There is a wonderful story about a young girl who had no family and no one to love her. One day， feeling very sad and lonely， she was walking through a grassland when she noticed a small butterfly caught in a thorn （荊棘） bush. The young girl carefully released the Butterfly. Instead of flying away， the little butterfly changed into a beautiful fairy. The young girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
“For your wonderful kindness，” the good fairy said to the girl， “I will give you any wish you would like.” The little girl thought for a moment and then replied， “I want to be happy.” The fairy leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. Then the fairy disappeared.
As the little girl grew up， there was no one in the land as happy as she. Everyone asked her secret of happiness .She would only smile and answer， “The secret of my happiness is that I listened to a good fairy when I was a little girl.”
When she was very old and on her deathbed， the neighbors all gathered around her， that her unbelievable secret of happiness would die with her. “Tell us， please，” they begged， “Tell us what the good fairy said.” The lovely old woman simply smiled and said， “She told me that everyone， no matter how secure they seemed， no matter how old or young， how rich or poor， had need of me.”
【小題1】Noticing the butterfly was caught by the thorn， the orphan girl ______.

A．helped the butterfly escaped from the thorn

B．felt sorrow，but she didn’t go up to help it

C．fell down on it too

D．failed to help it release from the thorn

【小題2】 The butterfly ______ after it was saved by the little girl.

A．flied away	B．still died
C．changed into a fairy	D．was more beautiful than before

【小題3】The only thing that the little girl wanted was________.

A．to be rich	B．to have her own parents
C．to have a lot of friends	D．happiness

【小題4】 The neighbors all gathered around the old happy woman when she was dying， because ______.

A．they loved this woman deeply and they didn‘t wanted her to die

B．the woman had lots of money to be shared as soon as she died

C．they wanted to know the secret of her lifetime happiness

D．they wanted to pray for her after her death

William Shakespeare was a writer of plays and poems. Some of his most famous plays are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth. He wrote thirty-seven plays in all. They are still popular today.
He was born in 1564 in England. At school he liked watching plays. He decided to be an actor when he finished school at the age of fourteen. In 1582, he married a farmer’s daughter. She was eight years older than he was. Their first child was a daughter. Later they had twins. In 1585, Shakespeare left his hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon. His wife and children stayed behind. No one knows why he left or what he did between 1585 and 1592.
At twenty-eight he moved to London and joined a theatre company which opened the Globe Theatre in 1599. He became an actor, and he also wrote plays. He usually acted in his own plays. He earned almost no money from his writing. But he made a lot of money from acting. With the money he bought a large house in his hometown.
At the age of forty-nine, Shakespeare retired (退休) and went to live in Stratford-upon-Avon. He died at the age of fifty-two. He left his money to his family. He left his genius to the world. You still see his plays in English and in many other languages. He is one of the most famous writers in the world.
【小題1】Shakespeare wrote many famous plays except _______.

A．Hamlet	B．Macbeth
C．Romeo and Juliet	D．Man and Superman

【小題2】Shakespeare decided to be an actor in _______.

A．1578

B．1582

C．1599

D．1616

【小題3】In 1585, Shakespeare left his hometown Stratford-upon-Avon _______.

A．with his wife	B．with his daughter
C．with his wife and children	D．alone

【小題4】Shakespeare got much money from _______.

A．writing

B．plays

C．acting

D．retirement

【小題5】According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE? ________.

A．Shakespeare had two children

B．Shakespeare wrote both plays and poems

C．Shakespeare left his money to the Globe Theatre

D．Shakespeare wrote plays in English and some other languages

About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and—WHUMP! —it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, “What was that all about and who are you? That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it? ”
“Please, mister, please. . . I’m sorry!  I didn’t know what else to do! ” begged the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop! ” Tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister” he said. “He rolled off the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. ”Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, “ Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me. ”
Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE—a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.
【小題1】Which of the following is the right order of the story?
a. The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car.
b. The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.
c. The younger brother begged Josh for help.
d. Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair.
e. Josh shouted at the younger brother.

A．a, c, b, e, d	B．a, c, d, b, e
C．b, a, c, e, d	D．b, a, e, c, d

【小題2】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Josh would accept the money from the kids.

B．Josh was a kind-hearted man

C．The two kids were Josh’s neighbors.

D．Josh’s new car broke down easily.

【小題3】According to the passage, the last sentence means _____ .

