In ancient Japan, if you saved someone’s life, they would make it their duty to spend the rest of their life serving you. Nowadays, if you rescue someone’s story, he or she will feel the same kind of gratitude (感激).
It happens all the time. Someone in a group is telling a story and, just before their big point, BOOM! There’s an interruption. Someone new joins the group, a waiter with a plate of biscuits comes over, or a baby starts crying. Suddenly everyone’s attention turns to the new arrival, the food on the plate, or the “charming” little child. Nobody is aware of the interruption — except the speaker. They forget all about the fact that the speaker hasn’t made his or her point.
Or you’re all sitting around the living room and someone is telling a joke. Suddenly, just before their big punch line (妙語(yǔ)), little Johnny drops a dish or the phone rings. After the crash, everyone talks about little Johnny’s carelessness. After the call, the subject turns to the upcoming marriage or medical operation of the caller. Nobody remembers the great punch line got unfinished — except the joke teller. When it’s you entertaining everyone at a restaurant, have you ever noticed how you can almost set your clock by the waiter coming to take everyone’s order just before your funny punch line?
Most joke and story tellers are too shy to say, after the interruption, “Now, as I was saying …” Instead, they’ll spend the rest of the evening feeling bad they didn’t get to finish. Here’s where you come in. Rescue them with the technique I call “Lend a Helping Tongue.”
Watch the gratitude in the storyteller’s eyes as he stabilizes where his story sunk and he sails off again toward the center of attention. His expression and the appreciation of your consideration by the rest of the group are often reward enough. You are even more fortunate if you can rescue the story of someone who can hire you, promote you, buy from you, or otherwise lift your life. Big winners have excellent memories. When you do them subtle favors like Lend a Helping Tongue, they find a way to pay you back.
【小題1】Very often, a storyteller cannot make his point because _________.

A．people are more interested in food than his story

B．many guests bring their babies to the party

C．he is interrupted by something unexpected

D．his story is easily forgotten by the listeners

【小題2】From Paragraph 3, we know that when someone is telling a joke, _________.

A．something bad will surely happen just before their punch line

B．listeners’ attention is often drawn to something else

C．the only person really interested in the joke is the joke teller

D．the waiter knows when to take everyone’s order

【小題3】How can we help the joke and story tellers when they are interrupted?

A．By giving them a chance to finish.

B．By comforting them to make them happy.

C．By going on telling the story for them.

D．By teaching them some useful techniques.

【小題4】What is the text mainly about?

A．People should learn how to take turns in a conversation.

B．We can win someone’s heart by getting him back to his story.

C．Telling jokes will make you the center of attention.

D．It is impolite to cut in on someone’s talk.

When I asked my daughter which item she would keep: the phone, the car, the cooker, the computer, the TV, or her boyfriend, she said "the phone". Personally, I could do without the phone entirely, which makes me unusual. Because the telephone is changing our lives more than any other piece of technology.
Point 1  The telephone creates the need to communicate, in the same way that more roads create more traffic. My daughter comes home from school at 4:00 pm and then spends an hour  on the phone talking to the very people she has been at school with all day. If the phone did not exist, would she have anything to talk about?
Point 2  The mobile phone means that we are never alone. !' The mobile saved my life, "says Crystal Johnstone. She had
an accident in her Volvo on the A45 between Otley and Skipton. Trapped inside, she managed to make the call that brought the ambulance(救護(hù)車) to her rescue.
Point 3  The mobile removes our secret. It allows marketing manager of Haba Deutsch, Carl Nicolaisen, to ring his sales staff all round the world at any time of day to ask where they are, where they are going, and how their last meeting went.
Point 4  The telephone separates us. Antonella Bramante in Rome says, "We worked in separate offices but I could see him through the window. It was easy to get his number. We were so near--but we didn't meet for the first two weeks!"
Point 5  The telephone allows us to reach out beyond our own lives. Today we can talk to several complete strangers simultaneously (同時(shí)地) on chat lines (at least my daughter does. I wouldn't know what to talk about). We can talk across the world. We can even talk to astronauts (if you know any) while they're space-walking. And, with the phone line hooked up to the computer, we can access(進(jìn)入) the Internet, the biggest library on Earth.
【小題1】How do you understand" Point 1—The telephone creates the need to communicate,... "？

A．People don't communicate without telephone.

B．People communicate because of the creating of the telephone.

C．People communicate more since telephone has been created.

D．People communicate more because of more traffic.

【小題2】Which of the following best shows people's attitude towards mobile phones?

