They once seemed more at home on the busy streets of Asia like Delhi, Calcutta and Bangkok but cycle powered rickshaws (人力車) can now be seen taking people across town in many European cities. Many people believe that rickshaws are a good way of experiencing a city close-up, while also cutting down on traffic jams and pollution. In Berlin, one of the first cities to introduce this new model of transport, more than 200 bike-taxis go along at 15km per hour, past many tourist attractions and city parks.
“It is completely environmentally friendly; we have new models with an engine to help the driver up the hills but they use renewable energy.” said a spokesman for VELOTAXI, the leading rickshaw company which has carried a quarter of a million people this year.
While the city still has 7,000 motor-taxis, rickshaw company officials say their taxis’ green ideas, speed and safety make them more than just a tourist attraction. While now increasingly out of fashion in Delhi, Berlin people have eagerly accepted the new fleet since their launch in 1997.
“It’s better than a taxi, better than a bus, better than the train,” said ULF Lehman, 36, as he leapt out of a rickshaw near the world famous Brandenburg gate. “It feels so free.”
“This is something out of the ordinary, you feel you are on holiday in Bangkok instead of Berlin,” said another traveler.
In Amsterdam, driver Peter Jancso said people like to be driven around in his bright yellow rickshaw and pretend to be a queen in a golden carriage. “I like my passengers to feel important,” he said as he dropped off another passenger. Another visitor noted how cheap it was compared with a normal taxi.
Although increasingly popular in Europe, it is the opposite in India, where hand-pulled rickshaws are considered inhuman and a symbol of India’s backward past.
Nearly 500 bike-rickshaws are running in London and are not required to pay the city’s road tax but things may change as other taxi drivers complain of unfair treatment.
【小題1】Where are rickshaws becoming more popular?

A．Delhi, Berlin, Paris.	B．Berlin, Amsterdam, London.
C．Athens, London, Berlin.	D．Amsterdam, Bangkok, Delhi.

【小題2】Why are rickshaws no longer as widely used in India as in the past?

A．They have been banned because they are inefficient.

B．They are a reminder of a bad period in India’s history.

C．The streets of India are too crowded for them to move through easily.

D．Indians now prefer to travel by car because they are richer.

【小題3】What does the underlined sentence “This is something out of the ordinary, you feel you are on holiday in Bangkok instead of Berlin” suggest?

A．The passenger didn’t like taking a rickshaw as it reminded him of Bangkok.

B．The passenger was impressed when taking a rickshaw and considered it unusual.

C．The passenger enjoyed being on holiday in Berlin more than in Bangkok.

D．The passenger disapproved of rickshaws because they were not original to

Berlin.
【小題4】What is the author’s attitude towards rickshaws?

A．He thinks they will reduce pollution

B．He believes they will be of no use.

C．He gives no personal opinion.

D．He thinks they are old-fashioned.

Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most physicians have a contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital, which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities (operating room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or, in the case of veteran's hospitals, a federal government agency. Others are operated by religious orders (教會(huì)) or other non-profit groups.
Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members, or residents, who are often still in training. They may teach in medical schools, be hired by corporations to care for their workers or work for the federal government’s Public Health Service.
Physicians are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $ 100,000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Physicians list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a physician in the United States. Most would-be physicians first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $ 20,000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Prospective physicians then attend medical school for four years. Tuition alone can exceed $ 10,000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young physicians are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency (實(shí)習(xí)階段) in a hospital, the first year as an apprentice physician. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.
Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several physicians will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These physicians also take care of each other’s patients in emergencies.
Physicians work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite routine ones, involve risk. It is understandable that physicians want to be well rewarded for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.
【小題1】According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by _____.

A．a(chǎn) church

B．a(chǎn) city

C．a(chǎn) corporation

D．a(chǎn) state

【小題2】According to the passage, how long does it take for a would-be physician to become an independent physician in the USA?

A．About twelve years.	B．Eight years.
C．Ten years.	D．About seven year.

【小題3】Sometimes several physicians set up a group medical practice mainly because _______.

A．there are so many patients that it is difficult for one physician to take care all of them

B．they can take turns to work long hours

C．no one wants to assume too much responsibility

D．facilities may be too much of a burden for one physician to shoulder

【小題4】Which of the following statements could fully express the author’s view towards physicians’ payment in the USA?

A．It is reasonable for physicians to have a large income because their work is very dangerous.

B．For their expensive education and their responsibility, they deserve a handsome pay.

