Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance (零花錢(qián)) would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike, money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be going in no time.
　　Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn — and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with your expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil — and some self-control.
　　First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns (欄), list your sources (來(lái)源) of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.
　　The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget. Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in that space simply because you wish you were spending less.
　　If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!

Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expense	Amount
Allowance	$20.00	Snacks	$20.00
Money earned selling drinks	$25.00	Music downloads	$12.00
Money earned babysitting	$12.50	Movies	$18.00
Money earned delivering newspapers	$30.00	Video rental	$10.00
Total	$87.50	Total	$66.00

【小題1】Who is the passage written for?

A．Children.

B．Parents.

C．Breadwinners.

D．Bank managers.

【小題2】The purpose of making a budget is to help people _________.

A．learn to be realistic	B．increase their saving
C．manage their money well	D．test their power-control

【小題3】What should people do when planning a budget?

A．Fill in the expenses as they really are.

B．Avoid spending money on expensive things.

C．Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings.

D．List income and expenses on two pieces of paper.

【小題4】Which of the following budgets is effective?
A

Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expense	Amount
Allowance	$20.00	Money earned walking dogs	$20.00
Bus fares	$40.00	Movies	$28.00
Total	$60.00	Total	$48.00

B

Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expense	Amount
Allowance	$20.00	Movies	$30.00
Money earned washing cars	$10.00	Bus fares	$10.00
Total	$30.00	Total	$40.00

C

Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expense	Amount
Allowance	$27.50	Money earned brushing shoes	$22.00
Money earned washing dishes	$22.50	Birthday gifts	$28.00
Total	$50.00	Total	$50.00

D

Monthly Income	Amount	Monthly Expense	Amount
Allowance	$26.00	Video rental	$22.00
Money earned doing yard work	$24.00	Birthday gifts	$28.00
Total	$50.00	Total	$50.00

【小題5】The passage mainly tells us ________.

A．the importance of making a budget	B．how to make a budget
C．how to form good habits	D．how to spend money

Stay-at home careers are the preferred way to earn a living for those who like to set their own hours and be their own boss, mothers of young children, and those who like to avoid office politics. There are plenty of opportunities to earn from home. Even if you earn little first, the quality of life should make up for the loss of income. Take a look at the following choices for home-birds:
Online tutoring—You can earn anything from Rs 8,000 to 30,000 a month if you are a qualified teacher with computer and communication skills. The subjects in demand these days are math, English, physics, chemistry and biology. You can either teach part-time (4 hours) or full-time (9 hours).
Freelance writers—You have a good writing skills but don’t have time to work a nine-to-five job? You can still use your skills and earn a good amount of money. Many companies these days require good writers. One can earn up to Rs 8,000 to 50,000.
Online-traders—Earn a lot of money by share trading. Just clear the NCFM (Capital Market) exam and you can start trading. You can bring in Rs 10,000 to 1000,000 per month.
Designers—If you have the creative skills and a creative gift, try becoming a designer. Designers are required in different fields. One can earn nearly Rs 8,000 to 20,000 per month.
【小題1】According to the passage, those who likes stay-at-home careers ________.

A．perhaps can’t earn as much as those working in an office

B．needn’t do anything at home and earns a lot

C．can’t be mothers who have children to look after

D．a(chǎn)re often worried about office politics

【小題2】 If you want to be an online-trader, you will have to ________.

A．be more than 18 years old

B．pass a kind of exam

C．have good writing skills

D．have creative skills and a creative gift

【小題3】The passage is written mainly to ________.

