About a year ago, a couple with three children moved into the apartment next door to mine. I never heard any noise from the children, but the parents were always shouting at the kids.
We often met in the hallway when we were coming or going. I always spoke, but the only answer I got was a hello from the four-year-old girl.
One afternoon when I returned, they were just coming out of their apartment and the little girl was holding the door open for the others. I remained in the car doing unnecessary things. But when I looked up I saw the little girl was still holding the door open, waiting for me. I hurried as much as I could and thanked her.
I was really touched by her act of kindness. That afternoon I was at the K-Mart and I bought a white Teddy bear for her. The next day, there was a knock on the door and it was the little girl and her father. She was very proud of the bear and thanked me like I had never been thanked before.
Now when we meet in the hall, we all speak in a friendly manner. As time passes, I don’t hear that yelling as often as before.
Last night we had about four inches of snow. I looked out at my car and wondered how I was going to keep my doctor’s appointment. I went out to remove the snow. But when I opened my front door, I found my car was there with all the snow removed. You couldn’t imagine how I felt at that moment. I thanked that family in my heart.
Isn’t it amazing how a small kind act of a four-year-old girl can change so many things for the better? My guardian angel says that good things come from small acts.
【小題1】 Who did the writer think removed the snow on his car?

A．That family next door.	B．Someone sent by his doctor.
C．Some strangers.	D．The gate keeper.

【小題2】Which of the following is CORRECT according to the passage?

A．The children were very naughty and often made their parents angry.

B．Life must be very hard for the parents next door as they had a large family to support.

C．The writer put off the appointment with his doctor because of the heavy snow.

D．The little girl’s kind act changed the relationship between the writer and her family.

【小題3】 The right time order of these events in the passage may be         .
① I bought a white Teddy bear for the four-year-old little girl.
② A new family moved into the building next to my door.
③ The four-year-old little girl held the door for me.
④ The father came with the little girl and thanked me.
⑤We speak to each other now in a friendly manner.

A．②-③-①-④-⑤

B．②-④-①-③-⑤

C．③-②-④-⑤-①

D．③-④-②-⑤-①

King Midas used to love gold. One day he met a fairy who allowed him to make a wish for something. The king replied at once , ‘‘I love gold . I want everything I touch to change into gold”. ‘‘Very well , tomorrow morning, everything you touch will turn into gold .”Saying this, the fairy disappeared.
The king waited excitedly till the next morning. To his joy ,everything he touched changed immediately into gold. ‘‘I’m the richest man in the world now.” He shouted.
Soon Midas became hungry. He sat down at his table. All the foods and drinks turned into gold in his hand . ‘‘I’m dying of hunger.” He cried.
Just then his daughter came running in . ‘‘Why are you so sad , dad ?” she asked, putting her arms around him. There and then she became a golden statue. The king loved his daughter very much .Seeing this ,he began to cry. He looked up and suddenly saw the fairy before him.  ‘‘Don’t you like the golden touch?” asked the fairy. ‘‘ Please take it away,” begged the king, ‘‘ give me back my daughter.”  ‘‘Well, you have learned your lesson. Go and wash in the river. Then the golden touch will be gone.” The king ran quickly to the nearby river.
【小題1】 The fairy allowed the king to make a wish because_____

A．she hoped to make the king the richest in the world.	B．She loved gold too.
C．She wanted to teach the king a lesson.
D．She wanted to turn the king’s daughter into gold gold.

【小題2】 When the foods and drinks turned into gold the king was _____
A. excited  B. hungry  C. worried   D  happy
【小題3】 Which of the following might have happened afterwards?

A．The king died in the river.

B．The king’s daughter changed back from gold to a lovely girl.

C．All the things the king had touched changed back into real ones.

D．Both B and C

【小題4】What do you think the story tries to tell us?

A．Gold makes people unhappy.

B．More gold , more happiness.

C．Gold is not the thing that makes life happy.

D．People feel happy if they have not gold.

