Passage 1
Do you always understand directions on a bottle of medicine? Do you know what is meant by “Take only as directed”? Read the following directions and see if you understand them.
“To reduce pain, take two tablets (藥片) with water, followed by one tablet every eight hours, as required. For night-time and early morning relief (減緩疼痛) take two tablets at bedtime. Do not take more than six tablets in twenty-four hours.
For children of six t twelve years old, give half the amount (量). For children under six years old, ask your doctor’s advice.
Reduce the amount if you suffer from restlessness or sleeplessness after taking the medicine.
【小題1】How many tablets at most can a person over 12 have in 24 hours?

A．Three

B．Four

C．Six

D．Eight

【小題2】 How many tablets should a nine-year-old kid normally take in 24 hours?

A．Half a tablet

B．One tablet

C．Two tablets

D．Four tablets

【小題3】What is the advice for one who cannot sleep well after taking the medicine?

A．Stop taking the medicine at bedtime.	B．Continue to take the normal amount
C．Take more than the normal amount	D．Take less than the normal amount

【小題4】 It can be inferred from the medicine directions that this medicine ______.

A．helps you to fall asleep quickly	B．may be dangerous to small children
C．cannot be taken if one feels sleepy	D．should not be taken by kids under 6

【小題5】This text is most probably taken from a _______.

A．textbook

B．newsreel

C．doctor’s notebook

D．bottle of medicine

If the rose can be said to be a special flower, then the apple can be said to be a special fruit．It is very important in American culture．American stories speak of Johnny Appleseed, who went throughout America collecting apple seeds and planting apple trees．He had a great love for nature and went through fields and farms adding richness and beauty to the country．
One of the first sayings taught to school children is, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away．” This short saying encourages children to eat fresh fruit to keep healthy． If someone always says good words to a person, people will call him an “apple polisher”．This, however, is not a good name．If someone is very dear to us, we say that he or she is the “apple of our eye”．
Most people believe that the fruit which Eve gave to Adam was an apple, even though the Bible (圣經(jīng)) never says so．The apple, therefore, is a deep part of the language and stories of America．
An apple is also delicious．Apples can be cooked in many ways, used as a dessert, and made into sweet juice．
In many parts of the country during the harvest season, a popular activity is to go into an apple garden to pick apples．Washington, D．C．a(chǎn)nd New York are both famous for their apples．
Finally, when it’s time to take a vacation to American cities, one can always visit New York, which is “the biggest apple” of all the American cities．
【小題1】During these years, iphones are popular with the people all over the world. Which country is his starter--Steven Paul Jobs from?

A．America

B．England

C．Russia

D．Japan

【小題2】Why was Johnny Appleseed so famous?

A．He had a great love of nature．

B．He liked the American people．

C．He went throughout the country．

D．He collected apple seeds and planted apple trees．

【小題3】What does the underlined phrase “apple polisher” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Something for cutting apples．

B．A person who likes to please others．

C．A person who is dealing with fruits．

D．A machine for cleaning apples quickly．

【小題4】Which of the following is TRUE with apples?

A．Apples are medicine．

B．Apples are the most important food．

C．New York is famous for its big apples．

D．The Bible says Adam was given an apple．

【小題5】The passage is mainly about ___________．

A．a(chǎn)pples in American culture

B．stories about the apple

C．some famous sayings of the apple

D．big cities that are famous for apples

Antifreeze is a liquid(液體) that is added to water to keep it from freezing． When water freezes and turns to ice，it expands(膨脹)．The force of water expanding is so great that it will break the hardest metal．Water is used in car engines(發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)) to keep them cool while they run，and if this water is allowed to freeze in winter it can break the iron block of the engine．That is why antifreeze is necessary．
Water freezes at 0℃；the usual kind of antifreeze will not freeze until the temperature is－40℃．A mixture(混合物) of five parts of water and four parts of antifreeze will prevent freezing at－18℃；four parts of water and five parts of antifreeze reduce this to －22℃．
Alcohol is a kind of good antifreeze，but when the air is running it becomes hot and the alcohol boils away，so it must be changed very often．Most people use antifreeze that does not boil away when the engine is running．There are several chemicals that do this．One of the most popular is called ethylene glycol．
【小題1】people use ________ to keep car engines cool．

A．a(chǎn)ntifreeze

B．water

C．a(chǎn)lcohol

D．ethylene glycol.