C．Physicians should be better paid because they work long hours under bad conditions.

D．Physicians have great responsibility, so it is understandable that they should be well rewarded.

Does style really sell? How can the appearance of a product be more important than what it does? The battle between form and function rose again when James Dyson, British inventor of the Dvson vacuum cleaner that has sold in millions around the world, resigned as chairman of London's Design Museum. It is widely believed that Mr. Dyson felt that the museum put too much stress on style at the expense of serious industrial design.
Mr. Dyson accused the museum of not keeping true to itself. He may be right, but these days, museums everywhere can no longer afford to be unique centers of scholarship and learning. Among competition for sponsorship, they must use exhibitions of populist culture, nice cafes and shops or, best of all, a new building by Frank Gehry to increase visitor numbers.
On the one hand, some producers can be too old-fashioned and too concerned with the importance of product engineering and the functionality of their goods. On the other hand, there are those who believe that how a product looks is more important. Design is indeed a broad term, involving both function and form. Typically, in any given product area, it changes from the former to the latter.  Clothing is a good example. But surely you would have to be a very shallow person to think something's appearance is more important than what it does.
Today nearly all goods at any given price point do much the same job. So almost the  only way producers can differentiate their products from those of their competitors is to create some sort of emotional connection with the consumer, which could be through the visual appeal of the product or its packaging, or the imagery(意象) created by advertising. And what of the Dyson vacuum cleaner? Mr. Dyson may believe that people buy these machines because of the graphs showing their superior suction, but most vacuum cleaners do a good job; the main reason people pay extra for a Dyson is that it is a vacuum cleaner with a fashionable  brand. With its inside workings exposed, it is a bit like a Richard Rogers building with all its pipes shown in bright colors on the outside instead of being hidden inside. Functional it may be, but it is a bit of a trick, too.
【小題1】Mr. Dyson left the Design Museum because he thought the museum     .

A．didn't increase the number of visitors

B．couldn't provide scholarships for learners

C．wasn't loyal to its original purpose of learning

D．didn't have great appeal for serious industrial design

【小題2】What can we learn from Paragraph 4 ?

A．A product with convenient packaging sells well.

B．The majority of consumers prefer to buy branded goods.

C．Most similarly priced products are of a comparable standard.

D．Emotion contributes much to the development of advertising industry.

【小題3】The author believes that people buy the Dyson vacuum cleaner because      .

A．it has very good suction	B．it is fashionable
C．it sells well around the world	D．it is invented by James Dyson

【小題4】What is the author's attitude towards the form of a product?

A．Optimistic.	B．Doubtful.
C．Disapproving.	D．Objective.

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict(迷),” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled(皺的).” Today David wears casual clothes — khaki pants and a sports shirt — to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the changes from formal to casual office wear have been slow. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their workers to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for workers has really become an everyday thing,” said business adviser Maisly Jones.?
Why have so many companies started allowing their workers to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new workers if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study made by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that casual dress has a side effect on work. Supporters of casual office wear also say that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,”one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
【小題1】David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because ______________.

A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B．he couldn't stand a clean appearance

C．he wanted his clothes to look tidy and clean all the time

D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes

【小題2】David Smith wears casual clothes now, because ______________.

A．they make him feel at ease when working

B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

C．he looks handsome in casual clothes

D．he no longer works for any company

【小題3】According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago.

B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s.

C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers.

D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people.

【小題4】 In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT  ______________.

A．saving worker’s money	B．making workers more attractive
C．improving worker’s feeling	D．making workers happier

In the Netherlands，cycling isn't seen as eccrfriendly exercise; it's part of everyday life, as it's people's top choice to school and work. There are more bicycles than residents in the Netherlands. In cities like Amsterdam and The Hague, up to 70 percent of all journeys are made by bike.
So how did cycling become such a popular means of transportation in the European country?
In the 1970s, the Dutch government began to improve its cycling infrastructure（基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施）due to both a social movement demanding safer cycling condition for children and the oil crisis in the Middle East, when oil producing countries stopped their exports to Western Europe.
To make cycling safer and more appealing, the Dutch have built the widest cycling net- work in the world. The country has over 40，000 kilometers of bicycle lanes and paths，which are clearly marked. They have smooth surfaces，separate signs and lights for those on two wheels. The lanes are wide enough to allow side-by-side cycling and passing.
In many cities the bike lanes are completely segregated（隔離的）from motorized traffic. And in many traffic situations cyclists are given priority（優(yōu)先權(quán)）over drivers. Sometimes， where space is limited and both must share, you can see signs showing an image of a cyclist with a car behind accompanied by the words "Bike Street：Cars are guests".
As young people aren't allowed to drive alone until they are 18，cycling offers Dutch teen- agers an alternative form of freedom. The government also makes cycling training lessons a compulsory part of the Dutch school curriculum（課程）．
Bike parking facilities are ubiquitous in the country. Cyclists are accommodated in the way motorists are elsewhere. Take Groningen, a city in the northeastern part of the Netherlands，for example. The city's central train station has underground parking for 10，000 bikes.
【小題1】We can conclude that in the Netherlands cycling is____．

