Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes into touch with them.Their values---this can not be repeated too often--aren’t necessarily our values.Physical comfort,cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important things.The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a room with rotten food covered by small worms,and an old person lying alone on bed,taking no notice of the worms.But is it interrupting personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers,the ones who clear up the worms,think we’re in danger of carrying this idea of personal freedom to the point where serious risks(冒險(xiǎn))are being taken with the health and safety of the old.
Indeed,the old can be easily hurt or harmed.The old is like a car: it needs more mechanical repair as it gets older.You can carry this comparison right through to provision of spare parts.But never forget that such operations are painful experiences,however good the results are.And at what point should you stop to treat the old body?Is it morally right to try to push off death by continuing the development of medicine to excite the forgetful old mind and to make the old body active,knowing that it is designed to die?You cannot ask doctors or scientists to decide,because so long as they can see the technical chances,they will feel it necessary to give them a try,by the rule that while there’s life,there’s hope.
Talking to the old,however,you’re forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or health than it does on your ability to have fun.
【小題1】After reading Paragraph 1，we learn that____.

A．very old people are able to keep their living places very clean

B．old people enjoy living alone so as to have more personal freedom

C．every old people enjoy living with their relatives

D．social services have nothing to do with very old people

【小題2】Some social workers think that_____．

A．old people should keep their living places clean

B．one should not take risk dealing with old people

C．health and safety are more important than personal freedom

D．personal freedom is more important than health and safety

【小題3】In Paragraph 3，the underlined word“it”refers to____．

A．one’s memory or health

B．the conclusion you have come to

C．whether age is happy or unpleasant

D．your talk to the old people

【小題4】The writer of this passage thinks that_______．

A．it is always morally right to treat old people and push off death

B．the opinion that we should try every means possible to save old people is uncertain

C．old people can enjoy a happy life only if they are very rich

D．medical decisions for old people should be left to the doctors

Transportation and communication networks bring people together．Yet sometimes people themselves create barriers(障礙)to transportation and communication．
In some countries，laws stop people from moving freely from place to place．Over the centuries，many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race，religion，or nationality．In the Middle Ages，for example，Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities．South Africa’s government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travel within the country．Some governments require all citizens to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they move．
Countries set up customs posts at their borders．Foreign travellers must go through a customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country．Usually travellers  have to carry special papers such as passports and visas(簽證)．Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year．Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country，or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay．
Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication．When two governments disagree with each other on important matters，they usually do not want their citizens to exchange news or ideas freely．Countries often try to keep military or lndustrial information secret．
Today，people have the ability to travel，to communicate，and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before．Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily．The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome．But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers，people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas.
【小題1】Choose the best title for the passage．

A．Progress of Human Society

B．Restrictions on Transportation

C．Functions of Communication

D．Barriers Made by People

【小題2】The author uses the examples in the second paragraph to tell people that_______.

A．travellers have to carry special papers such as visas

B．customs posts are necessary at the borders of the countries

C．people have been allowed to travel freely within the country

D．people have not been permitted to travel freely for various reasons

【小題3】Why do some governments limit the freedom of communication?Because they______.

A．intend to keep their national secrets unknown to others

B．think such freedom will lead to wars

C．often disagree with each other on important matters

D．want to show their authority over communication

【小題4】We may learn from the passage that_______.

A．people do not care about the removal of barriers between countries

B．people can not remove the obstacles made by themselves

C．man-made barriers are sometimes harder to overcome than natural ones

D．barriers should be taken for granted as they always exist

In only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastest-growing US minority．As their children began moving up through the nation’s schools，it became clear that a new kind of culture was coming out．Their achievements are made in the nation’s best universities，where mathematics，science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character.This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their education abroad arrived in the U.S. with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English.They are also influenced by the promise of a good job after college．Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively(客觀)．And the money spent on education is more immediately returned in something like engineering than with an arts degree．
Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children should take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer.An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do，and it helps．Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture，such as family value，the importance of education and so on that lead to their success.
Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they could cause the native Americans’unhappiness．Many can remember when Chinese,Japanese and Filipino immigrants(移民)were unequally treated because of social separation．Indeed，it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.
【小題1】Few Asian-American students major in human sciences mainly because       .

