After twenty years of shaving（剃須）himself every morning, a man in a small Southern town thought he had enough. He told his wife that he intended to let the local barber shave him each day. He put on his hat and coat and went to the barber shop.
The barber's wife, Grace, was working that day, so she performed the task. Grace shaved him, and said, "That will be $20." The man thought the price was a bit high, but he paid the bill and went to work.
The next morning the man looked in the mirror, and his face was as smooth as it had been when he left the barber shop the day before. “Not bad, he thought. At least I don't need to get a shave every day.”
The next morning, the man's face was still smooth. Two weeks later, the man was still unable to find any trace of whiskers on his face. It was more than he could take and he was frightened, so he returned to the barber shop.
"I thought $20 was high for a shave", he told the barber's wife, "but you must have done a great job. It's been two weeks and my whiskers still haven't started growing back." The expression on her face didn't even change, expecting his comment. She responded, "You were shaved by Grace and once shaved, always shaved!"
【小題1】It’s implied in the first sentence of the passage that          .

A．the man lived a very poor life	B．the man liked shaving himself
C．the man finally got bored of shaving himself	D．the man decided not to shave again

【小題2】We learn that at first the man thought ＄20 for a shave was         .

A．too little

B．too much

C．proper

D．impossible

【小題3】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Everybody in the town knows Grace.

B．Nobody wants to be shaved by Grace in the town.

C．The man was scared by the result two weeks later.

D．The man’s whiskers grew back at last.

On Saturday nights, A.J.Coston doesn’t get a lot of sleep. Usually three or four times a night, a loud bell rings, a red light flashes, and he has to jump out of his bed. That’s because he’s a weekend volunteer firefighter（消防員）with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Station 13 in Northern Virginia. During the week, he lives at home with his mom, dad and sister and does his main job which is going to high school.
“I have always wanted to get into firefighting since I was a little kid watching fire trucks go by,” he says. “One day on the Internet I noticed that Loudoun County offered a junior firefighter program.” He was only 16, but he got it.
Fighting fires is dangerous work. Firefighters never stop practicing the skills they need to stay safe. Once Coston learned those skills, he was allowed to work inside burning buildings.
“Teamwork is most important,” he says. “It’s the whole team that puts the fire out.”
Firefighters feel great about helping people. “My most unbelievable call was probably the time four kids were struck by lightning,” says Coston. He will be off to college next fall, building on his dream job. “I’ll get my degree in emergency（緊急情況） medical care. and then work in a fire and rescue company for a while. I want to be a flight doctor on a helicopter in the end, but I will never forget the days as a firefighter. These are my unforgettable experiences,” he says.
【小題1】 Coston can’t sleep well on Saturday nights because _____.

A．he has to work part-time at weekends

B．he has some sleeping problems

C．he has to do his job as a volunteer firefighter

D．he always worries that there may be a fire

【小題2】What do we learn about Coston from the passage?

A．He doesn’t like studying at school.	B．He will go to college next year.
C．He dreams to be a great hero one day.	D．He is only sixteen years old.

【小題3】In Coston’s opinion, what is the key thing in putting out a fire?

A．Skills.

B．Teamwork.

C．Courage.

D．Equipment.

【小題4】All of the following are true EXPECT that _____.

A．Coston wanted to be a firefighter when he was a kid

B．Coston tried several times before he became a volunteer firefighter

C．firefighters feel proud that they can help people

D．firefighters have to practice skills all the time to stay safe

Adults（成年人）usually do not remember most of the things that are taught by their teachers at school. But this story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I think of this story.
It was a normal Monday morning, and my teacher was teaching us on important things in life and about devoting ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:
An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get onto the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg（乞討）. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.
His house was dirty, and a stench (惡臭) came out of the house and it smelled terrible. The neighbors could not stand the smell any more, so they called for the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.
The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire (百萬富翁). They waited outside his house expecting to share the good news with him. When the old man arrived home that evening, one of the officers told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.
But the old man said nothing at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, sat at the street corner and continued to beg.
Clearly, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant (有意義的) for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than（除了）staying focused on（專心于）the things we enjoy doing.
【小題1】The underlined part in the first paragraph may mean ______.

A．I get tired of learning my subjects

B．I fail to listen to lessons attentively

C．I go in the wrong direction of life

D．I wouldn’t like to go to school

【小題2】The neighbor called the police because ______.

A．the old man kept begging money from them every day

B．there was something dangerous in the old man’s house

C．the old man wouldn’t buy tickets for the train

D．they couldn’t bear the smell from the old man’s house

【小題3】When the old man knew he was a millionaire, he ______.

A．remained calm	B．became excited
C．felt worried	D．became nervous

【小題4】What lesson do we learn from the story?

A．Make great plans for your life.

B．Keep on doing what you like.

C．Do something that is good to society.

D．Depend on yourself rather than others.

