You may think that sailing is a difficult sport, but it is really not hard to learn it. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind.
First, you must ask yourself, “Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?” You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail.
Let’s start with the wind blowing from the behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90° angle (角度) to the boat. Then it will catch the wind best.
If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat. In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45° angle to the boat. It needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn’t flap (擺動). It shouldn’t look like on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down.
Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can’t go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking. When you are tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat.
【小題1】 What should you consider first while sailing?

A．Sailors’ strength.	B．Wave levels.
C．Wind directions.	D．Size of sails.

【小題2】 What does the word “It” underlined in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The boat.	B．The wind.
C．The sail.	D．The angle.

【小題3】 What do you have to do when sailing against the wind?

A．Move in a straight line.	B．Allow the sail to flap.
C．Lower the sail.	D．Tack the boat.

【小題4】 Where can you probably find the text?

A．In a popular magazine.	B．In a tourist guidebook.
C．In a physics textbook.	D．In an official report.

A good first impression is important. So, how do you, when you’re meeting someone for the first time, make certain he or she doesn’t get the wrong image of you?
A study concluded that the first 30 seconds make or break the connection between two people when they meet for the first time. Another study conducted by UCLA found that “people evaluate one another by using the three V’s: visual (appearance), vocal (voice) and verbal (what you say).”
Before you head out on your next date to meet someone new, let’s concentrate on these areas:
●How others will see you. (Visual) Are you dressed well? Do you look like this date is important to you? Did you take some time with your appearance? Watch your manners: people don’t like bad manners.
●How others will hear you. (Vocal) Is your voice too soft? You might come across as insecure. If you speak softly, make an effort to speak clearly — don’t make your date have to work to hear you.
●What others will hear you say. (Verbal) People have a natural desire to connect — let them know you’re interested in what they have to say by repeating it back to them. Don’t say the same thing everyone else is saying.
【小題1】What would be the best title for the text?

A．How to make friends with others

B．How to enjoy yourself in your life

C．The importance of a good first impression

D．Good measures to communicate with others

【小題2】According to the text, when you want to make friends with someone, ______.

A．you should talk as much as possible

B．there is no need for you to treat it seriously

C．you should try to master（掌握） the first few seconds（秒）

D．you should wear strange clothes to give him or her a deep impression

【小題3】Which of the following belongs to the description of “Vocal”?

A．Dress yourself very well.

B．Speak carefully and clearly.

C．Repeat the same thing several times.

D．Spend some time on your appearance.

Some people think that all wild animals are very dangerous. Actually, very few of them will attack a man if he leaves them alone. If you met a lion or an elephant, suppose, you would run away, but even a lion will keep away from a man unless it is very hungry. Lions and tigers only kill and eat men when they have grown too old and too weak to catch their usual food, such as deer and other small animals. If you saw a wild elephant, perhaps you would be frightened. Elephants usually run away at once unless you attack them. Some animals get very frightened if they only smell a man; some take no notice at all but quietly walk in another direction. Wild animals only attack hunters when they are afraid that the hunters mean to harm their young ones, or then the hunters shoot at them and make them angry.
【小題1】The word “attack ’’ is closest in meaning to _____________ .

A．hurt	B．catch
C．hit	D．follow

【小題2】Lions and tigers will not kill or eat men ____________ .

A．unless men try to run away

B．if they are too old and too weak

C．if they are able to get enough food

D．however men act towards them

【小題3】Some wild animals will become very dangerous ______________ .

A．when they grow old

B．if they are left alone

C．while they are looking for food

D．when their young ones are in danger

【小題4】This passage is mainly about______________ .

A．how to protect wild animals

B．how animals look for their food

C．how to make friends with wild animals

D．how animals act towards men

If you are living in the city, have you ever thought of going to live in the country for a change?
Many people want to move from the country to the city because they think life in the city is more exciting and better than that in rural (農(nóng)村的) areas, especially young people who like new and modern things.
Often people feel that they can find the latest styles only in the city. Other people are interested in technological (科技的) things and high-tech jobs and think they can find them only in a big city. If they want to find a job, especially a good position in a company, they feel they have to live in a city. To get these jobs, they are willing to put up with many of the disadvantages (不利因素) of city life such as heavy traffic and pollution.
However, it is now possible to enjoy a higher quality of life in the countryside and still enjoy some of the advantages (好處) of living in the city.
Nowadays, travel is fast and information is available (可獲得的) on the Internet, so many people are able to do their work in home offices.
Because they have e-mail and personal computers, they don't have to be in big cities to do their business. It is not important where they actually work because the results of their work can be sent everywhere with technology. Now they can enjoy life in the countryside and still be able to do good business and successful careers.
【小題1】The underlined phrase “put up with” (in Para. 3) probably means “_____”.

A．change	B．stand
C．be angry with	D．be pleased with

【小題2】Now people can enjoy life in the countryside and still be able to do good business and   successful careers _____.

A．because of the Internet and fast travel

B．because of e-mail and personal computers

C．because travel is fast

D．because the rural areas are developing faster than cities

【小題3】What is the author's opinion?