Tsai Chin Chung is one of Taiwan’s most famous cartoonists, and his cartoons are enjoyed by people in many different countries in Asia. His books of cartoons have now become best sellers in Singapore, Malaysia, and even Japan.
As soon as he could hold a pencil, Tsai Chin Chung lived only for drawing. Every day he practised drawing people and things around him and from his favorite stories.
When he was only 15 years old, he left home to work for a publisher in Taipei. He worked hard to draw pictures for books. Two years later, he left his job and started to work on drawing cartoon series, which he liked better. He made up his mind to succeed as a cartoonist.
Now Tsai Chin Chung has achieved something unusual for a modern cartoonist. He has become extremely successful at changing Chinese literature (文學) and philosophy (哲學) into humorous comic stories. In this way, he has made the Chinese classics (古典文學) known to thousands of people.
Because of his great achievement, several years ago Tsai Chin Chung was given a prize as one of the 10 Outstanding Young People of Taiwan. Since then, he has won many prizes, and his cartoons have become popular throughout Asia, America and Europe. So far, he has published more than 20 comic books. Ten of these are about ancient Chinese philosophers based on Chinese historical and literary classics.  
Many of Tsai Chin Chung’s books of cartoons and comics have now been published in English in countries like Singapore. His books have also been translated into several other languages, including Japanese, Korean and Thai. Even publishers in France and Indonesia have recently signed agreements for permission to publish his cartoon series.
【小題1】 Tsai Chin Chung first worked as ________.

A．a book seller	B．a cartoonist
C．a writer of Chinese stories	D．an artist drawing pictures for books

【小題2】Tsai Chin Chung left his first job because he ________.

A．preferred drawing cartoons	B．wanted to go back to school
C．enjoyed drawing pictures for books	D．wanted to be famous

【小題3】Tsai Chin Chung first became interested in drawing when he _______.

A．left school

B．was a very small child

C．was 15

D．started to be a cartoonist

【小題4】Half of the books he has published are related to _______.

A．Chinese and foreign comics	B．countries in Asia, America and Europe
C．foreign languages learning	D．Chinese history and literature

【小題5】 Because of his great achievements, Tsai Chin Chung _______.

A．travelled a lot in Asia and Europe

B．went to live in Singapore

C．won an important prize in Taiwan

D．has become famous in Africa.

Jack was so excited about getting a new backpack because his old one had a broken zipper(拉鏈) and a hole in the bottom.
Jack’s elder brother took him to buy a new backpack. There were so many cool ones. How would he ever decide? He saw blue ones—his favorite color. He saw ones with his favorite action hero on the front. And then Jack saw a backpack with a black square design. When he opened it, he saw it had a hidden, secret small bag. He liked it, which made it different from others.
“This is the one,” he said, then carried it to the check-out counter.
That evening, Jack carefully filled his new backpack with his school things. He put his special pen in the secret small bag. The next day in English class, Mr. Mack said, “Let’s write an essay about earthquakes!” Jack looked for his pen in his backpack, but he couldn’t found it! He rummaged through his desk and his pockets, but no pen.
Jack asked if anyone had seen his pen, but no one had. Mr. Mack lent him a pencil, but Jack was feeling anxious because he lost his pen. When he got home, Jack told his brother he couldn’t find his favorite pen. His brother said, “You must have put it in that secret small bag.”
Jack laughed and said, “That small bag was so secret that I forgot all about it.”
【小題1】 Which backpack did Jack buy?

A．A blue one.

B．One with a black square design.

C．One with an action hero.

D．A small one.

【小題2】 Jack decided to buy that backpack because __________.

A．it had his favorite color

B．he liked the black square design

C．the secret small bag made it special

D．his brother suggested he get that one

【小題3】The underlined word “rummaged” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”.

A．forgot to look at

B．searched really well

C．turned sideways

D．threw away

【小題4】 When Jack realized what he had done, he thought it was ________.

A．funny

B．annoying

C．surprising

D．cool

【小題5】 This text mainly tells us ________.