A．regarded as eco-friendly exercise

B．thought of as part of people's life

C．looked on as a way to lose weight

D．considered as a way to entertain

【小題2】What can we learn about the Netherlands from the first paragraph?

A．Most vehicles the Dutch use are buses.

B．The native people cycle the best in the world.

C．Everyone has one bike on average in the Netherlands.

D．The number of bikes is larger than the population there.

【小題3】Which of the following made the government improve the cycling infrastructure?

A．A large number of bikes.

B．Hope for healthy life style.

C．People's preference to bikes.

D．Children's safety demand and lack of oil.

【小題4】The underlined word "ubiquitous" in the last paragraph means“＿，，．

A．high quality

B．unique

C．very common

D．special

【小題5】What does the Dutch government do about teenagers cycling?

A．It makes cycling covered by school education.

B．It encourages teenagers to cycle alone.

C．It will watch over teenagers who ride bikes.

D．It suggests teenagers cycling before driving.

How can you build more word-of-mouth advertising (口碑廣告)? In other words, why would your customers want to talk to their friends about their experience of doing business with you?
When you perform your service or deliver your product competently (出色地),  you are just doing what the customer expects. In order to increase the number of the customers who want to share their good experience with their friends, you must make your service impressive, going beyond what is expected.   
Recently my daughter Dawn and I had lunch with my team members at the Campbell House. The food and service were truly excellent. My daughter asked for her leftovers (剩菜) to be packed. They were returned to her in aluminum foil (鋁箔) shaped like a swan(天鵝). Guess what she talked about when she got home? How much more do you think it cost the Campbell House to produce that “Wow!” experience? Answer —not a cent!   
Disneyland should be an inspiration to us all in providing a “Wow!” experience. What do people talk to their friends about when they come home? “You should have seen how clean that park was! With all of the people there, it’s unbelievable! There’s not even a gum wrapper on the ground!” Walt Disney understood that cleanliness is marketing.  
【小題1】According to the passage, customers would like to share their good experience with their friends if ______.

A．what they need is provided on time

B．the price of the service is low enough

C．the service is better than they expected

D．the after-sale service is good enough

【小題2】How did Dawn feel the moment she saw her packed leftovers?   

A．Disappointed and angry.	B．Excited and crazy.
C．Worried and unhappy.	D．Surprised and pleased.

【小題3】By saying “Answer — not a cent!” the author seems to believe that ______.

A．it is always possible to satisfy all of the customers

B．sometimes it is easy to provide a good experience

C．most customers are easy to do business with

D．the service should be as cheap as possible

An Israeli law banning too skinny models went into effect with the start of 2013. The law, approved last March in Israel, requires models to prove they have maintained a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 18.5 for three months before a fashion show. That means a woman who is 5'8''tall can weigh no less than 119 pounds.
“This law is another step in the war against eating disorders,” said physician Adatto. “Underweight models,” he explained, “can no longer serve as role models for innocent young people who copy their false image of being skinny.”
But some critics in this country say it is misguided, focusing on weight instead of health. They also say the Israeli ban is bound to fail because of the strong power of the fashion industry. “I think it’s an approach that isn’t going to work.” Said eating disorder expert Susan Ice, who worked with an organization which creates a healthy working environment for models.
But Adatto told the reporter that he began to concern the issue after meeting an ambitious model who looked like she needed to be hospitalized. He said. “I realized that only legislation can change the situation. There was no time to waste, so many girls were dieting to death.”
However, the efforts to regulate models’ weight in Spain and Italy have not resulted in significant changes in part because of difficulties in determining reliable methods of measuring weight and health.
Still, folks including Ice say there’s no denying that images from Hollywood and the fashion industry can be difficult for young women to deal with. “Certainly I don't believe the modeling industry has caused the rise in eating disorders, but it makes it harder,” she says. “It’s a difficult recovery environment, worshiping thinness as the beauty ideal.”
【小題1】What does BMI in the first paragraph refer to?

