American magician David Blaine left the glass box in which he had lived for 44 days without food on October 19, 2003. Hundreds of people came to watch the end of his starvation experiment, which has become one of London’s main tourist attractions.
Looking thinner and darker, 30-year-old Blaine was taken out of his box over the River Thames and immediately went to hospital. He was then slowly reintroduced to food, a process doctors say could be life threatening. He had been drinking only water since September 5.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Blaine first became known as a street magician in the early 1990s. He soon found himself doing magic tricks in bars for the likes of American actor Leonardo DiCaprio and his super model friends.
Over the last decade Blaine has become famous with a combination of breathtaking magic and clever tricks aimed at getting a lot of attention. In 1999, he was buried in a coffin (棺材) for one week and, in 2000, he spent 62 hours in a giant block of ice. Last year he stood on top of a 25-meter pillar (柱子) in the center of New York for 35 hours before jumping into a pile of boxes.
“I think a lot of people are unable to accept that they’re able to do what they can do,” he said. “They don’t realize we can survive. The human being is an amazing creation.”
But he seems to have suffered from spending so long in the glass box. He said that at times he was unable to see, had serious back pains and lost his sense of taste.
【小題1】It is         for David Blaine to eat food after such a long starvation.

A．pleasant

B．delicious

C．dangerous

D．important

【小題2】Having spent such a long time in the glass box, he suffered the following EXCEPT that         .

A．he had become blind	B．he had serious back pains
C．he lost his sense of taste	D．he was in weak health

【小題3】Which of the following can best describe David Blaine?

A．Serious.

B．Adventurous.

C．Smart.

D．Crazy.

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT true about David Blaine?

A．Blaine immediately went to hospital after he was taken out of his box.

B．Blaine was born and brought up in England.

C．In Blaine’s opinion, people can create a wonder.

D．Blaine didn’t have any food for 44 days.

Barditch High School decided to an All-School Reunion. Over 450 people came to the event. There were tours of the old school building and a picnic at Confederate Park. Several former teachers were on hand to tell stories about the old days. Ms. Mabel Yates, the English teacher for fifty years, was wheeled to the Park.
Some eyes rolled and there were a few low groans(嘟囔聲)when Ms.Yates was about to speak. Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined.
Then Ms. Yates started to speak:
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be here. I haven’t seen many of you since your graduation, but I have followed your careers and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies. I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students. Although I haven’t appeared in person, I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the birth your children, in my imagination.”
Ms. Yates paused and started crying a bit. Then she continued:
“It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me. Regardless of our motives, I can see that you have all been successful in you chosen path.”
“There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work. You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart.”
There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping. Tee clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar(呼喊). Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown.
【小題1】What activity was organized for the school reunion?

A．Sightseeing in the park.

B．A picnic on the school playground.

C．Telling stories about past events.

D．Graduates’ reports in the old building.

【小題2】What can be inferred from Paragraph 2? 

A．Some graduates were too busy to listen to Ms. Yates’ speech.

B．Many graduates disliked Ms. Yates’ ways of teaching.

C．Some people got tired from the reunion activities.

D．Most people had little interest in the reunion.

【小題3】We can learn from Ms. Yates’ speech that she _____________.

A．kept track of her students’ progress

B．gave her students advice on their careers

C．attended her students’ college graduations

D．went to her students’ wedding ceremonies

【小題4】What was Ms.Yates’ belief in teaching teenagers?

A．Teachers’ knowledge is the key to students’ achievements.

B．Pressure on students from teachers should be reduced.

C．Hard-pushed students are more likely to succeed.

D．Students’ respect is the best reward for teachers.

【小題5】Which of the following can best describe Ms. Yates?

A．Reliable and devoted.	B．Tough and generous.
C．Proud but patient.	D．Strict but caring.

