Last night I was driving from Harrisburg to Lewisburg，distance of about eighty miles. It was late. Several times I got stuck behind a slow-moving truck on a narrow road with a solid white line on my left, and I became increasingly impatient.
At one point along an open road, I came to a crossing with a traffic light. I was alone on the road by now, but as I drove near the light, it turned red and I made a stop. I looked left, right and behind me. Nothing. Not a car, no suggestion of car lamps, but there I sat, waiting for the light to change, the only human being for at least a mile in any direction.
I started wondering why I refused to run the light I was not afraid of being caught, because there was clearly no policeman around, and there certainly would have been no danger in going through it.
Much later that night, the question of why I'd stopped for that light came back to me. I think I
stopped because it's part of a contract(契約)we all have with each other. It's not only the law, but it is an agreement we have, and we trust each other to honor it: we don't go through red lights.
Trust is our first inclination(傾向).Doubting others does not seem to be natural to us. The whole construction of our society depends on mutual(相互)trust, not distrust. We do what we say we'll do; we show up when we say we'll show up; and we pay when we say we'll pay. We trust each other in these matters, and we're angry or disappointed with the person or organization that breaks the trust we have in them.
I was so proud of myself for stopping for the red light that night.
【小題1】Why did the author get impatient while driving?

A．He was lonely on the road.

B．He was slowed down by a truck.

C．He got tired of driving too long.

D．He came across too many traffic lights.

【小題2】What was the author's immediate action when the traffic light turned red?

A．Stopping still.

B．Driving through it.

C．Looking around for other cars.

D．Checking out for traffic police.

【小題3】The event made the author strongly believe that __________.       

A．traffic rules may be unnecessary

B．doubting others is human nature

C．patience is important to drivers

D．a(chǎn) society needs mutual trust

【小題4】Why was the author proud of himself?

A．He kept his promise.

B．He held back his anger.

C．He followed his inclination.

D．He made a right decision.

About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film-studio(影棚)to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our "act" would last only for a short time, we could see quite a number of interesting things.
We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie-camera was
wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in "snow". Two more fans were turned on, and a "strong wind" blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold.
The next scene was a complete contrast (對(duì)比). The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures in front taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen (幕). An actor and actress stood of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water’s edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio!
Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film "stars"!
【小題1】Who is the author?

A．A cameraman.

B．A film director.

C．A crowd-scene actor.

D．A workman for scene setting.

【小題2】What made the author feel cold?

A．The heavy snowfall.

B．The man-made scene.

C．The low temperature.

D．The film being shown.

【小題3】What would happen in the "three minutes" mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．A new scene would be filmed.

B．More stars would act in the film.

C．The author would leave the studio.

D．The next scene would be prepared.

At exactly eleven Sir Percival knocked and entered, with anxiety and worry in every line of his face. This meeting would decide his future life，and he obviously knew it.
"You may wonder, Sir Percival,”said Laura calmly, “if I am going to ask to be released (免除）from my promise to many you. I am not going to ask this. I respect my father's wishes too much.”
His face relaxed a little, but one of his feet kept beating the carpet.
"No, if we are going to withdraw. (退出）from our planned marriage, it will be because of your wish, not mine.
“Mine?” he said in great surprise. “What reason could I have for withdrawing?^’
"A reason that is very hard to tell you," she answered. "There is a change in me.”
His face went so pale that even his lips lost their color. He turned his head to one side.
"What change?" he asked, trying to appear calm.
“When the promise was made two years ago,” she said, ⁴⁴ my love did not belong to anyone. Will you forgive me, Sir Percival, if I tell you that it now belongs to another person?”
“I wish you to understand, “Laura continued, “that I will never see this person again, and that if you leave me, you only allow mc to remain a single woman for the rest of my life. All I ask is that you forgive mc and keep my secret."
‘I will do both those things, “he said. Then he looked at Laura, as if he was waiting to hear more.
"I think I have said enough to give you reason to withdraw from our marriage, “she added quietly.
“No. You have said enough to make it the dearest wish of my life to marry you, ” he said.
【小題1】How did Percival feel during his meeting with Laura?

A．Angry.

B．Calm.

C．Nervous.

D．Excited.

【小題2】We can learn from the passage that        .

A．Laura had once promised to marry Percival

B．Laura's father wished to end her marriage

C．Percival had been married to Laura for two years

D．Percival asked to be released from the marriage

【小題3】The passage is probably taken out of              .

