During my high school years, the most important thing was what I was wearing to the Friday night dance and who I was taking. Although college was talked about, it was the least of my worries. 
When I was graduating eighth grade and starting high school, my older brother was graduating twelfth grade and going onto college. For my graduation, he gave me a card in which he wrote, “Enjoy your four years…, they go by fast.” I remember not believe him then, but looking back…, he was right. Those four years shaped who I was as a person, pushed me to my limit and encouraged me to become an adult. 
However, I was so completely absorbed in my junior and senior years of high school, that when someone spoke of college I brushed it off. I wasn't ready to leave my comfort zone of having all of my closest friends together and knowing what every single day was going to be like . Studying was something I did only AFTER I nailed my half-time dance performance. I knew my parents wanted me to go to college, so I told them I would go to commuity college (社區(qū)學(xué)院)and I didn’t worry about my SAT（美國大學(xué)入學(xué)考試）scores. 
When my senior year passed and everyone graduated and went off to their own college ,I started to wish I had done the same. My friends were living away, meeting new people, discovering new places, and I was living at home and driving to and from class every day. It seemed exactly like high school. I hated it! I thought college was supposed to be different! Why didn’t I take more time to research colleges and do the same? I ended up loving college and wishing I had four years to enjoy the campus(大學(xué)校園)atmosphere instead of two. 
My advice to anyone thinking about attending college is to think about it very seriously and look into all of your choices well ahead of time. Now I have graduate and I am working full time and I would do anything to go back to my high school days for a second chance!
【小題1】Why didn’t the author worry about his SAT scores? 

A．He wanted to go to community college.

B．He had a gift for dance.

C．He was well prepared for the exam.

D．He believed his brother would help him.

【小題2】When in high school, the author          .

A．drove to and from class every day

B．buried himself in his study all the time

C．enjoyed talking about future college life

D．lived in the school except on holidays

【小題3】What did the author’s brother mean by “Enjoy your four years…, they go by fast.”?

A．He wished the author to have more dance.

B．He advised the author to value the years.

C．He encouraged the author to leave his comfort zone.

D．He suggested the author aim at a community college.

【小題4】Talking of his high school years, the author feels       .

A．regretful

B．lonely

C．a(chǎn)ngry

D．pleased

The entire house was lit with lights.  It was Meera's wedding the next day. Seema walked to her daughter's bedroom.  Meera was not there,  so she left the envelope on Meera's bed and went away. When Meera came out of the bathroom, her eyes fell on the envelope. She picked it up and opened it. Sitting on the bed, she started to read it:
My darling daughter, I am so happy for you. My darling is getting married! To such a good man! At the same time, I am a little worried, too. The reason? You are going to a new house where everything is going to be new: the people, relationships and surroundings. Yes, you are smart and Vinod will be there with you to help, but I have a few things to say:
Accept Vinod's parents as your parents.  Remember that your mother-in-law will have her own understanding about you. So it is up to you to give her a good impression.
Earn respect from family members.  If that means changing yourself a little bit and adapting to their customs, just do it. It will help you to settle into your new home.
Never compare your mother's home and their home.  It may not be appreciated.
The kitchen is one place where small fights can appear.  It is your mother-in-law's king- dom, so ask her permission if you want to cook something. If she offers help, accept it. This will help in building trust between you. Similarly, offer her your help when she is busy cooking. Thus, a new relationship will be born: one of respect and understanding.
Finally, respect your husband, as he is your life partner.  Remember that a marriage requires trust, love and compromise (妥協(xié)).
I could have sat with you and told you, but I felt that writing all this down would make you understand better and I am sure you will give your whole heart to this relationship. Remember that both Papa and I are here for you always.
Love, Ma
【小題1】Where was Meera when her mother went to her bedroom?

A．In the kitchen.

B． In Vinod's house.

C． In the bedroom.

D． In the bathroom.

【小題2】 What was Seema's attitude towards Vinod?

A．Satisfied.

B．Cautious.

C．Doubtful.

D．Worried.

【小題3】 According to the mother, the daughter should NOT_____  in the new family.

