One sunny day last September, Tim heard some shouting. Looking out to the sea carefully, he saw a couple of kids in a rowboat were being pulled out to sea.
Two 12-year-old boys, Christian and Jack, rowed out a boat to search for a football. Once they'd rowed beyond the calm waters, a beach umbrella tied to the boat caught the wind and pulled the boat into open water. The pair panicked and tried to row back to shore. But they were no match for it and the boat was out of control.
Tim knew it would soon be swallowed by the waves. "Everything went quiet in my head," Tim recalls(回憶). "I was trying to figure out how to swim to the boys in a straight line."
Tim took off his clothes and jumped into the water. Every 500 yards or so, he raised his head to judge his progress. "At one point, I considered turning back," he says. "I wondered if I was putting my life at risk." After 30 minutes of struggling, he was close enough to yell to the boys, "Take down the umbrella!"
Christian made much effort to take down the umbrella. Then Tim was able to catch up and climb aboard the boat. He took over rowing, but the waves were almost too strong for him.
"Let's aim for the pier(碼頭)," Jack said. Tim turned the boat toward it. Soon afterward, waves crashed over the boat, and it began to sink. "Can you guys swim?" he cried. "A little bit," the boys said.
Once the were in the water, Tim decided it would he safer and faster for him to pull the boys toward the pier. Christian and Jack were wearing life jackets and floated on their backs. Tim swan toward land as water washed over the boys' faces.
“Are we almost there?" they asked again and again. "Yes," Tim told them each time.
After 30minutes, they reached the pier.
小題1:what does “it” in paragraph 2 refer to ?

A．The beach

B．the water

C．the wind

D．the boat

小題2:why did Tim raise his head regularly?

A．to take in enough fresh air

B．To consider turning back to not.

C．To check his distance from the boys

D．To ask the boys to take down the umbrella

小題3:How did the two boys finally reach the pier?

A．They swam to the pier all by themselves.

B．They were washed to the pier by the wave.

C．They were carried to the pier by Tim on his back.

D．They were dragged to the pier by Tim.

There is a small shop about 200 meters from where I live that sells meat and other basic necessities. About 10 years ago, there was a beggar who would go into the shop every day and ask the owner for a        . The owner,       he would love to help, simply didn't have any jobs available, so he kept       the man's request.
This situation continued         for a few months, until the owner         to give the homeless man a job which        sweeping outside the shop. Every single day from 5 am, the homeless man was there doing the very        he could for the        , and it did earn him some pennies.        , the owner saw how good a job the man was doing and gave him a job working        a cashier(出納、收銀員). He was watched closely to make sure that he didn't        any of the money received from the sales. He was still homeless,       . The homeless man did a/an        job as a cashier for over 2 years, and did such a good job that he was asked to         the finances(財(cái)政、金融) for the whole shop.
Two years later, the owner        . In his will, he only had one         , to give the whole shop to the "homeless" man. Now, I could walk into that shop and see him working as hard as      , with his own business that is still       and active 10 years after getting his job as a sweeper.
From this story, we can probably get the inspiration: work hard and give everything your best effort, even if it isn't your         situation, it very well may turn out to        some day in the future.

小題1:	A．coin B．home C．job D．meal

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)lthough B．unless C．because D．if

小題3:	A．expecting B．considering C．a(chǎn)ccepting D．refusing

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)gain B．often C．weekly D．daily

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)llowed B．a(chǎn)greed C．planned D．failed

小題6:	A．meant B．involved C．included D．trained

小題7:	A．best B．least C．better D．less

小題8:	A．family B．owner C．interest D．moment

小題9:	A．Suddenly B．Occasionally C．Quietly D．Eventually

小題10:

A．for B．with C．a(chǎn)s D．like

小題11:

A．lose B．pocket C．spend D．save

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)fter all B．a(chǎn)bove all C．a(chǎn)ll in all D．first of all

小題13:

A．honest B．serious C．fantastic D．kind

小題14:

A．guard B．raise C．provide D．manage

小題15:

A．got tired B．became old C．passed away D．gave up

小題16:

A．thought B．purpose C．request D．suggestion

小題17:

A．ever B．necessary C．never D．still

小題18:

A．big B．new C．shabby D．popular

小題19:

A．ideal B．modest C．own D．financial

小題20:

A．become B．be C．happen D．do

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choice in life.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors' code for preparing yourself to die.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. I was completely in despair. Later that evening, I had another examination and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I' m fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death. To tell the truth, no one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Your time is so limited that you shouldn't waste it repeating someone else's life. Don' t be trapped by dogma（教條）— which is living with the results of other people' s thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
小題1:The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because ______.

