One day in January, my uncle, my cousin and I decided to go hunting．We left by car in the afternoon．It was a Range Rover with four-wheel drive．It took us three hours to get there．After we arrived at 5:15 p．m．, we fixed the tent, then made coffee and had a short rest．After that, we went hunting, using a falcon（獵鷹）．We spent two hours without finding anything．On our way back to the camp, my cousin saw a rabbit．I removed the falcon’s bead cover and let go of the aggressive falcon．When the rabbit saw the falcon, it ran fast, but my falcon was a professional hunter．He flew up and came down to trick the rabbit．After two minutes, the rabbit was caught．We took it back to the camp to cook our dinner．We ate the delicious food, drank Arabic coffee, and sat around the fire talking until 10:30 p．m．
We left the camp the next day at 7 o’clock in the morning．We went north．However, around 10:00 a．m．our car got stuck in the sand! We spent about three hours trying to pull out the car without any progress．Finally, we decided to walk．As it was hard for an old man or a young boy to walk more than 40km in the desert, I decided to get help myself．I took a bottle of water with me and started to walk south alone．I knew the way well, but it was a long way in the sand．I walked more than four hours without stopping．When I felt so tired and thirsty, I stopped to rest．I drank all the water and slept for around two hours．
When I got up, it was dark．I continued to walk south．I was worried about my uncle and cousin．Suddenly, I met a Bedouin man who was riding his camel．He took me to his house．When I had had enough rest, I asked him to take me to the road where I found a car．It took me to the city to get help．I had one day to get back to my uncle and cousin．When I got back to them, they were so happy because I had gotten help and they were able to see me again．
【小題1】Which word can best describe the first evening of their hunting trip?

A．Adventurous．	B．Enjoyable．
C．Stressful．	D．Exhausting．

【小題2】How did the writer finally get out of the desert?

A．He was picked up by a car．

B．A camel took him to the road．

C．A passer-by Bedouin helped him．

D．His uncle and cousin found and rescued him．

【小題3】What can be inferred from the story?

A．It’s an easy job to walk 40km in the desert．

B．The author loved to go hunting with his family．

C．The hunting trip is much longer than expected．

D．To hunt in the desert one must train a falcon well．

Directions: The following people are expressing their thoughts (1--4) to show their concern for food, environment and so on. After that are pieces of related information (A--E). Now decide which piece of information would be most suitable for the thought and idea mentioned in questions1---4 and mark your answer letter (A---E) on your answer sheet. There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
______【小題1】 How I was struck by the clear water and fresh air in my childhood! But everything has changed, that is, the clear water and fresh air are nowhere to be found again as they were. Above all, a great deal of waste hardly rots away.
_____【小題2】More and more people are beginning to have a good knowledge of the importance of a safer and cleaner environment, which in turn forces the business to be cleaned up.
____【小題3】 I’m very much fond of growing some vegetables of my own in my small garden, for many vegetables on sale in markets are actually becoming more and more dangerous as a result of widespread pesticides.
____【小題4】 Nowadays it is very convenient for consumers to find and buy green food in supermarkets as they are clearly marked.

A．“Organic produce is always better,” Gold said. “The food is free of pesticides, and you are generally supporting family farms instead of large farms. And more often than not it is locally grown and seasonal, so it is more tasty.” Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers buying into the organic trend, and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business.

B．The concern for a safer and cleaner environment is making companies rethink how they do business. No longer will the public accept the old attitude of “Buy it, use it, throw it away, and forget it.” The public pressure is on, and gradually business is cleaning up its act.[

C．Many cities around the world today are heavily polluted. Careless methods of production and lack of consumer demand for environment-friendly products have contributed to the pollution problem. One result is that millions of tons of glass, paper, plastic, and metal containers are produced, and these are difficult to get rid of.

D．Only a few years ago, it was impossible to find green products in supermarkets, but now there are hundreds. Some supermarket products carry labels (標(biāo)簽) to show that the product is green. Some companies have made the manufacturing (制造) of clean and safe products their main selling point and emphasize it in their advertising.

E. Market research shows that Gold and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for their preferences - but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete. For example, small amounts of pesticides can be used on organic products. And about three quarters of organic food in Britain is not local but imported to meet growing demand. “The demand for organic food is increasing by about one third every year, so it is a very fast-growing market,” said Sue Flock, a specialist in this line of business.

