Vincent Van Gogh was not always an artist. In fact, he wanted to be a church minister and was even sent to the Belgian mining community of Borinage in 1879. He discovered that the miners there endured terrible working conditions and poverty-level wages. Their families were skin-and-bone and struggled simply to survive. He felt concerned that the small pay he received from the church allowed him a reasonable lifestyle, which, in contrast, seemed to him unfair.
One cold February evening, while he watched the miners trudging home, he spotted an old man staggering toward him across the fields, wrapped in a burlap(粗麻布) bag for warmth. Van Gogh laid his own clothing out on the bed, set aside enough for one change, and decided to give the rest away. He gave the old man a suit of clothes and he gave his overcoat to a pregnant woman whose husband had been killed in a cave-in.
He lived on starvation food and spent his salary on food for the miners. When children in one family caught typhoid fever, though feverish himself, he packed up his bed and took it to them.
A wealthy family in the community offered him free room and board, Van Gogh declined the offer, stating that it was the final temptation (誘惑) he must reject if he was to faithfully serve his community of poor miners. He believed that if he wanted them to trust him, he must become one of them. And if they were to learn of the love of God through him, he must love them enough to share with them.
He was acutely aware of the big difference between words and actions. He knew that our lives always speak louder and clearer than our words. Maybe that is why Francis of Assisi often said to his monks, “Wherever you go, preach(講道). Use words if necessary.”
Others are “l(fā)istening” carefully to your actions. What are you saying to them?
1. We can infer form the passage ____________.
A. our lives always speak louder and clearer than our words
B. the miners there worked under excellent working conditions
C. the ministers lived a much better and easier life than the miners at the time
D. Van Gogh himself offered to work in the Belgian mining community of Borinage in 1879.
2. What does the underlined word “trudging” in the second paragraph mean?
A. Moving very quickly              B. Moving with quick light steps
C. Walking slowly for pleasure.         D. Walking with slow heavy steps.
3. According to the passage, which of the following words can best describe Van Gogh?
A. Ambitious and aggressive.          B. Considerate and sympathetic
C. Greedy and selfish.                D. Determined and grateful
4. What does the last paragraph want to tell us?
A. Use words if necessary             B. Actions speak louder than words
C. Rome was not built in a day.         D. Where there is a will there is a way.

The Story of the Farmer and His Donkey (驢子)
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway and it just wasn’t worth to save the donkey. So, he decided to bury（埋） it!
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all took shovel（鏟子）and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly, then slowly he quieted down till nothing more was heard.
A few shovels later, the farmer finally looked down into the well, and was surprised at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something wonderful—he would shake it off and take a step up!
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and went off quickly!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping, never giving up, shaking it off, and taking a step up!
1. The donkey quieted down, because ________.
A. it was dead                           B. it was tired
　C. it had given up trying                   D. it had a good way to survive
2. We know from the story that ________.
A. all the donkeys in the world are clever         
B. it is easy for donkeys to fall into a well
C. the neighbors helped bury the donkey
D. the owner pushed the donkey into the well
3. The writer of the passage is most probably ________.
A. an optimistic person                  B. a pet lover
C. an animal protector                   D. a cold-hearted man
4. The writer wants to tell us “________”.
A. A cat has 9 lives                　  B. Facing difficulties, never give up
C. A friend in need is a friend indeed       D. No pains, no gains

A thief returned a mobile phone and thousands of yuan he had stolen from a woman after receiving 21 text messages from her, a local newspaper reported.
Pan Aiying, a Chinese teacher at Wutou Middle School in Qihe County, in East China’s Shandong Province, didn’t think her text messages would help to get her belongings(財物) back.
A young man riding a motorcycle robbed her of her bag, in which there was her mobile phone, bank cards and 4,900 yuan, as she was riding her bicycle home on Saturday evening.
Pan said at first she considered calling the police, but then decided to try to persuade（說服）the young man to return her bag. Pan called her lost phone with her friend’s, but couldn’t get through. So she began sending messages.
“Hey, I’m Pan Aiying, a teacher from Wutou Middle School. You must be going through a difficult time. If so, I will not blame you.” Wrote Pan in her first text message, which got no answer. “Keep the 4,900 yuan if you really need it, but please return the other things to me. You are still young. To make mistakes is human. Correcting your mistake is more important than anything.” Pan wrote in another message.
She gave up hope after sending 21 text messages without any answer and planned to call the police the next morning. However, as she left her home on Sunday morning, Pan found her stolen bag lying in the courtyard. Nothing was lost.
“Pan: I am sorry. I made a mistake. Please forgive me. You are so kind even though I stole from you. I’ll correct my ways and be an honest person,” said a letter left with the bag.
1. Where was Pan Aiying robbed?
A. In the school.   B. At home.   C. In the courtyard.   D. on her way home
2. Why didn’t Pan Aiying call the police at first?
A. Because she thought the police wouldn’t help her.
B. Because it was too late at that time.
C. Because she wanted to communicate with the thief first.
D. Because her friend asked her not to.
3. How long was Pan Aiying’s bag missing?
A. About two days.                      B. About 12 hours.  
C. About one day and a half.               D. About 24 hours.
4. From the news we can learn that ____________.
A. the young man would not steal any more
B. Pan Aiying didn’t give up hope after sending 21 text messages
C. the young man would pay a visit to Pan Aiying personally
D. Pan Aiying teaches English in a middle school in Shandong Province

