When I was young, my father used to grow carnations(康乃馨) ----- a kind of flower which was red, pink and white. He took care of them with much love and devotion. Every day he came back home from work, he would enjoy watching them. Everyone who saw them admired them for their beauty. And he used to tell us, “No one should touch my flowers.”
One day, my younger sister Clemence, who loved dad very much, wanted to help him. So she cut the carnations from their stems(枝干) one by one and arranged them on the ground. She believed that dad would be very pleased to see them that way.
When mom and I realized what my sister had done, we became completely speechless. However, my sister had no idea why no one showed her any appreciation. When my dad arrived, he went straight to see the flowers as usual. Seeing his flowers lying on the ground like dead animals, he was shocked at first. He looked towards the street to see if it was any of the neighbor’s children who could have done it. Then he looked at mom in silence. Finally mom, who always taught us to tell the truth no matter what, said, “No bad neighbors did this great job, only your lovely daughter Clemence.”
Dad’s face changed into a smile and then he said, “Do I have a better flower than my lovely daughter?” My younger sister smiled and hugged dad strongly.
【小題1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．No one knew what my sister had done with the carnations.

B．My younger sister told my father the truth about the carnations.

C．Dad asked my sister to help arrange the carnations on the ground.

D．Dad had thought one outsider had cut the flowers from the stems.

【小題2】 How did Clemence feel when she had the carnations cut?

A．Lucky

B．Upset

C．Helpful

D．Worried

【小題3】What caused my younger sister to smile and hug dad strongly?

A．dad’s silence

B．mom’s help

C．dad’s love

D．mom’s words

【小題4】Which of the following would be the best title?

A．Telling the truth	B．Dad’s best flower
C．My neighbors	D．Growing Carnations

Throughout this long, tense election, everyone has focused on the presidential candidates and how they’ll change America. Rightly so. But selfishly, I’m more fascinated by Michelle Obama and what she might be able to do, not just for this country, but for me as an African-American woman. As the potential First Lady, she would have the world’s attention. And that means that for the first time people will have a chance to get up close and personal with the type of African woman they so rarely see.
Usually, the lives of black women go largely unexamined. The widespread theory seems to be that we’re all hot-tempered single mothers who can’t keep a man. Even in the world of make-believe, black women still can’t escape the stereotype (模式化的形象) of being eye-rolling, oversexed females raised by our never-married, alcoholic mothers.
These images have helped define the way all black women are viewed, including Michelle Obama. Before she ever gets the chance to commit to a cause, charity or foundation as First Lady, her most urgent and perhaps most complicated duty may be simply to be herself.
It won’t be easy. Because few mainstream publications (出版物) have done in-depth features on regular African-American women, little is known about who we are, what we think and what we face on a regular basis. For better or worse, Michelle will represent us all.
Just as she will have her critics, she will have millions of fans who usually have little interest in the First Lady. Many African-American blogs have written about what they’d like to see Michelle bring to the White House — mainly showing the world that a black woman can support her man and raise a strong black family. Michelle will have to work to please everyone — an impossible task. But for many African-American women like me, just a little of her poise (沉著), confidence and intelligence will go a long way in changing an image that’s been around far too long.
【小題1】Why does Michelle Obama hold a strong fascination for the author?

A．She serves as a role model for African-American women.

B．She possesses many admirable qualities becoming a First Lady.

C．She will present to the world a new image of African-American women.

D．She will pay close attention to the interests of African-American women.

【小題2】What is the common stereotype of African-American women according to the author?

A．They are victims of family violence.

B．They are of an inferior social group.

C．They use quite a lot of body language.

D．They live on charity and social welfare.

【小題3】What do many African-Americans write about in their blogs?

A．Whether Michelle can live up to the high expectations of her fans.

B．How Michelle should behave as public figure.

C．How proud they are to have a black woman in the White House.

D．What Michelle should do as wife and mother in the White House.

【小題4】What does the author say about Michelle Obama as a First Lady?

A．However many fans she has, she should remain modest.

