As far back as he could remember，Larry had longed to go to Hollywood and become a film star．The young man’s hopes for success were broken again and again，however．Hollywood just did not seem interesting．When he first came to California，Larry had decided never to give up and return home without success．Therefore，he kept on trying．Someday，he told himself，his big opportunity would come．
Larry found a job parking cars for one of Hollywood’s big restaurants．His pay was elementary，but since the guests were kind enough to give him more money，he managed to make a living．One day he recognized an important film director driving into the parking lot （停車場） and getting out of his car．Larry had recently heard that the man was ready to make a new picture．
Larry got into the car and prepared to drive it on into the lot and park it．Then he stopped，jumped out，and ran over to the director．“Excuse me，sir，but I think it’s only fair to tell you that it’s now or never if you want me in your next picture．A lot of big companies are after me．”
Instead of pushing away the boy，the director laughed，then wrote something on a card and handed it to the young man．“Come and see me tomorrow．”
Larry got a small part in the director’s next film．He was on his way！
【小題1】Which of the following was Larry interested in?

A．Working as a waiter．	B．Becoming a film star．
C．Parking cars for film stars．	D．Owing a big company．

【小題2】Why did Larry find a job parking cars?

A．Because he liked the job．

B．Because the parking lot was near Hollywood．

C．To make a living and wait for the opportunity．

D．To see a lot of film stars and work for them．

【小題3】After reading the story what can we infer （推斷） about the film director ?

A．He wanted to laugh at Larry．

B．He recognized Larry at first sight．

C．He was kind and gave Larry a try．

D．He thought Larry would become a star．

【小題4】what does the word “elementary” mean in this passage?

A．基本的

B．充足的

C．較高的

D．不達標的

【小題5】“He was on his way”refers to the fact that ________．

A．he gave up and returned home

B．he began to work towards success

C．he took a journey to Hollywood

D．he had difficulty in playing the small part

When Lew Alcindor was 13, and obviously still growing, a group of schools began offering him scholarships（獎學金）. The Alcindors decided to send their only child to Power Memorial Academy, a small school on Manhattan’s West Side.
At Power. Alcindor came under the control of Coach Jack Donohue, a strict young man who already gained his fame as one of the best coaches in the city. Donohue brought Alcindor along slowly. As a first-year student, the boy was not able to do much but wave his long skinny arms and shoot a basket now and then. But by the second year, when he was 15 years old and nearly 7 feet tall, Alcindor was quick and skillful enough to make the high school All American team and to lead Power to an undefeated season.
From then on be simply got better. Some rival coaches（對方教練）used to take their teams quickly away from the floor before Power warmed up so that their players would not see him any sooner than they had to. Wearing size 16D shoes and sucking a lollipop（棒棒糖）, Alcindor would loosen up by starting his leaping lay-ups（擦板球）. Then he would casually shoot the ball with either hand, to the delight of the fans.
When reporters and photographers began to follow Alcindor closely, Donohue protected his boy firmly. He simply ordered Lew to talk to no member of the press, and this suited Lew fine. He was not comfortable talking to grownups, perhaps because he towered over them. Discouraged photographers began following him in secret as though he were an easily-frightened giraffe. “People want you not for yourself,” Donohue warned him, “but because you’re a basketball player. Don’t forget that.”
【小題1】Many schools offered Alcindor scholarships because_______.

A．he was young	B．he was hardworking
C．he was tall for his age	D．he was skillful at playing basketball

【小題2】Which of the following best describes Donohue as a young coach?

A．serious, popular and slow	B．tall, skillful and successful
C．kind, powerful and undefeated	D．well-known, strict and experienced

【小題3】Why did some rival coaches take their teams away from the floor before Power warmed up?

A．Their teams refused to play Power.	B．Their teams feared to see Alcindor.
C．Their teams would lose courage.	D．Their teams would lose interest.

【小題4】What does the last paragraph mainly discuss?

