Matthew Ames returned to Brisbane from Melbourne at the weekend after experiencing one of many rounds of surgery，becoming Australia’s first bionic（仿生學(xué)的）man. Matthew Ames was at home on Monday morning，adjusting to national media attention and life with titanium rods（欽桿）in what remains of his arms and legs．If all goes to plan，later in the year he will have more surgery to fix bionic prosthetics（假肢）．
It all started 15 months ago，when the Origin Energy engineer一who lives with his wife Diane and four children in Camp Hill in Brisbane’s east一began feeling like he was coming down with the“man flu”，A week later he was in hospital，senseless and on life support，which was caused by a deadly form of bacteria．
“He had a. 99％chance of dying，”Matthew’s son Luke，9，said in a program，Sunday Night which drew more than 2．12 million viewers nationally．
Matthew’s younger sons Ben，8，and Will，7，added：“And only 1％of living.”
Proudly Will concluded：“And the 1％ won against the 99．”
Matthew’s families were told Matthew’s only chance of survival was to have his four limbs removed．For Diane，the choice was easy．She could not allow their children to grow up without a father．Eventually，Matthew came to，only to find he had no arms and legs．
On Monday，he is attending a Pride of Australia Medal ceremony for which he has been nominated（被提名）In the courage category．“The 40-year-old is slowly getting used to a few more people knowing about his story，”his sister Kate told Fairfax Media．“We told his story so that he was known to the kids，and thus people wouldn’t stop and stare，”Kate continued．“We’re not sure what to expect now that his story has aired across Australia．The effect it would have in a positive way on people is beyond our expectation．”
【小題1】From the first two paragraphs we can learn that Matthew Ames

A．has finished all of his operations

B．is the first bionic man in the world

C．is becoming the focus of the public

D．had his arms and legs cut completely

【小題2】From what Matthew Ames’sons say，we can conclude that

A．it was a wonder for their father to escape from death

B．most doctors refused to operate on their father

C．the sons’love is the cure of their father，s disease

D．the sons’pray moved God and saved their father

【小題3】What was the attitude of Matthew’s wife when he was advised to cut his legs and arms？

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Cautious.

D．Casual.

【小題4】What would be the best title for the passage？
A. A Lucky Father B. A Bionic Man
C．A National Hero D'. A Reliable Husband

“Get yourself up and make something of yourself，buddy！”Though my mother has passed away，her words are as clear in my head today as when I was a boy．
“Christ！”I said，“I have made something of myself. I want to sleep late as I like．”
“If there’s one thing I can’t stand，it’s a quitter．”Her voice in my head is more powerful than my will to refuse，so I pull myself from bed．
Before I was out of primary school，mother could see I lacked the gifts for either making millions or winning the love of crowds．So she began pushing me toward working with words．Words ran in her family．There seemed to be a word gene that passed down from her mother’s grandfather·
The greatest proof was my mother’s first cousin Edwin．He was the managing editor of the New York Times and had gained a name in his career．
In 1947 1 graduated from Johns Hopkins and applied for a job with the Baltimore Sun as a police reporter．It paid＄30 a week ．When I complained the wage was shameful for a learned man，mother refused to sympathize．“If you work hard at this job，”she said，“maybe you can make something of it．”
After a while，I was asked to cover diplomats（外交官）at various African embassies. Then，
seven years later I was arranged by the Sun to cover the White House，a task that was as close to heaven as a journalist could get．However，whatever achievement of mine only seemed insignificant in her eyes．Uncle Edwin’s success was really annoying during my early years as a reporter．What a thrill，I thought．
Then，out of my wildest childhood fantasy，the Times came knocking．It was sad that Uncle Edwin had passed away by this time．In 1979 I won the Pulitzer Prize．Unfortunately，my mother’s brain and health broke down the year before，leaving her in a nursing home，out of touch with life forevermore ．She never knew of my Pulitzer．
I can probably guess how she’d have responded．“ That’s nice，buddy．It shows if you work hand，you’11 be able to make something of yourself one day，”
【小題1】The first three paragraphs are intended to＿＿＿＿＿＿