“It’s the best…uhh…What? You don’t want it?...,”the inexpertienced young man uttered,his hope dashed.
“Again,you disappointed me,Andrew.When are you going to learn? You have to be sure and confident. And think how best to make him part with his money. Apply yourself, Son. All your college education will not help if you don’t put your mind to selling. Think on your feet. Use psychology,” Andrew spoke with diffidence overwhelmed by his father’s criticism.
“You’ve been in this shop for six months and you haven’t succeeded in selling a single computer. I tell you what. I’ll give you one more chance. I’ll give you another three more weeks. If you still can’t make one sale, I’ll call in your elder brother to replace you. He will also take over the shop when I retire. There. I’ll just give you one last chance to prove yourself,” said Mr. Whitely, his patience wearing thin.
Andrew’s heart missed a beat. This time he would have to do it. Do or Die! A sense of urgency gripped him. Somehow he must prove himself to his father.
It was now the end of the day and the shop was being closed. The assistant employed by his father, called Mike, chuckled and put his arms round poor Andrew to comfort him,“ Sort it out yourself. It’s gotta come from yourself.” he said.
The shop was located in a bustling shopping center. Andrew left the shop and walked round the complex aimlessly and by chance entered a large bookstore. He glanced at the books and was about to leave when his eyes caught some interesting titles:‘ How to increase your confidence,’‘ The art of communication,’‘How to sell well’amongst others.
The next minute he was out of the store with the shopping bag bugling with books. In his apartment (for he loves separately from his parents and little sister),he settled himself in his easy chair and devoured the contents of the books, one by one. His keen intelligence enabled him to focus the details that matter and pick out the ideas and techniques expounded.In a week his image underwent a transformation. Gone was the stubble that used to give him an untidy image likened to a heroin addict.He was also smartly dressed now. Instead of his usual slurred speech and incoherence ,he spoke with clarity, purpose and forcefulness.He was more convincing and persuasive. Above all, confidence flowed from his being and he seemed to have learned a few tricks of the selling trade. He worked hard at his sales pitch and one day he succeeded in selling a computer. His first sale. He had finally achieved the quota of one sale within the given time frame of three weeks. The job, the shop, was his. He had to thank Mike for it. And now he had to go beyond his first successs and score, consistently and persistently. Nevertheless he had proved himself at last and the future looked bright and promising.
【小題1】
We learn from the story that at the beginning Andrew’s father_________.

三、閱讀理解（共20小題；每小題2分，滿分40分）
請閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項（A, B, C和D）中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該選項的標號涂黑。
When I get off the bus, I’m usually greeted by the sounds of news on CNN. My father welcomes me, and I help him with the usual things—changing the channel and some other tasks. My father has a disease that makes him unable to walk. Despite his disability, my father has always been my role model.
In my first year at middle school, my grades slipped greatly. My father told me I could improve. I currently maintain a B plus average, and he confidently supports me in all my academic efforts. He is against violence to the best of his ability. Love is his most important tool,and he makes sure we know that violence is never the answer.
He urges me not to fear,but to believe in what I think is right.“No matter what anyone tells me,”he says,“I believe what I choose. If someone is discriminating against you for who you are, they don’t deserve your time.”My friends are the most caring people I’ve met, because I realize that they don’t judge me, and they like me as I am.
I’ve always found it strange that people pity me because of my father’s condition. He’s not inferior(次于) to anyone. His disease doesn’t hold him back. He’s normal person.
When I see disabled people out in public, I consider them equal to any other individual. No one is superior to anyone for any physical reason. I’ve known that from that day on, thanks to my dad.
“Anything else?”I’ll ask.
“No, that’s fine.”
As I walk to my room, I think my dad who teaches me the most important things I’ll ever need to know. My father is in no way inferior to anyone else. If anything, he’s even better.
【小題1】
According to the passage,we learn that the author’s father is_________.