A．Mobile phones help people deal with the emergency.

B．Mobile phones bring convenience as well little secret to people.

C．Mobile phones are so important and should be encouraged.

D．Mobile phones are part of people's life.

【小題3】Which points do you think support the idea that phones improve people's life?
a. Point 1. b. Point 2. c. Point 3. d. Point 4. e. Point 5.

A．c, d

B．a(chǎn), e

C．a(chǎn), c

D．b, e

【小題4】It is possible to talk to several complete strangers simultaneously through      .

A．the TV screen	B．a(chǎn) fax machine
C．the phone line hooked up to the computer	D．a(chǎn) microphone

【小題5】The best heading for the passage is      .

A．The power of Phones	B．Kinds of Phones
C．How to Use Phones	D．Advantage of Phones

Starting a new school term is always exciting. It is a chance to see all of your friends again. But most exciting of all, the new term is an opportunity to take up new hobbies. As you know, it is common in Britain for students to take up new hobbies after the Christmas holidays. Promising to begin something new is a common New Year resolution for many school teenagers.
Most schools offer different kinds of hobby classes. Students take them in their free periods or after school. Some classes you have to pay for and others are free of charge. For example, I once took a free Wednesday evening gymnastics class that my school offered. But when I learnt how to play the drum my parents had to pay for the lesson, and they did so, like most parents, without any complaint.
The most popular extra classes at my school were piano lessons and drama club:  Both classes offered exams students could take. Because the extra classes may take up much time of the students, students with many hobbies sometimes felt more stressed than those without any. But they could enjoy their life better than those who didn't foster (培養(yǎng)) any hobbies at school. For example, they could build up good friendship with the persons who shared the common interest with them. Most important of all, the students with hobbies left school with many extra skills.
Frankly speaking, I haven't continued any of the hobbies I began at school. But I have never regretted taking them. After all, my best friend today is someone whom I met in my gymnastics class. The reason why we are still keeping in close touch with each other is that we have much in common.
【小題1】The first paragraph suggests that it's children's nature          .

A．to value friendship

B．to make a promise easily

C．to copy others' behavior

D．to be curious about the new

【小題2】The author's parents' attitude to hobby classes might be that of         .

A．a(chǎn)pproval

B．doubt

C．unconcern

D．disapproval

【小題3】What is the biggest benefit children can get from taking up a new hobby?

A．They can enjoy a good time.

B．They can learn extra skills.

C．They can make more friends.

D．They will have things to share.

【小題4】From the author's experience, we can learn that          .

A．free hobby classes are very popular

B．hobbies are a way of making friends

C．we must be careful when choosing a hobby

D．hobby classes may not last a long time

【小題5】What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce some hobby classes at school.

B．To tell readers how to choose hobby classes.

C．To encourage readers to take up new hobbies.

D．To report a trend among British school children.

Losing a baby tooth can be fun for a kid. You can put it under your pillow and look forward to finding some money there in the morning. And then you can watch your new permanent(永恒的) tooth grow in its place.
But if a permanent tooth falls out, that’s a problem. There isn’t another one under the gum(齒齦) that can replace it. Unfortunately, this happens to some older people. And if permanent teeth fall out or need to be pulled, an older person might need dentures(假牙).
Dentures, known as false teeth, are a set of replacement teeth for any teeth that are missing. There are partial dentures, which take the place of only a few teeth and prevent the others from changing position. If all the teeth are gone, the person would need complete dentures, which replace every tooth in the mouth.
Dentures can cause pains at first and take little time to get adjusted to. They also need special care. They should be brushed daily with a special denture brush and cleanser and soaked(浸泡) in denture solution when not in the mouth.
Dentures are important for the old because, without teeth, it’s hard to smile, talk, and eat properly. But it can be a little weird if you see someone take out his or her dentures. It can also be strange to see someone, like a grandparent, without dentures in because he or she won’t have any teeth. Try not to make fun of the person because this could cause hurt feelings.
People usually lose their permanent teeth due to periodontal disease(牙周炎), or gum disease, which is caused by bacteria that attacks the gums. Diseased gums aren’t strong and healthy, so teeth can get loose and fall out. Older people often have many cavities(洞) that have been filled over the years, and these fillings can weaken over time, leading to more tooth problems.
【小題1】If one of your baby teeth falls out, you     .

A．should have a false tooth fixed in its place

B．have to put it under your pillow at once

C．will gain a permanent tooth in future

D．can exchange it for some money

【小題2】A person wearing dentures       .

