When a first-time father saw his newborn son, he immediately noticed the baby's ears obviously standing out from his head. He expressed his concern to the nurse that some children might be made fun of his child. A doctor examined the baby and reassured the new dad that his son was healthy---- the ears presented only a small problem with its appearance.
But the nervous father continued. He wondered if the child might suffer psychological effects of ridicule, or if they should consider plastic surgery(整形手術). The nurse assured him that it was really no problem, and he should just wait to see if the boy grows into his ears.
The father finally felt more optimistic about his child, but now he worried about his wife's reaction to those large ears. She had been delivered by operation, and had not yet seen the child.
“She doesn't take things as easily as I do,” he said to the nurse.
By this time, the new mother was settled in the recovery room and ready to meet her new baby. The nurse went along with the dad to lend some support in case this inexperienced mother became upset about her baby's large ears.
The baby was in a blanket(毛毯) with his head covered for the short trip through the cold air-conditioned corridor. The baby was placed in his mother's arms, who eased the blanket back so that she could look at her child for the first time.
She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped, “Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!”
No problem with Mom. She married those ears...and she loves the man to whom they are attached.
The poet Kahlil Gibran said, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” It's hard to see the ears when you're looking into the light.
小題1:When the father first saw his baby, he was worried that________.

A．The baby might not grow up healthily.

B．The baby might be laughed at by others.

C．The baby might disappoint its mother.

D．the baby might have mental problems.

小題2:According to the doctor and nurse, the baby’s ears________.

A．could not function well.

B．looked the same as others.

C．only caused a small problem.

D．needed to have plastic surgery.

小題3:What is true about the baby’s mother?

A．She blamed her husband for the baby’s big ears.

B．She was the first to discover the baby’s large ears.

C．She suggested having an operation on the baby immediately.

D．She found something similar between the baby and its father.

小題4:What does the underlined word they refer to in the last but on paragraph(倒數第2段)?

A．The ears.

B．The parents.

C．The doctor and nurse.

D．The problems

小題5:What’s the function of the last paragraph?

A．To advise readers to listen carefully.

B．To draw a conclusion from the story.

C．To criticize the wrong attitude to physical beauty.

D．To stress the importance of doctor-patient relationship.

It was one of the happiest times of my life. I was 29 and had just received my bachelor’s degree, graduating with honors despite working two jobs and being a wife and mother. My parents and five-year-old son were in the audience when I walked onto the stage at Ashland University to get my diploma. I was so excited and proud to be starting a teaching career and contributing more to my family’s well-being.
But when I got home that evening, there was a note from my husband written on the back of an envelope. It basically said he had come to get his clothes and wouldn’t be back. We’d been having trouble, but the finality of that note still came as a shock. He had emptied our bank account. We were horribly in debt. I had quit my previous jobs in expectation of interviewing for a teaching position. Plus, I was eight months pregnant.
I had my son, and I was about to bring a new life into the world, so despite my deep sadness, I had to go on. The next morning, I woke up, put my feet on the floor, took a deep breath, fixed breakfast, and basically did everything I always did. I used my routine to keep me moving. After being in the military for six years, I guess you can say I relied on my training, like all good soldiers do in tough situations. One small step after one small step was the way I bounced back(恢復原狀).
And in the seven years since, I’ve continued moving forward. I got a job as a kindergarten teacher, earned a master’s degree in education, and watched my babies grow to twelve and seven. I certainly would never have chosen to put them through this, but looking back, I’m glad it happened to me when it did. It helped me find my voice and myself a lot sooner. It helped me grow independent, confident, and strong—things I’m hopefully instilling(灌輸) now in my children.
小題1:After getting her bachelor’s degree, the author expected to ________.

A．become a teacher	B．be a wife and mother
C．work two jobs	D．get divorced

小題2:What do we know about the author from Paragraph 2?

A．Her husband wrote a note to congratulate her on her graduation.

B．She had just been to a job interview when her husband left her.

C．Her husband paid off all the debts from the bank.

D．She was going to have another baby soon.

小題3:The author’s hardships in life made her ________.

A．become confident and independent

B．work harder in the kindergarten

C．use her routine to move forward

D．feel pleased with what happened to her

小題4: It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A．The author’s parents helped her a lot

B．The author received further education later

C．The author earned a master’s degree when she was 29

D．The author didn’t know how to deal with marriage

小題5:What helped the author to pull through her hard time?

A．The divorce with her husband.

