Louis Pasteur, one of the world's great scientists, was born in 1822, and died in 1895.While still a young boy, Louis Pasteur made his decision to become a scientist. He spent much of his life time studying the diseases of cattle, chickens and other tame animals. His wife learned to help him with his work. Almost everyone knows that Pasteur is the man responsible for finding a way of preventing milk from spoiling (變質(zhì)). Not many people know he was the first to imagine and to prove that air we breathe is full of germs (細(xì)菌).  One of his greatest successes was finding a treatment for people and animals to prevent a disease called rabies (狂犬病). Louis Pasteur won many honors and could have got large amount of money. But Pasteur preferred to live simply. The real happiness of this unusual man came from his work. Louis Pasteur did so well in his life that the French government took up his work and created the Institute Pasteur in the year 1888. 
【小題1】According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．Pasteur was a scientist and doctor as well.

B．Pasteur lived for less than seventy years.

C．Everybody knows that Pasteur succeeded in finding a way of preventing milk from spoiling.

D．Pasteur's wife was of some help to him in his work..

【小題2】From the passage, we know that Pasteur lived a simple life. This is because ________.

A．he earned little money.

B．he cared much about money.

C．what he really enjoyed was a simple life.

D．of all mentioned above.

【小題3】Why were many honors given to Louis Pasteur?

A．Because he was the greatest scientist in the world.

B．Because he spent much of his life time studying the diseases of people .

C．Because he lived simply.

D．Because he was a great success as a scientist.

【小題4】Pasteur could have got large amount of money if he had___________.

A．cared much about it.

B．made more discoveries.

C．lived a better life.

D．a(chǎn)chieved more successes.

【小題5】To Louis Pasteur the real happiness in his life was to __________.

A．study	B．work
C．get large amount of money	D．raise tame animals

If you have ever been discouraged(受挫) because of failure(失敗), please read on. Usually, achieving(實(shí)現(xiàn)) what you set out to do is not the important thing. Let me explain.
Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.
“What are you doing?” asked one of the visitors.
“We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!” one of the brothers answered excitedly.
The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders（蜘蛛）, worms and a lot of insects. He removed the lid（揭開(kāi)蓋子） and showed the wonderful contents to the visitors who were laughing at them. Then he said quietly and confidently, “Even if we don’t dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!”
Their goal was far too difficult, but it made them dig. And that is what a goal is for—to make us move in the direction we have chosen. In other words, it sets us to digging!
But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. But when you fall short of your aim, perhaps you can say, “Yes, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!” And I believe it is the joy in the journey, in the end, that truly matters.
【小題1】The writer told us the story to ________ .

A．a(chǎn)dvise us to treats（對(duì)待） our failures fairly

B．persuade us to make an aim for our lives

C．encourage us to learn from the two brothers

D．prove that failure helps us make achievements

【小題2】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Failure is the mother of success

B．When there is a will, there is a way

C．No pains, no gains

D．Joy in the journey

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Digging a hole all the way through the earth is impossible.

B．The writer thinks that the two brothers will reach their goal one day.

C．A goal is something that makes us want to dig holes.

D．Everyone can succeed if he sets a practical goal.

One day an old woman was traveling alone in the mountains. Suddenly she saw something shining（發(fā)光） in the stream. When she came close, she found it was a precious（寶貴） stone. She put the stone into her bag and went on with her trip.
The next day the old woman met a young man, who was also a traveler in the mountains. The young man looked very hungry, so the old woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked carefully, “The stone is beautiful. Would you like to give it to me?”
“Sure. Why not?” the woman said, and handed the stone to him.
The young man left happily with the stone. He knew it was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back and hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within your bag.”
The woman opened her bag. It was almost empty. She looked at the young man and smiled, “I have nothing special in my bag, but I do have something precious — the joy of giving!”
The young man felt ashamed（羞愧） and left silently.
【小題1】How did the young man find the precious stone?

A．He found it in his food.	B．He dug it out in a valley.
C．He saw it in the woman’s bag.	D．He noticed it shining in the stream.

