Here’ s an unusual story: a diamond ring
was recently found in an egg. The    

magician, Liu Qian, discovered it, in front          
of an audience of millions at CCTV’ s Spring
Festival Gala. Liu’ s magic tricks have made the centuries-old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the U
nited States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’ s love for magic.
“It’ s actually thinking rather than one’ s manipulation（操作）skills; that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting.  ”Liu said.

Liu Qian’ s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’ s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur  (業(yè)余的) magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields for passers-by, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds, ” Liu said.
【小題1】What does the underlined word  “seasoned ” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．季節(jié)性的

B．剛出道的

C．老練的

D．職業(yè)的

【小題2】 The story is about_____.

A．how Liu Qian became China’ s hottest magician

B．why people love magic

C．what magic tricks are

D．how fashionable the magic is

【小題3】People love to watch magic because_____.

A．they can’ t figure out the secret of magic

B．it arouses their curiosity

C．they love watching magicians make the impossible happen

D．it is a centuries-old art

【小題4】Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?

A．He was interested in magic when he was little.

B．He had won Taiwan’ s Youth Magic Contest.

C．He became an amateur magician in his spare time.

D．He couldn’ t find an acceptable job after graduation

【小題5】
  

I used to be a mortgage broker(貸款中間人) in the Phoenix area. In April 2007, the company that I had been with for a year went out of business. That was the latest of the four companies that I had worked for since 2000 .They all either went under or let most of the employees go, including me.
In December 2007, the bank took back my house, and I had no choice but to move in with my parents, five miles away. My sister has three children, and she had no room. My fiancée(未婚妻), Brandi Wetch, and I have been living in my parents’ house for about a year and a half now.
My mother, Sue, works part-time at a high school library. My father left for a job in the Marshall Islands a few months ago and will be gone for two years.
I’m trying to be patient with finding a new job, but it’s been hard. I check the Internet for jobs every morning. I have sent countless letters but have never got a job. I have no idea how many other people are applying for the same job.
I do the housework and washing, and I take care of the garden. Sometimes, I feel like the best part of my life is over. The worst part of the day is when I chat with my friends on the Internet. I’ve talked to about 10 old friends online. The first thing they usually ask is what I’m doing now.
My mother, who is in her 60s, has been so patient and supportive. She acts like she’s happy to have us, not like we’re crowding her. We have learned what’s important since I lived here.
【小題1】 We can infer that the writer is living a _________ life.

A．busy

B．rich

C．difficult

D．hopeful

【小題2】 How long has the writer been out of work?

A．For more than a year	B．For a year and a half
C．For less than two years	D．For more than two years

【小題3】Which of the following types of work is NOT done by the writer in his parents’ house?

A．Looking after children	B．Doing the housework.
C．Washing clothes and dishes	D．Applying for a job online.

【小題4】It can be learned from the passage that the writer now________.

A．is preparing for his wedding	B．is fond of doing the housework
C．is patient with job-hunting	D．is afraid of being asked about work

“A lot of learning comes through play,” says Mardy McGarry, 52, who has been a special education teacher for 28 years. But her students were too often left out. She had seen the wood chips and sand of traditional playgrounds stop wheelchairs dead in their tracks. When she wanted to build a playground for children with special needs，she knew it wouldn’t take long to develop interest in it around the small fishing village. But she never expected that 2,800 people — a third of the town—would all be willing to make a great effort to bring her vision to life.
McGarry started doing some research into play equipment and contacting design companies and she also found a piece of land available. When the city council(市議會) agreed to set aside an area for a playground, she also asked physical and professional therapists(治療專家) for their investment. And she turned to her friend, Sue, for help. “Neither of us is good at maths, which is why $450,000 didn’t sound like a lot of money,” McGarry says of the initial estimate.
Her Kiwanis Club came through with $7,000，and that’s when the grassroots movement really got started. One woman gave $25,000 and had her company match it. Soon, smaller businesses were joining in. There was a silent effort to collect money. The local Pieper Family Foundation offered to donate half of the remaining $170,000. All McGarry needed was 500 volunteers to work six 12-hour days.
On September 16, 2008, the first day of construction, they came. Two women heard about the project on the way to work and took the day off to help. A couple in their 80s operated their tractors. Ten-year-olds cleared up the mess. “None of them was paid. It was truly an amazing week,” says McGarry. Only three building managers were paid. Volunteers with “building experience” became coordinators(協(xié)調(diào)人); those who could operate power tools formed a separate group. One team served meals donated from local restaurants and churches, and another organized activities for the children of volunteers.
Today, Possibility Playground is one of the most popular destinations in Ozaukee County. All children, including the ones with special needs, play shoulder to shoulder. “Some playgrounds have special equipment in a different section. Here, you see all the kids in the same playground, all having fun.”
It’s exactly what McGarry imagined. “People used to ask, ‘Why do you want to build a playground just for children with disabilities?” She says, “It’s only when you build a playground for children with disabilities that you build one for all children.”
【小題1】 It didn’t occur to Mardy McGarry that __________.

