It was Thanksgiving morning and in the crowded kitchen of my small home I was busy preparing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children in rags huddling together. “Any old papers, lady?” asked one of them.
I was busy. I wanted to say “no” until I looked down at their feet. They were wearing thin little sandals, wet with heavy snow.
“Come in and I’ll make you a cup of hot cocoa.”
They walked over and sat down at the table. Their wet sandals left marks upon the floor. I served them cocoa and bread with jam to fight against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget.
The silence in the front room struck me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice, “Lady, are you rich?”
I looked at my shabby slipcovers. The girl put her cup back in its saucer carefully and said, “Your cups match your saucers.” Her voice was hungry with a need that no amount of food could supply. They left after that, holding their bundles of papers against the wind. They hadn’t said “Thank you.” They didn’t need to. They had reminded me that I had so much for which to be grateful. Plain blue china cups and saucers were only worth five pence. But they matched.
I tasted the potatoes and stirred the meat soup. Potatoes and brown meat soup, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job—these matched, too.
I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my floor. Let them be for a while, I thought, just in case I should begin to forget how rich I am.
【小題1】Two children came to the writer’s front door because _________________.

A．it was Thanksgiving Day	B．they were beggars
C．they wanted old papers	D．they wanted a cup of cocoa

【小題2】Why did the writer let the children in?

A．She showed great pity on them

B．She had old papers to sell

C．She wanted to invite them to her Thanksgiving feast

D．She wanted them to see how rich she was

【小題3】The girl thought the writer was rich perhaps because ________________.

A．she saw that the lady’s room was comfortable

B．she saw the cups matched the saucers

C．the writer’s slipcovers were very new

D．the writer was preparing a big meal while she was too hungry.

【小題4】From the passage, we can infer that whether you are rich depends on ________.

A．how much money you have had

B．how you feel about your life

C．how you have helped others

D．what job your husband is doing

【小題5】The writer left the muddy prints of small sandals on the floor for a while to ____________.

A．show her husband that someone had come

B．remind her that she had helped two children

C．remind her that she was very rich in the neighborhood

D．remind her how life should be

“The more you learn, the more you earn,” said the pop singer Cyndi Lauper as she accepted her high school diploma(證書) , at the age of 35 ! Although Cyndi made it without a high school degree, most people don't. In the USA today, about 75% of jobs need some education or technical training further than high school. The lowest wage earners in the USA are those without high school degrees; college graduates(畢業(yè)生) outearn those without a college education. People with master's degrees（碩士學(xué)位）outearn those with only a bachelor (學(xué)士學(xué)位); and the highest incomes of all are earned by people with advanced professional or academic degrees. These generalizations explain why most of young Americans go to college. However, despite the averages, more diplomas don't always mean more money. Many skilled blue-collar workers, salespeople, business executives, and entrepreneurs(企業(yè)家)outearn college professors and scientific researchers. And great athletes and entertainers outearn everyone else!
【小題1】Cyndi Lauper ______. 

A．had been studying in high school before she was thirty-five

B．wasn't clever because she graduated from high school too late

C．got her high school diploma when she was already thirty-five

D．didn't like studying

【小題2】According to the passage,______.

A．high school diploma and high school degree are the same thing

B．people can't get both high school diploma and degree

C．people must get both high school diploma and degree

D．people can get both high school diploma and degree or either

【小題3】Why do most American young people go to college?

A．Because their parents force them to go to college.

B．Because they can't get a job if they don't go to college.

C．Because the situation of the society make them go to college.

D．Because they like studying.

【小題4】What may the underlined word “outearn” mean?

A．Earning more money.	B．Earning less money.
C．Earning no money.	D．Working better.

【小題5】Which of the following is right?

A．If you don't have a diploma, you can't earn money.

B．Those who have diplomas always earn more money than those who don't have diplomas.

C．Less diplomas always mean less money.

D．Great athletes may earn more money than other people.

Freda Bright says, "Only in opera do people die of love." It's true. You really can't love somebody to death. I've known people to die from no love, but I've never known anyone to be loved to death. We just can't love one another enough.
A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer. To her delight, the boss agreed to a raise.                                                
The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive meal. She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off, or... did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?
She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read: "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you."
Following the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card had fallen from his pocket. Picking it off the floor, she read: "Don't worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you."
Someone has said that the measure of love is when you love without measure. What this man feels for his wife is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails. His love celebrates her victories and soothes her wounds. He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction.
Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said: "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." And love your friends. Love them without measure.
【小題1】The sentence in the first paragraph “Only in opera do people die of love.” means _______.

