Zhang Li is studying at Cambridge, UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security. Her friend, Kate, found this article and sent it to her.
Introduction
A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.
Basic Security
Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts(燈柱) or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddles(車(chē)座).
Locks
Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shop. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for advice from a bike shop.
Marking
Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include your postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle.
Registration
There are a number of companies who will security mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database(數(shù)據(jù)庫(kù)). Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to get in touch with you.
Finally
Keep a record of the bicycle yourself: its make, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it. This will prove the bicycle belongs to you.
【小題1】Which part of the article gives you information on how to lock up your bicycle when you leave it?

A．Locks

B．Marking

C．Registration

D．Basic Security

【小題2】The underlined phrase “act as a deterrent to a thief” means__________.

A．help you recognize your bike

B．help the police find your bicycle

C．stop someone from stealing your bicycle

D．stop you worrying about your bike

【小題3】The article advises you to keep a record of your bicycle        .

A．in the bike shop and your computer.

B．in a police station and security company.

C．in a security company and your university.

D．by yourself and in a security company.

【小題4】The main purpose of this article is          .

A．to tell you what to do if your bicycle is stolen

B．to suggest ways of keeping your bicycle safe

C．to give you advice on where to buy a good lock

D．to say why you shouldn’t keep your bicycle in a quiet place

If a business wants to sell its products internationally, it had better do some market research first. This is a lesson that some large American corporations have learned the hard way.
What’s in the name?
Sometimes the problem is the name. When General Motors introduced its Chevy Nova into Latin America, it overlooked the fact that Nova in Spanish means “It doesn’t go”. Sure enough, the Chevy Nova never went anywhere in Latin America.
Translation problems
Sometimes it is the slogan that doesn’t work. No company knows this better than Pepsi-Cola, with its “Come alive with Pepsi!” campaign. The campaign was so successful in the United States , Pepsi translated its slogan literally for its international campaign. As it turned out , the translations weren’t quite right. Pepsi was begging Germans to “Come out of the grave(墳?zāi)?” and telling the Chinese that “Pepsi brings your ancestors(老祖宗) back from the grave.”
A picture’s worth a thousand words
Other times, the problem involves packaging . A picture of a smiling baby has helped sell countless jars of Gerber baby food. When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they learned that in African countries, the picture on the jar shows what the jar has in it, for many people there can’t read.
Twist of fate
Even the culture and religious factors and pure coincidence can be involved. Thorn McAn shoes have a Thorn McAn “signature” inside. To people in Bangladesh, which is a Muslim country, this signature looked like Arabic script for the word Allah. In that country, feet are considered unclean, and Muslims felt the company was offending God’s name by having people walk on it.
【小題1】From the text we learned that _________.

A．Chevy Nova was brought in Latin America

B．General Motors did the best market research of all companies

C．Pepsi still sold well in China owing to the translation problems

D．the “Come alive with Pepsi” campaign worked well in the US

【小題2】What was “Gerber’s problem”?

A．A translation problem	B．Cultural factor
C．Religious factor	D．The picture on the jar

【小題3】For what reason were Thorn McAn shoes turned down in Bangladesh?

A．They are not designed attractively

B．Their advertisements are not persuasive

C．A signature looking like the word Allah was in the shoes

D．Problem for Thorn McAn was the company’s name

【小題4】What does the text mainly tell us?

A．Lessons from some large corporations.

