A few months ago as I wandered through my parents’ house, the same house I grew up in, I had a sudden, scary realization. When my parents bought the house, in 1982, they were only two years older than I am now. I tried to imagine myself in two years, ready to settle down and buy the house I’d still be living in almost 30 years later.
It seemed ridiculous. On a practical level, there’s no way I could afford to buy a house anytime soon. More importantly, I wouldn’t want to. I’m not sure where I’ll be living in two years, or what kind of job I’ll have. And I don’t think I’ll be ready to settle down and stay in one place.
So this is probably the generation gap that divides my friends and me from our parents. When our parents were our age, they’d gotten their education, chosen a career, and were starting to settle into responsible adult lives.
My friends and I – “Generation Y” – still aren’t sure what we want to do with our lives. Whatever we end up doing, we want to make sure we’re happy doing it. We’d rather take risks first, try out different jobs, and move from one city to another until we find our favorite place. We’d rather spend our money on travel than put it in a savings account.
This casual attitude towards responsibility has caused some critics to call my generation “arrogant”, “impatient”, and “overprotected”. Some of these complaints have a point. As children we were encouraged to succeed in school, but also to have fun. We grew up in a world full of technological innovation: cellphones, the Internet, instant messaging, and video games.
Our parents looked to rise vertically（垂直的）– starting at the bottom of the ladder and slowly making their way to the top, on the same track, often for the same company. That doesn’t apply to my generation.
Because of that, it may take us longer than our parents to arrive at responsible, stable adulthood. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In our desire to find satisfaction, we will work harder, struggle for ways to keep life interesting, and gain a broader set of experiences and knowledge than our parents’ generation did.
【小題1】What is the main “generation gap” between the author and her friends and their parents according to the article?

A．Their ways of gaining experience.

B．Their attitude towards responsibility.

C．Their attitude toward high technology.

D．Their ways of making their way to the top.

【小題2】Which of the following might the author agree with?

A．It involves too much effort to rise vertically.

B．It’s better to take adult responsibility earlier.

C．It’s all right to try more before settling down.

D．It’s ridiculous to call her generation “arrogant”.

【小題3】What can we conclude from the article?

A．The author is envious of her parents enjoying a big house at her age.

B．“Generation Y” people don’t want to grow up and rush into adulthood.

C．Growing up in a hi-tech world makes “Generation Y” feel insecure about relationships.

D．The author wrote this article so that others would be able to understand her generation better.

【小題4】What is the main theme of the article?

A．Criticisms of the young generation.

B．The sudden realization of growing up.

C．A comparison between lifestyles of generations.

D．The factors that have changed the young generation.

The expression “Go for it!” is a way of encouraging someone to try something.
“Go for it!” means you should not worry about failure or be too careful. You should take a chance, be brave, and act firmly.
“Go for it!” gets name from football. Not football as it is played in most countries such as England, Egypt or Japan, but the kind of football played in the United States and Canada.
One of the most exciting times in football comes when a team has failed, after three attempts, to move the ball forward ten yards. The team must make a critical decision.[來(lái)源:學(xué)+科+網(wǎng)Z+X+X+K]
The conservative choice is to kick the ball and accept temporary defeat in order to gain a good position for your team the next time it gets the ball. The more exciting choice, however, is to try a fourth and final time to gain the remaining yards needed.
In the nineteen eighties, people began using this expression in many kinds of situations to encourage someone to act bravely.
There is no guarantee(保證) that the action you “Go for it!” will succeed. But that is the chance you take when you decide to go for it. You put your fears behind. You choose courage over safety. You hold your breath and go for it.
【小題1】The expression “Go for it!” comes from______.

A．English football	B．Egyptian football
C．Japanese football	D．American football

【小題2】According to the passage, when we decide to go for it, we only consider______.

A．safety	B．a(chǎn)ction
C．result	D．situation

【小題3】In which of the following situations should we use the expression nowadays?

A．We decide to avoid trouble or danger for the future.

B．We try to improve our English for better education.

C．We need to make a quick decision at the last moment.

D．We have to make a choice between success and failure.

