The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and lives in Antarctica. The male and female are similar in size, reaching 122 cm in height and weighing anywhere from 22 to 45 kg. The back and head are black, contrasting sharply with the pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ears. Like all penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and their wings stiffen and flatten into flippers(鰭狀肢) for a marine habitat.
Its diet consists primarily of fish, but can also include animals with hard shells. In hunting, the species can remain underwater up to 18 minutes, diving to a depth of 535 m. Its unusually structured hemoglobin(血紅蛋白)allows it to function at low oxygen levels.
The emperor penguin is perhaps best known for the journeys adults make each year in order to mate and to feed their babies. The only penguin species that breeds(繁殖) during the Antarctic winter, it goes on a long journey of 50-120 km over the ice to breeding areas which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated(孵化)by the male while the female returns to the sea to feed; parents take turns searching for food at sea and caring for their chick. They both care for the chick until it is able to enter the water to find food on its own. During the process of incubation, the male can lose up to 1/3 to 1/2 of his body weight. One of the coolest things about the male is that if the chick comes out its egg before the female returns, the male can actually produce a special liquid to feed the chick. He can only do this for a short time. If the female doesn’t return, he must leave the chick to go on with his own life. The emperor penguin can typically live for 20 years in the wild, although observations suggest that some individual may live to 50 years of age.
小題1:We can learn from paragraph 1 that ____.

A．the emperor penguin is the world’s largest kind of penguin

B．the emperor penguin has pale-yellow ears

C．the male and female emperor penguins are of different sizes

D．the emperor penguin lives in the most northern area on the Earth

小題2:The emperor penguin can stay underwater for a long time mainly because of its ____.

A．strong wings

B．streamlined body

C．structured hemoglobin

D．special diet

小題3:The emperor penguin differs from other penguin species in that ____.

A．it gives birth in the Antarctic winter	B．it feeds mainly on fish
C．the male won’t search for food on his own	D．it can only live for a short time

小題4:According to the passage, ____.

A．the egg of the emperor penguin is mainly incubated by the female

B．many emperor penguins will stay together to breed

C．the male emperor penguin will give up his own life to feed the chick

D．the female emperor penguin will leave the chick forever once it lays an egg

It’s interesting that the arrival of snow has a different effect on people in different countries. For some countries it is an important happening to celebrate each year, while for others it is a catastrophe (災難).
There are countries between these two extremes that normally expect snow some time over the winter months, but never receive snow regularly or in the same quantities every year. Britain is one such country, for which the arrival of snow quite simply creates problems. Within hours of the first snowfall, however light, roads are blocked, trains and buses stop in the middle of traffic. Normal communications are affected as well, telephone calls become difficult and the post immediately takes more time than usual. Almost within hours, there are also shortages(缺乏) –bread, vegetables and other things – not because all these things can no longer be produced or sent to shops, but mainly because people are frightened, and go out to store up these commodities, “just for fear that something bad should happen.”
Why then does snow have this effect? After all, the Swiss, Austrians and Canadians don’t have such problems. It is simply because there is not enough plan and preparation. We need money to buy equipment to deal with snow and ice. To keep the roads clear, for example, requires snow ploughs and machines to spread salt. The reason why a country like Britain does not buy some ploughs is that they are only used for a few days in any one year, and the money could be more useful in other things such as hospital education or helping the old.
小題1:According to the writer, Britain is a country____.

