Christmas Eve means a warm get-together with friends, a candlelight dinner, or perhaps a celebration at a pub for students. But, for Cai Yingjie, the night has a different meaning: helping beggars（乞丐）and the homeless(people without homes).
Cai, who is a student in journalism at Tsinghua, could be found at Beijing’s Wudaokou Light Railway Station that special evening. When she saw an old beggar, she took the cold, rough hands of the woman with her warm, clean hands, and gave the woman some warm bread and helped her put on a pair of new gloves.
The woman was surprised for a few seconds, then burst into tears, saying “for the first time I feel respected”.
Cai said, “A beggar’s life is very hard. That’s why I want to help them.”
Cai was one of 14 Tsinghua students spending Christmas Eve among the poor. They walked in the cold wind along the streets from 4 to 7 pm on Friday, visiting 15 beggars in Beijing’s Haidian District.
They brought bread and gloves with them, and stopped to greet beggars and offer them some of the warm food. Each beggar greeted them with a look of surprise.
“I know the activity can’t help much, but it’s meant to show our respect and care for beggars and the homeless who have been neglected for so long,” said Sun, head of the group. “And Christmas is a good time for that.”
【小題1】What does Christmas Eve mean to the 14 Tsinghua students?

A．Taking 15 beggars to Tsinghua.

B．Getting together with friends.

C．Showing care to the beggars and the homeless.

D．Selling bread and gloves to the beggars.

【小題2】What does the beggar mean by saying “for the first time I feel respected”?

A．The beggar has been waiting for Cai for long.

B．The beggar hasn’t been shown care for so long.

C．The beggar has been respecting Cai for a long time.

D．This is the first time the beggar has seen Tsinghua students.

【小題3】What did each beggar feel when they received greetings?

A．Sad.	B．Amazed.
C．Frightened.	D．Proud.

【小題4】The word “neglected” in the last passage means _______.

A．protected	B．found
C．taken care of	D．given no enough care

THE WAY TO READ FAST
Perhaps you have been told about some habits（習(xí)慣） which stop a person reading fast、and have been strongly asked to break those habits which you might have.
Do you still have any of these bad habits7 Check yourself by answering "yes" or "no" to
these questions:
1. Do you move your lips(嘴唇) when reading silently？
2. Do you point to words with your finger as you read?
3. Do you move your head from side to side as you read?
4. Do you read one word at a time?
If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, start at once to break the habit.
If you move your lips, hold your fingers over them, or hold a piece of paper between your lips while you are reading. Then if your lips move, you will know it and can stop them.
If you point to words, hold the two sides of your book, one side with your left hand, the other side with your right hand. Then you will not have a free finger to use in pointing while reading.
If you move your head, place your chin（下巴）in one hand, and hold your head still(不動地，靜止地).
If you read no more than one or two or three words at a time, you need to work very hard in learning to take in more words at each glance(看一眼) as your eyes travel across the lines of words.
【小題1】You may hold your fingers over your lips while reading       

A．to hold a piece of paper between them

B．to stop yourself talking to others

C．to tell others to be silent

D．to feel whether y our lips move or not

【小題2】When your eyes travel across the lines of words,        

A．you need to read the words out

B．you need to look at every word carefully

C．you need to read several words at a time

D．you need to remember every word

【小題3】When you read,        

A．don’t use your finger to point to words

B．don’t hold your books with your hands

C．don’t hold your head still

D．don’t do any of the things mentioned(提到)above.

One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might some day get lost in a “sea of technology” rather than experiencing the natural world. TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnect between kids and the great outdoors, which will change the wild places of the world, its creatures and human health for the worse, unless adults get working on child’s play.
Without having a nature experience, kids, can turn out just fine, but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives. That contributes to everything from their physical health and mental health, to stress levels, creativity and cognitive (認(rèn)知的) skills. Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents---and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it; research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component(成份) and that play in nature develop leadership by the smartest, not by the toughest. Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child. The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world. A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes. We really need to value that more.
Kids are not to blame. They are overprotected and frightened. It is dangerous out there from time to time, but much stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood process of passage.
Everyone, from developers, to schools and outdoorsy citizens, should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring, taking friendship in fields and woods that strengthen love, respect and need for landscape. As parents, we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature. This could yet be our greatest cause.
【小題1】According to the passage, children without experiencing nature will______