B．She shouldn’t disappoint the African-American community.

C．However hard she tries, she can’t expect to please everybody.

D．She will concern herself with African-American women’s welfare

Jeffrey Bezos, founder, president and chairman of the board of Amazon.com, was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His mother’s ancestors were early settlers in Texas, and over the generations had acquired a 25,000 acre farm at Cotulla. Jeffrey spent most summers of his youth working with his grandfather on their farm.
Jeffrey showed intense and varied scientific interests at an early age. He set up an electric alarm to keep his younger sisters and brothers out of his room and changed his parents’ garage into a laboratory for his science projects.
After he graduated from Princeton University with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering, Jeffrey Bezos found employment on Wall Street, where computer science was increasingly in demand to study market trends. He rose quickly, becoming a senior vice president, and looked forward to a bright career in finance, when he made a discovery that changed his life, and the course of business history.
In 1994, there was still no internet commerce to speak of. One day that spring, Jeffrey Bezos observed that Internet usage was increasing by 2300 percent a year. He saw an opportunity for a new circle of commerce, and immediately began considering the possibilities.
Bezos founded Amazon.com in 1994, setting up the original company in his garage. The company was called Amazon for the seemingly endless South American river with its numberless branches. It started as an online bookstore but soon diversified to all kinds of products. His work with Amazon eventually led him to become one of the most excellent dot-com entrepreneurs. He was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1999. In 2008, he was selected by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders. Bezos’ Amazon has become “the Earth’s biggest anything store”. Amazon.com is now called “one of the smartest strategies in business history”.
Today, Jeffrey Bezos lives north of Seattle and is increasingly concerned with charity activities. “Giving away money takes as much attention as building a successful company,” he said.
【小題1】 In his childhood, Bezos ______.

A．had to work with his grandfather on their farm all day long

B．showed great interest in science

C．didn’t get along well with his brothers and sisters

D．wanted to become a businessman

【小題2】Jeffrey changed the course of business history because he ______.

A．looked forward to a bright career in finance on Wall Street

B．considered the possibility of setting up an original company

C．founded a new form of commerce that developed fast later

D．was the first to speak of Internet commerce

【小題3】Which of the following isn’t mentioned in the passage?

A．How hard Bezos studied in Princeton University.

B．“Amazon.com” only sold books in the beginning.

C．Bezos not only devoted his life to Internet commerce but also to charity.

D．The reason why Jeffrey Bezos decided to found Amazon.com.

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

A．it was Bezos’s grandfather on the farm who helped him a lot

B．Bezos invented e-commerce to win the world fame overnight

C．Bezos has a sharp business mind and a kind heart

D．Bezos aimed at setting up “the Earth’s biggest bookstore”

When Albert Einstein was young, he was a quiet child who spent much of his time alone. He was slow to talk and had difficulty in learning to read.
When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. Albert was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction ---- the north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers were difficult for Albert to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something must be hidden behind things.
Albert didn’t like school. The German schools of that time were not pleasant. Students couldn’t ask questions. Albert said he felt as if he were in prison..
One day Albert told his uncle Jacob how much he hated school, especially mathematics. His uncle told him to solve mathematical problems by pretending to be a policeman. “You are looking for someone,” he said, “but you don’t know who he is. Call him X. Find him by using your mathematical tools.”
Albert learned to love mathematics. He was studying the complex mathematics of calculus while all his friends were still studying simple mathematics. Instead of playing with his friends he thought about things such as “What would happen if people could travel at the speed of his light?”
Albert wanted to teach mathematics and physics. He graduated with honors, but it was a pity that he could not get a teaching job.
【小題1】According to Paragraph 2, we can learn that Albert Einstein ________.

A．was interested in the compass

B．wanted to be a great scientist

C．was not clever enough

D．didn’t like thinking by himself

【小題2】Why did Albert Einstein hate school?

A．He couldn’t play with his friends there

B．Students were not allowed to ask questions.

C．The schools were like prisons at that time

D．He had to learn mathematics that he didn’t like.

