What if you could fly like a bird just by thinking happy thoughts? Or you could disappear to a faraway land, never grow old and fight pirates every day? For Peter Pan and his friends, the Lost Boys, these dreams come true.
More than 100 years after this playful boy was “born”, Peter Pan and his friends are to continue their adventure in a sequel(續(xù)集)to J.M. Barrie’s original novel. “Peter Pan in Scarlet”(重返夢(mèng)幻島),written by British author Geraldine McCaughrean, was published earlier this month.
The sequel brings all the original characters back. Peter Pan’s friends, the Lost Boys, are now grown up and live in the real world. What’s more, at the end of the first book, Peter Pan thinks he has killed his enemy, Captain Hook. But ,new readers discover he is not so dead at all.
For those who are unfamiliar with the original story, Peter Pan lives in faraway Neverland with a group of orphans. But they are eager for a real mother and Peter Pan flies to London with a fairy(仙女), Tinkerbell, to find one. They visit a young girl, Wendy, who loves to read stories, and bring her and her two brothers back to Neverland to live with them. In Neverland, children never have to grow up, and there are no parents to tell them what to do.
Many teenagers dream of a world where they don’t have to grow old and take responsibility. But, the author explains such a world is not the paradise(樂(lè)園)when it first appears: adventures can be scary and often dangerous, and, though we all sometimes dream of running away, we all need someone to love and look after us too.
小題1:The passage is written to ________.

A．tell you about an unrealistic dream

B．introduce novels about Peter Pan

C．a(chǎn)nalyze the difficulties of growing up

D．explain why Peter Pan can’t grow old

小題2:“Peter Pan in Scarlet” is about _________.

A．how some children fought against the pirate–Captain Hook

B．the care–free life the children led in Neverland

C．how peter Pan looked for a real mother for the Lost Boys

D．how the Lost Boys return to Neverland for more adventures

小題3:The stories of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys reflect that those at their age ________.

A．a(chǎn)re ready to shoulder responsibility

B．choose adventures in faraway places

C．long for independence but also need someone to love them

D．can’t wait to grow up

小題4: The place Peter Pan and his friend stay is named Neverland probably because    .

A．they never have to grow up

B．they don’t have parents

C．they never have troubles

D．they never need to worry

小題5: Peter Pan flies to London _________.

A．to find a fairy	B．to visit a young girl
C．to find a real mother	D．to earn money

With petroleum reserve（石油儲(chǔ)量）decreasing, the search is on to replace gas with a cleaner, greener alternative. Though much eco-talk has centered on biofuels from corn and soybeans, the biofuel that looks more likely to replace petroleum comes from a most unlikely source: algae（藻類）.
Algae, like corn, soybeans, and other crops, grow via photosynthesis（光合作用）and can be processed into fuel oil. However, they yield 30 times more energy than land crops such as soybeans, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Many algae species also can grow in saltwater and polluted water—while corn and soy require arable(適于耕種的) land and fresh water that will be in short supply as the world’s population balloons.
“If you replaced all the diesel（柴油）in the U.S. with soy biodiesel, it would take half the land mass of the U.S. to grow those soybeans,” says Matt Caspari, chief executive of Aurora Biofuels, a Berkeley, Calif-based private firm that specializes in algae oil technology. On the other hand, the Energy Department says that if algae fuel replaced all the petroleum fuel in the United States, it would require only l5, 000 square miles, which is a few thousand miles larger than Maryland (12,407 squaree miles), the 42^nd state in land area.
Another advantages: Because algae can be grown just about anywhere in a closed space, they’re being tested at several power plants across the nation as a carbon absorber. Smokestack emissions（煙囪排放物）can be pumped directly into the ponds, feeding the algae while keeping greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.
Although processing technology for algae fuel—also known as “oilgae” in some environmentalist circles —is improving, it’s still years away from reaching your local gas pump. “It’s just a question of cost, because no large-scale facilities have been built yet,” Caspari says.
小題1:The underlined word “yield” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “_______”.

A．control

B．require

C．produce

D．grow

小題2:Compared with corn and soybeans, algae_____.

A．may pollute water and soil	B．can grow in poor conditions
C．provide much less energy	D．need more special care

小題3:According to Paragraph 3, one of the advantages of algae fuel is that ____.

A．it can be used more widely	B．it is easier to produce
C．it needs much less land	D．it costs much less money

小題4:Which of the following might be the best title for the text?

A．Environmental Protection	B．Biofuels from Corn and Soybeans
C．The False Hope of Biofuels	D．A Promising Oil Alternative

The UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities in the world. But to those who are new to it all, it can be something confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the academic calendar (學(xué)習(xí)日程表). 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, meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be uneasy. 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 are worried about starting their university social life. So just take it all in slowly. Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here are some top tips from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week:
·Make sure you know something about the British social customs. Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
·Sometimes cups of tea or even sweets can give you a head start in making friends.
·The more active you are, the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves his rooms.
·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, Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you’ll be passing on your wisdom to next year’s newcomers.
小題1:Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage?