A．trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble

B．driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous

C．trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life

D．protecting oneself from being hurt

For Rachael and Leigh Badman, there is only one wish on their Christmas list this year__ that their sick daughter survives until December 25.
Fifteen –year-old Paige suffers from a rare brain condition. The disease affects as few as 12 people in the world, and can kill her any day without warning. And her condition has deteriorated in recent months. Each time she closes her eyes, she may never wake up. Rachael and Leigh Badman are worried that she couldn’t live through Christmas. They filled their house with Christmas decorations on November1, so she could enjoy her favorite day of the year in advance.
Paige was diagnosed with the condition four years ago. Mrs. Badman described the condition as “being on death row” as she never knows if she will wake up and still have a daughter. She said, “ Paige always loves Christmas and it’s heartbreaking to see her suffering like this.”
In the last months, Paige has been unable to eat and has never walked or spoken. But she loves music, and enjoys watching pop stars’ DVDs. And in May she also went on holiday to Florida with her parents and little brother, Kefton. The family , who have already organized parts of Paige’s funeral, also saw the teenager swimming with dolphins during the trip. Since then, however, her condition has worsened.
Mrs Badman, who is separated from her husband and works as Paige’s full-time carer, said, “Now she can’t eat or drink anymore, and her brain is shrinking.(萎縮) With all her problems, we just thought, ‘Let’s get the Christmas tree up as soon as possible.’ We’re praying she lives to see Christmas Day.”
【小題1】Paige’s parents got the Christmas tree up on November 1 to ____.

A．let her enjoy the great time with visitors

B．let her understand her parents’ love

C．let her enjoy Christmas early before her death

D．let her receive more good wishes from others

【小題2】Mrs Badman described Paige as “ being on death row” because ______.

A．Paige could die at any time without warning

B．she found Paige struggling painfully

C．she had organized Paige’s funeral

D．Paige lost the abilities to walk and speak

【小題3】The underlined word can be replaced by “_____”.

A．proved satisfying

B．grown stronger

C．got improved

D．become worse

【小題4】What can be learned from the passage?

A．Christmas is Paige’s favorite festival.

B．12% of children in the world suffer from the disease.

C．Paige enjoyed watching pop stars’ DVDs on a trip.

D．Paige travelled with her family before suffering the disease.

Charlton Heston was born in 1923 in Evanston, Illinois. Charlton Heston discovered his interest in acting while performing in plays at his high school. He later spent two years studying theater at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. But he left college to join the Army Air Forces during World War Two.
After the war, he found small roles in the theater as well as in television shows. His performance in a television version of the book Jane Eyre caught the attention of the Hollywood producer Cecil B. DeMille who later asked Heston to play the role of Moses in his movie The Ten Commandments which came out in 1956. This role made Heston famous and defined (明確) his career as a hero and leader. His face and body represented strength and heroism in many different roles. He played cowboys, soldiers and athletes.
The 1959 movie Ben Hur made Charlton Heston an even bigger star. Ben Hur won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Charlton Heston. Heston starred in many adventure movies during the 1960s. In the 1970s, Heston appeared in popular disaster movies like Earthquake,. Skyjacked and Airport 1975.
Charlton Heston was also very active in the movie industry. He worked to help set up the American Film Institute. In 1977 he was honored for his service in the industry. He received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1997 he was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor. And, in 2003, President Bush gave Charlton Heston a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
In 2000, Charlton Heston issued a statement announcing that he had an Alzheimer's disease. He died in 2008 at his home in Beverly Hills, California.
【小題1】What kind of role did Charlton Heston often play in films?

A．Heroes.

B．Cowboys.

C．Soldiers.

D．Athletes.

【小題2】Which film won Best Actor for Charlton Heston?

A．Jane Eyre.

B．Earthquake.

C．Ben Hur.

D．The Ten Commandments.

【小題3】What can we learn about Charlton Heston according to the passage?

A．He began to show his talent in Ben Hut.	B．He used to be a soldier.
C．He was once awarded by Kennedy.	D．He won eleven Academy Awards.

【小題4】What's the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A．How Charlton Heston became famous.

B．How Charlton Heston began his career.

C．Who made Charlton Heston a popular star.

D．Who made Charlton Heston win so many awards.