Most people think the first pies were made by early Romans. They may have learned about pie making from the Greeks. These pies were sometimes made in"reeds (蘆葦葉)", which were used for the purpose of holding the filling (餡 ), and were not eaten.
The Romans spread the word about pies around Europe and the word"pie"became a popular word in the 14th century. The first pie recipe (食譜) was also published by the Romans.
Pies first appeared in England as early as the twelfth century. The early pies were mostly meat pies. There was actually more crust(皮)than filling. Often these pies were made from fowl ( 家禽) and the fowl's legs were left to hang over the side of the dish and used as handles. Fruit pies were probably first made in the 1500s. It is said that Queen Elizabeth I made the first cherry pie.
Pie came to America with the first English settlers. The early settlers cooked their pies in long narrow pans. As in the Roman times, the early American pie crusts were often not eaten, but simply used to hold the filling during baking(_{高@考☆資&源*網(wǎng)}烘焙).
Over the years, pie has become what it is today --- "the most traditional American dessert". Pie has become so much a part of American culture that we now often use the phrase "as American as apple pie".
【小題1】Which people might probably first grasp the skill to make pies?

A．The Romans.	B．The Greeks.
C．The Englishmen.	D．The Americans.

【小題2】Which of the following is NOT true about pies?

A．English settlers brought pies to America.

B．Early Romans ate not only pies but also the crusts.

C．The Romans first published pie recipe.

D．The word “pie ” became popular because of the Romans` efforts.

【小題3】What can best show pies have become part of American culture?

A．Americans use long narrow pans to cook pies.

B．People use "as American as apple pie" to show something about American characteristics.

C．Americans don't eat crusts but use them to hold the filling during baking.

D．Pies are the most traditional American dessert.

【小題4】The best title of this passage is "______________".

A．The History of Pies	B．Pies, the Delicious Food
C．Pies, American Dessert	D．How to Make Pies

When I lived in Spain，some Spanish friends of mine decided to visit England by car，before they left，they asked me about how to find accommodation（住所）．I suggested that they should stay at “bed and breakfast” houses，because this kind of accommodation gives a foreign visitor a good chance to speak English with the family．My friends listened to my advice，but they came back with some funny stories．
“We didn't stay at bed and breakfast houses，”they said．“Because we found that most families were away on holiday．”
I thought this was strange．Finally I understood what had happened
My friends spoke little English，and  they thought “VACANCIES” meant “holidays” because Spanish word for “holiday” is “vacaciones”．So they did not go to houses where the sign outside said “VACANCIES”，which in English meant there are free rooms．Then my friends went to houses where the sign said “NO VACANCIES”，because they thought this meant the people who owned the house were not away on holiday．But they found that these houses were all full．As a result，they stayed at hotels！
We laughed about this and about mistakes my friends made in reading other signs．In Spanish，a word very similar to “DIVERSION” means fun．In English it means that workman is repairing the road，and that you must take a different road when my friends saw the word “DIVERSION” on a road sign，they thought they were going to have fun．Instead， the road ended in a large hole．
English people have problems too when they learn foreign languages．Once in Paris，when someone offered me some more coffee，I said “Thank you” in French．I meant that I would like some more．However，to my surprise the coffee pot was taken away！ Later I found out that “Thank you” in French means “No，thank you”．
【小題1】My Spanish friends wanted advice about _________．

A．learning English

B．finding places to stay in England

C．driving their car on English roads

D．going to England by car

【小題2】I suggested that they stay at bed and breakfast houses because ________.