A．sell products to readers

B．join the author’s company

C．give some advice to readers

D．get help from readers

The Wife-carrying World Championship has been celebrated in a small town in central Finland since 1992. In 1992, the people of the town decided to restart some long-forgotten traditions. Back in the late 1800s, there was a robber called Rosvo-Ronkainen in that area. He was said to only accept men as members of his gang who proved their worth in challenges. At that time, it was also a common practice to steal women from neighboring villages.
This event is becoming increasingly popular. A large number of competitors, people, and journalists from Finland to Canada attend the Wife-carrying World Championship every year.
The event is famous for its warm and humorous atmosphere. The Wife-carrying World Championship is held on a 253.3 meters long official track. The track has two dry obstacles (障礙物）and a water obstacle, about a meter deep.
There are a few basic rules and the winner is the couple who complete the course in the shortest time. The wife to be carried may be your own, or your neighbor’s. The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kg. If she is less than 49kg, the wife will be given a heavy bag to carry. Each time a competitor drops his wife, that couple will be fined 15 seconds.
Alongside with the Wife-carrying World Championship, there is also a team competition. The distance is the same but three men in the team carry the wife in turns. At the exchange point the carrier has to drink official “wife-carrying drink”. Then he may continue the race. A special prize is awarded to the team with the best costumes.
While the Wife-carrying World Championship is being held, there are bands playing music, a wife-carrying dance and other forms of entertainment.
【小題1】 The Wife-carrying World Championship is famous because ________.

A．it is held on a 253.3 meters long official track

B．many competitors take part in it

C．it has a pleasant atmosphere

D．the winner will be awarded a lot of money

【小題2】If a husband drops his wife 3 times in the competition, he will be fined ________.

A．15 seconds

B．30 seconds

C．45 seconds

D．60 seconds

【小題3】Compared with the Wife-carrying World Championship, the team competition ________.

A．is more exciting	B．has a special prize
C．has a different track	D．has three teams altogether

【小題4】The passage is written mainly to ________.

A．warn people that the competition is dangerous.

B．a(chǎn)ttract more visitors to the Wife-carrying World Championship.

C．introduce how the Wife-carrying World Championship has become popular.

D．tell us something about the Wife-carrying World Championship.

You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.
“The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette（禮儀）is sort of strange,” Gray told the BBC. “They are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”
We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, liftusers unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.
He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want – it’s your own little box.
If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally（對(duì)角線地）across from each other to create distance.
When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle. And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square, with someone in every corner. A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle.
New entrants to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively. Once in, for most people the rule is simple – look down, or look at your phone.
Why are we so awkward in lifts?
“You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”
In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be construed（理解）as threatening or strange. “The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact,” she said.
【小題1】The main purpose of the article is to _______.
A. share an interesting but awkward elevator ride
B. tell us some unwritten rules of elevator etiquette
C. analyze what makes people feel awkward in an elevator
B. remind us not to behave strangely when in an elevator
【小題2】According to Gray, when people enter an elevator, they usually _______.

A．turn around and greet one another

B．look around or examine their phone

C．try to keep a distance from other people

D．make eye contact with those in the elevator

【小題3】 Which of the following describes how people usually stand when they are in the elevator?

【小題4】 The underlined phrase “size up” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to _______.

A．judge

B．ignore

C．put up with

D．make the best of

When it comes to relationship, we spend a lot of time discussing their joys, but rarely talk about the pain when they break down. Yet most people have a story about a broken relationship.
For Jane Black, a six-year friendship ended when her friend was rude to one of her children. “After quite a few drinks at a party in my house, she said something rude to my child. I ended the friendship face to face at the party,” she says. “I didn’t realize what I was doing at the time, I was simply standing up for my child, but in her eyes any challenge was a betrayal.”
When Angela Thompson noticed a seven-year friendship disappearing, she let it go. “I didn’t know how to deal with the issue. I didn’t sit down for a grown-up conversation; I just walked away quietly.” The decision caused a reaction among Thompson’s other friends. “The other friends in the circle are the worst people when you are trying to break up with a friend,” she says. “They don’t want you to stop being friends, because it puts them in a difficult position. You get told to just get it over.”
Though we have plenty of measures for handling conflict at work or family fight, we still don’t have good ways of ending friendships. Do we sit down and properly break up, or just walk away? Psychologist Serena Cauchy has the following advice.
Don’t blame.
Talk about your needs and feeling rather than talking like a Dutch uncle.
Do talk about your needs.
Talk about why the friendship is not working for you—about how your needs aren’t being met.
Don’t gossip.
Negative talk hurts everyone involved and in some cases can make matters worse.
Don’t be so accessible.
If there is a common wish to conclude the friendship, then you can remove it.
【小題1】How did Angela Thompson deal with her friendship when it went wrong?