A．no love in the world is believable

B．love is one thing, and life is another

C．love in operas is truly touching

D．love can survive forever, though people die at different ages

【小題2】That the husband prepared her a second letter about her raise suggests that______.

A．he loves her because he believes that she is sure to receive a raise

B．he has a great way to promote his wife’s love towards him

C．he had a false love for people even if the person is his wife

D．he loves his family members truly, whether they are in good conditions or not

【小題3】From the text, we might say the author_____.

A．refuses any spiritual emotions as embraced and kissed

B．criticize the attitude of suspicion (懷疑) of the love

C．doesn’t believe there is true love in the world

D．thinks the true love does not expect repayment

My bookshelves are full of dust — and with good reason. When it comes to cleaning that part of my home, I suffer from the most serious case of avoidance (回避反應(yīng)癥).
The thing is this: when I do set out to clean and re-organize my books, which seldom happens, I place myself into a really bad situation. No sooner do I take a title from the shelf, blow off the dust, and wipe down the cover than I find myself sitting on the floor with legs crossed and my back against the wall. Pretty soon books get piled up on my legs as I am reunited with old friends.
It is as if these books have voices, and each wants to say its piece. “Remember me? I was given to you when you went into the Navy, so that you would never lack for companionship,” one whispers. Another says, “I was your first book of poems, given to you before you learned to love poetry.” And a third, “I was the book that made history so attractive to you.”
Perhaps the greatest pleasure of re-organizing my books are the surprises — or better said, reunions — that occur. During my latest book-cleaning adventure, I found one that had fallen behind the shelf: “Tales of Edgar Allan Poe.” Not an unusual title, but the words written on the first page made it very special: “With Love from Mom and Dad, Christmas 1965.” What’s this? A book on the physics of lasers（激光）. It is filled with mathematical statements, and I had bought it at a library sale when I was 12, not long after the laser had been invented. I couldn’t understand a bit of it, but I did learn what “l(fā)aser” meant.
What I end up with when I empty my bookshelves is a cross-section (橫剖面) of my personal history. It’s like a road cut where one sees all the layers of rock going back through time to the beginning of the simplest life forms. The books I’ve read — and kept — are not just old friends. They are my résumé.
【小題1】What could be said about the author?

A．He is too busy to tidy up his bookshelves.

B．He considers his books treasured possessions.

C．He has made a lot of notes in his books.

D．He is a lover of science books.

【小題2】By saying that his books have voices, the author means ________ .

A．they bring back happy memories

B．they are recorded in human voice

C．they say a lot about human history

D．they offer good topics for discussion

【小題3】What does the author enjoy most from re-organizing his books?

A．Finding some missing books.

B．Putting books in good order.

C．Learning something new from the books.

D．Rediscovering interesting stories behind some books.

【小題4】The underlined word “résumé” in the last paragraph probably means ______.

A．personal history

B．precious notes

C．good companion

D．simple life forms

I can still remember the first day when I met my best friend. She had just moved into the neighborhood and her grandmother brought her down to meet me. I hid behind my mother and she hid behind her grandmother, scared to look at each other.
Soon, we lost the shyness and started playing with each other, bike riding to each other’s house and having sleepovers. In 7^th grade she was going through family problems. However, every summer we would always sit at each other’s house and watch movies on TV and talk about all the boys we liked.
It was last year when I noticed the problem. She suffered from clinical depression（抑郁癥）, and had to go to a hospital during the day. I was very sorry for her at first. But with the late night calls, and meeting each other halfway up the street at midnight, we still stayed in touch. I wanted to be there for her since her new best friend left her, and I knew I still cared about her like a sister.
Yesterday she came to me and said this. “I never knew what a best friend was until you were the only person that would stop me from cutting myself; the only person that ever made me feel better about myself and my problems. You didn’t know this but I was trying to kill myself that very night you called me and I was crying. I owe you so much, and you didn’t even know you were helping me. ”
We both cried. And I guess a kind of lesson from my life so far is to never give up your friends. Even if they aren’t as cool as others, or people think they are crazy, they need someone there. If you leave them, you will only be very sorry. So if friends need you, and you care for them, you should be always there for them.
【小題1】Why did the two girls hide behind their family members when they first met?

A．Because they were playing a game.

B．Because they didn’t like each other.

C．Because they quarreled before.

D．Because they were both shy.

【小題2】What would have happened to her friend if the author had not cared about her?

A．She would have lost her new best friend.

B．She would have killed herself that night.

C．She would have run away from her family.

D．She would have stayed in hospital for a long time.

【小題3】What lesson does the author learn from the story?

A．Always care for your friends.

B．Don’t care about others’ opinions.