A．draw readers’attention to the author’s success

B．remind readers that the road to success is rough

C．serve as an introduction to the author’s mother

D．explain why the author’s mother kept blaming him

【小題2】The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 probably means that tier families＿＿＿＿

A．were gifted at language	B．never broke their promise
C．were fond of reading	D．stuck to their family belief

【小題3】What can we learn about the author

A．He got a good salary working as a police reporter．

B．He lived a rich life with his mother in his childhood．

C．It was proud of her mother to see his winning the Pulitzer Prize．

D．It was beyond his wildest dream that he could work for the Times．

【小題4】The author regards Uncle Edwin’s success as a thrill because＿＿＿＿＿＿．

A．he himself was less smart than Uncle Edwin

B．his mother’s family thought Uncle Edwin to be a good reporter

C．few reporters can become the managing editor of the New York Times

D．Uncle Edwin spared no effort to get the Pulitzer Prize at the cost of his life

I was in a strange city I didn’t know at all, and what’s more, I could not speak a word of the language. On my second day I got on the first bus that passed, rode on it for several stops, then got off and walked on. The first two hours passed pleasantly enough, then I decided to turn back to my hotel for lunch. After walking about for some time, I decided I had better ask the way. The trouble was that the only word I knew of the language was the name of the street in which I lived, and even that I pronounced badly. I stopped to ask a newspaper-seller. He handed me a paper. I shook my head and repeated the name of the street and he put the paper into my hands. I had to give him some money and went on my way. The next person, I asked was a policeman. He listened to me carefully, nodded and gently took me by the arm. There was a strange look in his eyes as he pointed left and right and left again. I nodded politely and began walking in the direction he pointed.?
　 About an hour passed and I noticed that the houses were getting fewer and fewer and green fields were appearing on either side of me. I had come all the way into the countryside. The only thing left for me to do was find the nearest railway station.
【小題1】The writer preferred to walk back to his hotel because ________.

A．he had no money to buy a ticket

B．he wanted to lose himself in the city

C．he tried to know the city in this way

D．it was late and there were no buses passing by

【小題2】The newspaper-seller______.

A．didn’t know where the hotel was

B．didn’t understand what the writer said

C．could understand what the writer said

D．didn’t want to take the money from the writer

【小題3】From the story we know that the policeman______.

A．was kind but didn’t understand the writer

B．told the writer where to take a train

C．knew what the writer really meant

D．was cold-hearted and didn’t help the writer

【小題4】 What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．The writer got close to the hotel where he stayed.

B．The writer got to the hotel with the policeman’s help.

C．The writer found he was much farther away from the hotel.

D．The writer found the hotel in the direction the policeman pointed.

【小題5】In your opinion, what was the writer’s real trouble?

A．He didn’t know the city at all.

B．He couldn’t speak the language.

C．He went too far in the wrong bus.

D．He followed the policeman’s direction.

The pen is more powerful than the sword. There have been many writers who use their pens to write things that were wrong.  Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe was one of them.
She was born in the U. S. A. in 1811. One of her books not only made her famous but has been described as one that excited the world, and was helpful in causing a civil war and freeing the enslaved race. The civil war was the American Civil War of 1861, in which the Northern States fought the Southern States and finally won.
This book that shook the world was called Uncle Tom's Cabin. There was a time when every English-speaking man, woman, and child had read this novel that did so much to stop slavery. Not many people read it today, but it is still very interesting, if only to show how a warm-hearted writer can arouse people's sympathies. The author herself had neither been to the Southern States nor seen a slave. The Southern Americans were very angry at the book, which they said did not at all represent the true state of affairs, but the Northern Americans were widely excited over it, and were so inspired by it that they were ready to go to war to set the slaves free.
【小題1】Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe became famous for               .

