Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was about to be lost forever, by the U.S. education system. He had been failing since first grade. Steve was a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a twelve year old, yet, Steve went unnoticed... until Miss White.
Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn’t take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart would break he was punished for failing to turn in his homework! Still, he did not study.
    In the middle of the first term of school, the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things.  His heart was in the woods, where he often escaped alone, trying to shut out the sights, sounds and smells of his alcoholic home. 
One day, Miss White’s impatient voice broke into his daydreams.
“Steve!” he turned to look at her.
“Pay attention!”
Steve locked his eyes on Miss White with adolescent adoration, as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.
“You all did pretty well,” she told the class, “except for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but...” She hesitated.
“...The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!”
She just stared at Steve, as the class turned around for a good look. Steve dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.
After that, it was war!! Steve still wouldn’t do his homework even as the punishments became more severe.
“Just try it! ONE WEEK!” He was unmoved.
You’re smart enough! You’ll see a change!” Nothing happened.
“Give yourself a chance! Don’ give up on your life!” Nothing.
“Steve! Please! I care about you!”
Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it!! Someone cared about him? Someone, totally perfect, CARED ABOUT HIM!
Steve went home from school, thoughtful, that afternoon.  He, quickly, gathered up his camping things, this time including his schoolbooks. Determined, he headed for the woods.
The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles! God, she was beautiful! He expected her smile to turn on him. It did not.
Miss White, immediately, gave a quiz on the weekend homework. Steve hurried through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper. With a look of surprise, Miss White took his paper. Obviously puzzled, she began to look it over. Steve walked back to his desk, his heart beating within his chest. As he sat down, he couldn’t resist another look at the lovely woman.
Miss White’s face was in total shock! She glanced up at Steve, then down, then up. Suddenly, her face broke into a bright smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test!
From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it! And he continued this course throughout his school life.
After high-school Steve entered the Navy, and he had a successful military career.  During his Naval career, he inspired many young people, who without him, might not have believed in themselves.
You see, it’s simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared.                          
1. How did Miss White’s expression change when she got Steve’s paper?   
A. satisfied —shocked —surprised —puzzled        B. puzzled —surprised —shocked —satisfied
C. surprised —puzzled —shocked —satisfied             D. surprised —shocked —satisfied —puzzled
2. Which of the following statements is NOT right according to the passage? 
A. Steve fell in love with Miss White at the first sight of her.
B. Steve’s parents were so addicted to drinking that they paid little attention to Steve’s life.
C. Steve would rather stay in the woods to keep himself away from his home.
D. Having being punished many times, Steve determined to work hard and passed his first test.
3. Which of the following can serve as the best title for this passage?
A. The difference a teacher can make                        B. The school life of a stubborn boy
C. The importance of family education                      D. The skills of being a good teacher

Millions of people around the world cook their food over smoky fire every day.It is often difficult to find wood for the fire .People who do not have wood must spend large amounts of money on cooking fuel. However, there is a much easier way to cook food using energy from the sun.
Solar cooker, or ovens,have been used for centuries.A Swiss scientist made the first solar oven in seventeen sixty-seven. Today ,people are using solar cookers in many countries around the world. People use solar ovens to cook food and to heat drinking water to kill bacteria and other harmful organisms.
There are three kinds of solar ovens.The first is a box cooker, It is designed with a special wall that shines or reflects sunlight into the box .Heat gets trapped under a piece of glass or plastic covering the top of the cooker. A box oven is effective for slow cooking of large amonts of food.
The second kind of solar oven is a panel cooker. It includes several flat walls.or panels.that directly reflect the sun’s light onto the food. The food is inside a separate container of plastic or glass that traps heat energy. People can build panel cookers quickly and with very few supplies. They do not cost much.In Kenya ,for example ,panel cookers are being manufactured for just two dollars.
The third kind of solar oven is a parabolic cooker.It has rounded walls that aim sunlight directly into the bottom of the oven .Food cooks quickly in parabolic ovens .However, these cookers are hard to make.They must be re-aimed often to follow the sun .Parabolic cookers can also cause burns and eye injuries if they are not used correctly.
You can make solar ovens from boxes or heavy paper. They will not catch fire. Paper burns at two hundred thirty-two degrees Celsius. A solar cooker never gets that hot. Solar ovens cook food at low temperatures over long periods of time. This permits people to leave food to cook while they do other things.
1.What is the main purpose of the author in writing the passage?
A.To tell the readers how to make solar ovens.
B.To advertise the solar ovens.
C.To give the readers brief introduction of solar ovens.
D.To help readers to save cost on fuel.
2.According to the passage we can conclude that ______.
A.panel cooker is the cheapest oven of the three
B.panel cooker is easy to make
C.box cooker is easy to make
D.box cooker is the most effective oven
3.If you have much food to cook ,you’d better choose      .

