While watching the Olympics the other night，I came across an unbelievable sight．It was not a gold medal，or a world record broken，but a show of courage．
The event was swimming and started with only three men on the blocks．For one reason or another，two of them false started，so they were disqualified．That left only one to compete．It would have been difficult enough，not having anyone to race against，even though the time on the clock is important．
I watched the man dive off the block and knew right away that something was wrong．I’m not an expert swimmer，but I can tell a good dive from a poor one，and this was not exactly medal quality．When he resurfaced，it was evident that the man was not out for gold – his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle．The crowd started to laugh．Clearly this man was not a medal competitor．
I listened to the crowd begin to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time．Finally he made his turn to start back．It was pitiful．He made a few desperate strokes and you could tell he was worn out．But in those few awful strokes，the crowd had changed．
No longer were they laughing，but beginning to cheer．Some even began to stand and shout “Come on，you can do it!” and he did．
A clear minute past the average swimmer，this young man finally finished his race．The crowd went wild．You would have thought that he had won the gold，and he should have．Even though he recorded one of the slowest times in Olympic history，this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors．
Just a short year ago，he had never even swum，let alone race．His country had been invited to Sydney．
In a competition where athletes remove their silver medals feeling they have somehow been cheated out of gold，or when they act so proudly in front of their competitors，it is nice to watch an underdog．
【小題1】From the passage we can learn that the young man        ．

A．made his turn to start back pitifully

B．was skillful in freestyle in the game

C．swam faster than the average swimmer

D．was not capable enough to win the medal

【小題2】The crowd changed their attitudes because         ．

A．they felt sorry for the young man

B．they were moved by the young man’s courage

C．they wanted to show their sympathy

D．they meant to please the young man

【小題3】According to the passage，“it is nice to watch an underdog” probably means         ．

A．it’s amazing to watch an ordinary man challenging himself

B．it’s amusing to watch a man with awful swimming skills

C．it’s cheerful for athletes to act proudly before their competitors

D．it’s brave enough for some athletes to remove the silver medals

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The event started with three men，two of whom were disqualified later．

B．The crowd started to laugh at the athlete’s arms waving in an attempt at freestyle．

C．The athlete，as well as the author，is an expert swimmer．

D．The swimming event is a show of courage rather than a fierce competition．

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

A．Compete for Gold!	B．Try again!
C．Break a Record!	D．Go for it!

As a boy growing up in India, I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have clear memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew （工作人員）. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is especially afraid of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (萊茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I had a somber feeling on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me abroad, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today，I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general，for me，has always been a terrible and painful experience. Flying on Lufthansa，however, is something I always have and always will look forward to. 
【小題1】Which country does the author live in now?

A．India.

B．Canada.

C．Belgium.

D．Germany.

【小題2】What made the author so interested in traveling abroad?

A．Growing up in India.

B．Once staying in Canada.

C．Once traveling to Canada with his father.

D．His father's stories about his traveling experiences.

【小題3】Which of the following is true about the author's trip to Europe in 1998?

A．The author traveled with one of his parents.

B．Both their going and return were by air.

C．They traveled in spring that year.

D．They stayed in Europe for nearly two months.

【小題4】It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.

A．a(chǎn) city in India

B．a(chǎn) city in Europe

C．a(chǎn)n airline company

D．a(chǎn) travel agency

【小題5】The underlined word “somber” in the 4th paragraph probably means “________”.

A．happy

B．sad

C．a(chǎn)ngry

D．enjoyable

Robert Ballard was born in 1942. From an early age, he loved the sea. Ballard grew up in Southern California. He spent his free time at the beach near his home. He enjoyed fishing and swimming. He even learned to dive.
When Ballard wasn’t at the ocean, he loved reading about it. At age 10, he read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a book which describes the undersea adventures of Captain Nemo. Ballard decided he wanted to be like Captain Nemo when he grew up. His parents helped him follow his dream.
Ballard was a hardworking student. He spent many years learning all he could about the ocean. By the age of 28, he was an expert. In 1970, he took a job as a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. There he studied underwater mountains of the Atlantic Ocean. He came up with ways to predict volcanoes under the oceans.
Working with other scientists, Ballard also found previously unknown sea animals. These animals lived far below the ocean’s surface, where scientists had believed no animals could live.
By the 1980s, Ballard’s interests changed. He developed unmanned vehicles to explore the ocean bottom. His first find, the well-known ship Titanic, made Ballard famous. He was not happy with just one big find, however. He looked for — and found — other well-known ships. One was the German battleship Bismarck. Another was the U.S. Yorktown, an aircraft carrier that sank during World War II.
Today Robert Ballard is still an underwater explorer. He also heads an organization that encourages students to learn about science. Ballard hopes that some of the students will follow in his footsteps. After all, the world’s huge oceans are mostly unknown. Who knows what remains to be discovered under the sea?
【小題1】What was Ballard’s dream when he was young?

