When you visit America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (how-ever, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided, but there will certainly be a cafeteria (自助餐館). Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than next. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools; and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in the big National Parks.
In these great National Parks, you may meet guests you don’t expect to see. An American friend told me a little story. In the middle of a moonless night she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow(陰影）. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief — it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paw, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!
There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”,  where they receive lodgers (房客). You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning — looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon!
【小題1】Which of the following is TRUE about motels?

A．You can only find motels in the big National Parks.

B．They are free for people who arrive by car.

C．If you want to stay at a motel, you must have a car.

D．The word “motel” is formed by two words.

【小題2】Which of the following is NOT provided by motels?

A．Baths.

B．Swimming pools.

C．TV.

D．Meals.

【小題3】The underlined word “crept” in the second paragraph probably means “______”.

A．moved slowly

B．rushed out

C．threw away

D．ran fast

【小題4】The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.

A．a(chǎn)n interesting story

B．the experience of the author’s friend

C．we may meet animals in the National Parks

D．bears usually look for food at night

【小題5】From the last paragraph, we can learn that in New York during the tourist season ______.

A．tourists can find gold there

B．tourists can have a sweet dream there

C．it is difficult to find a room there

D．there is warning for tourists to New York

Tired of all the pushing in supermarkets? Fed up with waiting in endless lines to pay for what you have bought? Angry at wasting time in traffic jams only to find no parking spaces when you eventually arrive at the store? If this is you, then online shopping is the answer to your dreams of trouble-free shopping.
Online shopping brings its own challenges. Here are a few things to bear in mind when browsing (瀏覽) various websites. The claim (聲稱) made by online sites is that shopping online is a safe and secure way to make purchases. The evidence challenges this. In any case, you only have to be the victim(受害者) of fraud (欺騙) once to experience all the problems that come with this form of stealing. Use only sites that have a trusted history and an excellent reputation(名聲).
Another problem is that the appearance of items in reality is often quite different from what you see on your computer screen. This might not be a problem if you are buying washing up powder but could be a major disappointment when that beautiful blue dress you ordered turns up in green. Also, product descriptions are sometimes simply untrue! Perhaps the wisest plan is to purchase items whose design and color are not essential to customer satisfaction.
Some even argue that online shopping indirectly contributes to global warming. Yes, your car can stay parked but how are online goods delivered? Often by some large van pouring out carbon monoxide and adding to our already desperate traffic problems. You are also by now becoming increasingly irritated(使煩惱) by the fact that the delivery is late !
Without question, online shopping is here to stay and it has its benefits. However, perhaps it is not as wonderful as some of its supporters claim it to be.
【小題1】How can online shoppers avoid fraud?

A．By choosing big websites.

B．By collecting shopping evidence.

C．By seeking advice from the police.

D．By using only trusted websites.

【小題2】What does the author tell us about online shopping in Paragraph 3?

A．Don’t believe product descriptions easily.

B．Product appearances are always not good.

C．It is usually wise to buy colorful products.

D．It is normal for a blue dress to change into green.

【小題3】The author agrees with the fact that        .

A．online shopping is a safe way to make purchases

B．customers are never satisfied with products

C．online shopping has nothing to do with global warming

D．delivery delay often makes online shoppers unhappy

【小題4】What is the author’s attitude towards online shopping?

A．It is very popular.

B．It is a wise choice.

C．It is a double-edged sword(雙刃劍).

D．It is a waste of time.

First Lady Michelle Obama is a big fan of volunteering. Volunteering means working for free to help someone else. Mrs. Obama says volunteering is very important. “It should be part of everyone’s life, ” she says.
Many teens agree. They say that helping others feels great and makes a difference. These days, more teens volunteer than work for pay. Teens clean up parks, walk dogs at animal shelters , visit the elderly and more.
Some cities ---- including Seatle, Chicago, and Washingtong,D.C. ----require high school students to volunteer. Students must volunteer in order to graduate. The student volunteers learn new skills and help their communities (社區(qū)).
Many parents are in favor of the idea ---- they say volunteering helps teens build job skills. But most teens don’t want to be forced to volunteer. They say they are busy. And they say volunteering is only fun if it’s a choice.
Read both sides of the debate (辯論) and decide.
YES
● Volunteering can help teens get into college or get a job.
● Many cities and towns need help. Volunteers can help keep important programs going.
● Not all teens will volunteer if it isn’t required. Schools should repuire students to do all they can to get ready for adult life.
NO
● Most teens are already very busy with classes, homework, jobs and sports. Forcing them to do more isn’t fair.
● It should be up to each person. Helping out doesn’t feel as good if you have to do it.
● Finding a volunteer job isn’t always easy. Students shouldn’t be kept from graduating because of something they can’t control.
【小題1】The writer mentions Michelle Obama in order to        ,