Despite the fact that it has never been seen almost everyone is familiar with the legendary unicorn(獨角獸). Descriptions of unicorns have been found dating from ancient times. The great philosopher Aristotle theorized that there were two types of unicorn--- the so-called Indian Ass and the Oryx, a kind of antelope. Unicorns are often used in the logo of a noble family, town council or university as their special sign. Even Scotland is represented by a unicorn.
According to the legend, anyone attempting to catch a unicorn had to be extremely careful as it was very fierce and dangerous. A clever trick suggested by unicorn-trappers, in order to catch this amazing animal without being hurt by its horn, was for the hunter to stand in front of a tree and then to move quickly behind it as the unicorn dashed angrily. Hopefully, the creature could then be caught when its horn was stuck in the tree.
When hollowed out and used as a drinking-cup, the unicorn’s horn was said to have the power to offer protection against person. It was believed that nobody could be harmed-by drinking the contents of a unicorn’s horn. Right up until the French Revolution in 1789, the French court was said to have used cups made of “unicorn” horn in order to protect the king. In addition, the horn was said to have medicinal value, so much so that it could be sold for more than ten times the price of the same weight of gold. What, then, was “unicorn” horn? We know at times the rhino(犀牛) was confused with this legendary creature. A drinking-cup supposedly made of “unicorn” horn was discovered to be made of the horn of a rhino.
【小題1】Which of the following is TRUE of the unicorn?

A．It was not historically recorded

B．Its horn was first used in France

C．It was similar to the Indian Ass and the Oryx

D．It could be the symbol of a university

【小題2】To catch a unicorn, the unicorn-trappers had to try all of the following EXCEPT ____.

A．a(chǎn)ttracting the unicorn to attack

B．making use of the tree as a defense

C．hiding quickly behind the unicorn

D．having the unicorn horn stuck in the tree

【小題3】The last paragraph is mainly about ____.

A．the functions of the unicorn horn

B．the users of the unicorn horn

C．the price of the unicorn horn

D．the comparison between the unicorn horn and the rhino horn

A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of （證明有……罪）shoplifting for the second time in six months.
Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops.
Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road, Cambridge, admitted stealing clothes worth ￡9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street, London, on March 9.
Phillip Lemoyne, prosecuting（起訴）,said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store .When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected, having taken off the anti-theft security alarms（防盜警報裝置）.
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying, Mr. Lemoyne said.
He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions.
Luz, 28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October, but Morag Duff, defending, said she had never been in trouble with the police before that.
“She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this,” Miss Duff said. “She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store. She is at a loss to explain it. She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady. She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this.”
Judge David Azan fined Luz ￡ 50,  and warned : “You’ve got a criminal record .If you carry on like this ,you will end up in prison ,which will ruin your bright future you may have.”
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain, went on to a famous university in Berlin, Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University, UK.
【小題1】 What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean?

A．In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things.

B．She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops.

C．She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops.

D．Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions.

【小題2】Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “shoplifting” used in the passage?

A．Carrying goods in a lift for a shop.	B．Taking goods to the ladies’ toilet.
C．Selecting some goods from a display.	D．Taking goods from a shop without paying.

【小題3】From the passage we can learn that          .

A．Ana Luz is already got her PhD at Cambridge University, UK

B．Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so

C．the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more

D．Phillip Lemoyne is the “respectable and intelligent” woman’s defense lawyer

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet fighter pilot in Viet Nam. After 75 missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb parachuted down into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.
One day, Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant when a man from another table came up and said “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Viet Nam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”
“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb.
“I packed your parachute,” the man replied. “I guess it worked”. Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute（降落傘） hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering what he looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said ‘Good morning. How are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was ‘just a sailor’”.
Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds(傘罩) and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.
Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognize people who pack your parachutes.
【小題1】Why didn’t Plumb say hello to the sailor each time he passed him on the Kitty Hawk?

A．He thought the sailor was just an unimportant man.

B．He didn’t like him at that time.

C．He was very busy then.

D．He didn’t know him well then.

【小題2】 What did the sailor do on the Kitty Hawk at the Viet Nam War?

A．weaved clothes for the pilots.	B．repaired the wooden table in the ship.
C．helped the jets start.	D．packed the parachutes for the fighter pilots.

【小題3】 What does the writer think we should do?

A．We should help each other if they are in trouble.

B．We shouldn’t look down upon the sailors.

C．We should be thankful to others’ help.

D．We should be honest to our friends.

【小題4】 Which is the best title for the passage?

A．A story about a sailor.	B．Who pack your parachutes?
C．Don’t forget your past!	D．Never forget your friends!