The audience starts to scream and young people all over Britain turn on their TVs. Yes, it’s Top of the pops!
Top of the pops is an amazing 45-year-old programme. Pop stars from all over the world appear on this successful TV prograrmme. After about 2340 shows, it’s still the most popular pop music show in Britain．So what’s the secret?
“We get lots of bands to perform live in the studio,” says producer Chris Cowey. “That just doesn’t happen on other shows”
Chris starts the preparations for the programme over a week before it goes out．His first job is to decide which bands to have on the show. When the chart of the top twenty songs is produced on Sunday, Chris can start to book the bands
Monday starts with Chris meeting his sound, lighting and camera workers. They listen to each song and plan the show.
Tuesday is paperwork day. There are bookings to make sure of, letters to answer and lots of phone calls to make. The show is on Thursday. Bands arrive at the studio from 10 o’clock in the morning and start practicing. Tonight’s presenter, Jo Whiley, practises too
First the bands go to make up. Judy and Issy are the make-up artists. “We see the stars with no make-up on, looking terrible,” says Issy. Then the bands go to the costume department where Marianne dresses the stars.
Back in the studio things are happening. The audience is practising their dance moves! It takes over two hours to record the whole programme, then Chris edits it all night long. The final version is exactly 29 minutes long
【小題1】What make (s) Top of the Pops the most popular in Britain?

A．The famous singers of the bands.

B．The live performances in the studio.

C．The large numbers of pop fans in Britain.

D．The jobs carefully done by the workers of the TV station.

【小題2】When the bands receive the invitations to the performance, ___________________.

A．they must decide what songs they will perform

B．they have no idea what songs they will perform

C．they don’t have to decide what songs they will perform

D．the songs that will be performed haven’t been decided on

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

A．The programme time on TV is exactly controlled.

B．All the stars must make up before their performance.

C．The producer plays the main role in planning the programme.

D．There are no audience to join in the performance at the TV station

【小題4】How is the music programme made at the TV station?

【小題5】Which is the proper title for the passage?

A．A Stage for Pop Stars

B．Go Backstage of Top of the Pops

C．Great Success Comes from Hard Work

D．The Most Popular Is the Most Successful

I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention. Finally, the driver, a man about 60, looked up from behind the wheel and apologized, “I’m sorry, but I was reading a letter.” He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough.
Since I was in no hurry, I told him to finish his letter. He shook his head, explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart. Curious, I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild. “This isn’t family,” he replied. “Though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family, Old Ed and I grew up together.”
They were always friends. But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago, it’d generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them. A couple of weeks ago, Ed died. “I should have kept in touch.” He repeated this, more to himself than to me. To comfort him, I said sometimes we just didn’t seem to find the time. “But we used to find the time,” he said. “Take a look.” He handed the letter over to me.
The first sentence “I’ve been meaning to write for some time, but I’ve always delayed it.” reminded me of myself. It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together. When I read the part where it said “Your friendship really means a lot to me, more than I can say because I’m not good at saying things like that”, I found myself nodding in agreement.
We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph: “So I thought you’d like to know that I was thinking of you.” And it was ended with “Your Old Friend, Tom.”
“I thought your friend’s name was Ed,” I said.
“I’m Tom,” he explained. “It’s a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he’d died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner.” His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.
When I got to my hotel room I didn’t unpack right away. I had to write a letter and post it.
【小題1】From Paragraph 4, we learn that the author _______.

A．often fails to write to his friends

B．doesn’t want to write to his friends

C．had many great moments with his friends

D．was good at expressing his feelings to friends

【小題2】Who wrote the letter?

A．Old Ed	B．The driver’s grandchild
C．The author	D．Tom

【小題3】It can be inferred from the passage that the driver regretted_____.

