Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn't matter where you live---in the middle of a modern city or a faraway village---the chances are that you’ll be disturbed by jet planes, transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they’re working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be a very frightening experience for a human being. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓). The noise level in some discos is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really influences their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise which doesn't change too much (music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.
【小題1】.
According to this passage, the noise pollution______.

A．has become the worst in the countryside

B．has become better in big cities

C．has spread from cities to villages

D．has been controlled in modern cities

Dreaming is believing, claim researchers of a new study, who found that dreams have an effect on people’s behavior, judgment and they might contain important hidden truths as well.
“Psychologists’ explanations of the meaning of dreams vary widely. But our findings show that people believe their dreams provide meaningful insightinto themselves and their world,” said a lead author of the study Carey Morewedge, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
In six different studies, researchers surveyed nearly 1,100 people about their dreams. One of the studies focused on general beliefs about dreams and involved 149 university students. All students were asked to rate different theories about dreams. The experts found that a surprising majority of the participants supported the theory about dreams revealing(揭示) the hidden truths about themselves and the rest of the world.
In a second experiment, they surveyed 182 people at a Boston train station, and asked them to imagine one out of four possible situation that could have occurred the night before a scheduled airline trip. Most of the participants said that dreaming of a plane crash would be more likely to affect their travel plans than would just thinking about a crash, or being warned by the government of a terrorism risk. They said a dreamed crash would influence their travel plans just as much as learning about a real crash on their planned route would.
Another experiment involved 270 men and women from across the United States. In a short online survey, they were asked to recall one of the dreams they had seen about any person they knew.
The findings showed that people were more likely to remember and describe pleasant dreams about a person they liked, rather than a person they disliked. Meanwhile, in most cases they tended to consider an unpleasant dream as more meaningful if it was about a person they disliked.
“In other words,” said Morewedge, “people attribute meaning to dreams when it corresponds (與……一致) with their pre-existing beliefs and desires.”
The researchers say that more investigation is needed to fully understand how people interpret their dreams. According to Morewedge, most people realize that dreams are not predicting their future, but they still try to find some meaning in there.
【小題1】. The purpose of the studies is to         .

A few years ago I was on a bicycle trip when I got off my bike for a rest. I sat down on the grass. A few seconds later, I was covered in ants. They were swarming all over me so I got up and brushed them off. It was a strange experience but I soon forgot about it.
A couple of years later, I was living in Jordan. I had just moved into a modern flat and was unpacking plates when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked over at the kitchen drawer and there was a cockroach(蟑螂)crawling out of it. I screamed. Then I grabbed a can of insecticide and sprayed it on the cockroach. He ran under the nearby bathroom door. It took me three days before I found the courage to open the bathroom door to see if he was still alive. He wasn’t.
Why did I react so violently to one lone insect when a closer encounter with hundreds of ants hardly affected me? The answer is easy: because cockroaches are creepy(令人毛骨悚然的) crawlies and ants aren’t. Creepy crawlies are those little bugs which cause feelings such as anxiety - they make your skin crawl.
Did you know that some people feel such a fear of bugs that it becomes a phobia(恐懼癥)? Psychologists have offered many explanations. Some say we associate them with dirt and disease. Or that these are life forms that are so alien to us, that we find them disgusting for their dissimilarity.
Insects, however, don’t follow our rules - they just do what they want and invade our space. Unfortunately, although insects and bugs have been a successful animal species up to now, many of them, like many other species nowadays, are under threat of dying out. Entomologistswarn that this could upset entire ecosystems and lead to all kinds of disastrous consequences.
So my advice to you is: the next time you feel the urge to stamp on, splatter or spray a creepy crawly, give a thought to the planet and stop.
【小題1】.. Why did the author mention the ants in the beginning?

Who’s in control of your life? Who’s pulling your strings? For the majority of us，it’s other people—society，colleagues，friends，family or our religious community．We learned this way of operating when we were very young，of course．We were brainwashed．We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us．As Oscar Wilde puts it，“Most people are other people．Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions，their lives a mimicry，their passions a quotation．”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are，it makes us feel good．We long for this good feeling like a drug—we are addicted to it and seek it out wherever we can．Therefore，we are so eager for the approval(贊同)of others that we live unhappy and limited lives，failing to do the things we really want to．Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix(一劑毒品)，we worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval．
But，just as with any drug，there is a price to pay．The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think．People have their own agenda，and they come with their own baggage and，in the end，they’re more
interested in themselves than in you．Furthermore，if we try to live by the opinions of others，we will build our life on sinking sand．Everyone has a different way of thinking，and people change
their opinions all the time．The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process．
So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way—make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think．We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values—not values imposed from the outside by others，but innate values which come from within．If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others，we will live a more authentic，effective，purposeful and happy life．
【小題1】．What Oscar Wilde says implies that        ．