A．To be a science teacher.

B．To be an animal expert.

C．To be a famous writer.

D．To be an underwater explorer.

【小題2】When Ballard worked at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, he _____.

A．explored the undersea world by ship

B．thought of ideas to predict underwater volcanoes

C．found some unknown sea animals alone

D．set up an organization to teach students science

【小題3】What can we learn from the text?

A．Ballard’s parents felt disappointed at his undersea adventures.

B．Ballard didn’t like fishing and swimming in his childhood.

C．Ballard was greatly influenced by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

D．Human beings have explored more than half of the sea.

My wife Julie and I were out on the road that runs around where we live, when we saw an old worn-out dog stumbling (蹣跚) painfully up the road. We stopped, bent down, talked gently to the dog and patted it. I checked and there was a collar with a phone number. I called but no one answered.
The dog was painfully thin. So Julie ran home to get some of our dog’s food while I tried to encourage the dog. After Julie came back, we sat down on the sidewalk while our new friend made short work of the food. Eventually we got her home.
After trying for many times we got a response from the number. A lady came around with a bunch of flowers for us. She explained that Tara had been her father’s dog. She was very old and got lost that morning. So, Tara was safely returned home.
Here is the truth of the story:
Actually Julie and I were out that morning because I was leaving. She was trying to persuade me to come back, but I wasn’t hearing anything that made that sound likely.
I was about to turn and go when an old black dog walked between us and almost fell down. Suddenly we had something more important than our problem to worry about. There was a creature in need right before us and we had to work together to help it.
We did help it. And here I am writing the story in my own home, in my own family.
In the song “Love Is Not a Fight” Warren Barfield talks about marriage. At one point he sings, “And if we try to leave, may God send angels (天使) to guard the door.”
Sometimes angels come disguised (偽裝) as dogs.
【小題1】How was the dog when found?

A．Too weak to walk.	B．Thin and worn out.
C．Unable to eat food.	D．Homeless but gentle.

【小題2】 We can infer from Paragraph 2 that         .

A．the dog didn’t go with the writer

B．the writer had his own pet dog

C．Julie bought some food for the dog

D．the dog didn’t eat any of the food

【小題3】The underlined part “our problem” in the passage refers to the fact that         .

A．the writer didn’t want to take Julie’s advice

B．a(chǎn)n old black dog appeared in front of them

C．Julie disagreed with the writer’s travel on business

D．the couple had some trouble with their marriage

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

A．An Angel Dog

B．A Helpful Couple

C．Saving the Dog

D．A Famous Song

A HALF - EMPTY BASKET
Once there was a poor farmer and his farm belonged to(屬于) a rich man. One day he brought a basket of apples to the rich man’s house. On the doorsteps, he met two monkeys dressed like children. They jumped onto the basket to eat the apples and threw some on the ground. The farmer politely took off his hat and asked the monkeys to get off. They obeyed(服從) and the farmer went into the house. He asked to see the rich man. A servant took him to the room where the rich man was sitting.
"I have brought you the basket of apples you asked for," he said.
"But why have you brought a half-empty basket?" the rich man asked.
"I met your children outside, and they stole(偷) some of the apples."
【小題1】Why did the farmer bring apples to the rich man? Because       

A．his farm belonged to the rich man	B．he liked the rich man
C．he was poor	D．the rich man’s children liked apples

【小題2】What did the monkeys do when the farmer was on the doorsteps?

A．They jumped and jumped.	B．They played.
C．They ate some of the apples.	D．They ran away.

【小題3】The monkeys left the basket because       

A．they had thrown apples on the ground

B．the farmer had politely asked them to get off

C．they were afraid of the hat

D．the farmer was angry wit h them

【小題4】How did the rich man feel when he saw the basket?  He felt        .

