September can be a depressing month. The summer holidays are over, it’s time to go back to work or school and Christmas is four months away. However, for some people it’s the perfect time to get away.
These days more and more people are taking their holidays late in the year and for good reasons. Holidays in autumn can be cheaper, the resorts are less crowded and the weather isn’t as extreme as it is in the summer. So, where are the best places to go? Here are our top tips.
Sardinia (in Italy) has an average temperature of 27℃ in September. It also has “Autunno in Barbagia” (Autumn in Barbagia) a series of festivals that take place in 27 villages in Barbagia, a mountainous region of inland Sardinia. The festivals continue from September to December, so there’s always something happening. There are street markets, craft workshops and there’s lots of eating and drinking (This is Italy, after all).
Dubrovnik Croatia has become very popular in summer but it’s quieter and more pleasant once the crowds have left. The weather is still warm but less humid. You can take a ferry to the popular beaches on the islands of Sunj and enjoy it with locals.
Dahab Egypt, is extremely hot in the summer with temperatures up to 38℃. However, the autumn is cooler while the sea is still warm. This makes Dahab the perfect place for snorkeling and windsurfing. There are also interesting historical sites to visit such as the Coloured Canyon, with its dramatic rock formations, and St Catherine’s Monastery, at the foot of Mount Sinai.
Kas is a relaxed fishing village on the Lycian coast in southern Turkey. There are plenty of things to do and the temperature has dropped (so you can actually enjoy doing them!) Kas is a good place to stay if you want to walk part of the Lycian way: a long-distance footpath that stretches for 500km from Fethiye to Antalya through the ancient land of Lycia. There are also watersports, of course. The best time to go diving is supposed to be after the first rains of autumn (usually between late September and early October) when the fish become most active.
Marrakech Morocco is another good destination. The city itself is a fascinating place to spend a few days. When you have had enough of that, go to Tigmi, a beautiful hill town about 20 kilometers away. There’s a hammam (a Turkish bath) and a large heated pool, which makes it the perfect place to relax.
Wherever you go this autumn – have fun!
【小題1】Here are the good reasons for people to take holidays in autumn except that _______.

A．Holidays in autumn can be cheaper

B．the scenery in autumn is more attractive

C．the resorts in autumn are less crowded

D．The weather is neither too hot nor too cold

【小題2】We can infer from Paragraph 3 that _______________.

A．visitors can take part in a series of festivals in October in Barbagia

B．Barbagia in Egypt is surrounded by mountains

C．the festivals continue from September to November

D．the temperature in Sardinia in September is always below 27℃

【小題3】For someone who enjoys walking, __________ is the best choice.

A．Kas

B．Marrakech

C．Dahab

D．Dubrovnik

【小題4】Which of the following places may not be close to sea?

A．Dubrovnik

B．Dahab

C．Kas

D．Marrakech

Travel is exciting and summer is a busy period for holiday travel. Many people will travel great distances in airplanes, cars or other vehicles. Experts say people should know about other health problems that can strike when traveling by air.
One of these is a condition called hypoxia (缺氧癥). It results from a lack of oxygen to the brain. Experts say the body begins losing oxygen minutes after an airplane leaves the ground. The air pressure in a plane during flight is lower than at sea level. This makes it more difficult for the body to effectively use the same amount of oxygen as it would on the ground. Fewer oxygen molecules （分子） cross the tissues (組織) in the lungs and reach the bloodstream.
The result is a five to twenty percent drop in the amount of oxygen in the blood. This reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the organs of the body.
One effect of this lack of oxygen to the brain is a headache. When this happens, the heart attempts to fix the situation by beating harder and faster. This can make the traveler feel tired.
These signs of hypoxia are not dangerous in a healthy person. But a drop in oxygen level can cause a health emergency in people with heart or lung problems. They might lose consciousness or even suffer a heart attack.
Experts say that smoking cigarettes and drinking alcoholic liquids also reduce the body’s ability to use oxygen. So they suggest that people not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes either before or during a flight. They also say persons with heart or lung problems should seek advice from their doctors before flying.
【小題1】The author writes the passage mainly to ___.