A．She / he prefers to live in the countryside rather than live in the city.

B．She / he prefers to live in the city rather than live in the countryside.

C．She / he likes both city life and countryside life.

D．It is not clear which life she / he prefers.

【小題4】What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Life in the city	B．Life in the country
C．Go and live in the city	D．Go and live in the country

A strong imagination does children a lot of good. The following are 5 benefits of encouraging children’s imagination.
【小題1】 As children play different roles, they explore relationships between family members, friends and co-workers and learn more about them. For example, playing a doctor, they imagine how doctors care for their patients; playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children.
Build self-confidence. Young children have very little control over their lives. Imagining oneself as a builder of tall buildings or a superhero defending the planet is giving power to a child. 【小題2】
Help intellectual（智力的）growth.  【小題3】 Children who can see a king’s castle in a mound（堆）of sand are learning to think in an abstract（抽象的）way. This skill is important in school.
【小題4】  Kids who play with their friends do a lot of talking. This helps increase their vocabulary, improve sentence structure and communication skills.
Work out fears.   【小題5】 When children role-play about the big, bad monster under the bed, they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn’t seem so big or so bad.

A．Develop social skills.

B．Practice language skills.

C．Be willing to share.

D．It helps them develop confidence in their abilities.

E. Imagination can help children help each other.
F. Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.
G. Playing roles can help children work out their fears and worries.

There are many kinds of sales. For example, a “back-to-school sale” is held near the beginning of the school year. Parents like the lower prices of the clothes and school supplies for their children.
A “midnight madness” event starts very late at night. An “early bird special” sale starts very early in the morning. This kind of sale is popular the day after Thanksgiving in November.
A favorite sale among many people is the “buy one, get one free” sale. You buy one thing and get a second one without cost. When people see the word “free” in an advertisement they know they are getting a good deal. As a matter of fact, it is not the case.
Another kind of sale is a “going out of business” sale. This is when a storeowner tries to sell all the goods in the store before closing the business permanently(永久地).
Let us say the store sells floor coverings. The owner lowers the prices and puts up a sign that says: “Going out of business sale. All items MUST be sold by tomorrow.”
People who buy the floor coverings think they are getting a special deal because everything must be sold in a short period of time. Then, days later they see the store did not close permanently. And they see the same sign that claims the store is going out of business. Some business owners really do not end the business. They just want to earn more money.
People also hold their own sales. They hold garage sales and yard sales outside their home. They sell things they no longer want. Groups such as religious centers or schools hold bake sales. They sell cakes, cookies and other baked goods to raise money.
In America, you can always find a good sale, no matter the day or time of year. There is the Independence Day sale, Veteran’s Day sale, clearance sale, sidewalk sale, red tag sale, white sale, blue light special, liquidation sale, half-off sale, warehouse sale, tent sale ...
【小題1】What does the passage mainly deal with?

A．How to save money in shopping.

B．Different kinds of sales.

C．Shoppers’ ways to earn money.

D．Reasons for the popularity of sales.

【小題2】What do we call the sale if it starts before the sun rises?

A．A “back-to-school sale”.

B．A “midnight madness” event.

C．An “early bird special” sale.

D．A “buy one, get one free” sale.

【小題3】Why do parents like a “back-to-school sale”?

A．Because it has a variety of school supplies.

B．Because it is held at the beginning of the school year.

C．Because it provides plenty school uniforms.

D．Because they can save money.

【小題4】What’s the purpose of some owners who do “going out of business” sale repeatedly?

A．They want to close the business permanently.

B．They want to give special offers to customers.

C．They want to sell all their goods in a short period of time.

D．They want to cheat the customers into buying their goods.

In 2006, a large number of new Internet sites became popular around the world. Some of these are for communication, others for entertainment(娛樂).
The blog is one form of communication that increased in popularity. Through these personal websites(網(wǎng)址), people can share their lives, ideas and opinions on the Internet. People of all ages have their own blogs. For young people, they are a way to show their writing and other forms of self-expression. Blogs also connect people with other people who have the same interests. For example, teachers use blogs to share ideas with other teachers’, as well as experiences and concerns about their work.
YouTube is another Internet site that became more popular last year. This website lets anyone create, share and watch short videos. These include videos of people singing or dancing, or animals doing funny things. Three young men created YouTube almost two years ago as a personal video sharing service. They recently sold it to Google for more than one and a half billion dollars.
Games and entertainment also became a larger part of the Internet last year. One Internet social site is called Second Life. It is an online world in which computer users create a new self and live a different life. They get married, build homes, operate businesses, buy and sell goods, work, play and attend school.
People also take part in fantasy sports leagues with the help of the Internet. A fantasy sport is a game in which each member of a group acts as the owner of a team. Each owner creates a team of real-life professional players to compete against other teams in the league. More than fifteen million American adults play fantasy sports. The industry earns more than one billion（十億） dollars each year from publications, memberships and other costs.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about __________.

A．the most popular Internet technology in 2006

B．some new ways for people to communicate or have fun on the Internet

C．one online game called Second Life

D．the high price of playing online

【小題2】 Who is the owner of YouTube now?