A．which has regular snow	B．which is not well prepared for snow
C．for which snow is not a catastrophe	D．for which snow is a wonder

小題2:The arrival of snow in Britain affects all of the following except____

A．traffic

B．communication

C．food supplies

D．service quality

小題3:After a few hours’ snowing there are often shortages of food because______

A．shops have closed down	B．people buy as much as they can
C．farmers can’t produce any more	D．people eat more vegetables in winter

小題4:The first reason why the British don’t buy snow ploughs is that______

A．spreading salt is good enough	B．old people need more money
C．snow ploughs are not used often	D．the hospital is more important

We've all heard the old saying，“Sticks and stones can break my bones，but words can never hurt me.” Don't you believe it？Words are powerful，and they can hurt—a lot. In fact，if you're not careful，you can even hurt yourself，by using the wrong word in your writing.
Recently a friend sent me a copy of an e-mail she received from the customer service department of her credit card company，after she contacted them with a question about her account. She was happy with their positive response. But as I read the e-mail，one line jumped out at me：“In lieu of good customer service...”
Did they really mean they were offering her a few extra reward points instead of good customer service？I doubt it. More likely，what the customer service department meant to say was，“Because good customer service is important to us...” followed by the details of what they were doing to make sure she remained a happy customer.
So why didn't the writer say that？I can only guess that perhaps the writer liked the phrase “in lieu of”，thought it sounded more interesting than saying “because”，and so used it—without bothering to check the true meaning.
Have you ever done that？Try to impress others with a big word，only to find out you've used the word incorrectly？It's just the opposite effect，isn't it？You may impress people all right，but it's not the impression you were going for.
When you write，remember to choose your words carefully. People may still disagree with what you say，but they won't be able to dismiss you because you made careless mistakes in how you said it.
小題1:What's the writer's purpose in giving the saying?

A．To amuse the reader.	B．To persuade the reader.
C．To support a conclusion.	D．To lead to the topic.

小題2:What does the phrase “in lieu of” most probably mean?

A．Because of

B．In honour of

C．Instead of

D．In favour of

小題3:According to the writer，the customer service department ______.

A．didn't prefer to use familiar words to attract customers

B．didn't express what they really meant

C．didn't need to offer their customers extra reward points

D．succeeded in impressing their customers

I am a single mom and have a child. Knowing that I could not __21__ to get him anything at all for his birthday, I felt broken-hearted. __22__ I decided to post a(n) __23__ on “Wish Upon A Hero” website for people to __24__ my son birthday cards. I knew he loved to __25__ the mailbox and always asked if there was anything for him. I __26__ that if he could get a few cards, it would make him smile and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be so __27__ that I wasn't able to get him anything. The cards just started __28__ in and my little sweetie was __29__ excited! Every day more and more cards came and this went__30__ for about three weeks. The smile on his face and the sparkle in his eyes brought me to __31__. At the end of November, he started thinking about Christmas and he __32__ knew that there would not be much under the tree for him due to my __33__，but it didn't seem to __34__ to him. All he talked about was how much he wanted to make other children __35__. He decided that what he wanted to do was earn money to buy Christmas cards and send them to other children from __36__ families. My son went out daily to make money. Not only did he make the money to buy the cards, but he also made enough money to buy all the stamps and lollipops (棒棒糖) to put in the __37__. He sent out about 100 cards. Doing this __38__ him the same smile and sparkle in his eyes as the birthday cards that he had received did. I was and am so __39__ of him. My son and “Wish Upon A Hero” have given me renewed __40__ that there are still people in this world that care about others.

小題1:	A．agree B．pretend C．expect D．afford

小題2:	A．Instead B．However C．So D．Besides

小題3:	A．picture B．job C．wish D．advertisement

小題4:	A．show B．sell C．design D．send

小題5:	A．check B．produce C．address D．receive

小題6:	A．explained B．thought C．regretted D．promised ．

小題7:	A．angry B．curious C．upset D．strange

小題8:	A．breaking B．happening C．pouring D．improving

小題9:	A．absolutely B．eventually C．generously D．attentively

小題10:

A．away B．off C．up D．on

小題11:

A．surprise B．difficulty C．respect D．tears

小題12:

A．already B．still C．even D．never

小題13:

A．support B．strengths C．finances D．instructions

小題14:

A．matter B．object C．belong D．refer

小題15:

A．understand B．change C．continue D．smile

小題16:

A．ordinary B．poor C．familiar D．distant

小題17:

A．mailbox B．house C．cards D．stamps

小題18:

A．saved B．brought C．owed D．taught

小題19:

A．proud B．careful C．aware D．full

小題20:

A．excuse B．suggestion C．doubt D．hope

Knowing how to communicate well needs very personal attention between you and another human being. Is there a better way to learn how to communicate effectively? Yes, there is. Please follow the 3 basic steps below.
1. Relax and Breathe.
Whether it’s a business meeting or the first date, the first thing you must do in order to communicate is to relax. When you relax you are in control. You control your reactions and your reactions do not control you. Breathing is central to relaxation. Take a few deep breaths and your body will begin to be more at ease. This will help you apply what you already know about how to communicate well.
2. Think and you will be prepared.
Have you ever heard the old saying, "think before you speak"? Well, it is true. By thinking ahead about how the conversation might flow, you will be better prepared, more at ease and more confident.
3. Follow the flow of the conversation.
If you are uncomfortable, being silent will only make it worse and make the other person uncomfortable as well. So when all else fails, follow through with small talk until a common topic appears.
A good way to keep a conversation going is to ask the other person questions. People love to talk about themselves and if you do this they will think very highly of you. Learning good communication skills is not something out of reach. If you make an effort, you will succeed.
小題1:Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．Preparation and Conversation	B．How to Communicate with Anyone You Meet
C．Personal attention and Communication	D．How to Keep Your Conversation Going

小題2:If you want to talk with others successfully, the most important thing you should do is      .

A．to follow the flow of the conversation.

B．to take as many deep breaths as possible

C．to make a good preparation for the conversation

D．to keep calm and relax yourself fully

小題3:Why does relaxation play an important part in your good communication?

A．Because it can help you put your communication skills that you know into use.

B．Because it will help you organize good sentences for your communication.

C．Because it can help you keep excited and react quickly in the communication.

D．Because no one likes to communicate with a nervous person.

小題4: If you feel uncomfortable, you’d better        .

A．keep silence in order to give the chance of speaking to others

B．talk small things until you find a topic you both like

C．speak freely so as to run across the topic you like

D．ask questions which you are interested in

小題5: What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence?

A．Good communication skills can be learned if you try.

B．You will be good at communication if you try.

C．Not all people can learn good communication skills.

D．Communication skills can be improved easily.

How to improve my life? Many people think that they have to accept whatever life throws at them. They'll say, "This is my fate, my destiny. I cannot change it."
Of course not! You don't have to suffer needlessly. Your destiny depends on you, not on any other external factors.
I know someone who says she just accepts what life gives her because she has done everything she can to improve it. Guess what her lifestyle is? She wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes back home, relaxes, chats with people, watches TV, then goes to sleep. Next day, the same routine cycle follows.
Huh! Is this what she calls "doing her best"? She believes she has tried her best and just accepts it in her heart that this is the life that God has intended for her to live; that her luck can only change if God wills it.  Of course God wants us to be happy and live our life to the fullest, but we have to do our share of exerting(運用) the effort to live the life of our dreams.
Remember that you reap what you sow. You just don't sit around and wait for a million dollars to fall from the sky. You have to get off the couch, get your eyes off the TV screen, get your hands off the phone. Don’t expect your luck to change unless you do something about it. If something goes wrong, don't just regard it as a temporary setback; but use it as feedback. Learn your lesson, make the most of the situation, and do something to solve the problem. It's not enough to think positively; you also have to act positively.
If someone's life is in the trouble, do you just hope and pray that things will turn out fine? Of course not! You get to do anything you can to save the person. So it is with your own life. It is not enough to hope for the best, but you have to do your best. In other words, don't just stand (or sit ) there, do something to improve your life.
小題1:According to the woman mentioned in Para.3, her life ____________. 

A．Doesn't need improving	B．couldn't be improved
C．will be better some day	D．Will be worse in the future

小題2:What does the author think of the woman's life?

A．positive

B．satisfying

C．colorful

D．passive

小題3:Which of the following statements is the author's opinion?