A．October is generally the busiest month for universities.

B．It’s a good idea to put a doorstop in your door.

C．A bit of planning can make Freshers’ Week easier.

D．The first week of your every year at university is called Freshers’ Week.

小題2:We can infer from the 4^th paragraph that ______.

A．the newcomers usually miss the days living at home

B．most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities

C．many freshers are worried about how to fit university life

D．a(chǎn)ll the new students will make new friends and join certain clubs

小題3:Why does the author suggest having wine glasses and snacks handy?

A．To pass the busy university life.	B．To help make friends with other freshers.
C．To show yourself a drinker as others.	D．To pass the time in a happy way.

小題4:The main purpose of writing this passage is to ______.

A．tell the newcomers how to make a new start in universities

B．introduce something about higher education system of the UK

C．discuss something about the Freshers’ Week in the UK

D．a(chǎn)dvise the freshmen how to behave well in the beginning

When someone says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to face the music”, it doesn’t mean that he is planning to go to hear a singer or attend a concert. It is something far less unhappy than you are called in by your leader to explain why you did this and that or why you did not do this or that.
At some time or another, every one of us has to “face the music”, especially (尤其) as children. We can all remember father?s angry words “I want to talk to you”. And only because we did not listen to him. What a bad thing it was!
In the middle or at the end of every term, we students have to “face the music”. The result of the exam will decide whether we will face the music or not. If...that means parents cold faces and contempt (輕視) of the teachers and classmates.
“To face the music” is well known to every American, young or old. It is at least 100 years old. It really means that you have to do something, no matter (無(wú)論) how terrible the whole thing might be, because you know you have no choice.
小題1:“To face the music"means “to____ ”.

A．do something that we don’t like to	B．go to the theatre
C．go to the music show	D．do something that we want to

小題2:In the third paragraph, “If...”really means “If____ ”.

A．we don’t do a good job	B．we get an“A” in the exam
C．the exam is easy	D．the exam is difficult

小題3:Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．“To face the music” is well known in the United States.

B．“To face the music” has a history of more than 100 years.

C．The young Americans know what “to face the music” means.

D．Only the old in the United States know the meaning of“to face the music”.

One thing that British and Chinese cultures share is a love for fine tea. Today, when we think of Western tea culture, we often think of the English and beautiful china tea cups.
Afternoon tea
People believe that an English lady, Anna, first introduced the idea of afternoon tea. In the 18th and 19th centuries. the English ate only two main meals each day ,breakfast and a heavy supper that would last for several hours in the evening. As a result, people often got very hungry during the long wait between these two meals. To solve this problem, Anna came up with the clever idea of inviting some friends to join her for an afternoon meal between four and five o’clock. This meal included cakes and sandwiches. and tea was served(提供)to wash down the food. In order to make this afternoon meal important, fine china cups and plates, and silver teapots. knives, forks and spoons were used .Soon, afternoon tea parties became popular social occasions. Today, afternoon tea parties continue to play an important part in the social life in modern Britain.
Will you come for coffee?
Coffee also has an important role in British culture. People often use the words“Will  you come for coffee?” to mean “Would you like to come to my home for a chat?” Normally, several different drinks such as tea, hot chocolate or a soft drink like orange Juice will be served as well as coffee. and you will be asked what you would like. However, you will not normally be offered wine at a "coffee" party.
Coffeehouses and the London Stock Exchange
In the 17th century London, coffeehouses were busy and noisy places. Businessmen and  bankers went to coffeehouses to do their business, as well as to drink coffee. In fact, the London Stock Exchange(股票交易所) is believed to have started from these coffeehouses 
小題1: Anna introduced the idea of drinking afternoon tee because she _______.
A enjoyed chatting with her friends at home
B loved fine tea and beautiful china tea cups
C. wanted to share nice food with her friends
D found people felt hungry during the long wait between the two meals
小題2:What does “social occasions” mean in Chinese?

A．集體婚禮

B．社交活動(dòng)

C．社區(qū)表演

D．公共場(chǎng)合

小題3:f someone says to you “Will you come for coffee?”, you _______.

A．will be offered coffee only

B．a(chǎn)re asked what you would like to drink

C．will be asked to have a chat with him or her

D．a(chǎn)re invited to take part in an afternoon tea party

小題4:From the last paragraph (段落) we can see _______.

