“I pity the empress. Poor empress.” “Do you think Zhen Huan really loves the emperor?” From campuses to offices, from shopping malls to the streets, talk about Legend of Zhen Huan is everywhere.
Unlike other long TV series, Legend of Zhen Huan, the 76-episode Qing dynasty drama series, has kept attracting new audiences along the way. It has enjoyed widespread popularity on the Chinese mainland over the past months.
The story is seemingly the same as those dramas which look into the lives of women in the imperial palace. It focuses on plots and intrigues(陰謀) within the Inner Palace during Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.
The heroine, Zhen Huan, initially a kind and innocent young lady, enters the emperor’s harem(后宮) of concubines. Discovering that the palace is a cruel and harsh place, Zhen learns how to survive on her own.
　 However, Legend of Zhen Huan seems to arouse more discussion than any drama series. Why? Some experts say it’s because it’s a well-made series from inside out.
Niu Hanting, deputy editor-in-chief of Art Panorama magazine, told Xinhua News Agency that the sets, props and costumes are carefully chosen. And the screenplay and dialogue are well-written. “The series takes care of every detail a good period drama should have,” Niu said. “From that aspect, it’s no coincidence that Zhen Huan could be big.” More importantly, Niu added, the TV series strikes a chord among audiences in different ways. “For example, as a woman, Zhen is hurt by the man she once loved. And as a newcomer to the palace, she finds herself caught in the fierce infighting and she has to survive,” Niu said, “Everyone may find themselves in Zhen’s position at a certain point.”
Then it’s not hard to understand why the story of Zhen Huan is even seen as a survival guide for newcomers in the workplace. Its director, Zheng Xiaolong, once admitted that in terms of society today, the “promotion” of Zhen Huan reflects a person’s career path in some way. “Whether the principles can be applied in today’s society, or not, I want to make the story as real as possible,” Zheng told Sina.com. “There are many fairytale-like series that make audiences ignore or avoid reality, and the complexity of humanity.” “But Legend of Zhen Huan, is a series that makes you think.”
【小題1】What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．People have pity on the empress.

B．Zhen Huan really loves the emperor.

C．Legend of Zhen Huan is very popular.

D．Legend of Zhen Huan is shown everywhere.

【小題2】 What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 most probably refer to?

A．The imperial palace.

B．The life of women.

C．Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.

D．The story of Zhen Huan.

【小題3】When Legend of Zhen Huan finds the palace is a cruel one, she ______.

A．learns to survive on her own

B．a(chǎn)sks others for advice

C．feels down and disappointed

D．becomes an innocent young lady

【小題4】We can learn from Niu Hanting that she ______.

A．thinks Zhen has had effects on newcomers

B．makes little of Legend of Zhen Huan

C．speaks highly of Legend of Zhen Huan

D．wants newcomer to follow Zhen’s example

【小題5】 This text is most probably taken from a(n) _________.

A．textbook	B．newspaper
C．a(chǎn)dvertisement	D．story book

While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon is commonly known as “Empty Nest syndrome”.
In order to find better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what the actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as “distant parent phenomenon”, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”.
【小題1】According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by ________.

A．their earlier experience of living alone

B．the poor living conditions in their native countries

C．the common worry that they have not saved much money

D．the distance between where parents live and where their children live

【小題2】Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to ________.

A．realize their dreams in foreign countries

B．seek a better place for their aged parents

C．live in the countries with more money

D．continue their studies abroad

【小題3】If young people go abroad, ________.

A．they do not hold to the value of duty at all

B．they can give some help to their parents back home

C．they cannot do what they should for their parents

D．they believe what they actually do is right

【小題4】From the last paragraph, we can infer that ________.

A．the situations in the developed and developing countries are different

B．“Empty Nest Syndrome” has arrived unexpectedly in our society

C．children will become independent as soon as they go abroad

D．the aged parents are not fully prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”

【小題5】The society discussed in the passage is most probably ________.

A．France

B．America

C．China

D．Britain

Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are trained to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery（外科手術(shù)）”, one replied. I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job. One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows. You can get at least 5 cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short. I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of pain just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm（標(biāo)準(zhǔn)）. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.
【小題1】We can know from the passage that the author works as ________.

A．a(chǎn) professor

B．a(chǎn) model

C．a(chǎn) teacher

D．a(chǎn) reporter

【小題2】Many graduates today turn to cosmetic surgery to ________.

A．marry a better man/woman

B．become a model

C．get an advantage over others in job-hunting

D．a(chǎn)ttract more admirers

【小題3】What was the author’s reaction towards the girl’s decision?

