Mother’s Day is a holiday for mothers. It is celebrated(慶祝)in the United States, England, India and some other countries. In a short time, it becomes widely celebrated. Mother’s day falls on the second Sunday in May. On that day, many people send gifts(禮物)of love to their mothers.
Those whose mothers are still living often wear a pink or red rose or carnation(康乃馨)， while those whose mothers are dead wear a white one.
The idea of a day for mothers was first given by Miss Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia. As a result of her hard work, the celebration of the first American Mother’s Day was held in Philadelphia(費(fèi)城） on May 10, 1908. Soon the holiday became popular all over the country and around the world.
In China, people do the same on the day for mothers. And, in some cities, people sometimes ask a song to be broadcast(廣播) for his or her mother only. This might cost a little money for some of them, but, as it is said, “Love is invaluable.”
On May 8, 1999, just the day before the Mother’s Day that year, a Chinese mother was killed in criminal bombing(罪惡轟炸). Her name is Shao Yanhuan, a heroic mother. All the Chinese will remember her forever.
【小題1】 Mother’s Day         .

A．is a holiday for mothers

B．is celebrated in the United Stated only

C．falls on May 10 every year

D．was given by Miss Anna Jarvis

【小題2】What was the date of the Mother’s Day in 1999?

A．May 7.

B．May 8.

C．May 9.

D．May 10

【小題3】On Mother’s Day, people       .

A．send some flowers to their mothers.

B．wear a pink or red rose or carnation

C．wear a white flower

D．send gifts of love to their mothers

【小題4】 the underlined word “invaluable” means “   ”.

A．美好的

B．無價(jià)的

C．永恒的

D．無私的

【小題5】Maybe you’ve known the criminal bombing, which of the following ideas do you agree to?

A．Shao Yunhuan is a heroic mother.

B．A Chinese mother is the same as an American mother.

C．The bombing cannot get away with the crime (難逃罪責(zé)).

D．All of the above

“Now I just don’t believe that.” Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It’s simply badly researched, or, the makers must think we’re fools.
If movies were completely scientifically accurate, they’d probably be as interesting as a Physics 101 lecture. In real life, there are no explosions in space, gas usually doesn’t explode from a lit cigarette, and Bruce Willis / Jackie Chan / Will Smith would most likely be in a coma(昏迷) after getting kicked in the head.
Recently, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on unconvincing tech moments from some top movies. Let’s see what they are all about.
Telegraph writer Tom Chivers’ first example is from the end-of-the-world movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus capable of destroying Windows, the computer system the alien(外星人的) spacecraft uses. “It’s a good thing they didn’t have Norton antivirus,” jokes Chivers.
It’s just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science. Another one Chivers mentions is from Star Wars, where glowing beams of light traveling through space look very impressive. The problem is that in space there are no air particles(顆粒) for the light to reflect off. In reality, they’d not be seen, which wouldn’t look so cool on the big screen.
Chivers’ second piece of Star Wars nonsense is the sound the fighters make in the movies: “ the bellow(咆哮) of an elephant mixed with a car driving on a wet road”. But sound needs a medium to travel through, like air. In space, there wouldn’t actually be any sound at all.
Few people would deny that the mind-bending Matrix films make for great viewing, but for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little silly.
And finally: as Chivers points out, DAN is not replaceable. But this bit of elementary genetics passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die another Day by. In the film the villain(壞人) has “gene therapy” to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible.
【小題1】What does the text mainly deal with?

A．Plots of some famous movies.	B．Characters in space movies.
C．Popularity of space movies.	D．Mistakes made in some movies.

【小題2】From the first two paragraphs we can know that some movie makers ____.

A．went against general knowledge of science

B．didn’t pay attention to the viewers’ real demand

C．overestimated viewers’ appreciation of movies.

D．didn’t try their best to improve the quality of the movies.

【小題3】What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The newspapers.	B．Unconvincing tech moments
C．Some top movies.	D．Heroes in the movies.

【小題4】We can learn from Paragraph 7 that ____.