A．She ended it face to face.

B．She left it as it was.

C．She turned to her friends for advice.

D．She made a direct challenge.

【小題2】According to the third paragraph, we learn the other friends________.

A．will help you to fix a broken friendship

B．will choose either of the sides who broke up

C．will ask you to forgive each other

D．will be the worst people to break up with you at the same time

【小題3】Which is NOT mentioned by Psychologist Serena Cauchy?

A．End the friendship if it can’t be renewed.

B．Don’t complain behind one’s back.

C．Express what you want and expect.

D．Sincerely talk about friends’ shortcomings.

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

A．A True Friendship	B．When Friendships disappear
C．How Friendships Last	D．Ways to Fix Friendships

A shop worker nicknamed(綽號(hào)) Little Fatty told of his shock at becoming a Susan Boyle-like Internet star after a perfect Whitney Houston performance on a TV talent(才能)show. Lin Yuqun, 24, won over the judges and the audience of the Million Star show with perfect performances of Whitney Houston’s I will Always Love You , and has got 480,000 hits on video sharing website You Tube.
“I am shocked that I can draw so much attention. I'm really moved and happy that people like my performance of Whitney's song,” said Lin, who works part-time at a musical instrument shop. “I've loved singing since I was a little boy and I feel like I am living my dream now. I hope I can pursue(追求) a career in singing,” he told reporters.
Reporters called him “China’s Susan Boyle”, describing him as “plain-looking and short”, but Lin, who has the nickname “Little Fatty”, told reporters the comparison made him proud. “I am honoured to be compared to Susan Boyle. I am inspired and encouraged by her because she proved that even a person who's seen as an underdog(弱者) and who has ordinary looks can shine on the stage,” Lin said.
Since his performance was posted on Youtube late last week, he has been the subject of heated conversation in on-line chat rooms on American Yahoo! and other foreign websites. “Lin really is amazing. Whitney couldn’t do it any better today, ” a viewer wrote on YouTube.
Scottish single Susan Boyle got recognized around the world after she was discovered last year on the British’s Got Talent television show with her performance of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables, which was the best-selling debut(首演)in British chart history and also topped the US charts.
【小題1】What do we know about Lin Yuqun?

A．He has a great talent for singing.

B．He works quite hard as a shop owner.

C．He sings better than Susan Boyle.

D．He likes watching TV best.

【小題2】It seemed that Lin Yuqun _________.

A．was not surprised that he could be famous.

B．felt lost after the talent show.

C．learnt to sing at a musical instrument shop.

D．wants to become a singer.

【小題3】Why does Lin Yuqun speak highly of Susan Boyle?

A．Because she is as ordinary as him.

B．Because she is a famous singer now.

C．Because he gets confidence from her.

D．Because she brings good luck to him

【小題4】By saying “Whitney couldn’t do it any better today”, the viewer means __________.

A．Whiteny doesn't sing well any longer.

B．Lin Yuqun sings as well as Whitney

C．Lin Yuqun has gone beyond Whitney

D．Lin Yuqun can develop his singing better

【小題5】On a website, you may read the article in the column of _________.

A．education.