B．How to make use of advertisements

C．The importance of market research

D．The importance of packaging

ASK LASKAS
YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS. SHE'S GOT ANSWERS
Q: My problem is computer gaming. I do it day and night, averaging four hours of sleep. I can't control of this, and I don't know where to go for help. Do you?                            —Player
A: Dear Player,
You have an addiction. For some people playing video games releases dopamine, a powerful brain chemical that makes you feel good. You'd toss your cigarettes if you were ready to quit, right? To kick the habit, get help from a health professional. And don't look for help on line; that would be like an alcoholic going to the bar for advice.
Q: My brother's wife just had triplets(三胞胎). This is such a joy! Yet every time I share the news with co-workers, they ask me if she was on fertility pills. I think this is rude—or has society just become so talk-show numbed (麻木的)that you can ask anyone anything?                     —No Show Host
A: Dear Host,
Yes. Our society has become increasingly disrespectful of privacy. But don't blame it all on the talk-shows. Continue to celebrate and greet impolite questions with stony silence. Their fertility history is nobody's business but their own.
Q: I work at an amusement park, and my manager steals supplies. She has a catering business on the side, and we've seen her load up her van at the back gates. The big bosses think she is the best thing since buttered bread, and we're all afraid that if we say anything, we'll lose our jobs. What can we do?   —Righteous
A: Dear Righteous,
Be sure you're right. You must have evidence about what and why things are going out the back gates. Once you know for certain, it's time to go to the bosses and report what you have seen.
Q: My stepson's wife sometimes leaves their eight-year-old home alone for "a short run to the store." That may be an hour or so. I believe by law we should report it. What do you think?
—The In-laws
A: Dear Laws,
I don't know what the child-protection laws in your state are, but I do know that children need care and attention. This child may be able and unafraid, but kids aren't always careful. It also sounds like there is stress in your family relationship. One thing you can do to help this situation is offer to baby-sit when Mom needs to step out.
【小題1】Which of the following statements is true?

A．Dopamine is a powerful brain chemical good to our health.

B．Looking for help on line is like getting help from a health professional.

C．Player is a video game addict who smokes and sleeps few hours.

D．Player is advised to stay clear of the screen.

【小題2】According to the Q&A,        .

A．Host's colleagues are insensitive

B．The talk-show is to blame

C．Somebody's business is everybody's

D．Host's sister-in-law was on fertility pills

【小題3】What we can infer from the Q&A is      .

A．The Mom is not to blame because she needs a short run to the store

B．Children need care and attention, though not for all of them

C．Laws, the old lady, wants to report what she sees to the child's father

D．Laskas doesn't seem to approve of Laws' trying to report what she sees

【小題4】Which Q&A mentioned transport?

A．The first

B．The second.

C．The third.

D．None.

In the United States and several other countries, 2.5 million children play baseball in an organization called Little League. They play on teams in their hometowns. Their parents and other adults in the community coach or instruct them and serve as umpires to make sure that everyone follows the rules. Local businesses give money for the ball fields and the uniforms. Local teams compete against each other and the winners get to play teams that are more distant. Eventually, the top teams go to the Little League World Series.
One hundred years after Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839, Little League got started in Pennsylvania. Three men started the game for neighborhood boys with a smaller playing field and fewer innings than adult baseball. Little League became popular after World War II when the game spread across the United States. By 1955 it was played throughout North America and within five years it had spread to Europe. Children’s baseball really caught on in Japan and Taiwan of China and teams from those areas won the World Series seven out of eight years. After this, the organization tried banning foreign teams from the World Series, but the ban came to an end after one year.
At first, Little League was only for boys aged nine to twelve. However, in 1974, the parents of girl baseball players brought a law suit. The courts ruled that Little League had to include both boys and girls. Later Little League added on softball and other games for teenagers up to age eighteen. Occasionally a Little Leaguer becomes a professional player. For example, Gary Carter went from Little League to play nineteen seasons in the Major Leagues, ten of them as an All-Star player. But, by and large, youngsters play baseball for fun and because their parents are proud of them.
【小題1】The mothers and fathers of Little League players ______.

A．help run the games	B．travel in coaches
C．give the teams money	D．play in the World Series

【小題2】In what year was Little League established?

A．1839

B．1939

C．1955

D．1960

【小題3】Why do most players take part in Little League?

A．To play in the Major League.

B．To have fun and please their parents.

C．They expect a profit from All-Star games

D．They want to learn how to serve as umpires.

【小題4】What is true about players today?

A．Little League is only for neighbourhood boys.

B．Girl players have to buy their suits.

C．Girls and boys can participate to age eighteen.

D．Children can only play until age twelve.