A．most people like Matrix films

B．the truth of Matrix films remains in doubt

C．few people think Matrix films silly

D．Chivers thinks science is unacceptable

Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman. A man goes shopping because he needs something. His purpose is settled and decided in advance. He knows what he wants, and his objective is to find it and buy it; the price is a secondary consideration. All men simply walk into a shop and ask the assistant for what they want. If the shop has it in stock, the salesman promptly shows it, and the business of trying it on follows at once. All being well, the deal can be and often is completed in less than five minutes, with hardly any chat and to everyone's satisfaction.
For a man, slight problems may begin when the shop does not have what he wants, or does not have exactly what he wants. In that case the salesman, as the name implies, tries to sell the customer something else, he offers the nearest he can to the article required. No good salesman brings out such a substitute(替代品)impolitely; he does so with skill: "I know this jacket is not the style you want, sir, but would you like to try it for size? It happens to be the colour you mentioned. Few men have patience with this treatment, and the usual response is: “This is the right colour and may be the right size, but I should be wasting my time and yours by trying it on.”
Now how does a woman go about buying clothes? In almost every respect she does so in the opposite way. Her shopping is not often based on need. She has never fully made up her mind what she wants, and she is only "having a look round". She is always open to persuasion; indeed she sets great store by what the saleswoman tells her, even by what companions tell her. She will try on any number of things. Uppermost in her mind is the thought of finding something that everyone thinks suits her. Contrary(相反的) to a lot of jokes, most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes. They are always on the lockout for the unexpected bargain. Faced with a roomful of dresses, a woman may easily spend an hour going from one rail to another, to and fro(來回地), often retracing her steps, before selecting the dresses she wants to try on. It is a laborious process, but apparently an enjoyable one. Most dress shops provide chairs for the waiting husbands.
【小題1】According to the passage, when a man is buying clothes, ________.

A．he buys cheap things, regardless of quality

B．he chooses things that others introduce

C．he does not mind how much he has to pay for the right things

D．he buys good quality things, so long as they are not too dear

【小題2】What does the passage tell us about women shoppers for clothes?

A．They welcome suggestions from anyone.

B．Women rarely consider buying cheap clothes.

C．Women often buy things without giving the matter proper thought.

D．They listen to advice but never take it.

【小題3】What does a man do when he can not get exactly what he wants?

A．He buys a similar thing of the colour he wants.

B．He usually does not buy anything.

C．At least two of his requirements must be met before he buys.

D．So long as the style is right, he buys the thing.

【小題4】Many jokes make fun of women shoppers by saying that________.

A．they waste money on inferior(劣質(zhì)的) goods

B．they should buy only the best clothes

C．they are much more sensible than men

D．they think of the price of clothes and nothing else

【小題5】What is the most obvious difference between men and women shoppers?

A．The fact that men do not try clothes on in a shop.

B．Women bargain for their clothes, but men do not.

C．Women stand up to shop, but men sit down.

D．The time they take over buying clothes.

While you may be doing everything right, ignoring just one or two steps in the process may keep you from getting a job, especially in this fierce market. Here is a checklist that covers some of the major links in the job-search chain.
THE RESUME --- Make sure it is up-to-date and tailored to the types of jobs you are seeking for. Have someone else look at your resume. If you cannot afford a career coach, give your resume to friends or family members to scrutinize. Have copies of your resume printed so that you are ready to hand them out at interviews.
COVERING LETTERS --- Maybe you’ve set up a few basic styles in advance, but that’s not enough. Each covering letter should be designed to suit the job for which you are applying.
THE WARDROBE(衣櫥) --- Check your wardrobe to ensure that you have the appropriate professional dress, including shoes, ready for interview.
NETWORKING --- Don’t isolate yourself from others for days. Network through e-mail messages, phone calls, appointments and meetings keep you in touch with the outside world and prevent you from becoming depressed.
APPLICATION --- A glance at huge online job sites isn’t usually the best way to find a job. You are more likely to succeed through the people you know via networking.
THE FOLLOW—UP --- It is quite common to apply for job and never hear back from the company. Take measures, such as following up with a phone call a week or so after you apply. If you know someone at the company, check whether that person will put in a good word for you.
INTERVIEWS --- If you’ve got plenty of interviews but no return calls or job offers, take a look at your interviewing skills. This is one area where investing in a career coach may pay off. But if you can’t afford one, try to find a job group or service that conducts free mock(模擬) interviews.
SUPPORT SYSTEMS --- Finally, recognize that looking for job is rather difficult. Even at the best of times, a job hunt is often about rejection, and that can be hard to endure. Staying in touch with family, friends, professional networks and fellow job seekers can help you to maintain a positive attitude and a sense of perspective.
【小題1】The author’s purpose of writing this text is to _________.