A．they would be able to practise their English

B．it would be much cheaper than staying in hotels

C．it would be convenient for them to have dinner

D．there would be no problem about finding accommodation

【小題3】 “No vacancies” in English means ____．

A．no free rooms	B．free rooms
C．not away on holiday	D．holidays

【小題4】I was surprised when the coffee pot was taken away because I _______．

A．hadn't finished drinking my coffee

B．was expecting another cup of coffee

C．meant that I didn't want any more

D．was never misunderstood

Organic food, once considered something that only health fanatics desired, is now a regular feature at most supermarkets. And that has created a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand, you have a conventionally grown apple. On the other, you have one that’s organic. Both apples are firm, shiny and red. Both provide vitamins and fiber, and both are free of fat, sodium and cholesterol.
Conventionally grown food generally costs less, but is organic food a better choice? The advantages claimed for such foods over conventionally grown and sold food products are now being debated on a large scale. Supporters of organic foods ― a term whose meaning varies greatly ―are frequently telling the world that such products are safer and more nutritious than others.
The growing interest of consumers in the safety and nutritional quality of daily foods is a welcome development. However, much of this interest has been aroused by sweeping claims that the conventional food supply is unsafe or inadequate in meeting nutritional needs.
Almost daily, the public is surrounded by claims for “no-aging” diets, new vitamins and other wonder foods. There are numerous unsubstantiated(沒(méi)證實(shí)的) reports that natural vitamins are superior to man-made ones, that fertilized eggs are nutritionally superior to unfertilized eggs, that untreated grains are better than those treated with insect spray and the like.
Although most of these claims are not supported by scientific evidence, large amounts of written material about the benefits of organic foods makes it difficult for people to separate fact from fiction. As a result, claims that eating a diet consisting of organically grown foods prevents or cures disease or provides other benefits to health have become widely advertised and form the basis for people’s opinion.
One thing that most organically grown food products seem to have in common is that they cost more than conventionally grown foods. But in many cases consumers are misled if they believe organic foods can maintain health and provide better nutritional quality than conventionally grown foods. So there is real cause for concern if consumers, particularly those with limited incomes, distrust the conventional food supply and buy only expensive organic foods instead.
【小題1】According to Paragraph 2, which of the following statements about organic food is true?

A．It hasn’t been used until recent years.

B．It has no agreed definition.

C．It is popular among producers.

D．It is accepted by most nutritionists.

【小題2】In Paragraph 4, treated grains are examples of ________.

A．healthier food	B．organic food
C．conventionally grown food	D．expensive food

【小題3】It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．most doctors believe organic foods prevent disease or provide other benefits to health

B．organic foods are actually less nutritious than conventionally grown foods

C．people cannot separate fact from fiction because of the TV advertisements

D．organic foods cost more but are not necessarily better than conventionally grown foods

【小題4】According to the passage, many consumers are attracted by organic foods because they _____.

A．want to try something new

B．have carefully researched the products

C．value food safety and nutrition

D．expect to save some money

【小題5】What is the author’s attitude towards the claims of organic foods?

A．Doubtful.	B．Enthusiastic.
C．Supportive.	D．Uninterested.

English is an important global language, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to learn. Many experts have tried to make English easier for students to learn―but they weren’t always successful.
In 1930, Professor CK Ogden of Cambridge University invented Basic English. It had only 850 words (and just eighteen verbs) and Ogden said most people could learn it in just thirty hours. The problem was that people who learned Basic English could write and say simple messages, but they couldn’t understand the answers in “real” English! It was also impossible to explain a word if it wasn’t in the Basic English word list. For example, if you wanted a watermelon, you asked for “a large green fruit with the form of an egg, which has a sweet red inside and a good taste”!
RE Zachrisson, a university professor in Sweden, decided that the biggest problem for learners of English was spelling, so he invented a language called Anglic. Anglic was similar to English, but with much simpler spelling. “Father” became “faadher”, “new” became “nue’ and “years” became “yeerz”. Unfortunately for some students of English, Anglic never became popular.
Even easier is the language which ships’ captains use: it’s called “Seaspeak”. Seaspeak uses a few simple phrases for every possible situation. In Seaspeak, for example, you don’t say, “I’m sorry what did you say?” or “I didn’t understand, can you repeat that?” It’s just “Say again.” No more grammar!
In the age of international communication through the Internet who knows? ... a new form of English might appear. A large number of the world’s e-mails are in English and include examples of “NetLingo” like OIC (Oh, I see) and TTYL (Talk to you later). In another fifty years, English might not exist ... we will probably all speak fluent Internetish!
【小題1】The best title for the passage would be ______.

A．Seaspeak	B．Basic English
C．Internetish	D．Easy English

【小題2】It will take a person about ______ weeks to learn Basic English if he spends two hours
learning it every day.

A．six

B．four

C．two

D．three

【小題3】According to Professor Zachrisson, what was the biggest problem for learners of English?

A．Grammar.	B．Vocabulary.
C．Speaking.	D．Spelling.

【小題4】Which of the following is likely to be Anglic?