A．introduce the topic of the text

B．explain what volunteering is

C．tell what she does for the US

D．show she enjoys volunteering

【小題2】According to the text, in Chicago,          .

A．finding a volunteer job is quite easy

B．more people would rather work for pay

C．volunteering is a must for high school students

D．college students have to volunteer before graduation

【小題3】The underlined part “are in favor of “ in the text means”        .

A．drop

B．develop

C．catch

D．like

【小題4】Which question does the text mainly discuss?

A．Is volunteering good for students?

B．What is the best time to volunteer?

C．Should students be required to volunteer?

D．Which volunteer jobs should students do?

In Canada and the United States, there is a new group of children called “satellite kids”, who live in one place but whose parents live in another place.
Asians are immigrating to Canada and the United States in larger numbers than ever before. Most Asians immigrate because they believe that they can give their children a better education in the West. In Asia, especially in China, Japan, and Korea, it is difficult to go to university. Students must first pass the strict national examination. However, in Canada and the United States, it is easy to go to university and anyone who wants to go can go. As a result, Asian parents decide to leave their countries so that their children can go to university.
The problem is that when Asians arrive, they discover that finding a job and making money are more difficult in the West than in the East. Also, they find that they are very lonely, and that they miss their homes. Because of these two reasons, most Asian parents decide to go back to work while their children study in the West. Therefore, these children become “satellite kids”, and most of their parents do not know how sad it is to be a “satellite kid”.
Only until now are Canadians and Americans discovering the “satellite kid” problem. Because these children do not speak English and because their parents are not there to take care of them, they are often absent from school. To be a “satellite kid” means to grow up in a country where you know you are different and where you cannot make friends because you do not speak English well. Also, it means to grow up lonely, because your parents are elsewhere. What these “satellite kids” will probably say to their parents is that it’s better to have parents around than to have a university education.
【小題1】Some Asian parents send their kids abroad because _______.

A．a(chǎn)ll foreign universities are better than the ones in their own countries

B．they hope their children may easily find a job there

C．the kids may not be accepted by universities in their own countries

D．the kids want to improve their English and make foreign friends

【小題2】“Satellite kids” refer to Asian kids ________.

A．with university education	B．speaking no English
C．without parents	D．living abroad alone

【小題3】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Parents want better education for their kids.

B．Kids in foreign countries alone are badly in need of care from family.

C．Parents feel lonely and miss their families.

D．Canadians and Americans begin to notice the “satellite kids” problem.

If you exhibit positive characteristics such as honesty and helpfulness, the chances are that you will be thought as a good-looking person, for a new study has found that the perception （認(rèn)知） of physical attractiveness is influenced by a person's personality．
The study, which was led by Gary W．Lewandowski, has found that people who exhibit negative characteristics, such as unfairness and rudeness, appear to be less physically attractive to observers．In the study, the participants viewed photographs of opposite-sex individuals and rated them for attractiveness before and after being provided with information about their personalities．
After personality information was received, participants also rated the probability of each individual' s becoming a friend and a dating partner．Information on personality was found to significantly change the probability, showing that cognitive （認(rèn)知的） processes modify （修改） judgments of attractiveness．
"Thinking a person as having a desirable personality makes the person more suitable in general as a close relationship partner of any kind," said Lewandowski．
The findings show that a positive personality leads to greater expectation of becoming friends, which leads to greater expectation of becoming romantic partners and, finally, to being viewed as more physically attractive．The findings remained consistent regardless of how "attractive" the individual was formerly thought to be or of the participants' current relationship status．
"This research provides a positive outcome by reminding people that personality goes a long way toward determining your attractiveness; it can even change people's impressions of how good-looking you are," said Lewandowski．
【小題1】In the study the participants were required to _____．

A．try to make friends with each other

B．try to prove positive characters make people more attractive

C．exhibit negative characters such as unfairness and rudeness

D．rate one's attractiveness by photos before and after knowing her or his personality

【小題2】Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?