A．suggest graduates should find suitable jobs

B．tell people how to improve their interview skills

C．teach people how to get ready for an interview

D．give people some tips on searching for jobs

【小題2】The underlined word “scrutinize” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by ________.

A．check

B．use

C．rewrite

D．criticize

【小題3】Which of the following methods is wrong according to the text?

A．You should have your resume read by your friends after finishing it.

B．You should create different covering letters for the different jobs you apply for.

C．Searching online is the most effective way to look for a job.

D．You should wear professional clothes and shoes for the interview.

【小題4】What should you do if you don’t receive any calls after lots of interviews?

A．Ask a fellow job seeker to help you

B．Carefully review your interviewing skills.

C．Rewrite your resume as soon as possible

D．Go to the managers’ offices to find out why.

【小題5】 It is implied in the text that__________.

A．people often pay no attention to writing their resume

B．the interview is the most difficult step for interviewees

C．your social network may help you a lot in your job hunt

D．a(chǎn) career coach often offers free mock interviews to interviewees

Last year more than 13 Korean (韓國) TV series were introduced in China. Turn on the TV, and Korean beauties are appearing during peak viewing times(黃金時段). Some of the dramas are being repeated, but audiences continue to watch them. Why are the South Korean TV series loved by so many Chinese people? Cheng Yiting, a student from East China Normal University, gives us her reasons. She thinks that the good-looking actors with cool clothes and the beautiful sight in the dramas are the selling points for South Korean TV dramas. But what attracted the young audiences most is the pure and moving love stories.
And it seems that South Korean TV series has also won the hearts of middle-aged people. They are touched by the morals(道德)in the shows. These include the importance of respecting elders and social order. Though some people think South Korean TV series are too slow and too long, most of the Chinese audiences like them. Maybe we are really tired of Western TV series. Compared with that, South Korean TV series are not bad.
【小題1】Which of the following is NOT mentioned（提及）about South Korean TV series in the passage?

A．Love	B．Morals
C．Social order	D．The youth self-respect

【小題2】What is the main reason why South Korean TV series are popular?

A．The series are slow and long.

B．The actors wear cool clothes.

C．The stories with morals in them are pure and moving.

D．The actors are cool.

【小題3】What does the writer want to tell us?

A．We are fed up with South Korean TV series.

B．South Korean TV series is a great success and popular in China.

C．South Korean TV series are better than Chinese TV series.

D．We can learn a lot from Korean TV series so we need to watch them again and again.

It's an annual argument. Do we or do we not go on holiday? My wife says no because we have no savings to save us. I say you only live once and we work hard and what's the point if you can't go on holiday. The joy of a recession (不景氣) means no argument next year - we just won't go.
Since money is known to be one of the things most likely to bring a relationship to its knees, we should be grateful. For many families the recession means more than not booking a holiday A YouGov survey of 2, 000 people found 22% said they were arguing more with their partners because of concerns about money. A recent research shows arguments about money were especially damaging to couples.　
Kim Stephenson, an occupational psychologist, believes money may be different things to men and women. “People can say the same things about money but have different ideas of what it's for.” he explains. “They'll say it's to save, to spend, for security, for freedom, to show someone you love them.” He says men are more likely to see money as a way of buying status and of showing their parents that they've achieved something.
　　“The biggest problem is that couples assume each other know what's going on with their finances, but they don't. There seems to be more of a taboo (禁忌) about talking about money than about death. But you both need to know what you're doing, who's paying what into the joint account and how much you keep separately. In a healthy relationship, you don't have to agree about money, but you have to talk about it.”
【小題1】What does the author say about going on holiday in Paragraph 1?

A．It will cost them too much money.

B．Few people can afford it without working hard.

C．It makes all the hard work worthwhile.

D．It is the chief cause of family quarrels.

【小題2】According to the text, what does Kim Stephenson believe?

A．Money is often a symbol of a person's status.