A．pleased

B．unhappy

C．excited

D．moved

Some people succeed in unbelievable ways.
Roussel was orphaned at the age of eight and went to live with his grandfather. He built on the music he had learned from his mother, entertaining himself by reading through the family music collection and playing his favorite songs on the piano.
Three years later, Roussel’s grandfather died, and his aunt adopted him. Her husband arranged for young Albert to take regular piano lessons. Summer vacations at a Belgian seaside resort added a second love to his life -- the sea. He studied to be a naval cadet (海軍學(xué)員), but still made time to study music.
In the French Navy, while he served on a warship based at Cherbourg, he and two friends found the time to play the music of Beethoven and other composes (作曲家). Roussel also began composing. At the Church of the Trinity in Cherbourg on Christmas Day 1892, he had his first performance as a composer.
That success encouraged Roussel to write a wedding march, and one of his fellow offices offered to show it to a well-known conductor (指揮家), Edouard Colonne. When Roussel’s friend returned with the manuscript (手稿), he reported that Colonne had advised Roussel to give up his naval career and devote his life to music.
Not long afterwards, at the age of 25, Roussel did just that. He applied characters that he had developed in the navy to his composing and became a major force in twentieth century French music. As for Eduoard Colonne’s inspiring advice that Roussel devote his life to music, Roussel's navy friend later admitted that he had made it up and that he had never even shown Roussel's manuscript to the conductor.
【小題1】Which of the following shows the right order of the story?
a. Roussel gave up his naval career.
b. Roussel was adopted by his aunt.
c. Roussel read through the family music collection.
d. Roussel had his first performance as a composer in Cherbourg.

A．c, b, d, a

B．b. c, d, a

C．b, c, a. d

D．c, b, a, d

【小題2】What ______ did played the most important part in Roussel's final success.

A．his mother	B．the husband of his aunt
C．his navy friend	D．Edouard Colonne

【小題3】We can infer from the article that______.

A．Roussel's aunt adopted him after his grandfather died.

B．Roussel read through the family music collection in his grandfather's.

C．Colonne advised Roussel to give up his naval career and devote his life to music.

D．If Roussel hadn't joined the navy, he might not have achieved so much.

【小題4】Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．A clever musician	B．A white lie
C．A helpful conductor	D．A great manuscript

O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank, when some money went missing from the bank O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the reader’s surprise.
【小題1】In which order did O. Henry do the following things?
a. Lived in New York.   b. Worked in a bank.        c. Travelled to Texas.
d. Was put in prison.    e. Had a newspaper job.      f. Learned to write stories.

A．e. c. f. b. d. a

B．c. e. b. d. f. a

C．e. b. d. c. a. f.

D．c. b. e. d. a f.

【小題2】O. Henry went to prison because        .

A．people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper

B．he broke the law by not using his own name

C．he wanted to write stories about prisoners

D．people thought he had taken money that was not his

【小題3】What do we know about O. Henry before he began writing?

A．He was well-educated.	B．He was not serious about his work.
C．He was devoted to the poor.	D．He was very good at learning.

【小題4】Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?

A．His life inside the prison.	B．The newspaper articles he wrote.
C．The city and people of New York.	D．His exciting early life as a boy.

It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品雜貨），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
【小題1】Why was the bike so important to the couple?

A．The man’s job was bike racing.

B．It was their only possession.

C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed.

D．They used it for work and daily life.

【小題2】We can infer from the text that ____________.

A．the couple worked 60 hours a week.

B．people were busy before Christmas

C．the stranger brought over the bike

D．life was hard for the young family.

【小題3】How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

A．From radio broadcasts.	B．From a newspaper.
C．From TV news.	D．From a stranger.

【小題4】What do the couple learn from their experience?

A．Strangers are usually of little help.

B．One should take care of their bike.

C．News reports make people famous.

D．An act of kindness can mean a lot.

