“Whatever”，totally tops most annoying word in the poll(民意測(cè)驗(yàn)).So, you know, it is what it is, but Americans are totally annoyed by the use of “whatever，，in conversations. The popular term of indifference(不感興趣)was found most annoying in conversations by 47 percent of the Americans surveyed in a Marist College poll on Wednesday.
"Whatever" easily beat out “you know," which especially annoyed a quarter of interviewers. The other annoying expressions were "anyway"(at 7 percent), “it is what it is’，(11percent) and “at the end of the day”(2 percent).
"Whatever" is an expression with staying power. It left everyone a deep impression in the song by Nirvana (“oh well, whatever, never mind”）in 1991 and was popularized by the Valley Girls in the film “Clueless”，later that decade. It is still commonly used, often by younger people.
It can be a common argument-ender or a signal of indifference. And it can really be annoying. The poll found '"whatever" to be consistently(始終地)disliked by Americans regardless of their race, sex, age, income or where they live.
“It doesn't surprise me because ‘whatever，is in a special class, probably，，，said Michael Adams, author of “Slang(俚語(yǔ))~The People's Poetry" and an associate professor of English at Indiana University. "It's a word that 一 and it depends on how a speaker uses it 一 can suggest being not worthy of attention or respect.’，Adams, who didn't take part in the poll and is not annoyed by "whatever," points out that its use is not always negative. “It can also be used in place of other neutral(中性的）phrases that have fallen out of favor, like ‘six of one, half dozen of the other，.” he said. However, he also noted that the negative meaning of the word might explain why “whatever，was judged more annoying than the ever-popular "you know”.
【小題1】Which tops second among the annoying expression according to the passage?'

A．Whatever.

B．You know.

C．Anyway.

D．It is what it is.

【小題2】 What can we know about the word "whatever"?

A．It became popular because of Nirvana.

B．It can be commonly used at the beginning of an agreement.

C．Old people like it while young people don't.

D．Almost half of the Americans surveyed disliked it.

【小題3】In Adams' opinion, the reason why “whatever”，was judged more annoying may be that   . _______

A．most of the people don't like it

B．it can be used in place of other neutral phrases

C．it carries certain negative meaning sometimes

D．the poor don't like it

【小題4】Which of the following statements is true?

A．Adams is not only a writer but also a professor.

B．“Whatever” is a signal of concern.

C．Adams is angry at the word “whatever”

D．"Whatever" will be replaced by "You know”.

Princess Diaries star Anne Hathaway has announced she is engaged(訂婚).The actress, 29，confirmed the news after she was photographed wearing a ring while with her boyfriend Adam Shulman in Brooklyn yesterday. Shulman, an actor and jewellery designer, worked with Kwiat Heritage Jewels to create the ring. The pair quietly began dating in November 2008，but weren't pictured together until the following year.
“We hit it off immediately the first time we met each other but it took us a pretty long time to get together," she has said of Shulman. “He thought that I had a boyfriend and I thought that he had a girlfriend, so I thought that I'd better keep my distance because I didn't want to be that girl. She described their union as more mature than her previous experiences, adding, “Being mature doesn't always make for a good story, but it makes for a good life.”
Speaking about the relationship in the September issue(期刊)of U.K.s Marie Claire, she said, “Adam totally ruined my plan. I was really actually looking forward to a little time alone tod then I fell in love like a fool. Her romance with Shulman followed a disastrous relationship with an Italian real estate(地產(chǎn))developer Raffaello Follieri. She split up with him in 2008 when he was arrested on fraud(欺詐)charges and he was later sentenced to four and a half years in prison.
The actress, whose film credits also include Brokeback Mountain and One Day, will next star in the new The Dark Knight Rises. She plays Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman.
【小題1】How many films Anne Hathaway acted in are mentioned in the passage?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

【小題2】Which of the following is the correct order to describe Anne's life according to the passage?
a. She confirmed the news that she was engaged.
b. She split up with Raffaello Follieri.
c. She was photographed wearing a ring.
d. She and Adam Shulman were pictured together.

A．b-d-c-a

B．d-b-a-c

C．b-a-d-c

D．d-c-b-a

【小題3】The underlined part “hit it off” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_______”.

A．gave up

B．took down

C．got on well

D．turned away

【小題4】It can be inferred from the passage that  _______.