A． earn respect from family members

B． accept Vinod's parents as her parents

C． compare her mother's home and their home

D．a(chǎn)sk permission if she wants to cook something

【小題4】What will help if Meera wants to build trust with her mother-in-law, according to the mother?

A．Living with her.

B． Cooking meals instead of her.

C．Making compromises with her.

D．Accepting her help in the kitchen.

【小題5】The mother wrote the letter mainly to teach her daughter ______.

A．how to respect her husband

B．how to trust her mother-in-law

C．how to adapt to her married life

D．how to better understand her parents

Each time I see a balloon, my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six - year – old girl. It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died. I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven. “Yes, honey. Of course.” she said.“Can we write him a letter?”
She paused, the longest pause of my short life, and answered, “Yes.”My heart jumped. “How? Does the mailman go there?” I asked.
“No, but I have an idea.” Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon. I asked her what it was for.“Just wait, honey. You’ll see.” Mom told me to write my letter. Eagerly, I got my favorite pen, and poured out my six - year - old heart in the form of blue ink. I wrote about my day, what I learned at school, how Mom was doing, and even about what happened in a story I had read. For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive. I gave the letter to Mom. She read it over, and a smile crossed her face.She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped the balloon string. We went out-side and she gave me the balloon. It was still raining.“Okay, on the count of three, let go. One, two, three.”The balloon, carrying my letter, darted upward against the rain. We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds.Later I realized, like the balloon, that Dad had never let his sickness get him down. He was strong. No matter what he suffered, he’d persevere, dart up, and finally transcend this cold world and his sick body. He rose into sky and became something beautiful. I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was passed on. I prayed to be a balloon.
【小題1】When the girl asked her mother if they could write to her father, her mother _________.

A．believed it easy to do so	B．thought her a creative girl
C．felt it hard to answer	D．found it easy to lie

【小題2】 When the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father, she __________.

A．jumped with joy

B．was worried that it couldn’t be delivered

C．started writing immediately

D．became excited

【小題3】 In the eyes of the author, what was the rain like?

A．An incurable disease

B．An unforgettable memory.

C．The failures her father experienced

D．The hard time her father had.

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

A．An unforgettable experience	B．Fly to the heaven
C．The strong red balloon	D．A great father

Self-confidence is an attitude which allows individuals to have positive yet realistic views of themselves and their situations. Self-confident people trust their own abilities, have a general sense of control in their lives, and believe that，within reason, they will be able to do what they wish., plan., and expect. Having self-confidence does not mean that individuals will be able to do everything. Self-confident people have expectations that are realistic. Even when some of their expectations are not met，they continue to be positive and to accept themselves.
People who are not self-confident depend too much on the approval of others in order to feel good about themselves. They tend to avoid taking risks because they fear failure. They generally do not expect to be successful. They often put themselves down and tend to ignore compliments（贊美）paid to them By contrast，self-confident people are willing to risk the disapproval of others because they generally trust their own abilities. They tend to accept themselves；they don't feel they have to conform in order to be accepted.
Many factors affect the development of self-confidence. Parents' attitudes are crucial to children's feelings about themselves，particularly in children's early years. When parents pro- vide acceptance, children receive a solid foundation for good feelings about themselves. If one or both parents are much to critical or demanding, or if they are overprotective and discourage children's moves toward independence, children may come to believe they are unqualified or inadequate.
Surprisingly, lack of self-confidence is not necessarily related to lack of ability. Instead it is often the result of focusing too much on the unrealistic expectations or standards of others， especially parents and society. Friends' influences can be as powerful or more powerful than those of parents and society in shaping feelings of one's self. Students in their college years reexamine values and develop their own identities and thus are particularly sensitive to the influence of friends.
【小題1】Paragraph 1 mainly talks about____．

A．the sources of self-confidence

B．the benefits of self-confidence

C．the development of self-confidence

D．the lack of self-confidence

【小題2】In Paragraph 2，the underlined word "conform" probably means“_______”．

A．refuse

B．separate

C．permit

D．obey

【小題3】According to the passage, self-confident people tend to____．

A．be practical	B．control others
C．a(chǎn)void risks	D．depend on others

【小題4】Which of the following can we learn about self-confidence according to the passage?