Crossing Texas and Mexico, the Big Bend region is high in biodiversity(生物的多樣性). It’s a place so untamed that if something doesn’t bite, stick, or sting, it’s probably a rock.
You know you have arrived in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert when it feels as if you have fallen off the edge of the earth and into the rabbit hole. Nothing is as it appears. Moths (蛀蟲) are the size of birds. Are those twin pillars (柱) of black rock (a landmark known as Mule Ear Peaks) ten miles (16 kilometers) away or fifty (80 kilometers)? Visibility (能見度) reaches more than a hundred miles on a clear day, and since there are few roads or buildings to use as milestones, distance is difficult to judge.
This is a place where water runs uphill, where rainbows have to wait for rain. The line between myth (虛構(gòu)的故事) and reality is unclear. Stare long enough at the Chisos Mountains or the Sierra del Carmen, the two mountain ranges, known as sky islands, which lie on the land, and they rise and float above the plain.
The vast Chihuahuan Desert is a land of no people. There is always the chance you’ll die of thirst. The “You Can Die”possibilities are endless, and keep some visitors — 350,000 a year to Big Bend National Park, built in 1944 — from coming back. Those who do return are left to think of the remarkable courage of the brave few who have managed to survive in this terrible environment.
【小題1】The underlined word“untamed”in Paragraph 1 means“________”.

A．untouched

B．wild

C．unchanged

D．fresh

【小題2】Why do the twin pillars of black rock seem ten or fifty miles away?

A．They were put so far away.

B．They lie across the Chihuahuan Desert.

C．It is difficult to judge the distance, with few milestones.

D．One lies in the Chisos Mountains, the other in the Sierra del Carmen.

【小題3】How many years are there since the Big Bend National Park was built?

A．350,000 years.

B．350 years.

C．66 years.

D．44 years.

【小題4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．The natural wonders of the Chihuahuan Desert.

B．Everything you see is not what it seems in the Chihuahuan Desert.

C．The terrible environment of deserts in Texas and Mexico.

D．A special place where none who go can return.

【小題5】What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．There are all kinds of living things in the Chihuahuan Desert.

B．No people live in the Big Bend region.

C．Nothing is as it appears in the Big Bend region.

D．Traveling in the Big Bend region is dangerous.

Smart job-seekers need to rid themselves of several standard myths about interviewing before they start looking for a job. What follows is a list of some of these untruths and some tips to help you do your best at your next interview.
Myth 1: The aim of interviewing is to obtain (means “get”) a job offer.
Only half true. The real aim of an interview is to obtain the job you want. That often means rejecting job offers you don’t want! So before you please an employer, be sure you want the job.
Myth 2: Always please the interviewer
Not true. Try to please yourself. Of course, don’t be hostile—nobody wants to hire someone disagreeable. But there is plainly a muddle ground between being too ingratiating（逢迎）and being hostile.
Myth 3: Try to control the interview
Nobody “controls” an interview. When someone tries to control us, we resent（憎恨）it. When we try to control others, they resent us. Remember you can’t control what an employer thinks of you, just as he can’t control what you think of him. So he is ready to give and take when being interviewed; never control the interview.
Myth 4: Never interrupt the interviewer
Study the style of the effective conversationalists: they interrupt and are interrupted! An exciting conversation always makes us feel free—free to interrupt, to disagree, to agree enthusiastically. Just hang loose. Try being yourself for a change. Employers will either like or dislike you, but at least you’ll have made an impression. Leaving an employer indifferent（冷漠的）is the worst impression you can make.
【小題1】To be your natural self in a job interview will__________.

A．make your interviewer angry	B．please your interviewer
C．leave an impression on the interviewer	D．leave the interviewer indifferent to you

【小題2】     For job seekers, efforts to control the interview are likely to __________.

A．a(chǎn)ffect the interviewer’s opinion of them

B．lead to the offer of a job

C．enable them to express themselves fully

D．help to create a favorable image of themselves

【小題3】The most important thing to keep in mind when being interviewed for a job is to _________.

A．try to obtain the job	B．reject the job first
C．qualify yourself for the job	D．see if it is a job you want

【小題4】The right attitude to a job interviewer is to be _________.

A．obedient

B．hostile

C．pleasing

D．a(chǎn)greeable

【小題5】     “hang loose” in last paragraph means to _________.