【小題2】The usual kind of antifreeze freezes at ________．

A．0℃

B．－18℃

C．－22℃

D．－40℃

【小題3】We use antifreeze in order to ________．

A．keep alcohol in water

B．stop ice from becoming water

C．make the freezing point of water lower

D．raise the freezing point of water

【小題4】Besides alcohol，________ is another kind of popular antifreeze．

A．water

B．ethylene glycol

C．a(chǎn)ny chemical

D．a(chǎn)ny mixture

【小題5】The text is written to ________．

A．tell us what antifreeze is

B．make people buy antifreeze

C．tell us that cars need antifreeze

D．show us how to protect car engines

Canberra is the capital of Australia. It is a modern and lively city with a population of over 345 000.

History Canberra is the eighth largest city in Australia. It is 238 km from Sydney and 507 km from Melbourne. Melbourne was once the capital of Australia. Sydney people also wanted to make their city the capital. It was difficult for the government to make the decision. Then in 1911, the government chose a place to build the new capital. It was between Sydney and Melbourne, the two largest cities in Australia. It took more than 14 years to build the city. In 1927, the city was set up. It became the capital and was named Canberra. “ Canberra” means “a place for friends to get together”.

Culture Canberra is a beautiful city with trees and flowers everywhere. There’s a Flower Festival in September each year. People can enjoy all kinds of beautiful flowers and welcome the spring to arrive. A man-made lake --- Lake Burley Griffin is in the center of the city. It’s about 25 km long. People like to ride bikes, walk or run around the lake. In Canberra, there’re many famous universities like the Australian National University and the University of Canberra. The National Library and the National Museum of Australia are also famous places that people like to visit.

【小題1】How far is Canberra from Sydney ?

A．25 km.

B．238 km.

C．345km.

D．507 km.

【小題2】The word “ Canberra” means ____________.

A．the largest city	B．a(chǎn) beautiful man-made lake
C．the old capital city	D．a(chǎn) place for friends to get together

【小題3】Canberra Flower Festival is a festival to ____________.

A．ride bikes	B．visit universities
C．welcome the spring	D．walk around the lake

The hottest place in the world is the Sahara Desert in Africa. But there are deserts in many other places: in America, in Asia and in Australia. In 1917 the temperature in Death Valley, in the United States, was over 48°C every day for six weeks. That's very hot!
But deserts are not always hot. After dark, deserts are very cold.
Not many animals and plants can live in a desert, because it doesn't rain very often. But one animal likes the desert — the camel. It has big feet to walk on the sand. It can live for a long time without water. Sometimes it doesn't drink anything for weeks — so it gets very thirsty! When it finds water it can drink 100 liters(升) at a time.
【小題1】What’s the weather like in a desert?

A．Always hot.

B．Always cold

C．Warm and wind

D．Hot in the daytime, cold in the night

【小題2】How many days is the temperature over 48°C in Death Valley?

A．6 days

B．30 days

C．42 days

D．48 days

【小題3】Which animal can live in the desert?

A．Camels

B．Horses

C．Tigers

D．Dogs

【小題4】The hottest place in the world is ______________.

A．Sahara Desert

B．Death Valley

C．Australia

D．We don’t know

【小題5】How is a camel like?

A．It has big nose

B．It can drink much water.

C．It can’t live for 7 days without water.

D．It can live for 100 years.