A．Self-confidence is usually the symbol of special abilities.

B．Parents' protection prevents children's self-confidence development.

C．Parents and friends matter in building one's self-confidence.

D．College students are the least self-confident group in society.

【小題5】What might the author most probably continue to talk about in the following passage?

A．How we can become more acceptable.

B．Lack of self-confident has many side effects.

C．What self-confident children usually get from parents.

D．What one should avoid in building self-confidence.

The United States economy has dipped into economic recession (經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退). This caused discomfort and hardship in every level of society; but for many of the nation’s poor, discomfort and hardship turned into misery (苦難).
An increase in homelessness is probably the worst result of a nation’s financial disaster. About 3 million Americans were homeless because of a lack of affordable housing. Experts suggest that a family should spend no more than 30 percent of its income on housing. In fact, in some families housing costs make up 50 percent or more. An unexpected event, such as losing work or illness, can quickly push a family into homelessness.
An article in Time magazine tells a story of one such family. A young couple and their three children rented a two-bedroom apartment for about $350 a month. They could hardly go on with the husband’s $920-a-month take-home pay; so when their rent was raised to $500 a month, they could no longer make ends meet.
Another woman was found dead on a street in Washington D.C., the capital, and she died at a bus-stop across the street from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
People become homeless for different reasons. Some may not be able to pay for housing, because they have lost their job and cannot find another place they can afford. Others have mental diseases, or are addicted to drugs or alcohol, many of whom do not live with their family. And what’s more, there are not enough centers for shelter as the government doesn’t pay enough attention to this social problem. 
People are making efforts to solve the problem. However, it will not be easy, because it is a personal and economical problem as well as a social problem.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about __________ in the US.

A．ways of solving economic problems

B．homeless people being taken good care of

C．different reasons for economic recession

D．economic recession leading to social problems

【小題2】In the passage the author supported his view by __________.

A．presenting specific figures	B．giving examples
C．explaining in details	D．discussing different opinions

【小題3】 One main result that economic recession has led to is __________

A．a(chǎn)n increase of living costs	B．more and more deaths
C．a(chǎn)n increase of homeless people	D．less centers for poor people

【小題4】How many reasons why people become homeless are listed in the passage?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

D．5.

What I like to advise people is to find out what it is that makes them happy. What do you love to do? If you truly love what you do just go ahead and try to make a living by doing it. People will throw money at you to do it. But you will always have to work hard at it. I have to draw every single day of my life. I have to draw about 20 ideas. My advice is to put aside a certain amount of time every day and make you draw or whatever, especially when you don’t feel like it. Only in this way will you be able to perfect your talent.
The first step you take is to go to your local library and ask for the publications issued in the current years. When you get these publications, try to find the names of the top people concerned and their presidents. After you find these, write down their names and addresses. Keep this list and update it every year. Next thing you want to do is to create at least 40 cartoons. Get a grid（格子） from one of the strips in the newspapers, enlarge it to whatever size you wish and draw inside this grid. Now take the best 20 of your ideas and make them into finished pieces. To do this, you would want to copy them in ink because if you were a professional cartoonist, that was what you should do. Now you can reduce the size of the finished cartoons to fit onto a regular comic’s page. By comparing yours with the others already in print, it gives you a good idea of clarity to your cartoon.
The next step is to write letters to presidents of the publication. In the letters, explain who you think would read your work, or in other words, what group do you think you would target. After you complete these, send all of your information enclosed with letters in the appropriate envelope.
Now as soon as you send out these letters, start to create a brand new strip with all new characters. Don’t get married to one idea because if your idea gets turned down then you will give up. And always remember. If you receive a rejection from any of them, keep in mind that you are working on something better. You will be working on something new and more exciting and the rejection letter will not have any impact. With this in mind…
【小題1】What is the advice from the writer in the first paragraph when you want to succeed in your life?

A．Stop doing anything until you find something quite suitable for your future career.

B．Put aside a certain amount of time every day to consider how to make a living.

C．Make a living by something that you truly like to do as your profession and work hard at it.

D．Perfect your talent only by drawing some cartoons.