A．keep a high sense of wonder

B．be over-protected by their parents

C．be less healthy both physically and mentally

D．change wild places and creatures for the better

【小題2】According to the author, children’s breaking an arm is_____

A．the fault on the part of their parents

B．the natural experience in their growing up

C．the result of their own carelessness in play

D．the effect of their repetitive stress from computers

【小題3】In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to______

A．blame children for getting lost in computer games

B．encourage children to protect parks from encroachment

C．show his concern about children’s lack of experience in nature

D．inspire children to keep the sense of wonder about things around

My students often tell me that they don’t have “enough time” to do all their schoolwork．
My reply is often a brief “You have as much time as the president．”I usually carry on a bit about there being twenty-four hours in the day for everyone, and suggest that “not enough time” is not an acceptable explanation of not getting something done．
Once in graduate school，I tried to prove to one of my professors by saying that I was working hard．His answer to me was． “That’s irrelevant（無關(guān)的）．What’s important is the quality of your work． ” Since then I have had time to think carefully about the “hard worker” dodge（訣竅），and I have come to some conclusions—all relevant to the problem of how much time we have．
If you analyze the matter, you can identify two parts of the prob1em：There is, of course，the matter of “time”, which we call think of as fixed． Then there is the problem of “work” during that time． But, as my professor suggested, it’s not how hard one works but the quality of the product that’s important．
That led me to a new idea: the quality of the work．That concept is perhaps best explained by a sign I once saw on the wall in someone s office: “Don't work harder． Work smarter．” There is a lot of sense in that idea．
If you can’t get more time，and few of US can，the only solution is to improve the quality of the work．That means thinking of ways to get more out of the same time than we might otherwise get．That should lead us to an analysis of our work habits．Since “work” for students usually means “homework”, the expression “work habits’ should be read as “study habits”．
Then, as a smart student，you will seek to improve those skills that you use in study, chiefly reading and writing． If you learn to read better and write better，there are big advantages that pay off in all your studies．
【小題1】From the passage，we know that the author is probably      ．

A．a(chǎn) poet

B．a(chǎn)n educator

C．a(chǎn) novelist

D．a(chǎn)n engineer

【小題2】We can infer from the 2nd paragraph that we students still      ．

A．have enough time	B．can meet the president
C．get everything done well	D．should accept the explanation

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

A．The author's students make good use of their time to do all their homework．

B．The author tried to tell the professor that he／she（the author） had done a good job．

C．You can’t improve the quality of the work if you can’t get more time．

D．You’11 try to improve your skills in reading and writing if you're a clever student．

【小題4】What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Students don’t have enough time．	B．Don’t work harder; work smarter．
C．No one can get more time．	D．Read better and write better．

Has Tiger Mom gone soft? One year after the release of her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Amy Chua is back in the spotlight, reflecting on how overnight infamy (惡名) affected her life, her family and her parenting.
“I have changed a lot,” she told the Huffington Post. “In October, we had 30 kids at our house! We have hosted parties with lots of food and music.”
Last January, the Wall Street Journal published an excerpt (節(jié)選) from Chua’s book with the headline “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior”. In the excerpt, Chua described how her daughters were never allowed to have sleepovers (在外過夜的兒童聚會), appear in school plays, or earn any grade lower than an A. Chua, an author and professor at Yale Law School, spent much of 2011 on the defensive. In fact, many of her interviews seemed to lend fuel to her critics’ fire.
Now, with the book out in paperback, she said, “I put passages in the book and used very harsh words that I regret. Everybody has those moments you wish you could take back.”
For those who still read Battle Hymn as an advice guide, Chua argues that so-called tiger parenting should be employed mainly during a child’s early years, ideally between the ages of 5 and 12. These “super-strict parenting tactics” are not meant for all ages. Remaining strict after middle school makes you a helicopter parent, according to Chua. And she is quick to point out how different that is from being a tiger mom.
“By the time kids get to high school, helicopter parents are hiring all these tutors, carrying their kids’ sports bags. I never checked older daughter Sophia’s papers because I knew she knew how to sit down and focus,” Chua said.
As for younger daughter Lulu, 15, the rebel for whom the book was written, Chua has really backed off. Instead of forcing Lulu to practise violin for hours a day—the source of their biggest fights, Chua “l(fā)et her give that up”. “My compromise (妥協(xié)) is that I’m going to still be as strict academically, but in exchange she has a lot of social freedom. Lulu has had four sleepovers in the last two months!” Chua said. Chua predicts she’ll only get more easygoing with age.
【小題1】What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．Tiger Mom has changed and wants to be soft.

B．Tiger Mom persuaded readers to follow her example.

C．How Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother came out.

D．How Tiger Mom became the worldwide spotlight.

【小題2】From paragraph 1 we can know that after the publication of the book______________.