B．fashion

C．science

D．Art

The airline lost your baggage. The hotel laundry(洗衣房) ruined your favorite shirt. The taxi driver overcharged you. When you're abroad, sometimes things go wrong. Now you can do something about it! Use these tips when you want to express an effective complaint in English.
No matter how unfair the situation, it's best to phrase your complaint politely. In English, you'll sound more polite if you use indirect language. Here are some examples:
“I'm sorry to bother you...” Starting a complaint like this puts the listener who may have heard many complaints that day at ease. Use this phrase if the situation isn't that serious. For example, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted a baked potato, not fries."
“Can you help me with this?” Everyone would much rather be asked to do something than told! So try phrasing your complaint as a request for help: "Can you help me with this? My shirt came back from the laundry without buttons."
“I'm afraid there may be a misunderstanding.” This is a polite way of saying, "Your information is wrong. Please fix it now." You'll most likely use this phrase if you made reservations(預(yù)定) for a flight, hotel or restaurant, and when you arrive, it's not what you expected. For example, "I'm afraid there may be a misunderstanding. I requested a non-smoking room."
“I understand it's not your fault...” Often when you make a complaint, you deal with a person who was not directly responsible for the problem. But the problem isn't your fault, either! This phrase is helpful when you need swift action. Tell the person you're dealing with you understand they're not at fault and then directly state the problem: "I understand it's not your fault, but the airline promised they would deliver my baggage yesterday."
“Excuse me, but I understood that...” Using this phrase lets the person know you're well-informed and are suspicious they might be trying to take advantage of you. Don't say, "Hey! You're trying to cheat me!" Instead, start indirectly by stating what you know to be true: "I understood that the taxi ride to the airport was only 25 dollars." Then give them an opportunity to do the right thing.
【小題1】What’s the purpose of this passage?

A．To give an introduction of life abroad.

B．To give suggestions on how to learn English.

C．To offer advice on giving complaints in English.

D．To offer guides to those who travel around the world.

【小題2】According to the passage, if we meet an unfair situation, we’d better                 .

A．state our complaints politely

B．go for the police immediately

C．use indirect language to hurt people

D．fight against the one who is responsible

【小題3】Why should we start a complaint with polite phrases?

A．Because the situation is never serious.

B．Because the listener may not speak English.

C．Because it can help solve the problem more easily.

D．Because we should be always in good manners abroad.

【小題4】Several effective complaints in English are mentioned above EXCEPT        .

A．“Can you help me with this?”

B．“I understand it’s not your fault.”

C．“Hey! You’re trying to cheat me!”

D．“I’m afraid there may be a misunderstanding.”

Dear All，
Happy New Year! A list of important dates for this term is attached to this letter．
Interviews for our April and September Primary One classes will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday，18th&19th January．Now is the time to apply for admission to Peak School．
Children are expected to wear their uniforms this term．As is usual at this time of the year，mornings at the school are quite cold and l would suggest children wear their sweaters to school．As the temperature goes up during the day，children tend to take off their outer clothes，so it is important that all sweatshirts are labeled(貼有標(biāo)簽)．
I have received a few requests from parents asking if their children can wear summer uniforms this term．I am of the view that all children in the school should follow the school policy and be dressed in the appropriate uniforms．In the longer term，a number of US at school have questioned the need to have a winter and summer uniform．Perhaps．with careful consideration，we can develop a uniform that will serve children for the whole academic year．
As the foggy(多霧)mornings start to appear，a number of parents have raised concerns over the safety of those children who walk to school．  Our dark green uniforms are not particularly visible to motorists．Hopefully, the “Uniform Committee” to be set up this term will deal with this particular issue．I will keep parents informed of the channels through which views may be expressed in future newsletters．
We still have a “No Hat，No Play” rule on the playground，so children need to ensure that they have their sunhats in school at all times．
Yours sincerely，
P D Tunesi
Principal
【小題1】The letter was most probably written      ．

A．when the school year ended

B．before the new term started

C．a(chǎn)fter kids were admitted to school

D．a(chǎn)fter kids were interviewed

【小題2】This letter was mainly written to      ．

A．teachers

B．visitors

C．students

D．parents

【小題3】What do we know about the present school uniforms?

