While watching the Olympics the other night, I came across an unbelievable sight. It was not a gold medal, or a world record broken, but a show of courage.
The event was swimming and started with only three men on the blocks. For one reason or another, two of them false started, so they were disqualified. That left only one to compete. It would have been difficult enough, not having anyone to race against, even though the time on the clock is important.
I watched the man dive off the block and knew right away that something was wrong. I’m not an expert swimmer, but I can tell a good dive from a poor one, and this was not exactly medal quality. When he resurfaced, it was evident that the man was not out for gold – his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle. The crowd started to laugh. Clearly this man was not a medal competitor.
I listened to the crowd begin to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was pitiful. He made a few desperate strokes and you could tell he was worn out.
But in those few awful strokes, the crowd had changed.
No longer were they laughing, but beginning to cheer. Some even began to stand and shout “Come on, you can do it!” and he did.
A clear minute past the average swimmer, this young man finally finished his race. The crowd went wild. You would have thought that he had won the gold, and he should have. Even though he recorded one of the slowest times in Olympic history, this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors.
Just a short year ago, he had never even swum, let alone race. His country had been invited to Sydney.
In a competition where athletes remove their silver medals feeling they have somehow been cheated out of gold, or when they act so proudly in front of their competitirs, it is nice to watch an underdog.
【小題1】From the passage we can learn that the young man        .

A．made his turn to start back pitifully

B．was skillful in freestyle in the game

C．swam faster than the average swimmer

D．was not capable enough to win the medal

【小題2】The crowd changed their attitudes because         .

A．they felt sorry for the young man

B．they were moved by the young man’s courage

C．they wanted to show their sympathy

D．they meant to please the young man

【小題3】According to the passage, “it is nice to watch an underdog” probably means         .

A．it’s amazing to watch an ordinary man challenging himself

B．it’s amusing to watch a man with awful swimming skills

C．it’s cheerful for athletes to act proudly before their competitors

D．it’s brave enough for some athletes to remove the silver medals

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The event started with three men, two of whom were disqualified later.

B．The crowd started to laugh at the athlete’s arms waving in an attempt at freestyle.

C．The athlete, as well as the author, is an expert swimmer.

D．The swimming event is a show of courage rather than a fierce competition.

【小題5】What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Compete for Gold!	B．Try again!
C．Break a Record!	D．Go for it!

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 10kg tomatoes. He then sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home happily with 60 dollars.
The man realized that he can 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 in the US.
He started to plan his family’s future and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker 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 succeeded 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】Why can’t the man have the job at Microsoft?

A．Because he was lazy.	B．Because he didn’t pass the test.
C．Because he didn’t have an e-mail.	D．Because he didn’t have a computer.

【小題2】The underlined word “triple” can be replaced by ______.

A．become large	B．become 3 times
C．increase quickly	D．decrease quickly

【小題3】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4】The man can be described as _______.

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

【小題5】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.

One August afternoon, Richard Allen dropped off his last passenger, Mrs. Carey. Lifting two grocery bags, he followed her across the yard and stood on the step of her house. Glancing up, he saw a large wasp（黃蜂）nest under the roof. Allen had heard that wasps can become more likely to sting（sting, stung, stung蜇）in summer. He mentioned this to Mrs. Carey, who had opened the door.
“Oh, they don’t bother me,” she said lightly. “I go in and out all the time.”
Anxiously, Allen looked at the nest again-to see the wasps flying straight at him. “Hurry!” he shouted to Mrs. Carey. “Get in!”
She stepped quickly inside. Allen ran for his mini-bus. Too late; they were upon him. Just as he jumped aboard, half a dozen red spots showed on his arm, and he felt more on his back and shoulders.
As he was driving down the road, Allen felt as if something was burning at the back of his neck, and the “fire” was spreading forward toward his face. An immediate anxiety took hold of him. Allen knew that stings could cause some persons to die. But he had been stung the previous summer and the after-effects soon passed. However, what he didn’t know was that the first sting had turned his body into a time bomb waiting for the next to set off an explosion.
Miles from the nearest medical assistance, Allen began to feel his tongue thick and heavy and his heartbeat louder. Most frightening, he felt his breathing more and more difficult. He reached for the radio mike（話筒）,trying to call the mini-bus center, but his words were hardly understandable. Signals were also poor that far out. He knew a rescue team was on 24-hour duty at the Amherst Fire Department’s north station. So his best chance was to make a run for it.
Rushing down the mountain, Allen tried not to panic, focusing his mind on each sharp turn. He was almost through the last of them when he felt sure he was going into shock（休克）.Just then he reached for the radio mike again.
“Call fire station,” he shouted, concentrating to form the words. “Emergency. Bee sting. Emergency. There in ten minutes.”
“Five-ten,” the center replied.
Hold on, Allen thought. Keep your eyes open. Breathe. Keep awake.
At last he reached the station. Two firemen ran out. Allen felt their hands grasp him before he hit the ground. You made it, he thought.
【小題1】It is mentioned in the passage that wasps are more likely to attack when_____.
A. there are huge noises
　　B. strangers are approaching
　　C. the hottest season comes around
D the air is filled with food smell
【小題2】Allen didn’t know that if stung by wasps again, he would______.