An 18th-century statesman Edmund Burke once said, “All that is needed for the success of a misguided cause is that good people do nothing.” One such cause now seeks to end biomedical research because of the theory that animals have rights to decide whether to be used in research. Scientists need to respond forcefully to animal rights advocates, whose arguments are puzzling the public and threatening advances in health knowledge and care. Leaders of the animal rights movement attack biomedical research because it depends on public funding, and few people understand the process of health care research. Hearing false reports of cruelty to animals in research settings, many are puzzled that anyone would harm an animal on purpose.
For example, a grandmotherly woman setting up an animal rights booth at a recent street fair was giving out sheets that encouraged readers not to use anything that comes from or is tested in animals－no meat, no fur, no medicines. Asked what will happen when epidemics(傳染病) return, she said. “Don’t worry, scientists will find some way of using computers.” Such well-meaning people just don’t understand.
Scientists must communicate their message to the public in an understandable way－in human terms, not in the language of biology. We need to make clear the connection between animal research and a grandmother’s organ replacement, a father’s bypass operation, a baby’s vaccinations(接種疫苗), and even a pet’s shots. To those who know nothing about the animal research that was needed to produce these treatments, as well as new treatments and vaccines, animal research seems wasteful at best and cruel at worst.
Much can be done. Scientists could give middle school lessons and present their own research. They should be quick to respond to letters to the editor, in case animal rights misinformation goes unchallenged and gains a false appearance of truth. Research institutions could be opened to tours, to show that laboratory animals receive humane care. Finally, because there are a lot of patients, the health research community should actively recruit(招募) not only well-known personalities such as Stephen Cooper, who has made courageous statements about the value of animal research, but all who receive medical treatment. If good people do nothing, there is a real possibility that uninformed citizens will wipe out the precious of medical progress.
1. The purpose of the author beginning his article with Edmund Burke’s words is to _____.
A．call on scientists to take some actions
B．a(chǎn)rgue against the cause of animal rights
C．warn of the failure of biomedical research
D．show the success of the animal rights movement
2. In the second paragraph, the author took a grandmotherly woman as an example to show ____.
A. the way to prevent epidemics           B. the innocence of the woman
C. how strong the opposition was     D. how important the animal rights were
3. In the eyes of the author, misguided people are likely to think that using an animal in research
is ______.
A．cruel but necessary           B．just but unnecessary
C．meaningful and wasteful    D．inhuman and unacceptable
4. What can be inferred from the passage?
A．People care very little about returns of epidemics.
B．The public lacks knowledge of biomedical science.
C．Stephen Cooper is very seriously concerned about animal treatment.
D．Scientists should make efforts to develop new cures by means of hi-tech.
5. According to the passage, the author’s attitude toward biomedical research is ________.
A. Disinterested                B. Indifferent                C. Objective                 D. Supportive

PART THREE  READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
Jascha Richter once sang “don't need too much talking without saying anything” to reveal his lonely feeling in a crowd.
Dad always told me never to ever reveal my true opinions towards other people if such opinions are negative. He said this is the “Chu Shi Zhe Xue”, the philosophy of dealing with social network.
It seems that everybody here just follows this philosophy very, very well.
Friends. I would say that if I were given true friendship I would definitely treasure it with my greatest care. If I really regard someone as my close friend, I would never leave her alone whenever she's in need, either financially or mentally. And I always believe, as long as I treat people with whole-hearted honesty, I would have some rewards—at least, just ONE true friend of the same gender（性別）.
Sometimes I just miss my friends in China. Perhaps when we became friends, we were still young, too young to have been polluted by any dirt in the society. But here, it is simply different. It seems that all of us have learnt how to SURVIVE in a foreign land and such an experience actually makes us learn how to extract (榨取) the most benefits from the surroundings in order to survive.
All are friends around me. I've looked through all the dark sides of their personalities and yet I have to pretend that I know nothing. THEY ARE GOOD. THEY ARE GOOD. AND WE ARE FRIENDS. And then I can make myself comfortable enough to talk to people I hate the most. And of course, they don't say any words truly from their hearts. Neither do I.
But, sometimes I just feel unwilling to talk to these people. Sometimes, I just want to be alone, quietly, without being forced to listen to their gossip or other useless words.
“Standing on a mountain high
Looking at the moon through a clear blue sky
I should go and see some friends
But they don't really comprehend”
Jascha Richter expresses my feelings also.
1. What do we know about the writer’s father according to this passage?
A. He is really a good philosopher.                          
B. He possibly gets on well with others.
C. He told the writer to reveal her true opinions.       
D. The passage doesn’t tell us at all.
2. What does the writer mean by saying “All are friends around me” in Paragraph 7?
A. People around her all like her.                B. She has a lot of friends.
C. There are no real friends.               D. No one is friendly to her.
3. What’s the most probable reason the writer mentions Jascha Richter’s song twice in the passage?
A.She likes Jascha Richter’s song.
B.Jascha Richter is one of her friends.
C The song were expresses her feelings.
D.She uses it to perfects her article.
4. Which of the following statements about the writer is TRUE?
A. She is now living abroad but doesn’t enjoy the life there.
B. She absolutely believes in her father’s philosophy.
C. She shows a positive attitude towards her relationship with others.
D. She thinks highly of her friends by repeating “They are good”.
5. The writer mostly expresses her ______ in this passage.
A. happiness      B. homesickness       C. sadness          D. loneliness 