A．a(chǎn) new business was started in coffeehouses

B．coffeehouses are still used by businessmen and bankers

C．businessmen and bankers went to coffeehouses just for coffee

D．most people wouldn’t like to go to coffeehouses because of the noise

Among the many things that Brisbane (布里斯班), Australia, does really well, the care for kids is the best one. Here is a list of places that will be suitable for your kids.
Swimming pools
Simple way for happiness: mix kids with water. Of course, this is a choice for the hot summer months.
Parks
Free outdoor fun: it’s suitable for kids of all ages. It’s a place for parents to let kids run wild.
The Children’s Art Centre
The Children’s Art Centre has been very popular. Kids’ favorite here is some exhibitions specially designed for children. But we must pay some money.
South Bank Parklands
South Bank Parklands has everything you need to keep kids amused. Take them for a swim at the man-made beach. On weekends, go through the arts market or go to a cheap movie. South Bank Parklands often gives free performances too.
Roma Street Parkland
Close to bus transport, this parkland is easily accessible（可進(jìn)入的）. It’s  ideal (理想的) for kids of all ages. Younger kids can take a trip on the Jelly Bean Express, a 1.3 km trackless train ride around the parkland. Free entry(進(jìn)入) and open every day.
小題1:What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Brisbane—a beautiful city in Australia.

B．How to travel in Brisbane.

C．Famous parks and activities in Brisbane.

D．Some interesting places for kids in Brisbane.

小題2:. If your kids want to watch performances for free, you can take them to ______.

A．South Bank Parklands	B．Roma Street Parkland
C．The Children’s Art Centre	D．Parks

小題3:. What can we know about Roma Street Parkland?

A．It opens only at weekends.

B．Only younger kids can visit it.

C．We need not buy tickets for a visit.

D．Younger kids have to walk while visiting it.

小題4: What do kids love best in the Children’s Art Centre?

A．Man-made beach.	B．Some exhibitions.
C．Arts market.	D．Jelly Bean Express.

小題5:Who will be interested in the text most?

A．Children and parents.

B．Artists

C．Movie lovers.

D．Swimmers.

Have you ever been to the beautiful country of Holland and its capital Amsterdam? Anyone who has traveled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing: Amsterdam’s story is a tale of two cities -- one during the day and a completely different one at night．
During the day, the largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River．You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi．But when the sun goes down, the partying begins．In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke．
Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam．And they’re all within a short cab ride of each other．For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events．Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there．And there’s the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall．
But at night party-seekers come to the square．Hip hop or funk music is heard there．．So if you come, be ready to dance．The clubs don’t shut down until 4 am．
And while you’re there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city．Don’t worry about getting lost．Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions．And you’ll notice that half the people in the streets are on bicycles they rent．
Amsterdam also has a well-planned canal system．For about 10 dollars, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise（巡游） the "Venice of the North"．
The city has a historic past．One impressive place to visit is the Anne Frank House on Nine Streets．It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II．Visitors can view Anne’s original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years．
小題1:What means of transport is not available to visitors in Amsterdam?

A．A carriage．

B．A bicycle．

C．A canal bus．

D．A water taxi．

小題2:When getting lost, a visitor can ask natives for directions in  ___________    ．

A．only Dutch	B．Dutch or English
C．only English	D．Spanish and English

小題3:What can you learn about by visiting the Anne Frank House?

A．The experience of a beautiful girl survivor．

B．The glorious past of Amsterdam．

C．The life of Jewish during World War Ⅱ．

D．The suffering of the Dutch in wars．

小題4:The passage is intended to  ____________        ．

A．call up people’s memories of World War Ⅱ

B．tell readers what A Tale of Two Cities is about

C．instruct visitors what to do and see in Holland

D．offer readers some information about Amsterdam

HK’s Family Affair
　The 32nd Hong Kong Art Festival, to be held early next year, will be based on the theme of “family”.
　The art festival, considered to be Asia’s best, began in 1973.
　“We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the multiple performances in our art festival,”Douglas Gautier, the festival’s management director, said in a press conference in the capital.
　In the 29 days of the festival, which runs from February 8 to March 7, 2004, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes staged by 700 foreign performers, 450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland.
　Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor spectaculars.
　The programmes include Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare’s drama Rromeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few.
　The lineup（陣容）includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, The Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante, the Petersen Quartet, pianists Angela Hewitt and Marc-Andre Hamelin, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek.
　In an effort to increase attendance, hotels and airlines are offering discount packages along with art festival ticket sales, most of which are at 20% and 30% discounts.
　　For more information, please check:
　　www. hk. artsfestival. org
小題1:The press conference must have been held ________.

A．in Hong Kong	B．in Europe
C．in Beijing	D．in England

小題2:By means of“discount packages”you can pay ________.

A．nothing for the cost

B．less than the usual cost

C．for the air ticket but not for the festival ticket

D．for the festival ticket but not for hotel rooms

小題3:According to the text, we do NOT have any information about ________.

