With long brown hair, deep blue eyes, a tall and thin figure(身軀) Brad Pitt seems to be a born actor.He made his first appearance in a film in 1990.Though he was in the film for only 14 minutes, people flooded the cinema to see him.In his next film Pitt played the role of a fisherman.To make the film better, he learned the skill of fishing from a fisherman.
Pitt, caring more about roles than money, has a special favor for the “hard” roles.After reading the screenplay(劇本) of “Legends of the Fall”, he was attracted by the leading character.He asked for a lower pay from the shooting team and was willing to work in hard conditions in the Rocky Mountains for six months.“The film gives the chance to know life.I shall always remember the time when we were making the film,” Pitt said after completing it fully.
Pitt started his dream of art when he was in university.Though born in a common family in 1964, he showed his interest in film at an early age.After leaving high school, he went to university to study law.Because he loved film more than law, shortly before he could graduate, he dropped out for a life of his own, with only 325 dollars in hand, sometimes as a porter or a waiter.Thanks to his hard work, he finally opened up a new field of his own.
【小題1】Pitt acted his first film at the age of        .

A．6

B．14

C．26

D．36

【小題2】The underlined expression “a born actor” means        .

A．he was born in an actor family

B．he became an actor soon after he was born

C．he was an actor when he was born

D．he has a strong natural ability to be an actor

【小題3】From the passage we know        .

A．Pitt became known as an actor at an early age.

B．To achieve his goal, Pitt suffered a lot before success

C．it was wrong of Pitt not to finish his university education

D．In order to develop his interest, Pitt failed to enter university

【小題4】Which of the following words can best describe the character of Pitt?

A．Devoted.

B．Generous.

C．Selfish.

D．Mean.

In 1971 a young man who grew up very poor was travelling across the country, trying to make a new start for himself.Along the way he had completely run out of（用光） money and was forced to spend the night in his car.This continued until one morning, after a week of sleeping in his car, he walked nervously into a restaurant and ordered a big breakfast.
After eating his first good meal in weeks, he found himself lying to the waiter, telling him he had lost his wallet.The waiter, who was also the owner, walked behind the chair where the young man had been sitting.He bent down, and came up with a $20 bill that looked as if it had fallen on the floor and said, “Son, you must have dropped this,” the owner said.The young man couldn’t believe his luck! He quickly paid for the breakfast, left a tip, bought gas with the change, and headed West.
On the way out of town, he began to understand what the owner did.Maybe nobody dropped the money at all.“Maybe that fellow just knew I was in trouble and he helped me in a way that didn’t embarrass(使尷尬)me.So I just made a promise to help other people if I can.”
Later, he worked very hard and became a rich man.Now he lives near Kansas City.Each year he gives away thousands of dollars.He is known as the “Secret Santa” because at Christmas time each year, he personally hands money out to those on the street and at restaurants.Last year, he gave more than $50,000 away in Kansas City.
【小題1】The young man was travelling cross the country in 1971 to______.

A．look for a good restaurant	B．improve his life
C．show his new car to others	D．hand out dollars

【小題2】The underlined sentence implies(暗示) that the young man got to know that______.

A．it was vey lucky of him to get his lost money back

B．it was very honest of the owner to return his money

C．the owner helped him in a way that didn’t hurt his feelings

D．a(chǎn)nother person who had breakfast in the restaurant lost the money

【小題3】From the end of the passage we can learn that ______.

A．the man did carry out his promise

B．the man was not successful in the end

C．the owner was paid back the money

D．Santa gives the man money each year

【小題4】The message of the story is “______”.