I wonder whether there is any girl or boy who does not like to see a rainbow in the sky. It is so beautiful.
There is a story, saying that whenever you see a rainbow you should run at once to the place where it touches the ground, and there you would find a pot of gold. Of course it is not true. You could not find the pot of gold or its end. No matter how far you run, it always seems far away.
A rainbow is not a thing which we can feel with our hands as we can feel a flower. It is only the effect of light shining on raindrops. The raindrops catch the sunlight and break it up into all the wonderful colours which we see. It is called a rainbow perhaps because it is made up of raindrops and looks like a bow（弓).
That is why we can never see a rainbow in a clear sky. We see a rainbow only when there is rain in the air and the sun is shining brightly through the clouds.
Every rainbow has many colours in the same order. The first or the top colour is always red, and the next comes orange, then yellow, and last of all, blue. A rainbow is indeed one of the wonders of nature.
【小題1】Children like rainbows because          .

A．they are beautiful

B．they are like bows

C．they can find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow

D．they are good to crops

【小題2】We cannot feel          with our hands.

A．a(chǎn) pot of gold

B．a(chǎn) flower

C．a(chǎn) rainbow

D．a(chǎn) raindrop

【小題3】We can see a rainbow          .

A．when it is raining heavily

B．when it is snowing

C．when it is cloudy

D．when it is becomes fine shortly after raining

【小題4】Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．A rainbow is like bow.

B．A rainbow is the effect of light shining on raindrops.

C．Every rainbow has different colours in different orders.

D．A rainbow is one of the wonders of nature.

【小題5】The first colour of a rainbow is always           .

A．yellow

B．red

C．green

D．blue

Shopping in Singapore is really a pleasure for tourists. The Great Singapore Sale is held every year, usually during the summer months. Singapore’s famous shopping stores welcome a great number of visitors from all over the world. Their shopping hours last till midnight. During this time, nice and cheap goods are on sale for tourists to choose from. Tourists can also try delicious foods there and experience the Singaporean nightlife.
Certain stores offer discounts of up to 70 percent or even higher if people use their credit（信用）cards. For tourists that hold a special Tourist Card, they can enjoy a lot of benefits(好處), such as discounts on watches, jewellery and cosmetics (化妝品). The card also gives discounts when you visit local attractions such as Singapore Zoo.
It is well worth checking out in the different shopping districts of Singapore during this 8-week Shopping Marathon. Orchard Road is surely the best place for shopping in the city. A large number of restaurants and clubs can be found in this area. Marina Bay includes both big department stores（百貨商店） as well as small shops, so everything you would want to buy can be found here.
Advice for tourists planning to enjoy this festival of shopping: travel light and take a comfortable pair of shoes with you, for you are sure to do a lot of walking and return with your bags much heavier.
【小題1】 You will see the Great Singapore Sale if you go to Singapore in ________.

A．January

B．August

C．May

D．November

【小題2】We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．the Great Singapore Sale is held twice a year

B．the Shopping Marathon lasts for more than two months

C．Orchard Road is Singapore’s best shopping street

D．Marina Bay is a lonely street with small shops

【小題3】Why are tourists advised to travel light if they want to enjoy the shopping festival?

A．They will buy many goods and have to do lots of walking.

B．It is not safe for them to take heavy bags with them.

C．There is heavy traffic in the shopping districts of Singapore.

D．Travelling with too many things is not allowed in Singapore.

It’s important to learn about protecting our environment. Here is a 5R rule for us:
1.  Reduce
If you want to reduce waste, you should use things wisely. Millions of trees are being cut down to make paper. If everyone uses a little paper carelessly and throw it out, soon we would not have any trees left. Other things are also being wasted, and people don’t know what to do with the waste in big cities. So it is necessary to reduce the waste
2.  Reuse
You should always think of reusing the usable things before throwing them out. Give your clothes you do not use or the ones which are too small to the poor. With a family, you may pass on such clothes to younger brothers or sisters.
3.  Recycle
Bottles, cans and paper can easily be recycled. By doing so, we save lots of time and money. For example, coke cans are sent to a factory, where they are smashed flat（壓平）and melted (融化) and the melted things are made for new coke cans.
4.  Recover
When you buy a box of apples, there may be a few rotten（腐爛的）apples. You have two choices: one is to throw the whole apple away, or you could cut off the rotten parts and eat the good parts. In this way, you are recovering the eatable parts of food.
5.  Repair
If one of the legs of your table is broken, you can repair it instead of throwing it away. If you want to change for better ones, It is better for you to sell the old things or give them to other people who can use them after doing some repair. It is true that North America is a “throw-away” society（社會(huì)）. But the time has come to change our way of life so that we can protect our environment. Every one of us should try our best.
【小題1】_______ can be recycled.