A．The research reminds people to pay more attention to the personality．

B．Personality can change people's impressions of one's appearance．

C．The judgment of one's attractiveness always stays unchanged．

D．Positive personality may lead to more friends．

【小題3】The passage is written in a（n） _____ tone．

A．subjective

B．objective

C．skeptical

D．negative

【小題4】Who are the intended readers of this passage?

A．People with positive characteristics．

B．Good-looking people．

C．People with negative characteristics．

D．General people．

In the age of reality television, success isn’t the only way to the public eye. Failure can also create fame, just like William Hung, 21, a native of Hong Kong.
Hung recently has made an agreement with US-based entertainment firms Koch Records and Fuse Music Network. They will publish a full-length record, titled “The True Idol” on April 6.
The idol is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” on the television show “American Idol 3”, on January 27. The Fox TV singing contest searches for pop stars among ordinary people. In the case of Hung, however, his act was so bad that the judges cut him off in mid-act.
Hung’s response? “I already gave my best, so I have no regrets at all.” That’s good, because any common person would have found plenty to regret: The off-key singing. The blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled up too high. The terrible dancing. The hips jerking (搖擺) to a beat that did not belong to the song, maybe not even to this planet. It was, by all accounts, bad.
But, it was this very bad act that sold well.
Marc Juries, president of Fuse, explained it this way: “Every one of us is happily guilty of singing our favorite song at the top of our lungs with complete freedom, completely off-key and completely unworried. That’s what William did and immediately won the hearts of America.”
Whatever it is, for the moment it’s big. Three websites devoted to Hung have gone up on the Internet in the past few weeks. Versions of his performance have been remixed with hip hop and techno-music and have made it to the top 10 request list at a Chicago radio station.
So, what does Hung think of this?
“There were all these people saying things about me. A lot were saying I was very courageous and that I was great on the show, but some didn’t have much respect for me and some were kind of mean.”
Now he says he’s not so sure whether to distance himself from the glamour (魅力) or to accept it. Returning to normal hasn’t been easy.
【小題1】What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Sometimes an idol behaves quite foolishly.

B．Hung’s performance attracted the public eye.

C．How an unsuccessful person became famous.

D．Success sometimes does not require hard work.

【小題2】What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 7 refer to?

A．William Hung.

B．Hung’s bad act.

C．Hung’s website.

D．The public’s opinion.

【小題3】Which of the following shows the correct order of what happened to Hung?
a. The entertainment firms made an agreement with Hung.
b. The judges cut Hung off in mid-act in the singing contest.
c. Hung became popular among Americans.
d. Hung gave a terrible performance though he tried his best.
e. Three websites put Hung’s funny performance on the Internet.

A．d, b, e, c, a

B．a(chǎn), c, d, b, e

C．a(chǎn), d, b, c, e

D．d, b, a, e, c

Almost a decade ago, the federal government dropped $10 million for an Earth-monitoring satellite that never made it into space. Today it sits in a closet in Maryland. Cost to taxpayers for storing it: $1 million a year. And that's just what's hiding in one closet. Who knows what's in the rest of them?
Because we think the government should be held to at least the same standards as a publicly traded company, and because as taxpayers, we're America's shareholders, we performed an audit （財(cái)務(wù)檢查）of sorts of the federal books. We're not economists, but we do have common sense. We tried to get help from Congressional staffers from both parties, as well as various watchdog groups and agencies. In the end, we found that the federal government wastes nearly $1 trillion every year.
That's roughly equal to the amount collected annually by the Internal Revenue Service in personal income taxes. Put another way, it's also equal to about one-third of the country's $2.9 trillion total annual budget. And reclaiming that lost trillion could help wipe out the country's annual budget deficit（赤字）, improve education, and provide health insurance for those who don't have it.
So how do you define "waste"? David Walker of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a federal watchdog agency, calls it "the government's failure to give taxpayers the most for their money." For our part, we used the kind of household test you would use on a piece of meat sitting in your refrigerator: If it smells rotten, it's waste. Our government regularly pays for products and services it never gets, wildly overpays companies to do things it could do more cheaply itself, loses money outright due to lax（不嚴(yán)格的）accounting and oversight, and spends money randomly on unnecessary programs.
How exactly does the federal government waste your hard-earned tax dollars? We've identified what we consider ten of the worst ways.
【小題1】The underlined sentence in Paragraph1 really means        .