A．missing Ed’s funeral

B．moving away from his neighborhood

C．forgetting to send Ed Christmas cards

D．not being able to keep in touch with Ed

An “apple polisher” is one who gives gifts to win friendship or special treatment. It is not exactly a bribe(賄賂),but is close to it.
All sorts of people are apple polishers, including politicians and people in high offices ── just about everybody. Oliver Cromwell, the great English leader, offered many gifts to win the support of George Fox and his party, but failed.
There are other phrases meaning the same thing as “apple-polishing” ── “soft-soaping” or “butter-up”. A gift is just one way to “soft-soap” somebody, or to “butter him up”. Another that is just as effective is flattery, giving someone high praise ── telling him how good he looks, or how well he speaks, or how talented and wise he is.
Endless are the ways of flattery. Who does not love or hear it ? Only an unusual man can resist the thrill of being told how wonderful he is. In truth, flattery is good medicine for most of us, who gets so little of it.
We need it to be more sure of ourselves. It cannot hurt unless we get carried away by it. But we just lap it up for its food value and nourishment, as a cat laps up milk, then we can still remain true to ourselves.
Sometimes, however, flattery will get you nothing from one who has had too much of it. A good example is the famous 12th century legend of King Canute of Denmark and England. The king got tired of listening to the endless sickening flattery of his courtiers（朝臣）.They overpraised him to the skies, as a man of limitless power.
He decided to teach them a lesson. He took them to the seashore and sat down. Then he ordered the waves to stop coming in. The tide was too busy to listen to him. The king was satisfied. This might show his followers how weak his power was and how empty their flattery.
【小題1】Which of the following activities has nothing to do with “apple-polishing” ?

A．A boy tells his girlfriend how pretty she looks

B．An employee tells his boss how good he is at management

C．A knight(騎士)is said to be of limitless power by his followers

D．A teacher praised his students for their talent and wisdom.

【小題2】Which of the following statement about flattery is TRUE according to the author ?

A．Too much flattery can carry us away

B．Flattery is too empty to do people any good

C．Flattery can get nothing but excessive(過度的)pride

D．Flattery is one of the ways to apple-polish people.

【小題3】King Canute of Denmark and England took his followers to the seashore because __________.

A．he was sick of his normal

B．he disliked being overpraised any more

C．he wanted them to realize how wise he was

D．he wanted them to see how weak he was as a king

【小題4】The author thinks that flattery can do good to those who _________.

A．are really excellent

B．lack confidence

C．are politicians or in high offices

D．think highly of themselves

Below are Top 10 Scholarly Stars in America in 2011.
It’s not always about fame and fortune for these celebs – education is a priority in their lives. Find out what scholarly stars have earned degrees and diplomas or are returning to the classroom as you head back to school.
No. 10: James Franco
James has attended FOUR prestigious universities in his life: UCLA, New York University, Columbia University and Yale University. We hear he’s is so serious about school, he missed the Oscar nominations to attend class!
No. 9: Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman is so Ivy League: she graduated from Harvard University in 2003, thanks to her parents, who she says always made sure she put her studies before her acting.
No. 8: Haley Joel Osment
When students at NYU heard Haley Joel would be joining them as a freshman in 2006, they chalked the campus’ sidewalks with his famous Sixth Sense movie line: “I see dead people.”
No. 7: Emma Watson
Although Emma Watson put her education on hold to wrap up the Harry Potter film series, in July 2011 she announced that she was going back to school at Brown University to complete her degree.
No. 6: Dakota and Elle Fanning
Celeb sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning are stars on screen and in class. Dakota was her high school’s homecoming queen two years in a row while Elle, who still attends middle school, somehow manages to balance her acting career with math tests and gym class.
No. 5: Mara Wilson
Mara Wilson graduated from NYU in 2009. Mara, who played the adorable Nattie in Mrs. Doubtfire, eventually grew up and headed to New York to attend NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts; she graduated in 2009.
No. 4: Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks is known for being a savvy businesswoman, but even the best could use some formal training. She enrolled in Harvard Business School in 2011 and even went so far as to live in a dorm with her fellow classmates!
“We live in dorms,” confirmed the TV star. “I have my own room but we share a kitchen, living room and study area. It’s mandatory dorms. I freaked out. In the beginning I was like, ‘Oh yes, I’m going to Harvard and I’ll be at the Four Seasons down the street.’ And they were like, ‘Girl, you’re living in dorms!’”
No. 3: Shakira
Singer Shakira is resting her hips and giving her brain a workout at UCLA, attending classes on the history of western civilization so she could “l(fā)earn from the best”.
No. 2: Steven Spielberg
Director Steven skipped getting a formal education to be an unpaid intern at Universal Studios, where he learned his tricks of the trade. But eventually he did go back and earned his film degree in 2002.
No. 1: Danica McKellar
Danica McKellar is a math whiz. She used to be known for starring as Winnie Cooper in the Wonder Years, but Danica is also a UCLA graduate, math whiz and education advocate who’s written three best-selling books encouraging middle-school girls to have confidence and succeed in mathematics.
【小題1】What Danica McKellar and Natalie Portman share in common is that ________.