Dear Mom and Dad ,
I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you . I have been very naughty（淘氣的） and the school master is very angry with me . She is going to write to you . You must come and take me away from here . She does not want me in the school any longer . The trouble started last night when I was smoking a cigarette（香煙）in bed . As I was smoking , I heard footsteps（腳步）coming towards the room .I did not want a teacher to catch me smoking , so I threw the cigarette away . Unfortunately（不幸地） , the cigarette fell into the waste--paper basket . It caught fire .
There was a curtain near the waste --paper basket . It caught fire too . Soon the whole room was burning . The master phoned the fire brigade（消防隊(duì)）. The school is a long way from the town and before the fire brigade arrived , the whole school was on fire . The master said that the fire was all my fault（過錯） and I must pay for the damage（損壞）. She will send you a bill for about a million dollars .
I'm very sorry for this .
Much love
Sarah 
【小題1】Why did Sarah write to his parents ?

A．He missed them very much for they hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

B．He told his parents what he had done in school.

C．He was tired of studying, and wanted to leave school.

D．He thought he was old enough to help them do something.

【小題2】Where did Sarah smoke?

A．in the classroom.	B．in the Dinning hall .
C．in the street.	D．in the dormitory（宿舍）.

【小題3】Why was the school master angry with him?

A．because he was too naughty.	B．because he was too lazy.
C．because he caused a big fire.	D．because he stole something from the school.

【小題4】According to the passage, what should the students not do?

A．they should not smoke, because smoking is dangerous to them.

B．they should not dance, because dancing would waste a lot of money.

C．they should not make friends, because making friends would make them absent.

D．they should not wear expensive clothes because they would waste a lot of money.

2.26-meter-tall Yao Ming made his NBA debut (初次登臺) on October 23, 2002 and got 6 points for the Houston Rockets in the game. The next day, he got 13 points (得分)in another game.
Most people think that Yao Ming is a born basketball player. But Yao said, “When you watch it on TV, it looks very easy. But when you are playing in the NBA, it is really not so easy.” He said that joining the Houston Rockets was a new start and a new challenge. “I hope that through very hard work I can make everyone happy and help the Rockets win more games,” he said.
Yao Ming speaks some English. Both he and his teammates can understand each other. They don't think there is a language problem. While Yao Ming faces this new challenge（挑戰(zhàn)）, the people of Houston have shown great interest in him and they hope Yao Ming will bring new energy (活力) to the Rockets. The team has started having lessons to learn more about China, and many people who work for the Rockets have learned to speak some Chinese.
【小題1】Yao Ming got 13 points on October _____, 2002.

A．22

B．23

C．24

D．26

【小題2】Yao Ming said that _____.

A．playing in the NBA was difficult

B．it was hard to watch NBA games on TV

C．he was an NBA star

D．it was boring to play basketball

【小題3】From the passage we can know that Yao Ming ________.

A．will work hard for his team

B．made the highest score in his first NBA game

C．can't understand his teammates

D．teaches the Rockets workers Chinese himself

【小題4】The passage is probably ______.

A．a(chǎn)n advertisement

B．a(chǎn) notice

C．a(chǎn) news report

D．a(chǎn)n instruction

Gossip moves so quickly that few people have time to cover their ears, even if they want to.
“I hate it when others gossip about me,” said Mandy Miraglia, 16, a high school student from California, “but to be honest, gossip about my friends makes me feel I am trusted and belong to the group.” Miraglia is not the only person feeling like that.
Gossip has long been looked down on as little more than nonsense and bad manners. But recent research has shown that gossip has many positive effects on your social life.
“There has been a trend among people to dislike gossip,” said David Sloan Wilson, Professor from the State University of New York in Binghamton, US, “but gossip appears to be a very important form of behavior in a group of friends, defining their group membership.”
For 18 months, Kevin Kniffin, from the University of Wisconsin, US, researched the behavior of 50 people. He found that gossip levels peaked when a sports team included a slacker, someone who regularly missed practices or showed up late. Other members of the team would soon start to joke about the slacker’s shortcomings behind his back, because they thought they were bad for the whole team.
Gossip about the mistakes of senior members helps newcomers rebuild their confidence after a failure.
It also helps relieve social and professional anxiety. Long-term studies show that people around the world devote from a fifth to two-thirds or more of their daily conversation to gossip, and men appear to be just as eager for gossip as women.
It is hard to judge gossip, but it is more powerful than you think.
【小題1】 The author would probably agree that______________.

A．gossip is bad manners

B．gossip has many good effects

C．gossip is somewhat like nonsense

D．gossip is more powerful than advice

【小題2】 What does the underlined word “slacker” mean according to the context?

A．Someone who values the team benefit much.

B．Someone who does not do what they should well.

C．Someone who is active in sports.

D．Someone who shows no much interest in sports.

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

A．Gossip is a useful way of building group membership.

B．Gossip can possibly make someone confident.

C．Generally, women are fonder of gossip than men.

D．Actually, everyone gossips to some degree in their daily conversation.

Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York., in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said FIVE CENTS EACH. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store, selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly form the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always run his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.” （詞數(shù)268）
【小題1】Frank took a short business course in order to ____________.