A．he had to rest at home

B．his disease couldn't be cured

C．his disease was not serious at all

D．he had to wait for the result of the test

小題2:What does the author think of death?

A．He thinks it is impossible to avoid.

B．He thinks it is not the end of life.

C．He thinks it is nothing to be scared of.

D．He thinks it is the beginning of a new life.

小題3:In the author's opinion, we should ______.

A．follow others' advice	B．take no notice of diseases
C．take exercise and keep healthy	D．have the courage to follow our heart

小題4:What does the underlined word “encountered” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．came across

B．dealt with

C．survived

D．supported

Family traditions were important in our house, and none was more appreciated than the perfect Christmas tree.
"Dad, can we watch when you trim(修剪) the tree?" My eldest son, Dan, nine, and his seven-year-old brother John, asked.
"I won't be cutting this year," my husband Bob said. "Dan, you and John are old enough to measure things. Do it all by yourselves. Think you boys can handle it?"
Dan and John seemed to grow six inches in their chairs at the thought of such an amazing responsibility. "We can handle it," Dan promised. "We won't let you down."
A few days before Christmas, Dan and John rushed in after school. They gathered the tools they'd need and brought them out to the yard, where the tree waited. I was cooking when I heard the happy sounds as the boys carried the tree into the living room. Then I heard the sound that every mother knows is trouble: dead silence. I hurried out to them. The tree was cut too short. John crossed his arms tight across his chest. His eyes filled with angry tears.
I felt worried. The tree was central to our holiday. I didn't want the boys to feel ashamed every time they looked at it. I couldn't lower the ceiling, and I couldn't raise the floor either. There was no way to undo the damage done. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind, which turned the problem into the solution.
"We can't make the tree taller," I said. "But we can put it on a higher position."
Dan nodded his head sideways. "We could put it on the coffee table. It just might work! Let's try it!"
When Bob got home and looked at the big tree on top of the coffee table, Dan and John held their breath.
"What a good idea!" he declared. "Why didn't I ever think of such a thing?"
John broke into a grin. Dan's chest swelled with pride.
小題1: The underlined part "grow six inches" (Para. 4) implies the brothers felt        .

A．proud

B．nervous

C．embarrassed

D．scared

小題2:What happened after the brothers moved the Christmas tree into the living room?

A．They rushed to school.

B．They began to decorate the tree.

C．They got angry with each other.

D．They found the tree was cut short.

小題3:How could the short tree be turned into a perfect one?

A．By making the tree taller.

B．By lowering the ceiling.

C．By placing it on a coffee table.

D．By raising the floor.

小題4:What Bob said in the last but one paragraph (the underlined part)showed        .

A．he was a little disappointed

B．he was too stupid to think of the idea

C．he appreciated what the brothers had done

D．he should not have given them the task

Mr. Glen is a millionaire. Years ago, after returning from abroad to his motherland, he     his company. Speaking of success, Glen often tells us a story about his extra expensive “school” fee. He always     his success to it.
At that time, Glen, who already got a Ph.D. degree,      to return home, starting a company. Before leaving, he bought a Rolex watch with the     made through years. At the airport he had to accept the      customs check. The watch on his wrist was also demanded to be  taken down for    . Glen knew that carrying such goods out had to pay the tax, and he worried about paying     for his watch. So while checked, he told a lie that his watch was a      fake（假貨）. When he was     of his “smarts”, immediately, in the presence of Glen, the officers hit the watch, which    nearly 100,000, into pieces     hearing Glen’s words. Glen was   . Before he understood why, he was taken to the office to be examined    . For many times of entry-exit    he knew that only those people in the “blacklist” would “enjoy” this special treatment. The officers looked over everything carefully, and     him no matter what time of entry and exit he must accept the check and if       reusing and carrying fake goods, he would be     by law! Suddenly, his face turned red, and he had nothing in mind after boarding the plane for long.
After that, he often told the story to his family and his employees. He said that this made a deep    on him, because the additional high “school” fee that he had ever paid made him realize the value of     , which he would remember as the     of his success forever.