A．should brush them with a special denture brush every few days

B．will take a very long time to adjust himself or herself to them

C．will experience unpleasant feelings at the beginning of fixing them

D．should use denture solution to soak them in his or her mouth

【小題3】What does the underlined word “weird” mean in the fifth paragraph?

A．inconvenient

B．excited

C．uncomfortable

D．impolite

When it comes to hard, noisy traveling, we’ve found that sometimes we’d rather read about it than actually go. Here are some bestsellers for armchair travelers.
The Station by Robert Byron. In 1928, the 22-year-old man made a journey to Mount Athos, resulting in one of the best travel books ever written, matched only by Byron’s own, much more famous The Road to Osciana.
In Darkest Africa by Henry Monton Stanley. It’s about his great efforts to save an unlucky German doctor Eduard Schnitzer, who had no desire to be rescued at all.
A Traveler’s Alphabet: Partial Memoirs by Sir Steven Runciman. A to Z and around the world. He provides priceless information of long-gone princesses, priests, and places.
South: A Memoir of the Endurance Voyage by Sir Ernest Shackleton. As the planet started the global war, Shackleton and his brave group of explorers made an unsuccessful but heroic journey to cross Antarctica from 1914 to 1917.
The Michelin Red Guide: France 2005 Reading through this final listing of all the nice hotels and wonderful restaurants in France is better than going there, listening to Chirac talk about the poisonous American culture, and spending the price of this book for a tiny cup of tea and a cookie the size of your thumb.
The Past Is a Foreign Country by David Lowenthal. This great book of an armchair exploration tells us what has happened in the past and shows the relationship between us and the past travelers.
【小題1】The underlined phrase “armchair travelers” in the first paragraph refers to those who___________.

A．can only travel with special equipment for the disabled

B．find fun teaching others how to travel to other places

C．like to write about their strange traveling experiences

D．like to read about travels instead of traveling themselves

【小題2】Which of the books has a very low price according to the passage?

A．The Past Is a Foreign Country.

B．South: A Memoir to the Endurance Voyage.

C．The Michelin Red Guide: France 2005.

D．A Traveler’s Alphabet: Partial Memoirs.

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

A．The Station is more famous than The Road to Osciana

B．Henry Monton Stanley, was saved by a German doctor in Africa.

C．It took Shackleton and his men 3 years to cross Antarctica.

D．In his book, Lowenthal focuses more on history than the present.

【小題4】This passage is written____________ .

A．to warn readers against traveling

B．to sell more books about travels

C．a(chǎn)s an introduction to famous travelers

D．to tell people where to travel

Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there's a whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas;
1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating（使孤立）jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
2) How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
3) Do you enjoy working with computers？
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
4) What type of work environment do you enjoy？
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
5) How do you like to get paid?
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.
【小題1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Isolating jobs usually drive people mad.

B．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs.

C．Interactive jobs make people shy easily.

D．Extreme people tend to work with others.

【小題2】What does the underlined sentence in paragraph one mean?

A．Before you select your job, you should assess your skills and match them with your position

B．You should ignore your skills when you select job.

C．Nothing is important than assessing skills and match them with the position when you select job.

D．There are more important things than assessing skills and match them with the position when you select job.

【小題3】What is the missing word about a job search in the following chart?

A．Design.

B．Changes.

C．Cooperation.

D．Hobbies.

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

A．Lifestyles and Job Pay	B．Jobs and Environment
C．Personalities and Jobs	D．Job Skills and Abilities

Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot colour. Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair. They are red hot when they are very angry about something. The small hot­tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their colour and their fiery(辣的) taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health.
The colour black is often used in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day. A blacklist (黑名單) is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.
The colour green is natural for trees and grass. But it is，an unnatural colour for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the colour of the back side of the paper money.
【小題1】Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT________.

A．something unfair

B．small hot­tasting peppers

C．the person who is very angry

D．popular music like Dixieland jazz

【小題2】People use “in the pink” to express they are in good health because________.

A．the expression has a very long history

B．the color pink makes people feel happy

C．people think the colour pink is gentler than red

D．healthy babies are born with nice pink skin

【小題3】When we say someone feels a little green, it means he/she________.

A．enjoys himself in boating	B．is hit by a high wave
C．has a stomachache	D．likes trees and grass

【小題4】In the writer's eyes, what is related to a black day?

A．Being sent a beautiful gift.

B．Passing a very difficult test.

C．Being refused during an important interview.