A．How Donohue protected Alcindor from the press.

B．How Alcindor disliked meeting reporters.

C．Why the press followed Alcindor closely.

D．Why the public wanted Alcindor badly.

As far back as he could remember，Larry had longed to go to Hollywood and become a film star．The young man’s hopes for success were broken again and again，however．Hollywood just did not seem interesting．When he first came to California，Larry had decided never to give up and return home without success．Therefore，he kept on trying．Someday，he told himself，his big opportunity would come．
Larry found a job parking cars for one of Hollywood’s big restaurants．His pay was elementary，but since the guests were kind enough to give him more money，he managed to make a living．One day he recognized an important film director driving into the parking lot （停車場） and getting out of his car．Larry had recently heard that the man was ready to make a new picture．
Larry got into the car and prepared to drive it on into the lot and park it．Then he stopped，jumped out，and ran over to the director．“Excuse me，sir，but I think it’s only fair to tell you that it’s now or never if you want me in your next picture．A lot of big companies are after me．”
Instead of pushing away the boy，the director laughed，then wrote something on a card and handed it to the young man．“Come and see me tomorrow．”
Larry got a small part in the director’s next film．He was on his way！
【小題1】Which of the following was Larry interested in?

A．Working as a waiter．	B．Becoming a film star．
C．Parking cars for film stars．	D．Owing a big company．

【小題2】Why did Larry find a job parking cars?

A．Because he liked the job．

B．Because the parking lot was near Hollywood．

C．To make a living and wait for the opportunity．

D．To see a lot of film stars and work for them．

【小題3】After reading the story what can we infer （推斷） about the film director ?

A．He wanted to laugh at Larry．

B．He recognized Larry at first sight．

C．He was kind and gave Larry a try．

D．He thought Larry would become a star．

【小題4】what does the word “elementary” mean in this passage?

A．基本的

B．充足的

C．較高的

D．不達標的

【小題5】“He was on his way”refers to the fact that ________．

A．he gave up and returned home

B．he began to work towards success

C．he took a journey to Hollywood

D．he had difficulty in playing the small part

My name is Ralph and I am 42 years old. I work in a factory that I enjoy very much. On May 27, 1999, I was working on an automatic machine. While working my hand was pulled into the machine and my middle finger on my right hand was ripped off. I had surgery to replace what was left of the finger and now I have a finger that is almost as long as my index finger.
Over the years I have been very blessed for a full and healthy life. Most of all, blessed for having my wife. We have grown together and grown in our faith. Life is going to go on with or without my finger. I was not going to let this take over my life and I pushed to go back to work and got light duty.
This was where my lesson began. When I returned to work, I started getting comments and some teasing from people asking me if it was worth losing my finger over a pack of cigarettes. Someone started a rumor that I had dropped a pack of cigarettes and reached down to pick them up and that is how I lost my finger. This is not true. This rumor hurt more than losing my finger in that machine. Everyone was called in to a meeting to resolve this matter and get the story straight. I had to share my lesson.
We can ruin a person’s life by just a few bad words. There is an old saying that I will never forget: “Words and water are easily poured, but impossible to recover.” So please remember to watch what you say.
【小題1】According to the author, his index finger on his right hand is almost as long as ________.

A．his middle finger on his right hand

B．his middle finger on his left hand

C．his thumb on his right hand

D．his thumb on his left hand

【小題2】From the second paragraph, we know that the author ________.

A．was not happy with a short finger

B．had a good relationship with his wife

C．didn’t want to work any more in the factory

D．wanted to find an important job

【小題3】The rumour about the author is that he lost his finger ________.

A．when he was picking up a pack of cigarettes that had fallen into the machine

B．because he was not careful and smoked when running the machine

C．because he was too sleepy to operate the machine properly

D．when he was reaching down to fix something wrong in the machine

【小題4】Which of the following can match the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?

A．Nothing is really beautiful but truth.

B．Bad words are meaningless.

C．Lies having short legs can do harm.