A．a story of Jack’s old backpack

B．that Jack was studying earthquakes

C．that Jack was old enough to do shopping

D．a story of Jack’s pen and new backpack

　A few months ago, it wasn't unusual for 47-year-old Carla Toebe to spend 15 hours per day online. She'd wake up early, turn on her laptop and chat on Internet dating sites and instant-messaging programs – leaving her bed for only brief breaks. Her household bills piled up, along with the dishes and dirty laundry, but it took constant complaints from her four daughters before she realized she had a problem.
　　"I was starting to feel like my whole world was falling apart – kind of slipping into a depression," said Carla. "I knew that if I didn't get off the dating sites, I'd just keep going," detaching (使脫離) herself further from the outside world.
　　Toebe's conclusion: She felt like she was "addicted" to the Internet. She's not alone.
　　Concern about excessive Internet use isn't new. As far back as 1995, articles in medical journals and the establishment of a Pennsylvania treatment center for overusers aroused interest in the subject. But as reliance on the Web grows, there are signs that the question is getting more serious attention: Last month, a study published in CNS Spectrums claimed to be the first large-scale look at Internet overuse. The American Psychiatric Association may also consider listing Internet addiction in the next edition. And scores of online discussion boards have popped up, on which people discuss negative experiences tied to too much time on the Web.
The new CNS Spectrums study was based on results of a nationwide telephone survey of more than 2,500 adults. Like the latest survey, this one was conducted by Stanford University researchers. About 6% of respondents reported that "their relationships suffered because of excessive Internet use." About 9% attempted to conceal "nonessential Internet use," and nearly 4% reported feeling " still occupied by the Internet when offline."
　　"The Internet problem is still in its early stage," said Maressa Orzack, a Harvard University professor. No single online activity is to blame for excessive use, he said. "They're online in chat rooms, checking e-mail, or writing blogs. The problem is not limited to porn (色情) or gambling websites.”
　　“Excessive Internet use should be defined not by the number of hours spent online but in terms of losses.”said Maressa Orzack. "If it's a loss where you're not getting to work, and family relationships are breaking down as a result, then it's too much."
　　Since the early 1990s, several clinics have been established in the U. S. to treat heavy Internet users. They include the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery and the Center for Internet Behavior.
　　The website for Orzack's center lists the following among the psychological symptoms of computer addiction:
　　● Having a sense of happiness or excitement while at the computer.
　　● Longing for more and more time at the computer.
　　● Neglect of family and friends.
　　● Feeling empty, depremssed or irritable when not at the computer.
　　● Lying to employers and family about activities.
　　● Inability to stop the activity.
　　● Problems with school or job.
　　Physical symptoms listed include dry eyes, backaches, skipping meals, poor personal hygiene (衛(wèi)生) and sleep disturbances.
　　“People who struggle with Internet overuse maybe depressed or have other mood disorders.” Orzack said. When she discusses Internet habits with her patients, they often report that being online offers a "sense of belonging, and escape, excitement and fun," she said. “Some people say relief…because they find themselves so relaxed.”
　　Some parts of the Internet seem to draw people in more than others. Internet gamers spend countless hours competing in games against people from all over the world. One such game, called World of Warcraft, is cited on many sites by posters complaining of a "gaming addiction."
　　Andrew Heidrich, an education network administrator from Sacramento, plays World of Warcraft for about two to four hours every other night, but that's nothing compared with the 40 to 60 hours a week he spent playing online games when he was in college. He cut back only after a full-scale family intervention (干預), in which relatives told him he'd gained weight.
　　“There's this whole culture of competition that sucks people in with online gaming, ”said Heidrich, now a father of two. People do it at the expense of everything that was a constant in their lives." Heidrich now visits websites that discuss gaming addiction regularly “to remind myself to keep my love for online games in check”.
　　Toebe also regularly visits a site where posters discuss Internet overuse. In August, when she first realized she had a problem, she posted a message on a Yahoo Internet addiction group with the subject line:“I have an Internet Addiction.”
　　“I'm self-employed and need the Internet for my work, but I'm failing to accomplish my work, to take care of my home, to give attention to my children,”she wrote in a message sent to the group. “I have no money or insurance to get professional help; I can't even pay my loan and face losing everything.”
　　Since then, Toebe said, she has kept her promise to herself to cut back on her Internet use. "I have a boyfriend now, and I'm not interested in online dating," she said by phone last week. "It's a lot better now."
【小題1】 What eventually made Carla Toebe realize she was spending too much time on the Internet?

A．Her daughter's repeated complaints.

B．Tiredness resulting from lack of sleep.

C．The poorly managed state of her house.

D．The high financial costs adding up.

【小題2】What is the main idea of para4?

A．A study claimed to be the first large-scale look at Internet overuse.

B．The American Psychiatric Association plans to list Internet addiction in its edition.

C．There are heated discussions about negative experiences over internet overuse.

D．There is a growing concern towards internet addiction.

【小題3】 According to Professor Maressa Orzack, Internet use would be considered excessive if ______.

A．it seriously affected family relationships

B．one visited porn websites frequently

C．too much time was spent in chat rooms

D．people got involved in online gambling

【小題4】 According to Orzack, people who struggle with heavy dependence on    
the Internet may feel ______.

A．discouraged

B．pressured

C．depressed

D．puzzled

【小題5】 Andrew Heidrich now visits websites that discuss online gaming addiction to _____.

A．improve his online gaming skills

B．control his desire for online gaming

C．show how good he is at online gaming

D．exchange online gaming experience

【小題6】Which of the following best describes the tone(口吻) of the passage ?