【小題2】What does the underlined word “security” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Money.

B．Worry.

C．Health.

D．Trouble.

【小題3】The man returned the stone to the woman because ______.

A．he found the stone was not precious

B．he understood the real meaning of joy

C．he felt embarrassed at taking away the stone

D．he wanted to get something even more precious

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

A．A special stone	B．The joy of giving
C．A woman and a young man	D．An experience in the mountains

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 competitors , 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.

Lao Yang was born in a small town. He liked reading when he studied at school. He thought the writers were respected and could get a lot of money. He wrote a lot of stories and posted them to the editorial departments but didn't receive any answers.
　　Now he works in a factory. He's busy at work. When he's free, he always reads something. He always remembers he hoped to be a writer when he was young. One day, Xiao Ping, his ten-year-old daughter, came back. She looked worried and didn't eat anything. She said Miss GAO, her Chinese teacher, told them to write a solicit article "My Father" that evening. But she did not know what to write.
　　"That's easy," said Lao Yang. "Let me help you."
　　Then he sat down to write the solicit article at once. He easily finished it on time. He was sure Miss GAO would like it. But one afternoon he asked his daughter if the article had been chosen to post to the editorial department.
　　"My teacher said your article digressed from the subject," said the girl.
　　"I don't think so," Lao Yang shouted angrily. "I described just my father!"
【小題1】Lao Yang wrote a lot of stories because _______.

A．he likes reading	B．he learned much at school
C．he wanted to be a writer	D．he wanted to help others

【小題2】Lao Yang posted the stories to the editorial departments, _______.

A．a(chǎn)nd he got a lot of money	B．a(chǎn)nd he became a famous man
C．a(chǎn)nd he was respected	D．but he failed

【小題3】As _______, Lao Yang decided to help his daughter.

A．he was a writer	B．he was free
C．he wanted to realize his ideal	D．he wanted to make his daughter happy

【小題4】Lao Yang hoped _______.

A．his article could surprise the teacher

B．his article could be chosen

C．the children could like his article

D．everyone could soon know him

A Frenchman went to a small Italian town and was staying with his wife at the best hotel there. One night, he went out for a walk alone. It was late and the small street was dark and quiet. Suddenly he felt someone behind him. He turned his head and saw an Italian young man who quickly walked past him. The man was nearly out of sight when the Frenchman suddenly found that his watch was gone. He thought that it must be the Italian who had taken his watch. He decided to follow him and get back the watch.
　　Soon the Frenchman caught up with the Italian. Neither of them understood the other's language. The Frenchman frightened the Italian with his fist and pointed at the Italian's watch. In the end the Italian gave up his watch to the Frenchman. 
　　When he returned to the hotel, the Frenchman told his wife what had happened. He was greatly surprised when his wife pointed to the watch on the table. Now he realized that by mistake he had robbed the watch and it was the Italian's. 
【小題1】One night he went out for _______ alone. 

A．a(chǎn) ride

B．a(chǎn) walk

C．a(chǎn) drink

D．rest

【小題2】Suddenly he found his_______ was gone. 

A．watch

B．money

C．book

D．ring

【小題3】The Italian gave up his watch to him at last because ________.

A．he had stolen the watch from the Frenchman.

B．he understood what the Frenchman wanted

C．he had picked up the watch on his way from work

D．he was afraid of the Frenchman

【小題4】Who was robbed of the watch on earth?

A．The Frenchman was.	B．The Italian was.
C．Both of them was.	D．Neither of them was.