A．Marie Claire is a travel guide

B．Anne split up with Raffaello because of Shulman

C．Follieri totally ruined Anne's life

D．the relationship with Raffaello hurt Anne

When Frank began his story, we all listened. “I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids that were still at home.” He looked at us and said, “I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was robust from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him, he smelled the ocean.”
Frank’s voice dropped a bit. “When the weather was bad, he would drive me to school. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me good-bye!”
He paused and then went on, “I remember the day I thought I was too old for a good-bye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, ‘No, Dad.’ It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face. I said, ‘ Dad, I’m too old for a good-bye kiss. I’m too old for any kind of kiss.’ My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him cry. He turned and looked our the windshield. ‘ You‘re right,’ he said. ‘ You are a big boy… a man. I won’t kiss you anymore..’”
For the moment, Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes. “It wasn’t long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back.”
I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again. “ Guys, you don’t know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek… to feel his rough old face… to smell the ocean on him… to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a good-bye kiss.”
【小題1】Which word can replace the underline word in the first paragraph?

A．heavy

B．strong

C．brave

D．bad-tempered

【小題2】According to the passage, which statement is not accurate?

A．A good-bye kiss from Dad in public made Frank so embarrassing that he refused to have one more kiss, any kind.

B．Dad was so hurt that he left home and never came back.

C．It was not easy to make a living on the sea especially when Dad had to support his parents as well.

D．Frank was twelve years old when he lost his Dad.

【小題3】What would Frank most like to do if he should have his father back?

A．He would have his Dad kiss him on the cheek.

B．He would tell his Dad he loved him.

C．He would smell the ocean on Dad.

D．He would put his arm around Dad’s neck.

【小題4】Which can be served as the best title?

A．A Life-long Regret

B．An Embarrassing Story

C．Dad’s Good-bye Kiss

D．I Want You Back

When JetBlue captain Clayton Osbon became unpredictable, his co-pilot invented a reason for him to go back into the cabin．Once the captain was out of the cockpit （駕駛艙） , the co-pilot locked the door to keep the captain from returning．Passengers, some with law enforcement experience, calmed the captain．The flight changed course to Amarillo, Texas where the captain was hospitalized．
Incidents in which a pilot has had an in-flight psychological breakdown are rare．But how could it happen at all? Though pilots are required to have an examination at least once a year by a physician approved by the FAA, there are no formal procedures in place to test pilots for signs of psychological problems．
At most airlines, pilots are members of a union．A pilot who appears to have a psychological or an alcohol problem can be reported to a union member whose job it is to investigate．If there is a problem, the pilot is given the choice of getting treatment or being reported to management．But at airlines, such as Allegiant, JetBlue, and Virgin American where there is no union, pilots are – to say the least - unwilling to report a fellow pilot to management．
In most professions, a person experiencing emotional difficulties is free to consult a doctor．Rut an airline pilot in therapy is viewed with suspicion both by the airline and by the FAA．No pilot wants to be put under extra examination by an agency that has the power to revoke their license or end their employment．That being the case, pilots are less likely than people in other professions to seek help．
There may be no way to make sure this never happens again, but its possibility can be reduced． Tests such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory （ MMPI） can reliably detect depression, paranoia, schizophrenia, and other problems．The FAA could require pilots to take the MMPI or a similar test on a periodic basis．Whether such testing becomes required will depend upon the public's response to this incident and whether additional incidents take place．
Flying is remarkably safe．But incidents such as this cause concern．
【小題1】What does the underlined word "revoke" most probably mean?

A．delay

B．cancel

C．interrupt

D．renew

【小題2】Why are some pilots unwilling to report a fellow pilot to management?

A．Because they are tested for signs of psychological problems every year．

B．Because they are likely to be treated by physicians．

C．Because they are supported by the airlines．

D．Because they might be fired．

【小題3】What is the author' s attitude towards the incident?

A．satisfied

B．indifferent

C．concerned

D．disapproving

【小題4】In which part of the newspaper can the passage be found?

