America’s  No.1 health problem? A report published by the American Institute of Stress claims the biggest threat to health today is neither cancer nor AIDS. The report says: “It has been estimated that75-90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress related problems”
It is no exaggeration to say that people today are being attacked by stress. According to the National Consumers League, “ Work is the top source of stress for adults who have problems and stress in their lives (39%),followed by family (30%).Other sources include health (10%), concern about the economy (9%)and concern about international conflict and terrorism (4%).”
However , stress is hardly unique to the United States .A British survey in 2013 estimated that “over half a million individuals in Britain believed in 2012 that they were experiencing work –related stress at a level that was making them ill .” As a result of “work –related stress, depression or anxiety ,”there are “an estimated thirteen and a half million reported lost working days per year in Britain .”\
The picture is no less bleak (荒涼的) in mainland Europe .According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work , “work-related stress has been shown to affect millions of European Workers across all types of employment sectors .” One survey revealed that there are “about 41 million workers affected by work-related stress each year.”
What about Asia ? A report issued by a conference held in Tokyo concluded: “ Job stress is a  common concern among many countries in the world , both developing and industrialized countries .” The report observed that “several countries in East Asia , including China and Korea, have rapidly industrialized and economically grown .These countries now have a lot of concerns on job stress and its harmful effects on workers’ health.”
【小題1】What did the author indicate by quoting “America’s No.1 Health Problem.” (Para. 1)?

A．He wanted to talk about health problems in America.

B．He meant to introduce the topic of stress

C．He hoped to emphasize the stress in America

D．He wanted to tell readers something about American Institute of Stress

【小題2】Which of the followings is NOT true?

A．The threat of work-related stress is bigger than cancer and AIDS.

B．Stress is always from working and living pressure.

C．Some Americans care about international conflict and terrorism.

D．A lot of English people become ill as a result of stress.

【小題3】We can infer from the last paragraph that ______.

A．Asian people are more willing to develop their countries

B．the rapid economic development is the main reason for stress

C．some people in Asian countries have health problems from employment stress

D．Asian countries have a better situation of stress than Europe

【小題4】It is likely that you’ll read this information in ______.

A．Popular Science	B．New York Medical News
C．Daily Health Report	D．Medicine and Healthcare Journal

【小題5】What’s the best title for this passage ?

A．America’s No.1 Health Problem	B．How to Deal with Stress
C．Attacked by Stress	D．Working Stress around the World

President Coolidge’s statement, “The business of America is business,” still points to an important truth today—that business institutions have more prestige（威望）in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions possess this great prestige?
One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected.
Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly（壟斷）of power. In contrast to one all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers’ dollars, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors or slaves.
A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy（民主）in preserving freedom.
Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternative to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed as an expression of the idea of equality of opportunity rather than the aristocratic（貴族的）idea of inherited privilege.
【小題1】The statement “The business of America is business” probably means ________.

A．America is a great power in world business

B．Business is of primary concern to Americans

C．The business institutions in America are concerned with commerce

D．Business problems are of great importance to the American government

【小題2】Americans believe that they can realize their personal values only _______.

A．by protecting their individual freedom

B．when given equality of opportunity

C．by way of competition

D．through doing business

【小題3】Who can benefit from business competition?

A．People with ideals of equality and freedom.

B．Both business institutions and government.

C．Honest businessmen.

D．Both businessmen and their customers.

【小題4】Government is believed to differ strikingly from business in that government is characterized by ________.

A．its role in protecting basic American values

B．its absolute control of power

C．its democratic way of exercising leadership

D．its function in preserving personal freedom

【小題5】It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes ___________.