A．who will perform on stage	B．what programmes there will be
C．when the 32nd Art Festival will be held	D．which theatres will put on performances

小題4:The main purpose in writing this text is ________.

A．to make the 32nd Art Festival known	B．to announce the plan of the art festival
C．to introduce the cost of the art festival	D．to sell a service during the art festival

There are various ways in which individual economic units can interact with one another. Three basic ways may be described as the market system, the administered system, and the traditional system.
　　In a market system individual economic units are free to interact among each other in the marketplace. It is possible to buy commodities from other economic units or sell commodities to them. In a market, transactions may take place via barter or money exchange. In a barter economy, real goods such as automobiles, shoes, and pizzas are traded against each other. Obviously, finding somebody who wants to trade my old car in exchange for a sailboat may not always be an easy task. Hence, the introduction of money as a medium of exchange eases transactions considerably. In the modern market economy, goods and services are bought or sold for money.
　　An alternative to the market system is administrative control by some agency over all transactions. This agency will issue commands as to how much of each good and service should be produced, exchanged, and consumed by each economic unit. Central planning may be one way of administering such an economy. The central plan, drawn up by the government, shows the amounts of each commodity produced by the various firms and allocated to different households for consumption. This is an example of complete planning of production, consumption, and exchange for the whole economy.
　　In a traditional society, production and consumption patterns are governed by tradition; every person’s place within the economic system is fixed by parentage, religion, and custom. Transactions take place on the basis of tradition, too. People belonging to a certain group or caste（階級(jí)） may have an obligation to care for other persons, provide them with food and shelter, care for their health, and provide for their education. Clearly, in a system where every decision is made on the basis of tradition alone, progress may be difficult to achieve. An inactive society may result.
小題1:What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To outline contrasting types of economic systems.

B．To explain the science of economics.

C．To argue for the superiority of one economic system.

D．To compare barter and money-exchange markets.

小題2:In the second paragraph, the underlined word “real” could best be replaced by _______.

A．valuable

B．concrete

C．a(chǎn)bsolute

D．reliable

小題3:According to the passage, a barter economy can generate ______.

A．rapid speed of transactions	B．misunderstandings
C．inflation	D．difficulties for the traders

小題4:According to the passage, who has the greatest degree of control in the administered system?

A．Individual households.	B．Small businesses.
C．Major corporations.	D．The government.

小題5:Which of the following is not mentioned by the author as a criterion（標(biāo)準(zhǔn)）for determining a person’s position in a traditional society?

A．Family background	B．Age
C．Religious beliefs.	D．Custom

   When I lived in Spain, some Spanish friends of mine decided to visit England by car. Before they left, they asked me for advice about how to find accommodation. I suggested that they should stay at “bed and breakfast” houses, because this kind of accommodation gives a foreign visitor a good chance to speak English with the family. My friends listened to my advice, but they came back with some funny stories.
“We didn’t stay at bed and breakfast houses,” they said, “because we found that most families were away on holiday.”
I thought this was strange. Finally I understood what had happened. My friends spoke little English, and they thought “VACANCIES” meant “holidays”, because the Spanish word for “holidays” is “vacaciones”. So they did not go to house where the sign outside said “VACABCUES”, which in English means there are free rooms. Then my friends went to house where the sign said “NO VACANCIES”, because they thought this meant the people who owned the house were not away on holiday. But they found that these houses were all full. As a result, they stayed at hotels!
We laughed about this and about mistakes my friends made in reading other signs. In Spanish, the word “DIVERSION” means fun. In English, it means that workmen are repairing the road, and that you must take a different road. When my friends saw the word ‘DIVERSION’ on a road sign, they thought they were going to have fun. Instead, the road ended in a large hole.
English people have problems too when they learn foreign languages. Once in Paris, when someone offered me some more coffee, I said “Thank you” in French. I meant that I would like some more. However, to my surprise the coffee pot was taken away! Later I found out that “Thank you” in French means “No, thank you.”
小題1: My Spanish friends wanted advice about __________.

A．learning English

B．finding places to stay in England

C．driving their car on English roads

D．going to England by car

小題2: I suggested that they stay at “bed and breakfast” houses because__________.

A．they would be able to practise their English

B．it would be much cheaper than staying in hotels

C．it would be convenient for them to have dinner

D．there would be no problem about finding accommodation there

小題3:“NO VACANCIES” in English means__________.

A．no free rooms	B．free rooms
C．not away on holiday	D．holidays

小題4:If you see a road sign that says “Diversion” in UK, you will__________.

A．fall into a hole

B．have a lot of fun and enjoy yourself

C．find that the road is blocked by crowds of people

D．have to take a different road

小題5:When someone offered me more coffee and I said “Thank you” in French, I__________.

A．didn’t really want any more coffee

B．wanted them to take the coffee pot away

C．really wanted some more coffee

D．wanted to express my politeness