A．Entertainment

B．Sports

C．Business

D．Society

I sat at my seat waiting for the school paper to be passed around. I waited anxiously, knowing that once I received it I would know how good a writer I really am.
When the paper arrived at my classroom, I nearly knocked down five of my classmates to get to the first paper. With a school paper in my hands, I returned to my seat. About a month earlier, I had handed in one of, what I believed to be, my best stories. I named it Symbol of Success. The head of the English Department at my school, Professor Cullen had said that she would include some reviews of students’ stories in the latest school paper. Professor Cullen was known for her rough criticism. Impressing her was very hard but I wanted to be the first to do so.
I sat at the edge of my seat as I read through the other story reviews. There wasn’t one story that got more than three stars .I became calm and wasn’t anxious to know my review. It was long after that I heard someone shout out “Five stars?! Seriously !” from behind me. I turned around and saw the shocked expression of Gene’s face, “Peter, your story got five stars!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I turned my attention back to my story and saw the five stars at the end of the review that I had not read yet. I looked through the review written by Professor Cullen. She wrote that I had a gift for story writing.
I was proud that I achieved what I thought was impossible .For so long I believed I wasn’t as good as I thought I was and that my talent was not enough to cover up my lack of wring skills .But this review proved that I was truly a good writer and that there was a future ahead of me in the field of fiction writing. The review and the five stars meant the world of me. Those five stars became the symbol of my success.
【小題1】How did the writer get the school paper?

A．His teacher gave it to him first

B．The publisher sent it to him first

C．His friend helped him get the first one.

D．He rushed ahead to get the first one by himself.

【小題2】What can we learn about Professor Cullen?

A．She was very gentle to everyone

B．She seldom praised her students.

C．She was very cold to her students.

D．She was respected by her students.

【小題3】We can learn from this text that Peter_______.

A．had thought his story was better than those of others

B．was always anxious to know the review about him

C．didn’t know he got five stars until others told him

D．looked through a few stories that had got four stars

【小題4】What did Professor Cullen think of Peter’s story?

A．She thought highly of it

B．She thought it was just so-so

C．She thought it was extremely bad

D．She doubted if it was written by him.

【小題5】Why did the review and the five stars mean the world to Peter?

A．Because they helped him learn writing skills

B．Because they made him happy for some time

C．Because they helped him enter a key university

D．Because they made him see his writing talents.

The Gullah people in the southern US have honored their culture for more than 100 years. Living mainly on the Sea Islands and coastal areas of South Carolina, Georgia and Floride, the Gullah people, an African-American group, have a rich culture including their own language. It is a Creole language created by slaves who came to the US from the West Africa in the 1800s. It combines West African languages with English.
For many years efforts have been made to save the Gullah language. One project began in 1979. Its goal was to translate the New Testament part of the Bible into Gullah. Experts say that it was a difficult process because Gullah is not a written language. It is a spoken language only.
A team of Gullah speakers began working on the translation to make the Bible easier to understand for those who spoke Gullah as their main language. The Gullah version is called De Nyew Testament. It is written in English on one side of the page, and next to it, there is a Gullah translation. De Nyew Testament was published by the American Bible Society. The project also received help from the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Wycliffe Bible Translators, the United Bible Societies and the Penn Centre
Experts believe that the translated Bible is a major step towards saving the Gullah language and traditions. “This is more than a Bible translation,” says Robert Hodgson, at the American Bible Society. “De Nyew Testament raises the Gullah language and culture to a new level.” Ardell Greene is a member of the translation team. She calls the book “a treasure”. She says that the Gullah version of the Bible will be read in churches and will help young people keep the Gullah language alive.
【小題1】According to the passage, De Nyew Testament can be best seen as _______.

A．a(chǎn) good version of the Bible

B．something difficult to understand

C．a(chǎn) spoken form of the Gullah language

D．the effort to save the Gullah language

【小題2】Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Gullah communities can be found in the southern US.

B．Gullah is influenced by both English and West African languages.

C．De Nyew Testament is a complete Bible translation.

D．Ardell Greene thinks highly of De Nyew Testament.

【小題3】What does this passage mainly focus on?

A．Efforts to save the Gullah language.

B．Different versions of the Bible.

C．The history of the Gullah people.

D．The culture of the Gullah people.