A．one of her books

B．she was a very heartedly person

C．she was a kind wife

D．she worked for the war

【小題2】 How old was Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe when her world famous book was published?

A．About sixty years old.

B．Over fifty years old.

C．In her forties.

D．Around twenty years old.

【小題3】What do we learn about Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe from the passage?

A．Before the civil war she had been a slave.

B．Before the civil war she had lived in the north of America.

C．She had a good school education.

D．She was better at writing than swinging a sword.

【小題4】Why could Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe's book cause a civil war in America? Because               .

A．she disclosed the terrible wrongs done to the slaves in the Southern States

B．she wrote so well that the Americans loved her very much

C．the Americans were too excited when they reads the book

D．the Southern Americans hated the book, while the Northern Americans liked it

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

A．No wor can be won without such a book as Uncle Tom's Cabin.

B．We must understand the importance of literature and art.

C．We needn't use weapons to fight things that are wrong.

D．A writer is more helpful in war than a soldier.

On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley saved me.
The previous afternoon, I played with my six-year-old peers in Heather Peters’ backyard. I was enjoying my cake, when Heather asked me where my sleeping bag was. Only then did I know this party was a sleepover. The word “sleep-over” to a six-year-old bed-wetter is like what “cancer” means to an adult. But what if I told them I was a bed-wetter? At least with cancer, people gather at your bedside instead of running from it.
I thought of a way to escape. I would explain that I needed my mother’s permission to spend the nights. But as I called my Mom, Heather stood beside me to listen. She granted permission! Then I would be sleeping in the same living room as the other girls. I didn't bring my own nightdress, so Mrs. Peters offered me Heather's nightdress.
As the other girls drifted into their sweet dreams, I tried to stay awake. “Do I need to go again? I’ll stay up to go one more time...”. Of course, I finally fell asleep.
The next morning, I was the first to wake up. I was warm! I lay in panic for what seemed like hours before the other girls started to wake up. I did the only thing I could do—I pretended that the bed-wetting didn't happen. I got up, took off Heather's nightdress and changed into my clothes like the other girls.
Mrs. Peters walked into the room, and before she could say anything, she stepped right onto the pile of my wet nightdress. My heart stopped as I watched her face burn red. “WHO DID THIS?” She screamed, with a look so scary. Should I answer? And that was when it happened—Mr. Peters came in and grabbed his wife, “Elvis Presley died!”
The news of the King’s death overtook Mrs. Peters, and I was narrowly excused. Then, we left Peters’ together but without the other girls knowing what had happened.
【小題1】The author had to spend the night at Peters’ because ________.

A．they had fun together and played too late

B．she was offered the nightdress

C．the famous singer Elvis Presley died that night

D．she and her friends were having a sleepover party

【小題2】Mrs. Peters got angry because ________.

A．she found the nightdress wet

B．Elvis Presley died that morning

C．her husband grabbed her

D．not all the girls behaved themselves

【小題3】From the story, we know Mrs. Peters was ________.

A．a(chǎn) crazy and strict woman

B．a(chǎn) devoted fan of Elvis Presley

C．a(chǎn) woman for perfection

D．a(chǎn) woman with a strong fear of getting dirty

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

A．How I escaped Mrs. Peters’ punishment.

B．How Elvis Presley saved my life.

C．An embarrassing escape in my life.

D．An unforgettable party in my memory.