A．a(chǎn) novel

B．a(chǎn) report

C．a(chǎn) diary

D．a(chǎn)n essay

Some people believe that a Robin Hood is at work, others that a wealthy person simply wants to distribute his or her fortune before dying. But the donator who started sending envelopes with cash to deserving causes，accompanied by an article from the local paper, has made a northern German city believe in fairytales (童話）
The first envelope was sent to a victim support group. It contained ?10,000 with a cutting from the Braunschtveiger Zeitung about how the group supported a woman who was robbed of her handbag； similar plain white anonymous (匿名）envelopes, each containing ?10,000, then arrived at a kindergarten and a church.
The envelopes keep coming, and so far at least ?190,000 has been distributed. Last month, one of them was sent to the newspaper’s own office. It came after a story it published about Tom, a 14-year-old boy who was severely disabled in a swimming accident. The receptionist at the Braunschweiger Zeitung opened an anonymous white envelope to find 20 notes of ?500 inside , with a copy of the article. The name of the family was underlined.
"I was driving when I heard the news,” Claudia Neumann, the boy’s mother, told DerSpiegel magazine. “I had to park on the side of the road； I was speechless. ”
The money will be used to make the entrance to their house wheelchair-accessible .and for a course of treatment that their insurance company refused to pay for.
“For someone to act so selflessly, for this to happen in such a society in which everyone thinks of himself, was astonishing," Mrs. Neumann said. Her family wonder whether the donator is a Robin Hood character, taking from banks to give to the needy.
Henning Noske, the editor of the Braunschweiger Zeitung, said： “Maybe it is an old person who is about to die. We just do not know. ” However, he has told his reporters not to look for the city’s hero, for fear that discovery may stop the donations.
【小題1】The Braunschweiger Zeitung is the name of             .

A．a(chǎn) church

B．a(chǎn) bank

C．a(chǎn) newspaper

D．a(chǎn) magazine

【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE about the donation to Tom?

A． The donation amounted to ?190,000.

B．The donation was sent directly to his house.

C．The money will be used for his education.

D． His mother felt astonished at the donation.

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

A． the donator is a rich old man

B．the donation will continue to come

C． the donation comes from the newspaper

D． the donator will soon be found out

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

A． Money Is Raised by the Newspaper

B． Newspaper Distributes Money to

C． Unknown Hero Spreads Love in Envelopes

D． Robin Hood Returns to the City

Three Boys and a Dad
Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favourite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park,” he’d told his wife. “I’ll look after the kids, and you can go visit your mom.”
Things started well, but just after eight o’clock, his three little “good kids”—Mike, Randy, and Alex—came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast, daddy.” When food had not appeared within thirty seconds, Randy began using his spoon on Alex’s head as if it were a drum. Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat（節(jié)拍）. Mike chanted “Where’s my toast, where’s my toast” in the background. Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.
Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their very eyes. Someone named “Not Me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.
By ten o’clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the jar refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating the kitchen wall with his colour pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the family room，but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad realised that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.
At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare centre (日托所）.“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife’s away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes?” The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.
【小題1】When his wife left home. Brad expected to          .

A．go out for a walk in the park

B．watch TV talk show with his children

C．enjoy his first day off work

D．read the newspaper to his children

【小題2】Which of the following did Randy do?

A．Drawing on the wall	B．Eating apple jam
C．Feeding the fish.	D．Reading in a room

【小題3】Why did Brad ask the daycare centre for help?

A．Because he wanted to clean up his house.

B．Because he suddenly had to go to his office

C．Because he found it hard to manage his boys home.

D．Because he had to take his wife back

【小題4】This text is developed          .

A．by space

B．by comparison

C．by process

D．by time

One Tuesday evening in the beginning of the fall 1996 semester at Shippensburg University, sirens(警笛) sounded. These sirens were not in celebration; they were a cry to the university that something was wrong. A house, only one block away, was on fire. Nine of the university's students lived there.
From the minute the word got out that help was needed, it seemed like everyone showed up. The victims of the fire were offered endless invitations for housing for the night. The very next day, everyone got into gear to do their part in helping them. Flyers (小傳單) were posted with items that were immediately needed, just to get these students through this next couple of days. Boxes for donations and money jars were placed in every residence hall（學(xué)生宿舍）．
As a residence director，I went before the students in my hall to ask them to do what they could. I knew that college students don't have much, but I asked them to do their best: “Every little bit will help." I really didn't think they could do much. I was proved wrong.
At the hall council meeting the night after the fire, my residents decided to have a wing competition, where each wing of the building would team up to see who could bring In the most donations. I announced that the wing who won would receive a free pizza party.
Thursday evening we announced over the PA system that we were beginning the wing competition. Within minutes, the place exploded. The single large box that I had placed in the lobby (太廳) was over-flowing. We quickly grabbed more boxes, and we watched in amazement as they, too, filled to the brim. Members of the resident assistant staff and I began to count the items. I was astonished by what I saw, and I was inspired by these kids.
When we came to the final tally（得分）, the winners turned to me and announced that they would like to donate their winnings as well. They wanted the victims of the fire to have their pizza party.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I had watched these students jump to action, work tirelessly and donate all that they could. And then, as if that were not enough, they handed over their reward’s was touched and so very proud of them.
【小題1】The writer mainly wanted to      by the story.