The Board Meeting had come to an end. Bob started to stand up and knocked into the table, spilling his coffee over his notes. “How embarrassing! I am getting so clumsy(笨拙的) in my old age.”
Everyone had a good laugh, and soon we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank, who sat quietly listening to the others. Someone said, “Come on, Frank. Tell us your most embarrassing moment.”
Frank laughed and began to tell us of his childhood. “I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids that were still at home.”
He looked at us and said, “I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him, he smelled like the ocean. He would wear his old canvas, foul-weather coat and his bibbed overalls. His rain hat would be pulled down over his brow. No matter how much my mother washed them, they would still smell of the sea and of fish.”
Frank’s voice dropped a bit. “When the weather was bad he would drive me to school. He had this old truck that he used in his fishing business. That truck was older than he was. It would wheeze and rattle down the road. You could hear it coming for blocks. As he would drive toward the school, I would shrink (畏縮) down into the seat hoping to disappear. Half the time, he would slam to a stop and the old truck would belch (噴出) a cloud of smoke. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here, I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me goodbye!”
He paused and then went on, “I remember the day I decided I was too old for a goodbye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, “No, Dad.” It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face. I said, “Dad, I’m too old for a goodbye kiss. I’m too old for any kind of kiss.” My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. Then he turned and looked out of the windshield(擋風(fēng)玻璃). “You’re right,” he said. “ You are a big boy....a man. I won’t kiss you anymore.”
Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes, as he spoke. “It wasn’t long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back. It was a day when most of the fleet (船隊(duì)) stayed in, but not Dad. He had a big family to feed. They found his boat adrift with its nets half in and half out. He must have gotten into a strong wind and was trying to save the nets and the floats.”
I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again. “Guys, you don’t know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek…to feel his rough old face… to smell the ocean on him… to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a goodbye kiss.”
【小題1】When his father drove him to the school, Frank would shrink down into the seat hoping to disappear because ________.

A．he was ashamed of his father’s old truck

B．he didn’t want his schoolmates to see his father

C．he thought he was old enough to go to school alone

D．he hated the way his schoolmates stared at his father

【小題2】According to the story we can conclude that Frank’s father ________.

A．was quite confident in his skills in fishing

B．loved his children but hardly expressed it

C．seldom gave up faced with challenges

D．was full of devotion to his family

【小題3】By saying the sentence “I wish I had been a man then…”, Frank meant ________.

A．he was tired of his father kissing him goodbye

B．he deeply regretted what he had done to his father

C．he was then too young to refuse a goodbye kiss

D．he hoped that his father would forgive him

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

A．The Smell of the Ocean	B．We All Need Love
C．A Goodbye Kiss	D．Father’s Embarrassment

Our daughter Kerrin, a student at Boston University, had been home for a week-end visit, and I dropped her off at the bus station just in time for her back to college. After Kerrin’s bus had gone and I was driving away, I noticed that she had left her purse on the passenger seat. Worried that she would arrive in Boston without money or keys to her room, I called my wife, Bette Jean, on the car phone, explaining why I would be late. As I was following the bus, Bette Jean phoned me back to say she had phoned the bus dispatcher（調(diào)度員）on the other line and he, in return, had phoned the bus driver on yet another phone. The driver asked me to wave out of my window to show where I was. Then he pulled over at a rest stop, and I did the same. Kerrin jumped off the bus, and I handed her the purse and went on my way.
【小題1】The writer saw his daughter’s purse right after       .

A．seeing her off at the bus station

B．starting his car again

C．she got off the car

D．she got on the bus

【小題2】Kerrin didn’t find her purse missing until       .

A．the bus started off

B．her mother told her

C．the bus stopped again

D．she returned to the university

【小題3】In which order did the following persons know about the loss of the purse?

A．driver—writer—Better Jean—Kerrin

B．Kerrin—writer—Better Jean—driver

C．writer—driver—Kerrin—Better Jean

D．writer—Bette—Jean—driver—Kerrin

【小題4】Which of the following is not true?

A．The bus was too fast for the car to catch up with in no time.

B．The writer had tried to phone the dispatcher but failed.

C．The writer couldn’t get in touch with the driver by the phone.

D．Both the writer and the bus driver could use the car phone.