Texting is a great way to communicate and teenagers are doing just that. New research shows that on average, teens are sending 2,000 text messages a month, and doctors say it’s causing injuries.
13-year-old Bailey Baker keeps using her thumbs, sending text messages to her friends again and again. The past March may have been her best month ever, texting 8,000 times. Now, she says she’s feeling the pain. “Just mainly back and neck problems and thumb numbness,” she says.
Baylor-Garland Dr. Jane Sadler is seeing more and more teens who simply text until it hurts. She says parents, including Bailey’s mom, have no idea how much their kids are texting. “I was thinking she was texting about 25 texts a day,” says Lisa Baker. “Wrong! We’ve uncovered a problem.” It didn’t take Dr. Sadler long to find the problem. She gave Bailey the once-over and learnt that Bailey had developed Texting Teen Tendinitis(肌腱炎)
“A lot of them report pain in their thumbs, back and neck,” says Dr. Sadler. “When we look into it and examine a little bit further, we see texting is the main cause of the problem.” Dr. Sadler says back pain is caused by poor posture while texting. Bailey often texts for up to 2 hours a day; that’s a lot of wear and tear on the thumbs which over time, can break down. Dr. Sadler tells over-texting teens to look into the future. “What I tell them is ‘Hey, you might be normal now, but when you are 40 or 50, you can get arthritis (關(guān)節(jié)炎).’”
Dr. Sadler recommends limiting texting to 50 a day, and keeping good posture. Dr. Sadler also says touch screens are easier on the thumbs than keyboards and hand exercises are great to build up those muscles, making it easier to text.
1. How many text messages did Bailey Baker send a day on average last month?
A. Less than 226.   B. About 230.        C. About 267.        D. More than 300.
2. Because of texting, Bailey Baker suffers from the following problems EXCEPT ______.
A. back pain          B. neck pain          C. headache           D. thumb numbness
3. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. She gave Bailey Baker a quick examination.
B. She solved Bailey Baker’s problem at once.
C. She gave Bailey Baker a piece of advice.
D. She let Bailey Baker send a text message again.
4. What can we conclude from Paragraph 4?
A. Teenagers won’t get hurt if they stop texting right now.
B. Poor posture while texting is the main cause of injuries.
C. Thumbs won’t ache if teens text for no more than 2 hours a day.
D. Over-texting may have a bad effect on people in the long run.

A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began totalk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner  seemed to be astonished gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, saying, “You don’t say！”“You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not an appropriate topic. “Well, I’d better change the topic. ”So I said to him, “well, shall we talk about the Great Wall?” By the way, have you ever been there? “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was magnificent.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide, “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are proud of it.” Soon I was interrupted again by his order “You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking .I said, “Didn’t you say you don’t say?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “You don’t say actually means really? It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expression.
1．A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because     .
A．English idioms were too difficult to master
B．I cared little about the teacher’s instruction
C．my teacher didn’t emphasize the importance
D．I had no interest in English learing
2．When I first heard “You don’t say!” I thought     .
A．the Englishman was not interested in my English
B．the Englishman was only interested in the Great Wall
C．I had talked too much
D．I had to stop talking at once
3．Which of the following is true?
A．The Englishman was leaving China without seeing the Great Wall.
B．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it.
C．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide.
D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting
4．After the Englishman explained the idiom,     .
A．the Englishman made me a fool
B．the Englishman made a fool of himself
C．I felt very silly
D．I felt proud of my understanding

It is, everyone agrees, a huge task that the child performs when he learns to speak, and the fact that he does so in so short a period of time challenges explanation.
Language learning begins with listening. Individual children vary greatly in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking and late starters are often long listeners. Most children will “obey” spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word obey is hardly accurate (精確) as a description of the eager and happy cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gestures and by making questioning noises.
Any attempt to trace (探察) the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves out to show joy, sadness, and so on. But since these cannot be said to show the baby’s intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new sounds. This self-imitation (自我模仿) leads on to imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as a speech.
1．The third paragraph is mainly about ____
A．the development of babies’ early forms of language
B．the difficulties of babies in learning to speak
C．babies’ strong desire to communicate
D．babies’ intention to communicate
2．The author’s purpose in writing the second paragraph is to show that children ____.
A．usually obey without asking questions
B．a(chǎn)re not active in the process of learning to speak
C．a(chǎn)re born cooperative
D．learn to speak by listening
3．From the passage we learn that ____.
A．early starters can learn to speak within only six months
B．children show a strong desire to communicate by making noises
C．imitation plays an important role in learning to speak
D．children have various difficulties in learning to speak
4．The best title for this passage would be ____.
A．How Babies Learn to Speak    B．Early Forms of Language
C．A Huge Task for Children       D．Noise Making and Language Learning