A．stay calm and relaxed	B．become weak and passive
C．take charge	D．sit back comfortably

I was very disappointed not to be able to go to the jazz concert last Friday. The announcement in the paper said that you could buy tickets at the theater box office in Richland Hills any day between 10:00 and 4:00. Since I work from 9 o’clock to 5:30, the only time I could go to the theater was during my 45-minute lunch break. Unfortunately, the theater is on the other side of the town, and the bus service between my office and Richland Hills is not very good. But if you are lucky, you can make the round trip in 45 minutes. Last Monday, I stood at the bus stop for fifteen minutes waiting for a bus. By the time I saw one come around the corner, there was not enough time left to make the trip—so I gave up and went back to the office. The same thing happened on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday. On Thursday, my luck changed, I got on a bus right away and arrived at the theatre in exactly twenty minutes. When I got there, however, I found a long line of people at the box office. I heard one man say he had been waiting in line for over an hour. Realizing I would not have enough time to wait in line, I caught the next bus and headed back across the town. By Friday I realized my only hope was to make the trip by taxi. It was expensive, but I felt it would be worth hearing the concert. The trip by taxi only took 10 minutes, but it felt like an hour to me. When I got to the theatre, I was relieved to see that nobody was waiting in line. The reason, I quickly discovered, was that they had already sold all the tickets.
【小題1】The writer is probably ______.

A．worker	B．a(chǎn) college teacher
C．manager of a company	D．a(chǎn) clerk

【小題2】He learned ______ that there would be a concert last Friday.

A．from his friends	B．from one of his colleagues
C．over the radio	D．from the newspaper

【小題3】He could go and buy the ticket ______.

A．a(chǎn)ny day before work hours	B．both before and after work hours
C．only during lunch time	D．on Saturday and Sunday

【小題4】The word “relieved” in the last two sentences may best be replaced by “______”.

A．surprised

B．pleased

C．puzzled

D．sorry

【小題5】The story is about ______.

A．a(chǎn) good concert

B．someone enjoying a good concert

C．someone trying to buy concert tickets for his friends

D．someone’s disappointment at not being able to go to the concert

When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P.T.Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall.
Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
【小題1】“the talk of the town” means _________ .

A．they were in the newspaper

B．people spread mean rumors about them

C．they were the most popular things happening

D．they were discussed in a city meeting

【小題2】What does the author think about Tom Thumb’s wedding?

A．People gave it too much of their attention.

B．It helped people cheer up in a dark time.

C．It was funny and ridiculous.

D．Tom and Lavinia were stupid.

【小題3】Which of the following is the best clue to the fact that Tom was smart?

A．He became a billionaire at twenty-five.

B．He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age.

C．He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon.

D．He married a school teacher.

【小題4】 It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because ________ .

A．the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom were tap dancing

B．it made Tom feel taller

C．the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted

D．the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller

【小題5】What does the author imply in the last paragraph?

A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine.

B．People are always disappointed during wartime.

C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose.

D．People should be married even if they are small.

The cars were honking （鳴叫） on the road one morning as I was walking to the park．I walked on and soon found the cause — a little taxi that had got stuck in the middle of the road．There was sweat on the driver's face as he tried to start the engine again and again — nothing happened．"No petrol,"
I said to myself and then found myself getting angry．"Why doesn't the fool move his taxi to the side?" I thought, so did all the others who honked and shouted．
He got up tiredly, and the passenger in the taxi got out．He was a young man in a white shirt, who watched the driver try to push it to the side．"Stupid guy!" I said．"Can't he lend a helping hand? "
I watched as the poor driver pushed it to the side．Cars, buses and trucks went past cursing （咒罵） the poor man．The young man took another taxi and went off．
The taxi driver began mending his taxi．"Stupid passenger!" I said to him．"He didn't help you!" The taxi driver slowly got up．"Sir!" he asked, "Did you?" I looked at him guiltily, then looked away, and walked away fast, asking myself, "Did I help the poor man push his taxi?"
What had I been doing as the traffic jam took place? How had I helped deal with the problem? Did I help the poor man push his taxi? I’d done my bit, with my mouth．But never had I moved to solve the problem．I was shocked with guilt as I heard him asking, "Sir! Did you?"
【小題1】Why did a traffic jam happen on the road when the author was walking to the park?

A．There was too much traffic in the street．

B．Truck drivers attempted to go ahead of others．

C．A taxi driver couldn't start his engine．

D．A young man wasn't good at driving．

【小題2】The author's attitude toward the passenger is that of __________．

A．a(chǎn)nger

B．respect

C．sympathy

D．guilt

【小題3】Why did the author feel guilty?

A．Because he blamed the driver wrongly．

B．Because he didn't help the driver, either．

C．Because he tried to help but failed in the end．

D．Because he didn't persuade the passenger to help．

【小題4】From the incident, the author learnt a lesson that we should     _________．

A．criticize those who don't help

B．hurt the self-respect of others no more

C．think more of those who are in need

D．stop talking and start to help