A．her plan would soon draw the interest of people in the small village

B．so many people would volunteer to help her realize her dream

C．she would meet with so many difficulties in raising funds

D．the playground would be the most popular destination in Ozaukee County

【小題2】We can learn from the fourth paragraph that __________.

A．the playground was finished in September 2008

B．everything was well prepared, apart from the volunteers

C．everyone worked unpaid, except for three building managers

D．the playground is so popular that it is overcrowded all the time

【小題3】It can be inferred from the text that __________.

A．Mardy McGarry is a famous architect in the small town

B．Sue was forced to join in the project because of her son

C．people always ignore the real needs of disabled children

D．Mardy McGarry’s vision has been successfully accomplished at last

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

A．Mardy McGarry: A Woman with Great Determination.

B．Cooperation: The Greatest Power in Overcoming Any Difficulty.

C．Show Real Concern for Poor Disabled Children.

D．Make it Matter to Build a Playground for Disabled Children.

Last week, I was invited to a doctor’s meeting at the Ruth Hospital. In one of the rooms a patient, an old man, got up from his bed and moved slowly towards me. I could see that he hadn’t long to live, but he came up to me and placed his right foot close to mine on the floor.
“Frank!” I cried in surprise. He couldn’t answer, as I knew, but he tried to smile, all the time keeping his foot close to mine.
My thoughts raced back more than thirty years － to the dark days of 1941, when I was a student in London. The scene was an air-raid shelter (防空洞), in which I and about a hundred other people slept every night. Among them were Mrs West and her son Frank, who lived nearby. Sharing wartime problems, we got to know each other very well. Frank interested me because he was not normal. He had never been normal, ever since he was born. His mother told me he was 37 then, but he had less of a mind than a baby has. Mrs West, then about 75, was a strong, able woman, as she had to be, of course, because Frank depended on her completely. He needed all the attention of a baby.
One night a policeman came into our shelter and told Mrs West that her house had been all destroyed. That wasn’t quite true, because the Wests went on living there for quite some time. But they certainly lost nearly everything they owned.
When that kind of thing happened, the rest of us helped the unlucky ones. So before we separated that morning, I stood beside Frank and measured my right foot against his.
They were about the same size. That night, then, I took a spare pair of shoes to the shelter for Frank. As soon as he saw me, he came running － and paced his right foot against mine. After that, he always greeted me in the same way.
【小題1】 How did the writer know that the patient was Frank?

A．He was told that Frank was in the hospital.	B．He was invited to study Frank’s illness.
C．Frank’s name was written on the door.	D．Frank greeted him in a special way.

【小題2】 When and where did the writer first meet Frank?

A．In Mrs West’s house in 1941.

B．In an air-raid shelter during the war.

C．At the Ruth Hospital about ten years ago.

D．In London after he Wests’ house was destroyed.

【小題3】 The unlucky ones mentioned by the doctor were ______.

A．those who suffered from illness	B．those who slept in the air-raid shelter
C．those who were killed during the war	D．those whose homes were destroyed in air-raids

【小題4】The writer placed his foot against Frank’s before he left the shelter ______.

A．to be friendly towards Frank

B．to see if Frank’s feet were normal

C．to find out if Frank could put on his shoes

D．to teach Frank to greet people in a special way

Brave Frenchman Found Half-way Around the World (NEW YORK)
A French tourist highly praised for rescuing a two-year-old girl in Manhattan said he didn’t think twice before diving into the freezing East River.
Tuesday’s Daily News said 29-year-old Julien Duret from France is the man who left the spot quickly after the rescue last Saturday.
He lifted the little girl out of the water after she fell off the bank at the South Street Seaport museum. He handed the girl to her father, David Anderson, who had dived in after him.
“I didn’t think at all,” Duret told the Daily News. “It happened very fast. I reacted very fast.”
Duret, an engineer on vacation, was walking with his girlfriend along the pier (碼頭) when he saw something falling into the water. He thought it was a doll, but realized it was a child when he approached the river. In an instant, he took off his coat and jumped into the water.
When he reached the girl, she appeared lifeless, he said. Fortunately, when she was out of the water, she opened her eyes.
Anderson said his daughter slipped off the bank when he was adjusting his camera. An ambulance came later for her, said Duret, who was handed dry clothes from onlookers. Duret caught a taxi with his girlfriend shortly after.
The rescue happened on the day before he left for France. Duret said he didn’t realize his tale of heroism had greatly moved New York until he was leaving the city the next morning.
“I don’t really think I’m a hero,” said Duret. “Anyone would do the same thing.”
【小題1】Why was Duret in New York?