第三部分：閱讀理解（共20小題，每題2分，滿分40分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項中，選出最佳答案，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
WASHINGTON -Tofu（豆腐）and Soyaburgers (豆餅) may be coming to American school lunch menus. What will the kids say?
“Terrible,” said Greg Dudzinski, 17, of Ripon High School in Wisconsin, as he toured the US capital.
“The regular hamburgers are bad enough, so soyaburgers would be a lot worse, offered Zach Richey, 13, of Scottsboro Junior High in Alabama, another tourist.
But the United States government – hoping to reduce the amount of fat that children are eating –has approved the use of soy as a meat substitute in meals for schools and day-care centers.
Not all kids dislike the change. Mariel Spano, 17, of sandy Greek High School in New York, also visiting the capital, said she likes soyaburgers：  “There is less fat, and they are better for you… They taste the same, and they are just as good.”
The government tried to make soy a meat substitute nearly 20 years ago, but later dropped the ideA．At the time, the plan was intended as a cost-cutting move. US Agriculture Department officials say that their purpose now is only to make meals healthier.
Schools are likely to increase the amount of soy that is mixed with hamburgers and other foods already on their menus, and they will also be looking for food companies to develop new soy products that children will like. “ I can’t see putting tofu on a student’s plate and having a good acceptance. I can see taking a product that is familiar to the students and adding a large amount of soy to it and having it to be acceptable,” said Jill Benza, director of food services for the Mesa, Arizona schools.
1．What is the newspaper report mainly about?
A．The difficulty in using soy products for US schools.
B．Various opinions on soy products for US schools.
C．The plan that is made by the US government for school lunch.
D．Healthy foods for students in US schools.
2．Where did the interviews most probably take place?
A．In food companies.             B．In schools.
C．In Washington.                  D．In some other states.
3．We may learn from the text that _________________________.
A．soyaburgers taste better than hamburgers.   
B．hamburgers are healthier than soyaburgers.
C．soyaburgers cost less than hamburgers.     
D．hamburgers cost less than soyaburgers.
4． What Jill Benza said shows that ___________________________.
A．students have not yet been used to soy products.
B．it is hardly possible to make soy products popular.
C．he does not like the change in meals for students.
D．schools are unwilling to change the lunch menus.

So I’m driving the lovely and patient older daughter to work. At 7 a. m., she pushes the seat
warmer button as her new Honda zooms across L. A., the City of Padded Shoulders.
"Oh, look, I’m low on gas," she says.
First, we pick up her boss, then we pick up her other boss. They are all headed to Staples Center for some awards show. My daughter does something in public relations, I’m not sure what. But when this show comes along, she gets very busy.
"In the past two nights I’ve gotten, like, seven hours sleep," she notes, the implication being that I sleep all the time, which is pretty much true.
In Los Feliz, a dashboard light confirms that we are, indeed, low on fuel. This does not perturb my daughter.
"Don’t worry, we’ll get there," she says.
My daughter says nothing about getting back home, which is my job. I’ve just agreed to drop her off, so she can avoid traffic later. My task is simple, though now full of uncertainty.
I don’t know how I ended up dropping my daughter and her bosses off at 7 a.m. on a Sunday. I just know that J.D. Salinger may now be dead, but I still feel like Holden Caulfield -- at the mercy of too many yammering adults.
Now, I’ve had mixed luck with adults.
Apparently, my daughter’s job in PR is to keep everyone happy while telling the truth as much as possible. I sent her to college to study that. Now she is an expert.
"After you drop us off, you can get gas," my daughter assures me.
I have been her chauffeur for 26 years. By the time she was 3, I’d snapped her into a car seat some 14,000 times. I took her to seventh-grade dances, ski trips, college.
Even after all that, we continue to have a civil relationship, sort of a queen-mum-and-her-
driver sort of dynamic. When I screw up, she just raises her pretty chin and snorts. It’s very British.
By the way, my daughter now has a nicer car than I do, which is a sign she is doing well. Or, as with so many young people, she is up to her hoop earrings in consumer debt.
1．Which of the following statements in NOT true about the author’s daughter?
A．She is fashionable.   B．She always tells the truth.
C．She is doing well in her work.       D．She lives a fast-paced life.
2．The author’s tone suggests that_________.
A．he is feeling left behind when his daughter has grown up and begun adult life
B．he is content with his grown daughter
C．he does not like his daughter’s bosses
D．he will not believe his daughter any more
3．It can be concluded from the passage that_________.
A．the author won’t have any difficulty in getting gas
B．the daughter cares for her father a lot
C．the author has done a lot to help his daughter get where she is 
D．the British people have pretty chin and snort often
4．By referring to J. D. Salinger and Holden Caulfield, the author is most probably_________.
A．recalling his daughter’s childhood
B．mentioning his family members who are now dead
C．comparing his situation to a scene in a famous literary work
D．telling a story about his daughter’s friends
5．What is the best title for this passage?
A．A PR’s Busy Life
B．Relationship Between Dad and Daughter
C．A Loving Father
D．Go Ahead and Fill Her up, Dad