On June 15th，2012，millions of people watched as 33­year­old Nik Wallenda walked across one of the world's greatest waterfalls on a tightrope(鋼絲)．What made the 25－minute walk that was televised live and watched by over 13 million people worldwide even more amazing，is that it was done over the Niagara Falls－An action that had never been attempted before.
Even though Nik was wearing a harness(保護帶)，a safety measure provided by ABC，the television network that broadcast the event，his action to keep his balance against the strong winds made for some heart－stopping(令人擔(dān)憂的) moments for the audience.
Nik，however，never slowed down for even one moment.Wearing special shoes made by his mother，he remained totally focused on the job at hand.It was only when he got to the last stretch near Canada's Table Rock that he knelt down on one knee and finally broke into a smile.Waving and blowing kisses to the cheering audience，he knew he had accomplished a great task，which most people had thought impossible.
While he described the whole experience as peaceful and relaxing，Nik said his biggest challenges came from a totally unexpected source－h(huán)is 40 pound balancing pole.The balancing pole was so heavy that he could hardly carry it on the tightrope.
One would think that now that Nik has realized his lifelong dream he would be ready to hang up his “balancing pole”．However，the adventurer who already has seven Guinness World Records under his belt，is just getting started－Next up? A 5，000－foot tightrope walk across the Grand Canyon.While the one across the Niagara Falls took years of planning because he had to convince the US and Canadian officials，this one should happen in the very near future.That's because，the Florida resident has already been granted(授予) a permit by the Canyon officials.
【小題1】Why did so many people fix their attention on the event?
A．Because it was done by Nik Wallenda.
B．Because nobody had done it there before.
C．Because it was broadcast live by ABC.
D．Because it was impossible to do the event.
【小題2】What made the audience hold their breath during Nik's performance?

A．How Nik managed to cross the Niagara Falls with safety measure.

B．What Nik would do when he lost his balance on the tightrope.

C．How Nik kept his balance against the strong winds.

D．How long Nik will take to finish the event.

【小題3】What was the greatest difficulty for him to face in Nik view?

A．The supplied tightrope.

B．The safety belt.

C．The balancing pole.

D．The audience's noise.

【小題4】What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Nik will go on with his dream.

B．Nik's life dream is changing.

C．Permission of governments is important.

D．The Grand Canyon is a dream for Nik.

Mothers and daughters go through so much—yet when was the last time a mother and daughter sat down to write a book together about it all? Perri Klass and her mother, Sheila Solomon Klass, both gifted professional writers, prove to be ideal co－writers as they examine their decades of motherhood, daughterhood, and the wonderful ways their lives have overlapped(重疊)．
Perri notes with amazement how closely her own life has mirrored her mother's: both have full－time careers; both have published books, articles, and stories; each has three children; they both love to read.They also love to travel—in fact, they often take trips together.But in truth, the harder they look at their lives, the more they acknowledge their big differences in circumstance and basic nature.
A child of the Depression(大蕭條), Sheila was raised in Brooklyn by parents who considered education a luxury for girls.Starting with her college education, she has fought for everything she's ever accomplished.Perri, on the other hand, grew up privileged in the New Jersey suburbs of the 1960s and 1970s.For Sheila, wasting time or money is a crime, and luxury is unthinkable while Perri enjoys the occasional small luxury, but has not been successful at trying to persuade her mother into enjoying even the tiniest thing she likes.
Each writing in her own unmistakable voice, Perri and Sheila take turns exploring the joys and pains, the love and bitterness, the minor troubles and lasting respect that have always bonded them together.Sheila describes the adventure of giving birth to Perri in a tiny town in Trinidad where her husband was doing research fieldwork.Perri admits that she can't sort out all the mess in the households, even though she knows it drives her mother crazy.Together they compare thoughts on bringing up children and working, admit long－h(huán)idden sorrows, and enjoy precious memories.
Looking deep into the lives they have lived separately and together, Perri and Sheila tell their mother－daughter story with honesty, humor, enthusiasm, and admiration for each other.A written account in two voices，Every Mother Is a Daughter is a duet(二重奏) that produces a deep, strong sound with the experiences that all mothers and daughters will recognize.
【小題1】Why does Perri think that her own life has mirrored her mother's?

A．They both have gone through difficult times.

B．They have strong emotional ties with each other.

C．They have the same joys and pains, and love and bitterness.

D．They both have experiences as daughter, mother and writer.