A．Humorous

B．Ironic

C．Objective

D．Casual

John and Bobby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary employee. John could not take it any more, tendered his resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not know how to delegate and did not value hard-working staff, but only promoted those who flattered him.
The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought a moment and said, “Thank you for your criticism, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you will change your decision and take back your resignation.”
John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelon in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelon. The boss asked how much per kg. John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to inform the boss $1.2 per kg.
Boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelon in the market. Bobby went, returned and said, “Boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, $10 for 10kg, he has inventory (清單) of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, bought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and red, good quality.”
John was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to resign but to learn from Bobby.
Chances exist in the daily details. For the same matter, a more successful person sees more and farther so that he can find out an opportunity and catch it to realize his aim. If a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow. Then the difference between a year and a day is 365 times!
【小題1】Why did John decide to hand in his resignation to the boss?

A．Because he couldn’t stand being an ordinary employee.

B．Because Bobby would take John’s former position.

C．Because the boss was not flattered by his hard work.

D．Because Bobby instead of him was promoted.

【小題2】What did the boss ask John to do?

A．To go to market and find out whether there is someone selling watermelons.

B．To make a complete marketing research on the various prices of watermelons.

C．To search for much information about the effective ways to sell watermelons.

D．To make a comparison on the prices of different types of watermelons.

【小題3】 What sort of following information about watermelons was NOT brought by Bobby?

A．The price.	B．The quality.
C．The quantity.	D．The weight.

【小題4】 From the difference of John and Bobby, we may infer that a more successful person is more _____.
A. alert, sensitive and passionate
B. observant, thoughtful and exploratory
C. considerate, modest and satisfied
confident, noble and tolerant

"What’s in a name?”According to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet，there is not too much.“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. "But Shakespeare may have been wrong. In most cultures，names matter a great deal.
Americans choose names for their children with care. Parents usually think about the impression a name gives，not its meaning. Most Americans would consider a “Jennifer” more attractive than a“Bertha"，for example. The last name，or，surname，must also be considered when choosing a first and middle name. A name like Lester Chester Hester would sound poetic，but odd. Parents would avoid names that remind them of people they don’t like. On the other hand，people might name their children after a respected elderly relative or even a famous person. The popularity of certain names can change with each new generation. Names that were once common，like Fanny or Elmer，sound old-fashioned today. But other names—like John and David，Mary and Sarah—have stood the test of time and continue to be favorites.
People in Ameica don’t always call their friends and relatives by their given names. Instead，they often use nicknames. Sometimes nicknames are short forms of a longer name. For instance，a girl named Elizabeth may be called Lisa，Beth or Betsy. As children grow up，they may decide for themselves which nickname they wish to be called.
Some people just go by the initials of their first and middle names，like B. J, or R. C. And of course，people may call their children or their sweethearts other special nicknames. Often they have a “sweet” flavor，like Honey or Sugar. What’s in a name? A world of significance. So if you’re choosing an English name for yourself，take care to choose a good one. A made—up name could sound strange to native English speakers. And a translation of your Chinese name may not make an appropriate name，either. But a good name can leave a positive and lasting impression.  As an American politician once said，“In real life，unlike in Shakespeare，the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears.”
【小題1】What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．People change names in order to be popular with the new generanon.

B．Names will change by themselves in order to be popular.

C．Some names may no longer be popular among the new generation.

D．No names can stand the test of time.

【小題2】When choosing names，you should stick to the following principles EXCEPT that

A．the impression a name gives is more important than its meaning

B．you can name after a well-known person

C．surname should be paid attention to

D．you can create a name that is special

【小題3】The author will name a newly born baby girl________.

A．Bertha

B．Fanny

C．Yunyun

D．Elizabeth

【小題4】What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Names have great significance to Americans.

B．Names change when time goes by.

C．Chinese people should be careful when choosing their English names.

D．Roses smell sweet by any other name.

As a boy ,Mark Twain caused much trouble for his parents . He used to play practical jokes on all his friends and neighbors .The nature of his jokes often led to violence. He hated to go to school, and he constantly ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi .He liked to sit on the bank of the river for hours at a time and just gaze at the mysterious island and the passing boats. He learned many things about the river during those days. He learned all about its history and unusual people who rode up and down it . He never forgot those scenes and those people .He later made them part of the history of America in the books Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
Mark Twain received his genius （天才）from his mother . Obviously he didn’t get it from his father . He once stated that he had never seen a smile on his father’s face .On the other hand, his mother had the rare ability to say humorous things. The same ability made Mark Twain an extremely humorous public speaker.
【小題1】Because of the nature of his jokes when he was a child , Mark Twain would           

A．ran away from school

B．cause his parents to quarrel with others

C．get into trouble with his friends and neighbors

D．like to sit on the bank of the Mississippi River

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

A．Mark Twain’s father was a cruel man

B．Mark Twain never attended school on time

C．Mark Twain often went boating in the nearby river

D．Mark Twain’s mother was something of a humorist

【小題3】In his books Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain wrote much about          

