I sometimes wonder if old Finchley has the right personality to be a research scientist. He keeps asking when he’ll be coming back. After all, it was his own fault. Nobody tries out what has just been invented on themselves any more but Finchley. Well, he must have pumped about a thousand cc into himself before I noticed he was clearly becoming smaller.
It was funny watching him, because his clothes remained the same in size. They simply piled up around him so that he looked like a small boy in his father’s clothes. But he kept getting smaller and smaller. As my colleague Dawson and I watched him, he disappeared! All we could see was Finchley’s clothes on the floor. They looked so strange, because the lab coat was on top, shirt and trousers inside and, I suppose, underclothes inside again. It gave me a strange feeling, and I think Dawson was a bit shaken, too.
Dawson was sitting on his chair in front of a microscope he’d been using to examine a family of mites(螨). He looked through the scope kind of absently again, and was nearly scared to lose awareness when he found old Finchley waving back from the other end.
It seems as if Finchley had taken a free ride on a dust mite and landed on the land of the mite family. Of course, we didn’t know till Finchley told us later. But anyhow, as I said, Dawson nearly passed out. He jumped off his chair and pointed at the microscope, too shocked to speak.
【小題1】It can be inferred that Finchley, Dawson and the writer have possible invented      .

A．a(chǎn) machine to make people small	B．a(chǎn) new way to study the family of mites
C．a(chǎn) new powerful microscope	D．some kind of medicine

【小題2】Finchley disappeared because      .

A．he tried out what has just invented on himself

B．his father’s clothes totally covered him up

C．he took something poisonous

D．he was changed into a dust mite

【小題3】It can probably be concluded that Finchley       .

A．will remain tiny all the time	B．is a devoted scientist
C．is not fit to be a scientist	D．passed out there and then

【小題4】It frightened Dawson to see Fincley         .

A．got out of his scope by accident	B．was waving through his scope
C．suddenly got lost in his clothes	D．gradually disappeared in the lad

Talking behind someone’s back is considered to be rude and mean. Such a conversation can cover all kinds of criticism, from their looks to their work and personality.
The other day at lunch I was with a group of colleagues, and we were talking about our boss. She is the new headmaster of our middle school.
We talked about how kind she is to us. She handwrites notes to wish us happy holidays or to thank us for jobs well done. She checks on us when she knows we’re facing difficulties outside school with our health or with our families. We talked about the good role model that she is for the young women in our school and the fair but firm way she treats students and parents.
I thought about this after lunch. Sometimes we have the good fortune to be part of another kind of “talking behind someone’s back”. And too often when we say something good about someone behind their backs, they never know about it! That night, I sent her an email to report the conversation. She replied by saying how much she appreciated hearing about this, and how it made a bright spot in a tough week of testing.
Watch for your next opportunity to be the reporter! Make sure you tell them about the nice things said behind their backs! Because how will they know unless we tell them?
【小題1】What do you conclude from the text the writer might be?

A．A student

B．A teacher

C．A parent

D．A boss

【小題2】What is the text mainly about?

A．Conversations about others	B．Rude and mean talking
C．Kinds of conversations	D．Talking behind someone’s back

【小題3】The author strongly agrees on _________.

A．Don’t talk behind others’ back

B．Talking behind others’ back is rude

C．Do tell the person about the nice things said behind his back

D．There is no one who never talks behind someone’s back

The homeless dog, known as Xiao Sa, has been following a team of cyclists for 24 days along 1,833 kilometers of highway from Kangding, Sichuan province, to Lhasa in Tibet.
Nobody knows where the white dog came from or how long she has been straying on highway G318. Netizens call her the "dog with determination" and the micro blog "Go Go Xiao Sa" recording her life has attracted more than 37,000 followers in two weeks.
A picture of Xiao Sa in the arms of a young man in front of the Potala Palace on Thursday night drew more than 4,000 comments congratulating the small dog and expressing dreams of going to Lhasa.
The young man in the picture is Zhang Heng, 22, a student in Wuhan, Hubei province. As his graduation trip, he decided to face the challenge of riding to Lhasa alone. On the way he met a lonely dog. "She was lying, tired, on the street around Yajiang, Sichuan province," he said. "So we fed her, and then she followed our team.”
"We felt she might want to come along with us, so we decided to bring her along to the end." A week later, Zhang and his buddies opened a micro blog account for her. "We thought the dog was encouraging us, and wanted others to know its story," he said. They created the name Xiao Sa by combining xiao meaning "little" with the last syllable of Lhasa.
During their journey, Xiao Sa, Zhang and his team covered more than 1,700 kilometers and climbed 10 mountains higher than 4,000 meters. Xiao Sa just ran up the mountains or along dirt roads.
"Many people stopped cycling in some sections, then took the bus, but the dog made it," he said. Zhang put the dog on the back of the bike when the team was riding downhill. "The speed can reach 70 kilometers per hour, impossible for the dog to catch us."
Zhang Heng, who accompanied Xiao Sa for 20 days, called her "a buddy and a friend". "I would like to take the dog home and take care of her. She has been a stray on the road for a long time. She needs a home."
【小題1】How did the netizens feel when they read the micro blog related to the dog?