A．Tiger Mom became stricter with her children

B．Tiger Mom was thought highly by the public

C．Tiger Mom’s life and family were influenced

D．Tiger Mom became wealthy and easygoing

【小題3】Lulu quarreled with her mother mainly over______________.

A．whether she could do well at school

B．when she could have sleepovers

C．what should be written in the book

D．how long she practiced the violin

Leadership is the art of getting someone to do something you want done because he wants to do it. People naturally want to follow a good leader. After meeting with an effective leader it is not unusual to feel uplifted(情緒高漲), inspired, and motivated to work towards a common goal.
An effective leader makes others feel good about themselves, as well as the work they are doing. The leader has a vision(幻想)of what he or she wants to achieve, and can communicate that vision to others in a way that makes people want to be part of it. One thing a good leader typically does is to communicate the big picture, so that each employee can see how the particular role he or she plays makes a contribution to the final result.
Good leaders are positive and optimistic when they speak about the future. Their enthusiasm wins them plenty of supporters who help make their vision a reality.
Good leaders also understand that different people are motivated by different things. For employees motivated by a need for achievement, a leader explains how the task offers an opportunity to take on a challenge with an achievable goal. And employees are motivated by hearing how they will be part of a team of people working together.
Good leaders will introduce employees by name first, rather than job titles. They refer to employees as team members, companions, or colleagues, never as “servants”. Words have power, including the power to make people feel whether or not they are important to the success of an organization.
Good leaders believe that every team member matters and set up environments that make everyone feel important. It is no wonder they can attract the support they need to help them achieve their goals.
【小題1】What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

A．To tell us how to be a good leader at work.

B．To describe the proper relationship between leaders and employees.

C．To inform us of how leaders and employees should communicate.

D．To show the optimism of a leader.

【小題2】What is the most important to be a good leader?

A．A good leader learns art very well.

B．A good leader can promote employees.

C．A good leader can satisfy all his or her employees.

D．A good leader can make employees happy and willing in their work.

【小題3】What should a good leader do for an employee who wants to succeed at work?

A．To promote the employee to a leadership role.

B．To draw a beautiful picture of the employee’s future.

C．To encourage the employee to meet the challenges of his work.

D．To let the staff know the important role the employee plays.

【小題4】We can infer from the passage that_________.

A．a(chǎn) good leader is always good at creating comfortable working conditions

B．the support of employees is necessary for a leader to reach his goal

C．names are much easier to remember than job titles

D．the motivation of the employees all comes from the leader

Consult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 68～70.

【小題1】Fill in the blank in the sentence “I can’t believe this is Daniel—he’s ______ since we last met! Much taller than the other boys of his age!”

A．shot up

B．shot out

C．shot through

D．shot down

【小題2】When you are talking about unimportant things, we say you are ______.

A．shooting yourself in the foot

B．shooting your mouth off

C．shooting the breeze

D．shooting questions at somebody

【小題3】Choose a word to complete the sentence “The ______, which killed a policeman and wounded a passer-by(路人), was reported to have lasted only 13 seconds.”

A．shooter

B．shoot

C．shot

D．shooting

The evidence for harmony(和諧) may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly-held image （形象）of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.
An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it had ever been in the past.“We were surprised by just how positive(肯定的) today’s young people seem to be about their families,” said one number of the research team.“They’re expected to be rebellious(叛逆的) and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds：they want a car and material goods，and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There’s more negotiation(商議) and discussion between parents and children，and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don’t want to rock the boat(搗亂).”
So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-year-old Daniel Lazall. “I always tell them when I‘m going out clubbing. As long as they know what I’m doing， they’re fine with me.” Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years， there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I’d done all my homework, could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”
Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments(評論),“Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change from helping out with the family business to taking it over. ”
【小題1】What is the popular images of the teenager today？

A．They worry about school.

B．They dislike living with their parents.

C．They have to be locked in to avoid troubles.

D．They quarrel a lot with other family members.

【小題2】The study shows that teenagers don’t want to __________.

A．share family responsibility

B．cause trouble in their families

C．go boating with their family

D．make family decisions

【小題3】Compared with parents of 30 years ago, today’s parents ____________.

A．go to clubs more often with their children

B．a(chǎn)re much stricter with their children

C．care less about their children’s life

D．give their children more freedom

【小題4】According to the writer, teenage rebellion __________.

A．may be a false belief

B．is common nowadays

C．existed only in the 1960s

D．resulted from changes in families

【小題5】What is the passage mainly about？

A．Negotiation in family.

B．Education in family.

C．Harmony in family.

D．Teenage trouble in family.