A．IOU	B．A graet batl.
C．Long time no see.	D．Two five, no lights.

【小題5】What might happen to English in another fifty years?

A．It might be replaced by Internetish.

B．It might become a global language.

C．It might take the place of all other languages.

D．It might become more and more difficult.

In recent years，American students have fallen behind in many subjects like math，science and reading. In 2005，the U.S. was number nine among the developed countries in the number of students graduating from high school.
American education officials are searching for new ways to help students learn again. One tool that is getting some attention is the use of video games.
Sixteen­year­old John Diaz says he loves playing video games but doesn't like traditional schoolwork. During his summer vacation，Diaz is continuing his studies at home. That is because his courses are available on his home computer.
Florida Virtual School's head master，Julie Young，says the school teaches students with the technology they most enjoy using in and out of school.“We have so many students who feel free in our school，” Young said, “They lose interest when they go to school. And we're very hopeful that Conspiracy Code will attract the learners to really get into the detail of learning.”
Conspiracy Code is a video game that teaches U.S. history. Students guide two heroes in a quest to stop a conspiracy  to change the past. Along the way，students learn about events such as the Civil War，and report back to their teacher who is a spy ．
John Diaz says he enjoys American history now.“I like to do the game every day，” he said.
【小題1】In the first paragraph，we can learn that American students________.

A．do better in science than reading

B．do not want to go to college

C．have been less interested in studies recently

D．do worst in math among the developed countries

【小題2】How does John Diaz continue to study in summer vacation?

A．By having an experienced tutor.

B．By going to a vacation camp.

C．By studying on the computer.

D．By watching videos.

【小題3】Conspiracy Code is a video game that________.

A．introduces the ways of finding a spy

B．teaches students American history

C．helps students learn computers

D．trains people to become heroes

【小題4】What is the text mainly about?

A．Video games becoming new teaching tools.

B．How Conspiracy Code helps students study.

C．How Florida Virtual School teaches students.

D．American officials caring about education.

Our culture is the system we use to build our identity. All living creatures are part of a culture. Even animals have a culture! So what is culture? It’s the way we behave in a group. It begins with each individual family. Within our families we do things to build relationships with each other. This can include routines for doing things. It also includes traditions. Traditions are activities that are repeated on a regular basis.
Culture is not limited to individual family groups. The real strength of culture is in larger community （社會(huì)）groups. These larger groups are called societies. Every society makes rules for itself. It decides how people should act in different situations. Some of these rules are written down. Some are just things that are automatically expected of all members of that society. Often, cultures can be identified（識(shí)別）by what the people believe. Cultures are also known by what they choose to include in their art. Sometimes a society forms around people who speak the same language. Cultures may also be known for their customs, including the foods they make and the things they do.
Our cultures help us understand who we are and what we believe. There are very strong emotions（情感）connecting us to our own society. Two different cultures may disagree on something, especially if they both feel strongly about it. When that happens, war is a common result. People are learning better ways to communicate with each other. The more we learn, the more we appreciate the differences in cultures.
【小題1】Which of the following is not true?

A．Every society has its own culture.

B．Every one with an identity card has his own culture.

C．Animals have their cultures.

D．Culture and traditions are connected.

【小題2】Which of the following has nothing to do with culture according to the passage?

A．A religion that a certain people practice

B．Greetings sent to people we love during spring festival

C．Face-changing in Sichuan Opera

D．Someone’s personal habit of staying up very late

【小題3】Which of the following is true?

A．Modern societies have written down all the rules for behavior.

B．Plants themselves have no culture.

C．Disagreement between two societies always leads to war.

D．Strong emotions that connect us to our society should be got rid of.

【小題4】We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．cultural exchanges may help reduce the risk of war

B．a(chǎn)ll disagreements are caused by strong feelings

C．differences in culture always cause disagreements

D．people haven’t tried different ways to communicate

When you are invited to attend a party in the West, the first important thing you need to know is that you should arrive late.
It is a great embarrassment to arrive at a party early or even on time. Therefore, unless you are the host of the party, you never want to be the first person present at a party. Why? Because others may think that you have no life or nothing better to do than wait for a party to start. Many people try to project（展現(xiàn)）an image（形象）of always being busy, which, whether true or not, has something to do with success. So, by arriving late, you are implying: “I live a full life and it's really exciting.”
Therefore, an 8 o'clock party usually doesn't really start until maybe 9 o'clock, as everyone wants to be thought of as a busy and important person with lots of things to do. In other words, a party is one of those rare occasions（極少數(shù)場(chǎng)合）in which your punctuality can actually hurt you. It's quite a strange thing, isn't it? Anyhow, remember to be late!
【小題1】The passage is most likely to have been taken from a book about______.