A．both put their education in the first place

B．they graduated from the same university

C．the two actresses wrote best-selling books

D．both of them will abandon their acting

【小題2】From the above, we can come to the conclusion that ________.

A．Spielberg received a formal film education before he turned director

B．both sisters Dakota and Elle have not finished middle school education

C．Tyra Banks is sharing the same room with her classmates in Harvard

D．Shakira and Haley Joel Osment are studying in university separately

【小題3】The underlined word “ trade” in the passage is closest to ________.

A．business

B．corporation

C．studio

D．occupation

【小題4】How many stars referred to in the material studied or will go to UCLA?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

NBA commissioner David Stern was in Orlando on Thursday night, getting ready for Sunday’s All-Star Game. Of course, all he could talk about was the only player anyone wants to talk about these days: New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin.
Hours before Lin took the court against the Heat, a few hundred miles South down I-95 in Miami, Stern told reporters that Lin’s instant popularity hasn’t ever been matched in sports history, not even by Sunday’s biggest names, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.
The Associated Press had the details.
“I haven’t done a calculation, but it’s fair to say that no player has created the interest and the craze in this short period of time, in any sport, that I’m aware of like Jeremy Lin has,” Stern said Thursday.
Lin, an undrafted(未選秀的)guard from Harvard, has become the NBA’s biggest story since coming off the Knicks’ bench earlier this month to lead them to nine wins in 11 games heading into their matchup with Miami on Thursday night.
With Lin’s popularity in Asia as the league’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, and with the religious community because of his strong Christian faith, Stern says he’s “never quite seen anything like” the attention on Lin.
“It’s fascinating,” Stern said after the All-Star Jam Session opening ceremonies.
The top five videos on NBA.com since Feb. 4, when Lin joined the circulation, are all Lin or Knicks related. Lin went from 190,000 followers on Sina, China’s version of Twitter, on Feb. 2 to more than 1 million as of Feb. 16.
Indeed, Lin’s popularity is so out of this world that the NBA made a late list switch to ensure his participation in the Rising Stars Challenge on All-Star Saturday, a game that includes the NBA’s best rookies(新秀球員)and sophomores. Lin is in such high demand that all of the game’s other participants will meet with the media following a team practice on Friday while Lin will have his own, separate press conference later in the night. 
This is Jeremy’s world, folks. We’re all just living in it. Even David Stern and the rest of the league’s All-Stars, at least for the moment. 
【小題1】The following statements about Jeremy Lin’s instant popularity are true EXCEPT that ______.

A．Jeremy Lin led New York Knicks to win all the recent games this month

B．David Stern said Lin was the only instant popular player in NBA’s history

C．Lin has become the NBA’s greatest story though he was an undrafted guard

D．no player has created the interest and the enthusiasm in such a short period of time

【小題2】Why did Jeremy Lin have so many followers in Asia on Sina, China’s version of Twitter?
A. Because Jeremy Lin was born in Taiwan with strong Christian faith.
B. Maybe because he is the first player born in America but has Chinese descent.
C. Because Sina has a large group of surfing people, maybe more than 10 million.
D. Because the top five videos on NBA. com since Feb. 4 are all Lin or Knicks related.
【小題3】The underlined phrase “out of this world” in Paragraph 9 may probably be replaced by ______.

A．impossible

B．important

C．exceptional

D．excellent

【小題4】What can we learn from the above passage about Jeremy Lin’s instant popularity?

A．Knowledge starts with practice.	B．Failure is the mother of success.
C．Every dog has its day.	D．No pains, no gains.

We were driving on the right road when, all of a sudden, a black car pulled out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver stepped on his brake, skidded(打滑), and missed the black car’s back end by just inches! The driver of the black car, who almost caused a major accident, turned his head angrily and started shouting bad words at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, my taxi driver was friendly. So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to hospital!” And the following is what my taxi driver told me, which I now call “the law of the Garbage Truck”.
“Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump(傾卸)it. And if you let them, they dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish him well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.”
So this is “The Law of the Garbage Truck”. I started thinking: How often do I let “Garbage Trucks” run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets? It was then that I said, “I’m not going to do it any more.”
I began to see “Garbage Trucks”. I see the load they’re carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I don’t make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, and move on.
Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. What about you? The mark of a successful person is how quickly he can get back his focus on what’s important.
【小題1】Who acted like a garbage truck in the accident described in the first two paragraphs?