A．in many countries success often depends on one’s social status

B．businesses in other countries are not as competitive as those in America

C．American businesses are more democratic than those in other countries

D．Americans are more ambitious than people in other countries

At the top of a three-storey brick house Sue and Johnsy had their studio. In November a cold, unseen stranger, whom the doctors called Pneumonia(肺炎), touched one here and there with its icy fingers. Johnsy was struck down, and she lay, hardly moving, on her bed looking through the window at the blank side of the next brick house.
One morning the busy doctor invited Sue into the hallway(走廊).
“She has one chance in ten,” he said, “And that chance is for her to want to live. She has made up her mind that she’s not going to get well. I will do all that I can. But whenever my patient begins to count the carriages in her funeral procession(隊(duì)列), I subtract 50 percent from her chance to live.”
After the doctor had gone, Sue went into the workroom and cried. Then she came into Johnsy’s room with her drawing board, whistling.
Johnsy lay hardly moving with her face toward the window. Sue stopped whistling, thinking she was asleep.
She arranged her board and began a drawing. As Sue was sketching, she heard a low sound. She went quickly to the bedside.
Johnsy’s eyes were open wide. She was looking out the window and counting backward.
“Twelve,” she said, and a little later “eleven”; and then “ten”, and “nine”; and then “eight” and “seven”, almost together.
Sue looked out the window. What was there to count? There was only the blank side of the brick house twenty feet away. An old ivy vine(常春藤) climbed halfway up the brick wall. Its branches clung(緊緊纏著), almost bare, to the bricks.
“What is it, dear?” asked Sue.
“Six,” said Johnsy, in almost a whisper. “They’re falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. There goes another one. There are only five left now”.
“Five what, dear? Tell me.”
“Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls, I must go, too. Didn’t the doctor tell you?”
“Oh, I never heard of such nonsense,” said Sue. “What have old ivy vine leaves to do with your getting well? Why, the doctor told me this morning that your chances for getting well real soon were ten to one! Try to take some soup now.”
“There goes another. No, I don’t want any soup. I want to see the last one fall before it gets dark. Then I’ll go , too.”
“Johnsy, dear,” said Sue, bending over her, “will you promise me to keep your eyes closed, and not look out the window until I’m done working? I need the light or I would draw the shade down.”
“Tell me as soon as you have finished,” said Johnsy, closing her eyes, “because I want to see the last one fall. I’m tired of waiting. I want to turn loose my hold on everything and go sailing down, down, just like one of those poor, tired leaves.”
【小題1】By saying “Pneumonia touched one here and there” (in the first paragraph), the author means that _________.

A．some people were affected by the illnesses of others

B．pneumonia caused damage to the ivy vine

C．two people became ill

D．many people came down with the illness

【小題2】 How did Johnsy feel about the situation during the passage?

A．confident

B．hopeless

C．tired

D．curious

【小題3】We can learn from the passage that _____________.

A．Sue came into the room whistling perhaps because she thought Johnsy might like the music.

B．Johnsy’s life was compared to the carriages in a funeral procession

C．Sue told a lie to Johnsy about the doctor’s words

D．Johnsy wanted to know about the falling ivy leaves to meet her own curiosity

【小題4】The underlined word “subtract” in the third paragraph probably means “________”.

A．reduce

B．hope

C．a(chǎn)dd

D．doubt

【小題5】The passage is probably taken out of ______________.

A．a(chǎn) newspaper	B．a(chǎn) novel
C．a(chǎn) medical report	D．a(chǎn) girl’s diary

“Indeed，” George Washington wrote in his diary in 1985, “some kind of fly, or bug, had begun to eat the leaves before I left home.” But the father of America was not the father of bug. When Washington wrote that, Englishmen had been referring to insects as bugs for more than a century, and Americans had already created lighining-bug(螢火蟲)。But the English were soon to stop using the bugs in their language, leaving it to the Americans to call a bug a bug in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The American bug could also be a person, referring to someone who was crazy about a particular activity. Althoug fan became the usual term. sports fans used to be called racing bugs, baseballbugs, and the like.
Or the bug could be a small machine or object, for example, a bug-shaped car. The bug could also be a burglar alarm, from which comes the expression to bug, that is, “to install (安裝) an alarm”. Now it means a small piece of equipment that people use for listening secretly to others’ conversation. Since the 1840s, to bug has long meant “to cheat”, and since the 1940s it has been annoying.
We also know the bug as a flaw in a computer program or other design. That meaning dates back to the time of Thomas Edison. In 1878 he explained bugs as “l(fā)ittle problems and difficulties” that required months of study and labor to overcome in developing a successful product. In 1889 it was recorded that Edison “had been up the two previous nights discovering ‘a(chǎn) bug’ in his invented record player.”
【小題1】We learn from Paragraph 1 that ___________.

A．Americans had difficulty in learning to use the word bug

B．George Washington was the first person to call an insect a bug

C．the word bug was still popularly used in English in the nineteenth century

D．both Englishmen and Americans used the word bug in the eighteenth century

【小題2】What does the word “flaw” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Explanation.

B．Finding.

C．Origin.

D．Fault.

【小題3】The passage is mainly concerned with__________.