Schedules, as the 21st century people know, simply did not exist in the 17th and 18th centuries. We are upset if a plane arrives an hour late. Our ancestors weren’t upset if an April ship didn’t show up until June. They began to worry in July and were often happy when it showed up in August. When a long-distance ship finally did get to the port, the whole city became busy and excited. Businessmen hurried down to check the goods they had ordered. The ship would probably stay in port for at least three days, often a week, to take on businessmen, give the sailors a rest, find out about the latest news, weather conditions, and so on.
Travel time could only be approximate. One never knew when the winds would be good. So even though “average sailing time” was given, time could change considerably, shortening the voyage by up to 25% or putting it off by up to 500% or more! The average run from England to Boston was about a month and a half, but there were also voyages of three months. One voyage in 1640 lasted six months!
Travel time is not the same in both directions, due to the winds and currents. This is especially true in the Caribbean, where winds are from the southeast the entire year. Ships sailing west across the Atlantic spend longer than ships sailing east, and the contrary winds can prevent a ship from actually making it to the harbor even if it gets close. One ship was held off the North Carolina coast for 17 days before being able to land!
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A. No sailor was allowed to have fun when the ship reached land.
B. People in ancient times didn’t care about other people’s safety.
C. The ship would leave for a voyage when all of the preparations were made.
D. A long-distance ship would create a lot of excitement in the place where it landed.
2. According to the passage, travel time can’t be fixed due to ___________ .
A. the people at the port                  B. average sailing time
C. the changeable climate                    D. the businessmen and the sailors
3. The underlined word “currents” in the third paragraph means __________ .
A. the movement of water                   B. the movement of winds
C. direction of the traveling ship      D. travel time of ships

EI've been writing for most of my life. The book Writing Without Teachers introduced me to one difference and one practice that have greatly helped my writing processes. The difference is between the creative mind and the critical mind. While you need to use both of the creative mind and the critical (批判) mind to reach a finished result，they cannot work in parallel (平行，并行) no matter how much we might like to think so.
　Trying to criticize writing on the fly is possibly the single greatest trouble with writing that most of us meet. If you are listening to a 5th grade English teacher correcting your grammar while you are trying to capture a fleeting（稍縱即逝的）thought, the thought will die. If you catch the fleeting thought and simply share it with the world in raw form, no one is likely to understand. You must learn to create first and then criticize if you want to make writing the tool for thinking as it is.
　The practice that can help you overcome your learned bad habits of trying to edit as you write is what Elbow calls“free writing”. In free writing, the goal is to get words down on paper non-stop，usually for 15-20 minutes. No stopping, no going back, no criticizing. The aim is to get the words flowing. As the words begin to flow，the ideas will come from the shadows and let themselves be captured on your notepad or your screen.
　Now you have raw materials that you can begin to work with using the critical mind that you’ve persuaded to sit on the side and watch quietly. Most likely，you will believe that this will take more time than you actually have and you will end up staring blankly at the pages as the deadline draws near.
　Instead of staring at a blank start and filling it with words no matter how bad they could be，stop halfway through your available time and rework your raw writing into something closer to the finished product. Move back and forth until you run out of time and the final result will most likely be far better than your current practices.
1. When the author says the creative mind and the critical mind“cannot work in parallel”in the writing process，he means _______.
A. no one can be both creative and critical              
B. they can’t be regarded as equally important
C. they are in constant conflict with each other 
D. one cannot use them at the same time
2. What usually prevents people from writing on is _______.
A. putting their ideas in raw form            B. attempting to edit as they’re writing
C. ignoring grammatical problems           D. trying to capture their fleeting thoughts
3. What is the chief purpose of the first stage of writing？
A. To organize one’s thoughts logically.    B. To choose an appropriate topic.
C. To get one’s ideas down quickly.          D. To collect many more raw materials.
4. In what way does the critical mind help the writer in the writing process？
A. It refines(improves) his writing into a better shape. 
B. It helps him to come up with new ideas.
C. It saves the writing time available to him.
D. It allows him to sit on the side and observe.