B．Money means a great deal to both men and women.

C．Men and women spend money on different things.

D．Men and women view money in different ways.

【小題3】The author suggests that couples should ______ .

A．put their money together instead of keeping it separately

B．discuss money matters to maintain a healthy relationship

C．make efforts to reach agreement on their family budgets

D．a(chǎn)void arguing about money matters to remain romantic

Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants居民of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the well-being (health and happiness) of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals航空集散站, first-class roads and other support facilities needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international-class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel will lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities設(shè)施as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers下水道to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost.
【小題1】 Which of the following has most probably been discussed in the paragraph that goes before the passage?

A．It is extremely important to develop tourism.

B．Building roads and hotels is essential.

C．Support facilities are highly necessary.

D．Planning is of great importance to tourism.

【小題2】Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT

A．a(chǎn) bad impact on other industries

B．a(chǎn) change of tourists’ customs

C．over crowded of places of interest

D．pressure on traffic

【小題3】Not enough tourism can lead to

A．a(chǎn)n increase of unemployment

B．a(chǎn) decrease in tourist attractions

C．the higher cost of support facilities

D．a(chǎn) rise in price and a fall in pay

【小題4】It is good for local people to be well aware that tourism will

A．use up large amount of water

B．weaken their economy

C．help establish their traditions

D．help improve their life

A newly-published study has shown that loneliness can spread from one person to another, like a disease. Researchers used information from the Framingham Study, which began in 1948. The Framingham Study gathers information about physical and mental health, personal behavior and diet. At first, the study involved about 5,000 people in the American state of Massachusetts. Now, more than 12,000 individuals are taking part.
Information from the Framingham Study showed earlier that happiness can spread from person to person. So can behaviors like littering and the ability to stop smoking.
University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo led the recent study. He and other researchers attempted to show how often people felt lonely. They found that the feeling of loneliness spread through social groups.
Having a social connection with a lonely person increased the chances that another individual would feel lonely. In fact, a friend of a lonely person was 52% more likely to develop feelings of loneliness. A friend of that person was 25% more likely. The researchers say this shows that a person could indirectly be affected by someone’s loneliness.
The effect was strongest among friends. Neighbors were the second most affected group. The effect was weaker on husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters. The researchers also found that loneliness spread more easily among women than men.
The New York Times newspaper reports that, on average, people experience feelings of loneliness about 48 days a year. It also found that every additional friend can decrease loneliness by about five percent, or two and a half fewer lonely days.
Loneliness has been linked to health problems like depression and sleeping difficulties. The researchers believe that knowing the causes of loneliness could help in reducing it.
The study suggests that people can take steps to stop the spread of loneliness. They can do this by helping individuals they know who may be experiencing loneliness. The result can be helpful to the whole social group.
【小題1】What is TRUE about the Framingham Study?

A．It was only conducted in 1948.

B．It involves more than 12,000 participants.

C．It was led by John Cacioppo.

D．It showed that any behavior could spread.

【小題2】Which statement about the spread of loneliness is true?

A．The spreading effect was the second strongest among friends.

B．No spreading effect was found on husbands and wives.

C．Women are more likely to be affected than men.

D．Brothers are more easily affected than neighbors.

【小題3】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Actions should be taken to help lonely people.

B．People feel lonely for many reasons.

C．Ways to fight against loneliness.

D．Lonely people can affect others.

