Alice Walker makes her living by writing, and her poems, short stories, and novels have won many awards and fellowships for her. She was born in Eatonton, Georgia. She went to public schools there, and then to Spelman college in Atlanta before coming to New York to attend Sarah Lawrence college, from which she graduated in 1966. For a time she lived in Jackson, Mississippi, with her lawyer husband and a small daughter. About Langston Hughes, American Poet, here first book for children, she says, “After my first meeting with Langston Hughes I vowed I would write a book about him for children someday. Why? Because I, at 22, knew next to nothing of his work , and he didn’t scold me; he just gave me a stack of his books. And he was kind to me; I will always be grateful that in his absolute warmth and generosity he fulfilled my deepest dream ( and need) of what a poet should be.?”
“To me he is not dead at all. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of him or speak of him. Once, just before he died, when he was sick with the flu, I took him a sack full of oranges. The joy I felt in giving that simple gift is undiminished by time. He said he liked oranges, too.”
【小題1】What is the main topic of the passage?

A．Alice Walker’s reflection on Langston Hughes.

B．The influence of Alice Walker on the writing of Langston Hughes.

C．Langston Hughes’ book about Alice Walker.

D．A comparison of the childhoods of Alice Walker and Langston Hughes.

【小題2】In the passage, Alice Walker is described as _____.

A．a(chǎn) research fellow at Spelman College

B．a(chǎn) professor at Sarah Lawrence College

C．a(chǎn) prize-winning writer of prose and poetry

D．a(chǎn)n author of plays for children

【小題3】Before attending college, Alice Walker went to school in _____.

A．Atlanta, Georgia	B．Eatonton, Georgia
C．Jackson, Mississippi	D．Lawrence, Massachusetts

【小題4】The word “vowed” the first paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.

A．shouted

B．believed

C．refused

D．promised

【小題5】It can be inferred from the passage that Alice Walker was 22 years old when _____.

A．she moved to Jackson, Mississippi

B．she moved to New York

C．she first met Langston Hughes

D．Langston Hughes died

-Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems．For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants(居民) of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination(目的地) country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country, keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists．Tourism should also advance the wealth and happiness of local inhabitants.
　　Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
　　On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism，people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports，air terminals, first－class roads, and other support facilities（設(shè)施）needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
　　Building a hotel is just a beginning．There must be many support facilities as well，including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost.
【小題1】Which of the following has most probably been discussed in the part that goes before this passage?

A．It is very important to develop tourism.

B．Building roads and hotels is necessary.

C．Support facilities are highly important.

D．Planning is very important to tourism.

【小題2】Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT ________.

A．a(chǎn) bad effect on other industries

B．a(chǎn) change of tourists’ customs

C．over－crowdedness of places of interest

D．pressure on traffic

【小題3】Not enough tourism can lead to ________.

A．a(chǎn)n increase of unemployment (失業(yè))

B．a(chǎn) decrease (減退) in tourist attractions.

C．the higher cost of support facilities

D．a(chǎn) rise in price and a fall in pay.

【小題4】The underlined word “handle” in the last paragraph most probably means _________.

A．get in

B．pick up

C．carry away

D．take down

-For five days, Edmonton's Downtown Park is transformed into one huge stage where artists are able to share their talents, and where people are able to celebrate(慶祝) and enjoy themselves. Since its beginning in 1980, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival has been commemorating (紀(jì)念) the true feeling of what folk music is all about and that's the traditional togetherness that is felt when people gather to share stories and feelings through song.
This year will be the sixth year when volunteer Riedel will be offering up her time to the festival. "People coming off a busy spring and summer have a moment of relaxation," Riedel said. "It's really easy to relax, and it's great seeing family and friends have fun together." These families and friends come from all different kinds of musical tastes. People who take pleasure in Blues are there, so are people who love Bluegrass. This festival does its best to develop everyone's musical interests.
With so many years of experience, the festival has become a well-oiled machine, and does whatever it can to make attendees feel as comfortable as possible. There are free water stations throughout the venue (舉辦地) for people to fill up their travel cups. When people buy food, reusable dishes are given a $2 plate fee, but that is returned when the plate is brought back.
The festival has completely sold out of tickets, and in record time. But with big names such as Van Morrison and Jakob Dylan, it's easy to see how that was going to happen. There is no parking area during the festival, so using the Park & Ride system or Edmonton Transit is highly recommended. A bike lock-up area is provided and will be available Thursday until Sunday one hour before the gates open until 45 minutes after the gates close.
The Edmonton Folk Music Festival begins on Wednesday, Aug. 4 with Van Morrison playing the special donation fund (基金) concert, and will finish up on Sunday, Aug. 8.
【小題1】The Edmonton Folk Music Festival is held mainly to ________.