小題1:	A．went up B．set up C．took up D．picked up

小題2:	A．owes B．mentions C．brings D．honors

小題3:	A．objected B．refused C．decided D．a(chǎn)sked

小題4:	A．books B．things C．pounds D．savings

小題5:	A．ordinary B．regular C．routine D．common

小題6:	A．inspection B．look C．test D．experiment

小題7:	A．it B．one C．them D．these

小題8:	A．careless B．priceless C．hopeless D．worthless

小題9:	A．a(chǎn)fraid B．a(chǎn)shamed C．proud D．hard

小題10:

A．spent B．paid C．cost D．took

小題11:

A．a(chǎn)t B．on C．in D．by

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)mazed B．delighted C．disappointed D．satisfied

小題13:

A．strictly B．quietly C．quickly D．curiously

小題14:

A．conditions B．chances C．experiments D．experiences

小題15:

A．stopped B．warned C．urged D．hoped

小題16:

A．found out B．came out C．sent out D．set out

小題17:

A．hit B．charged C．praised D．blamed

小題18:

A．expression B．idea C．thought D．impression

小題19:

A．lies B．honesty C．goods D．bravery

小題20:

A．choice B．lesson C．secret D．belief

You have to log on to your school's online system to check your grades, but you find the system is kind of inconvenient．What do you do?
When Daniel Brooks was a senior at Pioneer High School in the US, he came up with a Silicon Valley-style solution; he developed an iPhone app（application, 應(yīng)用程序）I C Connector．
When he tried out his school's new Web-based student information system earlier this year, he immediately noticed some shortcomings．He could no longer view his current grades for all his classes at once．Checking several classes required several clicks-which for a teenager is so much work．To save himself all this trouble, Brooks developed the app and sold it on the Apple app store．Now it has 2,300 users who have downloaded it across the US．
"It ended up on every iPhone and iPad and portable device that any student and teacher had on campus," said Scott Peterson, the campus tech support worker at Pioneer High．
Brooks said he didn't create the app to get rich - it is free．"A student is not going to want to pay 99 cents," Brooks said．"They just want to see their grades more easily．"
However, in the months that followed, Brooks experienced highs and lows．His app is now so successful that users want more, in particular, his teachers have started pushing him to develop a version for them．However, the company Infinite Campus, which developed the information system, has been less positive．
The company said in an e-mail that he was confusing users and violating the company's copyright by using Infinite Campus' name and logo in the app’s name．Brooks' father, Michael Brooks, has offered to change the name, but says he needs time to get Apple's approval．Daniel also e-mailed and called Infinite Campus．They got no response．
Daniel Brooks starts at a California university this autumn．Despite Infinite Campus' attitude, he continues to try to improve the app and hopes to put out an Android version soon．
小題1:Why did Daniel Brooks develop an iPhone app IC Connector? （No more than 8 words）
_______________________________________________________
小題2:What is Brooks' teachers' attitude towards the app he developed? （No more than 14 words）
________________________________________________________
小題3:What does Paragraph 7 talk about between Infinite Campus and Brooks? （No more than 7 words）
________________________________________________________
小題4:What does Brooks’ aim to do now? （No more than 10 words）
________________________________________________________
小題5:Use one word to describe Brooks.

Fifteen years spent in the field of education has provided me with many treasured moments. One of the most unforgettable       when I was teaching second        , 10 years ago.
In May I decided to plan something special for the children: a Mother’s Day tea. We had put our heads together to       ideas of how to       our mothers. We practiced singing songs, memorized poems and wrote cards. We decided to hold our tea the Friday before Mother’s Day.  I was surprised and      to learn that every mother was planning to attend. I     invited my own mother.
Finally, the big day arrived. Each child      up at our classroom door, expecting the arrival of his or her mom.     it got closer to starting time, I looked around and my eyes quickly found Jimmy. His mother hadn’t shown up and he was looking       . 
I took my mother by the hand and walked over to Jimmy. “Jimmy,” I said, “I have a bit of problem here and I was     if you could keep my mother       while I’m busy.”
My mom and Jimmy sat at a table. Jimmy      my mom her treats, presented her with the gift I had made, just as we had       the day before. Whenever I looked over, my mother and Jimmy were in deep       .
Now 10 years later, I work with students of all ages, educating them about the environment. Last year, I took a senior class on a field trip, and there was Jimmy. I had the students complete an outline of the day’s     and an evaluation of our trip. Then I collected the students’ booklets and checked them to see if      was completed. When I came       Jimmy’s page, he had written “Remember our Mother’s Day tea we had in second grade, Mrs. Marra? I do! Thanks for all you did for me, and thank your mother, too.”
I told him I really enjoyed what he had written. He looked rather embarrassed and    his own thanks and walked away. Suddenly he ran back and gave me a big hug. “Thanks again. No one even knew my mother didn’t      it.”
I ended my workday with a hug from a teenage boy who had      stopped hugging teachers years ago.