【小題3】What does the underlined word ‘complex’ probably mean?

A．Useful

B．Difficult

C．Boring

D．Interesting

【小題4】We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．Einstein became a mathematics teacher after graduation

B．Einstein gradually loved mathematics with his uncle’s help.

C．Einstein’s uncle was a policeman.

D．Einstein liked playing with other children.

You Mi, a lovely and confident 17-year-old student, is the first Chinese high school student to appear on the cover of the popular young adults’ fashion magazine Seventeen.
“You is IN,” said Wang Lihua，Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen. “She is active and mature (成熟) because of her knowledge on everything from academic studies，to books on art，to movies. We find she’s the very style we’re looking for to represent young people’s attitudes.”
You also impressed Wang with her fluent English when they first met last year. As the hostess of an English broadcasting program at the High School Affiliated to Renmin University（人大附中）， You is always praised for speaking English almost like a native speaker. “I’ve built up my English by watching thousands of English DVDs since I was 10,” she explained.
But for You，watching isn’t enough. Last year，while in Senior 1， she met a talented (有才能的) boy who showed self-made DV movies at the English Corner in her school.
“I thought it was so cool and I knew that I should start making my own films，” she said. So she wrote a campus (校園) story, persuaded schoolmates to star in it and then began shooting a 30-minute DV movie，all in English. “I played one of the leading roles，actually I was everything in my film. I worked on it every day during the holidays,” she recalled. The movie finally became a big hit on campus，earning You a strong reputation（名氣） as a DV movie director.
But this is not the only field she wants to master. Though a science student, You likes art, literature and fashion design very much.
“There are people who can be artists，there are people who edit books, and there are people who become film producers. But I just hope to mix all the things up!” she said. “There is an old saying I believe：Chances favor only the prepared mind.”
【小題1】You Mi was chosen to be a cover of Seventeen, mainly because she _____.

A．is beautiful	B．she is lovely and full of confidence
C．is active and mature	D．has rich knowledge

【小題2】You Mi’s fluent English is based on _____.

A．her chance to host an English broadcasting program

B．the influence of her parents

C．her deep interest in it

D．her making DV movie

【小題3】The author mentioned a talented boy to show _____.

A．the great influence he had on You Mi

B．he was admired by his schoolmates

C．the young can do things as well as the adults do

D．DV movies are popular at school

【小題4】In the 30-minute DV movie，You Mi didn’t act as a（n） _____.

A．director

B．musician

C．a(chǎn)ctress

D．film-maker

【小題5】We can learn from the passage that _____.

A．You Mi hopes to be a mixed talent.

B．the success of a 30-minute DV movie surprised You Mi.

C．You Mi dreams of becoming a scientist.

D．You Mi doesn’t like to study during holidays.

Watson entered Mr. Smith’s office. The Boss was a hard man. He fired people who didn’t do well without giving them a second chance.
“Watson,” said Mr. Smith, “this past year your department hasn’t earned money. We’re going to drop that department. It’s finished. I’ m sorry, —but you’ll have to go.” “But, sir—if I just had a little more time. For the moment I need the job to keep my son at Riverside School.”
“What’s that!” said the Boss. “Riverside! I didn’t know you had a boy there. That’s an expensive school for a man with your salary.”
“I know, sir. But he likes it there so much! He’s a star trackman（田徑運(yùn)動(dòng)員） and the best boxer in the school. The boys call him Champ（冠軍） there.”
The Boss sat perfectly still for a long time—a faraway （恍惚的） look in his eyes. Then, suddenly, he said, “We’ve got to close your department, Watson. But you’ll take over a new job in another department. It means longer hours—maybe more pay. Now get out. You’re here for life.”
Watson got out, with surprise in his face. Then the Boss took a letter from the top drawer of his desk. It was Herbie’s last letter from Riverside School —written a few days before he died. He had read it over and over again with sick pain. The letter read: I can’t say the boys here are any nicer to me than the others were. I guess it’s the same everywhere when you’re a cripple (跛腳的人). But don’t worry about me, Dad. They’ve got a good chemistry department here. And there’s one boy here who is really great. He’s a track star and boxing champ and just tops in chemistry. The boys call him Champ. He made them stop throwing my books around. And he knocked a boy down who hit me. He is the best friend I ever had. Dad, when I grow up, I want to do something for Champ. Something big—that he won’t even know about.
Your son,   Herbie
【小題1】The underlined word “drop” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by ________.