C．Never owe your friends too much.

D．Try to be as cool as others.

Children today would rather toy with new technologies. The role of children has changed as well as that of teens. The world has truly evolved (進(jìn)化）throughout the years.
Today，a typical day in the life of a five year old is entirely different from what it once was. A few decades ago children used to work. They did the kind of work parents do today. Today there are shows on which children are putting pounds of makeup on and have flashing things all over their bodies. This makes a child want to paper over all of their imperfections. They think they have to look perfect all the time.
Teens have changed as well. My grandma got married when she was thirteen. Girls who had an arranged marriage had no time to play because they were expected to cook, clean，take care of the kids, and do housework every single day. Today，we go to school every morning, maybe participate in some after-school activities, and possibly go to work for extra cash. Then we go home and do homework, and eat. After all of this we have to find the time to socialize by texting, talking on the phone, or logging on to social networking sites. We enjoy ourselves a lot.
The generation before us complains about how they did not have the things we have now. They say we are not appreciative and do not value life or just do not care about our futures anymore. Let's make a change! The youth have the power to work on whatever they believe in and make a difference in the world. Take advantage of your resources. It is never too late to make a positive change in our world.
【小題1】The role of children and teens has changed mainly because _____.

A．new technologies are developing and widely used

B．they don't have to work hard as their parents did

C．their world has truly evolved

D．they look perfect all the time

【小題2】The underlined phrase (in the 2nd Para. ) probably means to _____.

A．put up with

B．make up for

C．put aside

D．cover up

【小題3】We can learn from the text that nowadays teenagers _____.

A．do housework as their parents did

B．a(chǎn)re having a social life in richer ways

C．a(chǎn)re seldom satisfied with what they have

D．don't appreciate and value life

【小題4】The author's attitude towards changes of teen’s life is _____.

A．critical

B．neutral

C．optimistic

D．complaining

A major new development in system of work in Britain is taking place. Flexible working hours, or “Flextime”, are catching on fast, and trend is continuing. In 1973, over 500 organizations had adopted the idea, and by 1974, this number had risen to over 200,000.
Flexible working hours were invented in Germany in the late 1960’s, but reached Britain only in 1972. The system allows workers to start and finish work whenever they want, with only two requirements. These are, firstly, that all workers must present for certain “key” times in the day, and secondly, that all workers must work an agreed total number of hours per week.
The system had proved a total success wherever it has been tried. A survey of 700 workers on flexible hours showed three main advantages: a better balance between working and private life, avoidance of the need to travel during rush hours and the ability to finish a certain task before leaving.
From the employer’s point of view, the system tends to increase productivity, reduce labour turnover and give workers a greater sense of duty. At first, “Flexible” was mainly confined to white-collar workers, but it is now being applied to manual workers too.
【小題1】According to “Flextime” system, workers need not _________.

A．work at the same time	B．work all the weekdays
C．work hard	D．a(chǎn)sk for leave when being absent

【小題2】“Key” time is a period when _________.

A．visitors come to the plants

B．a(chǎn)ll workers must be at work

C．employers go round in the workshop

D．rush hours are over

【小題3】No matter where it is used, this system has proved _________.

A．entirely effective	B．totally correct
C．a(chǎn) complete failure	D．quite difficult

【小題4】One of the great advantages of “Flextime” for workers is that they _________.

A．have a great sense of duty	B．can avoid busy traffic
C．can get higher pay	D．can avoid working hard

As I sit at home thinking about my upcoming adventure and the things I need to bring, it makes me even more excited to begin my travel. I will be making my way around the world.
The first places on the list are Andalusia and Africa in the book The Alchemist. I will need to pack a lot of things and make sure I have enough money to provide myself with food and enough to drink. The Sahara desert is always hot and requires plenty of water.
Next I will head to Mexico in the book Born to Run, where I will meet the Tarahumara Indian tribe(部落). I will need to get into shape and do some jogging(慢跑) if I want to keep up with them. I will have to pack my running shoes, though, because the Tarahumarans have mastered the art of running on the tough land.
After Mexico, my journey takes me to the Egyptian desert in the novelThe Paris Vendetta. There I hope to help uncover an ancient conspiracy (陰謀) that goes back centuries. Just like my trip to Andalusia, I will have to make sure I have plenty of water. Packing the Camelbak products seems like the best idea, so I will have enough on hand at all times. I expect this adventure to be quite interesting, and I am very excited about it.
Lastly, I will make my way back to America in the book Shattered: Struck Down, But Not Destroyed. This makes me feel excited because like the main character in the book, I also wanted to become a professional athlete when I was younger. For this trip, I will go with an open mind and hopefully meet some friends along the way.
I am ready to embark on my adventure of traveling, and I cannot wait any longer!
【小題1】How will the author go on adventure?