A．To meet his girlfriend.	B．To work as an engineer.
C．To spend his holiday.	D．To visit the Andersons.

【小題2】What did Duret do shortly after the ambulance came?

A．He was interviewed by a newspaper.

B．He asked his girlfriend for his dry clothes.

C．He went to the hospital in the ambulance.

D．He disappeared from the spot quickly.

【小題3】Who dived after Duret into the river to save the little girl?

A．David Anderson.	B．A passer-by.
C．His girlfriend.	D．A taxi driver.

【小題4】When was Duret most probably found to be the very hero?

A．The day when he was leaving for home.

B．A couple of days after the girl was rescued.

C．The first day when he was in New York.

D．The same day when he was interviewed.

I came to study in the United States a year ago .Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor and go to court.
After the accident .my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury, I’d have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer .Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him.
But every day I went to see the doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time .The final examination report consisted of ten lines, and it cost me $215.
My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made me pay him $770.
Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that, they played for time…and I left without getting a cent.
My experiences taught me two things about America: firstly, in a country like America money is everything. It is more important than friendship, honor or professional morality (道德). Secondly, foreigners are still being unfairly treated. So when we talk about America, we should see both its good and bad sides.
【小題1】The author’s roommate offered to help him because________.

A．he felt sorry for the author

B．he thought it was a chance to make some money

C．he knew the doctor was a very good one

D．he wanted the author to have a good lawyer

【小題2】 A good doctor is essential for the author to __________.

A．be properly treated

B．talk with the person responsible for the accident

C．recover before he leaves America

D．eventually get the responsible party to pay for his injury

【小題3】The word“charge”in the third paragraph means_________ .

A．be responsible

B．a(chǎn)ccuse

C．a(chǎn)sk as a price

D．claim

【小題4】Both the doctor and the lawyer in this passage are very__________.

A．friendly

B．selfish

C．professional

D．busy

【小題5】What conclusion can you draw from the story?

A．Going to court is something very common in America.

B．One must be very careful while driving a car.

C．There are more bad sides in America than good sides.

D．Money is more important than other things in the US.

Britain’s oldest man made his first visit to London yesterday at the age of 101. Mr John Evans had never found the time or money to make the trip from his home in Forest – fach, near Swansea. But, when British Rail offered him an all – expense – paid birthday treat to the capital he just could not refuse.
He arrived at Paddington Station and smartly turned out in his best suit, favorite Panama hat and a red rose in his buttonhole. “It’s very exciting. There’s no doubt about it,” he said.
Until yesterday he had never been far from home, except for one trip to Aberdeen. “But I’ve been on the seas to that faraway land called Ilfracombe 21 miles from home,” he joked.
Mr Evans, who spent 60 years working as a miner in South Wales, almost made the journey to London once before, at the turn of the century. “There was a trip to the White City but it was ten shillings return from Swansea – too much I thought. All my money went to the family then,” he said.
During the next two days Mr Evans will be taken on a short tour of London to see the sights. Top of his list is a visit to the House of Parliament organized by his MP, Mr Gareth Wardell.
The only arrangement he does not care for is the wheelchair provided for him if he gets tired. “I don’t like the chair – people will think I am getting old,” he said. His secret for a long and healthy life has been well publicized – no wine, no tobacco and no anger.
Before setting off from Swansea with his 76 – year – old son, Amwell, he said jokingly, “I’m glad to see they’ve given me a return ticket.”
【小題1】The very reason that Mr. Evans didn’t go to see the world is that                .

A．he had already been on the seas to Ilfracombe

B．he was too busy to go too far away from home

C．he couldn’t afford both the time and the money

D．he believed “East or west, home is the best”

【小題2】Mr Evans didn’t like the wheelchair simply because                 .

A．he was not used to traveling in it

B．the wheelchair was of poor quality and not easy to operate

C．he actually preferred walking to sitting in it at home

D．he thought he was still young enough to manage the trip

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Mr Evans had to work hard to raise his family when young.

B．The trip to London excited Mr Evans very much.

C．Mr Evans could not really enjoy the trip because of his age.

D．Humor was one of Mr Evans’ characters.

【小題4】The probable explanation to Mr Evans’ long life lies in                  .