D．Words cut deeper than swords.

A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C．Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended．In a natural reflex (反應), I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her．I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar．But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money．I just need help finding the post office.
In an instant, I realized what I had done．I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be．I hated what I saw in myself．This incident re-awakened my belief in humility (謙恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment．
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant．I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S．at the age of 15．I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother．Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer．
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏見)．I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me．I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better．
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going．That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness．She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open．By the way, I helped that lady to the post office．And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson．
【小題1】We can learn from the first two paragraphs that_____________________．

A．the author regretted his act of prejudice

B．the blind woman needed the money badly

C．the author was as poor as the blind woman

D．the author was a native American

【小題2】According to Paragraph 4, hearing the father’s words, the author was probably_______．

A．rather hurt

B．very excited

C．deeply moved

D．greatly inspired

【小題3】According to the passage, the author probably agrees that one should_________．

A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled

B．try to experience different kinds of life

C．treat others equally with love and respect

D．think about one’s past as often as possible

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

A．Learn from Your Past	B．How My Dream Comes True
C．A Belief That Will Never Change	D．A Priceless Lesson in the Street

Now came great news! It came from a neighboring state, where the family’s only surviving relative lived. It was Sally’s relative—a distant relative by the name of Tilbury Foster, seventy and single. Tilbury now wrote to Sally, saying he should shortly die, and should leave him thirty thousand dollars, cash; not for love, but because money had given him most of his troubles, and he wished to place it where there was good hope that it would continue its evil work. The bequest would be found in his will, and would be officially handed over provided that Sally should be able to prove to the executors (遺囑執(zhí)行人).
As soon as Aleck had partially recovered from the strong emotions created by the letter, she sent someone to the relative’s home and subscribed for the local paper.
For the rest of the day Sally made confusion with his books, and Aleck could not keep her mind on her affairs, not even take up a flower-pot or book or a stick of wood without forgetting what she had intended to do with it. For both were dreaming.
“Thirty thousand dollars!”
All day long Aleck was absorbed in planning how to invest it, Sally in planning how to spend it.
There was no romance-reading that night. The children took themselves away early, for their parents were silent, disturbed, and strangely unentertaining. Two pencils had been busy during that hour —note-making; in the way of plans. It was Sally who broke the stillness at last. He said, with excitement, “Ah, it’ll be grand, Aleck! Out of the first thousand we’ll have a horse and a buggy for summer, and a cutter and a skin lap-robe for winter.”
Aleck responded with decision and calmness.
“You can spend a part of it. But the whole of the capital must be put right to work.
“Why, yes. Yes, of course. Have you got it invested yet?”
“No, there’s no hurry about that; I must look around first, and think, er…, I’ve turned it over twice; once in oil and once in wheat.”
“Why, Aleck, it’s splendid! What does it amount to?”
“I think — well, to be on the safe side, about a hundred and eighty thousand clear, though it will probably be more.”
“My! Isn’t it wonderful? Good heaven! Luck has come our way at last, Aleck!”
Then they went up to bed, but they left the candle burning in the sitting room. They did not remember until they were undressed; then Sally was for letting it burn; he said they could afford it, if it was a thousand. But Aleck went down and put it out.
A good job, too; for on her way back she hit on a scheme that would turn the hundred and eighty thousand into half a million before it had had time to get cold. 
【小題1】 Why would Tilbury like to give all his money to Sally?

A．Because Sally was Tilbury’s only relative alive.

B．Because Tilbury loved Sally and his family deeply.

C．Because Tilbury wanted his money to continue its function.

D．Because Sally and his wife are good at investing.

【小題2】The underlined word “bequest” in Paragraph1 probably means _________.

A．a gift of personal property	B．a proof of a person’s identity
C．a method of getting money	D．a reason for giving money

【小題3】What do we know about Sally and his wife after receiving the letter?

A．They were in deep sorrow and stayed up all night.

B．They cared little about the bequest and lived their life as usual.