A．gather people with different musical tastes

B．remind people of the real sense of folk music

C．exhibitive good voices of great talents in folk music

D．collect old stories of folk music

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

A．Riedel has volunteered for the festival for at least 5 years.

B．It's hard for people to appreciate Blues.

C．It costs people a little to fill up their cups from water stations.

D．People have to pay $2 for a plate of food.

【小題3】We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．people can get tickets easily for the festival

B．the Edmonton Folk Music Festival is well organized.

C．driving one's own car to the festival is highly recommended

D．bikes are available at the festival from Wednesday to Sunday

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

A．Folk Music of Blues

B．One Festival for All

C．Festival for family Gathering

D．Edmonton's Downtown Park

The novelist, Harriet Beecher Stowe, born 200 years ago, was a poor housewife with six children, and she suffered from various illnesses. Driven by the hatred of slavery, she found time to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which became the most influential novel in American history and caused great change, both at home and abroad.
Today, however, the book has a different reputation, owing to the popular image of its character, Uncle Tom, whose name has become a saying for a cowardly（懦弱的）black man who betrays his race.
But this view is wrong: the original Uncle Tom was physically and morally strong, an inspiration for black people and other oppressed（被壓迫的）people worldwide. Indeed, that was why, in the mid-19th century, Southerners attacked Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a dangerously destructive book, while Northern reformers—especially black people—often praised it.
The book was influential overseas too. In Russia it inspired Vladimir Lenin, who recalled it as his favorite book in childhood. It was the first American novel to be translated and published in China, and it fueled anti-slavery movements in Cuba and Brazil.
The book’s progressive appeal was the character of Uncle Tom himself: a strong man who is notable because he does not betray his race; one reason he gives up escaping from his plantation（種植園）is that he doesn’t want to put his fellow slaves in danger. And he is finally killed because he refuses to tell his master where two runaway slaves are hiding.
Unfortunately, these themes were lost in many of the stage versions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
The play, seen by more people than those who read the book, remained popular up to the 1950s and still appears occasionally. But in the play, Stowe’s revolutionary themes were drowned.
But it doesn’t have to be that way; indeed; during the civil rights era it was those who most closely resembled Uncle Tom—Stowe’s Uncle Tom, not the embarrassed one of popular myth—that proved most effective in promoting progress. Both Stowe and Uncle Tom deserve our reconsideration and our respect.
【小題1】Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin because she                     . 

A．wanted to earn money to support her family

B．tried to set an example to her six children

C．hated slavery from the bottom of her heart

D．had similar life experiences to Uncle Tom

【小題2】 Which of the following is TRUE about the influence of the book?

A．It was the first American novel to be translated into Russian.

B．It was the most influential book for Vladimir Lenin in his life

C．It also gave rise to anti-slavery movements in faraway Africa.

D．It inspired black people and people who were suffering in the world.

【小題3】What can we learn about Uncle Tom in the book?

A．he helps his fellow slaves to avoid getting into danger.

B．He is a black man who betrays his race.

C．He manages to escape from the plantation.

D．He kills himself instead of giving away the slaves.

【小題4】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．The themes of revolution and progress in the book were lost in the play

B．There are more people who have read the book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, than those who have seen the stage version.

C．The play was very popular and it is still put on from time to time today.

D．It was Uncle Tom in the book that promoted the progress of mankind.

It may not be news to parents of teenage girls, but researchers have confirmed that no one can stop their 16-year-old daughter from deciding how the family spends its money.
The willpower and determination of teenage girls give them a big say in how a family’s money is spent on everything from food and meals to mobile phones, and, of course, clothes. Teenage boys did not show up at all in the analysis, which was designed to find out the influence of young people on household spending.
The findings on the spending power of teenage girls were calculated from Office for National Statistics records of family spending during the 1980s and 1990s. Researchers examined how much money went on services and leisure goods in different kinds of homes. They checked spending on food, restaurant meals, alcohol, tobacco, services, heating, transport, clothes and sports in 2,745 British families.
They found that teenage girls in the UK typically played an active role in family decisions about the allocation（分配）of household resources. But older children— those over the age of 21 who are still living with their parents—appear to have no say in household decisions.
They also tried to calculate to what extent the bargaining power of a teenager affected family budgets. “Every parent knows that children, even at a very early age, have their own preferences with regard to consumption, researchers said. “But children are only interested in a limited range of goods—mainly sweets and toys—and parents are able to use punishment to reduce their children’s bargaining power or remove it.”  When they become teenagers, however, girls are much more independent and they are capable of earning their own money, which improves their bargaining power in family decisions.
The researchers could not explain why girls have more influence over spending while the evidence for boys is much less conclusive. However, this study could be of great significance to market research and how marketers target children.
【小題1】 From the passage we can learn that            .