A．the Mississippi and the people riding on it	B．his friends and neighbors
C．his school life	D．his parents

【小題4】It is implied that what affected Mark Twain’s character mostly was          

A．his practical jokes	B．his father’s seriousness
C．the history of the Mississippi	D．his mother’s genius for humor

He's an old cobbler （修鞋匠） with a shop in the Marais, a historic area in Paris．When I took him my shoes, he at first told me: "I haven't time．Take them to the other fellow on the main street; he'll fix them for you right away．"
But I'd had my eye on his shop for a long time. Just looking at his bench loaded with tools and pieces of leather, I knew he was a skilled craftsman (手藝人). "No," I replied, "The other fellow can't do it well."
"The other fellow" was one of those shopkeepers who fix shoes and make keys "while-U-wait" -- without knowing much about mending shoes or making keys. They work carelessly, and when they have finished sewing back a sandal strap (鞋帶) ,you might as well just throw away the pair.
My man saw I wouldn't give in, and he smiled. He wiped his hands on his blue apron (圍裙), looked at my shoes, had me write my name on one shoe with a piece of chalk and said, "Come back in a week."
I was about to leave when he took a pair of soft leather boot off a shelf.
"See what I can do " he said with pride. "Only three of us in Paris can do this kind of work."
When I got back out into the street, the world seemed brand-new to me. He was something out of an ancient legend, an old craftsman with his way of speaking familiarly, his pride in his craft.
These are times when nothing is important but the bottom line, when you can do things any old way as long as it "pays", when, in short, people look on work as a path to ever-increasing consumption (消費) rather than a way to realize their own abilities. In such a period,it is a rare comfort to find a cobbler who gets his greatest satisfaction from pride in a job well done.
【小題1】Which of the following is true about the old cobbler?

A．He was equipped with the best repairing tools.

B．He was the only cobbler in the Marais.

C．He was proud of his skills.

D．He was a native Parisian.

【小題2】The sentence "He was something out of an ancient legend." ( paragraph 7 ) implies that         .

A．nowadays you can hardly find anyone like him

B．it was difficult to communicate with this man

C．the man was very strange

D．the man was too old

【小題3】According to the author, many people work just to        .

A．realize their abilities	B．gain happiness
C．make money	D．gain respect

【小題4】This story wants to tell us that      .

A．craftsmen make a lot of money	B．whatever you do, do it well
C．craftsmen need self-respect	D．people are born equal

It was the old lady’s eightieth birthday. She was sure Myra wouldn’t forgot her mother’s birthday, even if she was busy. After all, eighty was a special birthday. Perhaps Myra might come. Even if Myra did not come, she would send a present. The old lady was sure of that. Two spots of colour brightened her cheeks. She was excited like a child.
Mrs. Morrison had brought a card and a bunch of flowers when she came to do the breakfast. Mrs. Grant downstairs had made a cake. Johnnie, the little boy next door, was now up with her with a packet of sweets.
“I guess you’ll get lots and lots of presents, ” he said. “I did last week when I was six.”
What would she like? A pair of slippers, perhaps. A blue new cardigan. Or a table lamp. Or a little clock, with clear black numbers. So many lovely things.
She stood by the window, watching. The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat fast. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate.
“Granny, granny, ” Johnnie returned. “I’ve got your post!”
He gave her four envelopes. Three were from old friends. The fourth was in Myra’s writing.
“No parcel(包裹), Johnnie?”
“No, granny.”
Almost reluctantly, she tore the fourth envelope open. Folded in the card was a check. Written on the card was a message: Happy Birthday—Buy yourself something nice with the check, Myra and Harold.
The six-figure check fell to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady bent to pick it up. Her present, her lovely present. With trembling fingers she tore it into little bits.
【小題1】 As can be inferred from the passage, _______.

A．the old lady lived alone in a flat away from her daughter

B．the friends sent the old lady many lovely presents by post

C．Myra was stopped by her husband from seeing her mother

D．the neighbours cared little about the old lady in daily life

【小題2】The old lady felt _______ when she saw no packet came with her daughter’s card.

A．excited

B．happy

C．disappointed

D．impatient

【小題3】Which of the following might serve as the best title for the passage?

A．The Present

B．The Check

C．The Birthday

D．The Daughter

【小題4】 The reason why the old lady tore the check into small pieces was that _______.

A．she was sure her daughter would come, not the check

B．she didn’t notice there were six figures on the check

C．she didn’t think the check was large enough for a present

D．she would prefer a present with love from her daughter