A．warn people in airplanes of possible dangers

B．offer some advice on avoiding health problems

C．explain the causes and effects of hypoxia

D．a(chǎn)dvise people not to smoke or drink alcohol

【小題2】According to the passage, what leads to hypoxia?

A．The brain lacks enough oxygen.

B．The air pressure in a plane is too high

C．Our body needs less oxygen during takeoff.

D．The bloodstream contains no oxygen molecules.

【小題3】The underlined part “fix the situation” means “___”.

A．use more oxygen it needs

B．increase the air pressure

C．reduce the amount of blood

D．bump more blood to the brain

【小題4】Why should passengers not smoke or drink before flying?

A．They weaken the body’s ability to use oxygen.

B．Smoking may pollute the air inside the airplane.

C．Drinking alcohol may raise one’s blood pressure.

D．Drinking is forbidden at the airport.

【小題5】Do you think which the following title is the best title for this passage?

A．Tralling

B．how to travel

C．some suggestions about on the plane while travelling

D．the causes and effects of hypoxia

The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It’s said that it’s the day that store ledgers(分類賬)move into the black and companies become profitable. On that day, retailers slash(砍) prices to get consumers to buy.  It is also a time when many Americans start their Christmas shopping. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that bargain day.
This day should be a shopper’s dream. “It’s just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for a lesser price,” said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it’s a nightmare for others. “I think it’s crazy. I’ve done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don’t have to go out on Friday,” she said. It’s called Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it’s the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts everywhere you look.
Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart worker in a New York suburb. This year, many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. “This is a huge time for the retail stores,” said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. “This is when they begin making their profits for the year.”
Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending less. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are traditionally closed.  Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning.
And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy Thomas says it’s an annual family tradition and well worth it. “I just save maybe half of what I would have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip,” she said.
Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more carefully.
【小題1】By saying “This day should be a shopper’s dream”, the writer means ________ .

A．shoppers have longed for this day for a long time

B．the shops will be very crowded on that day

C．the shops will keep open until the daybreak of next day

D．shoppers can buy many items at low prices on that day

【小題2】Why are many stores increasing security according to the passage?

A．Because there are too many people saving more and spending less.

B．Because it’s a time when they begin making their profits for the year.

C．Because last year a crowd of bargain-hunters caused an accident.

D．Because many stores open their doors from midnight to four a.m.

【小題3】From the passage we know that_________.

A．Christmas shopping is traditional time and this year it is no exception.

B．Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually least discounted.

C．The economy only affects consumers on that bargain day.

D．Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.

【小題4】We can find this passage in_________.

A．a(chǎn) science fiction

B．a(chǎn) travel brochure

C．a(chǎn)n economic research report

D．a(chǎn) book on psychology

【小題5】Why American people call it a black day?

A．Because they organize activities in honor of some great person.

B．Because there are too many people going out shopping for Christmas.

C．Too many people are celebrating Thanks giving.

D．The sky is black that day.

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。
I found the imagination of becoming a grandmother somewhat discouraging. I was younger than I thought a grandmother should be when I got the news that I was going to become one myself. I admit, it was not a role that I was emotionally ready to accept. I had been a young mother, and had certainly hoped my daughter would not face that same challenge. I remarried when she was a teenager, and then had two more children. On getting the news that she was expecting(懷孕), I remember thinking “What do I know about being a grandmother? —I haven’t even finished raising my own kids yet!” I don’t like to be unprepared, so I read a few books about grandparenting. That gave me a little help, but I was still uncertain. I thought about other grandmothers I knew, and got a few ideas I liked and a few more that I didn’t. But I couldn’t quite figure out what kind of grandmother I wanted to be. Then I thought about my own grandmother, Granny, as she’s known by most people, and I knew I had the answer.
I didn’t realize it until that moment, but my own grandmother was the example for the kind of grandmother I wanted to be. I am fortunate that I got to spend a lot of time with my grandparents when I was a little kid. Here is what I learned from my Granny：
Grandmothers always have a cookie jar. For my whole life, Granny always had a cookie jar full of cookies. When I was a little tiny girl, just at eye level with the counter, Granny would get the cookie jar down for me. When I was a little older I learned how to pull the chair over so I could reach. As I got taller, if I really stretched, I could reach the cookie jar with my finger tips and move it close enough to get it down off the counter to find out what kind of treat was inside. Always the first thing I did when I went to Granny’s house was check the cookie jar, and there were always cookies in it. Many years later, I’ll drive my own children to Granny’s house and the first thing to do is get us all a cookie.
So grandmothers must have a cookie jar, and on my granddaughter’ s first Christmas，my daughter bought me my own cookie jar. She said when they came to see me，her daughter would find the treat the way she did and I did.
【小題1】The writer thought it was a little discouraging to be a grandmother because________.