A．his good living habits	B．his hard working for the family
C．his sticking to his hometown	D．his living conditions near the Swansea

“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school football coach Bob Peters, 39. Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” --a document stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores. Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.)
After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, pletely humbled（挫敗的）,”  admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press, stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.”
Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however----until Bob signed the contract, therefore, she decided to relax and enjoy it. 
Although Peters had consulted(咨詢) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria, his meals were sometimes a disaster. “I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.
As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “I found an easier way-I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”
Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat. The tentative（暫時的） title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day.
【小題1】The couple signed the contract because _______.

A．Pat plained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself

B．Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest

C．they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks

D．Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book

【小題2】It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.

A．pay a certain amount of money

B．a(chǎn)dmit publicly he was wrong about motherhood

C．say sorry to his wife

D．do all the housework for years

【小題3】What can we learn about Pat Peters?

A．She was hard-working and selfless.

B．She was pretty and kind-hearted.

C．She was tired of the child-raising and household tasks.

D．She did not love Bob any longer.

【小題4】 Which of the following can best end the news story?

A．“Wait till your mother gets home!”

B．“My experience of being a mother.”

C．“I’m proud of you all, my dear!”

D．“Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.”

It was getting dark and snow was coming down. Joe was driving home. He’d been unemployed since the factory closed. Most of his friends had left, but he stayed on. After all, he was born here.
Suddenly he saw a lady standing on the side of the road and pulled up. She was worried. No one had stopped to help her. Was he going to hurt her? He looked poor and hungry. Joe knew how she felt and said, “My name is Joe and I’m here to help you.” All she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Joe changed the tire, but he got dirty and his hands were hurt. She wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right. Joe never thought twice about the money and there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed.
Later the lady went in a dingy-looking restaurant to grab a bite to eat. The cash register was like the telephone of an out-of-work actor----it didn’t ring much. The waitress, who was nearly eight months pregnant, brought a clean towel to her with a sweet smile. The old lady remembered Joe. After the waitress brought the change from a 100-dollar bill, she found the lady gone and something written on a piece of paper, “Someone once helped me out----the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, don’t let the chain of love end with you.”
That night the waitress gave her sleeping husband a soft kiss and whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Joe.”
【小題1】What do we know about Joe from this passage?

A．On his way home after work, he helped an old lady.

B．He had worked in a factory in his hometown before.

C．He would move away to fulfill his dream soon.

D．Though he was poor, he didn’t care about money at all.

【小題2】The saying “she wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right” in Paragraph 2 suggests that _____.

A．the old lady was very grateful to Joe’s timely aid

B．the old lady was much worried to be hurt by Joe

C．the old lady wanted to show off her fortune to Joe

D．the old lady’s car was very difficult to repair for Joe

【小題3】 Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A．The restaurant was not only light but also clean.

B．The old lady did have a big meal in the small restaurant.

C．The waitress was more than eight months pregnant.

D．The old lady left the remaining money to the waitress.

【小題4】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Acts of luck	B．A warm-hearted man
C．The chain of love	D．A generous lady

I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. There, a few kids picked on(欺負)me, calling me names. Then I knew. After that, I began to hate the first day of school each year. I didn’t know who was new and would stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs. Some of the kids would point and say, “Look at that kid. Look at her.”
As time went on, I just tried to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I was determined to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. My friends became increasingly protective. They’d help me up the bus steps. If people were cruel, they would take them aside and correct them.
What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality----my ability to laugh, even at myself. For example, one time I was reaching into the washing machine at my parents’ house to grab the wet clothes. I fell all the way in and yell for Mother, who was sitting nearby reading the paper. Watching feet flying everywhere, she laughed quietly and said, “I should leave you in there.” I laughed with her.
I’m 47 now, and the stares have not decreased as I’ve grown older. People ask my friends if I live in a dollhouse. They look in disbelief when they see me get out of my car on the driver’s side. During those times, I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have----a great family, nice friends…”
【小題1】What is the main idea of the second and third paragraphs?

A．How the writer changed her disadvantage to advantage.

B．The writer’s friends and mother loved her deeply.

C．The writer had many friends helping her.

D．The writer had the ability to laugh.

【小題2】By saying “the stares have not decreased” in the last paragraph, the author suggests that____.

A．she is able to live a happy life like a normal person

B．she isn’t afraid of being noticed by others any more

C．some people still don’t treat her as a normal person

D．more and more people treat her with respect now

【小題3】How is the author feeling now about her situation?

A．Quite optimistic.

B．Very satisfied.

C．Deeply upset.

D．Rather anxious.

【小題4】 We can infer that the author believes that_________.

A．society should help the disabled as much as possible

B．only your parents and friends can help you

C．what people say about you is none of your business

D．a(chǎn)ll people should be treated with respect