C．They paid a visit to Tilbury to confirm the truth of the letter.

D．They had a big ambition to invest the money and make huge profits.

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

A．Thrilling News	B．Sally’s Distant Relative
C．The $30,000 Bequest	D．A Smart Investment

At a few minutes past five, Dave noted that the blanket of darkness was lifting. He was just able to make out the heavier masses that eventually appeared as the familiar trees that lined the road at the base of the hill. The upper reaches of the sky showed lighter shades of gray.
Dave got out of bed quietly and dressed quickly. He mixed a spoonful of instant chocolate into a glass of cold water, and his impatience forced him to finish the drink in gulps.
As he walked down toward the lake, Dave paused to reach for the fishing pole and gear box on the bench where he had left them the night before.
By the time where he reached the small boat, a thick white mist（霧氣）had spread over the surface of the water. He stepped into the boat, sat down, and rowed out of the weed beds that lined the edge of the shore.
The outer fringe（邊緣）of the lake disappeared as the boat moved forward noiselessly. All he could see was the enveloping whiteness. He could not tell where the boat and the surrounding air met the surface of the lake.
Dave rowed steadily ahead, relying on a mental picture of the surroundings. Then the mist began to rise, slowly. It soon rested inches above the still surface of the lake. The heavy silence was now being broken by the fish breaking through the surface as they leaped out of the water for low-flying insects.
The magic time had arrived. Dave raised his pole. Dawn was broken. He was excited with expectancy.
【小題1】Dave got up early in the morning to        .

A．enjoy the scene of the lake	B．seek adventure at the lake
C．go fishing in the lake	D．take a walk by the lake

【小題2】According to the story, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Dave broke the quietness of the lake.

B．Dave was familiar with the surroundings.

C．Dave took a picture of the lake with him.

D．Dave forgot the fishing pole at the beginning.

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

A．fish

B．boat

C．silence

D．mist

【小題4】What can we learn from the end of the story?

A．Dave was hopeful of catching a lot of fish.

B．Dave wished the weather would be better.

C．Dave was happy that dawn was broken.

D．Dave expected someone else would come.

A man was on the side of the road hitchhiking（搭便車）on a very dark night in the middle of a terrible rainstorm, with no cars on the road．The storm was so strong that the man could hardly see a few feet ahead of him．Suddenly, he saw a car come towards him and stop．The man, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door and only then did he realize that there was nobody behind the steering wheel（方向盤）!
The car started to move very slowly．The man looked at the road and saw a curve （拐彎處）coming his way．Terrified, he started to pray, begging for his life．He had not come out of shock when, just before the car hit the curve, a hand suddenly appeared through the window and moved the wheel．The man, paralyzed with fear, watched how the hand appeared every time the car was drawing near a curve．Finally, although terrified, the man managed to open the door and jump out of the spooky car．Without looking back, the man ran through the storm all the way to the nearest town．In a state of complete horror, the man walked into a nearby bar and asked for two glasses of Scotch whisky．
Then, still shaking with fright, he started telling everybody in the bar about the horrible experience he just went through in the spooky car．Everyone in the bar listened in silence and became frightened, with hair standing on end, when they realized the man was telling the truth because he was crying and he was certainly not drunk!
About half an hour later, two other young men walked into the same bar and one said to the other, “Hey, there’s a stupid man who jumped into the car while we were pushing it!”
【小題1】When the car was first drawing near a curve, the man ________

A．felt very curious	B．was extremely frightened
C．cried for help	D．remained as calm as possible

【小題2】According to the passage, what made the man’s experience believable?