Ridgewood is a small, quiet town 20 miles from Manhattan. It is a typical suburban town, perfect for raising children away from the fast pace of the city. However, some Ridgewood kids feel as upset as if they were on the city’s busy streets. In addition to hours of homework, Ridgewood’s children are occupied with afterschool activities — from swimming to piano to religious classes.
Out of desperation one day, the town decided to schedule another activity. This one was called “Ridgewood Family Night — Ready, Set, Relax!” Instead of schedules filled with sports, music, or overtime at the office, some of the town’s 25,000 residents decided to take the night off and stay home. For a few months before Family Night, a committee of volunteers worked hard to spread the word. Younger students took “Save the Date for Me” leaflets home to their parents. The mayor issued a statement, and schools and clubs agreed to cancel homework and meetings so families could relax and be together.
The tension between a hope for a more relaxed lifestyle and the knowledge that the benchmark for success has been raised in recent years weighs heavily on the minds of the townspeople. Some parents like to recall a different kind of childhood, one without so many scheduled afterschool activities. However, these same parents feel obliged to make sure their children are prepared to survive in today’s high-pressure work environment. They are afraid that any gap in their children’s physical or intellectual development might mean they won’t be admitted to the “right” universities and won’t succeed in a more and more competitive world.
Nevertheless, it seems that Family Night worked, at least to a point. Cars moved easily around Ridgewood’s normally busy downtown streets, and stores and restaurants saw a drop in business. Some families ate supper together for the first time in months.
Initially, there was great hope of taking back their lives. But sadly, few families believe that one night will change their lives. Many are sure that they will fall back into the habit of over-scheduling their children to be overachieving adults.
【小題1】The writer describes Ridgewood as a town where ________.

A．residents take little notice of education

B．children are stressful and over expected

C．parents are concerned about children’s safety

D．children lead a life of relaxed, ordinary rhythms

【小題2】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the Family Night?

A．Schools assigned no homework.

B．Fewer people ate in the restaurants.

C．The streets were less crowded.

D．People enjoyed meeting each other.

【小題3】According to the passage, the parents in Ridgewood ________.

A．have conflicting desires about what experiences to offer their children

B．a(chǎn)re happy with the lifestyle they have chosen for themselves and the children

C．believe that it is their duty to make a change for the stressful life style

D．a(chǎn)re worried about their children’s lacking of big ambition

【小題4】We may get the conclusion from the passage that ________.

A．the concept of Family Night will become a regular part of life in Ridgewood

B．Ridgewood people believe the Family Night will change their way of living

C．Family Night is not as popular as people have originally thought

D．schools are worried about students being given too much free time

The regular use of text messages and e-mails can lower the IQ more than twice as much as smoking marijuana (大麻). That is the statement of researchers who have found that tapping away on a mobile phone or computer keyboard or checking for electronic messages temporarily knocks up to 10 points off the user’s IQ. This rate of decline in intelligence compared unfavorably with the four-point drop in IQ associated with smoking marijuana, according to British researchers, who have described the phenomenon of improved stupidity as “infomania”. The research conducted by Hewlett Packard, the technology company, has concluded that it is mainly a problem for adult workers, especially men.
It is concluded that too much use of modern technology can damage a person’s mind. It can cause a constant distraction of “always on” technology when employees should be concentrating on what they are paid to do. Infomania means that they lose concentration as their minds remain fixed in an almost permanent state of readiness to react to technology instead of focusing on the task in hand. The report also added that, in a long term, the brain will be considerably shaped by what we do to it and by the experience of daily life. At a microcellular(微蜂窩，微孔的) level, the complex networks of nerve cells that make up parts of the brain actually change in response to certain experiences.
Too much use of modern technology can be damaging not only to a person’s mind, but to their social relationship. 1100 adults were interviewed during the research. More than 62 percent of them admitted that they were addicted to checking their e-mails and text messages so often that they scrutinized work-related ones even when at home or on holiday. Half said that they always responded immediately to an e-mail and will even interrupt a meeting to do so. It is concluded that infomania is increasing stress and anxiety and affecting one’s characteristics. Nine out of ten thought that colleagues who answered e-mails or messages during a face-to-face meeting were extremely rude.
The effects on IQ were studied by Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychologist at University of London. “This is a very real and widespread phenomenon,” he said. “We have found that infomania will damage a worker’s performance by reducing their mental sharpness and changing their social life. Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working.”
【小題1】We can learn from the passage that “infomania” __________.

A．has a positive influence on one’s IQ

B．results in the change of part of the brain

C．lies in the problem of lack of concentration

D．is caused by too much use of modern technology

【小題2】The research mentioned in the passage is most probably about ________.

A．the important function of advanced technology

B．the damage to one’s brain done by unhealthy habits

C．the relevance between IQ and use of modern technology

D．the relationship between intelligence and working effectiveness

【小題3】The underlined word “scrutinized” probably means “___________”.

A．examined carefully	B．copied patiently
C．corrected quickly	D．a(chǎn)dmitted freely

【小題4】w hich of the following shows the structure of the passage?