A．By carrying a lot of equipment.

B．By reading novels.

C．By daydreaming.

D．By marking out routes.

【小題2】According to the passage, the Tarahumaras _______.

A．come from India	B．a(chǎn)re good at running
C．need running shoes	D．own amounts of land

【小題3】The Camelbak products are probably made to _______.

A．help people find out the truth

B．supply people with water

C．protect people from the sun

D．show people the right direction

【小題4】The underlined words“embark on” in the last paragraph probably mean “________”.

A．start

B．prepare

C．a(chǎn)ppreciate

D．record

Feeling blue about world? “Cheer up.” Says science writer Matt Ridley．”The world has never been a better place to live in, and it will keep on getting better both for humans and for nature．”
Ridley calls himself a rational optimist—rational, because he’s carefully weighed the evidence; optimistic, because that evidence shows human progress to be both unavoidable and good．And this is what he’s set out to prove from a unique point of view in his most recent book．The Rational Optimist．He views mankind as grand enterprise that on the whole, has done little but progress for 100,000 years．He backs his finding with hard facts gathered through years of research．
Here’s how he explains his views．
1) Shopping fuels invention
It is reported that there are more than ten billion different products for sale in London alone．Even allowing for the many people who still live in poverty, our own generation has access to more nutritious food, more convenient transport, bigger houses, better ears, and of course, more pounds and dollars than any who lived before us．This will continue as long as we use these things to make other things. The more we specialize and exchange, the better off we’ll be．
2）Brilliant advances
One reason we are richer, healthier, taller, cleverer, longer-lived and freer than ever before is that the four most basic human needs -food, clothing, fuel and shelter- have grown a lot cheaper．Take one example．In 1800 a candle providing one hour’s light cost six hours’ work．In the 1880s the same light from an oil lamp took 15 minutes’ work to pay for．In 1950 it was eight seconds．Today it’s half second．
3）Let’s not kill ourselves for climate change
Mitigating（減輕）climate change could prove just as damaging to human welfare as climate change itself．A child that dies from indoor smoke in a village, where the use of fossil-fuel（化石燃料）electricity is forbidden by well - meaning members of green political movements trying to save the world, is just as great a tragedy as a child that dies in a flood caused by climate change．If climate change proves to be mild, but cutting carbon causes real pain, we may well find that we have stopped a nose - bleed by putting a tourniquet（止血帶）around our necks．
【小題1】What is the theme of Ridley’s most recent book?

A．Weakness of human nature．

B．Concern about climate change．

C．Importance of practical thinking．

D．Optimism about human progress．

【小題2】How does Ridley look at shopping?

A．It encourages the creation of things．

B．It results in shortage of goods．

C．It demands more fossil fuels．

D．It causes a poverty problem．

【小題3】The candle and lamp example is used to show that    ．

A．oil lamps give off more light than candles

B．shortening working time brings about a happier life．

C．a(chǎn)dvanced technology helps to produce better candles．

D．increased production rate leads to lower cost of goods．

I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do. Over the next six years, I was treading water, just trying to earn an income. I tried journalism, but I didn’t think I was any good, then finance, which I hated. Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher. I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull.
I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel. Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words.
It takes confidence to make a new start—there’s a dark period in-between where you’re neither one thing nor the other. You’re out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you’re too ashamed to say, “Well, I’m writing a novel, but I’m not quite sure if I’m going to get there.” My confidence dived. Believing my novel could not be published, I put it aside.
Then I met an agent(代理商) who said I should send my novel out to agents. So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback. I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel.
The next problem was finding a publisher. After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal—that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for.
It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck—of fate, really. When you set out to do something different, there’s no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract(合同)of the publisher—to be a published writer—is unbelievably rewarding(有回報(bào)的).
【小題1】What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．I was waiting for good fortune.

B．I was trying to find an admirable job.

C．I was being aimless about a suitable job.

D．I was doing several jobs for more pay at a time.

【小題2】The author decided to write a novel              .

A．to finish the writing course	B．to realize her own dream
C．to satisfy readers’ wish	D．to earn more money

【小題3】How did the writer feel halfway with the novel?

A．Disturbed.

B．Ashamed.

C．Confident.

D．Uncertain.

【小題4】What does the author mainly want to tell readers in the last paragraph?

A．It pays to stick to one’s goal.

B．Hard work can lead to success.

C．She feels like being unexpectedly lucky.

D．There is no end in sight when starting to do something.