A．she was not old enough to be one

B．she was not emotionally ready to be one

C．she thought her daughter was too young to be a mother

D．grandmother should be older than she was

【小題2】The underlined phrase “that same challenge ” in the first paragraph refers to “________”

A．taking care of a grandchild

B．taking care of a baby

C．being a young grandmother

D．being a young mother

【小題3】It can be inferred from the last paragraph that________.

A．the writer has many happy memories of her grandmother’s cookie jar

B．the writer always wanted to know what was inside her grandmother’s cookie jar

C．the writer often drove her grandchildren to see her grandmother’s cookie jar

D．women of the writer ‘s age all have a cookie jar for their grandchildren

【小題4】What kind of grandmother did the writer want to be?

A．One who has a jar filled with many kinds of cookies for children and herself.

B．One who grows up with her grandmother^ cookie jar with all kinds of cookies.

C．One who is like her own grandmother with a cookie jar to treat her grandchildren.

D．One who always makes different kinds of cookies to treat her grandchildren.

【小題5】Which of the following can be the best title of this text?

A．Grandmother’s Cookie Jar

B．Grandmother’s Treat for Children

C．Grandmothers and Grandchildren

D．Happy Memories of Cookies

In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair-weather friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities (品質(zhì)) of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability (可靠).
Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person's place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.
At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults (過錯) in others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.
Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on (信賴) a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.
There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience (經(jīng)驗(yàn)) and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humor (幽默), too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I've found a friend!
【小題1】Which of the following qualities the writer thinks is the most important in choosing a friend?

A．understanding.	B．honesty.
C．reliability.	D．a(chǎn) sense of humor.

【小題2】If you have fair-weather friends, ______ .

A．they will give you all that they have when you need help

B．you will be refused when you get into trouble

C．you will become rich

D．you can be sure that you get real friends

【小題3】Good friends need to ______.

A．a(chǎn)lways point out each other's mistakes

B．be helped with money

C．understand each other's feelings

D．have money or luck

【小題4】This passage mainly discuss ______ .

A．the qualities of a friend

B．where to choose friends

C．how to get along with friends

D．the importance of having a friend

Money spent on advertising is money spent as well as any I know of. It selves directly to bring about a rapid sale of goods at reasonable prices, so setting up a firm home market and so making it possible to provide for export at good prices. By drawing attention to new ideas it helps greatly to raise standards of living. By helping to increase demand it causes an increased need for labor, and is therefore a nice way to fight unemployment. It lowers the costs of many services: without advertisements your daily newspaper would cost four times as much, the price of your television program would need to be doubled, and travel by bus or subway would cost more.
And perhaps most important of all, advertising provides a promise of reasonable value in the products and services you buy. Besides the fact that twenty-seven Acts of Parliament govern the terms of advertising, no regular advertiser dare promote a product that fails to live up to the promise of his advertisements. He might fool some people for a little while through misleading advertising. He will not do so for long, for the public has the good sense not to buy the poor article more than once. If you see an article frequently advertised, it is the proof I know that the article does what is promised for it, and that it has good value.
Advertising does more for the good of the public than any other force I can think of.
There is one more point I feel I ought to touch on. Recently I heard a well-known television person declare that he was against advertising because it persuades rather than informs. He was telling us the real difference. Of course advertising tries to persuade.
If its message were nothing but information, that would be difficult to get more people to buy, for even a detail such as the choice of the color of a shirt is a bit persuasive-advertising would be so boring that no one would pay any attention. But perhaps that is what the well-known television person wants.
【小題1】By the first sentence of the passage the writer means that     .