One evening after dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Tisich called a family meeting. “We’ve had to make a difficult decision,” Mr. Tisich announced. “You see, your mother has been offered a post as co-director of a television station in Chicago. Unfortunately, the station is not here. After thinking long and hard about it, we’ve concluded that the right decision is to move to Chicago.” Marc looked shocked, while his sister Rachel breathlessly started asking when they’d be moving. “It’s surprising, but exciting!” she said. Marc simply said, “We can’t go—I can’t leave all my friends. I’d rather stay here and live with Tommy Lyons!”
The Tisichs hoped that by the time they moved in August, Marc would grow more used to the idea of leaving. However, he showed no signs of accepting the news, refusing to pack his belongings. When the morning of the move arrived, Marc was nowhere to be found. His parents called Tommy Lyon’s house, but Mrs. Lyons said she hadn’t seen Marc. Mrs. Tisich became increasingly concerned, while her husband felt angry with their son for behaving so irresponsibly.
What they didn’t know was that Marc had started walking over to Tommy’s house, with a faint idea of hiding in Lyons’s attic(閣樓) for a few days. But something happened on the way as Marc walked past all the familiar landscape of the neighborhood: the fence that he and his mother painted, the tree that he and his sister used to climb, the park where he and his father often took evening walks together. How much would these mean without his family, who make them special in the first place? Marc didn’t take the time to answer that question but instead hurried back to his house, wondering if there were any moving cartons(紙板箱)the right size to hold his record collection.
【小題1】The conflict(沖突) in this story was caused by_________.

A．Marc and Rachel’s different attitudes

B．a(chǎn) quarrel between Tommy Lyons and Marc

C．Marc’s disagreement with his parents about their move

D．Mr. And Mrs. Tisich’s comment of Marc’s irresponsibility

【小題2】Marc and Rachel’s reactions to the move were similar in the way that both were________.

A．surprised	B．a(chǎn)ngry and upset
C．a(chǎn)nxious for more details	D．worried about pacing

【小題3】The reason for Marc’s going home was that_________.

A．he did not want to be left behind

B．he realized his family was important to him

C．he hoped to reach an agreement with his parents

D．he wished to be a more responsible person

【小題4】What would most likely happen next?

A．Marc would bring his records over to the Lyons’s house.

B．Mr. and Mrs. Tisich would call the police.

C．Marc would join his family for house moving.

D．Mr. and Mrs. Tisich would start searching for Marc.

When I learned that my 71-year-old mother was playing Scrabble – a word game – against herself, I knew I had to do something. My husband suggested we give her a computer to play against. I wasn’t sure my mother was ready for it. After all, it had taken 10 years to persuade her to buy an electric cooker. Even so, we packed up our old computer and delivered it to my parents’ home. And so began my mother’s adventure in the world of computers.
It also marked the beginning of an unusual teaching task for me. I’ve taught people of all ages, but I never thought I would be teaching my mother how to do anything. She has been the one teaching me all my life: to cook and sew; to enjoy the good times and put up with the bad. Now it was my turn to give something back.
It wasn’t easy at the beginning. There was so much to explain and to introduce. Slowly but surely, my mother caught on, making notes in a little notebook. After a few months of Scrabble and other games, I decided it was time to introduce her to word processing(文字處理). This proved to be a bigger challenge to her, so I gave her some homework I asked her to write me a letter, using different letter types, colors and spaces.
“Are you this demanding with your kindergarten pupils?” she asked.
“No, of course not,” I said. “They already know how to use a computer.”
My mother isn’t the only one experiencing a fast personal growth period. Thanks to the computer, my father has finally got over his phone allergy(過(guò)敏反應(yīng)). For as long as I can remember, any time I called, my mother would answer. Dad and I have had more phone conversations in the last two months than we’ve had in the past 20 years.
【小題1】What does the author do?

A．She is a cook.	B．She is a teacher.
C．She is a housewife.	D．She is a computer engineer.

【小題2】The author decided to give her mother a computer       .

A．to let her have more chances to write letters

B．to support her in doing her homework

C．to help her through the bad times

D．to make her life more enjoyable

【小題3】The author asked her mother to write her a letter          .

A．because her mother had stopped using the telephone

B．because she wanted to keep in touch with her mother

C．so that her mother could practice what she had learned

D．so that mother could be free from housework

【小題4】After the computer was brought home, the author’s father         .

