A long weekend is a great opportunity to do something a little different. Many people use a long weekend for a getaway, a short trip to leave the stress of their everyday lives behind and explore, learn, or relax.
Hotel Romance
Many hotels and resorts feature something special to start the getaway, such as champagne, flowers, or a fruit basket in the room on arrival. Getaway packages usually include a room with something special, a heart shaped bed, for example. Additional benefits could be room service meals or other private dining, plus tickets or discounts for local attractions.
Visit a Spa
Spa getaways can take place at a location that focuses only on spa services or at a hotel that offers a spa as one of its features. Some spas emphasize treatments fit for their geographic area or a local attraction. A spa in a grape growing region might provide grape juice masks, or a hotel near a hot spring could offer mineral baths. Most spas offer a range of massage, health and beauty treatments, so a spa getaway can be relaxing with other benefits.
Learn a Skill
A long weekend may not be enough time to become an expert at something new, but it provides a way for people to begin their explorations. Some organizations offer intensive courses that last two or three days. People with special interests can get away from their routines while learning such things as how to make beer, speak a new language, or take better photos.
Help Others
Some organizations cooperate with businesses to have accommodations (住宿) and activities for short-term volunteers. Most volunteer vacations involve ecology friendly or charity activities. A volunteer getaway is a way to relieve stress and help others at the same time.
Stay in a National Park
For those who want to relax in a rural environment, a national park fits the bill. Most national parks provide camping areas for tents and trailers. Several have cabins (小屋) within the parks available to rent. A getaway to a national park provides privacy, stress relief, and the time to get to know some important natural resources.
【小題1】The underlined word getaway in this passage most probably means      .

A．exploration

B．location

C．vacation

D．a(chǎn)ctivity

【小題2】 It can be learned from the text that       .

A．spas are offered in the tourist attractions all over the country

B．intensive courses of some organizations help people get away from home

C．helping others at weekend makes people feel free and relaxed

D．people may get close to nature in a national park

【小題3】Which of the following can be rented in a national park?

A．Cabins.

B．Trailers.

C．Camping area.

D．Privacy.

【小題4】The best title of the passage can be         .

A．Away from Our Busy Work	B．Good Ways to Relieve Stress
C．Enjoy Life and Help Others	D．Long Weekend Getaway Ideas

When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than most of the adults in our community.
　　When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest.
　　The good doctor had some interesting theories concerning plant care and growth. He never watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them so that each successive tree generation would grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things rough for them and weed out(淘汰) the weaker trees early on.
He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture. I took him to mean that deep roots were to be treasured.
　　So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he’d beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. Smack! Slap! Pow! I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.
Dr. Gibbs passed away a couple of years after I left home. Every now and again, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty-five years ago. They’re extremely tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now. However, the trees in my garden trembled in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years.
It seems that adversity(逆境) and suffering benefit these trees in ways comfort and ease never could. I stood there deep in thought.
　　Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I stand over them and watch their little bodies, the rising and falling of life within. I often pray for them. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But I think it’s time to change my prayer(禱詞) because now I know my children are going to encounter hardship..
【小題1】According to Dr. Gibbs’ theories, trees will become weaker if they______

A．a(chǎn)re lack of care

B．a(chǎn)re watered

C．a(chǎn)re weeded out

D．a(chǎn)re beaten

【小題2】.According to Para.3 and Pare.4, we can infer that Dr. Gibbs’moto（座右銘）may be_____

A．“seeing is believing”	B．“Put everything in proper use”
C．”Practice makes perfect”	D．“No pains, no gains”

【小題3】.The underlined word robust in Para.5 most probably means______

A．strong

B．strange

C．deep

D．old

【小題4】 Which of the following may be the author’s best prayer for his two sons now ?

A．I wish them strong wings, with which they can fly higher and touch the sky.

B．I wish them nice fortune so that they can meet people like Dr. Gibbs in the future.

C．I wish them deep roots into the earth since the rains fall and the winds blow often.