A．inspired

B．sympathetic

C．pitiful

D．unbelievable

【小題2】Zhang Heng and his team opened a micro blog account for the dog just because __________.

A．the dog is very cute and friendly

B．the dog encouraged them and they wanted more people to know its story

C．it is the first dog to travel to Lhasa

D．They had nothing else to do on their journey

【小題3】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．The dog had been straying on highway G318 before it met the team of cyclists .

B．During their journey, Zhang and his team climbed 10 mountains higher than 4,000 meters .

C．The micro blog “Go Go Xiao Sa ”has attracted more than 37,000 followers in two weeks .

D．The dog ran alone behind them when the team was riding downhill.

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

A．A Dog with Determination	B．A Micro Blog and a Dog
C．Travel to Lhasa with a Dog	D．A Dog Follows a Team

At the onset of a northern winter, many dream of warmer climates.In 1934 the Canadian-born composer Colin Mcphee did more than dream. He set out for the island of Bali.
In his book A House in Bali,Colin Mcphee described how he first gained insight into the essence of Balinese music.For about a month he had been working on transcribing a complete score to a Balinese play he had seen. It seemed impossible that so much beauty could be achieved with a scale(音階)of only five tones.
But the distinctive embellishments(修飾音)of the music eluded him.Fortunately a young household helper and his friend decided to assist. One morning they set two objects next to Mcphee’s piano.They were gangas--metal keyed instruments.The two boys played them in what struck Mcphee as”a fast duet(二重奏） in Morse code”.
At last the composer had found the key to Balinese music.“Wait!” Mcphee would call out from the piano as the boys flew along,“Stop!Please!That bit once more!”
Patiently the boys would stop and began again.But soon they were flying again,faster than ever, amazing Mcphee with their memory and precision. Sometimes the patterns repeated.Sometimes they opened up into something new. Then, suddenly the whole duet would fly apart and the boys would burst out laughing,breaking the spell.
Although Colin Mcphee left the island in 1939,he remained spellbound by Balinese music.And its rich,distinctive sound would colour many of the compositions he would write for the next quarter century.
【小題1】From the passage we can learn that_______________________.

A．Colin Mcphee set foot on the island of Bali in late winter

B．The book A House in Bali detailed how Colin Mcphee understood the life of the island

C．Colin Mcphee actually acquired much beauty of Balinese music

D．For a month Colin Mcphee had been watching a Balinese play he had seen before

【小題2】The word “eluded” in the third paragraph can be replaced by________________.

A．a(chǎn)ttracted

B．shocked

C．disappointed

D．puzzled

【小題3】Colin Mcphee was astonished because________________________.

A．the two locals played part of Balinese music once more unwillingly

B．Colin Mcphee eventually found the key to Balinese music

C．The two boys played their instruments so precisely and skillfully

D．The Balinese music displayed something new for Colin Mcphee

【小題4】The passage is mainly about_______________________.

A．a(chǎn) book introducing the island of Bali

B．two Balinese boys playing gangas

C．a(chǎn) composer named Colin Mcphee

D．Balinese music touching Colin Mcphee

Doris Lessing was born in 1919 in Persia, moving as a child with her family to southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, where she stayed in school only to the age of 14.
A year after moving to London, she published her first novel in 1950. The Grass is Singing examines unbridgeable racial conflict(沖突) in colonial Africa through the eyes of a white farmer’s wife and her black servant.
Her literary breakthrough came in 1962 with publication of The Golden Notebook, seen by many, though not necessarily Lessing, as a pioneering work of modern feminism(女權(quán)運(yùn)動). A separated study of the mind of the main character, Amma Wulf, the novel explores her thoughts about Africa, politics and relationships with men and sex.
Lessing’s themes changed to psychology in her works from the 1960s, and by the 1970s the was extremely interested in the Islamic mystic tradition of Sufism(蘇菲教派). Her turn toward science fiction with the Canopus series in the early 1980s was not warmly received by traditionalist critics, but she has continued to win new readers and numerous literary awards, including the David Cohen British Literary Prize and the Companion of Honour from the Royal Society of Literature, both in 2001.
Following the announcement, the Horace Engdahl told VOA why he was personally so pleased with Lessing’s selection.
“She is one of the truly great writers－of novels, short stories, fiction and non-fiction,” Engdahl said. “She is one of the few writers who have had the courage to uphold the principle of equality between the male and female experience, and she has given the impulse(沖動) to numbers of other women writers. And she is really the mother of a school that is one of the most important in our contemporary literature.”
At 87, Doris Lessing is the oldest Nobel Literature winner sine the first prizes were awarded in 1901.
【小題1】What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Doris Lessing writes The Golden Notebook

B．Doris Lessing is a pioneer of modern feminism

C．Doris Lessing wins the Nobel Prize for Literature

D．Doris Lessing is concerned about Africa

【小題2】It can be inferred from the passage that      .