B．Her fellow soldiers in the army.

C．Her decision to find a new job.

D．A strong mind and love for her kids.

Jane’s mother worked on the farm from dawn till dark, which just could make ends meet(量入為出，收支平衡). To make Jane live a  36  life, Mother was very careful about spending money.  37 , Jane didn’t understand her. Every day Mother was busy with her 38 while Jane was studying at school, so they had little time to enjoy themselves.
One day, Mother realized Jane was unhappy and even 39 to her, so she decided to go   40  with Jane to make Jane happy.
On Sunday morning they went happily to the snowfield. Since they were   41 in white clothes, the manager advised them to buy ski clothes. He said  42 there was an accident, they might be easily 43 in their ski clothes. Mother couldn’t  44 them, so she refused.
Then they went skiing in their white clothes. They were skiing happily on the  45 when suddenly the snowfield began to  46  .It was the snowslide (雪崩).They ran a long way and 47 the snowslide finally, but they couldn’t find their way. Later, a helicopter (直升機) was flying above,  48  people on it couldn’t see or hear them. Jane was  49 because she had hurt her head seriously and  50 dropped on the snow. Just then an idea struck Mother. She cut her wrist(手腕)  51 and then bright red blood dropped down on the snowfield. A red SOS was on the snow. At last Jane  52 , but Mother died.
Every time I  53 the blood dropping onto the snowfield, I feel  54 , I believe anyone who hears the tragedy will  55 Mother for her selfless love to her daughter.

小題1:	A．happy B．poor C．busy D．sad

小題2:	A．Though B．However C．Although D．Or

小題3:	A．writing B．housework C．work D．research

小題4:	A．unfriendly B．loyal C．kind D．cruel

小題5:	A．skating B．dancing C．hiking D．skiing

小題6:	A．all B．both C．either D．every

小題7:	A．now that B．in case C．as though D．even if

小題8:	A．searched B．examined C．found D．caught

小題9:	A．cost B．make C．afford D．stand

小題10:

A．mountain B．farmland C．playground D．snowfield

小題11:

A．change B．melt C．shake D．jump

小題12:

A．escaped B．passed C．experienced D．overcame

小題13:

A．but B．so C．since D．while

小題14:

A．at work B．in danger C．in peace D．in ruins

小題15:

A．hair B．blood C．tears D．jewels

小題16:

A．carefully B．slowly C．immediately D．hardly

小題17:

A．cried B．died C．woke D．survived

小題18:

A．find out B．think of C．suffer from D．come across

小題19:

A．satisfied B．curious C．anxious D．painful

小題20:

A．admire B．hate C．reward D．think

Pulled from the rubble （碎磚）of the big earthquake after eight days of unimaginable suffering, 8- year-old Kiki Joachin caught the world’s attention. Today he and his 21  struggle to rebuild their home, their lives and their hopes.
When the terrible earthquake broke out, Kiki’s mother 22  from the porch （門廊）of their apartment building  23  her five –year-old-son, David, who was outside fetching water. 24  injured by falling concrete （水泥），she tried to dig through it and  25 toward her five other kids who were 26  in the ruins of their home.  27 , she could make little progress.
For eight days Kiki and his  28  were buried beneath. They curled  (蜷縮)  their bodies in a (n)  29  space, with no food or water, hardly able to move; nearby lay the  30  of their three other siblings（兄弟姐妹）. Kiki 31  as his sister covered them with her T-shirt.
On the eighth day, a neighbour  32  her possessions heard Kiki’s  33  cries for water. Two  34 spent the next four hours 35 drilling through the rubble and finally  36  Kiki and his sister. As Kiki was  37  by the firefighters from the hole, he made a victory gesture.
Now Kiki hopes to be an engineer when he grows up, so he can help 38  his country. His father wants to start a  39  for his family, maybe selling rice and beans, to be able to put another room on the house so his kids can sleep better. Meanwhile, his father and mother are   40 for what they have and the survival of the three children.