D．I wish them great shades under the tree since the sunlight is always sharp and bitter.

【小題5】 Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．A Nice Doctor	B．The Deep Roots
C．Adversity and Suffering	D．My Childhood Memory

A man was on the side of the road hitchhiking（搭便車）on a very dark night in the middle of a terrible rainstorm, with no cars on the road．The storm was so strong that the man could hardly see a few feet ahead of him．Suddenly, he saw a car come towards him and stop．The man, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door and only then did he realize that there was nobody behind the steering wheel（方向盤）!  
The car started to move very slowly．The man looked at the road and saw a curve （拐彎處）coming his way．Terrified, he started to pray, begging for his life．He had not come out of shock when, just before the car hit the curve, a hand suddenly appeared through the window and moved the wheel．The man, paralyzed with fear, watched how the hand appeared every time the car was drawing near a curve．Finally, although terrified, the man managed to open the door and jump out of the spooky car．Without looking back, the man ran through the storm all the way to the nearest town．In a state of complete horror, the man walked into a nearby bar and asked for two glasses of Scotch whisky．
Then, still shaking with fright, he started telling everybody in the bar about the horrible experience he just went through in the spooky car．Everyone in the bar listened in silence and became frightened, with hair standing on end, when they realized the man was telling the truth because he was crying and he was certainly not drunk!
About half an hour later, two other young men walked into the same bar and one said to the other, “Hey, there’s a stupid man who jumped into the car while we were pushing it!”
【小題1】When the car was first drawing near a curve, the man ________．

A．felt very curious	B．was extremely frightened
C．cried for help	D．remained as calm as possible

【小題2】According to the passage, what made the man’s experience believable?

A．His reasonable behavior．	B．His vivid description．
C．His plain appearance．	D．His honest attitude．

【小題3】We can infer from the passage that ________．

A．it is unsafe for people to take a free ride

B．the man was telling a lie to his listeners

C．the car probably broke down on the way

D．the two young men were familiar with the man

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day． "I was a clothes addict, "he jokes．" I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled．" Today David wears casual clothes – khaki pants and sports shirt – to the office． He hardly ever wears a necktie． "I'm working harder than ever," David says, "and I need to feel comfortable．"
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work． In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual． In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday． This became known as "dress-down Friday" or "casual Friday．" "What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing．" said business consultant Maisly Jones．
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code． "A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work," says the owner of a software company, "so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code．" Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes． In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale （士氣）． Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity． Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money． "Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day," one person said． "For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes．"
【小題1】David Smith refers to himself as having been "a clothes addict," because        ．  

A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B．he couldn't stand a clean appearance

C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time

D．he didn't want to spend much money on clothes

【小題2】David Smith wears casual clothes now, because        ．  

A．they make him feel at ease when working

B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

C．he looks handsome in casual clothes

D．he no longer works for any company

【小題3】According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE? 

A．Many employees don't like a conservative dress code．

B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive．

C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees．

D．All the employers in the U．S． are for casual office wear．

【小題4】According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?   

A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago．

B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s．

C．"Dress-down Friday" was first given as a favor from employers．

D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people．

【小題5】In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except         ．    

A．saving employees' money	B．making employees more attractive
C．improving employees' motivation	D．making employees happier