【小題2】The purpose of writing a letter to the president was to ____.

A．get some money to support the later career

B．enclose the information on how to become cartoonists with the letter

C．focus his attention on the work

D．explain who would be the readers of the work

【小題3】 The underlined phrase “get married to one idea” in the last paragraph probably refers to ______.

A．having a strong desire to get married

B．fixing all attention on one idea

C．marrying someone is a good ideas

D．refusing one idea to get married

An old woman had two large pots (罐), one on each end of a pole (扁擔(dān)). She carried the pole with the pots across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack (裂縫) in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered (遞送) a full pot of water. At the end of the long walk from the well to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half-full.
For two years this happened daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection.
One day, the cracked pot spoke to the woman by the well: “I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled: “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your crack, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. And every day while we walk back, you water them.”
“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate (裝飾) the table. Without you being just the way you are, I would not have this beauty.”
Each of us has our own cracks. But it’s these cracks that make our lives together so interesting and meaningful.
【小題1】How did the cracked pot feel about itself at first?

A．Proud.

B．Happy.

C．Excited.

D．Ashamed.

【小題2】Where were the flowers growing?

A．On both sides of the path.

B．In the woman’s house.

C．On the perfect pot’s side.

D．On the cracked pot’s side.

【小題3】Which is the correct order of the following events?
① The woman picked the flowers and decorated the table.
② The woman told the truth to the cracked pot.
③ The cracked pot talked to the woman about its crack.
④ The woman found a crack on one pot.
⑤ The woman planted some flower seeds.

A．④⑤①③②	B．⑤④③②①
C．④③①②⑤	D．④⑤③①②

【小題4】What does the passage mainly want to tell us?

A．Never laugh at old women.

B．Imperfection makes life meaningful.

C．Try your best to be perfect in life.

D．Don’t use a cracked pot to carry water.

About this time every year, I get very nostalgic(懷舊的). Walking through my neighborhood on a fall afternoon reminds me of a time not too long ago when sounds of children filled the air, children playing games on a hill, and throwing leaves around in the street below. I was one of those children, carefree and happy. I live on a street that is only one block long. I have lived on the same street for sixteen years. I love my street. One side has six houses on it, and the other has only two houses, with a small hill in the middle and a huge cottonwood tree on one end. When I think of home, I think of my street. Only I see it as it was before. Unfortunately things change. One day, not long ago, I looked around and saw how different everything has become. Life on my street will never be the same because neighbors are quickly grown old, friends are growing up and leaving, and the city is planning to destroy my precious hill and sell the property to contractors.
It is hard for me to accept that many of my wonderful neighbors are growing old and won’t be around much longer. I have fond memories of the couple across the street, who sat together on their porch swing almost every evening, the widow next door who yelled at my brother and me for being too loud, and the crazy old man in a black suit who drove an old car. In contrast to those people, the people I see today are very old neighbors who have seen better days. The man in the black suit says he wants to die, and another neighbor just sold his house and moved into a nursing home. The lady who used to yell at us is too tired to bother any more, and the couple across the street rarely go out to their front porch these days. It is difficult to watch these precious people as they near the end of their lives because at once I thought they would live forever.
The “comings and goings” of the younger generation of my street are now mostly “goings” as friends and peers move on. Once upon a time, my life and the lives of my peers revolved around home. The boundary of our world was the gutter at the end of the street. We got pleasure from playing night games or from a breathtaking ride on a tricycle. Things are different now, as my friends become adults and move on. Children who rode tricycles now drive cars. The kids who once played with me now have new interests and values as they go their separate ways. Some have gone away to college like me, a few got married, two went into the army, and one went to prison. Watching all these people grow up and go away makes me long for the good old days.
Perhaps the biggest change on my street is the fact that the city is going to turn my precious hill into several lots for now homes. For sixteen years, the view out of my kitchen window has been a view of that hill. The hill was a fundamental part of my childhood life; it was the hub of social activity for the children of my street. We spent hours there building forts, sledding, and playing tag. The view out of my kitchen window now is very different; it is one of tractors and dump trucks tearing up the hill. When the hill goes, the neighborhood will not be the same. It is a piece of my childhood. It is a visual reminder of being a kid. Without the hill, my street will be just another pea in the pod.
There was a time when my street was my world, and I thought my world would never change. But something happened. People grow up, and people grow old. Places changes, and with the change comes the heartache of knowing I can never go back to the times I loved. In a year or so, I will be gone just like many of my neighbors. I will always look back to my years as a child, but the place I remember will not be the silent street whose peace is interrupted by the sounds of construction. It will be the happy, noisy, somewhat strange, but wonderful street I knew as a child.
【小題1】The writer finds it hard to accept the fact that _____________.