A．fall

B．close

C．punish

D．sell

【小題2】 It can be inferred from the text that Champ is_______.

A．Watson’ s son	B．Mr Smith’ s son
C．a(chǎn) teacher of Mr Smith’s son	D．the son of Mr Smith’s friend

【小題3】From the text we know that Herbie_______.

A．was a college student	B．didn’t live to grow up
C．made friends with many boys	D．died from a car accident

【小題4】Watson was given a second chance because_______.

A．Mr Smith wanted to help Watson’s son

B．a(chǎn) man was needed in another department

C．Herbie told Mr Smith to do so in his letter

D．Mr Smith wanted to realize his son’s dream

A jobless man applied for the position of “office boy”at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
“You are employed,” he said. “Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start.”
The man replied，“But I don’t have a computer, neither an e-mail.”
“I’ m sorry，” said the HR manager.“If you don’t have an e-mail，that means , you do not exist. And who doesn’t exist cannot have the job.”
The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do with only ten dollars in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10 kg tomatoes. He then sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he managed to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home happily with 60 dollars.
The man realized that he could survive in this way, and started to go every day earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers(銷售商) in the US.
He started to plan his family’s future and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker（經(jīng)紀(jì)人）and chose a protection plan.
When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his e-mail. The man replied, “I don’t have an e-mail.”
The broker answered curiously,“You don’t have an e-mail, and yet have managed to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?" The man thought for a while and replied,“Yes，I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!”
【小題1】The underlined word “tripled” can be replaced by             .

A．became large	B．became 3 times
C．increased quickly	D．decreased quickly

【小題2】According to the passage，which of the following is TRUE?

A．The man is one of the biggest food retailers in the world.

B．The man didn’t give up though he failed the interview.

C．He started his career by selling tomatoes in the Supermarket.

D．Those who have e-mails can work at Microsoft.

【小題3】The man can be described as               .

A．helpful and considerate	B．positive and generous
C．smart and hardworking	D．stubborn and unselfish

【小題4】Which proverb can best describe the story?

A．Misfortune may be an actual blessing.	B．Where there is a will, there is a way.
C．Accidents will happen.	D．No pains, no gains.

A woman called Julia lived in the countryside, one year she decided to visit the capital city to see the sights. She stayed at a hotel near the central market. She had seldom been to the city before, and was very excited about what she would find.
On the first morning of her visit, as she walked from the hotel to the market, she passed a beggar (乞丐). He was holding up a notice, which said, “Blind from birth. Please give generously(慷慨地).”Julia felt sorry for the beggar and she bent down and put a dollar coin into his bowl. “Thank you.” he said. The same thing happened again the following day. On the third day, however, Julia did not have a dollar coin. She had only fifty cents, so she dropped this into the beggar’s bowl. “What have I done wrong?” the beggar said, “Why are you so stingy (吝嗇的) today?”
Julia was very surprised at the beggar . “How do you know I haven't given you a dollar?” she said, “If you’re blind you can't know what coin I put into your bowl.” “Ah,” explained the beggar, “The truth is that I'm not blind. I'm just looking after this place for the regular beggar while he’s on holiday.” “On holiday?” Julia said, “And what exactly does your blind friend do on holiday?” “He goes into the countryside,” the man said, “and takes photographs. He's a very good photographer.”
【小題1】Where was the beggar sitting?

A．In the market.

B．In the busiest part of the city.

C．Outside the shops.

D．Between Julia's hotel and the market.

【小題2】On the first two days, ____.

A．the blind man waited for Julia

B．the blind man demanded money from Julia

C．Julia gave the blind man some money

D．Julia gave him nothing

【小題3】 On the third day, the blind man____ .