Microsoft founder  Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his fortune(財(cái)富)，largely to the cause of global health，during the course of his lifetime.With an estimated(估計(jì))worth of more than $40 billion，according to Forbes，the project will be no small fate(功績(jī)) for Gates.Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $24 billion to address global health issues，Gates said that finally his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except “a few percent left for the kids”.
So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest？Gates believes that “the equality of opportunity（機(jī)會(huì)）”in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world. Improving the health of the populations，he says，has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially successful.“National borders allow inequalities，”said Gates.“We all need  to take a more global view，rather than just saying my country is doing well.We have to step up these health issues，knowing how few resources are going into them.”
Gates said that both his parents set up an example for him as a child.His father，William H．Gates，was the head of the local Planned Parenthood，and his mother，Mary，volunteered for the United Way.As he gathered his fortune，Gates knew he would finally want to give back as well，but he didn’t expect to devote himself whole?heartedly to one project until he was about 60.
However，Gates,47，began to question his ability to wait that long.“It seemed there was a real time urgency，”Gates said.“I started to think how many lives I could save before then.”
【小題1】Bill Gates will give away his vast fortune to　　　　.

A．improve the health of population all over the world

B．improve the health of population in America alone

C．a(chǎn)void leaving his children too much money

D．spare the American government the burden of health care

【小題2】Bill Gates believes that one important way of developing poor countries is　　　　.

A．to set up more foundations for them

B．to help them with natural resources

C．to put more efforts into the health issues in them

D．to help them take a more global view

【小題3】It can be learned from the passage that Bill Gates thinks　　　　.

A．Americans can be world?famous by giving away vast fortune

B．Americans should treat fellow citizens well

C．Americans should devote themselves to certain projects

D．Americans should care about people in other countries

Goldie's Secret
She turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall. No way could I have sent her away. No way, not me anyway. Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before. "We're moving house. "No space for her any more with the baby coming. " "We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present. " People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal. And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen.
I called her Goldie. If I had known what was going to happen I would have given her a more creative name. She was so unsettled during those first few days. She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed. Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner's. But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down. Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire.
That's why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk. We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless. Eventually I couldn't hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could.
By the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie. But when I saw her licking (舔) the four puppies (幼犬) I started to feel sympathy towards them. "We didn't know what had happened to her," said the woman at the door. "I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared. " "She must have tried to come back to them and got lost," added a boy from behind her. 
I must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother. And I've learnt a good lesson: not to judge people.
【小題1】How did the author feel about Goldie when Goldie came to the house?

A．Shocked

B．Sympathetic

C．Annoyed

D．Upset.

【小題2】In her first few days at the author's house, Goldie _______.

A．felt worried

B．was angry

C．a(chǎn)te a little

D．sat by the fire

【小題3】Goldie rushed off to a farmhouse one day because she ________.

A．saw her puppies	B．heard familiar barkings
C．wanted to leave the author	D．found her way to her old home

【小題4】The passage is organized in order of ________ .

A．time

B．effectiveness

C．importance

D．complexity

Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously. Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loves experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”
“He won’t find out,” Mark said, “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
It was a strange-looking machine — one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his father’s warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colours, shifting and changing, and then two big white words appeared in the centre of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.”
“Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead!” A new message appeared on the screen:
“ENTER NAMES
VOYAGE�。�
VOYAGE　２
Mark’s finger flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
“INPUT ACCEPTED.
START  TRANSPORT  PROGRAM.
AUTO-RETRIEVE  INITIATED(自動(dòng)回收程序已啟動(dòng)).”
The screen turn even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.
“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled out in terror, reaching for the power switch. A beam(光束) of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒)，until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed：
“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL．
DESTINATION:  MARS.
RETRIEVE DATE:  2025
【小題1】Why did Mark touch the computer against his father’s warning?

A．He wanted to take a voyage.	B．He wanted to practice his skills.
C．He was so much attracted by it.	D．He was eager to do an experiment.

【小題2】Where did the boy’s father most likely work?

A．In an electronic factory.	B．In a computer company.
C．In a scientific research center.	D．In an information processing center.

【小題3】Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of ________.

A．a(chǎn) computer game	B．a(chǎn) company website
C．a(chǎn) software producer	D．a(chǎn)n astronomy program

【小題4】Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?

A．He was afraid of being scolded.

B．He didn’t like the loud noise and light.

C．He didn’t want to play games.

D．He was afraid something dangerous might happen.

【小題5】What happened to the boys at the end of the story?

A．They were blown into the air.

B．They were sent to another planet.

C．They were hidden in the strong light.

D．They were carried away to another country.