A．His reasonable behavior．	B．His vivid description
C．His plain appearance．	D．His honest attitude

【小題3】We can infer from the passage that ________

A．it is unsafe for people to take a free ride

B．the man was telling a lie to his listeners

C．the car probably broke down on the way

D．the two young men were familiar with the man

At the end of my senior year of high school, I got a job working at a local coffee shop．I thought the job would be easy and stress-free．I pictured myself pouring the best coffees, making delicious doughnuts (炸面包圈), and becoming friends with regular customers．
I wasn’t expecting the people with enormous orders, the women who complained that the coffee was much too creamy (含乳脂的), or the men who wanted their iced coffees remade again and again until they reached perfection．I couldn’t seem to please anyone．
One rainy day, one of my regular customers came in looking upset．He said he felt like getting in bed, pulling the sheets up over his head, and staying there for a few years．I knew exactly how he felt．
Before he left, I handed him a bag along with his iced coffee．He was surprised, since he hadn’t ordered anything but coffee．I had given him his favorite type of droughnut．
“It’s on me,” I told him．“Have a nice day．”
He smiled and thanked me before heading back out into the rain．
The next day, it was still raining．I spent my afternoon hanging out the window handing people their orders．I was completely wet and freezing cold．Worse, no one was tipping that day．Every time I looked into our empty tip jar, I grew more depressed．
In the evening, the customer from the day before drove up to the window．He handed me a pink rose and a note．He said that not many people took time to care about others and he was glad there were still people like me in the world．With a friendly wave, he drove away．
I ran to the back of the shop and read the note．It read:
Christine,
Thanks for being so sweet, kind and thoughtful yesterday．It is so nice to meet someone who’s indeed nice．Please don’t change your ways! Have a great day! –Hank
After that, whenever I felt depressed or sick of coffee, I thought of Hank and his kindness．Then I would smile, hold my head up high, clear my throat and ask politely, “How can I help you?”
【小題1】Why wasn’t the writer happy with her job at first?

A．The customers didn’t tip her enough

B．It was difficult to make iced coffee perfect

C．Everybody had an enormous order

D．The job didn’t turn out as she had expected

【小題2】The man came to the coffee shop to ______

A．buy his favorite doughnut	B．complain to the author
C．buy a cup of iced coffee	D．get out of the rain

【小題3】The man felt thankful for the writer because ______

A．she was indeed kind to him in a time of need

B．she knew exactly how the man felt

C．she offered him coffee and food for free

D．she comforted him by sharing his pain

【小題4】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Don’t count your eggs until they are hatched

B．If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path

C．The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships

D．A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy

My favorite English teacher could draw humor out of the driest material. It wasn't forced on us either.  He took Samuel Johnson's dictionary, Addison's essays, and many other literary wonders from the eighteenth century and made them hilarious, even at eight o'clock in the morning. The thing that amazed me most was that the first time I read these works on my own some of them seemed dead, but the second time, after his explanation, I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen the humor. The stories and poems and plays were suddenly filled with allusions (典故) and irony (反諷) and hilarious moments. I learned more from him than from any other teacher.
My least favorite English teacher also made people laugh. Some students found him to be funny. Many others did not. He assigned journals over a six week period, to be written every day. At the end of the six weeks I had a notebook full of bits and pieces about my ideas, short stories, reactions to what we had read, and so on. Our teacher announced that we would be grading each other's journals. Mine was passed to Joe, that class clown, who always behaved in a funny or silly way. He saw it fit to make joke of and said, " This writing isn't fit to line (襯墊) the bottom of a birdcage. " Our teacher laughed at that funny remark. It hurt me so much that the anger from it has driven my writing and teaching ever since.
So what makes the difference? Humor is one of the most powerful tools teachers or writers have. It can build up students and classes and make them excited about literature and writing, or it can tear them apart. It is true that humor is either productive or counter-productive and self-defeating.
【小題1】The passage mainly discusses ________.

A．teaching	B．literature
C．humor	D．knowledge

【小題2】The underlined word "hilarious" in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.

A．funny	B．tiring
C．inspiring	D．brilliant

【小題3】The English teacher the writer disliked most ________.

A．was not able to make students laugh

B．hurt his students' feelings

C．didn't let his students do the grading

D．had no sense of humor