【小題2】The word “l(fā)uxury” in Paragraph 3 means________.

A．something rare but not pleasant

B．something that cannot be imagined

C．something expensive but not necessary

D．something that can only be enjoyed by boys

【小題3】What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The content of the book.

B．The purpose of the book.

C．The influence of the book.

D．The writing style of the book.

【小題4】How are women's lives explored in this book?

A．In a musical form.

B．Through field research.

C．With unique writing skills.

D．From different points of view.

(2013·山東卷)Sparrow is a fast－food chain with 200 restaurants.Some years ago，the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company.Although Sparrow showed no sign of declining，the chain was generally in an unhealthy state.With more and more fast－food concepts reaching the market，the Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention.And to make matters worse，its new owner had no plans to give it the funds it required.
Sparrow failed to grow for another two years until a new CEO，Carl Pearson，decided to build up its market share.He did a survey，which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were extremely positive about the chain，while customers of other fast－food chains were unwilling to turn away from them.Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign.
Pearson faced a battle over the future of the Sparrow brand.The chain's owner now favored rebranding Sparrow as Marcy's restaurants.Pearson resisted，arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurants were fun.Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time.Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success，rather than customers' spending power.Finally，the owner accepted his idea.
The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fast－food industry.The TV ads of Sparrow focused on entertainment and featured original songs performed by a variety of stars.Instead of showing the superiority of a specific product，the intention was to put Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers.
Pearson also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image.For example，he offered to lower the rent of any restaurants which achieved a certain increase in their turnover(營業(yè)額)．
These efforts paid off，and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fast－food chains in the regions where it operated.
【小題1】Which was one of the problems Sparrow faced before Pearson became CEO?

A．The number of its customers was declining.

B．Its customers found the food unhealthy.

C．It was in need of financial support.

D．Most of its restaurants were closed.

【小題2】What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Customers of Sparrow restaurants.

B．Sparrow restaurants.

C．Customers of other fast－food chains.

D．Other fast－food chains.

【小題3】For what purpose did Pearson start the advertising campaign?

A．To build a good relationship with the public.

B．To stress the unusual tradition of Sparrow.

C．To learn about customers' spending power.

D．To meet the challenge from Marcy's restaurants.

【小題4】What was Pearson's achievement as a CEO?

A．He managed to pay off Sparrow's debts.

B．He made Sparrow much more competitive.

C．He helped Sparrow take over a company.

D．He improved the welfare of Sparrow employees.

Shirley Chisholm was best known as the first black woman elected to the United States Congress and the first black woman to run for president of the United States. However, her life was filled with much more than being the first black woman to do important things. She believed in being a person to fight for change. All her life, she worked to improve the lives of others.
Shirley was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1924. Though her parents had very little money, they wanted their daughters to get a good education and to have a better life. When Shirley was three years old they sent her and her sisters to live with their grandmother in Barbados. There Shirley received a good education from the British school system. She enjoyed the years with her grandmother. Shirley always remembered the words her grandmother spoke.
In 1934 Shirley moved back to Brooklyn. She continued to do very well in school. She later graduated from Brooklyn College with honors.In 1949, she married Conrad Chisholm who worked as a private investigator. Together they took part in local politics. Their marriage ended almost thirty years later.
As a young woman, Shirley decided to become a teacher.She believed she could improve society by helping children.She worked for seven years at a childcare center in the Harlem area of New York City.She attended Columbia University at night and received an advanced degree in early childhood education in 1952. She became known as an expert in children and early education.From 1959 to 1964 Shirley was an education official in the day care division of the city's office of child welfare.
In 1964 Shirley's political career began.She was elected to the New York State Assembly, where she served for four years.In 1968 she ran for the United States Congress and she succeeded. She became the first black woman elected to Congress.
Shirley was very different from other members of Congress.She looked different.Her hair was a big cloud of curls. She wore very large eyeglasses. And she had dark skin. Her voice was strong.She spoke with power.She said her greatest tool was her mouth. She was not afraid to say the things others would not say before Congress and the public.
【小題1】From the passage，we learn that Shirley's parents believed that ________.

