belonging. A hug shows a strong feeling of sympathy. A hug brings happiness. A hug also touches the soul.
Hugs are healthy. Hugs can ease pain, reduce stress, cure depression and refresh the heart, yet they have no side effects…No wonder, it is a true miracle medicine.
A hug can say “I love you”…A hug can say “I hate to see you go”. A hug can say “ It’s good to have you back”. A hug can say “It’s great to see you’. A hug can say “I feel your pain”. A hug can also say “Let me share your burden”.
No matter whether you’re the giver or the receiver, hugs touch the inner being. From friends, to families, to loved ones, to those in need, a hug warms the heart.
A hug is truly amazing. It brings generosity(慷慨) to the giver and happiness to the receiver. It brings blessings to those who give and joy to those who receive.
Hugs are one of the reasons why God gave us arms. So, stretch out your arms to someone today. Reach out to those you love. It will warm the heart of the giver and give light to the soul of the receiver.
Reach out to your neighbor. It will show that you care. Reach out to one in need. It will show that you are responsible. Reach out to the world. It will show God that you care for his creation.
【小題1】What is the best title of the passage?

A．The advantages of hugs.	B．How should we hug
C．The tips on giving others hugs	D．The facts of hugs

【小題2】Hugs can benefit people in the following ways EXCEPT________.

A．improving the health	B．cheering people up
C．making receivers happy	D．creating great wealth

【小題3】According to the third paragraph, we can learn hugs can__________.

A．send some messages	B．make people come back
C．stop people going somewhere	D．break people’s hearts

【小題4】To show you care, you should reach out to_________.

A．those who need joy

B．your neighbor

C．those you miss

D．God

【小題5】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Sometimes hugs have side effects.

B．If people are sad, we'd better not hug them.

C．We must hug each of our neighbors every day.

D．People often feel joyful when they receive hugs.