He was the baby with no name. Found and taken from the north Atlantic 6 days after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, his tiny body so moved the rescue workers that they called him “our baby.” In their home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, people collected money for a headstone in front of the baby's grave, carved with the words: “To the memory of an unknown child.” He has rested there ever since.
But history has a way of uncovering its secrets. On Nov. 5, this year, three members of a family from Finland arrived at Halifax and laid fresh flowers at the grave. “This is our baby,” says Magda Schleifer, 68, a banker. She grew up hearing stories about a great aunt named Maria Panula, 42, who had sailed on the Titanic for America to be reunited with her husband. According to the information Mrs. Schleifer had gathered, Maria gave up her seat on a lifeboat to search for her five children -- including a 13-month-old boy named Eino, from whom she had become separated during the final minutes of the crossing. "We thought they were all lost in the sea," says Schleifer.
Now, using the teeth and bone pieces taken from the baby's grave, scientists have compared the DNA from the unknown child with those collected from members of five families who lost relatives on the Titanic and never recovered the bodies. The result of the test points only to one possible person: young Eino. Now, the family sees no need for a new grave. "He belongs to the people of Halifax," says Schleifer. "They've taken care of him for 100 years."
【小題1】The baby travelled on the Titanic with his_______.

A．mother

B．parents

C．a(chǎn)unt

D．relatives

【小題2】What is probably the boy's last name?

A．Schleiferi

B．Eino.

C．Magda.

D．Panula.

【小題3】Some members of the family went to Halifax and put flowers at the child's grave on Nov. 5  _______.

A．1912

B．1954

C．2012

D．2004

【小題4】Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word recover?

A．uncover

B．find

C．bury

D．gather

【小題5】This text is mainly about how______________.

A．the unknown baby's body was taken from the north Atlantic

B．the unknown baby was buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia

C．people found out who the unknown baby was

D．people took care of the unknown baby for 100 years

After a terrible electrical accident，which caused him to become both blind and deaf，the whole world became completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family，especially his wife，did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon，he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet，but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water at the base of the tree. He was trembling badly，but when he opened his eyes，he could hardly believe what he saw——a plough and a wall. When Mrs Edwards came running up to him，shouting to their neighbors to call for help，he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread，and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However，none of them could give a convincing answer as to why this should have happened. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that，since Robert lost his sight and hearing as a result of sudden shock，perhaps，the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.
【小題1】The reason for Robert's attempts to kill himself was that________.

A．a(chǎn) terrible traffic accident happened to him

B．he had to live in a dark and silent world

C．he was struck by the lightning once more

D．nobody in the world cared about him

【小題2】What was Robert doing when he was struck by the lightning?

A．Sheltering for the rain under a tree.

B．Driving a car.

C．Taking a walk with a stick.

D．Lying on the ground.

【小題3】What did Robert see first when he regained his sight after the shock?

A．His wife.

B．His neighbours.

C．A plough and a wall.

D．Many doctors.

【小題4】Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Robert had been deaf and blind for nearly ten years.

B．Robert hid himself under the tree for 20 minutes.

C．Robert could hear his wife's shouting for help when he woke up.

D．The family's love helped Robert regain confidence to live.

【小題5】We can infer from the text that________.

A．there was no accurate explanation for Robert's recovery

B．many doctors came because Robert was badly injured

C．Robert's wife sent for doctors immediately after the shock

D．a(chǎn) sudden injury in the head led to Robert's recovery

Over the last six years I have learned what patience is. Growing up I did not have this virtue（優(yōu)點(diǎn)）and it is a very important virtue to have. Now I can see that if you are patient you will almost always get what you want if you are supposed to have it. I gained patience when I lost my freedom. I knew that I would eventually get it back in time.
I was locked up in prison for a period of six years because at 19 years old I was playing with a handgun and I accidentally shot and killed my friend. The first couple of years was the hardest.I was always stressed out about everything.Time was dragging by because I was always paying attention to it.While I was locked up，Tom who I talked to helped put this virtue in me.He told me that it was possible that he would never make it home but that being patient and believing that one day he would was what had made him feel better.After a while I realized why he said a lot of things to me.Once I stopped paying attention to the days and just kept in mind that I would get freedom，it seemed that my time passed quickly.
Now I am home and can see that patience paid off for me. I now use this virtue in my daily activities. I know that sometimes life gets hard and that it will pay in the end to stay patient and not to get discouraged. So if you are having a hard time in life，be patient and it will eventually work out one way or another.
【小題1】We can learn from the passage that the writer ______.