小題1:	A．friends B．classmates C．family D．team

小題2:	A．walked B．ran C．jumped D．wandered

小題3:	A．in search of B．in honour of C．in face of D．in charge of

小題4:	A．Because B．If C．Unless D．Though

小題5:	A．face B．turn C．rush D．move

小題6:	A．buried B．killed C．controlled D．hidden

小題7:	A．Otherwise B．Therefore C．However D．Meanwhile

小題8:	A．brother B．sister C．father D．mother

小題9:	A．wide B．tiny C．open D．public

小題10:

A．bodies B．clothes C．shadows D．toys

小題11:

A．nodded B．smiled C．wept D．slept

小題12:

A．sorting out B．showing off C．looking for D．giving away

小題13:

A．weak B．good C．long D．clear

小題14:

A．neighbours B．relatives C．passers-by D．firefighters

小題15:

A．skillfully B．carefully C．impatiently D．rapidly

小題16:

A．fastened B．adopted C．cured D．reached

小題17:

A．raised B．fixed C．grabbed D．touched

小題18:

A．rebuild B．protect C．lead D．visit

小題19:

A．company B．business C．movement D．club

小題20:

A．suitable B．ready C．excited D．grateful

Last Sunday, I waked into the house in the afternoon to find my brother rushing around in a hurry. As soon as I took my coat off, my little brother placed a bunch of papers in my hands and asked me to fold them up so they could fit into an envelope as quickly as possible. He said it needed to get done quickly before it turned dark.
I was a little surprised that something could be so urgent on a Sunday. It wasn’t until I was halfway through that I actually looked at what I was folding. After I read it, it put the biggest smile on my face. It was a lovely letter to all the residents （居民）in my neighborhood. My brother was asking everyone to let him know if anyone needed help. He left his contact information and said that anyone that needed help should get in touch with him and he would figure something out. He also asked people to get in touch if they were able to help out.
London received an unusual amount of snow last week, and the city was completely under- prepared for it. So it was quite difficult to get anywhere. Only the major roads had been cleared, and smaller roads and pavements could be quite treacherous. There are a good number of old people in our little community. So my brother thought that the snow may have posed （造成）some difficulty for some of them, particularly because we live on a hill.
A few elderly people got in touch with him asking for help for things they needed. One of them was especially grateful because his caregiver couldn’t make it. To our surprise, he got more responses from people offering to help. Then he received help from people who wanted to help. Everyone was really touched and wrote to my brother wonderful email. One of our neighbors wrote email saying that although she wasn’t able to help, she was “very proud of having a neighbor like him who puts other people’s interests first.”
小題1:The author’s brother wrote the letter to _______.

A．ask for help from his neighbors

B．give a hand to those in need of help

C．require his neighbors to clear the snow

D．raise money for the old people in his community

小題2:What can we learn from the text?

A．Few people were willing to help out.

B．The snow was unexpectedly heavy.

C．Most residents in the community are elderly people.

D．The community was completely cut off from the outside world.

小題3:The underlined word “treacherous” in Paragraph 3 probably means “_______”.

A．dirty

B．dangerous

C．safe

D．crowded

小題4: One of their neighbors sent email to the author’s brother to ________.

A．express thanks	B．lend a hand
C．show appreciation	D．ask for help

Not many foreigners can say that they have lived in China for as long as I have. Perhaps some can hack(應對) it for about two or three years and then they want to either go back home or move on to another country. As for me, I cannot get 36 of this place. I love it here so much and I honestly believe that I am very comfortable here. It feels just like 37. And, here 38 the story.
It was August 2001 and I had just said 39 to my family and friends as I 40 to Los Angeles International Airport to catch my 41 to Incheon, South Korea which would then 42 me to Beijing. When I arrived in LA I was very excited and a little 43 because I didn't know what to 44 when I arrived in China. It 45 like receiving a wrapped gift and you had no idea what was in it 46 you opened it. As I 47 the Korean Airlines 48 desk I gave the attendant(空乘人員) my ticket. He looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, sir. This flight was yesterday." I was in 49 and lost for words. The attendant told me I had to wait several hours until they could 50 whether I could get onto another flight.
I was so afraid at this time that I called my mother and frantically(狂亂地) told her," I missed my flight! I don't think I can go to 51! I'm better off going back to Washington, DC!" That's when she 52 I call my leader in China and ask whether I could still go there. Looking 53 all of the papers I found a phone number and called the Beijing office. 54, my leader was there and assured me I could still join the group. Also, KAL had a seat for me on the next flight. So, after 24 hours and a 55 in Korea, I arrived in Beijing. I don't know what my feeling was, but I wasn't tired because I had finally arrived and I just wanted to look around the city. As I traveled to the hotel in the car I saw all the wonderful buildings, friendly people and interesting sites. I was so happy to be here.