Last Sunday I made a visit to some new neighbors down the block. No specific purpose in mind, just an opportunity to sit at the kitchen table, have some tea and chat. As I did so, it occurred to me how rare the Sunday visit has become.
When I was a kid in the New Jersey of the 1960s, Sunday visits were routine. Most stores were closed, almost nobody worked, and the highways, as a result, were not the desperate steeplechases（障礙賽跑） they have become today. My family normally traveled eight city blocks to the home of my grandmother—the same house my father was raised in, where adults would sit on the front porch and chat while we children played hide-and-seek.
The Sunday visit was something to desire strongly. It was the repetition to church, our reward for an hour of devotion, an opportunity to take advantage of the fact that Dad was not at work, we were not in school, and there were no chores that couldn’t wait until Monday. Sunday was, indeed, different from all the other days of the week, because everyone seemed to be on the same schedule, which means that there was one day when everyone seemed to have time for everybody else.
Sunday as a day of rest is, or was, so deeply rooted in the culture that it’s surprising to consider that, in a short span of time, it has almost entirely lost this association. In my childhood, it was assumed that everyone would either be home or visiting someone else’s home on Sunday.
But now the question is, “What do you plan to DO this Sunday?” The answer can range from going to the mall to participating in a road race to jetting to Montreal for lunch. If one were to respond, “I’m making a Sunday visit to family,” such an answer would feel sepia-toned, an echo from another era.
I suppose I should be grateful to live in Maine, a state of small towns, abundant land and tight relationships. Even though folks work as hard here as they do anywhere else, the state’s powerfully rural cast（特質(zhì)）still harbors at least remnants of the ethic of yesterday’s America, where people had to depend on one another in the face of economic vagaries（反復(fù)無常的情況）and a challenging environment.
【小題1】The writer’s general impression of the Sunday in the past was a day when _______.

A．everyone was paying a visit to some relative far away

B．everyone seemed to be free and could have some leisure

C．Dad was not at work while Mom was busy cleaning the house

D．nearly every adult would go to church and children were not at school

【小題2】In the fourth paragraph, the writer compares the response “I’m making a Sunday visit to family” to an echo from another era because _______.

A．people nowadays prefer staying at home on Sunday

B．such answers are rarely heard in our modern society

C．people in the city dislike being disturbed on Sunday

D．visiting someone on Sunday might take a lot of time

【小題3】From the last paragraph we may infer that _______.

A．people in Maine suffer more from economic depression and the changed environment

B．people in Maine has abandoned their tradition and lived an absolute new life

C．land in Maine is short, thus the relationship between people is tense

D．people in Maine always help each other when they are in need

【小題4】．Which word we may use to describe the writer’s attitude towards the Sunday today?

A．Unsatisfied.

B．Anxious.

C．Treasured.

D．Teased.

Germany has a variety of cities each with its own characteristics, from the busy city of Berlin, to the ancient city of Cologne, to the Bavarian capital of Munich. Thankfully, these major German cities offer sightseeing tours that offer the opportunity to better explore the surrounding regions and the country’s most historic sites.
Berlin on Bike
Berlin on Bike takes visitors through the German capital via five bicycle tours, all with guides. Regular tours include the Wall Tour and Berlin’s Best, with stops at some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as the Reichstag explores what life was like in East Berlin under Communist Rule. The cost of the tour includes the bike and helmet rental, and tourists may choose to continue renting their bikes once the tour has ended.
Berlinonbike.de/English/index.php
Munich City Sightseeing Tour
The Munich City Sightseeing Tour transports travelers throughout the city via an open-air, double-decker bus. Passengers can hop on and off at various stops throughout the day. This tour includes stops at such sites as the Munich central train station, the 1972 Olympic Stadium Park, Munich’s opera house and Karlsplatz, the gate to the historic city. The bus features a narrated tour guide and offers an English-language option.
Raileurope.com/activities/munich-city-sightseeing-tour/index.html
Nice City Tours- Cologne
Nice City Tours offers three tours of Cologne, available to private or business groups in a variety of languages. The old Town Tour runs for two hours and includes a guided tour of the Cologne Cathedral and some of the city’s old squares. The Brewery Pub Tour explores some of the city’s most beloved breweries and pubs, and details the history behind Kolsch, Cologne’s resident beer. Finally, the Old Town and Rhine Tour begins by visiting some of old town’s most historic sites and ends with a ride down the Rhine River.
Nicecitytours.con/tours.htm
【小題1】 The similarity of the three tours lies in that they all include_____.

A．bus tours

B．English service

C．three routes

D．guide’s service

【小題2】If you take a great interest in beer, which tour might be suitable for you?