A．have no after-effects

B．suffer from sharper pain

C．become more sensitive

D．surely lose his life

【小題3】Allen failed at his first attempt to send his message to the mini-bus center because _______.

A．he was in a state of shock

B．his radio equipment was poor

C．he was unable to speak clearly

D．no one was on duty

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

A．A Race Against Death

B．Wasps, Bloody Killers

C．Allen, A Helpless Driver

D．War Against Wasps

Gary Locke, 61, who comes from a Chinese background and even looks Chinese, became the new US ambassador（大使）to China.
“I can think of nobody who is more qualified than Gary Locke.” President Obama said. Locke’s new position is clearly a sign that US President is trying to improve relations with China.
When he made his first speech to the Chinese press in Beijing, Locke said,“I think ,being a Chinese-American, I have a greater understanding of the history and culture of China, but I am here as a representative of the US government.”
Before becoming ambassador to China, Locke was US secretary of commerce(商務(wù)部長(zhǎng)). This means he has plenty of trade experience, which will be useful in building economic links between the two countries.
Locke’s grandfather went to the United States over a century ago to work as a houseboy for a family in Washington State in exchange for English lessons. His father moved to the US as a teenager.
“I’m going back to the birthplace of my grandfather ,my father and my mom, and I’ll be doing so as a devoted diplomat(外交官) for America，the country where I was born and raised,” Locke said.
【小題1】President Obama thinks Gary Locke ________.

A．is the right person for the new position

B．is still not too old to be an ambassador

C．is not qualified as secretary of commerce

D．can help improve US relations with Asia.

【小題2】What message did Locke express in his first speech in Beijing?

A．He is proud of his parents and his grandfather.

B．He will work for both China and the United States.

C．He will represent the US government.

D．He was still not ready for his new job.

【小題3】Locke will benefit from his ________ as a former secretary of commerce.

A．trade experience

B．public relations

C．work training

D．government knowledge

【小題4】We learn from the text that Locke’s father ________.

A．worked as a houseboy for an American family

B．was born in China.

C．moved to the US as a baby.

D．was not able to return to China

It was Monday. Mrs. Smith’s dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house. Considering that there was no better way, Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it “Give my dog half a pound of meat.” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently, “Take this to the butcher（屠夫）, and he’s going to give you your lunch today.” Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher’s. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady’s handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once. At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more. The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers(顧客). But, the dog came again at four o’clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher’s more surprise, it came for the third time at six o’clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He said to himself, “This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today?”
Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it!
【小題1】The little dog went to the butcher’s ________ altogether during the two days.

A．three times

B．four times

C．five times

D．six times

【小題2】The butcher did not give any meat to the dog __________.
A. before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs. Smith on Monday
B when he found that the words on the paper were not clear
C. because he had sold out all the meat in his shop
D. until he was paid enough by Mrs. Smith
【小題3】From the story, we can know that the dog was very ___________.

A．honest

B．kind

C．clever

D．foolish

【小題4】At the end of the story, you’ll find that __________.

A．the dog was clever enough to write on the paper

B．the dog dared not go to the butcher’s any more

C．the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog

D．the butcher found himself cheated by the dog

Any mistake made in the printing of a stamp raises its value to stamp collectors. A mistake on one inexpensive postage stamp has made the stamp worth a million and a half times its original value.
The mistake was made more than a hundred years ago in the British colony of Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean. In 1847 an order for stamps was sent to a London printer-Mauritius was to become the fourth country in the world to issue stamps.
Before the order was filled and delivered, a ball was planned at Mauritius’ Government House, and stamps were needed to send out the invitations. A local printer was instructed to copy the design for the stamps. He accidentally inscribed the words “Post Office” instead of “Post Paid” on the several hundred stamps that he printed.
Today there are only twenty-six of these misprinted stamps left fourteen One Penny Orange-Reds and twelve Two Penny Blues. Because of the Two Penny Blue’s rareness and age, collectors have paid as much as ＄16 800 for it.
【小題1】Over a century ago, Mauritius ________.

A．was an independent country	B．belonged to India
C．was one of the British colonies	D．was a small island in the Pacific Ocean

【小題2】The mistake on the stamps was made ________.

A．in Mauritius	B．a(chǎn)t Mauritius Government House
C．in a post office	D．in London

【小題3】 Stamp collectors have paid 16 800 for ________.