A．Excited.

B．Surprised.

C．Happy.

D．Angry.

【小題4】According to the passage, the author believes that ________.

A．everyone should pursue perfection, whatever the cost

B．it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs

C．media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery

D．it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career

【小題5】What does the author think of his height?

A．He hates to be called a short man.

B．He tries to increase his height through surgery.

C．He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact.

D．He just accepts it as it is.

Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanford University in the US, we are.
You may not want to hear this, but Crabtree believes that human intelligence reached its peak more than 2,000 years ago and ever since then has been going downhill. “If an average Greek from 1,000 BC were transported to modern times, he or she would be one of the brightest among us,” Crabtree told The Guardian.
At the heart of Crabtree’s thinking is a simple idea. In the past, intelligence was critical for survival when our ancestors had to avoid dangerous animals and hunt for food. The difference of being smart or stupid is often life or death. However, after the spread of agriculture, when our ancestors began to live in dense farming communities, the need to keep their intelligence in peak condition gradually reduced.
This is not hard to understand. Most of the time, pressure is what keeps us going – you need the pressure from your teachers to finish your homework; the pressure of looking pretty prompts(促使) you to lose weight when summer comes. And the same is also true of our intelligence – if we think less, we become less smart.
These mutations(變異) are harmful to our intelligence and they were all developed in the past 3,000 years. The other evidence that Crabtree holds is in our genes. He found that among the 2,000 to 5,000 genes that we have that determine human intelligence , there are two or more mutations in each of us.
However, Crabtree’s theory has been criticized by some who say that early humans may have better hunting and surviving abilities, but people today have developed a more diverse intelligence. For example, spearing a tiger doesn’t necessarily require more brainpower than playing chess or writing a poem. Moreover, the power of modern education means a lot more people have the opportunity to learn nowadays.
“You wouldn’t get Stephen Hawking 2,000 years ago. He just wouldn’t exist,” Thomas Hills of the University of Warwick, UK, told Live Science. “But now we have people of his intellectual capacity doing things and making insights(洞察力) that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation.”
【小題1】What is Crabtree’s recent finding according to the article? 

A．The Greeks from 1,000 BC could have been the smartest in human history.

B．Our ancient ancestors had no better surviving abilities than we do nowadays.

C．Humans have been getting steadily more intelligent since the invention of farming.

D．Mutations in genes that decide human intelligence have affected the development of intelligence.

【小題2】According to Crabtree, ancient humans _______.

A．had much more genes that determine human intelligence

B．were forced to be smart due to natural selection pressures

C．relied more on group intelligence than individual intelligence

D．developed a diverse intelligence to adapt to the hard realities

【小題3】Some argue that Crabtree’s theory is false because they think _______.

A．people today are under much more pressure than early humans

B．it’s ridiculous to compare a hunter’s and a poet’s intelligence

C．modern education is far more advanced than ancient education

D．human intelligence nowadays is different from that of the distant past

【小題4】What is Thomas Hills’ attitude toward Crabtree’s theory?

A．Supportive

B．Unfavorable

C．Worried

D．Confused

Until the 1980s, the American homeless population is mainly made up of older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(變化無常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.
Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis. But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.
One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not treated as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.
Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions（規(guī)定） of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.
【小題1】It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.

A．the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties

B．many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities

C．there is a serious shortage of academic facilities

D．homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education

【小題2】The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.

A．350,000

B．1,500,000

C．440,000

D．110,000

【小題3】One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.

A．the homeless children are too young to be treated as children

B．the homeless population is growing rapidly

C．the homeless children usually stay outside school

D．some homeless children are deserted by their families

【小題4】The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that ___.

A．the educational problems of homeless children are being recognized

B．the estimates on homeless children are hard to determine

C．the address of grade-school children should be located

D．a(chǎn)ll homeless people should have free education

It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver's seat is another matter.
Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense. It takes the most cool－h(huán)eaded drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and becomes so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers nowadays don't even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who waves to a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may not be able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to.
An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings．Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive．Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give-and-take from all road users．It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.
【小題1】 According to the passage, where is it that the nicest men would become short-tempered?

A．Beside the wheel.	B．Before the wheel.
C．In a cage.	D．In the driver’s seat.

【小題2】Which of the following is proper when drivers are forced to face rude driving?

A．Fighting and quarreling.

B．Showing great patience.

C．Calling back.

D．Beating back

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

A．Road politeness.	B．Road sense.
C．Inappropriate politeness.	D．Traffic jams.