LONDON (Reuters Life!) ---- Forget about talking your children into considering life as a doctor or a teacher and start training them for the talent show.
A survey of British parents showed the aspirations (志向) of their children are greatly different from what they dreamed about when considering who they wanted to be when they grew up.
Although astronaut (宇航員) still remains fairly high on the list of careers (事業(yè)) kids dream about these days, others like doctor and teacher have been taken the place of by the desire (欲望) to win good name and money as a sporting hero, pop star or actor.
The parents of children aged 5 to 11 said the choice of lawyer had dropped by only one place on a top 10 list to sixth, while teacher had dropped to ninth from top in the last 25 or more years.
The survey for British TV channel “Watch” found a great difference between the genders (性別) of today’s young people when compared with their parents’ dreams 25 years or more ago.
Playing professional football, being an astronaut and joining the firefighting service topped the boys’ choices, while girls are more likely to be dreaming of taking to the stage as a pop star or actress or joining the medical profession.
When asked what they would like their children to do for a living, today’s parents still like the academic (學(xué)術(shù)的) professions (職業(yè)), with law and medicine scoring highly, while being a boss came third.
Parents also praised job happiness above wealth (財(cái)富) when it comes to their hopes for their children.
Nearly 70 percent of the parents surveyed thought that they failed to follow their dreams when it came to their career, with 37 percent thinking it was caused by a lack of aspiration and not having the necessary conditions.
【小題1】From the passage we know that most parents still hope that in the future their children can take up ______.

A．jobs such as musicians, singers and dancers

B．jobs related to academic professions like lawyers and doctors

C．jobs in which they will not be endangered

D．jobs which will be well paid only

【小題2】According to the survey for British TV channel “Watch”, which of the following is the boys’ best career choice?

A．A pop star

B．An actor

C．A doctor

D．A firefighter

【小題3】What can be learnt from the passage?

A．Parents’ hope for their children’s career did not change too much.

B．Parents pay much attention to the income of their children.

C．Less than half of the parents who were surveyed didn’t follow their dreams.

D．Most parents didn’t have the necessary conditions to realize their dreams.

【小題4】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Many reasons cause the change of children’s dreams.

B．Parents’ dreams are different form children’s.

C．Parents are changing their own dreams.

D．Children’s dreams are always changing.

This place was darker than I expected, and, in spite of the rain, dirtier. Used to the life of rural Puerto Rico(波多黎各), I had to adjust to the similarly arranged, aggressive two-dimensionality of New York. Everywhere I looked, my eyes met gray and brown straight-edged buildings with sharp corners and deep shadows. Every few blocks there was a cement(水泥) playground surrounded by chain-link fence.
A girl came out of the building next door, a jump rope in her hand, and she hopped over. “Are you Hispanic?” she asked. “No, I’m Puerto Rican.” “Same thing. Puerto Rican, Hispanic. That’s what we are here.” She skipped a tight circle, stopped abruptly, and shoved the rope in my direction. “Want a turn?”
“Sure.” I hopped on one leg, then the other. “So, if you’re Puerto Rican, they call you Hispanic?”
“Yeah. Anybody who speaks Spanish.”
I jumped a circle, as she had done, but faster. “You mean, if you speak Spanish, you’re Hispanic?”
“Well, yeah. No . . . I mean your parents have to be Puerto Rican or Cuban or something.”
“Okay, your parents are Cuban, let’s say, and you’re born here, but you don’t speak Spanish. Are you Hispanic?”
“I guess so,” she finally said. “It has to do with being from a Spanish country. I mean, you or your parents, like, even if you don’t speak Spanish, you’re Hispanic, you know?” She looked at me uncertainly. But I didn’t know. I’d always been Puerto Rican, and it hadn’t occurred to me that in New York I’d be someone else.
Later, I asked. “Are we Hispanics, Mami?” “Yes, because we speak Spanish.” “But a girl said you don’t have to speak the language to be Hispanic.” “What girl? Where did you meet a girl?” “Outside. She lives in the next building.” “Who said you could go out to the sidewalk? This isn't Puerto Rico. Something could happen to you.”
I listened to Mami’s lecture with depressed eyes and the necessary respect. But inside, I quaked. Two days in New York, and I’d already become someone else. It wasn’t hard to imagine that greater dangers lay ahead.
【小題1】The first paragraph suggests that the author experienced New York as      .

A．mysterious and unknowable

B．regular and depressing

C．orderly and appealing

D．impressive and dangerous

【小題2】For the author, being considered Hispanic represents      .

A．a(chǎn) restriction to be overcome

B．a(chǎn)n opportunity for self-redefinition

C．the loss of her former identity

D．a(chǎn)n unavoidable result of movement to a new place

【小題3】The mother refers to “Puerto Rico” in order to impress upon the author that       .

A．she should not miss her birthplace

B．New Yorkers may not like newcomers

C．different rules apply to life in New York

D．life was more restricted in Puerto Rico

【小題4】The author’s mood can best be described as      

A．a(chǎn)ngry and confused	B．fearful and uncertain
C．excited but lonely	D．worried and resistant