A．earn more money for his family	B．learn something from a salesman
C．get away from the farm	D．get enough to eat.

【小題2】 Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because _____________.

A．he knew how to get people to buy his goods.

B．he cut down the price by half

C．he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way.

D．the sign he put on the table was well designed.

【小題3】The price of the knives was cut down by half because ______________.

A．the factory workers worked 24 hours a day.

B．knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory.

C．the knives were made in Germany, where labor (勞動力) was cheap.

D．the knives were produced in one factory.

【小題4】 _____________make Woolworth a world-famous man.

A．His business skills and his wealth.

B．The low price of the goods he sold.

C．His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives.

D．His natural skill for showing things.

【小題5】The belief that : “ The customer is always right” suggests that _______________.

A．whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right.

B．If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way.

C．stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money.

D．stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful.

Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well — she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."
Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.
"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."
Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London I was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all I need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."
Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been teaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing — watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now."
【小題1】 When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a______life.

A．satisfying

B．tough

C．meaningless

D．boring

【小題2】The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______.

A．Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant	B．Kathy persuaded her to do so
C．Zoe got tired of the city life	D．Zoe loved Wales more than London

【小題3】 How does Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?

A．Tiresome and troublesome.	B．Romantic and peaceful
C．Mentally exhausting but healthy	D．Physically tiring but rewarding.

【小題4】 Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?

A．A friend in need is a friend indeed.	B．Where there is a will, there is a way.
C．A misfortune may turn out a blessing.	D．Kill two birds with one stone.

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the pups and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the sad eyes of a little boy.
“Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies." 
"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat of the back of his neck, “these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money."
The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got thirty- nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?”  
"Sure," said the farmer.
And with that he let out a whistle. "Here, Dolly!" he called.
Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight.
As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared; this one noticeably smaller.
Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....
"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt.
The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would."
With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands."
With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.
"How much?" asked the little boy.
"No charge," answered the farmer, "There's no charge for love."
The world is full of people who need someone who understands. It's National Friendship Week.
【小題1】How many baby pups did the farmer have for sale?

A．3

B．4

C．5

D．6

【小題2】Why did the farmer agree to sell the boy one of the puppies?

A．The boy had the money to buy one.

B．There were few people wanting to buy a dog.

C．The farmer felt sorry for the boy.

D．The farmer wanted to get rid of the dogs quickly.

【小題3】 Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the underlined word “ hobbling”?

A．strolling.

B．crawling.

C．limping.

D．running.

【小題4】Why did the boy finally choose the “ hobbling” pup?

A．He feared the farmer would kill it.

B．He thought no one else would buy that pup.

C．He believed it was the cutest of the pups.

D．He could identify with this pup.

【小題5】What would be the most suitable title for this passage?

A．Man’s Best Friend	B．Puppy For Sale.
C．Perfect Match.	D．Love at First Sight.

“Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him，and let him know that you trust him.” These words are from the black American educator，Booker Washington. He was saying that，“If you want people to grow up，you have to stop treating them like children.”
In America，families are close but children are encouraged to be independent，to make their own decisions，even at a very early age. It’s not unusual for a child of seven to be given an allowance(津貼)every week. The child is encouraged to save some of the money but he or she can spend it on whatever they choose，for example，buying clothes，school supplies or CDs. Some teenagers even have their own credit cards! That’s a big responsibility since even adults are tempted to overspend when they have credit cards.
From an early age，American children are asked for their opinions and they are included in family decision making. At the dinner table，teenagers will be listened to on any topic，from politics to buying a new family car or where the family will go on vacation. In this way, teenagers are getting practice in becoming individuals：they are learning how to stand on their own two feet.
Many Chinese young people are becoming almost as interested as American teens in searching for independence. They want to express those qualities that make them unique human beings. You can see this in the way they dress, the music they listen to and the friends they choose. “Super Girl” Li Yuchun caught the imagination of Chinese teenagers on the “Super Girl” television contest. She was not the traditional “nice，young Chinese girl”. With her short，spiky hair and boy-like clothes, she was telling everyone that she was different. She had the courage to be her own person and to stand on her own two feet...and she won!
There is an old saying，“Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him and then choose that way with all his strength.” If you do this, step by step, over a period of time, you may find that you have become the person you always wanted to be.
【小題1】The passage is intended to encourage the youth to________.

A．save money for useful things	B．become independent
C．express their great ambitions	D．make important decisions

【小題2】A child of seven is given an allowance so that he can______.

A．be accepted as a popular guy	B．learn to decide how to use money
C．overspend money without care	D．have school supplies of his own

【小題3】 The author implies that many Chinese children________.

A．a(chǎn)re more independent than Americans	B．should become interested in America
C．a(chǎn)re happy with their present situation	D．a(chǎn)re not satisfied to be nice, quiet ones

【小題4】The main idea of the last paragraph is________.

A．that we should do things step by step	B．why we should understand our desires
C．what we should plan for our own life	D．how we can manage to realize our dreams