A．he is fairly familiar with the cost of advertising

B．everybody knows well that advertising is a waste of money

C．a(chǎn)dvertising costs more money than everything else

D．money spent on advertising is worth while

【小題2】In the passage, which of the following is NOT included in the advantages of advertising?

A．Getting greater fame.	B．Providing more jobs.
C．Raising living standards.	D．Reducing newspaper cost.

【小題3】The author thinks that the well-known TV person is         .

A．quite right in passing his judgment on advertising

B．interested in nothing but the buyer’s attention

C．correct in telling the difference between persuasion and information

D．obviously unfair in his views on advertising

【小題4】In the author’ opinion    .

A．a(chǎn)dvertising can seldom bring material benefit to man by providing information

B．a(chǎn)dvertising informs people of new ideas rather than wins them over

C．there is nothing wrong with advertising in persuading the buyer

D．the buyer is not interested in getting information from an advertisement

URBANA, ILL. (AP)--Mike dropped out of college to support his pregnant(懷孕的) girlfriend and now works as a manager of a trucking company, Lynn graduated with honors from Harvard University and was hired as a lawyer with a top law firm in a major city. What do these two people have in common? Ten years ago they were both high school valedictorians (致告別辭者).
A University of Illinois study follows the lives of 81 valedictorians and salutatorians (致詞的學(xué)生代表) who graduated a decade ago from public and private high schools in the state.
Tales of Success and Failure
The study found tales of success and failure. The research on 46 women and 35 men found that some were doctors and scientists, one was a drug addict, another was a waitress with emotional problems.
"There is a popular idea about people who do well in school doing well in life," said Terry Denny, professor of education. Denny conducted the study with Karen Arnold, a former graduate student of Denny' s who is now a professor at Boston College. Denny and Arnold contacted the 81 students before graduation, and then followed up with interviews nearly every other year. They also sent them questionnaires in the mail.
Varied Careers
One-third of the students are lawyers, or have a doctorate. Nineteen are in business and 15 are engineers or computer scientists. Others include a farmer, a stock broker, and an aerobics instructor.
Arnold says many of the students have only average positions in the work world and that "most are not headed for greatness in their careers." Denny, however, says that it is too early to make such predictions. "Who expects someone to be on the Supreme Court at the age of 28 or to be the discoverer of an important scientific invention right after college?" he said. "These students are just getting started in life. They are just beginning to find out what life is all about."
【小題1】What can we conclude from Paragraph 1?

A．Mike got married before he went to college.

B．Lynn was honored by a law firm in the city.

C．Mike was not so lucky as Lynn after graduating from college.

D．Mike and Lynn both graduated first in their high school class.

【小題2】According to the article Denny is probably older than Arnold because      .

A．Denny was her professor

B．Arnold did well at school.

C．Denny interviewed some students

D．Arnold helped Denny in the research

【小題3】What is probably the best title for the article?

A．Successful Careers for College Graduates

B．Success in Education Predicts Success in Later Life

C．High School Honors Not Always Key to Life Success

D．A study on Successful Jobs and College Graduates

【小題4】Who probably wrote this article?

A．College graduates	B．Reporters
C．Professors and researchers	D．Teachers

Among various programs, TV talk shows have covered every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one is different in style(風(fēng)格). But no two shows are more opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.
Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of “rubbish talk”. The contents on his show are as surprising as can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show titles of love, sex, cheating, and hate, to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is about the dark side of society, yet people are willing to eat up the troubles of other people’s lives.
Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its top. But Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show is mainly about the improvement of society and different quality(質(zhì)量) of life. Contents are from teaching your children lessons, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.
Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being poured into society. Jerry ends every show with a “final word”. He makes a small speech about the entire idea of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
Clean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show’s main viewers are middleclass Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and ability to deal with life’s tough problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of a connection with the young adults of society. These are 18-to-21-year-olds whose main troubles in life include love, relationship, sex, money and drug. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned through the show’s exploitation.
【小題1】Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey are ______.

A．more interesting.	B．very popular.
C．more detailed.	D．more formal.

【小題2】Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear unpleasant, people who watch the shows ______.

A．remain interested in them.

B．a(chǎn)re ready to face up to them.

C．remain cold to them.

D．a(chǎn)re willing to get away from them.

【小題3】Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?