A．One good turn deserves another

B．Where there is a will there is a way

C．He who travels far knows much

D．Give love wings (翅膀) and it may fly higher

Ralph and Norton can grow to be 40 feet long and live in a tank as large as a football field.What are they? They’re the only two whale sharks at a North American aquarium .
You can see Ralph and Norton at the world’s largest aquarium, the new Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
The aquarium’s giant tanks hold eight million gallons of water and will be home to about 100,000 fish!
The aquarium was designed to look like a giant ship breaking through the waves.It has 60 different habitats from the sea and five galleries (展館), each with a different theme.About 2.4 million visitors are expected to come each year.“We want to be the world’s most engaging aquarium.” Said Jeff Swanagan, the aquarium’s executive director.
Ralph and Norton arrived in June, 2005 from Taiwan.They were only 15 and 13 feet long, but they may grow to be more than 40 feet long! Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish.Three full-time vets will work there to make sure that Ralph, Norton, and all of the aquarium’s sea life stay healthy.Students from the University of Georgia will help run the aquarium and conduct research at the animal hospital.
The aquarium was paid for almost completely by a $ 200 million gift from Bemie Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot Inc, and his wife, Billi.“It’s going to be the most unique aquarium in the world,” said Marcus.Marcus said the aquarium was a “thank you” note to the city of Atlanta and the State of Georgia, where the Home Depot first opened for business.
【小題1】According to this passage, Ralph and Norton are ______.

A．polar bears

B．penguins

C．whale sharks

D．dolphins

【小題2】The world’s largest aquarium is located in ____.

A．Los Angeles

B．Atlanta

C．New York

D．Miami

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Marcus helped to build the aquarium to show his thanks to Atlanta.

B．The aquarium’s giant tanks can hold eighteen million gallons of water.

C．Ralph and Norton arrived in June, 2005 from Japan.

D．The aquarium was designed to look like a giant shark.

【小題4】By saying “We want to be the world’s most engaging aquarium” Jeff Swanagan means ___.

A．the aquarium will be the largest habitat for sea life

B．the aquarium will be home to very special sea animals

C．the aquarium will be rebuilt and will be made even larger

D．the aquarium will attract a large number of visitors

War Horse is a historical story by Michael Morpurgo. It is written for kids ages 8 to 12. Now just sit and get through the introduction to the plot.
In 1914, a young horse named Joey is sold to a farmer. The farmer' s son, Albert, is thrilled. He cares for Joey. When the family begins to feel the financial impact of war, Albert' s father secretly sells Joey to an army officer named Captain Nicholls. Albert begs the captain to let him join the army. Albert is too young, but Nicholls promises to take good care of Joey for him.
Nicholls treats Joey well. Though Joey still remembers Albert, he grows to like his new master. He develops a friendship with another horse, Topthorn., who belongs to Nicholls' friend, Captain Stewart. The horses and men are shipped overseas for battle. They soon face their own battle in France, and Captain Nicholls is killed.
A young soldier named Warren becomes Joey’s new owner. Joey and Topthorn do well in battle, but the Germans capture Warren and Stewart and their horses. The horses' duty of pulling carts full of wounded German soldiers earns them praise. An old farmer and his granddaughter, Emilie, dote on the horses as well. When the German army moves out of the area, Emilie and her grandfather keep the two horses. Joey and Topthorn are content to work the farm until another band of soldiers takes them. They become workhorses under bad conditions. Joey is very upset when Topthorn dies of exhaustion.
Alone and frightened, Joey wanders into "no-man's-land” between the German and English camps. An English soldier takes him back to camp.
Joey is reunited with Albert. As the war ends, Albert' s officer announces the horses will be sold in France. An old Frenchman buys Joey. The man, Emilie' s grandfather, tells Albert how Emilie lost the will to live after the horses were taken. However, he eventually sells Joey to Albert for one penny, as long as Albert promises to share Emilie' s story so her life will not be in vain. Joey and Albert return home.
【小題1】Why does Albert's father secretly sell Joey?

A．Because he’s in need of money.

B．Because Captain Nicholls is fond of Joey.

C．Because Albert is too young to care for Joey.

D．Because he believes Joey will contribute to the country.

【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE about Captain Nicholls?

A．He’s a rich man.

B．He’s a Frenchman.

C．He’s a man of his word.

D．He doesn’t win Joey’s trust.

【小題3】The underlined phrase "dote on" in Paragraph 4 probably means ____.

A．train

B．ride

C．raise

D．love

【小題4】Which of the following words can be used to describe Emilie’s grandfather?

A．Brave.