小題1:	A．lasted B．happened C．experienced D．described

小題2:	A．school B．class C．grade D．lesson

小題3:	A．pay attention to B．look forward to C．get on with D．come up with

小題4:	A．love B．please C．respect D．a(chǎn)dmire

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)stonished B．worried C．relieved D．interested

小題6:	A．even B．ever C．still D．once

小題7:	A．followed B．held C．kept D．lined

小題8:	A．As B．Although C．While D．Because

小題9:	A．wild B．curious C．strange D．upset

小題10:

A．considering B．wondering C．a(chǎn)sking D．doubting

小題11:

A．connection B．care C．company D．concern

小題12:

A．served B．supplied C．a(chǎn)ssigned D．a(chǎn)pplied

小題13:

A．taught B．studied C．practiced D．told

小題14:

A．mind B．thought C．a(chǎn)greement D．conversation

小題15:

A．feeling B．behavior C．event D．a(chǎn)ction

小題16:

A．something B．everything C．a(chǎn)nything D．nothing

小題17:

A．by B．to C．on D．over

小題18:

A．a(chǎn)nnounced B．delivered C．stated D．whispered

小題19:

A．make B．get C．do D．take

小題20:

A．probably B．exactly C．rarely D．eagerly

A programmer and an engineer are sitting next to each other on a long flight from Los Angeles to New York．The programmer leans over to the engineer and asks if he would like to play a fun game．The engineer just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks．
The programmer persists and explains that the game is really easy and has a lot of fun．He explains, "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me $5．Then you ask me a question, and if I don't know the answer, I'll pay you $5．" Again, the engineer politely refuses and tries to get to sleep．
The programmer, now somewhat anxious, says, "OK, if you don't know the answer you pay me $5, and if I don't know the answer, I'll pay you $50!" This catches the engineer's attention, and he sees no end to this torment（折磨） unless he plays, so he agrees to the game．
The programmer asks the first question．"What's the distance from the earth to the moon?'' The engineer doesn't say a word, but reaches into his wallet, pulls out a five dollar bill and hands it to the programmer．Now, it's the engineer's turn．He asks the programmer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down on four?" The programmer looks up at him with a puzzled look．He takes out his laptop computer and searches all of his references．After about an hour, he wakes the engineer and hands him $50．The engineer politely takes the $50 and turns away to try to get back to sleep．The programmer, more than a little angry, shakes the engineer and asks, "Well, so what's the answer?" Without a word, the engineer reaches into his wallet, hands the programmer $5, and turns away and goes back to sleep．
小題1:What's the best title for the passage?

A．A Boring Conversation	B．A Fun Game
C．A Trick During The Flight	D．A Question Without Answer

小題2:What kind of person is the programmer according to what he said?

A．Confident．

B．Selfish．

C．Greedy．

D．Generous．

小題3:What can we infer according to the last sentence?

A．The engineer has little money with him．

B．Actually the engineer doesn't know the answer, either．

C．The engineer is bored with programmer．

D．The engineer beats the programmer at last．

小題4:Which is NOT true according to the passage?

A．In the beginning the engineer is not interested in the game．

B．The engineer is too sleepy to want to play the game．

C．At last the engineer gains $45 from the programmer．

D．Nobody knows the answer to the engineer's question．

The Healing
Jim and his wife, Connie, were shocked by the loss of their four-month-old son—Joshua, whose life was taken by SIDS—sudden infant death syndrome.
Thirty hours ago, Jim drove to the baby-sitter’s home to      Joshua. It was a     trip, like the one he made five days every week. He arrived, and little Joshua could not be        from his nap. The next few hours were a time of life and death: the racing ambulance, swift-moving doctors and nurse. But 12 hours later, at Children’s Hospital,      the doctors had exhausted（用盡） all     , little Joshua was gone. Yes, they wanted       of Joshua’s usable organs to be donated. That was not a      decision for Jim and Connie, a loving and       couple.
The next morning dawned and many things had to be arranged. Telephone calls and funeral plans.       one point Jim realized he needed a     .When Jim settled into the chair      the barber’s, he began to        the past hours, trying to       some sense of it all.      had Joshua, their first-born, the child they had waited so long for, been taken so soon….He had     begun his life. The question kept coming, and the pain in Jim’s heart just       him.
While talking with the barber, Jim mentioned the organ donations, looking at his watch, “They are transplanting one of his heart valves（瓣膜）right now.”
The       stopped and stood motionless. Finally she spoke, but it was only a whisper. “You’re not going to believe this. But about an hour ago the customer sitting in this chair wanted me to hurry       she could get to Children’s Hospital. She       here so full of joy. Her prayers had been answered. Today her baby granddaughter is receiving a     needed transplant—a heart valve.”
Jim’s healing began.