A．Your temporary problem is not discouraging.

B．Your luck can be changed by your efforts

C．You can only achieve success when God wills it.

D．You should treat yourself in the way you treat friends.

小題4:In Para.5, the author emphasized the importance of _____________.

A．positive action

B．positive thinking

C．hope for the best

D．intention to succeed

小題5:The text is mainly written to advise you to ____________.

A．understand yourself	B．improve your life
C．believe in yourself	D．change your normal way

When I was 11, my grandfather began to teach me how to drive. I was a fast learner. At 16, I was already a   1  driver. However, when I passed into adulthood, I began to get speeding tickets. For me, this did not reflect one’s   2  as a driver. So I   3  to drive as fast as I could.
Then in September of 2005, I received a letter   4 my presence to discuss my future   ___5  rights. As I sat down, a man began to unfold my file. I was   6  to see my record was five pages long. The man gave me two   7 . I could turn in my   8  and not drive for three months or continue driving, but without tickets for one year. With two kids and a busy practice, I went with the second choice.
After the meeting, I had lunch with my friend, Nick. He noticed that my eating habits        ___9  my driving habits. Nick told me that my attention was   10  paid to the destination and not the process of getting there. The car gives fun, allowing me to get to my   __11  much faster. However, after reaching it, I was never truly satisfied because I   12_  the messages and lessons of the journey.
After the two  13 , I began to transform myself. I now enjoy driving, often taking the most scenic route. I have also slowed my   14  down, enjoying each bite as I go. Learning   15  is really a big lesson for me.
1. A. lucky         B. skilled         C. careless          D. poor
2. A. interest          B. belief            C. ability              D. character
3. A. stopped       B. wanted           C. began             D. continued
4. A. requesting        B. hoping           C. suggesting        D. planning
5. A. driving           B. swimming          C. diving               D. living
6. A. disappointed  B. depressed         C. surprised        D. terrified
7. A. tickets           B. choices           C. letters           D. pages
8. A. license           B. money            C. evidence          D. file
9. A. affected      B. matched           C. suited           D. caused
10. A. totally          B. partly            C. slowly           D. slightly
11. A. destination  B. process           C. place            D. journey
12. A. understood   B. lacked            C. gained           D. ignored
13. A. surveys      B. events            C. debates           D. arguments
14. A. working      B. driving           C. walking          D. eating
15. A. honesty      B. understanding     C. patience         D. carelessness

For many years there’s been a debate about rewarding our children. Does it work? Is it effective?
Some people think we should establish a standard with our kids and give them something for meeting this standard as a reward. Punishment is given out in much the same way, but it’s used when certain standards of performance, behavior, etc. have not been met. Kids will often become more dutiful when threatened with punishment, and work harder when promised a valuable reward. The problem is what happens when you aren’t around.
To develop responsible, self-disciplined kids, parents need to promote certain ideas. One of these ideas is that everyone pitches in and helps in your family. Another idea is that there can be enjoyment in doing any task if we choose to make it so. When a task is for a worthy cause ( our family can enjoy the house more because I helped clean it), this message can have a big impact.
This is how we help our kids develop a sense of responsibility. When our children develop this responsibility, they’ll be more disciplined, and they’ll control their emotions better. When we give rewards to our kids, we reduce the sense of responsibility. We also create children who may temporarily perform to a certain standard, but who aren’t likely to continue the performance without the carrot hanging in front of them. 
“Rewards and punishment can change behavior for a while, but they cannot change the person who engages in the behavior,” said Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards. “Good values have to be grown from the inside out.” Parents can help give their children a sense of shared responsibility and discipline which can last a life time. The real rewards that your children receive will be their readiness for the complex and demanding world that waits for them—a world that rewards those who have learned the secrets of discipline responsibility. So keep those shiny rewarding to yourself, and let your kids find their own rewards.
小題1:According to the passage, when children are threatened with punishment, ______.

A．they may lose interest in their work

B．they may appear to be well-behaved

C．they may change to another person

D．the results will be worse than usual

小題2:What can we know from Paragraph 3?