A．Only hard things

B．Many things

C．Few soft things

D．All things

【小題2】The “recover” rule mainly requires us _______.

A．to throw waste things away	B．to cover waste things with earth
C．to get back the useful parts	D．to throw the whole things away

【小題3】We can infer（推斷） that the writer of this passage may live in _______.

A．China

B．Japan

C．Australia

D．America

【小題4】Which of the following is true?

A．We will have no resources（資源） of nature unless we can do with the waste.

B．Recycling is the best way to save resources.

C．If we waste less, we can save more resources of nature.

D．More things are wasted in developed countries than in developing ones.

For most people, the word “fashion” means “clothes”. But people may ask the question “What clothes are in fashion?” And they use the adjective “fashion” in the same way: “She was wearing a fashionable coat.” “His shirt was really a fashionable colour.”
But of course there are fashions in many things, not only in clothes. There are fashions in holidays, in restaurants, in films and books. There are even fashions in school subjects, jobs … and in languages.
Fashions change very quickly as time goes. This is natural. We hear about things much more quickly than in the past. Newspapers, radios, telephones, televisions and computers send information from one place to another in a few minutes.
New fashions mean that people will buy new things, so you see there is money in fashion.
【小題1】From the passage, we know that “fashion” means _______.

A．clothes

B．many things

C．most of the popular things

D．everything

【小題2】Today fashions change quickly because _______.

A．newspapers are read every day

B．information is sent by radios from one place to another

C．new things are often shown on TV

D．people quickly learn about what is happening in the world

【小題3】“There is money in fashion.” means _______.

A．clothes are expensive	B．money comes only from fashion
C．people like new things	D．there are no fashions without money

Running a marathon (馬拉松)
Have you ever taken part in a marathon? A marathon is 42km long. It is the longest race in the world. To make the runner’s body work, harder training is quite necessary. A runner should start to prepare for a marathon at least three months before. Preparation may have races, many hours of running at different speeds and changes in diet(飲食). During the training time the runner must eat a fit diet.  The diet should have lots of things needed in training the players.
In the early days of training, runners run 80km per week. The running is increased every two or three weeks and at least two long runs per week are needed.
Two weeks before the marathon, the training programme becomes less, from 100km per week down to 60km and then to 30km in the final week. On the last two days they may not run at all.
Breakfast should be eaten at least three hours before the race.  Easily digested(消化) food such as cereal(麥), toast(烤面包) and scrambled(搗碎) egg is best,  with as much fluid(液體) as possible.  Runners should drink water about half an hour before the race to keep up the body fluid. 
【小題1】According to the passage, when should a marathon runner begin his training?

A．A month before the race.	B．A week before the race.
C．Three or four months before the race.	D．A year before the race.

【小題2】What should a runner have for his breakfast on the day of the race?

A．Easily digested food.

B．A big meal.

C．Lots of meat.

D．Oily food.

【小題3】What is the length of the modern marathon?

A．100km.

B．60km.

C．30km.

D．42km.

【小題4】 Players must have ________ in order to run better in a marathon.

A．training at different speeds and changes in diet

B．much water

C．lessons before the race

D．many fruits

【小題5】 Hard training before a marathon can ________.

A．make the game easier	B．keep the players healthy
C．help the players to make more progress	D．have more fans