小題1:	A．pick out B．pick up C．set out D．set up

小題2:	A．routine B．a(chǎn)nnual C．a(chǎn)verage D．difficult

小題3:	A．called B．disturbed C．a(chǎn)wakened D．survived

小題4:	A．though B．since C．because D．a(chǎn)s

小題5:	A．medicine B．strength C．a(chǎn)ttempts D．spirits

小題6:	A．part B．few C．some D．wise

小題7:	A．giving B．tiring C．boring D．thinking

小題8:	A．Of B．In C．On D．At

小題9:	A．haircut B．break C．donation D．decision

小題10:

A．with B．a(chǎn)t C．by D．near

小題11:

A．decide on B．reflect on C．keep on D．focus on

小題12:

A．get B．take C．hold D．make

小題13:

A．How B．Why C．Whether D．If

小題14:

A．barely B．nearly C．seldom D．a(chǎn)lmost

小題15:

A．covered B．drew C．enveloped D．choked

小題16:

A．hairdresser B．customer C．father D．parent

小題17:

A．since B．a(chǎn)s C．so D．a(chǎn)nd

小題18:

A．a(chǎn)rrived B．left C．stayed D．sat

小題19:

A．desperately B．deadly C．clearly D．obviously

I lost my sight when I was four by falling off a box car in a freight（貨物）yard in Atlantic City. Now I am thirty two. I can slightly remember what color red is. It would be wonderful to see again, but a disaster can do strange things to people. I might not have come to love life as I do if I hadn’t been blind. I don’t mean that I would prefer to go without my eyes. I simply mean that the loss of them made me appreciate the more what I had left.
Life, I believe, asks constant adjustments to reality. The adjustment is never easy. I was totally confused and afraid. But I was lucky. My parents and my teachers saw something in me—a potential to live, and they made me want to fight it out with blindness.
The hardest lesson I had to learn was to believe in myself. If I hadn’t been able to do that, I would have become a chair rocker on the front porch for the rest of my life. When I say belief in myself, I mean: an assurance that I am, despite imperfections, a real, positive person; that somewhere in the intricate（錯(cuò)綜復(fù)雜的） pattern of people there is a special place where I can make myself fit.
It took me years to discover and strengthen this assurance. Once a man gave me an indoor baseball. I thought he was making fun of me and I was hurt. “I can’t use this.” I said. “Take it with you,” he urged me, “and roll it around.” The words stuck in my head. “Roll it around!” By rolling the ball I could hear where it went. This gave me an idea how to achieve a goal I had thought impossible: playing baseball. At Philadelphia’s Overbrook School for the Blind I invented a new kind of baseball. We called it ground ball.
All my life I have set a series of goals and then tried to reach them, one at a time. I had to learn my limitations. It was no good trying for something that I knew at the start was out of reach. I would fail sometimes anyway but on the average I made progress.
小題1:We can learn from the beginning of the passage that _______

A．the author lost his sight because of a car crash.

B．the author wouldn’t love life if the disaster didn’t happen.

C．the disaster made the author appreciate what he had.

D．the disaster strengthened the author’s desire to see.

小題2:What’s the most difficult thing for the author?

A．How to adjust himself to reality.

B．Building up assurance that he can find his place in life.

C．Learning to manage his life alone.

D．How to invent a new kind of baseball.

小題3:According to the context, “a chair rocker on the front porch” in paragraph 3 means that the author _________.

A．would sit in a rocking chair and enjoy his life.

B．would be unable to move and stay in a rocking chair.

C．would lose his will to struggle against difficulties.

D．would sit in a chair and stay at home.

小題4:What is the best title for the passage?

A．A Miserable Life	B．Struggle Against Difficulties
C．A Disaster Makes a Strong Person	D．An Unforgettable Experience