A．got patience in prison

B．a(chǎn)lways wants to know what patience is

C．began to teach others how to be patient

D．is a successful man now through failure

【小題2】The writer was put in prison because he ______.

A．sold handguns

B．stole a handgun

C．played handguns with friends

D．killed his friend accidentally with a handgun

【小題3】During the first few years when he was in prison the writer ______.

A．made a couple of good friends

B．thought time passed too slowly

C．felt his life was full of unexpected things

D．was very nervous and frightened

【小題4】In the writer's opinion people will get a good result at last if they ______.

A．try their best to help others

B．turn to others for help

C．keep patient and don't lose heart

D．set different goals and keep them up

I grew up in Jamaica Plain. My best friend Rose and I used to dream about raising a family of our own someday and living next door to one another.
Our dream remained alive through school and beyond. Rose was my maid of honor when I married Dick. Later, Dick was stationed in Alaska and we moved. Rose was sad to see me leave, but wished me the best of luck. We remained in touch for a few years before we lost track. 
　 I thought of her several times over the years. All of my children now have families of their own, and Dick passed away a few years ago. Basically, a lifetime has passed. Then one day, near my 80th birthday, I received a phone call “Hi Natalie, it’s Rose,” the voice on the other end said, “ I don’t know if you remember me, but we used to be best friends in Jamaica Plain when we were kids.” 
　　We have spent hours on the phone catching up. Even after 52 years of separation our personalities and interests are still extremely similar. We both share a passion for several hobbies that we each picked up independently several years after we lost touch with one another. It almost feels like we are picking up right where we left off.
Her husband died a few years ago as well, but she mailed me several photographs of her family that were taken over the years. It’s so crazy, just looking at the photos and listening to her description of her family reminds me of my own: a reasonably large, healthy family. Part of me feels like we led fairly similar lives.
I don’t think the similarities between our two lives are a coincidence either. I think it shows that we didn’t just call each other best friend; we truly were best friends and even now we can be best friends again. Real friends have two things in common: a compatible(相容的)personality and a strong-willed character. The compatible personality is what starts the connection between two people. A strong-willed character at both ends is what maintains the connection. If those two ingredients are present in a friendship, the friendship is for real, It can pass the tests of time and long distance between one another and will never disappear
【小題1】From the passage we may know that the author       .

A．lived next door to Rose in her childhood

B．was Rose’s maid of honor when she was married

C．lost touch of Rose since she moved to Alaska

D．missed her friend although they lost contact

【小題2】After 52 years of separation, they       .

A．had a lot to talk on the phone

B．sent each other photographs of their family

C．they lived the same life

D．developed different personalities and hobbies

【小題3】The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 6 refers to       .

A．Rose’s description

B．coincidence

C．best friend

D．the similarities between our two lives

【小題4】The author thinks that       .

A．the similarities between their lives are coincident

B．a(chǎn)lthough they’re not best friends, they have much in commom.

C．they both have a compatible personality and a strong-willed character

D．only those who have similar characters can be real friends

My grandfather came from Hungary and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out, he seemed to have become another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of concern for his welfare, but out of fear: if his only son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.
One day in 1918, my Uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off to war. Realizing how he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle bought them all service pins, which meant that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.
The moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded the train. The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed. I’m sure my grandmother had a tear in her eye for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted, “The war is over!” For a moment, nobody moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed home. My mother said it was a great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn’t last a tiny bit longer.
【小題1】What the grandfather was most worried about was ______.

A．the spread of the world war

B．the safety of his two cousins

C．a(chǎn) drop in his living standards

D．his relatives killing each other

【小題2】The underlined phrase “draft notice” means “______”.