小題1:	A．many B．much C．enough D．little

小題2:	A．home B．family C．house D．country

小題3:	A．says B．goes C．tells D．talks

小題4:	A．hello B．sorry C．good D．goodbye

小題5:	A．headed B．walked C．settled D．jogged

小題6:	A．train B．flight C．bus D．ship

小題7:	A．adjust B．lead C．conduct D．adapt

小題8:	A．surprised B．annoyed C．adsurd D．nervous

小題9:	A．happen B．see C．expect D．know

小題10:

A．felt B．looked C．seemed D．sounded

小題11:

A．after B．when C．while D．until

小題12:

A．got B．arrived C．approached D．sat

小題13:

A．check-in B．office C．check-out D．examine

小題14:

A．shock B．trouble C．danger D．difficulty

小題15:

A．sure B．confirm C．construct D．ask

小題16:

A．Korea B．Washington C．Los Angeles D．China

小題17:

A．explained B．suggested C．ordered D．requested

小題18:

A．around B．back C．through D．for

小題19:

A．Luckily B．Seriously C．Honestly D．Sadly

小題20:

A．visit B．living C．stopover D．stay

My daughter recently asked me what a Travel Agency does. There is one located on our street and it has just been completely rebuilt. I told her that they helped people book their trips and vacations. “Why haven’t we ever been in there?” she wanted to know. “Because we do everything ourselves online these days” I explained. “But why do it yourself if other people want to do it for you?” she wondered out loud.
The answer is that the travel agency makes a little bit of money on each ticket you book through them. If you book your ticket yourself, online, you save that money. Saving money sounds great except that when you think about it you typically spend three evenings comparing prices to end up saving $30 on a $300 trip. All those $30 discounts add up of course so I guess we should be happy with that.
Still, how bad is it really to pay someone $30 and trust them to buy you something decent? Wouldn’t you say your free evenings are worth more than $10 a piece?
Consider books for a moment. Buying your book at Amazon saves you maybe 30% to 40% on each book. Add to that the convenience of shopping from home and getting the package delivered to your home address. So far so good.
Unfortunately that does mean you spend way too much time browsing Amazon. com while you could do something fun instead. Like maybe reading an actual book?
Then the package arrives and you aren’t home and end up having to pick it up at the local post- office. All in all I wonder how much time I end up investing in the whole process.
Time sounds free, but to most of us, it is more valuable than money.
The Internet Economy promised to get rid of the middle-men and we loved it. Somehow, I’m starting to get the feeling that we ourselves ended up doing the work of that middle-men we were so eager to get rid of.
In any project you can always pick two of these: fast, cheap or good. We seem to have focused a lot on ‘cheap’ and ‘good’ but the extra time we need to invest to keep it ‘fast’ comes out of our own pockets.
You can always make more money but you can never make more time.
小題1:What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．It mainly shows the curiosity of the author’s daughter.

B．It indicates that the Internet has influenced our daily life.

C．It tells us the importance of a travel agency.

D．It shows why people need a travel agency.

小題2:What’s the author’s attitude towards the Internet Economy?

A．The author thinks online shopping saves time and is a convenient way to buy products.

B．The author worries about sending personal information over the internet.

C．The author doesn’t think online shopping is satisfactory in every way.

D．The author likes the convenience but is concerned about the e-commerce environment.

小題3:What’s the best title for the passage?

A．The convenience of the Internet Economy.

B．How to save money in the Internet Economy.

C．The hidden cost of the Internet Economy.

D．How to save time in the Internet Economy.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most loved children’s books of all time, and many adults enjoy it as well. It tells the story of a young girl named Alice, who follows a rabbit entering a magical world called Wonderland. She has many experiences which seem to change the rules of reasoning or common sense. The popularity of the book comes from its imagination, interesting story, and art work.
The writer of the book is Lewis Carroll. In fact, Lewis Carroll was not the writer’s real name. His real name was Charles Dodgson. One day, he took a boat ride down the Thames River to have a picnic with three little girls who were friends of the family. To keep them entertained on the ride, he told them a story in which Alice, the middle child, was the main character. They enjoyed the story very much.
Charles later wrote the story down under the name Alice’s Adventures Under Ground and gave it to Alice as a Christmas present. Later, he gave a copy to his friend George MacDonald. George read it to his children and they loved it. George suggested to Charles that he make a book from his story. Charles then wrote more parts to the story until it was around 35,000 words. It was first printed in 1866, with art work by John Tenniel, under the name Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The book was an immediate success. One of its first fans was Queen Victoria. She immediately requested a collection of all of Lewis Carroll’s works. She was surprised to find that they included many works on math. In fact, Charles Dodgson was a highly respected mathematician. This can be seen in many puzzles and plays on reasoning that appear in his books and poems.
Since the story was first printed, it has kept selling up to the present day. It has been translated into over fifty languages and has had several movies based on it.
小題1:The passage is mainly about _________.