A．A measure of body health based on height and weight.

B．A worldwide prize for the healthiest model.

C．A new show held by those skinny models.

D．A kind of medicine to cure eating disorders.

【小題2】One benefit the new Israeli law may bring is ________.

A．to change the working conditions of models

B．to lower the chance of skinny models’ death

C．to provide guidance for women worshiping thinness

D．to prevent models from suffering from eating disorders

【小題3】In the opinion of the critics, the law won’t succeed because         .

A．it misleads young women to form a bad eating habit.

B．it doesn’t provide a proper approach that can work well.

C．it doesn’t create a healthy working environment for models.

D．the fashion industry is much too influential.

【小題4】What caused Adatto to think that a law was needed to change the situation?

A．Meeting an ambitious but too skinny model.

B．Establishing his fashion model agent.

C．Being interviewed by a reporter.

D．Seeing a model die from eating disorders.

【小題5】According to the passage, the new Israeli law banning skinny models is         .

A．practical

B．controversial

C．a(chǎn)cceptable

D．Reasonable

Transportation and communication networks bring people together. Yet sometimes people themselves create barriers to transportation and communication. In some countries, laws stop people from moving freely from place to place.
Over the centuries, many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race, religion, or nationality. In the Middle Ages, for example, Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities. South Africa's government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travel within the country. Some governments require all citizens to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they move.
Countries set up Customs posts at their borders. Foreign travellers must go through a Customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country. Usually travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas(簽證). Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year.  Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country, or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay.
Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication. When two governments disagree with each other on important matters, they usually do not want their citizens to exchange news or ideas freely. Countries often try to keep military or industrial information secret.
Today, people have the ability to travel, to communicate, and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before. Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily. The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome. But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers, people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas.
【小題1】The examples in paragraph 2 are used to tell the readers that _______      

A．Customs posts are necessary at the borders of the countries

B．people have been allowed to travel freely within the country

C．people have not been permitted to travel freely for various reasons

D．travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas

【小題2】Some governments limit the freedom of communication because___        

A．they think such freedom will lead to wars

B．they more often than not agree with each other on important matters

C．they intend to keep their national secrets unknown to others

D．they want to show their authority over communication

【小題3】We may learn from the passage that _______   

A．people do not care about the removal of barriers between countries.

B．people can not remove the obstacles made by themselves

C．barriers should be taken for granted as they always exist

D．man-made barriers are sometimes harder to overcome than natural ones

【小題4】Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage?

A．Functions of Communication	B．Barriers Made by People
C．Restrictions on Transportation	D．Progress of Human Society

When I was growing up, 16 was always a magical age, a symbol of maturity, responsibility and of course more independence and freedom.  I sat through the hours of Driver’s Ed classes eager to get out on the road. I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license.
But it’s a different story for today’s teens. In January, the U.S. Department Transportation released 2012 data that showed only 30.7 percent of U.S. teens got their license at age 16, Twenty years before, that number was almost 45 percent.
There are numbers of reasons for the fall – off. The growing responsibilities like paying for insurance and high gas prices discourage teens from getting behind the wheel. Plus, many teens today are so busy with homework, endless hours of activities and part-time jobs, that finding the time for Driver’s Ed classes may be more difficult that ever.
In addition, many states have raised the driving age, or restricted when teens can drive and who they can have in the car. Parents may also be making their own personal restrictions until they feel their teens are responsible enough to drive safely.
Driving is part of the American culture, but it’s not the central focus like it was 25 years ago. They have so many other things to do now. One of the more interesting factors delaying teens driving might be the change of their social life. Today, teens need to look no further than Face book or other social networking sites to connect with their friends. There is simply less need, maybe less desire, to be able to grab the keys and go.
Michelle Wei got her license as a senior in high school because her digital social life made it easy not to drive. “If I couldn’t get a ride to see my friend who lives a town over,” the 19-year-old said, “I could talk on IM or Skype.”
Research has shown that these online relationships can lead to higher quality friendships, so it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, it’s important to find a balance. If old face-to-face friendships are good, why not drive to find them?
【小題1】We can infer from the first paragraph that _______ .

A．Driver’s Ed classes allowed teens to know what maturity was

B．getting a driving license at 16 was a must for American teens

C．16 was considered an age when one could get his driver’s license

D．teens could drive on the road without taking Driver’s Ed classes

【小題2】What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Desire to drive on the road declines among American teens.