A．The author.	B．The taxi driver.
C．The driver of the black car.	D．Both drivers.

【小題2】The reason why the taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy is that ______.

A．the black car was full of garbage

B．the taxi driver didn’t want his mood ruined

C．the driver of the black car didn’t cause any damage to the taxi

D．the driver of the black car was angry and the taxi driver felt a little frightened

【小題3】The underlined part “the load” in Paragraph 5 refers to _____.

A．bad mood

B．excitement

C．new products

D．waste materials

【小題4】What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．Always be kind and hardworking.

B．Ignore unpleasantness and stick to your tasks.

C．Try to be good leaders as well as good parents.

D．Do things quickly so as to be ready for the next.

Lie in bed, by an open window, and listen…
“No air conditioning? How can you sleep?” a friend asks, horrified. I tell her my family has decided to shut the air conditioner off and reduce our electric bill. On this first night of our cost-cutting plan, it’s only 85 degrees. We’re going to suffer, but the three kids complain anyway.
They have grown up in 72-degree comfort, protected from the world outside.
“It’s too hot to sleep,” my 13-year-old daughter complains. “I’m about to die from this heat,” her brother complains down the hall. “Just try it tonight,” I tell them. In truth I’m too tired to turn for long. My face is sweaty, but I lie quietly listening to the cricket choirs outside that remind me of childhood.
The neighbor’s dog howls. Probably a passing squirrel. It’s been years since I took the time to really listen to the night.
I think about grandma, who lived to 92 and still helped with my mom’s gardening until just a few weeks before she died. And then, I’m back there at her house in the summer heat of my childhood. I move my pillow to the foot of grandma’s bed and turn my face toward the open window. I turn the pillow, hunting for the cooler side.
Grandma saw me turn over and over. “If you just watch for the breeze(清風),” she said, “you’ll cool off and fall asleep.” I stare at the filmy white curtain, willing it to move. Lying still, waiting, I suddenly notice the life outside the window. The bug chorus. Neighbors, porch(門廊)-sitting late, speak in unclear words that calm me.
“Mom, did you hear that?” my seven-year-old son cries, “I think it was an owl(貓頭鷹)family.”
“Probably,” I tell him, “just keep listening…”
Without the working air conditioner, the house is peaceful, and the natural night noises seem close enough to touch. I hope I’m awake tonight when the first breeze comes in.
【小題1】On the first night of the writer’s cost-cutting plan, her children ______.

A．live a comfortable life as usual

B．begin to be unhappy

C．are protected from the world outside

D．are about to die from the heat

【小題2】The author talks about her grandmother and her childhood to show that ______.

A．people used to live a hard life

B．people at that time were hardworking

C．it’s OK for people to live a simple life

D．she has learned a great deal from her grandma

【小題3】In the writer’s eyes, her children are ______.

A．free from parents’ protection

B．full of dissatisfaction with life

C．dependable because of parents’ love

D．lacking in real test of hardships in life

【小題4】Which of the following titles best suits the passage?

A．Waiting for the Breeze.

B．An Interesting Experience.

C．Life at Present and Life in the Past.

D．Different Times, Different Children

There was a story many years ago of a school teacher--- Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水)。
Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed: Theodore F. Stoddard, M. D.(醫(yī)學博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”
【小題1】What did Mrs. Thompson do on the first day of school?

A．She made Teddy feel ashamed.

B．She asked the children to play with Teddy.

C．She changed Teddy's seat to the front row.

D．She told the class something untrue about herself.

【小題2】What did Mrs. Thompson find out about Teddy?

A．He often told lies.

B．He was good at math.

C．He needed motherly care.

D．He enjoyed playing with others.

【小題3】In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?

A．She taught fewer school subjects.

B．She became stricter with her students.

C．She no longer liked her job as a teacher.

D．She cared more about educating students.

【小題4】Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?

A．She had kept in touch with him.

B．She had given him encouragement.

C．She had sent him Christmas presents.

D．She had taught him how to judge people.