A．order for army service	B．train ticket for Europe
C．letter of rejection	D．note of warning

【小題3】What did the “service pins” （in Para. 2） stand for in the eyes of the little girls?

A．Strength.

B．Courage.

C．Victory.

D．Honor.

【小題4】Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?

A．Disappointing.

B．Unexpected.

C．Uncertain.

D．Inspiring.

【小題5】Which of the following statements is True according to the passage?

A．The grandfather felt downhearted because he was afraid of receiving a draft notice.

B．The train was traveling fast to the front when the news came that the war was over.

C．None of the soldiers who got on the train for the front line had been trained in advance.

D．Most people including the mother were disappointed that the war didn’t last a bit longer.

“Father, do you see Mother in your dreams?” the young girl asks. “You know sometimes I do.”
“Mother comes to see me a lot, you know. We sit and talk.” The father smiles. “How is your homework coming along?”
“Why do I have to study so hard?”
“It is what your mother would have wanted!”
She regrets speaking her mind. “I’m sorry, Father, I shouldn’t have said that.” She looks up and sees his eyes well up with tears.
“It’s okay, love,” he gets up and pours himself a drink. “I’ll just sit outside for a while. You finish up your work, okay?”
“I’m sorry, Father; Mother did love you very much. She told me all the time.”
“Homework, first, eh? Then we can chat about your mother.”
He heads off outside and sits in his usual chair, looking around the courtyard. The whole area relaxes the mind and somehow soothes the soul.
“All finished, Father. May I get a drink and sit with you? I have some questions.”
She comes with two drinks one for him and one for herself. He looks surprised. She never really liked him having a drink. Although he had cut back a lot from before he brought her here, it still seemed strange.
“Mother told me all about you. That is before she passed away. We would laugh together at your love stories.”
He listens without uttering a single sound.
“Why didn’t you come and take her away with you? She really wanted that. Did you know that?”
Her father looks at his daughter lovingly. “Circumstances were difficult back then. It was just the way things were. When it came time to…” He sighs. “To visit her it was too late.”
The girl smiles. “I hope I will have the same kind of love you and mother had.”
“Without all the heartache,” her father adds.
“She always knew you loved her. She told me every day,” the child mentions cheerfully. “I saw her crying sometimes when she read your letters.”
“Did she make you promise to look after me?” She inquires.
“She asked me to take care of you.”
“You promised her, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“It is nice out here, isn't it? Mother would have been very happy here.”
She talks with some authority. Her father remains silent. A smile comes to his weary brow. He nods his head.
“Mother wanted me to give you something. I think now the time is right.” She runs to her room. Upon returning she hands her father a book. “It’s mother’s diary! She wanted me to give it to you.”
He takes the book and holds it in his trembling hands, “Thank you.”
“Mother said you would understand things better.”
“Wise woman, your mother.”
He places the book on the table as he gets up. The girl gets up and wraps herself around her father.
“I love you.” she looks up at his face.
He picks her up and hugs her. “I love you, too.” His voice trembles.
“It’s okay, Father. We have each other now and mother is in both of us.”
He kisses her head.
“Time you went to bed,” her father softly says.
He puts her down and she scampers off to get washed and ready for bed.
Clearing up everything he checks on his daughter. She is in bed waiting for her good night kiss. He tucks her in and bids her goodnight.
Just as he is to leave she tells him. “Mother told me she adopted me when I was a baby.”
He stands at her bedroom door. Words fail him. Yes, he knew she was adopted.
“I am really lucky for being loved by my parents, even if I am not really theirs.”
“You trying to bring on the water works?” he tells her.
She giggles, “Goodnight, Father. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
His face lights up as he wipes his dampened eyes.
The door closes and the child falls asleep dreaming of her mother.
Sitting outside he picks up the diary and opens it and reads the first line: “I love you, my dearest, if only things could have been different…”
【小題1】Why isn’t the mother with her family?

A．She has already died.	B．She is ill in hospital.
C．The couple is divorced.	D．She lives in another city.

【小題2】What can we know about the couple’s relationship?

A．They understood each other very well.

B．They quarreled a lot and are separated.

C．They used to have misunderstandings.

D．They were quite sure of each other’s love.