A．The school has solved the problems．

B．They are invisible to motorists on foggy days．

C．The school is considering changing them．

D．There is a winter and summer school uniform．

【小題4】We can infer from the text that      ．

A．the school has strict rules on uniforms

B．kids can’t have classes without wearing hats

C．parents are satisfied with the uniforms

D．most kids walk to school on foggy mornings

You are seeing a film in which two men are having a fight. They hit one another over the heads with chairs. And so it goes on until one of the men crashes through a window and falls thirty feet to the ground below. He is dead!
Of course he isn’t really dead. With any luck he isn’t even hurt. Why? Because the men who fall out of high windows or jump from fast moving trains, who crash cars or even catch fire, are professionals. They do this for a living. These men are called stuntmen. That is to say, they perform tricks.
They actually do most of the things you see on the screen. For example, they fall from a high building. However, they do not fall onto hard ground but onto empty cardboard boxes covered with a mattress. Again, when they hit one another with chairs, the chairs are made of soft wood and when they crash through windows, the glass is made of sugar!
But although their work depends on tricks of this sort, it also requires a high degree of skill and training. Often a stuntman’s success depends on careful timing. For example, when he is “ blown up” in a battle scene, he has to jump out of the way of the explosion just at the right moment.
Naturally stuntmen are well paid for their work, but they lead dangerous lives. They sometimes get seriously injured, and even killed. A Norwegian stuntman, for example, skied over the edge of a cliff a thousand feet high. His parachute (降落傘  ) failed to open and he was killed.
In spite of all the risks, this is no longer a profession for men only. Men no longer dress up as women to perform some dangerous actions. For nowadays there are stunt girls , too.
【小題1】What can be inferred from the author’s example of the Norwegian stuntman?

A．Sometimes an accident can happen to a stuntman.

B．The percentage of serious accidents is high.

C．Parachutes must be of good quality.

D．The cliff was too high.

【小題2】Stuntmen are those who __________________.

A．often dress up as actors.

B．like to lead dangerous lives.

C．often perform seemingly dangerous actions.

D．often fight each other for their lives.

【小題3】When a stuntman falls from a high building, ______________

A．he needs little protection.	B．he will be covered with a mattress.
C．his life is in danger.	D．his safety is generally all right.

【小題4】Which of the following is the main factor of a successful performance?

A．Strength

B．Speed

C．Exactness

D．Carefulness

My father was Chief Engineer of a merchant ship, which was sunk in World War Ⅱ. The book Night of the U­boats told the story.
Memories
In September ，1940，my mother ,sister and I went to Swansea ,where my father ‘s ship was getting ready to sail ,we brought him a family photography to be kept with him at all times and keep him safe .
Then I remember my mother lying face down ,sobbing .she had heard from a friend that the ship had been sunk by a torpedo (魚(yú)雷).
I can remember the arrived of the telegram（電報(bào)），which in those days always brought bad news .my grandmother opened it ,it read ,safe .love ted.”
My most vivid memory is being woken and brought down to sit on my father’s knee, his arm in a bandage .
He was judged unfit to return to sea and took a shore job in Glasgow for the rest of the war, for as long as I can remember ,he had a weak heart ,mother said it was caused by the torpedoes .he said it was because of the cigarette ,whichever ,he died suddenly in his early 50s.
Ten years later I read night of the U-boat and able to complete the story .
A toast
In my room is the book and the photograph .often , glass in hand, I have wondered how I would have dealt with an explosion ,a sinking ship ,a jump into a vast ocean and a wait for rescue ?lest (以免 )we forget ,I have some more whisky and toast the heroes of the war.
【小題1】We can infer that the mother and children went to Swansea ________.

A．to meet a friend	B．to see the father off
C．to take a family photo	D．to enjoy the sailing of the ship

【小題2】What did the author learn about the father from the telegram?

A．he was still alive.	B．His knee was broken.
C．His ship had been sunk.	D．He had arrived in Glasgow.

【小題3】The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 6 refers to the father’s ________.

A．weak heart	B．taking a shore job
C．failure to return to sea	D．injury caused by a torpedo

【小題4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．A group of forgotten heroes

B．A book describing a terrifying battle.

C．A ship engineer’s wartime experience.

D．A merchant’s memories of a sea rescue.