A．they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgement in these areas

B．there is a wide difference between Asian and Western cultures

C．they know little about American cultures and Western cultures

D．their English is not good enough

【小題2】Asian-Americans prefer something like engineering to an arts degree because________.

A．people majoring in engineering are respected

B．people with an arts degree are looked down upon

C．they can’t find a job with an arts degree

D．they can earn more money after graduation

【小題3】While making great achievements at college，Asian-American students________.

A．a(chǎn)re afraid that their academic successes take on a strong Asian character

B．still worry about unfair treatment in society

C．generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parents

D．feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of English

【小題4】According to the passage，the major factors determining the success of Asian-Americans are   .

A．Asian culture and the American educational system

B．Asian culture and a solid base in basic mathematics

C．hard work and parental help

D．hard work and a limited knowledge of English

American parents usually think that their child should not have more pocket money than the children with whom he regularly connects, even if they are wealthier．But neither are children expected to compare with the richer if a large family, heavy responsibilities, or other conditions make it necessary to give a child less spending money than is customary （慣例的）in the neighborhood．
Whatever the pocket money is, its entire use is not controlled by the parents, because a child learns to use money correctly only through dealing with it himself．If a seven-year-old child gets a quarter as a week pocket money and is made to put it all in his piggy bank to save it up, he gets no idea what the real use for the money is．He gets the shiny coins and they soon disappear．
The idea of a bank account is too early for so small a child, although he can be made to understand and enjoy saving his coins—not all of them, only a part of what he receives—to buy something he especially wants．By the time he is eight he is old enough to take part in the opening of his own savings account, parents may take him to the bank, open a savings account for him and encourage him to put a certain quantity or any checks he receives as gifts into the bank and watch his bank savings grow as entry by entry（存入） is made．
He will be saving, earning, and spending suitable quantities all along in order to learn how to manage money and to keep him in a favorable position with his friend．The boy who can't join his fellows in a sweet shop once in a while, because he has to save every cent he gets or earns for some big unknown project his parents have chosen for him, is a sorry child．
【小題1】Choose the best exolaration for the underlined part in the second paragraph.

A．It is a kind of bank run by children．

B．It is a contralre in the shape of a pig for saving coins.

C．It is a certain place in which pigs are raise．

D．It is a bank whose building looks like a pig

【小題2】Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Most of the rich people in America give children much pocket money．

B．American children usually have their bank accounts until they are eight．

C．American parents seldom care for their children's spending money．

D．American children begin to learn how to manage money when very young．

【小題3】Suppose an 8-year-old child receives 10 dollars as his birthday gift, he may probably ____．

A．spend the money on the things he wants

B．compare the gift with that of his friend

C．have most of it saved in the bank

D．put all the money in his piggy bank

【小題4】Why does the writer think the boy is a sorry one if he saves every cent he gets or earns?

A．Because he can not manage his money and is kept himself in an unfavorable position

B．Because he can not join the fellows in a sweet shop once in a while

C．Because he can not learn the use of money through spending it himself

D．Because he can not have any other choice but save, earn of spend money

For a commuter rushing to catch a train, a minute can mean the difference between dinner with the family and leftovers (剩飯) in the microwave. What most passengers don’t realize is that their minute is already there.
Every commuter train that departs from New York City — about 900 a day — leaves a minute later than scheduled. If the timetable says 8:14, the train will actually leave at 8:15. In other words, if you think you have only a minute to get that train — well, relax. You have two.
The courtesy (禮貌) minute, in place for decades and published only in private timetables for employees, is meant as a grace period（寬限期）for those who need the extra time to get off the platform and onto the train.
“If everyone knows they get an extra minute, they’re going to waste time doing unimportant things,” explained Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for the Metro-North Railroad. Told of this article, Ms. Anders laughed. “Don’t blow our cover!” she said.
Entirely hidden from the riding public, the secret minute is an odd departure from the railroad culture of down-to-the-second accuracy. The railroad industry helped invent the concept of standard time, and time zones were established in the United States in the 1880s, 35 years before they were written into law. And most commuters know their train by the precise minute it departs. The trains quickly make up the minute: at all other stops, the public timetable prevails. The phantom minute does not exist at commuter railroads in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, or San Francisco. But in New York, the secret minute dates back decades.
“That’s been done forever, from my knowledge,” said Jack Swanberg, 70, an unofficial historian of Metro-North. “I was the trainmaster starting in 1970 and I’m sure it’s been the case since 1870 for all I know.”
【小題1】The courtesy minute was hidden from the public to _____.