【小題5】Which of the following seems the most necessary in helping the writer?
a. his car           b. phone    c. the bus driver   
d. the dispatcher     e. his wife         f. his daughter

A．a(chǎn), b, d and e	B．c, d, e and f
C．a(chǎn), b, c and d	D．b, c, d and e

A cancer-stricken British teenage girl said Thursday she had been moved by messages of support from around the world after writing an online “Bucket List” of things she wanted to do before dying.
Alice Pyne, l5, created an Internet blog in which she described her fight against a cancer of the white blood cells. “ I've been fighting cancer for almost four years and now l know that the cancer is gaining on me and it doesn't look like I'm going to win this one,” she wrote.
For her list, the teenager took inspiration from the 2007 film “The Bucket List”, in which two terminally ill (患絕癥的) men, played by Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, draw up a list of things they wish to do before they die.
On her list, at the site www. alicepyne. blogspot. com, she has included making everyone sign up to be a bone marrow donor (骨髓捐贈(zèng)者), swimming with sharks, meeting boy band Take That and getting a purple iPad computer.
Messages of support and offers of help quickly flooded her webpage and it became one of the most talked about subjects on Twitter.
“Oh dear and I thought that I was just doing a little blog for a few friends!” she wrote after her site attracted huge attention. “Thank you so much for all your lovely messages to me.”
Pyne, who lives with her family in the northwest English town of Ulverston, revealed (透露) the management of Take That had arranged for her to see the band after reading her blog. A group of local lawmakers have also joined forces with the Anthony Nolan blood cancer charity to encourage people to join its stem cell register.
【小題1】 What happened after Alice Pyne wrote her“Bucket List”?

A．The media called on people to help her.

B．People sent gifts to her from all over the world.

C．A lot of people offered to donate bone marrow to her.

D．People around the world sent messages to support her.

【小題2】Alice Pyne wrote her “Bucket List” to     .

A．express her last few wishes

B．say goodbye to a few friends

C．give comfort to two terminally ill men

D．catch people's attention

【小題3】It can be inferred from the second paragraph that Alice Pyne       .

A．is unaware of her own conditions

B．is calm to know that death is approaching

C．is very sad to know that she will die

D．is still quite confident in fighting against cancer

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT on Alice Pyne's “Bucket List”?

A．To meet a boy.

B．To get a cool computer.

C．To swim with sharks.

D．To ask people to donate bone marrow.

【小題5】Take That will arrange to       .

A．invite Pyne to join the band

B．help Pyne in any possible way

C．donate money to Pyne

D．meet Pyne in person

When Boris left school, he could not find a job. He tried hard and pestered (糾纏) his relatives, but they had problems of their own. He answered advertisements until he could not afford to buy any more stamps. Boris grew annoyed, then depressed, then a little hardened. Still he went on trying and still he failed. He began to think that he had no future at all.
“Why don't you start your own business?” one of his uncles told him. “The world is a money-locker. You'd better find a way of opening it.”
“But what can I do?”
“Get out and have a look round.” advised his uncle in a vague sort of way. “See what people want; then give it to them, and they will pay for it.”
Boris began to cycle around the town and found a suitable piece of a waste ground in the end. Then he set up his business as a cycle repairer. He worked hard, made friends with his customers and gradually managed to build up his goodwill and profit. A few months later, he found that he had more work than he could deal with by himself. He found a number of empty shops but they were all no good: in the wrong position, too expensive or with some other snag(障礙). But at long last, he managed to find an empty shop on a new estate where there were plenty of customers but no competition.
Boris and his assistant taught themselves how to repair scooters and motor-cycles. Slowly but surely the profits increased and the business developed. At last, Boris had managed to open the money-locker and found bank notes and gold coins inside.
【小題1】Which of the following best describes Boris' job hunting experience?

A．Surprising.

B．Encouraging.

C．Boring.

D．Disappointing.

【小題2】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Goodwill is the key to success

B．The world is a money-locker

C．No education, no future

D．Difficulty of starting a small business

【小題3】Boris started his career by       .

A．repairing cycles	B．developing a waste ground
C．cycling around the town	D．buying empty shops

【小題4】Boris finally chose an empty shop on a new estate because       .

A．it was not so expensive

B．he had a lot of old customers there

C．there were good opportunities there

D．he could make good use of his skills there

【小題5】We can infer from the last paragraph that Boris     .

A．still couldn't make good profits

B．found a lot of gold coins by accident

C．set off in a successful career

D．had great difficulty running his business