A．women played an important part in modern society

B．black people ought to have equal rights as whites

C．a(chǎn) good education was important for a child's future

D．the UK had a better education system than the USA

【小題2】Who influenced Shirley most during her childhood?

A．Her father.	B．Her mother.
C．Her sisters.	D．Her grandmother.

【小題3】How many of the following have been mentioned in the passage?
a．Her education.　 b．Her family.
c．Her marriage.　  d．Her political career.
e．Her political beliefs.　　   f．Her contribution to the USA.
A．Three.　 B．Four.
C．Five.　  D．Six.
【小題4】In which order did the following events take place?
a．Her marriage to Conrad Chisholm ended.
b．She was elected to the New York State Assembly.
c．She became an education official.
d．She succeeded in running for the United States Congress.
e．She received an advanced degree in Columbia University.

A．e－c－b－d－a	B．c－a－b－d－e
C．e－c－a－b－d	D．e－c－b－a－d

【小題5】The last paragraph mainly tells us about ________.

A．her political career

B．her political opinions

C．her typical style

D．her contribution in politics

After spending a year in Brazil on a student exchange program，her mother recalled，Marie Colvin returned home to find that her classmates had narrowed down their college choices.“Everyone else was already admitted to college，” her mother，Rosemarie Colvin，said from the family home.“So she took our car and drove up to Yale and said，‘You_have_to_let_me_in.'”
“Impressed—she was a National Merit (全國英才) finalist who had picked up Portuguese in Brazil—Yale did, admitting her to the class of 1978，where she started writing for the Yale Daily News and decided to be a journalist，” her mother said.
On Wednesday，Marie Colvin,56，an experienced journalist for The Sunday Times of London，was killed as Syrian forces shelled the city  of Homs.She was working in a temporary media center that was destroyed in the attack.
“She was supposed to leave Syria on Wednesday”，Mrs.Colvin said.“Her editor told me he called her yesterday and said it was getting too dangerous and they wanted to take her out.She said she was doing a story and she wanted to finish it.”
Mrs.Colvin said it was pointless to try to prevent her daughter from going to conflict zones.“If you knew my daughter，” she said，“it would have been such a waste of words.She was determined，she was enthusiastic about what she did，it was her life.There was no saying ‘Don't do this.' This is who she was，absolutely who she was and what she believed in：cover the story，not just have pictures of it，but bring it to life in the deepest way you could.”“So it was not a surprise when she took an interest in journalism，” her mother said.
【小題1】From the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1，we can infer that ________.

A．Yale was her last choice

B．Yale must keep its promise to Marie Colvin

C．Marie Colvin was confident of herself

D．Marie Colvin was good at persuading

【小題2】Marie Colvin's story suggests some of the best qualities of being a journalist are ________.

A．patience and confidence

B．honesty and curiosity

C．flexibility and creativity

D．determination and courage

【小題3】Which of the following is the correct order to describe Marie Colvin's life?
a．She was doing a story in Syria and got killed.
b．She was admitted to Yale University.
c．She studied in Brazil as an exchange student.
d．She was hired by The Sunday Times of London.
e．She began to take an interest in journalism.

A．d→e→c→a→b	B．c→b→e→d→a
C．e→d→c→b→a	D．b→c→d→e→a

【小題4】From the last paragraph we can know that Mrs.Colvin ________.

A．knows her daughter very well

B．cares little about her daughter

C．dislikes the choice of her daughter

D．doesn't fully appreciate her daughter

【小題5】What can be the best title of the text?

A．Covering Stories in a Dangerous Conflict Area

B．Applying for Top Universities，a Successful Case

C．Recalling Her Daughter，a Journalist Killed in Syria

D．Choosing Lifelong Careers Based on Your Own Interest