A．teenage girls have more influence over family budgets than teenage boys

B．teenage boys don't want to decide on household spending

C．teenage boys have some influence over household

D．teenage girls have weaker willpower and determination than teenage boys

【小題2】What does the underlined part “give them a big say” in the second paragraph mean?

A．Make them dare to say something.

B．Make them want to know.

C．Make them say something meaningful.

D．Make their influence stronger.

【小題3】It appears that household decisions are NOT affected by        .

A．girls living with parents

B．girls over 21

C．girls over 12

D．girls living alone

【小題4】How can parents reduce children’s bargaining power?

A．By persuading them

B．By offering them sweets or toys.

C．By threatening to punish them.

D．By allocating household resources.

If there is one thing I’m quite sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we still be reading newspapers. Not those newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of the news from the television or have the radio switched on in the background or in the car. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The basic British character won’t change, and one of the characteristics of the British is that we don’t much like talking to each other when we get up. So what better way is there to keep yourself thinking in the morning than to wrap yourself in a newspaper?
Over the past couple of centuries, human beings have developed a close relationship with the newspaper. It has become as natural as breathing or enjoying the sun. And it is not just the British who love newspapers. On suburban trains in Calcutta, for instance, just one person in the whole car will buy a newspaper and read aloud the best bits to his fellow passengers, much to everybody’s enjoyment.
The nature of what is news may change. What essentially (本質(zhì)上) makes news is what affects our lives and 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 engineering. In the future I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do, whether it’s love or depression. 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 newspaper will be transmitted electronically from the national equivalents of Fleet Street (倫敦的艦隊街，以報館集中而著稱) and printed out in our own homes. In fact, I’m pretty sure that that is how it will happen in future. You’ll be probably selecting from a menu, making up your own bespoke newspaper by picking out the things you want to read and say. You might even have an intelligent screening device (裝置) to do the job for you.
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about the competition between the different media. They actually have a relationship, feeding off each other. It was once predicted that television would kill off newspapers, which hasn’t happened. What is read on the printed page is more enduring (持久的) than pictures on a flickering screen or sound lost in the sky. And as for the Internet, it’s never really satisfying to read something just on a screen.
【小題1】The author of the passage is most probably from _______________.

A．Russia

B．India

C．Britain

D．America

【小題2】According to the passage, the future of newspapers ____________.

A．will be mainly connected with scientific research

B．will report more important political activities

C．will directly cover more on scientific research

D．will build a bridge between different people

【小題3】The underlined part “bespoke newspaper” of the passage probably refers to _____________.

A．a(chǎn) newspaper which dares to report the truth

B．a(chǎn) newspaper edited to one’s own interest

C．a(chǎn) newspaper edited and published for the public

D．a(chǎn) newspaper which only covers the life of family members

【小題4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．It was centuries ago that newspapers came into being .

B．Televisions have taken the place of newspapers .

C．The Internet will gradually take the place of newspapers.

D．The nature of news may remain the same over generations.

It was the summer of 1965. DeLuca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked Deluca about his plans for the future. “I’m going to college, but I need a way to pay for it,” Deluca recalls saying. “Buck said, ‘you should open a sandwich shop.’ ”
That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $ 1,000. DeLuca rented a storefront (店面) in Connecticut, and when they couldn’t cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1,000.
But business didn’t go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, “After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn’t know how badly, because we didn’t have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.
DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They’d meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, ‘ We are so successful, we are opening a second store.’” And they did — in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.
But the partners’ learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers. “It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn’t necessary but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out,” DeLuca says.
And having a goal was also important. “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal,” DeLuca adds.
DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multi-million-dollar restaurant chain.
【小題1】Deluca opened the first sandwich shop in order to _________________________.

A．support his family	B．pay for his college education
C．help his partner expand business	D．do some research

【小題2】Which of the following is true of Buck?

A．He put money into the sandwich business.

B．He was a professor of business administration (管理).

C．He was studying at the University of Bridgeport.

D．He rented a storefront for DeLuca.

【小題3】What can we learn about their first shop?

A．It stood at an unfavorable place.

B．It lowered the prices to promote sales.

C．It made no profits due to poor management.

D．It lacked control over the quality of sandwiches.

【小題4】They decided to open a second store because they ______________________.

A．had enough money to do it

B．had succeeded in their business

C．wished to meet the increasing demand of customers

D．wanted to make believe that they were successful

【小題5】What contributes most to their success according to the author?

A．Learning by trial and error.	B．Making friends with suppliers.
C．Finding a good partner.	D．Opening chain stores.