A．fourteen One Penny Orange-Reds	B．twelve Two Penny Blues
C．one One Penny Orange-Red	D．one Two Penny Blue

Today many people say that women have the same chance as men in society. But this was not always so. In the past, women all over the world had to fight to get the same chance as men in education and jobs. Many people said that women should not receive much education because they would not do as well as men when they went to work.
One woman who showed that women should have the same chance was Marie, a scientist. In the 1800s scientists knew that a metal, uranium, gave off radiation. They also knew how much radiation came from his element. But they didn’t know what this radiation was like; they wondered why and how uranium gave off radiation. Marie Curie set out to answer these questions. In one of her experiments she was studying a certain material which, she knew, contained uranium, But it gave off 4 times as much radiation as usually does. What could explain this fact? Marie Curie thought that there must be another source of radiation in this material.
In 1898 Marie Curie set out to find out this new source of radiation, which she named “radium”. Her husband, who was also a scientist, helped her. They set up a laboratory in an old building behind a school. For four years Curies searched, doing many experiments, And one morning in 1902 Marie found the source of the radiation.
Marie Curie proved to the world that there was element that gave off radiation. And she also proved to the world that, if women are given truly equal chance, they can really help society.
【小題1】The scientists of Marie Curie’s day knew .

A．that uranium gave off radiation

B．that radium gave off radiation

C．that there was some radium in uranium

D．that uranium and radium both gave off radiation

【小題2】The Curies found the element radium .

A．with other scientists’ help	B．by asking some famous scientists
C．by doing many experiments	D．with their teachers’ help

【小題3】In the past many people thought .

A．that women must get the same chance as men in education and jobs

B．that women should receive much education

C．that women should get good jobs

D．that women could not do the work well

【小題4】Marie Curie proved to people .

A．that there was a new element uranium

B．that there was a new element radium

C．that women could do their work as well as men if they were really given the same conditions

D．both B and C

Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York., in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品 ) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said FIVE CENTS EACH. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store., selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly form the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always run his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.”
【小題1】Frank took a short business course in order to ____________.

A．earn more money for his family	B．learn something from a salesman
C．get away from the farm	D．get enough to eat.

【小題2】Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because _____________.

A．he knew how to get people to buy his goods.

B．he cut down the price by half

C．he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way.

D．the sign he put on the table was well designed.

【小題3】The price of the knives was cut down by half because ______________.

A．the factory workers worked 24 hours a day.

B．knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory.

C．the knives were made in Germany, where labour (勞動(dòng)力) was cheap.

D．the knives were produced in one factory.

【小題4】_____________ make Woolworth a world-famous man.

A．His business skills and his wealth.

B．The low price of the goods he sold.

C．His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives.

D．His natural skill for showing things.

【小題5】The belief that : “ The customer is always right” suggests that _______________.

A．whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right.

B．If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way.

C．stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money.

D．stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful.

Two years after the First World War (1914-1918), a small group of soldiers left the army and returned to their hometown in France. Most of them lived well, but one of them was poor. His name was Clinton. Once a year they had supper in Barton’s house. Barton was very rich.
One evening Barton showed his friends a large gold coin at the supper table. The coin was passed around and praised by everyone. At the same time they were talking and talking. They soon forgot about the coin. After supper, Barton asked for his coin, but nobody could tell where it was. It was lost. One man said that everyone must be searched. One by one they turned their pockets inside out. Only Clinton refused, however.“I didn’t steal the coin, and I will not be searched,” he said.After that, people turned their heads away from Clinton when they met him. He grew poorer. Soon his wife died.
A few years later, Barton had his house repaired. The lost coin was found under the floor. Barton felt sorry and went to Clinton to apologize. “But,” he asked, “you knew the coin was not in your pocket. Why did you refuse to be searched?” “Because I was a thief,” Clinton answered. “My pockets were full of food at that time. I had taken some food from the table to carry to my hungry wife and children.”
【小題1】The story took place ________.

A．in 1920

B．a(chǎn)fter 1945

C．in 1950

D．1916

【小題2】The coin was passed and praised because ________.

A．Clinton was rich	B．the supper was good
C．it was a large gold coin	D．they were happy

【小題3】Everyone was to be searched because _________.

A．they were thieves	B．the gold coin was lost
C．Clinton stole the gold coin	D．they stole the gold coin

【小題4】Clinton refused to be searched because _________.

A．he was afraid to be found that there was some food in his pockets

B．he didn’t steal the coin

C．he was poor enough

D．the gold coin was in his pocket

【小題5】“After that, people turned their heads away from Clinton when they met him.” From the sentence we know that _____.

A．people thought of him as a beggar

B．people took no notice of him

C．people look down upon him

D．Clinton refused to see his friends

Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York, in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank did not want to be a farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends（小商品）for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said “FIVE CENTS EACH’. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store, selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly from the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always ran his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was : ‘THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.”
【小題1】Frank took a short business course in order to __________.

A．earn more money for his family	B．learn something from a salesman
C．get away from the farm	D．get enough to eat

【小題2】Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because ________.

A．he knew how to get people to buy his goods

B．he cut down the price by half

C．he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way

D．the sign he put on the table was well designed

【小題3】The price of the knives was cut down by half because _________.

A．the factory workers worked 24 hours a day

B．knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory

C．the knives were made in German, where labour was cheap

D．the knives were produced in one factory

【小題4】__________  make Woolworth a world-famous man.

A．His business skills and his wealth

B．The low price of the goods he sold

C．His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives

D．His natural skill for showing things

【小題5】The belief that “The customer is always right” suggests that __________.

A．whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right.

B．If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way

C．stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money

D．stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful