Lu Xun is one of the greatest Chinese writers of the 20^th century. Besides his famous stories, he also wrote many influential articles about the living conditions of Chinese people.
Born in 1881 to a wealthy family, Lu Xun had a happy childhood. In 1893, however, his grandfather, a senior government official, was put into prison for taking money. At the same time, his father became seriously ill. From that time on, his family were no longer accepted by their relatives and friends. These early experiences greatly influenced his writing.
By the time Lu Xun arrived in Nanjing to study at university in 1899, he already believed that Chinese society had to change and become modern. In 1902 he went to study in Japan. There, he began writing articles for several Chinese student magazines. He showed a gift for writing and translating and he even wrote several books, although none was popular. He returned to China in 1909 because he was in need of money.
After working for several years as a teacher in Beijing, Lu Xun again returned to writing. In 1918, he wrote his famous short story Diary of a Madman. It was the first Chinese novel published using the everyday language that people spoke, which helped make it a great success. This, together with his novel The True Story of Ah Q (1921), made Lu Xun a leading Chinese writer.
Although successful, Lu Xun still worried greatly about China’s future. In 1926, he moved to Shanghai and gave up writing stories in order to devote himself to what he called “pen warfare”. He now only wrote articles which called on the people to fight against the government. For this, the government stopped him from publishing any more books. He was forced to write his articles using false names.
Since his death in 1936, Lu Xun’s importance and influence have grown. Today, many of his writings are included in school textbooks and his works are read by millions around the world.
【小題1】Which of the following greatly influenced Lu Xun’s writing according to the passage?

A．The people he met in Japan.

B．Working as a teacher in Beijing.

C．The experiences in his early life.

D．His father’s being put into prison.

【小題2】According to the passage, why was Lu Xun’s story Diary of a Madman so popular?

A．It was based on Lu Xun’s diary.

B．It was the first novel to use everyday language.

C．Its story took place in modern times.

D．It was written using a western style.

【小題3】The underlined word “This” (Paragraph 4) refers to     .

A．the success of Diary of a Madman

B．the use of everyday language

C．the first Chinese novel

D．The True Story of Ah Q

【小題4】After moving to Shanghai, Lu Xun mainly wrote      .

A．funny stories

B．a(chǎn)rticles about himself

C．a(chǎn)rticles against the government

D．stories about government officials

【小題5】In what order did these events take place in Lu Xun’s life?
a. The government stopped him from publishing books.
b. He wrote Diary of a Madman.
c. His father became ill.
d. He moved to Shanghai.
e. His writings were put into textbooks.

A．c-a-b-d-e	B．c-b-d-a-e
C．a(chǎn)-c-d-b-e	D．a(chǎn)-d-b-c-e

Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one family between the ticket office and us. This family made a big impression on me.
There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. You could tell they didn’t have a lot of money. Their clothes were not expensive, but they were clean. The children talked excitedly about the clowns. It was clearly a very important day out for them. The father and mother seemed happy as they could be.
The tickets lady asked how many tickets the father wanted, he proudly answered, “Please let me buy eight children’s tickets and two adults’ tickets, so I can take my family to the circus.”
The ticket lady told him the price.
The man’s wife lowered her head. There was no longer a smile on the man’s face. He quietly asked, “How much did you say?”
The ticket lady again told him the price.
The man obviously didn’t have enough money. But how could he tell his kids the bad news?
Seeing what was happening, my dad took a $20 note from his pocket and dropped in on the ground. (We were not rich ourselves at all!) He then tapped the man on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me, sir, you dropped this.”
The man understood my father was helping him. He picked up the money, looked straight into my dad’s eyes, and in tears replied. “Thank you. This really means a lot to me and my family.”
Although we did not go to the circus that night, we didn’t go without.
【小題1】Why does the writer say “Their clothes were not expensive, but they were clean” ( Paragraph 2)?

A．To show how rich the family were.

B．To show cheap clothes could be popular.

C．To show how hard the mother worked.

D．To show the children were well looked after.

【小題2】 Why was the poor man unhappy after he spoke with the ticket lady?

A．He had lost his money.

B．His children were noisy.

C．The tickets were sold out.

D．The tickets were too expensive.

【小題3】Who did the $20 note belong to?

A．The poor man .	B．The writer’s father.
C．The poor man’s wife.	D．The ticket lady.

【小題4】Why was the poor man in tears at the end of the story?

A．He found the money he lost.

B．He wanted others to help him.

C．He made his children unhappy.

D．He was thankful for the kindness.

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

A．The poor mans saw the circus that night.

B．The two families became close friends.

C．The writer’s father earned some money.

D．The writer saw the circs that night.

Twenty years is just a blink in time. But 20 years is also long enough for a man to grow up. It is always painful. For Andrew Agassi, maturing in the spotlight of international tennis competition was even harder.
On September 3, the American tennis player said a tearful goodbye to his 21-year career after a third-round defeat in the US Open. The 36-year-old tried his best, but was unable to keep up with German Benjamin Becker, more than ten years his junior.
"The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what I've found," Agassi said to the fans. "I have found inspiration and you willed me to succeed." It was an emotional speech at the end of a long career.
Agassi hated tennis as a teenager as much as he loves it now. His father made him play when he was a child. He got bored, and became a rebel(叛逆). The strict training that his father pushed upon him got in the way of his wild lifestyle. He grew hair long, wore colorful clothes and spat at a judge. Over the years, he has made bad jokes during news conferences. Asked what he would say to his 17-year-old self, Agassi answered, "I would say, I understand you a lot more than I want to be you."
The turning point in Agassi's career came in 1992 when he unexpectedly won his first Grand Slam (大滿貫賽事)at Wimbledon. It was the first time Agassi understood what real champions finally understand: winning is a test of courage and not just power, it's a marathon, not a sprint(短跑).
And what a marathon Agassi was about to begin. He cut his long hair, got fitter and tightened up emotionally. On the court, he ranked No. 1 for almost two years. His lowest point came in 1997 when his ranking dropped to No. 141. He didn't quit though. "I knew that I would try to get the most out of myself every day from that day forward. That was my promise," he said. "That never stopped." www.zxxk.com
【小題1】The underlined phrase "more than ten years his junior" in the second paragraph means _________.

A．having lower ranking than Agassi for more than ten years

B．having higher ranking than Agassi for more than ten years

C．more than ten years older than Agassi

D．more than ten years younger than Agassi

【小題2】How did Agassi feel when he was defeated in the competition?

A．He felt angry with the judge

B．He felt satisfied with the scoreboard

C．He felt regretful but encouraged

D．He felt in great desperation

【小題3】The passage implies ______.

A．a(chǎn)fter 1997 Agassi began to take up marathon besides tennis

B．Agassi began to play tennis before he was fifteen

C．Agassi hesitated to quit his sports career

D．the reason why Agassi lost his last competition was that he lacked courage and power

【小題4】The score of the match between Agassi and Becker is ______.

A．0-2

B．0-3

C．1-3

D．2-3

When Sally Ride was ten years old, she had no idea that she would some day grow up to be one of America’s first woman astronauts. In fact, if you had asked her then what wanted to be, she would have said, “ I want to play shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers.” Sally collected baseball cards by the boxful, and she knew the name and batting average (擊球率)of every player in the National League.
But major league baseball didn’t seem much of a possibility for a girl, even an athletic one like Sally, so her father and mother talked her into taking tennis lessons when she was twelve. At first she hated to trade in her baseball bat for a tennis racket, but it wasn’t long before she started to win tournaments in her new sport. “ Tennis became much more fun when I started winning,” Sally remembers. Soon a row of trophies （獎牌）replaced her box of baseball cards, and tennis star Billie Jean King replaced Dodger shortstop Maury Wills as her sports idol.
Sally first became interested in the space program in 1962 when astronaut John Glenn orbited the earth in his Mercury space capsule. Sally was ten years old at the time, but she remembers the launch and the splashdown (掉落) as if they happened yesterday. The girl who used to memorize batting averages became a space fan. She quickly learned the name of every NASA astronaut(there were only eight of them in 1962), the date of every launch, and the name and number of every spacecraft from Freedom 7 to Skylab 3. She could tell you the speed of light (186,300 miles per second), the distance to the moon (238,860 miles), and the names of the three nearest stars( the Sun, Alpha Centauri, and Barnard’s Star).
By the time she was sixteen, Sally had decided to become an astrophysicist, a scientist who studies space. She had also become a nationally ranked tennis player. She remembers yawning（打哈欠） through an important tennis match on June 20, 1969, after staying up all night to watch Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon. Sally lost the match.
As Sally got older, many of her friends started playing professional tennis. Some of them tried to talk her into quitting school to join them on the professional tennis circuit. But Sally said no. “ Black holes are more interesting to me than backhands,” she told them. Now she knows that she made the right choice, but in 1970 Sally had no way of knowing that NASA would open the space program to women.
【小題1】At the age of twelve, Sally Ride ________.

A．was interested in playing tennis

B．was persuaded into taking tennis training

C．began to become interested in space

D．decided to become an astrophysicist

【小題2】Sally Ride lost the match on June, 1969 just because________.

A．she was tired

B．she couldn’t decide whether to be an astrophysicist

C．she couldn’t decide whether to take part in a professional tennis circuit

D．she wasn’t interested in tennis

【小題3】From the story we know that Sally ________.

A．had been a professional baseball player

B．had never been a professional player

C．had never been a woman astrophysicist

D．wasn’t interested in space program

【小題4】A capsule is ________.

A．the name of the neareast star

B．a(chǎn) place where the American astronauts and the crew work

C．a(chǎn) place where astronauts and the crew are trained

D．a(chǎn) container of the crew and astronauts detached(分離) from a rocket

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

A．According to the story, Sally Ride is a woman astrophysicist.

B．The ambition of becoming a woman astronaut was made in Sally’s childhood.

C．Freedom 7 and Skylab 3 are the names of the nearest stars.

D．Sally didn’t quit her schooling at the time as she knew sooner or later NASA would hire woman astronaut.

They say love can cover a lot of crimes; yet never have I seen it more beautifully showed than in the life of a dog named Jessie. Jessie came into our lives at the age of six months. By that time he had already experienced the hard knocks of life. He was found abandoned on the side of the road, where we adopted him and took him home.
From the beginning, it was obvious that Jessie was traumatized (受精神創(chuàng)傷的). He was afraid of everything: the car, the doors, the stairs, and just about everything else. We couldn’t foresee where Jessie’s fear would take us.
Jessie was with us for about six months, when we became foster parents to a mixed-breed young dog. Jessie did not like her at all. We all lived in a nervous co-existence, until dinnertime. Within moments a food fight erupted between Jessie and this foster child.
It all happened so fast, and I was in the middle. My husband managed to get in between the two dogs, grabbing Jessie by his collar. Jessie screamed all the way down the hall and into the bedroom. I, quickly put the foster dog into her own bedroom and hurried down the hall. The crashing I heard in the bedroom, scared me to death. But nothing prepared me for the scene I witnessed as I opened the bedroom door.
There was my husband, on top of a terrified Jessie, holding back his head. Blood dripped from my husband’s arm. To tell you the truth, as I was sitting beside my husband in the emergency room, I just didn’t know what to do with Jessie. I was so angry at that dog.
Day after day, week after week, however, my husband faithfully trained the dog that others would have put down. As his arm healed over the next months, something rare and beautiful began to take place. Jessie, under my husband’s gentle persuasion, began to understand and obey. And Jessie adored him. I could see, that although the tempest had ruled Jessie’s former life, affirmation and love had calmed the storm.
【小題1】Before being adopted by the writer, Jessie had _______.

A．suffered a lot

B．Lived a happy life

C．lived on the road half a year

D．often fought against other dogs

【小題2】 Paragraph 2 shows that the writer was ________.

A．happy	B．disappointed
C．a(chǎn)ngry	D．worried

【小題3】It can be inferred from the text that the writer’s husband’s arm bled because   of _________.

A．his own behavior

B．the writer’s fault

C．Jessie’s bite

D．The new foster dog

【小題4】What would be the best title for the text?

A．A Dog Named Jessie

B．Love Calmed the Storm

C．Conflicts Between Dogs

D．Fights Between Man and Dog

We all, at one time or another, have pretended to be a rock star, singing and dancing along to our favorite song. Most of us have done this in the privacy of our own room when we were kids and as adults, in the privacy of our homes. Me? I love to do that when I drive! I turn on the radio, find a song that I can sing along too and pretty soon my arms are in the air and I am moving along to the rhythm. Most of the time, I do this on my way to work.
Yes, that is true, I will be in my nice work clothes, jamming while driving or stopped at a traffic light I get weird（古怪的）looks from some people and others laugh. Personally, I love to get lost in the rhythm of a song which leads me to share with you the importance of being silly!
The definition for the word silly, according to the dictionary is: stupid, foolish and nonsensical. I know many people do not want to look foolish. So they walk around all serious, which in all honesty, is foolish!
No one is perfect, I repeat: no one is perfect. I don't care how educated, how thin, how beautiful, how simple, how frugal （節(jié)儉的）, how rich, and so on...No one is perfect! So why pretend to be something you are not?
Life is so short. You never know when this beautiful journey will be over, so why waste a single second on being so full of rigidity（呆板）? Here is a quote by Souza, that I think says it all and is a great recipe for life:
"Dance as though no one is watching you,
Love as though you have never been hurt before,
Sing as though no one can hear you,
Live as though heaven is on earth."
When we were kids, we had no idea of what limitations were and we had no care in the world so we could do things without worrying about how we appeared to others. However, as we grew up, we lost that childlike innocence.
So don't lose the child that still lives within you. The next time you feel down, go turn on your favorite song, and sing and dance along like there is no tomorrow or watch something that makes you laugh. Laughter is the best medicine to whatever ails （使……痛苦） you and nothing is better than laughing so hard that your stomach hurts. Trust me, you will feel a whole lot better, and who doesn't want to feel good?              
【小題1】According to the text, what does the writer usually do?

A．He repeats the words of songs.

B．He sings songs on his way to work.

C．He dances in his own home.