B．Generous.

C．Hardworking.

D．Humorous.

The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audience could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other forever. He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry. “Why not?”  he asked. 
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we’re on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a very good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir,” they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.
【小題1】One evening, the director sent his camera crew out _________.

A．to film a scene on the sea

B．to find an actor and an actress

C．to watch a beautiful sunset

D．to meet the audience

【小題2】Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?

A．Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset.

B．Because he was angry with his crew.

C．Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset.

D．Because it was his secretary’s suggestion.

【小題3】The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ______.

A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine

B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening

C．it was more moving than a sunrise

D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset

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

A．The crew had to follow the secretary’s advice.

B．If you want to see a sunrise, the east coat is the place to go.

C．The camera crew wasn’t able to film the scene the first day.

D．The director ordered his crew to stop filming the “sunset”.

When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
　　My mother has long realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on the phone to pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker (股票經(jīng)紀人). I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, "This is Mrs. Tan.”
　　And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, "Why he don’t send me check, already two week late.”
　　And then, in perfect English I said, "I’m getting rather concerned. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived. "
　　Then she talked more loudly.  "What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss. "And so I turned to the stockbroker again, "I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week. "
　　The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
　　When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.
【小題1】Why was the author’s mother poorly served?

A．She was unable to speak good English.	B．She was often misunderstood.
C．She was not clearly heard.	D．She was not very polite.

【小題2】From Paragraph 2,we know that the author was        .

A．good at pretending	B．rude to the stockbroker
C．ready to help her mother	D．unwilling to phone for her mother

【小題3】After the author made the phone call,       .

A．they forgave the stockbroker	B．they failed to get the check
C．they went to New York at once	D．they spoke to their boss at once

【小題4】What does the author think of her mother’s English now?

A．It confuses her.	B．It makes her ashamed
C．It helps her understand the world.	D．It helps her bear rude people.

【小題5】We can infer from the passage that Chinese English       .

A．is clear and natural to non-native speakers

B．is interesting and straight to non-native speakers

C．leaves a very bad impression on America

D．may bring inconvenience in America

While many teenagers may dream of meeting with pop star Jay Chou or NBA hero Yao Ming, Li Jing had a far more powerful person on her mind. The Senior 2 from Beijing No. 35 High School dreamt of meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After more than a year of hard work and with a little good luck, Li fulfilled(實現(xiàn)) her dream. On October 11, 2004, the 16-year-old girl joined a team of Chinese Journalists who went to the Kremlin(克里姆林宮), Moscow, to interview Putin.
Li felt nervous before talking with Putin.“But his greeting and warm smile put me at ease,” she said.
Li admires Putin very much, because of his strong will and style of leadership. “He looks very cool,” Li said. During her interview, Li asked Putin whether he plans to educate his two teenage daughters to be officials in the future. Putin smiled and answered he hopes they can do whatever job suits their interests and personalities.
Although Li would only have several minutes, she started working on her interview questions last August after applying for the opportunity. “Journalists” work is by no means easy. You need to do lots of homework on your interviewee,”she said. She read many books about Putin and Russia in her spare time.
Li’s parents encouraged her to be a student journalist. “We fully support her, as long as it does not affect studies,”said her father. Previous in her job for a student magazine, Chinese Young Journalists, she wrote a letter to President Hu Jintao during the SARS epidemic(流行疫情).
Li has learnt a lot from her experience. She said learning to manage her time and develop the confidence to speak with important people were not things she could learn in class.
【小題1】The underlined word “interviewee” in the fifth paragraph probably means __________.

A．the person who interviews others

B．the person who is interviewed

C．the person who know how to interview

D．the person who plan to interview famous people

【小題2】Which of the following best describes Li Jing’s parents’ attitude towards her being a student journalist?

A．They think to a student journalist is purely a waste of time.

B．They worry that to be a student journalist will affect her studies

C．They consider it is quite good for Li Jing if it doesn’t affect her studies.

D．They neither support it nor object to it.

【小題3】Li Jing is different from those students of her age because __________.