第二部分閱讀理解（共25小題。每一節(jié)每小題2分，第二節(jié)每小題1分；滿分45分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑
Mary and Peter were having a picnic with some friends near a river when Mary noticed an object overhead. "Look!" she shouted to her friends. "That's a spaceship up there and it's going to land here."
Frightened by the strange silver-colored spaceship, most of the young people got in their cars and drove away quickly. Peter was fond of Mary and always stayed close to her. They, more curious than frightened, watched the spaceship land and saw a door open. When nobody came out, they went to the spaceship and entered inside. Peter followed Mary into the spaceship and did not hear the door closed behind him. The temperature fell rapidly and the two young people lost consciousness.
When they woke up, they were surprised to see that they were back by the river again. The spaceship had gone. Their car was nearby.
"What happened?" asked Mary.
Peter scratched (抓) his head, saying slowly, "Don't ask me. Perhaps we had a dream. Did you...Did you see a spaceship?"
"Yes," said Mary. "And we both went into it. Then..." she looked at her wrist. "That's funny. My watch has stopped. Oh, well, come on. It's time to go home."
Driving about fifty meters, they found their way blocked by a thick wall made of something like glass. They got out of the car and tried to find their way round the wall but discovered that they were inside a circular wall. It was like a mirror and prevented them from seeing through it.
On the other side of the wall, strange creatures walked past slowly. A few stopped to stare through the wall and read a new notice which, translated into English, said: "New arrivals at the zoo: a pair of Earthlings in their natural surroundings with their mobile house."
1. When the spaceship arrived, why didn't Peter drive away?
A. He did not like leaving Mary.  
B. He knew that the spaceship was harmless.
C. He was too frightened to drive.
D. There was a wall blocking the road.
2. Why did Peter enter the spaceship?
A. He saw the food and was hungry.
B. Mary told him to enter it.
C. He just followed Mary.
D. He wanted to study it.
3. Peter scratched his head so we know that _____.
A. he had lost consciousness
B. he was puzzled and did not know what to say to Mary
C. he had lost his memory
D. he was still half asleep
4. What do the words "strange creatures" mean to tell us?
A. They were wild animals in a zoo.
B. They were robbers.
C. They had landed on Earth in a spaceship and lived there.
D. The young couple were on another planet.

第三部分 閱讀理解（共20小題，每題2分，滿分40分）
The writing of Shakespeare are today little read by young people in Britain．His young readership is limited to those who choose to study literature at university．
Shakespeare’s work, together with most other classics, is seen as remote, and written in a 400-year- old version of English that is about as inviting as toothache．
Still, in British schools, it is necessary to study the poet, and when something is made compulsory, usually the result is boredom, resentment（憎恨） or both．
This was my experience of the classics at school．But when I reached my late teenage years, I had a change of heart．Like every other young person since the dawn of time, the world confused me．I wanted answers, so I turned to books to find them．
I went on to take a PhD in literature and have taught it in Britain and China．I have never regretted it．There is something in literature that people want, even if they don’t read books．You see this in the popularity of TV and movie adaptations of great works, the recent film version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice being a case in point．These popular adaptations may help increase people’s interest in the classics．
Reading a simplified Romeo and Juliet may perhaps lead to a reading of Shakespeare’s actual plays．If that is the case, then I welcome the trend．But do not make the mistake of thinking that it is the same thing．Shakespeare is a poet．His greatness is in his language．Reading someone else’s rewriting of his works is like peeling a banana, throwing away the fruit, and eating the skin．Take on the original．It really is worth the effort．
1．Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．The language used in classics is no longer in use today．
B．British students usually find compulsory reading dull．
C．Only those studying literature read Shakespeare’s works．
D．For British people, Shakespeare’s works are no longer classics．
2．According to the passage, the writer _____ ．
A．has liked literary classics since an early age
B．was forced to read the classics for a PhD
C．turned to literature to seek answers in his teens
D．thinks only people who read books like literature
3．The underlined phrase “a case in point” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to “_____”．
A．a(chǎn) great hit                   B．a(chǎn) good example
C．a(chǎn) movie adaptation               D．a(chǎn) popular phenomenon
4．What does the writer intend to tell us in the last paragraph?
A．The fruit of a banana is more useful than its skin．
B．The rewriting trend does more harm than good．
C．Readers should try to read the original versions．
D．Readers need to learn the language in the classics．