D．Being invited to an exciting party.

【小題5】The writer wants to tell us________in American everyday expressions.

A．the most popular colours

B．different meanings of colours

C．how to use colours correctly

D．why Americans like to use colours

Robots industry is developing so rapidly that there is no denying that we may one day find ourselves surrounded by robots.
The humanoid (human like) robots with two legs such as Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO would likely have an easier time climbing up stairs inside homes than a robot that moves on wheels, developers say.
But it will be some time before such devices make their way into people’s homes.
“They may look smart, but they are still quite stupid,” Shimoyama said. “I don’t think they will ever be as smart as humans.”
While safety is an obvious concern, robots also need to be sensitive to people’s needs.
Researchers at Fujitsu Frontech Ltd and Fujitsu Laboratories responsible for developing “Enon”, a guide and patrol (巡邏) robot designed for use in shopping malls and corporate facilities (公共場(chǎng)所), are working on this.
Enon, which has a humanoid upper body but no legs, is equipped with a touch screen on its chest and space in its stomach to carry loads weighting up to 10 kg.
In guide mode, it will check a newcomer and approach the person with a nod and a greeting: “Are you a visitor? Hello.”
Visitors requiring directions can point to icons (圖標(biāo)) displayed on Enon’s chest screen. If the restroom icon is pressed, the screen will display a map that shows the way.
The robot will then face and point in the direction of the restroom, although it won’t actually walk the visitor there.
Enon is now in use at four locations in Japan, including a shopping mall near Tokyo. The main goal is to make it more helpful for the elderly.
“People who work in the transportation sector often ask whether we can build a robot that will find elderly people who look lost in train stations, and ask them if they are all right,” said Toshihido Marita, director of Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd’s autonomous system laboratory. “Actually that is hard to do, very hard,” he said.
【小題1】The advantage of Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO is that _________.

A．it can do any housework for us

B．it can talk with patients or old people

C．it can climb up stairs as humans

D．it can walk smoothly with its wheels

【小題2】 According to Shimoyama, robots _________.

A．can be made to do everything humans do

B．will be made as smart as humans in the future

C．will remain as stupid as before

D．can never compete with humans in intelligence

【小題3】Most important of all, a robot should be made _________ at present.

A．safe and elegant	B．safe and functional
C．elegant and cheap	D．sensitive and cheap

【小題4】Which of the following statements about “Enon” is NOT true?

A．It can be used as a guide in hospitals.

B．It can help shoppers carry goods selected.

C．It can be used to welcome guests in restaurants.

D．It can be used to stop thieves in malls.

【小題5】Enon is mainly designed to help _________.

A．old people

B．mall owners

C．tourists or newcomers

D．shoppers

When my family moved to America from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
【小題1】Jack brought the couple their food very fast because[_______________.

A．the manager asked him to do so	B．he respected the elderly
C．the couple wanted him to do so	D．he wanted more pay

【小題2】When Jack called the couple “elderly”, they became[____________.

A．nervous	B．satisfied
C．unhappy	D．excited

【小題3】In Jack’s hometown,______________.

A．people dislike being called “old”

B．people are proud of being old

C．many people reach the age of seventy or eighty

D．the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants

【小題4】After this experience, Jack___________.

A．lost his job in the restaurant

B．made friends with the couple

C．no longer respected the elderly

D．changed his way with older people

【小題5】Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got.

B．Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience.

C．The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple.

D．From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture.

Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.
Some people blame(責(zé)備) the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation（一代人）） of grown-ups who don’t often cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children would buy less take-away food.
There is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will probably choose sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives. There is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime(消遣), it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports. The above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.
【小題1】According to the text, what kind of children may eat more unhealthy food?

A．Those who often take exercise.

B．Those who often watch television

C．Those who often have meals at home.

D．Those who often walk to school.

【小題2】The author thinks that children are becoming overweight because _______.

A．their parents often cook meals for them.

B．they are too busy to go out and play.

C．they can't choose what to eat.

D．there are too many fast food shops around.

【小題3】The underlined word "steering" in the last sentence most probably means ____.

A．forcing

B．guiding

C．driving

D．moving

【小題4】According to the author, which of the following is WRONG?

A．We should encourage children to be more active.

B．Children ought to keep away from fast food shops.

C．Parents needn't cook meals for their children.

D．Parents should help their children form a good eating habit.

【小題5】The main purpose of the text is to _______.

A．tell a story

B．provide facts

C．give advice

D．compare opinions