【小題4】The following statements are right EXCEPT that________.

A．Modern drivers are good at driving

B．Blockages can cause unpleasant feelings.

C．Modern drivers can’t master the roadmanship.

D．All road users should understand the meaning of “give-and-take”.

【小題5】Which section of a magazine is the passage most probably taken from?

A．Health and life.	B．Health and society.
C．Human and society.	D．Human and environment.

I have always known my kids use digital communications equipment a lot. But my cellphone bill last month really grabbed my attention. My son had come up to nearly 2,000 incoming text messages, and had sent nearly as many. Of course, he was out of school for the summer and communicating more with friends from a distance. Nevertheless, he found time to keep a summer job and complete a college course in between all that typing with thumb.
I was even more surprised to learn that my son is normal. "Teenagers with cellphones each send and receive 2,272 text messages a month on average, " Nielsen Mobile said.
Some experts regret  that all  that  keyboard jabber(鍵盤閑聊) is making our  kids stupid, unable to read non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, posture and other silent signals of mood and attitude. Unlike phones, text messaging doesn't even allow transmission of tone of voice or pauses, says Mark Bauerlein, author called The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future.
Beyond that,  though,  I'm not sure I see as much harm as critics of this trend.  I' ve posted before on how I initially tried to control my kids' texting. But over time, I have seen my son suffer no apparent ill effects, and he gains a big benefit, continuing contact with others.
I don't think texting make kids stupid. It may make them annoying, when they try to text and talk to you at the same time. And it may make them distracted. when buzzing text message interrupt efforts to noodle out a math problem or finish reading for school.
But I don't see texting harming teens' ability to communicate. My son is as accustomed to nonverbal cues as any older members of our family. I have found him more engaged and easier to communicate with from a great distance. because he is constantly available by means of text  message and responds with faithfulness and speed.
【小題1】What is Mark Bauerlein ' s attitude to texting?

A．It is convenient for teens to communicate with others.

B．It is likely to cause trouble in understanding each other.

C．It is convenient for teens to text and call at the same time.

D．It will cause damage to the development of teens' intelligence.

【小題2】What would be the best title for this passage?

A．For Teens, Texting Instead of Talking

B．For Parents, Caring Much for Their Kids

C．Disadvantages of Texting

D．The Effect of Communication

【小題3】What does the underlined word "distracted" in the fifth paragraph mean?

A．Confused.	B．Absent-minded.
C．Comfortable.	D．Bad-tempered.

【小題4】 The author's attitude to texting is ___________ .

A．objective

B．opposed

C．supportive

D．doubtful

【小題5】According to the passage,  which of the statements is NOT true?

A．It is normal for a teen to send or receive 60 text messages per day.

B．Texting is a very popular way of communication among teens.

C．The writer limited his son to send or receive messages at first.

D．When texting, teens don't mind talking with you.

I once had a house guest from Cuba. During his visit, I happened to throw an old broken blender (攪拌機) in the trash. The next day it was sitting on my counter – in working order. In his world, people simply cannot afford to replace an item which doesn't work properly. They take the time and figure out how to fix it. In Cuba, they are still driving cars from the 1960’s, mainly because they do not have a choice. 
In contrast, the U.S. is a “throw-away society.” Statistics show that each American produces six pounds of trash per day. I believe a combination of factors has contributed to this phenomenon.
“Planned obsolescence(廢棄)” is not a secret. It is a manufacturing (制造業(yè)) philosophy developed in the 1920’s and 1930’s, when mass production became popular. The goal is to make a product or part that will fail, or become less desirable over time or after a certain amount of use. This pressures the consumer to buy again. 
Planned obsolescence does keep costs down. Instead of making an expensive product that will last a long time, businesses produce more affordable, disposable(一次性的) items. Some electronic items have become so inexpensive that it is cheaper to replace them than to repair them.[來源:學(xué)&科&網(wǎng)Z&X&X&K]
Busy people often value their time and convenience more than money. If a car starts to have mechanical problems, replacing it with a newer, more reliable model may be more appealing than tolerating it being in the garage for a week.
In addition, advertising trains consumers to want what is new and improved. It convinces them that the more they have, the happier they will be. 
Unlike people in many developing countries, we live in a world of abundance. A study by Dr. Timothy Jones of the University of Arizona also found that in the U.S., 40-50 percent of all food ready for harvest is wasted. Abundance and waste soon became closely associated in the American way of life.
【小題1】In Cuba, people usually fix a broken item instead of buying a new one because __________.