B．Getting a license costs much more than ever before.

C．Social networking sites are changing the life of American teens.

D．American teens are becoming more responsible than ever.

【小題3】Michelle’s Wei’s example is used to explain ________.

A．why American teens are crazy about digital social life

B．what social networking websites are bringing to American teens

C．to what degree the Internet is affecting the American car culture

D．what the Internet does to help teens to get a driving license

【小題4】 The last paragraph is reminding the readers that _______ .

A．the Internet has a bad effect on the teen’s social life

B．teens should keep a balance in choosing their lifestyle

C．a(chǎn)ctual contacts can be replaced by talking on line

D．face-to-face friendship is always the best choice

The dirt road made our car jump as we traveled to the Millennium Village in Sauri, Kenya. We passed the market where women sat on the dusty ground selling bananas. Little kids were wrapped in cloth on their mothers’ backs, or running around in bare feet and torn clothing. When we reached the village, we walked to the Bar Sauri Primary School to meet the people. Welcoming music and singing had almost everyone dancing. We joined the dancing and clapped（鼓掌）along to the joyful, lively music. The year was 2004, the first time I had ever been to Sauri.
The Millennium Village project was created to help reach the Millennium Development Goals, which were set by the United Nations in 2000. The plan is to get people out of poverty, assure（確保）them of access to health care and help them stabilize the economy and quality of life in their communities. The goals are supposed to be met by 2015; some other targets are set for 2025. But our first sight of Sauri showed us there was plenty of work to do.
On that day in 2004, we followed the village leaders into Yala Sub-District Hospital. It wasn’t in good shape. The rooms were packed with patients who probably wouldn’t receive treatment, either because the hospital did not have it or the patients could not afford it. There was no running water or electricity in the hospital. It is hard for me to see people sick with preventable diseases who are near death when they shouldn’t have to be. I just get scared and sad.
Malaria（痢疾）is one disease, common in Africa, which is preventable and treatable. Mosquitoes carry malaria, and infect people by biting them. Kids can die from it easily, and adults get very sick. Mosquitoes that carry malaria come at night. A mosquito net, treated with chemicals that last for five years, keeps malarial mosquitoes away from sleeping people. Each net costs $5. There are some cheap medicines to get rid of malaria too. The solutions are simple, yet 20,000 kids die from the disease each day. So sad, and so illogical. Mosquito nets could save millions of lives.
We walked over to see the farmers. Their crops started to die because they could not afford the necessary fertilizer（肥料）and irrigation. Time and again, a family will plant seeds only to have an outcome of poor crops because of lack of fertilizer and water. Each year, the farmers worry: Will they harvest enough food to feed the whole family? Will their kids go hungry and become sick?
Many kids in Sauri didn’t attend school because their parents couldn’t afford school fees. Some kids are needed to help with housework, such as fetching water and wood. In 2004, the schools had minimal supplies like books paper and pencils, but the students wanted to learn. They all worked hard with the few supplies they had. It was hard for them to concentrate, though, as there’s no midday meal.
Great changes have taken place in these years. Today, Yala Sub-District Hospital has medicine, free of charge. Water is connected to the hospital, which also has a generator（發(fā)電機(jī)）for electricity. There are no school fees, and the school now serves midday meals for the students. The attendance rate is way up. All this is encouraging supporters of the Millennium Villages project.
There are many solutions to the problems that keep people poor. What it will really take is for the world to work together to change poor areas forever. When my kids are my age, I want this kind of poverty to be a thing of history. It will not be an easy task. But Sauri’s progress shows us all that winning the fight against poverty is achievable in our lifetime.
【小題1】In Paragraph 1, the writer describes the kids’ clothes to show that _________________.

A．local children spent a lot of time outside

B．local parents were not responsible

C．local villagers were very poor

D．local villagers were very friendly Zxxk

【小題2】 What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 3?

A．Medical conditions.	B．Agriculture.
C．Education.	D．Economy.

【小題3】What does the underlined word “minimal” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．Many.

B．Few.

C．Colorful.

D．Various.

【小題4】Because there was no midday meal in school, __________________.

A．kids lacked energy to study attentively

B．many kids dropped out of school

C．kids made more efforts to study hard

D．many kids had to go back home for lunch

【小題5】This story is mainly about _____________________________.

A．the education in an African village

B．the schools and hospitals in an African village

C．the poverty and the progress of an African village

D．the author’s car journey to an African village