A new generation addiction is quickly spreading all over the world. Weboholism（醉心于網(wǎng)絡(luò)）, a twentieth century disease, affects people from different ages. They surf the net, use e-mail and speak in chat rooms. They spend many hours on the computer, and it becomes a compulsive habit. They cannot stop, and it affects their lives.
Ten years ago, no one thought that using computers could become compulsive（強(qiáng)迫性的）behavior that could affect the social and physical life of computer users. This obsessive behavior has affected teenagers and college students. They are likely to log on computers and spend long hours at different websites.
They become hooked on computers and gradually their social and school life is affected by this situation. They spend all free time surfing and don’t concentrate on homework, so this addiction influences their grades and success at schools. Because they can find everything on the websites, they hang out there. Moreover, this addiction to websites influences their social life.
They spend more time in front of computers than with their friends. The relation with their friends changes. The virtual（虛擬的）life becomes more important than their real life. They have a new language that they speak in the chat rooms and it causes cultural changes in society.
Because of the change in their behavior, they begin to isolate（孤立 themselves from the society and live with their virtual friends. They share their emotions and feelings with friends who they have never met in their life. Although they feel confident on the computer, they are not confident with real live friends they have known all their life. It is a problem for the future. This addictive behavior is beginning to affect the whole world.
【小題1】The main idea of the passage is about _______.

A．the cause of weboholism	B．the advantage of weboholism
C．the popularity of weboholism	D．the influence of weboholism

【小題2】The underlined work “obsessive” in the second paragraph most probably means “______”.

A．a(chǎn)ttractive

B．a(chǎn)ddictive

C．professional

D．potential

【小題3】We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．weboholism has the greatest effect on teenagers.

B．students can hardly balance real and virtual life.

C．people are addicted to games on the Internet.

D．virtual life is more vivid and attractive anyway.

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

A．It contributes to the development of the web.

B．The chat room language may change social culture.

C．The problem will be getting more and more serious later.

D．People addicted to the web often become inactive in real life.

【小題5】The author’s attitude towards weboholism is that of being ________.

A．optimistic

B．positive

C．oppositive

D．a(chǎn)cceptable

It was unusually quiet in the emergency room on December 25.
I was nurse on duty that day. I didn’t think there would be any patients, sighing about having to work on Christmas. Just then five bodies showed up at my desk, a pale woman and four small children.
“Are you all sick?” I asked suspiciously.
“Yes,” she said weakly and lowered her head.
But when it came to descriptions of their presenting problems, things got a little vague. Two of the children had headaches, but the headaches weren’t accompanied by the normal body language of holding the head or trying to keep it still. Two children had earaches, but only one could tell me which ear was affected. The mother complained of a cough but seemed to work to produce it.
Something was wrong, but I didn’t say anything but explained that it might be a little while before a doctor saw her. She responded, “Take your time; it’s warm here.”
On a hunch (出于直覺), I checked the chart after the admitting clerk had finished registering the family. No address---they were homeless. The waiting room was warm.
I looked out at the family huddled by the Christmas tree. The little one was pointing at the television and exclaiming something to her mother. The oldest one was looking at an ornament on the Christmas tree.
I went back to the nurses’ station and mentioned we had a homeless family in the waiting room. The nurses, grumbling about working Christmas, turned to compassion for a family just trying to get warm on Christmas. The team went into action, much as we do when there’s a medical emergency. But this one was a Christmas emergency.
We were all offered a free meal in the hospital cafeteria on Christmas Day, so we claimed that meal and prepared a banquet for our Christmas guests. We needed presents. We put together oranges and apples in a basket. We collected from different departments candies, crayons and other things available that could be presents. As seriously as we met the physical needs of the patients that came to us that day, our team worked to meet the needs, and exceed the expectations, of a family who just wanted to be warm on Christmas Day.
Later, as the family walked to the door to leave, the four year old came running back, gave me a hug and whispered, “Thanks for being our angels today.”
【小題1】Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

A．Working Christmas Day	B．Christmas Day is Coming
C．A Happy Family	D．A Pale Woman and Four Small Children

【小題2】What kind of person do you think the author is?

A．Hardworking and outgoing	B．Serious and careful
C．Hardworking and warmhearted	D．Serious and stubborn

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

A．Something was wrong with one of the children’s heads.

B．The pale woman forgot to write the address.

C．The author did not understand the truth.

D．The children’s mother told a lie.

【小題4】It can be inferred from the text that______.

A．The author didn’t think there would be any patients on Christmas Day

B．The woman was uncomfortable when she lowered her head

C．The family appeared in the emergency room on Christmas Eve

D．The woman and four small children were satisfied and grateful