A．many of his good neighbors are growing old

B．the lady next door who used to yell at him and his brother is now a widow

C．the life of his neighbors has become very boring

D．the man in his black suit even wanted to end his own life

【小題2】The biggest change on the writer's street is _____________.

A．removing the hill to make way for residential development

B．the building of new homes behind his kitchen window

C．the fact that there are much fewer people around than in the past

D．the change in his childhood friends' attitude towards their neighborhood

【小題3】What does the writer mean by saying “my street will be another pea in the pod”?

A．his street will be very noisy and dirty

B．his street will soon be crowded with people

C．his street will have some new attractions

D．his street will be no different from any other street

【小題4】Which could be a good title for the passage?

A．The Past of My Street will Live Forever

B．Unforgettable People and Things of My Street

C．Memory Street Isn’t What It Used to Be

D．The Big Changes of My Street

One day when I was driving on the freeway, I noticed all the way there were large dividing walls, which had been built between it and the road running parallel to it, for noise reduction (減少) and a sense of separation. The purpose was to create a sense of privacy (隱私) for people on the other side.
This got me thinking: How often do we put up mental barriers that keep us distant from others? Lifting the artificial barriers that keep us apart can offer opportunities to express our goodwill and create better relationships. If we can do like this, maybe our life will be a little different.
There is a little post office in a nearby town, and since it is closer to me than the post office in my own town, I go there. One day, with many people jammed into the little building, a man came hurrying in to mail a letter, and the girl at the counter saw he had too little postage on it. She told him he needed 2 more cents. Obviously he was a little at a loss. He had hurried over from his office, and didn’t have any money on him or time to stand in line. He was going to run back to get the needed money and wait in line again, but he hurried to get the letter mailed in the first place.
As we were watching him, one woman volunteered a two-cent stamp, and the whole line became very quiet. It was a beautiful moment. The man hesitated for a little while and asked her if she was sure, and she assured him she was fine with giving him the stamp. He offered to go back to his office to get the two cents, and she told him not to bother.
It was a small thing, but it meant something to both of the people involved, and to the rest of us. We aren’t a yard that needs defining or a freeway that needs barriers. We are human beings who can contribute to each other’s wellbeing by taking time to pay attention and interact. After all, we are all parts of a whole living in society.
【小題1】The purpose of the first paragraph is to __________.

A．summarize the main idea

B．give detailed information

C．tell readers the author’s opinion

D．introduce the topic

【小題2】What happened after the man being told he needed two more cents?

A．The man went back to his office immediately.

B．The man turned to a lady for help.

C．A woman offered a stamp to the man.

D．The man waited in line patiently.

【小題3】What can we learn about the author?

A．She pays too much attention to privacy.

B．She believes people should participate in the world around them.

C．She confuses real barriers with false ones.

D．She insists all small things always have the greatest meaning.

【小題4】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Artificial Barriers	B．Unnecessary Separation
C．An Unforgettable Experience	D．The Kindness of People

You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.
But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got. 
【小題1】After a short overseas holiday, people tend to _______.

A．notice small changes

B．expect small changes

C．welcome small changes

D．exaggerate small changes

【小題2】How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?

A．Cautiously.

B．Positively.

C．Sceptically.

D．Critically.

【小題3】When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by _______.

A．the relaxed policemen

B．the messy arrivals hall

C．the tight security

D．the bank robbers

【小題4】Which might be the best title for the passage?

A．Life in Britain.

B．Back in Britain.

C．Britain in Future.

D．Britain in Memory.