A．the misunderstanding of the word bug

B．the development of the word bug

C．the public views of the word bug

D．the special characteristics of the word bug

【小題1】What you have just read is a _______.

A．note

B．report

C．schedule

D．poster

【小題2】What is going to take place on 2 February, 2013?

A．A party for close friends to meet and have fun

B．A party to celebrate a traditional festival.

C．A big event to welcome a Chinese new year.

D．A social gathering to raise money for wildlife.

【小題3】Which of the following statements is true?

A．Tickets are sold in Kwun Tong High School

B．It's unnecessary to take soft drinks with you.

C．Free digital cameras are provided for everybody

D．Festival food will be served without extra charge.

“Whatever",totally tops most annoying word in the poll (民意測(cè)驗(yàn)).So, you know, it is what it is, but Americans are totally annoyed by the use of‘ whatever"’ in conversations. The popular term of indifference (不感興趣）was found most annoying in conversations by 47 percent of the Americans surveyed in a Marist College poll on Wednesday.
“Whatever"easily beat out “you know",which especially annoyed a quarter of interviewers. The other annoying expressions were "anyway"(at 7 percent), “it is what it is” (11percent) and “at the end of the day(2 percent).
"Whatever" is an expression with staying power It left everyone a deepimpression in the song by Nirvana (“oh well, whatever, never mind”）in 1991 and was popularized by the Valley Girls in the film “Clueless”,later that decade. It is still commonly used, often by younger people.
It can be a common argument-ender or a signal of indifference. And it can really be annoying. The poll found "whatever" to be consistently(始終地) disliked by Americans regardless of their race, sex, age, income or where they live.
“It doesn't surprise me because ‘whatever’，is in a special class, probably, said Michael Adams, author of “Slang(俚語(yǔ))~The People's Poetry" and an associate professor of English at Indiana University. "It's a word that -and it depends on how a speaker uses it -can suggest being not worthy of attention or respect.” Adams, who didn't take part in the poll and is not annoyed by "whatever," points out that its use is not always negative. “It can also be used in place of other neutral(中性的）phrases that have fallen out of favor, like ‘six of one, half dozen of the other’ ” he said. However, he also noted that the negative meaning of the word might explain why “whatever” was judged more annoying than the ever-popular “you know”.
【小題1】Which tops second among the annoying expression according to the passage?'

A．Whatever.	B．You know
C．Anyway.	D．It is what it is.

【小題2】What can we know about the word "whatever"?

A．It became popular because of Nirvana.

B．It can be commonly used at the beginning of an agreement.

C．Old people like it while young people don't.

D．Almost half of the Americans surveyed disliked it.

【小題3】In Adams' opinion, the reason why “whatever”, was judged more annoying may be that_____.

A．most of the people don't like it

B．it can be used in place of other neutral phrases

C．it carries certain negative meaning sometimes

D．the poor don't like it

【小題4】Which of the following statements is true?

A．Adams is not only a writer but also a professor.

B．“Whatever” is a signal of concern.

C．Adams is angry at the word “whatever”

D．"Whatever" will be replaced by "You know”

Most musicians agree that the best violins were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins. But they aren’t the same. Why are these old Italian violins so special? Many people think they have an answer.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only those from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood of the violin is very important. It must be from certain kinds of trees. It must not be too young or too old. Perhaps the violin makers of Cremona knew something special about wood for violins.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this is the secret of the Italians.
Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists make new violins that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish（清漆）, which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. Since no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish, no one can make the same varnish today.
There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona. And there are not many of the old violins left. So these old violins are becoming more and more precious.
【小題1】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．The Secrets of Cremona Violins

B．The History of Italian Violins

C．Special Musical Instruments

D．How to Make the Best Violins

【小題2】The main purpose of the first paragraph is to_______________

A．list some facts	B．raise a question
C．give an opinion	D．offer an answer

【小題3】What is still unclear about Cremona violins according to the writer?

A．The shape．

B．The size．

C．The wood．

D．The varnish．

【小題4】Which of the following words can best describe Cremona violins?

A．Light．

B．Shining．

C．Valuable．

D．Modern

【小題5】What can we learn from this passage?