A．a(chǎn)ccepted Julia's fifty cents quite happily

B．noticed that Julia had only given him fifty cents

C．refused Julia's fifty cents

D．a(chǎn)lso received one dollar from Julia

Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England, on January 8, 1942. At the age of 17, he entered University College, Oxford. He wanted to study mathematics, but took up the study of physics when math was unavailable. He received a Ph.D. in physics despite being diagnosed (診斷) with Ameliotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (肌萎縮性脊髓側(cè)索硬化癥) while at Oxford in 1963. In 1985 he became ill with pneumonia (肺炎), and since then has required 24-hour nursing. Dr. Hawking’s determination, along with the help of his family and associates, has allowed him to continue to work. In 1970 he began studying black holes. His research led him to predict that black holes send out radiation in the X-ray to gamma-ray(伽馬射線) range of the spectrum (光譜). In the 1980s he returned to an earlier interest, the origins of the universe. He has co-authored many publications, such as 300 Years of Gravity and The Large Scale Structure of Space time. Dr. Hawking has also written books such as A Brief History of Time, Black Holes and Baby Universes and other Essays, The Universe in a Nutshell and others. He continues to give lectures, despite having been unable to speak since 1985, with the aid of a speech synthesizer (合成器) and a portable computer. He currently holds Isaac Newton’s chair as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University in England.
【小題1】Hawking went to University College, Oxford, in order to _____.
A. get a Ph.D. in physics
B. study mathematics
C. study the universe and black holes
D. seek help from the Lucasian Professor
【小題2】Before Hawking started researching black holes, _____.

A．he gave lectures with the help of a speech synthesizer

B．he finished his book The Universe in a Nutshell

C．he was made the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics

D．he was diagnosed with Ameliotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

【小題3】Which of the following books was NOT written by Dr. Hawking alone?

A．300 Years of Gravity

B．A Brief History of Time

C．The Universe in a Nutshell

D．Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays.

【小題4】When did Hawking enter University College, Oxford?

A．in 1942

B．in 1970

C．in 1959

D．in 1963

When most people turn 21, they spend too much time partying and having fun. But when Adele turned 21, she did something completely different.
After going through a tough breakup(分手), the British singer turned her pain into glory and recorded one of the most moving albums of the year.
The album, 21, which was released in January, has already hit the charts in 14 countries, according to the Billboard magazine.
It also noted that Adele made history as the first artist since the Beatles to have two top five singles and two top five albums in the charts at the same time (Adele’s first album, 19, was released in 2008. Each album is named for her age when she wrote it).
Now, after touring around the world for almost a year, the DVD of her live concert, released on November 29, is Adele’s latest work.
Having topped the pre-order list of Amazon. com for over a month already, this one seems set to stay on top for a while.
Born in north London, Adele sang her way up honestly:  In 2006, she was signed by England’s XL Recordings on the strength of (基于)a three-song demo(樣本唱片) a friend of hers had posted on MySpace;within two years she had won the BRIT Awards ‘Critics’ Choice prize and been tipped by the BBC as the “Sound of 2008”.
In 2009 she got the best new artist Grammy Award, and went on a world tour in support of the album 19 with a sold-out show in Los Angeles.
According to Adele herself, much of the inspiration of her music comes from one single breakup.
That’s probably what has made the singer’s success-that emotional certitude(確信), according to Dickins.
“The key to great singers is believing every single word they sing, ” he said. “And I think you believe every word that comes out of Adele’s mouth. You can feel her life force through her voice. ”
【小題1】When she wrote album 19, she is at the age of______.

A．21

B．18

C．20

D．19

【小題2】How many awards did Adele get?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

【小題3】The underlined word “released” can be best replaced by ______.

A．recorded	B．came out
C．sold	D．written

【小題4】 In Adele’s opinion, where does her inspiration of music mainly come from?

A．Emotional certitude.	B．One single breakup.
C．A three-song demo.	D．A world tour.