A．The Wall Tour	B．The Brewery Pub Tour
C．The Old Town Tour	D．The Munich City Sightseeing Tour

【小題3】Where can you probably see this passage?

A．In a textbook.	B．On a website.
C．In an encyclopedia.	D．In a journal.

  Earlier this month, the Obama Administration called for increased protection of the world’s most southern continent, Antarctica. Scientists say climate change and human activity have increasingly led to the melting of massive pieces of Antarctic ice. The disappearance of ice will not only affect wildlife in the area such as seals and penguins. The melting will also cause oceans and seas around the world to rise.
This represents a major threat, especially to coastal areas. For example, the ancient city of Venice, Italy has long been threatened by rising sea levels. The situation is made worse by the fact that its ancient buildings, built on a body of water called a lagoon( 淡水湖), are slowly sinking. When the city was founded about 1,600 years ago, the level of the Adriatic Sea was almost two meters lower than it is today.
Rising sea levels are not the only threat. The salty water is also destroying Venice’s famous buildings and artworks. The Italian government is trying to fix the problem with the construction of a seven-billion-dollar system of moving flood barriers.
Climate change is also leading to the melting of ice in other areas, such as Mount Kilimanjaro in northeastern Tanzania. It is the highest point in Africa, measuring almost 6,000 meters. The mountain supports five vegetation zones and many kinds of animals.
The ice glaciers on the mountain are disappearing very quickly. This will have a bad effect on the mountain’s ecosystems and on Tanzania’s travel industry. Also, a valuable record of thousands of years of weather history will also be lost if the ice melts. Scientists study pieces of glacier to understand weather patterns from thousands of years ago.
In the United States, the icy masses in Glacier National Park in Montana may soon completely disappear because of climate change. In 1850, there were an estimated 150 glaciers in the more than 400,000 hectare park.
There are 26 glaciers remaining today. Scientists estimate that the glaciers will be gone by 2030. Warming temperatures are also threatening the many kinds of plants and animals that live in this mountain ecosystem.
【小題1】 The writer developed the passage mainly by______.

A．giving examples	B．listing reasons
C．making comparisons	D．using quotations

【小題2】 How many glaciers disappeared since 1850 in Glacier National Park?

A．150.

B．26.

C．400,000.

D．About 124.

【小題3】 According to the passage, what has been affected in Italy by rising sea levels?

A．Many kinds of plants and animals died out in Italy.

B．Venice’s famous buildings and artworks are being destroyed completely.

C．The ice glaciers on the mountain are disappearing very quickly.

D．Its ancient buildings could be drowned.

【小題4】 What could be the best title for the passage?

A．Climate Change

B．The Melting of Massive Pieces of Antarctic Ice

C．Visiting Endangered Places around the World

D．The disappearing of the Ice Glaciers

Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the websites you’ve visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.
In fact, it’s likely some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend（配偶）, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal, Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen -- the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it’s important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs （面包屑）you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal（泄露）what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is: Does that matter?
For many Americans, the answer apparently is "no."
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it A survey found an overwhelming pessimism（悲觀）about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me."
But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny fraction of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths （收費(fèi)處）to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessandro Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will surrender personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon (優(yōu)惠券).
But privacy does matter -- at least sometimes. It’s like health: When you have it, you don’t notice it. Only when it’s gone do you wish you’d done more to protect it.
【小題1】What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?

A．Friends should open their hearts to each other.

B．There should be a distance even between friends

C．Friends should always be faithful to each other.

D．There should be fewer disputes between friends.

【小題2】Why does the author say "we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret" ?

A．Modern society has finally evolved into an open society.

B．People leave traces around when using modern technology.

C．There are always people who are curious about others’ affairs.

D．Many search engines profit by revealing people’s identities.

【小題3】What do most Americans do with regard to privacy protections?

A．They change behaviors that might disclose their identity.

B．They use various loyalty cards for business transactions.

C．They rely more and more on electronic devices.

D．They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.

【小題4】According to the passage, privacy is like health in that ______.