A．Modem things are always better than ancient ones

B．Ancient things are always better than modem ones

C．Once a cultural relic is lost．it Can never be recovered

D．Varnish for violins will become more and more precious

Most summer camps for teens center around sports, or music and arts, or just for having fun． But some girls in the Washington suburb of Arlington County, Virginia, went to camp to get a taste of what its like to be a firefighter．
This is not a typical summer camp． But Michelle Pawlaw is glad she signed up for it．"Getting to experience the fires hands-on is really cool and something that most people don't get to do," she said．
Michelle and eight other teenage girls are participating in the three-day camp offered by the Arlington County Fire Department located just outside of Washington．
“The purpose is to try to get young women interested in considering the fire service as a career” said firefighter Clare Burley, who is in charge of the program．
The free of charge, overnight camp is designed to let the girls experience what firefighters do in the line of duty to protect the community．
They take classes and learn how to climb the ladder on a fire truck, operate emergency tools and rescue on injured person． They also do their share of cleaning the firehouse and the equipment Firefighting is still a male-dominated （男性主導(dǎo)） service． Clare joined the department seven years ago, saying "We do everything that the guys do to the same standarD．We are tested to the same standarD．We are expected to operate at the same standard．"
Most of the girls say they had never thought about becoming a firefighter, but the camp was a great learning experience．
"I think it is definitely not a job that only men can do. Women can do it just as well as men can," said Michelle Pawlaw．
'I think I can help other people if they need help and know what to do in case I am at a fire myself," said Kayla Ehrlich．
"I think it's fantastic; I could consider taking it as a career some day．" said Monica Bartorsh．
And, the girls say, by spending three days together, they also made new friends and had a lot of fun．
【小題1】____might become a firefighter in the future．

A．Monica	B．Kayla
C．Michelle	D．Clare

【小題2】What can be inferred from the text?

A．The camp offers classes on curing the injured

B．Teenage girls will become volunteer firefighters

C．Women can perform as well as men in firefighting

D．Firefighting will soon be a female-dominated service

【小題3】What do we know about Clare Burley from the passage?

A．She has served the department for 7 years

B．She doesn't like her career as a firefighter

C．She is the designer of the camp program

D．She does better in firefighting than men

【小題4】The purpose of the text is____．

A．to attract more campers

B．to introduce a new type of camp

C．to praise women firefighters

D．to gain support from government

Agricultural experts met in Ethiopia last week to discuss ways to help sub-Saharan Africa become a major producer of wheat. The area traditionally produced little wheat, while North Africa was the grain basket.
Wheat production fell sharply in sub-Saharan countries during the 1980s. In the 1960s, attempts were made to grow wheat in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa and Zimbabwe. But those countries found it was less costly to import wheat from Europe and the United States. Another problem is that Africa's wheat farms were often far from population centers. There also were transportation issues. And some lowlands were not a good place to grow wheat.
Hans Joachim Braun_,one of the experts, says now is a good time to increase wheat production. In the last four years we have seen three major price hikes, where the wheat price and other staple process (主食加工）exploded. And that puts a big, big bill on countries which are depending on wheat imports, and Africa is the biggest wheat importer.
He also says demand for wheat in sub-Saharan Africa is growing faster than for any other crop. With higher income people would like to have more diversified(多樣化）food. But that is possible not the most important one. The most important one is that there is a tremendous migration(移民）of in particular male labor to the cities. And wheat products are convenient food because you can easily buy it. It's easy to process and you also can store it for a few days, which is different from some of the maize and rice products.
There are three possible challenges for growing more wheat in Africa： climate change, disease and pests, like insects. Mr. Braun says rising temperatures should not have a major effect on wheat. In fact, he says, it could help wheat grow in areas with high rainfall totals. As for fighting disease and pests, experts suggest growing more resistant crops. In addition, railroads and roads would have to be improved so large amounts of wheat could be moved to large markets.
【小題1】What does the word "hikes" in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?

A．big changes

B．large increases

C．long trips

D．big bills

【小題2】Wheat price exploding indicates_____.

A．sub-Saharan countries need to increase wheat production badly

B．sub-Saharan countries have to issue more money

C．sub-Saharan countries should grow more Corn

D．importing much wheat is urgent

【小題3】Why is there a higher demand for wheat in sub-Saharan Africa？

A．Because the number ofhungry people there is increasing.

B．Because higher income people have the diversified need of food.

C．Because male labor are crowding into the cities.

D．Because the wheat price is lower.

【小題4】According to Mr. Braun the main challenges for growing more wheat in Africa are_____.

A．climate change and disease

B．resistant crops and climate change

C．rising temperatures and disease and pests

D．disease and pests and inconvenient transportation