A．there are many other closets	B．there are some other satellites
C．there is something else in the closets	D．the waste may be quite amazing

【小題2】Which of the following can best describe the feeling of the author?

A．Annoyed.

B．Calm.

C．Surprised.

D．Not concerned.

【小題3】Which of the following statements may be right?

A．The country’s annual budget is usually decided by the public.

B．The government failed in launching the satellite.

C．The government is only wasting money in space experiments.

D．The amount collected annually in personal income taxes is equal to the country’s budget.

【小題4】The best title for the passage would be        .

A．Protecting Our Rights!

B．Our Country Is In Danger!

C．The Government Is Wasting Our Tax Dollars!

D．How to Prevent Government from Wasting Money!

【小題5】What might be talked about if the passage is continued?

A．The government’s taking some steps to stop wasting taxes.

B．Presenting people’s feelings against the government’s wasting taxes.

C．Giving suggestion to help the government solve the financial problem.

D．Listing how the government is wasting taxes.

Today, when there are many top graduates looking for top jobs, graduates can differentiate(區(qū)別) themselves by obtaining a double major or even a double degree. Increasingly, employers are looking for individuals who are not only competent and intelligent, but who have different skill sets and who are knowledgeable in many areas. Part of the appeal to employers is that your extra work demonstrates a willingness to take on difficult tasks. Additionally, if your majors overlap (重疊), you are able to show potential employers that you have both breadth and depth of knowledge.
By studying for a double major, although you will be studying for only one degree, you will be focusing on two related and integrated subjects that complement (補(bǔ)充) each other. Classes overlap between the majors, meaning fewer classes are required than with a double degree, so it is easier to finish within four years.
In contrast, with the more rigorous (嚴(yán)格的) double degree, you will be studying for two different degrees in two completely different areas of study. Although pursuing such a course    of study allows students to complete two wholly separate degrees in less time than if they  were to earn them separately, many strong students still find it incredibly difficult to complete in four or five years.
If you are committed to a double major/degree, it is wise to do a little bit of planning. Some students try to find two courses of studies that are related, while others seek to round out their academic studies by choosing two completely unrelated fields.
For double majors, common pairings include: (i) economics and a foreign language; (ii) political science or government and journalism; (iii) economics and psychology.
For double degrees, common pairings include: (i) engineering and a business program such as finance or accounting; (ii) engineering and economics.
【小題1】What do employers think of the graduates with different skill sets and knowledge in many areas?

A．They should be given top jobs.

B．They are willing to take difficult tasks.

C．They are better than those who are competent and intelligent.

D．They must have attained a double major or even a double degree.

【小題2】According to the passage, the underlined word “breadth” most probably means_________.

A．quality

B．a(chǎn)mount

C．quantity

D．width

【小題3】To obtain a double major, you _________.

A．should complete two wholly separate degrees

B．need to focus on two related and integrated subjects

C．need to spend more time than obtaining a double degree

D．have to take courses in two completely different areas of study

【小題4】If you are devoted to a double major or degree, you should _________.

A．find two subjects with overlapping classes

B．learn about what your potential employers want

C．decide what to learn with your intentions considered

D．try to decide on some common pairings as soon as possible

【小題5】Which statement is CORRECT according to the passage?

A．Economics is a major while engineering is a degree.

B．Every college student should take a double major or degree.

C．Earning a double degree is more difficult than obtaining a double major.

D．Some students choose two completely unrelated fields to show their ability in academic study.