Here is your best chance to travel around the UK in 2012: More than 200 B&Bs (bed & breakfast) across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are selected to offer you amazing services for your stay at their lowest prices! Don’t miss it. Just collect the vouchers（活動券） in our B&B Daily printed from 01/ 04/ 2012 to 07/ 04/ 2012 and book the stays for your travel following the terms and conditions below:
● The offer includes a room for the night and a breakfast the next morning.
● The offer is of two kinds: £20 per room, per night, valid（有效的） during stay period of 2/ 04/ 2012--- 31/ 05/ 2012 and then again 01/ 08/ 2012--- 31/ 10/ 2012; £35 per room, per night, valid during stay period of 01/ 06/ 2012 --- 31/ 08/ 2012.
● The offer is valid for a basic twin or double room only.
● The stay must be booked directly with the chosen B&Bs before 28/ 04/ 2012.
● If voucher holders book either the £20 or £35 per room per night, any additional services such as
lunch, evening meal or activities may require an extra charge. But these are not required in order to take up the offer. Please check directly with your chosen B&Bs to see what extra services are available.
● Vouchers must be presented on arrival. If no vouchers are presented, the B&Bs may reserve（保留） the right to charge at full price for every night of stay.
● Vouchers may not be used together with any other offer.
● The voucher holders must pay for the stay in full at the time of booking. Additional £10 may be paid to confirm（確認(rèn)） the booking and will be returned on arrival.
● The B&Bs reserve the right to refuse voucher holders’ bookings for people under the age of 18.
【小題1】The voucher can be used for a stay at the chosen B&B on           .

A．09/ 01/ 2012

B．04/ 02/ 2012

C．01/ 03/ 2012

D．28/ 04/ 2012

【小題2】How much should be paid for a two-night stay in October 2012 at a chosen B&B?

A．£ 70.

B．£40.

C．£35.

D．£30.

【小題3】By taking up the offer, the voucher holders can choose to           .

A．book either a basic twin or double room at the chosen B&Bs

B．have lunch or evening meal without paying extra money

C．use the B&B offer together with other offers

D．book the stays through B&B Daily

Many cities have subways and underground public transportation to take locals and tourists alike rapidly around the city．However, there’s something different about riding a London subway．It may not look different, but the historical value of one of England’s most popular forms of transportation is enough to make riding the subway a must when visiting London．With a little under 300 different stations, the subway can take you almost anywhere you need to go．
Riding a London subway, a person from other countries will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other．In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times．That’s not rudeness―people are just too busy to bother looking．
Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet thinking．Nor are they reading a book．New technology has replaced quiet habits．Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book．
Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters（使用月票上下班者）．Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40,000―yes, that’s 40,000 “apps” have been designed．
Commuters love them because they are the perfect time-fillers．One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks．Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination．iSteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone．You can then write in the “steam” on your phone screen．
For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be the distraction（消遣）of choice．It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music－iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages．
And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied, then perhaps you would prefer a film? The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV shows or films on the way to work．With all these distractions, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train．
【小題1】Those who want to save time to reach where they go can download ______ to their iPhones．

A．iShoot

B．iPod

C．iSteam

D．Tube Exits

【小題2】People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because ______．

A．they are going to work and have no time to communicate with each other

B．they are busy playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching film

C．they feel sleepy because of getting up early

D．they love reading books and do not want to be disturbed

【小題3】The underlined word “apps” in the fourth paragraph means ______．

A．computers

B．fortune from London commuters

C．computer companies

D．programs downloaded for the iPhone

【小題4】Which word best describes the writer’s attitude towards commuters’ behaviors ?

A．for

B．neutral

C．a(chǎn)gainst

D．hateful

【小題5】The main idea of the passage is that ______．

A．London commuters are unfriendly to strangers

B．technology is changing how London commuters spend their traveling time

C．Apple has earned a lot of money from selling 40,000 apps

D．riding a London subway is a must when visiting London

America is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while — then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendships between us flower more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending (延伸) sometimes deeply into both families.  Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality (好客) easily. Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don’t show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time. This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time. Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends. The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine. They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves treated hospitably.  For the Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!
【小題1】The writer of this passage must be ______.

A．a(chǎn)n American

B．a(chǎn) Chinese

C．a(chǎn) professor

D．a(chǎn) student

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

A．Friendships between Americans usually extend deeply into their families.

B．Friendships between Americans usually last for all their lives.

C．Americans always show their warmth even if they are very busy.

D．Americans will continue their friendships again even after a long break.

【小題3】From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be ______.

A．warmly welcomed at the airport

B．offered a ride to his home

C．treated hospitably at his home

D．treated to dinner in a restaurant

【小題4】The underlined words “generous with our time” in Paragraph 3 probably mean ______.

A．strict with time	B．serious with time
C．careful with time	D．willing to spend time

【小題5】 A suitable title for this passage would probably be “______”.

A．Friendships between Chinese

B．Friendships between Americans

C．Americans’ hospitality

D．Americans’ and Chinese’s views of friendships