A．people will make every effort to keep it

B．its importance is rarely understood

C．it is something that can easily be lost

D．people don’t cherish it until they lose it

Anthony Horowitz was miserable as child. He was, as he put it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Horowitz was sent away to an abusive boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and pleaded(懇求) with his parents year after year not to send him. “The thought was, It’ll be good for him,” he recalled.
It was not. Horowitz did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied (欺負(fù)) for five years. “My teachers couldn't have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn't even smart enough to rebel . The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was this desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”
Now, at age of 55, Horowitz is one of the world's most successful children's book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies, and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, came out this month.
The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency M16.
Horowitz said he doesn't try to write for kids; it just comes out that way. “I have a feeling it's to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.
The style has also made Horowitz a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it's all about entertaining people with a good story.
Now, Horowitz couldn't be happier with his life. He sums up his success: “…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.”
【小題1】In the boarding school, Horowitz’s teachers           .

A．often criticized him	B．showed great concern for him
C．taught him how to write stories	D．thought little about his ability

【小題2】Which of the following is true of Anthony Horowitz?

A．He was the beloved child of his family.

B．He benefited a lot from boarding school.

C．He emphasizes the plot rather than character in stories.

D．Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy.

【小題3】What advice does Horowitz have for readers?

A．Confidence is the key to success.	B．Hardship teaches valuable lessons.
C．Interest is the best teacher.	D．Industry is the parent of success.

【小題4】In which section can you most probably read the passage?

A．Campus Trends	B．Culture & Leisure
C．Our World	D．Science Life

“If you run for more than five minutes at any time, you might need a pair of running shoes,” advises Stephen Pribut, a US sports medicine expert. Running shoes are highly technical footwear. They provide stability（牢固）while bearing up to three times the wearer’s body weight. But it’s not easy to find the right pair. Finding the right running shoes is something of an art, or a science and a feel.
The science part begins with the shape of the arch（弓）of your foot, which anyone can find out at home with this quick experiment: Put your foot in water and place it on a piece of brown paper. If you see a “C” shape on the paper when you remove your foot, you have a rare high arch. If the shape looks more like a rectangle, that means you have flat feet. See something in between? That’s a normal arch.
Conveniently for shoppers, shoe companies nowadays divide their shoes in three categories: neutral(for high arches), stability(for normal or low arches) and motion control(for flat arches). So you will know which type suits you.
At this point, most people would just grab an appealing shoe and try it on. But professionals would do a few quality-control tests. First, you bend the shoe toe to heel to see where it bends. If it’s not at the forefoot---where the foot actually bends, be afraid. Then you grip both ends and twist in opposite directions. If you can twist it like a towel, it means there’s zero support. Finally, you squeeze(擠)the heel in both directions. A stable heel won’t cave in.
Now you need to check the mold(模子)that shapes the inside of the shoe: whether it’s wide or narrow in the mid-foot, how it sits on the heel and how roomy the toe box is.
It’s wise to hold off until the afternoon to make the shoe purchase, to allow for any swelling(腫脹) that your feet do throughout the day. Toes also decide sizing choice. The rule is you need a finger’s width from your longest toe (whether that’s your big one or not) to the end of the shoe.
【小題1】What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Advantages of wearing running shoes fitting you.

B．Ways to get to know about the shape of the arch of your foot.

C．Advice on how to choose the right pair of running shoes.

D．Best time to buy a pair of running shoes.

【小題2】If the arch of your foot looks like a “C” shape, you have _________.

A．a(chǎn) normal arch

B．a(chǎn) high arch

C．a(chǎn) flat arch

D．a(chǎn) low arch

【小題3】．The underlined phrase “cave in” most probably means ______.

A．bend

B．stretch

C．shake

D．crash

【小題4】．Why is the late afternoon the ideal time to go shopping for shoes?

A．We are likely to be more patient in the afternoon.

B．Feet usually become large late in the day.

C．The toes become longer late in the day.

D．The arch of our feet will be in best shape in the afternoon.