A．A new type of robot.	B．Nation hatred(憎恨).
C．Family income planning.	D．Street accident.

【小題4】We can learn from the passage that the two talk shows ______.

A．have become the only ones of its kind.

B．exploit the weaknesses in human nature.

C．a(chǎn)ppear at different times of the day.

D．a(chǎn)ttract different people.

People are talking about the “new economy.” It’s very different from the “old economy”.
In the old economy, people travel to walk. They buy things in stores. They use the post office, the fax and the telephone to send information. They see people face-to-face at their jobs or in stores. People get information from newspapers, radio, television, books and libraries.
In the new economy, people do business through the “net,” which is a connection of millions of computers everywhere in the world. In the new economy, workers often work at home. They can get information online. They can communicate with employers and co-workers by e-mail. Businesses have “virtual stores”. They are websites on which customers can see the products. Businesses can sell to customers anywhere in the world.
In the new economy, people live a fast paced, convenient and colorful life. The whole world develops more quickly than before. But the new economy is a double-edge sword. Its disadvantage is also obvious. For example, the Internet has led to a huge increase in credit card cheating. Some illegal websites offer some cheap or banned goods or services. Online shoppers who enter their credit card information may never receive the goods they want to buy and their card information could even be for sale in an illegal website. So people in the new economy should be smarter and knowledgeable.
【小題1】The cause of the differences between the new economy and the old economy is ____.

A．the change of people’s idea	B．the business people do
C．the use of the Internet	D．the change of people’s life

【小題2】In the old economy, people can do the following things EXCEPT____.

A．getting information from books

B．communicating with friends by telephone

C．meeting people face to face

D．shopping online

【小題3】“But the new economy is a double-edge sword ” in the last passage means_____.

A．The new economy is as sharp as a sword

B．The new economy has advantages and disadvantages

C．The new economy is better than the old economy

D．Both the new economy and the old economy have disadvantages

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT true?

A．People can get all kinds of information on the Internet.

B．Telephone, radio, television, newspapers and so on will disappear in the new economy.

C．People in the new economy should have high quality.

D．Life in the new economy is more comfortable than the one in the old economy.

Facial expressions carry meaning that is determined by situations and relationships. For example, in American culture (文化) the smile is in general an expression of pleasure. Yet it also has other uses. A woman’s smile at a police officer does not carry the same meaning as the smile she gives to a young child. A smile may show love or politeness. It can also hide true feelings. It often causes confusion (困惑) across cultures. For example, many people in Russia smiling at strangers in public to be unusual and even improper. Yet many Americans smile freely at strangers in public places (although this is less common in big cities). Some Russians believe that Americans smile in the wrong places; some Americans believe that Russians don’t smile enough. In Southeast Asian culture, a smile is frequently used to cover painful feelings. Vietnamese people may tell a sad story but end the story with a smile.
Our faces show emotions (情感), but we should not attempt to “read” people from another culture as we would “read” someone from our own culture. The fact that members of one culture do not express their emotions as openly as do members of another does not mean that they do not experience emotions. Rather, there are cultural differences in the amount of facial expressions permitted. For example, in public and in formal situations many Japanese do not show their emotions as freely as Americans do. When with friends, Japanese and Americans seem to show their emotions similarly.
It is difficult to generalize about Americans and facial expressiveness because of personal and cultural differences in the United States. People from certain cultural backgrounds in the United States seem to be more facially expressive than others. The key is to try not to judge people whose ways of showing emotion are different. If we judge according to our own cultural habits, we may make the mistake of “reading” the other person incorrectly.
【小題1】What does the smile usually mean in the U.S.?

A．Love.

B．Politeness.

C．Joy.

D．Thankfulness.

【小題2】The author mentions the smile of the Vietnamese to prove that smile can ___ .

A．show friendliness to strangers

B．be used to hide true feelings

C．be used in the wrong places

D．show personal habits

【小題3】What should we do before attempting to “read” people?

A．Learn about their relations with others.

B．Understand their cultural backgrounds.

C．Find out about their past experience.

D．Figure out what they will do next.

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

A．Cultural Differences	B．Smiles and Relationship
C．Facial Expressiveness	D．Habits and Emotions