A．she doesn’t like pop star Jay Chou

B．she hates meting with the NBA hero Yao Ming

C．she wants to meet neither Jay Chou nor Yao Ming

D．She dreams of meeting the president powerful Russian leader

【小題4】Which of the following statements is Not True?

A．Li realized her dream not just because of her hard work

B．Li was at easy at the first sight of president Putin

C．Li considers Putin a great leader because of his strong will and style of leadership

D．Li thinks impossible to learn in class the confidence to speak with great people

【小題5】It can be inferred from the passage that________

A．Everybody can be a journalist easily.

B．Putin will force his daughters to what he plans for them.

C．President Hu Jintao answered Lijing’s letter.

D．Journalists must get permission to ask questions.

It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn’t see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill(濺出) the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer laying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap(舔) up the water cupped in my beautiful boy’s hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.
【小題1】What can be learned from Paragraph 1?

A．The writer lived in the hottest place.

B．It wouldn’t rain during the dry season.

C．All the crops in the area were dead.

D．People were in great need of rain.

【小題2】Billy walked carefully to the woods because ______.

A．he was not old enough to walk freely

B．he didn’t want to be followed by his mother

C．he tried not to spill the water in his hands

D．he wanted to attract his mother’s attention

【小題3】Why did the writer almost scream for Billy to get away?

A．Because she saw the most amazing site in the woods

B．Because those large deer appeared dangerous

C．Because she saw a baby deer laying on the ground

D．Because the deer suffered from heavy loss of water

【小題4】After learning about the truth, the author felt _______.

A．curious and confused	B．scared and excited
C．moved and curious	D．proud and moved

【小題5】Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．The Water of Life	B．Importance of Water
C．How to Save Animals	D．Animals in Danger

In the fall of 1985, I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.
My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to leave college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.
Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopt and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic—and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed Son No. 3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can imagine how busy I became, raising four boys under the age of 8! Our home was a complete zoo—a joyous zoo. Not surprising, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant taking as few as one class each term.
The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to give up, but I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree!
I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you’re looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you’re in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won’t arrive in your life on one day. It’s a process. Remember: little steps add up to big dreams.
【小題1】When the author went to Howard University, her dream was to be ______.

A．a(chǎn) writer

B．a(chǎn) teacher

C．a(chǎn) judge

D．a(chǎn) doctor

【小題2】The author quit school in her second year of college because she ______.

A．wanted to study by herself

B．fell in love and got married

C．suffered from a serious illness

D．decided to look after her grandma

【小題3】What can we learn about the author from Paragraphs 4 and 5?

A．She was busy yet happy with her family life.

B．She ignored her guilty feeling for her sons.

C．She wanted to remain a full-time housewife.

D．She was too confused to make a correct choice.

【小題4】What does the author mostly want to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．Failure is the mother of success.

B．Little by little, one goes far.

C．Every coin has two sides.

D．Well begun is half done.

【小題5】Which of the following can best describe the author ?

A．Caring and determined.	B．Honest and responsible.
C．Ambitious and sensitive.	D．Innocent and single-minded.

I began working in journalism when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.
“How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“None.”
“Where did you go?”
“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“What did you do?”
“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“You just stood there?”
“Didn’t sell a single one.”
“My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel. It was the first nickel I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.
【小題1】Why did the boy start his job young?

A．He wanted to be famous in the future.

B．The job was quite easy for him.

C．His mother had high hopes for him.

D．The competition for the job was fierce.

【小題2】From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.

A．excited

B．interested

C．a(chǎn)shamed

D．disappointed

【小題3】What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?

A．She forced him to continue.	B．She punished him.
C．She gave him some money.	D．She changed her plan.

【小題4】What does the underlined word “nickel” most possibly mean?

A．a(chǎn) note that is worth ten dollars

B．a(chǎn) bill signed in acknowledgement of debt

C．a(chǎn) list showing how much you have to pay

D．a(chǎn) coin that is worth five cents

【小題5】What is the text mainly about?

A．The early life of a journalist.

B．The early success of a journalist.

C．The happy childhood of the writer.

D．The important role of the writer in his family.