Ten years ago around Christmas, I was on a Captiva Island beach at sunrise. I was there, seven years old, scraping my fingers through the   36  , with the false hope of finding a treasure larger than the tiny shell fragments (碎片) that   37   the shore.
    A man jogged along the waves   38   my direction. When he came near me, he slowed to a walk. I didn’t notice him   39   he was almost standing over me. Too young to be shy of strangers, I   40   myself up from the ground. It was   41   that I saw what he was holding in his hands. There, perfectly intact (完好的), was a beautiful cream-colored conch (海螺) shell. He smiled as I   42   in amazement, and then, to my shock, handed it to me. I   43   it before me like a diamond, not believing my eyes. How did he know?
    “I think this one has your name on it,” he said, and then continued his   44   down the beach.
    I do not remember his voice, his clothes or   45   his face, but I do still have the seashell, and the greatest lesson I’ve ever learned. The whole flight home I held it in my hand as I   46   his act of kindness. Now the shell sits on my bedside table,   47   as bright and big as it was, because a lot of things have changed, but it is still there, a   48   reminder that there is goodness in the world.
    You see, that man saved me. He saved my belief in the   49   of people. He saved my belief that one can find what means something in life. I   50   my shell every day, and every time I know that I can   51   that day because no matter what, there are good things in my life. In the end, all that we have is what we have   52   for others. The shell is important to me, as important as   53   man who returned to the plane to give me my lost jacket, as important as my   54   my stuffed animal to my neighbor who was moving.
    Making a difference in   55   life, no matter how big or small, is what truly matters, and that is worth all the treasure in the world.

The UK has a well-­respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all, sometimes it can be confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar. Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life．
However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect（前景）of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nerve-­wracking（令人頭痛的）. Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join?
Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here is some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week：
●Learn rules. Make sure you know British social etiquette（禮節(jié)）. Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
●Be kind. Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.
●Be sociable. The more active you are, the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than those who never leave their room.
●Bring a doorstop. Keep your door open when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning and effort, Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you’ll be passing on your experience to next year’s new recruits．
【小題1】Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage？

The young boy saw me, or rather, he saw the car and quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his Hunches (串) of bananas and bags of peanuts．Though he appeared to be about twelve, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life．“Banana 300 naira．Peanuts 200 naira.” He said in a low voice．I bargained him down to 200 total for the fruit and nuts．When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira bill．He didn’t have change, so I told him not to worry．He said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.

When, two weeks later, I saw the boy again, I was more aware of my position in a society where it’s not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the burning sun．My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us. I pulled over and rolled down my window．He had a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts ready．I waved them away．“What’s up?” I asked him．“I … I don’t have money to buy books for school.” I reached into my pocket and handed him two fresh 500 naira bills．

“Will this help?” I asked．He looked around nervously before taking the money．One thousand naira was a lot of money to someone whose family probably made about 5,000 naira or less each year．

“Thank you, sir,” he said．“Thank you very much!”

When driving home, I wondered if my little friend actually used the money for schoolbooks.

What  if he’s a swindler (騙子)? And then I wondered why I did it．Did I do it to make myself feel better? Was I using him? Later, I realized that I didn’t know his name or the least bit about him, nor did I think to ask.

Over the next six months, I was busy working in a news agency in northern Nigeria. Sometime after I returned, I went out for a drive．When I was about to pull over, the boy suddenly appeared by my window with a big smile ready on his face. “Oh, gosh! Long time.”  “Are you in school now?” I asked. He nodded. “That’s good,” I said．A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted．“Here,” I held out a 500 naira bill．“Take this.” He shook his head and stepped back as if hurt．“What’s wrong?” I asked．“It’s a gift.” He shook his head again and brought his hand from behind his back．His face shone with sweat．He dropped a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts in the front seat before he said, “I’ve been waiting to give these to you.”

1.What was the author’s first impression of the boy?

A．He seemed to be poor and greedy．        B．He seemed to have suffered a lot.

C．He seemed younger than his age            D．He seemed good at bargaining.

2.The second time the author met the boy, the boy _____.

A．told him his purpose of selling fruit and nuts

B．wanted to express his thanks

C．a(chǎn)sked him for money for his schoolbooks

D．tried to take advantage of him

3.Why did the author give his money to the boy?

A．Because he had enough money to do that.

B．Because he had learnt to help others since childhood.

C．Because he held a higher position in the society.

D．Because he had been asked by the news agency to do so.

4.Which of the following best describes the boy?

A．Brave and polite．                      B．Kind and smart.

C．Honest and thankful．                    D．Shy and nervous.

AAAGH! The Generation 90s is coming!

Wearing earphones, using complex Net language and constantly text messaging friends, the Gen-90s following the Gen-80s begin to make their world debut (初次登臺).

Each generation or age group has its own symbols and lifestyle. Read on and judge for yourselves if you fit the Gen-90s group

Earphones

These little devices seem to grow on the heads of the Gen-90s. They might lead to MP3, MP4 or MP101 players, giving these young people a plugged-in, cool and perhaps self-addicted look, of course, life is not always music to the ears.

Martian language

They have created their own code-like online language. It’s a mixture of English, Japanese and Chinese that perhaps only Martians can understand. This is an imaginative generation, though they need to be careful to keep it out of their term papers.                 

Self-Portrait

Saying “cheese” to their own digital cameras is usual for this generation. A little bit of narcissism (自戀) never hurts anyone. It helps them reflect a little on their own lives．But be aware of the risks of posting private photos online.

Text-messaging

They can type their mobile phones as fast as they can speak. This is a generation that respects efficiency. However, oral communication is important and will never go out of style.

1.According to the passage, if you belong to the Gen-90s , you will ____________ .

A．just appreciate yourself and ignore others’ strengths.

B．have your own symbols and lifestyle.

C．have the same symbols and lifestyle of the Gen-80s．

D．like music and dance very much.

2.According to the text, the writer will choose ______ as a good example to the Gen-90.

A．Li Hua likes music and always wearing ipod

B．Zhang Chao is not only an imaginative boy but do everything efficiently.

C．Lily is a shy girl and she doesn’t like making friends.

D．Fangfang likes being taken photos and often posting them on line.

3.According to this passage, which is FALSE?

A．Not all teens are cautious about posting photos．

B．They type their mobile phones so fast that it can catch the speed of speaking.

C．The Gen-90s have a preference for some music players, and even regard them as a necessary part of life.

D．They don’t use the cool and complex online language in formal writing.

4.The main idea of the passage is about________.

A．the Gen-90s’ happy life

B．the difference between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s

C．the Gen-90s’ unique lifestyle and some practical warnings

D．the similarities between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s

Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet．Basically，Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile which can include your hobbies，hopes for the future，and so on．A photograph is optional，but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You call even narrow the search down to your area by zip code．Another advantage is that you can communicate by email before you meet in person．Thousands of people have met，fallen in love，and married through Internet dating．It is an excellent way for shy people to meet．It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others，and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in conventional dating and love，there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating．The person you have been talking to on the net may not be who they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details，such as marital status，income，and so on，for their own reasons．It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time．Nevertheless，taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.
【小題1】The purpose of writing the passage is to _____.