A．tell us the suffering of nine of the college students from a fire

B．praise the college students helping the victims selflessly

C．tell us how successful the wing competition was

D．show he was deeply moved by the college students' action

【小題2】The phrase "get into gear" in the second paragraph means      .

A．be eager

B．take action

C．be prepared

D．start working

【小題3】At first, the residence director thought      .

A．it was impossible to expect the college students to donate anything

B．it was easy to collect a lot of donations from the college students

C．the college students would donate not much

D．the college students would donate all the items they had

【小題4】The wing competition was held      .

A．on Tuesday evening	B．on Thursday
C．on Wednesday evening	D．the very next day

【小題5】How did the residence director feel when he saw the brimful boxes?

A．Terrible．

B．Funny．

C．Surprised．

D．Serious

Disease, poverty, hate, love—Charles Dickens’ stories opened his readers eyes to the most important themes of his age. Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens’ legacy(遺產(chǎn)) was far greater than just “great literature”
February 7 marks the 200^th anniversary of the writer’s birthday. To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world. Let’s take a look at two of them.
A white Christmas
Dickens is described as “the man who invented Christmas”—not the religious festival, but the cultural aspects that we associate with the festive season today. In the early 19^th century, Christmas was barely worth mentioning, according to critic and writer Leigh Hunt. The committee which ran the Conservative Party even held ordinary business meetings on Christmas Day – unthinkable in the West nowadays, when everyone but the most necessary workers takes at least three days off.
Many people believe that Dickens’ popular descriptions of the festive period became a blueprint for generations to come. In his classic novel, A Christmas Carol, he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas, but also painted a picture of glowing warmth –“ home enjoyments, affections and hopes”.
In his biography of Dickens, Peter Ackroyd wrote: “ Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas.”
“Dickensian” poverty
Dickens was one of the first to take an honest look at the underclass and the poor of Victorian (the period during British Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901) London.
He helped popularize the term “red tape” to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy（官僚作風(fēng)） in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society.
“Dickensian” has now become a powerful word for describing an unacceptable level of poverty. In 2009, when the president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the UK wanted to talk about deprivation in some areas of Britain, she did not use words like “terrible” or “horrific”, but rather described it as “l(fā)ife mirroring the times of Dickens”. 
【小題1】What is the main idea of the article?

A．An introduction to Charles Dickens’ classic novels.

B．Charles dickens’ impact on the world.

C．Charles Dickens’ amazing characters.

D．Why Charles Dickens is popular across the world.

【小題2】Why is Dickens called “the man who invented Christmas”?

A．Because he created the religious festival.

B．Because many of his novels have something to do with Christmas.

C．Because one of his novels helped to shape Christmas celebrations.

D．Because he was the first man to have proposed celebrating Christmas.

【小題3】According to the article, the phrase “red tape” refers to _______.

A．rules or procedures that are required to accomplish a task

B．a(chǎn) situation in which poor members of society are hurt.

C．conflict between people in power and weaker people

D．pointlessly time-consuming official procedures

Without any hesitation, he said, “I’d be better off dead.” Hearing those words come out of my best friend’s mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording.
I met him about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression. Sadness was not the only emotion that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learned that he was physically and emotionally abused as a young child, causing him to have suicidal thoughts.
He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. Nevertheless, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to speak. Therefore, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It does not matter where I am or what I am doing, for he always comes first.
Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice scars on his arms from cutting. As he sees it, other kids have every right to make fun of him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the security he needs to keep on going.
My best friend once told me that if he had not had me, he would not be alive. He said that my encouraging words convinced him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single kind word can influence someone’s life. With the fragility of life as it is, I believe in the necessity of encouragement.
【小題1】According to the first paragraph, what the author’s friend said made the author feel ______.

A．puzzled

B．heartbroken.

C．frightened

D．hopeless

【小題2】By saying “convenience is not in my vocabulary”, the author means ______.

A．he is always ready to help his friend.

B．he hardly spares time to help his friend.

C．he has no good excuse for refusing his friend.