Last year, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, DC. I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?”
When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended. Immediately, I pulled out all of my change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her. But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office.”
In an instant, I realized what I had done. I acted with prejudice—I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be. I hated what I saw in myself.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in the US at the age of 15. I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister. Through the years, I have been a doorkeeper, cashier and pizza delivery driver among many other humble (卑微的) jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced prejudice. I remember a time—at the age of 17 —when I was a busboy, I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me.
But now, living in my American middle—class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am, where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the streets cured me of my blindness. She reminded me of my belief in humility (謙虛). By the way, I helped that lady to the post office. I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson.
【小題1】How did the writer give the blind woman money?

A．In a modest way.

B．In a polite way.

C．In an impatient way.

D．In a painful way.

【小題2】According to the text, the writer________.
A. still lives a poor life                 B. was busy with his work
C. was born in Honduras               D. was a native of Washington D.C.
【小題3】According to the text, the author most probably agrees that one should_________.

A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled	B．try to experience different kinds of cultures
C．treat others equally with love and respect	D．think about one’s past as often as possible

【小題4】What would be the best title of the text?

A．A priceless lesson	B．An act of prejudice
C．A sightseeing trip	D．A humble moment

Today was a big day for my eldest son, Kevin. He had his first big boy haircut. Before today, we have always stood by his side, told the hairdresser what to do and watched over the whole thing. We’ve been working on the rewards (獎賞) of responsibility with my son for quite some time. Today, he got one of those rewards by having his own haircut.
When they arrived at the shop, his father showed him a book with lots of styles of haircuts for boys. After he made his choice, he waited patiently for his turn. My husband decided he would get his own hair cut at the same time.
When their names were called, Kevin showed the hairdresser the picture of his chosen haircut, which, thankfully, was not a strange haircut. The hairdresser looked to my husband for approval (批準) and he told her his son was in charge.
During his haircut, Kevin talked happily with the hairdresser. My husband, who was getting his haircut in the next chair, kept silent. When all was said and done, Kevin looked quite handsome.
When it was time to pay, he reached into his pocket and took out the cash my husband gave him. He handed it to her and said, “Thanks, it’s all yours.” I guess that’s the six-year-old equivalent (對應的語句) of “keep the change.”
I have to admit I was a little nervous about the whole thing before, but I’m a believer now. My son is growing up and ready for new big boy experiences.
【小題1】When Kevin got his haircut, the author used to      .

A．do her own thing	B．leave him alone
C．talk happily with her son	D．manage the whole thing

【小題2】What did the author’s husband do at the hairdresser’s?

A．Picked out a hair style for his son.	B．Talked happily with the hairdressers.
C．Had his own haircut silently	D．Stood together with the author.

【小題3】What was the hair style that Kevin chose like?

A．It was very strange.	B．It suited him well.
C．It was very bad.	D．It was more like a girl’s

There are numerous similarities between Muhammad Ali and his 23-year-old daughter Laila. She is the only one of his nine sons and daughters to have those genes that led to the ring (拳擊場). Her father’s great status had nothing to do with Laila’s decision to pursue a boxing career. She has always been proud of his achievements, but he was never a great man to her ---- just dad.
What attracted her to take up boxing was the unusual sight of two women in the ring on the television screen when she was about to watch a Mike Tyson fight five years ago. She was very excited and said to herself, “I can do that.”
Laila’s father would prefer her not to take up the dangerous sport. Johnny McClain, her husband and manager (former boxer himself) feels the same way. Even though both the men in her life worry about her, they’re 100 percent supportive. “They don’t want me to get hurt,” she says.
Long before entering the ring, Laila was a fighter. Being the daughter of an outstanding boxer made her an easy target for high school kids to see how tough she was. They, not she, failed in the test. For the public, her biggest test took place last summer in the New York State when she took on Jacqui Frazier Lyde, the daughter of Joe Frazier, her father’s most famous opponent (對手) during the 1970s.
That fight provided the biggest shot in the arm that women’s boxing has received. News reporters poured in. Some called it “Ali/Frazier – Generation II”. No match involving women had ever attracted so much attention. Laila had a narrow victory in the fight.
Like it or not, she accepts the fact that she is the face of female boxing. And she hopes that her name and fame will help get the public to take it more seriously.
The name Ali has and always will bring her attention. But she is determined to make her own mark on opponents’ faces as well as in boxing history books. She says, “I want women’s boxing to get its due respect.”
【小題1】Laila took up boxing because of _____.

A．her father’s great status	B．a Mike Tyson fight
C．her admiration for her father	D．her interest in boxing

【小題2】From the passage we can know _____.