Embracing a 'naked marriage'
Zhang Yi, a 28-year-old editor at the fashion magazine Sunshine, imagined her boyfriend's proposal like this: In a nice restaurant, he gets down on his knees, flourishes a diamond ring and asks: "Will you marry me?" 
She would then scream, and with tears of joy in her eyes, throw herself into his arms.
But the reality was totally different. Her boyfriend simply said: "My mother has asked us to register for the marriage certificate as soon as possible."
Zhang agreed – and that was it.
"I understand my husband has little money. Besides, I love things to be simple. So I agreed," Zhang says.
The couple took a day off and registered their marriage. Instead of a banquet, their wedding ceremony was a 100-yuan ($15) dinner at a small restaurant where they first met.
Wang Zhiguo, chief marriage consultant at China's largest matchmaking website baihe.com, believes “naked marriages” benefit society. "It teaches young people the core spirit of marriage - love each other deeply, no matter rich or poor," Wang says, adding that some newlyweds save marriage costs for other expenses like their children's education, traveling or charity.
Wang thinks, however, that naked marriages may affect a relationship's stability.  
"If we see a marriage as a contract, it includes three items: love, responsibility and a material base. Any missing link will lead to some problems in the relationship between husband and wife."
Wang suggests that if a couple's financial situation does not permit them to build a solid material base, an exchange of tokens(象征) is necessary for a long-lasting relationship.
1. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Zhang is inconsiderate towards her husband.
B. There is no long-lasting relationship without any token of love.
C. Doing without a ring, apartment and car, is becoming more acceptable to young people who want to get married sooner rather than later.
D. Newlyweds should save money for traveling or charity.
2. What is Wang’s attitude towards naked marriages?
A. positive     B. negative     C. indifferent     D. neutral
3. What is a naked marriage?
A. Getting married without clothes on.
B. A simple marriage with little material support.
C. A contract including love, responsibility and a material base.
D. A marriage without love, responsibility or a material base.
4. The author arranges the article with    .
A. stories and explanation      B. facts and descriptions
C. examples and conclusion     D. evidence and argument

Dealing with a jealous friend isn’t easy. It can be very frustrating. Find out how to make the best of the situation, be fair to yourself and your friend, and, if possible, preserve the friendship. It can be done!
Try to find out why your friend is jealous. Is it something you said? Is it something you have little or no control over, such as your looks or your family? Is it something your friend should be supportive of, such as your grades or a special talent of yours? 
Once you know where the jealousy comes from, try to be empathetic: Imagine you're your friend or how you'd feel in the same situation.
Find out what your friend really wants to have. Do they wish they felt smarter or had more supportive parents? Maybe you can be helpful. Let them know that you believe in them and ask what you can do help them get what they want.
Try not to brag, show off or make things that would make your friend feel frustrated. This will only fan the flames of the jealousy.
Show that you're happy about your life, but be sure to show interest and excitement about things going on in your friend's life, too. Take some time to point out some of their unique strengths and good qualities.
Sometimes jealousy is mixed with a lot of anger. If your efforts to listen to your friend and encourage them aren't working, give them some time to cool off. They may need to work out their feelings alone or with someone who's not the object of their jealousy.
Call up some extra support for yourself, too. Another friend, a relative or a girlfriend/boyfriend may be able to help you sort out your feelings about being the object of your friend's jealousy. A lot of people feel bad about making someone else jealous, so be sure to remind yourself why you're a good person!
1．What’s the passage mainly about?
A．What you should do when your friend needs help.
A．How to make a close friend.
C．The best way to deal with a jealous friend.
D．how to deal with a jealous friend.
2．According to the author, dealing with a jealous friend        .
A．is an easy thing for everyone  B．is sure to damage the friendship
C．doesn’t need anyone’s help     D．may cause you to feel bad.
3．The first step for you to deal with a jealous friend is to        .
A．understand your friend’s feelings
B．show that you’re happy about your life
C．find out what your friend really wants to have
D．find out where the jealousy comes form
4．The underlined sentence in paragraph 5 probably means that      .
A．jealousy makes your friend unable to tell right from wrong
B．this will just make your friend more jealous
C．it is easy to put out the flames of your friend’s jealousy
D．you should help deal with your friend’s frustration