A．wasting is prohibited there	B．they are poor
C．they are interested in fixing things	D．they live a low-carbon life

【小題2】According to the article, planned obsolescence ___________.

A．began before mass production became popular

B．is intended to encourage consumers to buy more things

C．results in higher prices of items

D．requires factories to produce high-quality products

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT true about the “throw-away society” in the U.S.?

A．People prefer to buy a new blender rather than repair the broken one.

B．A large quantity of food has been wasted.

C．People believe that the more they have, the happier they will be.

D．People all hold the belief that money comes first.

【小題4】What may be the writer’s attitude towards a throw-away society?

A．Supportive.

B．Critical.

C．Tolerant.

D．Optimistic.

Are you carrying too much on your back at school? I’m sure lots of children of your age will say “Yes”. Not only the students in China have this problem, but children in the United States also have heavy school bags.
Doctors are starting to worry that younger and younger students are having back and neck problems as a result of school bags being too heavy for them.
“It’s hard for me to go upstairs with my bag because it’s so heavy,” said Rick Hammond, an 11-year-old student it the US.
Rick is among students who have common school bags with two straps(帶子)to carry them, but many other students choose rolling(有滾輪的)bags.
But even with rolling bags, getting up stairs and buses is still a problem for children. Many of them have hurt their backs and necks because of the heavy school bags.
But how much is too much? Doctors say students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight(重量).
Scott Batch, a back doctor, said children under Grade 4 should stay with 10%. But it is also important that older children don’t stay with over 15%, because their bodies are still growing.“
Children are losing their balance(平衡)and falling down with their school bags,” he said.
Parents and teachers are starting to tell children to only take home library books they will be reading that night. Some teachers are using pieces of paper or thin workbooks for students to take home.
One of the best answers is, as some children said, to have no homework at all!
【小題1】From the passage we can know that     .

A．only children in China carry too heavy school bags

B．children in other countries don’t carry too heavy bags

C．both children in China and the US carry too heavy school bags

D．only children in the US carry too heavy school bags

【小題2】Children feel it hard for them to go upstairs because      .

A．they are too young

B．their school bags are too heavy

C．they don’t know how to go upstairs

D．their parents don’t always go upstairs with them together

【小題3】If a child carries a heavy school bag,      .

A．his back and neck will be hurt	B．his head and arms will be hurt
C．his hands will be hurt	D．his feet will be hurt

【小題4】According to the doctor, Scott Batch, if a child in Grade 5 weighs(重)about 30 kilos, the school bag he carries should not be over      .

A．5 kilos

B．3 kilos

C．5.5 kilos

D．4.5 kilos

【小題5】Some students think the best answer to this problem is that     .

A．they should have a little homework to do after they get home

B．their teachers had better not ask them to do any homework

C．they should only take home library books they will read that night

D．they should use thin workbooks instead of think ones

Travel Unaccompanied
Now many young people are traveling around the world on their own, not because they have no one to travel with, but because they prefer to go alone．
Kristina Wegscheider from California first traveled alone when she was at college and believes that it is something everyone should do at least once in their life. “It opens up your mind to new things and pushes you out of your comfort zone.” Wegscheider has visited 46 countries covering all seven continents．
In foreign countries, with no one to help you read a map, look after you if you get ill, or lend you money if your wallet is stolen. It is challenging. This is what drives young people to travel alone．It is seen as character building and a chance to prove that they can make it on their own．
Chris Richardson decided to leave his sales job in Australia to go traveling last year．He set up a website, The Aussie Nomad, to document his adventures. He said he wished he had traveled alone earlier. “The people you meet, the places you visit, or the things you do, everything is up to you and it forces you to grow as a person,” said the 30-year-old．
Richardson describes traveling alone like “a shot in the arm”, which “makes you a more confident person that was ready to deal with anything”. He said: “The feeling of having conquered something on my own is a major part of what drives me each day when I’m dealing with a difficult task. I walk around with my head up because I know deep down inside that nothing is impossible if you try.”
The great 19th century explorer John Muir once said: “Only by going alone in silence can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.”
【小題1】Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?

A．Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone.

B．It is more meaningful to travel in foreign countries.

C．It is comfortable to travel around without a friend.

D．Traveling abroad helps people to find new things.

【小題2】Traveling alone is challenging because        .

A．it will finally build your character

B．you have to make things on your own

C．you depend on yourself whatever happens

D．it is hard for you to prove yourself to others

【小題3】What can we infer about Chris Richardson?

A．He started traveling at an early age．	B．He was once shot in the arm.
C．His website inspires others a lot.	D．He used to work as a salesman．