A．there are only two characters in The Grass is Singing

B．The Golden Notebook is regarded as Lessing’s masterpiece by herself

C．life in Africa in her early age lays a solid foundation for her writing

D．Doris Lessing is strongly against traditional culture in Africa

【小題3】According to the fourth paragraph,       .

A．Lessing began to believe in Christ in the 1970s

B．Lessing’s science fiction won readers

C．Lessing had won two literary medals for her writings

D．Lessing changed her themes to meet the needs of traditional critics

【小題4】According to the Horace Engdahl, Lessing wins Nobel Prize mainly because       .

A．she has rich experience in living in Africa

B．she is a head master of an important school

C．she encourages women writers to struggle against men

D．she makes great contributions to equal rights for women

Captain Henry，a 98"year—old American retired fisherman，has become a first—time author．having written and published his autobiography In a Fisherman’s Language after learning to read at the age of 91．
Mr.Henry spent most of his life without even his closest family members knowing he wasilliterate(不識字的)．Forced to quit school in the third grade to take odd jobs，he kept the secret close to his chest，only telling his late wife．Henry’s granddaughter，Marlisa，told reporters how he used tricks，like waiting for others to order at restaurants first，to avoid the issue．
A family dispute(糾紛)in his 90s，she said，aroused his desire for education．“He signed a document he could not read about where he was going to live， Marlisa said．Starting with his name，he eventually moved on to the ABC’s and children’s books．He put them down since his wife fell ill．After the tragic loss of his wife，、he went back to reading and began to log his life．He wrote about his family’s voyage from Portugal to the US，how he went on to captain a boat，and his many journeys at sea． 
His life stories have become so popular that nearly 800 copies were sold in the first two weeks after the book’s release．One thousand more have since been printed as requests for the book flood in from as far as Germany．And now even Hollywood producers have approached Mr．Henry about buying the rights to his life story for a big screen adaptation．
The family also now has a book agent and a deal in the works to publish a second edition．Meanwhile，the family says they are reconnecting and closer than ever as a result of Henry’s．1ate—life efforts．.“Everyone has a story，”Marlisa said．“It teaches that when you’re down and out．  never give up.”
【小題1】When did Henry begin writing his life story?

A．When he was 91 years old．	B．After his wife passed away．
C．When he was 98 years old．	D．After he retired from work．

【小題2】Which of the following is true?

A．Hollywood wishes to make a movie out of his book．

B．Henry never told anyone that he couldn’t read or write．

C．Henry began his reading with some famous novels．

D．Henry’s book was well-received only by Americans．

【小題3】How did Henry’s family benefit from his writing?
A．The family got more money from the 2nd edition．
B．The family ties were rebuilt and strengthened．
C．His family moved from Portugal to the USA．
D．His family story has been made into a movie．
【小題4】What message can Henry’s story give us?

A．Great minds think alike．	B．Every coin has two sides．
C．Practice makes perfect．	D．One is never too old to learn．

Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD) for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”.
“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout.
“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising.”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think.
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed.”
“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better.”
The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. “Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry,” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May.
【小題1】According to Rae Armantrout, ____________.

A．her 10th book is much better

B．her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected

C．the media is surprised at her works

D．she likes being recognized by her readers

【小題2】Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?

A．She published a poetry textbook.

B．She used to teach Denise Levertov.

C．She started a poets’ group with others.

D．She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley.

【小題3】What can we learn about “Versed”?

A．It consists of three parts.

B．It is mainly about the American army.

C．It is a book published two decades ago

D．It partly concerns the poet’s own life.

【小題4】What can we learn from the text?
A. About 2,700 copies of “Versed” will be printed.
B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.
D. “Versed” has been awarded twice.

Success is often measured by the ability to overcome adversity. But, it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage to try.
J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, began writing at age 6. In her biography, she remembers with great fondness when her good friend, Sean, whom she met in secondary school, became the first person to encourage her and help build the confidence that one day she would be a very good writer.
“He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition to be a writer. He was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it, which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time.”
Despite many setbacks Rowling persevered in her writing, particularly fantasy stories. But it wasn't until l990 that she first conceived the idea about Harry Potter. As she recalls, it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that “the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into my head. To my immense frustration(沮喪), I didn't have a functioning pen with me, and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one. I think, now, that this was probably a good thing, because I simply sat and thought, for four(delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me.”
That same year, her mother passed away after a ten-year battle with multiple sclerosis, which deeply affected her writing. She went on to marry and had a daughter, but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.
During this time, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression. Unemployed, she completed her first novel in area cafes, where she could get her daughter to fall asleep. After being rejected by l2 publishing houses, the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house.
Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages, J. K. Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history. And it all began with her commitment to writing that was fostered by the confidence of a friend !
【小題1】Who believed J. K. Rowling was to be a good writer?