A．prevent the passengers’ idleness	B．help invent the concept of standard time
C．show the railroad company’s consideration	D．follow the ancient tradition of New York City

【小題2】 The underlined part “Don’t blow our cover” in Para. 4 probably means “_____”.

A．Don’t publish the timetable	B．Don’t blame commuter trains
C．Don’t make it known by the public	D．Don’t forget our chances of catching trains

【小題3】What can we conclude from the passage?

A．The courtesy minute exists in many cities in the US.

B．One minute means a lot for most of the commuters.

C．The courtesy minute has been in place for about ten years.

D．Most railroad staff in New York have no idea of the courtesy minute.

【小題4】 The passage mainly talks about _____.

A．the railroads in the US	B．the secret New York minute
C．the mistake of the railroad industry	D．the history of New York commuter trains

Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn't matter where you live--in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village--the chances are that you' ll be disturbed by jet planes, radios, oil - powered engines, etc. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they' re working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be a very frightening experience for a human being. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓). The noise level in some discos is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(專心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really influences their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise which doesn't change too much(music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.
【小題1】According to this passage, the noise pollution         .

A．has become the worst in the countryside	B．has become better in big cities
C．has spread from cities to villages	D．has been controlled in modern cities

【小題2】Some people have their hearing harmed        .

A．while listening to pop music	B．in complete silence
C．when speaking loudly	D．while watching TV

【小題3】Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating on something is        .

A．a(chǎn)ll kinds of noise	B．changes in the level of noise
C．background noise	D．popular music

Whatever we may need to buy，we can use our credit cards．This is a change from the older days when we had to first check whether cards were accepted．Today，everybody, from retailers（零售商) to lenders，accepts credit cards．Attitudes towards credit cards have also changed a lot．People used to be
very careful of using their cards；but this is no longer the case. People today prefer to take out their cards as soon as they get to the cash counter．A swipe (刷卡) and a sign are all it takes，and you can walk home with the bill and all the things you buy．
The credit card is much easier to carry than cash and it is not at all surprising that the former becomes the most preferred way of payment．A credit card takes up very little space in our wallets，and yet，it holds the power of a large sum of cash．Paying by credit cards is also a good way of keeping bills on where all of our money goes．  
Moreover，it has become much easier to get credit cards these days．I constantly have cold callers calling up to offer me “great new credit card deals”．Salesmen occasionally walk into our office offering discounts if a group of people decide to sign up a certain kind of credit card plan at the same time．However，this can also cause a problem．Nowadays，we always run the
risk of getting some kinds of wastes．When the terms seem too good to be true，we should make sure that we always read the printed items carefully．Before signing for a creditcard，it is necessary to know its advantages and disadvantages．The only way to deal with this is to do our homework, before we go credit card hunting．   
【小題1】We learn from Paragraph 1 that      ．   

A．people can use credit cards anytime，anywhere

B．people used to have to check up on credit cards

C．people are more careful using credit cards nowadays

D．people can take their goods home just by swiping their cards

【小題2】One of the main advantages of credit cards is that   ．

A．they occupy less space compared with other modes of payment

B．they are more powerful than cash

C．they are easy to get，and save money

D．they help users keep track of what they spend on

【小題3】When signing for a credit card，people should     .