A．we have thoughts similar to those of others

B．most people have a variety of thoughts

C．other people’s thoughts are more important

D．most people’s thoughts are controlled by others

The biggest safety threat（威脅）facing airlines today may not be a man with a gun ,but the man with portable（便攜式）computer in business class .In the past 15 years ,pilots have reported about over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electro-magnetic interference(電磁干擾) .The source of this interference remain unclear ,but increasingly ,experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic devices（設(shè)備）such as portable computers ,radio and mobile telephones .
RTCA ,an organization which advises the aviation industry ,has suggested that all airlines ban, such devices from being used during “key” stages of flight ,particularly take-off and landing .Some experts have gone further ,calling for a total ban during all flights .Nowadays ,rules on using these devices are left up to airlines. And although some airlines ban passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing ,most are not willing to exercise a total ban ,if many passengers want to work during flights .
The difficulty is understanding how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft’s computers .Experts know that portable devices give off radiation which affects those wave lengths which aircraft uses for communication .But because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory ,they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not .
The fact that aircraft may be in trouble because of the interference raises the danger
that some people may use radio systems in order to damage navigation（導(dǎo)航）equipment .As worrying ,though ,is the passenger who can’t hear the instruction to turn off his radio because the music is too loud .
【小題1】.
.What is said about over 100 aircraft incidents in the past 15 years ?
A They may have taken place during take-off and landing .
B They have been caused by the damage to the radio systems .
C They were said to have resulted from electro-magnetic interference .
D They were caused by the passengers’ portable computers .
【小題2】.
. Few airlines want to refuse a total ban on their passengers because ____ .
A they have other effective safety measures to fall back on
B they don’t believe there is such a danger as radio interference
C the effect of electromagnetic interference is yet to be proved
D most passengers refuse to take a plane which bans the use of radio 
【小題3】.
. Why is it difficult to see the effects of electromagnetic fields on computers ?
A Experts lack proper equipment to such research .
B It is dangerous to carry out such research on an airplane .
C It remains a question what wave lengths are to be interfered with .
D Scientists are not able to produce the same effects in laboratory .
【小題4】.
It can be inferred from the passage that the author ___ .
A hasn’t formed his own opinion on this problem
B has fully understood the danger of electromagnetic interference
C regards it is as unreasonable to exercise a total ban during flight
D is in favor of banning passengers’ use of electronic devices

  If there is one thing I’m sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives—the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though. It’s already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic(基因)engineering. In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do—as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
It’s quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted(傳送)electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact, I’m pretty sure how it will happen in the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read—sports and international news, etc. .
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media. They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn’t happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound lost in the air. And as for the Internet, it’s never really pleasant to read something  just  on  a screen.
【小題1】.
. What is the best title for the passage?
A The Best Way to Get News
B The Changes of Media
C  Make Your Own Newspaper
D The Future of Newspaper
【小題2】.
In the writer’s opinion, in the future,_____.
A. more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news
B. newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer
C newspapers will cover more scientific research
D more and more people will watch TV
【小題3】.
From the passage, we can infer____.
A newspapers will win the competition among the different media
B newspapers will stay with us together with other media
C television will take the place of newspaper
D the writer believes some media will die out
【小題4】.
. The phrase “feed off” in the last paragraph means____.
A depend on       B compete with                   C fight with       D kill off

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.
Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared（宣告）a National Monument（紀念碑）and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.
Here nature created a lot of surprise, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent（頻繁的）wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most surprising and variable（多變的）parts of Death Valley is the Devil’ s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures（沙雕）stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.
【小題1】.. _______ is the lowest place in the desert.

What do you know about the sea? You may have seen it. Some of us have swum or bathed in it. It looks beautiful on a fine sunny day and it can be very rough when there is a strong wind. What other things do we know about it? Of course, the sea is very large. In the world there is more sea than land. The sea covers three quarters of the earth. The sea is also very deep in some places. It is not deep everywhere, some parts of it are very great. At one spot, near Japan the sea is nearly 11 kilometers deep! Just think of it, the highest mountain in the world is only about 9 kilometers high! If you have swum in the sea, you know that the water is salty. Rivers carry salt from the land into the sea. Some parts of the sea are more salty than other parts. Do you know the Dead Sea in Arabia? It is very salty. Swimmers cannot sink in it! Fish cannot live in the Dead Sea. It is a strange sea. In most parts of the sea, there are a lot of fishes and plants. Some live near the top of the sea. Others live deep down. No sunlight can reach the depth of the sea. So it is completely dark. Strange fishes live there. Some are blind. Some have their own lights. Some have great jaws. With their great jaws, they swallow fish larger than themselves. The sea can be very cold. Deep sea divers know this well. At the top of the water may be warm. Then as the divers go down, the sea becomes colder and colder.
Many scientists are now making a study of animal and plant life in the sea. They hope to find new resources for mankind.
【小題1】. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Land covers one fourth of the area of the earth.

B．The depths of the sea are different in different places.

C．The depth of a sea at one spot near Japan is nearly the height of the highest mountain.

D．The salt in the sea mainly comes from the land.

Twenty-five years ago if you made a trip to the local library and searched for articles on globing warming, you’d probably come up with a few from the leading magazines in the world. As an Internet search on global warming now shows, the subject has become as rooted in people’s mind as Madonna or microwave cooking.
With the possible exception of another world war, a giant planet, or an incurable disease, global warming may be the largest danger to our planet. For decades human factories and cars have sent billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the climate has begun to show some signs of warming. If steps are not taken soon to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide sent into the atmosphere, the result could terribly affect human life. We have already seen growing destruction, such as drought and death in Sudan, flooding in Asia, bush fires in Indonesia, and fierce winter storms in central Europe.
The Republic of Maldives is barely above sea level. Its 250, 000 citizens are scattered across 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean. A strong typhoon could spell the end for the entire country, as sea levels could continue rising. The entire population would have to be moved away as the country disappears under the sea.
The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring phenomenon that keeps our planet at a comfortable temperature averaging 60°F. Since the mid-nineteenth century, however, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased nearly 30% because of the increased use of fossil fuels to run cars, heat homes and power factories. Without controlling, the amount of carbon-dioxide by 2100 may increase by 30%-150% and could lift the average global temperature by up to 2.5° F the next 50 years.
【小題1】.
With the first paragraph, the author intends to       .

A．can only affect the earth in an unfavorable way

B．is something easy to control

C．is caused by human act

D．will be good to us if it remains at a proper level

The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means （通訊設(shè)備）.Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, Man moved to another place. But this is no longer true. Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air.
Pollution by carbon dioxide is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. It is true that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must take care of the rise in population at the same time.
【小題1】.
. Hundreds of years ago, the pollution was _________it is today.