A．Her friend Sean.

B．Her mother.

C．Her daughter.

D．Her husband.

【小題2】Rowling first came up with the idea about Harry Potter         .

A．a(chǎn)t the age of 6	B．on a train journey
C．a(chǎn)fter her mother's death	D．in her secondary school

【小題3】She felt frustrated on the train because         .

A．her train was delayed for four hours

B．she didn't have a pen with her

C．her mind suddenly went blank

D．no one would offer her help

【小題4】It can be concluded from Paragraph 5 and 6 that Rowling is         .

A．open-minded

B．warm-hearted

C．good-natured

D．strong-willed

【小題5】The text mainly tells us         .

A．hardship makes a good novelist

B．the courage to try is a special ability

C．you can have a wonderful idea everywhere

D．encouragement contributes to one's success

Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)
Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)
Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects (影響) of pollution on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Angela Merkel (1954 -   )
In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany’s leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930 -   )
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court (最高法院) in 1981 after years of hard work.
Margaret Thatcher (1925 -   )
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister (首相). She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain’s Iron Lady.
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation (輻射能). Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911.
【小題1】Who once won the Nobel Prize?

A．Jane Addams and Marie Curie.

B．Jane Addams and Margaret Thatcher.

C．Marie Curie and Angela Merkel.

D．Marie Curie and Rachel Carson.

【小題2】We can infer from the text that Rachel Carson worked to _____.

A．help the poor

B．spread geographic knowledge

C．protect the environment

D．protect the rights of women

【小題3】What do Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher have in common?

A．Both of them were scientists before coming to power.

B．Both of them are the first woman head of their country.

C．Both of them are famous for being strict.

D．Both of them have worked for three terms.

【小題4】Who once failed to find a job?

A．Jane Addams.	B．Sandra Day O’Connor.
C．Rachel Carson.	D．Margaret Thatcher.

【小題5】What would be the best title for the text?

A．Great women	B．Famous scientists
C．Strong leaders	D．Ways to success for women

Christmas Eve was tomorrow. I hoped one of the packages that held a camera had already been placed under the Christmas tree. It was the only thing I wanted. I had been dropping hints to my parents. I love taking photos. My bedroom walls are covered with photos I had taken with my mom’s old camera. I’m always trying to capture (捕捉) those perfect moments in which you can hear the laughter or touch the beautiful scene, but my camera has always seemed to fall short.
I knew Mom had put a few presents under the tree this morning, so I went on a hunt in my mom’s room. I opened the door and found my Christmas present was lying unwrapped on the floor — a big pink cat. I felt so disappointed.
Mom seemed to notice that, and she tried to cheer me up. “Stacy, I got your present today. I am so excited to surprise you!” “I can’t wait,” I said.
The next day I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to tell her.
“Mom, may I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure, dear. What do you need to talk about?” she asked.
And so it came — how upset I was that I was getting a cat.
“Stacy, that cat is for your sister Julia!” she said with a smile.
“Then what am I getting?” I asked.
She just smiled. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
Next morning, I happily got into the living room and sat next to the tree. I pulled out the box with my name on it and opened the wrapping paper to find ...
My camera! “Thank you!” I said to both Dad and Mom.
Dad picked up the camera and took a picture of Julia, Mom and me. It has become one of my favorite pictures. Just on that Christmas morning, I took lots of photos with my camera — my little sister making a face, my parents giving me a soft smile — and all of these photos have come to mean one thing to me: love.
【小題1】The underlined phrase “dropping hints” in Para-graph 1 means _____.

A．talking often	B．suggesting indirectly
C．sending presents	D．taking pictures

【小題2】Why did Stacy feel disappointed at first?

A．Her mother couldn’t understand her at all.

B．Her mother didn’t buy her any Christmas gift.

C．She mistook her sister’s Christmas gift for hers.

D．She didn’t find her present in her mom’s room.

【小題3】We can learn from the passage that _____.

A．her mother bought Stacy a camera after discovering her disappointment

B．her mother knew what gift Stacy wanted for Christmas

C．Stacy thought it’s OK to have an old camera

D．Stacy finally got her gift on Christmas Eve

【小題4】What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The family happiness captured by the camera.

B．The nice Christmas that Stacy spent.

C．The beautiful pictures that Stacy took.

D．The true love that Stacy got from her parents.

【小題5】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A Christmas gift as wished

B．Love is more important than gifts

C．A wonderful Christmas

D．Love can not be bought