D．he is not good at communicating with his friend.

【小題3】From the passage we learn that the author’s friend ________.

A．had a happy childhood but everything changed later

B．wanted to share his story but no one listened.

C．took it for granted that he was made fun of

D．was always of sad appearance

【小題4】What does the author learn from his experiences?

A．How to make a big difference to others.

B．The importance of encouragement.

C．How to get rid of depression

D．The necessity of security

Buster Brown was a thief and a good one too，he thought． He’d never been caught by the police because he never took chances．He was always prepared for any unforeseen event or emergency.
Confidently，he stood outside the house of his intended victim(受害者)and read the sign on the front gate of the house．“Don't worry about the dog—be aware of the owner!” it said．Buster smiled and found his way in．
The house looked quite normal outside，but inside it was very exotic with fascinating objects on display．As he began putting them into his bag，a dog came into the room．It stopped when it saw Buster，then wagged its tail madly and went over to him，licking his outstretched hand．  "Good boy，” Buster whispered． “What a great guard dog you are—trying to lick me to death.” Satisfied he'd made friends with the dog，Bluster began to wander round the house，choosing items to put in his bag．His skilled eye picked out only the best antiques(古董)：a pair of silver candleholders，a silver tea-and-coffee service，etc．．His new friend，the dog，sat and watched，as if wondering what was happening．
“Well，boy，” Buster whispered，finally．“That might do．Any more and I won't be able to carry it!” He swung the heavy bag onto his shoulders, just as the lights came on, nearly blinding him. He shielded his eyes with his hand.
"You're a very silly person," the figure in the doorway said, his voice dry and dust. As the man came closer, Buster could see he was well dressed. His face seemed familiar, but Buster couldn't quite place where he had seen him before.
"You should have taken more notice of the sign outside," the man rasped. "I knew about this attempted robbery last week and I also know you will end up behind bars for 20 years. Fancy trying to rob the house of the world's greatest fortune-teller!"
【小題1】Why was Buster so confident?

A．He was not afraid of dogs.

B．He knew the owner of the house lived alone.

C．The house had no security alarm.

D．He had never been caught by the police.

【小題2】Which of the definitions is closest in meaning to the word "exotic" in the third paragraph?

A．Messy and untidy.	B．Rich and expensive.
C．Foreign and unusual.	D．Comfortable and calming.

【小題3】How did Buster decide which objects to take?

A．He took those that were easy to carry in his bag.

B．He took only the best antiques.

C．He took those that he knew he could sell easily.

D．He looked for silver objects.

【小題4】What punishment waits for Buster Brown?

A．A long prison sentence.

B．A prison sentence with hard labor.

C．A heavy fine.

D．Community service for 20 years.

When I was in the third grade, I was picked to be the princess in the school play. For weeks my mother had helped me practice my lines. But once on stage, every word disappeared from my head. Then my teacher told me she had written a narrator's part for the play, and asked me to change roles. Though I didn't tell my mother what had happened that day, she sensed my unhappiness and asked if I wanted to take a walk in the yard. It was a lovely spring day. We could see dandelions(蒲公英）popping through the grass in bunches, as if a painter had touched our landscape with bits of gold. I watched my mother carelessly bend down by one of the bunches. "I think I am going to dig up all these weeds," she said. "From now on, we'll have only roses in this garden." "But I like dandelions," I protested. "All flowers are beautiful-even dandelions!" My mother looked at me seriously. "Yes, every flower gives pleasure in its own way, doesn't it?" she asked thoughtfully. I nodded. "And that is true of people, too," she added. When I realized that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry and told her the fact. “But you will be a beautiful narrator,” she said, reminding me of how much I loved to read stories aloud to her. Over the next few weeks, with her continuous encouragement, I learned to take pride in the role. The big day finally came. A few minutes before the play, my teacher came over to me. “Your mother asked me to give this to you,” she said, handing me a dandelion. After the play, I took home the flower, laughing that I was perhaps the only person who would keep such a weed.
【小題1】The girl did not play the role of the princess mainly because_____  

A．she felt nervous on the stage.

B．she lost her interest in that role.

C．she preferred the role of the narrator

D．she had difficulty memorizing her words

【小題2】Why did the mother suggest a walk in the garden?

A．To remove the dandelions

B．To enjoy the garden scene

C．to help her daughter with the play.

D．to have a talk with her daughter.

【小題3】What is the main idea of the story?

A．Everybody can find his or her own way to success.

B．Everybody should learn to play different roles

C．Everybody has his or her own value in the world.

D．Everybody has some unforgettable memory.