【小題3】What can we learn from the story?

A．The girl was adopted because the couple couldn’t give birth.

B．Father looks after the girl just because the girl is alone.

C．The girl feels unfortunate that she was adopted.

D．Father was not very close to the girl before she moved in with him.

【小題4】Why didn’t father bring mother home when she was ill?

A．Because he was too busy with his work

B．Because he didn’t know he was wanted

C．Because he was too poor to afford the medical fees

D．Because he didn’t know she was in hospital

【小題5】What does the sentence “You trying to bring on the water works?” mean?

A．You want another cup of water?

B．Are you kidding me?

C．Are you trying to make me cry?

D．Are you thinking about the water factory?

【小題6】Which word best describes father’s feeling at the end of the story?

A．Regretful

B．Satisfied

C．Confused

D．Doubtful

Gift Idea
The other day I was shopping for Grandma when I realized I had no gift ideas at all．It was not a birthday gift or anything like that．It was simply sort of a hello gift．That is how we do things in my family．We don't really give gifts for special occasions．Instead, we occasionally just give presents to each other to tell other people that we are thinking about them．
That was why I wanted a gift for Grandma．But it was like my imagination had dried up． I have gone through all of the gift ideas in previous years, fruits, wines, cheeses, little handmade crafts, and anything else that you can give to a grandmother．I had even given her gift watches, and CDs．What else was there?
I have always found gift ideas for men a little bit easier than for women, because for men, you can always get the usual things, such as video games, power tools and things like that．With a woman's gift idea, however, you have to know more about her．You cannot just get someone a book or a CD．You have to know all about her taste in movies, music, and literature．
My grandmother likes to read a lot, but what she likes is always pretty popular．I didn't want to get her a book that she might not like, but I was running out of time．I needed a gift idea for this weekend and went to visit her．After all, I hadn't seen her for a long time．I wanted to give her a gift so she would not feel ignored．
Finally, I came up with the perfect gift idea．I made a collection of all the stories I had written in the past year．It wasn't a typical gift idea like a bunch of flowers, but it really worked in the situation．You see, I am a writer and my grandma has always been my fan．
Anyway, I had been learning about bookbinding recently, and had pretty much mastered the art．I figured that I would add a little bit of handmade artwork to the stories, bind it altogether, and give it to her．It took hours to complete, but it was well worth the effort．She absolutely loved it．
【小題1】The writer chose a gift for Grandma to _____．

A．celebrate a special family occasion

B．please her during a weekend visit

C．congratulate her on her birthday

D．beg her pardon for ignoring her

【小題2】What gift did the writer finally decide to give his grandma?

A．Gift watches．

B．A bunch of flowers．

C．Artwork made by hand．

D．Stories written by himself．

【小題3】How does the writer feel about giving gifts to women?

A．Interesting．	B．Challenging．
C．Time-wasting．	D．Popular．

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

A．the writer is a successful novelist

B．most people are particular about gifts

C．the writer's grandma has a good taste in art

D．the writer's family will give gifts on regular days

Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies’ two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sévigné in Paris.
Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities（設(shè)備）to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognized in the form of a Military’s Medal by the French government.
In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity（輻射能）. Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.
【小題1】Why was Irene Curie awarded a Military Medal?

A．Because she received a degree in mathematics.

B．Because she contributed to saving the wounded.

C．Because she won the Nobel Prize with Frederic.

D．Because she worked as a helper to her mother.

【小題2】Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederic Joliot?

A．At the Curie Institute.

B．At the University of Paris.

C．At a military hospital.

D．At the College of Sevigne.

【小題3】When was the second child of Irene Curie and Frederic Joliot born?

A．In 1932.

B．In 1927.

C．In 1897.

D．In 1926.

【小題4】In which of the following aspects was Irene Curie different from her mother?

A．Irene worked with radioactivity.

B．Irene combined family and career.

C．Irene won the Nobel Prize once

D．Irene died from leukemia.