A．lost interest in cooking	B．took more phone calls
C．played more games	D．began to use it

As any parent with an iPhone or an iPod Touch knows, mobile apps (手機(jī)軟件) can be an engaging and entertaining experience for kids. Now, a new study of PBS Kids suggests that the experience can be an educational one as well.
The study, which was administered by PBS under a grant from the Department of Education, first tested the vocabulary level of a group of 90 Title 1 school children, aged 3 to 7. Then, the children were each given two weeks with an iPod Touch loaded with the Martha Speaks Dog Party app created by PBS Kids.
The study monitored how the children used the iPod, during what hours, and in what context. On average, the study found that kids played with the iPod Touch for a total of 5 hours across the two weeks, with half that time spent playing the Martha Speaks app. At the end of the two week trial, the children were given another vocabulary test, which revealed an increase in vocabulary acquisition by as much as 31 per cent.
The study findings are particularly useful as smart phones and mobile devices have become increasingly popular among families and parents are faced with a proliferation of mobile apps designed for kids. According to a recent Nielsen study, smart phone usage is 12% higher in households with children than other households.
“Mobile apps can be a great learning tool in the hands of children,” said Lesli Rotenberg, SVP, Children’s Media, PBS. “This research is important in helping to better understand and guide the development of new apps that improve the value of children’s screen time with significant educational outcomes.”
So what does it all mean? Well, at the very least it will help parents get over that guilty feeling when they hand over their iPhone or iPod Touch for a little peace and quiet. At best, it provides more evidence that mobile devices and apps do indeed have educational value and could be an important part of the child-learning process for many years to come.
【小題1】What Lesli Rotenberg said in the fifth paragraph suggests that      .

A．he has a positive attitude towards mobile apps

B．he thinks children should never use smart phones

C．he is doubtful about mobile apps designed for children

D．he thinks parents should be careful with mobile apps for children

【小題2】The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that      .

A．parents will feel more comfortable giving kids iPhone or iPod Touch

B．parents will know what kind of mobile phones are suitable for kids

C．parents will know what children do with mobile phones

D．parents can watch over their children now and then

【小題3】What would be the best title of the text?

A．The popularity of smart phones among kids

B．The entertaining function of smart phones

C．Smart phones make kids learn more.

D．It’s too early for kids to use smart phones

How do you think of the following example? Many Japanese never take the vacations they should enjoy, but with the coming of “Golden Week”, several holidays following one after another in late April and early May, they pour out of the country in the tens of thousands.
So when traveling, whether on business or for pleasure, the first thing to think about are hotels. The kind of hotel you choose is decided according to how much money you want to spend. There are small hotels with very few services, where the prices are low, or there are large hotels with all the very latest comforts, where you could spend all the money you have in the bank for a very comfortable night.
There are several different kinds of people who go to hotels. Some want to live, rather than just stay, in a hotel; hotels which are designed to meet their needs are called residential hotels. However, most people who stay in hotels are either business people or tourists on holiday.
In most hotels, there are two kinds of rooms: single rooms, for the use of one person, and double rooms, for the use of two people. In addition, in large hotels, there are also suites (套房), which include two or more rooms connected together — perhaps a bedroom and a living room. They are for people who are very rich or very important.
【小題1】From the example of many Japanese, we can learn that           .

A．they don’t enjoy taking vacations because it’s too expensive

B．they enjoy touring in “Golden Week” because it consists of several holidays

C．they don’t have vacations unless they go abroad

D．they enjoy staying at home unless they have enough time and money

【小題2】A person’s choice of a particular hotel is made mainly according to           .

A．how much he is willing to pay for a night

B．whether he is traveling on business or for pleasure

C．whether the hotel is in the central part of a city

D．how good the services of the hotel are

【小題3】If the president of a certain country comes, he will most probably             .

A．live in a new hotel	B．stay in a single room of a hotel
C．stay in a double room of a hotel	D．stay in a suite of a modern hotel

【小題4】If a person stays in a modern hotel with the latest comforts for a night,           .