A．Three young men.	B．Google.
C．Computer users.	D．Yahoo.

【小題3】Whom does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The people who are interested in blogs.

B．The people who play games on YouTube.

C．The people who play Second Life.

D．The people who are created in Second Life.

【小題4】What do we know from the passage?

A．Teachers can share ideas, experiences and concerns about their work with other teachers on any website.

B．More than fifteen million American teenagers play fantasy sports.

C．Second Life helps people get married, buy and sell goods, work, play and attend school in real life.

D．Fantasy sports, a game in which each member of a group acts as the owner of a team, is very popular around the world.

No one can change the weather. Nobody can control the weather. But if we read correctly the signs around us, we can tell what the more important changes in the weather will be. This way of telling what the weather will be like on the following day or two is called weather forecasting.
For many centuries and in all countries, people have studied the weather and tried to make weather forecasting. Rings around the sun are a sign of coming rain. That many people feel their joints(關(guān)節(jié)) hurt is a sign of wet weather. Some birds fly high if the weather is fine, but they fly near the ground if rainy or stormy weather is on the way. If you see a rainbow during rainy weather, this is a sign that the weather will become clear and fine. Such rainbows come in the evening. If the stars twinkle clearly at night, then fine weather will continue. If a fog appears in the morning just above a river, then the day will be warm. If the sunset is mostly red in colour, then the following day will be fine. If a rainbow appears in the morning, rainy weather will probably come.
Most of the above sayings have been made by the people who have used their eyes and brains to make weather forecasting.
【小題1】Which is true about weather forecasting?

A．Weather forecasting is a way of telling what the weather will be like.

B．Weather forecasting is a report about the weather.

C．Weather forecasting is a sign of coming rain.

D．People can change the weather forecasting.

【小題2】 Which of the following can be used here to replace the underlined phrase “on the way”?

A．continuing	B．reducing.
C．coming.	D．disappearing.

【小題3】Which of the following signs can tell the weather will probably be rainy?

A．Some birds fly high.

B．A rainbow appears in the morning.

C．The sunset is mostly red in colour.

D．Fogs appear in the morning just above a river.

【小題4】The best title of the passage is _______.

A．Weather forecasting plays an important role in our life

B．Weather forecasting can bring people some signs of weather

C．Weather is forecasted only by eyes and brains.

D．People can predict weather by experience in daily life

Few Americans remain in one position or one place for a lifetime. They move from town to city to suburb, from high school to college in a different state, from a job in one region to a better job elsewhere, from the home where they raise their children to the home where they plan to live in retirement (退休). With each move they are forever making new friends, who become part of their new life at that time.
For many of them summer is a special time for forming new friendships. Today millions of Americans vacation abroad, and they go not only to see new sights but also with the hope of meeting new people. No one really expects a vacation trip to produce a close friend, but the beginning of a friendship is possible.
The word “friend ” can be applied to a wide range of relationships ---- to someone one has known for a few weeks in a new place, to a fellow worker, to a childhood playmate, to a man or woman, to a trusted confidant (知己).
【小題1】. Many Americans move from place to place for the following reasons except           .

A．going to college

B．getting a better job

C．finding a place to live in retirement

D．saving money

【小題2】. Summer is a special time when many Americans           .

A．enjoy the sunlight	B．feel strange
C．travel to other countries	D．get a new job

【小題3】 When summer comes, many Americans             .

A．hope to meet new people

B．expect to find some close friends

C．want to begin lasting friendships with new people

D．Both A and B

【小題4】 From the passage it can be seen that a “friend” can be             .

A．a(chǎn) fellow worker	B．a(chǎn) football teammate
C．a(chǎn) boy or a girl	D．a(chǎn)ll of the above

【小題5】. Which of the following is the topic sentence of Paragraph 2?

A．For many of us summer is a special time for forming new friendships.

B．Today millions of Americans vacation abroad.

C．No one really expects a vacation trip to produce a close friendship.

D．But surely the beginning of friendship is possible.

One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales. She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path .That’s when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train. Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line. Seconds later, she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely’s near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS (導(dǎo)航儀). She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily. Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing. “I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train,” she told the BBC.
Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely’s story in his book When Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it’s not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor singalling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.
It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors.
The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long.
【小題1】What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident？

A．She was not familiar with the road.

B．It was dark and raining heavily then.

C．The railway workers failed to give the signal.

D．Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing.

【小題2】The phrase “near miss” (Paragraph 2) can best be replaced by______.

A．close hit	B．heavy loss
C．narrow escape	D．big mistake

【小題3】Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?

A．Modern technology is what we can’t live without.

B．Digital technology often falls short of our expectation.

C．Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.

D．GPS error is not the only cause for Ceely’s accident.

【小題4】In the writer’s opinion, Stevenson’s argument is _______.

A．one-sided	B．reasonable
C．puzzling	D．well-based

【小題5】What is the real concern of the writer of this article?

A．The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.

B．The relationship between human and technology.

C．The shortcomings of digital devices we use.

D．The human unawareness of technical problems.