Born in America in 1898, William was an extraordinary boy, gifted with an amazing IQ between 250 and 300. The genius went to a grammar school when he was only 6 years old and graduated just within 7 months. At the age of 11, he became the youngest student of the Harvard University. He graduated with high scores at the age of 16 and entered Harvard Law School at 18.
Gifted with an amazing IQ between 220 and 230, Terence Tao makes it to this list of the people with the highest IQ in the world. Born in Adelaide, Australia in 1975, this genius first displayed his incredible intelligence at a mere age of 2, when he managed to solve basic arithmetic questions on his own. At the age of 16, he graduated with both Master's and Bachelor's degrees at the Flinders University. He has been considered as ''Mr. Fix it " by Charles Fefferman, who is a professor of Mathematics at Princeton University, and many other mathematicians want to interest him in their problems.
This 31-year-old Japanese-American astrophysicist lands him third in this list. At the age of 12, Christopher Hirata already worked on college-level courses, around the time most of us were just in the 7^th grade. At the age of 13, this gifted kid became the youngest American to have ever won the gold medal in the International physics Olympiad.
At the age of 16, he was already working with NASA on its project to conquer planet Mars. After he was awarded the Ph.D. at Princeton University, he went back to California Institute of Technology.
The next person with very high IQ is Albert Einstein. With an IQ between 160 and 190, Albert Einstein is the genius behind the theory of relativity, which has had great impact on the world of science. He possessed such an amazing ability that after his death, researchers were eager to preserve and make research on his brain in search for clues to his exceptional brilliance, which to this day, has remained a mystery.
【小題1】About William, which of the following is true?

A．His IQ reached between 220 and 230.

B．At the age of 16, he graduated from a grammar school.

C．At the age of 6, he graduated with both Master's and Bachelor's degrees.

D．At the age of 11, he became the youngest student at the Harvard University.

【小題2】How many people with remarkable IQ are mentioned in the passage?

A．3

B．4

C．5

D．6

【小題3】Who once worked on the project to conquer planet Mars?

A．William

B．Terence Tao

C．Christopher Hirata

D．Albert Einstein

【小題4】 From the passage we can know that______.

A．when William graduated from the Harvard University, he got the highest scores

B．a(chǎn)t the age of 2, Terence solved basic arithmetic questions on his own

C．Christopher Hirata is a Japanese

D．researchers have found out why Albert Einstein was so brilliant

I have forgotten the name of an old lady who was a customer on my paper route when I was a twelve-year-old boy back in 1954. Yet it seems like just yesterday that she taught me a lesson in forgiveness that I can only hope to pass on to someone else someday.
On a Saturday afternoon, a friend and I were throwing rocks onto the roof of the old lady's house. I found a smooth rock and sent it. The stone headed straight for a small window on the old lady's back door. At the sound of broken glass, we took off from the old lady's yard.
I was too scared about getting caught that first night. However, a few days later when I was sure that I hadn't been discovered, I started to feel guilty for her misfortune.
I decided to save my paper delivery money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I thought would cover the cost of her window. I put the money in an envelope with a note explaining that I was sorry for breaking her window. Then I put the envelope through the letter slot in her door. My soul felt redeemed (救贖) and I couldn't wait for the freedom of, once again, looking straight into the old lady's eyes.
The next day, I. handed the old lady her paper. She thanked me for the paper and said, "Here, I have something for you. " It was a bag of cookies. I thanked her and ate the cookies as I continued my route.
After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. When I opened the envelope, I was shocked. Inside was the seven dollars and a short note that said, “I'm proud of you. ”
【小題1】What work did the author do at the age of 12?

A．Repairing roofs.	B．Collecting old papers.
C．Picking rocks.	D．Delivering newspapers.

【小題2】Why did the author and his friend escape from the old lady's yard?

A．They broke the old lady's back door.

B．They broke the old lady's window.

C．They heard the old lady shouting.

D．They were seen by the old lady.

【小題3】What did the author do to make up for his mistake?

A．He gave the old lady papers for free.

B．He saved some money to cover the cost.

C．He apologized in the old lady's presence.

D．He bought cookies for the old lady.

【小題4】According to the passage, the old lady was a person who was        .

A．strict

B．patient

C．generous

D．helpful

【小題5】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Seven dollars

B．Being honest

C．A silly mistake

D．True forgiveness