A．he will become poor

B．he will have to pay a lot of money

C．he will have to spend all the money he has in the bank

D．he will have to draw all of his money out of the bank

Don’t drive your kids to school. Let them ride a bike to school.
In England 8.3 million children travel to school every day. It is reported that only a small number of pupils cycle to school (under 2%), although one in three children would actually like to.
Experts say that to stay healthy, children need at least one hour of moderate (適度的) exercise every day. But only six out of ten boys and four out of ten girls get that. One of the reasons is that parents have developed a habit of driving their children to school when they could just walk or ride a bike to school.
Teachers often say that children who walk or ride a bike to school are more ready to listen to their classes, ask and answer questions in class than those driven by car, and the school journey is a good chance for children to learn about road safety and other life skills. Also, for many children, riding a bike is more fun than going to school by car.
Most parents know the benefits (益處). Then what’s stopping them from letting their kids ride a bike? Safety is the number one worry for them. But actually riding a bike is not as dangerous as parents think it is.
When you decide to buy a bike, you should be aware（意識(shí)到） that a bike that is too big or too small is dangerous. Don’t try to get a bike that your child will “grow into”. Get the right size in good working order. Generally, 20-inch wheels are on bikes for 5-8 year olds; 24-inch wheels are for 9-11 year olds; 26-inch wheels are suitable for those over 11, and some older children should even take bikes with 28-inch wheels, but the main thing is that the bike fits your child.
【小題1】This passage is mainly written for ________.

A．teachers whose students have asked their parents to drive them to school

B．children who have asked their parents to drive them to school

C．parents who drive their children to school

D．parents who drive to work

【小題2】Which of the following benefits of cycling to school is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．It will help children keep healthy

B． It will make children more active in class.

C．It will make children feel freer

D．It will be more fun for children.

【小題3】Parents don’t allow their children to ride a bike to school mainly because ________.

A．their children don’t want to.

B．they are worried about their children’s safety.

C．they don’t know what size bike to choose

D．They haven’t enough money to buy a bike.

【小題4】Generally, what size bike is suitable for a 10-year-old child？

A．A bike with 20-inch wheels	B．A bike with 24-inch wheels
C．A bike with 26-inch	D．A bike with 28-inch wheels

Mother stayed at home cooking and cleaning while Father left for work. Two or more children took the bus to school. In the evening, all the family members got together at home again. This is what a traditional family was like twenty years ago. But now great changes have happened in British families.
As many as 2 out of 3 marriages now end in divorce(離婚), and many children have to live with one parent and only see the other at weekends or during holidays.
There has been a great increase in the number of working women with children. Many women have to work to support themselves and their children. Even in the family where there is no divorce, both parents have to work in order to survive.
Also women are no longer happy to stay at home taking care of children. Many of them have jobs and some of them can even make more money than men, the traditional breadwinners.
What’s more, the increasing number of single-parent families have caused an increase in the crime rate (犯罪率) among children in a way. It is thought that if a child doesn’t have a father, he or she will be harmed.
However the changes may be good for some people. For women it’s now much easier to have well-paid jobs. Although it is difficult to be a working mother, it is no longer seen as a bad thing for children.
As for some children, they learn how to solve problems by themselves at an early age.
【小題1】Which of the following statements is TRUE about a traditional family in Britain twenty years ago?

A．Both the mother and the father had to work to support the family.

B．The father stayed at home taking care of the children.

C．The mother didn’t need to work.

D．A family had only one child.

【小題2】Which of the following things is NOT mentioned in the passage ? 

A．The increasing number of divorces.

B．The increasing number of fathers who stay at home.

C．The increasing number of working mothers.

D．The increasing crime rate among children.

【小題3】According to the passage, a “breadwinner” refers to a person who ________.

A．has got some bread	B．is good at making bread
C．stays at home raising children	D．works to support the family

【小題4】From the passage we can learn that ________.

A．In a family where the parents are not divorced in Britain，the mother doesn’t have to work.

B．Children whose parents are divorced have to start working early.

C．The father is very important to a child’s growth.

D．The changes in British families do no good to people.