A．Laila’s husband is still a boxer now

B．Laila wants to make contributions to the sport of boxing

C．Laila’s husband doesn’t think boxing is a dangerous sport

D．when Laila was in high school, she often failed in the fight with other kids

【小題3】What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．That fight proved that Laila was a person of physical power.

B．That fight made female boxing more popular.

C．That fight provided people with a good change to enjoy themselves.

D．Laila made her first public appearance in that fight.

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

A．A female boxer ---- Laila Ali	B．The best-known fight
C．Ali/Frazie ---- Generation II	D．Muhammad Ali and his daughter

A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? But he discovered that it was a rattrap (捕鼠夾）.
Going back to the farmyard, the rat started to give a warning.
The rat turned to the pig and told him：“There is a rattrap in the house, a rattrap in the house!”
‘Tm sorry，Mr. Rat，” said the pig，“I can only say this is something terrible to you, but it is of no influence to me. I cannot be bothered with it.”
The rat turned to the cow. But the cow said，“Like wow，Mr. Rat? A rattrap? I am in danger, Huh?”
The rat returned to the house, head down and dejected. So the rat had to face the farmer's rattrap alone.
That very night, a sound was heard throughout the house，like the sound of a rattrap catching its prey (獵物）The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness，she did not notice that it was a poisonous snake whose tail had been caught by the trap. The snake bit her.
The farmer rushed her to hospital. She returned home with a fever. Everyone knows that a fever could be treated with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his knife to the farmyard for the soup. However, his wife's sickness continued.
The farmer's friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer killed the pig. But she didn't get well. Finally, she diedand so many people came for the last sight that the farmer had the cow killed to provide meat for all of them.
So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that the whole farmyard is at risk when there is a rattrap in the house.
【小題1】From the passage we know that______.

A．the pig helped the rat get rid of the trap

B．the cow strongly believed in what the rat said

C．no animals showed concern over the rat's warning

D．the snake was killed immediately after being caught

【小題2】The underlined word ‘‘dejected” is the closest in meaning to______.

A．disappointed

B．surprised

C．determined

D．excited

【小題3】We can learn from the article that_____.

A．the farmer had planned to kill the rat

B．the rat was very wise in avoiding the trap

C．the farmer's wife got good treatment in hospital

D．the rat had expected what would happen to the pig and cow

【小題4】What message does the story intend to pass?

A．We should mind our own business.

B．Everything is related to something else.

C．We'd better treat animals in a friendly way.

D．The farmer couple and their friends are all foolish.

On July 4，1986，Americans celebrated the Statue of Liberty’s（自由女神） 100th birthday．Parades，speeches，fireworks，and other activities contributed to the great joy of the event．The celebration caused reporters and the 1ocal people to 1ook back a century to the similar great joy that marked the official opening of the statue．The Statue of Liberty was completed in 1886，but the story began earlier．The idea for a statue was first suggested at a dinner party by Edouard de Laboulaye， a French historian ．A guest at the party was Frederic Bartholdi，a young sculptor．
Most people who attended the dinner party soon forgot the idea，but Laboulaye and Bartholdi remembered it．In 187l， Bartholdi came to the United States to interest Americans in a statue that would link France and the United States in friendship．Many people in France had  already been persuaded and contributed money to the project．Americans were also persuaded to build a fund （基金）for the statue．Much of the money came from school children．
After the idea had been accepted，Bartholdi set to work． He worked hard for many years．His friend Laboulaye died before the statue was completed．At last，in 1885，the statue was sent to the United States．It had to be shipped in sections and then put together for its weight and size．
Ever since then， 1886，the Statue of Liberty has stood as a symbol of freedom to millions of immigrants entering New York Harbor．
【小題1】Bartholdi made his first trip to the United States to talk about the Statue of Liberty in________．

A．1986

B．187l

C．1885

D．1886

【小題2】The Statue of Liberty was shipped in sections because_______．

A．it was too 1arge and heavy to move to USA as a whole

B．USA had better means of putting it together than France

C．the completed statue was a symbol of friendship for Americans

D．putting it together cost less money and labour in USA

【小題3】From the content，we may feel that the writer is _______when he is writing the passage．

A．calm

B．curious

C．worried

D．Modest(謙虛)

【小題4】Which of the following titles best summarizes(歸納) the content of the passage？

A．Labou1aye and Bartholdi：Makers of the Statue of the Liberty

B．How People Made the Statue of Liberty Possible

C．The l00th Birthday of the Statue of Liberty

D．The True Story of the Statue of Liberty