A．Charles’ family life

B．the birth of a book and its lasting influences

C．a magical world called Wonderland

D．a girl’s adventurous experiences

小題2:Who first had the idea of making a book from the story “Alice Adventures Under Ground”?

A．Alice

B．Charles

C．George

D．John

小題3:Which of the following is the right order of the passage?
a. Charles gave his story to Alice as a Christmas present.
b. Charles had a picnic with three little girls on the Thames.
c. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was first printed in 1866.
d. More parts were added to the story by Charles.
e. The book won a large number of fans.

A．c-b-a-d-e

B．c-a-b-e-d

C．b-a-d-c-e

D．b-a-c-e-d

My mother really knows how to get others to do what she suggests. Besides my father, her neighbors and even a stranger in a grocery store, has fallen under her 36  .
One day we were shopping in a supermarket. When we were passing by the baby aisle(過道), she    37 a young mother browsing through different brands of powdered milk. Her baby was playing with a toy. My mother   38  babies so she went up to the woman and chatted with her.
My mother is an easy person to like. She has the kindest eyes in the world, so it isn’t 39 
to trust her. She 40 with the baby a little bit and told the woman about how I used to be cute at that age, too. They laughed together.
The woman was about to put Brand X Milk Powder in her cart when my mother suggested Brand Y  41 because it obviously had better vitamins. Would you believe the woman actually
42      brands just like that?
She really does know how to influence people. But what about her getting other people to
43     whatever she tells them?
My father and I actually had a long conversation about her  44 on how to influence people. According to my father, my mother is just a really likeable person, and she has 45 been
like that, even when he first met her. Chatting people up is natural for her.
During our conversation, I realized that what my mother has is the  46 to build rapport(親善) with other people. With rapport comes  47 . People are more likely to be influenced by those who they think understand their viewpoints or share their opinions.

小題1:	A．leadership B．control C．instruction D．influence

小題2:	A．noticed B．kept C．watched D．felt

小題3:	A．admires B．adores C．adopts D．praises

小題4:	A．obvious B．difficult C．necessary D．natural

小題5:	A．sang B．dealt C．spoke D．played

小題6:	A．instead B．finally C．yet D．anyhow

小題7:	A．bought B．considered C．compared D．switched

小題8:	A．hear B．accept C．need D．understand

小題9:	A．plan B．advice C．secret D．speech

小題10:

A．always B．frequently C．seldom D．occasionally

小題11:

A．desire B．motivation C．purpose D．ability

小題12:

A．relationship B．respect C．trust D．kindness

Senior citizens are permitted to travel cheaply on a bus if they have a special card. Women may get cards when they are sixty.
Mrs. Matthews lived in the country but she went into town once a week to buy food and other things for the house, and she usually went by bus. She always had to pay the full price for her ride.
Then she reached the age of sixty and got her senior citizen’s card, but when she used it for the first time on the bus, it made her feel very old.
The bus driver had often seen her traveling on the bus before, and he noticed that she was feeling unhappy, so after she had paid her money, he winked at her and whispered, “Don’t forget to give your mother’s card back to her when you see her again.”
Mrs. Matthews was very happy when she heard this.
小題1:Senior citizens in the story refer to       .

A．those who have special cards

B．old people with special cards

C．people who hold high positions in the government

D．those who wanted to travel cheaply

小題2:Women over sixty       .

A．don’t have to pay for taking buses

B．pay less for their ride if they have a special card

C．have to pay the full price for their ride

D．have to pay their special card

小題3:Mrs. Matthews used to pay the full price for her ride because    .

A．she didn’t know the rule

B．she wasn’t old enough

C．she didn’t know where to get the card

D．she had reached sixty but had not got her senior citizen card

小題4:Mrs. Matthews felt unhappy on the bus because      .

A．she still had to pay for the ride

B．the card wasn’t hers

C．she felt she was now an old woman

D．the driver found out she was not honest

小題5:The driver whispered to her      .

A．in order to make her feel younger

B．because he thought that she shouldn’t have borrowed her mother’s card

C．because he wanted her to pay the full amount

D．because he knew her mother was still alive