A．life in the West	B．health and medicine
C．politics in the West	D．behavioral science

【小題2】What is the reason that people want to be late for parties?

A．They are not the host of the party.

B．They are too busy to arrive on time.

C．They want others to think they are busy.

D．They don’t want to wait for a party to start.

【小題3】What does the word "punctuality" in the last paragraph mean?

A．Being polite	B．Being late
C．Being smart	D．Being on time

【小題4】We can infer from the passage that______.

A．Sometimes people pretend to be what they want to be.

B．Lateness is not a problem when you are attending a meeting.

C．You need to be late on every occasion.

D．Going to a party can be a waste of time.

Who is the most powerful woman in the world? According  to the US media, it's Janet Yellen, or at least she's about to be.
On Oct 9, 2013，US President Barack Obama nominated （提名）Yellen to serve as the next US Federal Reserve (the Fed, 美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)）chair. If confirmed by the Senate, Yellen will become  the first woman to serve in the top spot.
Aged 67, silver-haired and tiny, Yellen is said to be the most qualified nominee ever. She chaired President Bill
Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, taught at Harvard and Berkeley, and was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She is currently the Fed's vice chair.
Many think Yellen is the right choice to deal with the challenges the Fed now faces：First, to bring interest rates back to more normal levels without triggering a new recession（衰退）．Second, to reduce the US unemployment rate, which remains at historically high levels.
A CNN opinion piece says Yellen is unusual for an economist of her caliber（才干）．"She has kept her eyes on what's critical-the people. Her research has centered on unemployment, on the best way to modulate（調(diào)整）government policies to benefit the people."
Past records also show that Yellen is exceptionally good at predicting where the economy is headed. An article in The Washington Post points out that she was one of the few voices at the Fed inDecember 2009 warning about the subprime crisis（次貸危機(jī)）and the following recession.
The reason why Yellen will be the most powerful woman in the world has to do with the unique position of the Federal Reserve, explains an article on Quartz, a US news outlet for business people in the new global economy,
First of all, the Fed is independent. Unlike US Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Hilary Clinton, the decisions made by the organization Yellen will lead next year are not subject to approval by anyone in the government.
Within the Fed, the chair alone sets the agenda. The Fed chairperson has huge influence on monetary policy（貨幣政策）and financial regulation. And don't forget how powerful the Fed itself is. It controls the money supply in the world's largest economy. The Fed's interest rate decisions don't just set the course for the US economy, its decisions set the course for the world economy, too.
Because of globalization, Yellen's decisions will affect everyone around the world, says an article in The Atlantic, making her even more powerful than some great women rulers in history,  including Elizabeth I of England and China's Wu Zetian. For example, the article continues: "If Yellen even just talks about slowing down the Fed's bond-buying, Europe's troubled economies are likely to see their interest rates rise, and emerging markets, some of which, like India and Indonesia, used foreign capital to fund their current account deficits（赤字），are likely to see their currencies collapse."
【小題1】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the reason for Yellen's nomination?

A．Yellen's professional experiences．

B．Yellen's ability to deal with the challenges the Fed faces.

C．Yellen's educational background.

D．Yellen's remarkable competence as an economist.

【小題2】Janet Yelien will be the most powerful woman in the world because＿·

A．the Fed is the most powerful organization in the US

B．Yellen gets full support from Obama

C．Yellen holds a unique position in the government

D．the Fed possesses great power and influence

【小題3】What is the author's attitude towards Yellen's being nominated?

A．Optimistic.	B．Negative.
C．Understanding.	D．Doubtful.

【小題4】What is the author's purpose of writing this passage?

A．To introduce the US Federal Reserve.

B．To report on the next Fed chair.

C．To introduce the current world economy.

D．To report on a few powerful women.