A．a(chǎn)sk for a discount

B．understand the dangers

C．read every word of the contract carefully

D．understand that the salesman is most likely to offer false information

【小題4】In the last sentence the writer tells us that      ．  

A．we should know the advantages and disadvantages of credit cards before using them

B．we should finish work before going shopping with a credit card

C．we should check which credit cards are accepted before using them

D．we should make sure that our credit cards are real before using them

Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, the aged, and children who have lost their parents, but also friends, workmates, relatives and neighbors whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.
Over 60 years ago, when a Cleveland man noticed that some people, such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed, too often felt forgotten and neglected, he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this by giving them small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors, he gave those people small gifts on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to take part in the celebration, which came to be called “Sweetest Day”. Over time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor, the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift. Soon the idea spread to other cities all over the USA.
Sweetest Day is not based on any single group’s religious beliefs or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning.
Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a positive way.
【小題1】What is Cleveland?

A．An island.	B．A country.
C．A city in America.	D．A village in England.

【小題2】What do most people usually do to show their care to others according to the passage?

A．They give gifts.	B．They give money.
C．They send regards.	D．They offer help.

【小題3】What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in October.

B．Sweetest Day is just an occasion to care about disabled people.

C．Sweetest Day is an occasion for lovers to express love.

D．Sweetest Day is a day to make others happy.

【小題4】The underlined word “neglected” in the second paragraph means “______”.

A．remembered	B．hated
C．disappointed	D．paid little or no attention to

【小題5】Which of the following has little relationship to Sweetest Day?

A．Visiting sick people of the hospital.

B．Visiting children who have lost their parents.

C．Giving flowers to sweethearts.

D．Giving friends small gifts.

Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet. Basically, Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile(簡介) which can include your hobbies, hopes for the future, and so on. A photograph is optional, but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile.  Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You can even narrow the search down to your area by zip code. Another advantage is that you can communicate by email before you meet in person. Thousands of people have met, fallen in love, and married through Internet dating. It is an excellent way for shy people to meet. It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others, and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in conventional dating and love, there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating. The person you have been talking to on the net may not be who they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details, such as marital status, income, and so on, for their own reasons. It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time. Nevertheless, taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.
【小題1】Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?

A．A photo.	B．A profile.
C．Registration fee.	D．Business experience.

【小題2】One advantage of Internet dating is that _______.

A．you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning

B．you're sure to find a partner with the same interests

C．you'll find absolutely reliable information of others

D．you'll gain fame and money overnight

【小題3】The underlined word "pitfalls" in Paragraph 4 most probably means________.

A．rules

B．trends

C．problems

D．skills

【小題4】What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?

A．Conventional dating.	B．Hidden advantages.
C．Safety measures.	D．Romantic love.

Years ago, many zoos kept all kinds of animals in small cages(籠子). Small cages made it easy for people to see the animals, but a small cage is not a good place for an animal to live in.
Today zoos keep animals in different kinds of cages. The cages are very big and open. They usually have plants and a little lake. The cages look like the animals' habitats
Zoos help to protect all kinds of animals. They protect animals in the zoo and they protect animals in the wild. How do they do this? Zoos teach people how animals live in the wild. Zoos want people to help protect the animals' wild habitats.
Many plants and animals are going extinct. Mammoths, which are related (有關(guān)聯(lián)的) with Asia elephants, are now extinct. There are no mammoths in the world today, Scientists say that seventy- four different kinds of living things go extinct every day!
Zoos are working together to stop animals from going extinct.
【小題1】Zoos kept animals in small cages so that people can              

A．protect them

B．see them better

C．feed them

D．save them

【小題2】Today, zoos keep animals              

A．in bigger cages

B．in the wild

C．in smaller cages

D．in the field

【小題3】 To protect animals, zoos              

A．a(chǎn)re trying to keep all kinds of animals	B．a(chǎn)re trying to free the animals
C．teach people more about animals	D．want people to feed the animals

【小題4】A mammoth is a kind of_  _ that has gone extinct.

A．plant

B．bird

C．a(chǎn)nimal

D．tree

【小題5】 An animal or a plant that is going extinct __            

A．no longer exists(存在) in the world	B．comes into this world soon
C．becomes very dangerous	D．has fewer and fewer living members