It is not only experts in China who are arguing over whether women should work after marriage or not. Worldwide this question is being discussed as an interestingly large number of married women enter the workplace. Take the United States for example. Since 1960, the percentage of married women in the work force has jumped from 31.9 per cent to 59.4 per cent.
American women first moved into the paid labour force during the World War II, when men left their jobs to fight. In the last fifty years, more and more women have worked outside the home. And over these years of developing, Americans have changed their social values as a result. In 1975, women aged 35 and above made up half of all working women. And by 1980, 60 per cent were women at the age of 45 and above.
Now in Japan, women’s work group is M-shaped with middle-aged women and those aged 20-25 at the two peaks. According to statistics(統(tǒng)計(jì))， 37.7 per cent of Japanese women at childbearing age(25-29) still engaged themselves in work in 1980. and the number reached 50 per cent the next year.
Being a housewife has always been regarded as a “graceful occupation” in Japan. Some young Japanese women believe it is good to be a “ professional housewife”. However, old attitudes have been changing everywhere, and sometimes just out of economic necessary. In recent years, a great number of city housewives have poured out of homes to take part time jobs. Even the UN has given its support.. The 34^th Congress of the United Nations in 1979 put forward the decision for formal agreement on the getting rid of discrimination(歧視) against women.
So far, most UN members have agreed on it, but some still haven’t,  including the United States.
【小題1】From the first passage, we can learn that ________________.

A．experts encourage women to take paying jobs.

B．men encourage women to take paying jobs

C．government encourage women to take paying jobs.

D．more and more people begin to care about women’s life

【小題2】In the United States _________________.

A．married women are lazier than their husbands.

B．Husbands are lazier than their wives

C．Few married women used to work outside

D．More married women used to work outside

【小題3】Married women in Japan________________.
A, all work outside their homes     
B. seldom work outside their homes
C. have different opinions on their working outside 
D. all do housework at their homes
【小題4】More and more women have taken jobs outside for the reason that ____________.

A．they have no children to take care of

B．they have no housework to do

C．they want to make more friends

D．they want to improve their living conditions

Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii, Italy. They see the sight that Pompeii is famous for—its stadium and theaters, its shops and restaurants. The tourists do not, however, see Pompeii’s people. No one has lived in Pompeii for almost 2,ooo years.
Once Pompeii was a busy city of 22,000 people. It lay at the foot of Mt Vesuvius, a grass-covered volcano. Mt Vesuvius had not erupted for centuries, so the people of Pompeii felt safe. But they were not. In August of the year 79 AD, Mt Vesuvius erupted. The entire top of the mountain exploded, and a huge black cloud rose into the air. Soon stones and hot ashes began to fall on Pompeii. When the eruption ended two days later, Pompeii was buried under 20 feet of stones and ashes. Almost all of its people were dead.
For centuries, Pompeii lay buried under stones and ashes. Then in the year 1861, an Italian scientist named Ginseppe began to uncover Pompeii. Slowly, carefully, Ginseppe and his men dug. The city almost looked the same as it had looked in 79 AD. There were streets and fountains, houses and shops. There was a stadium with 20,000 seats. Perhaps the most important of all, there were everyday objects, which tell us a great deal about the people who lived in Pompeii. Many glasses and jars had some dark blue color in the bottom, so we know that the people of Pompeii liked wine. They liked bread too; metal bread pans were in every bakery. In one bakery there were 81 round, flat loaves of bread—a type of bread that is still sold in Italy today. Tiny boxes filled with a dark, shiny powder tell us that women liked to wear eye-makeup.
Ginseppe has died, but his work continues. One-fourth has not been uncovered yet. Scientists are still digging, still making discoveries that draw the tourists to Pompeii.
【小題1】Why do large number of people come to Pompeii each year?

A．To visit the volcano.	B．To shop and eat there.
C．To watch sports and plays.	D．To see how Pompeiians lived.

【小題2】Why did the city uncovered look almost the same as it had looked in 79 AD ?

A．Because Ginseppe and his men dug it slowly and carefully.

B．Because the city was buried alive and remained untouched.

C．Because scientists successfully rebuilt the city with everyday objects.

D．Because nobody had lived in the city ever since the volcano erupted.

【小題3】What do we know about the Pompeiians who lived 2,000 years ago?
A. They lived more or less the same as Italians now do.
B. They liked women wearing all kinds of makeup.
C. They enjoyed a lazy life with drinking and eating.
D. They went back to Pompeii after the eruption in 79 AD.