D．He shares music with other drivers.

【小題2】What does the writer think of the people who look very serious?

A．They are honest.

B．They are educated.

C．They are perfect.

D．They are foolish.

【小題3】The writer quotes Souza to show that____.

A．life is a beautiful journey	B．life is full of rigidity
C．life is to be treasured	D．life is a great recipe

【小題4】Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．The Innocence of Being a Child	B．The Importance of Being Silly
C．No One Is Perfect	D．Life Is Short

It’s easy to see how to help others, but what about those whose needs aren’t so obvious? This story may have happened a while back, but it was a lesson which has stayed with me and helped me ever since.
It was Thanksgiving and I was volunteering with my parents at a shelter for the poor. We stood behind the counter dishing out hot food to whoever came in. Most of our dinners looked like they had been having hard times, their clothes old, worn and dry. In short, they looked poor!
Then, a man came in, who looked anything but poor. He was well dressed, wearing an expensive suit. I wondered what he was doing there and my jaw dropped in amazement when he joined the line for food. The closer he came to my service station, the more I muttered. What was this man doing? I wanted to know. Surely he wasn’t going to take food.
Then my mother quietly took me to one side. She said, “ You have assumed that the needs of the people who come here must be purely physical: hunger, inadequate shelter and needs are emotional? What if he needs comfort, friends, or just to be among other human beings?” Her words hit me like a ton of bricks! About a week later the shelter received a large donation from an anonymous source. I can’t help but wonder if it came from that man. I felt like I should apologize to the man, but I didn’t.
Now, whenever I meet others, I remember my mother’s words and try to send kindness and blessings to them, regardless of how they look. Needs aren’t always visible. But kindness always makes a difference.
【小題1】The task of the author at the shelter was to_______.

A．decide whether dinners looked poor

B．learn life experience there

C．serve hot food to the poor

D．help parents order dishes

【小題2】 When the man waited in line, how did the author feel?

A．Surprised

B．Pitiful

C．Excited

D．Angry

【小題3】The author felt he should apologize to the man, because he_______.

A．was asked to do so by his mother

B．gave the man food much less than others

C．realized something was wrong with the man

D．knew later that the man might go there to donate

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

A．We should show others kindness whatever their needs are

B．Some needs can’t be known clearly at times

C．Needs can always be met by kindness

D．We should find out others’ needs

“Hey, Jenna, do you think we’ll still be friends when we’re eighty-two?” I asked my friend．It was clear that she was wondering where I had come up with such a question．Losing Jenna would be like losing a very close sister．We hung out together．We gave each other advice．
“Of course, we’ll still be friends when we’re eighty-two.” Jenna announced loudly．
The next year, in the fourth grade, we met Jamie．The three of us soon became close friends．We played together almost every day．I thought even time couldn’t pull us apart, but I was sadly mistaken．
The three of us started fighting a lot．Before Christmas, we had a really big fight, and Jamie and Jenna were against me, both saying I was bossy．I felt helpless and lonely．I thought Christmas would be horrible!
I was surprised when Jenna came to my house and gave me an awesome Christmas card she had made for me．I was so sure that she was still disappointed with me．
“Wow, ” I said, breaking the silence as we stood on either side of my front door．“Thanks．”
“Okay…well…I have to go,” she said softly．
“Okay．See you later then…” and I closed the door．
“Who was that at the door?” my mum asked．
The card started off with “Merry Christmas”, but then it said, “I am so glad we’re friends．I am sorry about what I said when we were fighting．A fight won’t stop us from being friends．Besides, we said we were going to be friends even when we’re eight-two．”
I stopped reading and started laughing．I couldn’t believe I had forgotten what she said that day in her backyard．I couldn’t believe I had been so selfish in making my friends feel sorry for me that I had forgotten about real friendship．
【小題1】How would the author and Jenna get along with each other after Christmas?

A．They would be close friends again．

B．They would not speak to each other．

C．They would lose touch with each other．

D．They would go on fighting with each other．

【小題2】The underlined sentence “I was bossy” in the fourth paragraph means “_________”．

A．I looked like a boss	B．I acted as a boss
C．I was fond of giving orders	D．I was fond of fighting

【小題3】Which of the following is the right time order according to the passage?
a．Jamie became our friend．
b．I felt lonely and unhappy．
c．Jenna, Jamie and I fought a lot．
d．Jenna brought me a Christmas card．
e．I was sorry for what I did to her．
f．Jenna and I promised to be lifelong friends．

A．f a b c e d

B．a(chǎn) c f b d e

C．a(chǎn) b c f e d

D．f a c b d e

【小題4】The author was delighted when she read the card from Jenna because _________．

A．what Jenna wrote was funny

B．Jenna would be her friend again

C．she was happy about the coming Christmas

D．she was happy to receive a Christmas card