A．Parents should promote certain ideas to help children develop.

B．Children should be responsible for their discipline.

C．Children should help build a good family atmosphere.

D．No children will adapt to society without their parents’ help

小題3: The underlined part “the carrot” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to _____.

A．rewards

B．aims

C．apologies

D．doubts

小題4:According to the passage, Alfie Kohn would agree that parents should ______.

A．never pay attention to the way their children do things

B．show their children how to behave by example

C．never punish their children

D．help their children establish good values

小題5:What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Do you often reward your children?

B．Should parents reward their children?

C．When should parents reward their children?

D．What can parents reward their children with?

閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個選項（A, B, C 和D）中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
The ringing of the phone runs through my head, telling me someone needs help. I pick it up and    1   the routine, “Teen Lifeline, this is Amber.” About 45 minutes later I hang up, feeling pleased because I’ve helped another teen. Volunteering at Teen Lifeline has helped me realize how to deal with my own    2   and help others.
“My mom is always fighting with me. I want to run away.” Some teens feel their    3   is a prison, rather than a place of shelter and safety. They feel parents are only there to make their lives    4  . We try to help the teens realize the danger they could be in    5   giving them advice. All we can do is to ask questions. We also try to find out where the teens would go and how they would survive. We give them a phone number if they     6   don’t want to live in their “prison”.
“I don’t want to    7   any more” is something we hear, and suicide (自殺) calls are some of the hardest to    8  . We try to discover why they want to take their lives and how serious they are by asking them to rate it on a scale of one to ten. One means they are    9   suicide but haven’t decided how, and ten means they are always thinking about it and have a    10   . We ask them to make a promise that they will not hurt themselves. And sometimes we ask for their telephone numbers    11  we can call back to make sure that they are okay.
Although many calls are about relatively    12   problems, volunteering at Teen Lifeline has helped me realize I’m not the    13   person with problems, and has taught me how to    14   with my heart. I have made a    15   and saved many lives — possibly even my own, too.  
1.  A. set             B. stop             C. change           D. start
2.  A. decisions      B. disadvantages    C. problems        D. opinions
3.  A. school           B. home         C. bedroom          D. classroom
4.  A. simple         B. unusual           C. happy       D. terrible
5.  A. for             B. of           C. without          D. besides
6.  A. even           B. almost          C. still                D. mostly
7.  A. live            B. study            C. call            D. listen
8.  A. carry out       B. deal with        C. believe in       D. find out
9.  A. accepting       B. considering      C. objecting           D. giving
10.  A. plan            B. doubt            C. purpose          D. question
11.  A. in case         B. if               C. so that           D. when
12.  A. important       B. small            C. normal          D. typical
13.  A. very            B. only             C. exact           D. possible
14.  A. write            B. see               C. learn             D. listen
15.  A. difference     B. choice           C. promise          D. decision

“Everybody loves a bargain.” One person's useless, ugly, or broken object can be another person's bargain. That is why so many Americans do not throw things away. They put them outside their houses. They put on a “For Sale” sign. And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale.         
The sellers put a paid announcement(付費通告)in a local newspaper. It tells when and where the yard sale will take place. These sales are very popular during weekends in spring, summer, and autumn. Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house. Then they sit all day in the sunlight----like tired guests at a party----waiting for someone to take them home.
Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale. Sometimes, there are more clothes than anything else. Cooking equipment is also popular. So are old toys, tools, books, tables and chairs. Then there are objects called “white elephants”. A white elephant is something you think is extremely ugly or useless. It may be an electric light shaped like a fish. You feel a sharp pain whenever you look at it. To someone else, however, it might be a thing of beauty and joy.
Some people go to yard sales to find a special thing that they collect. It may be old toy trains, for example, or painting of dogs. Experts say more Americans are collecting old things now than ever before. Most people who go to yard sales, however, are not looking for anything special. They might buy an object simply because it costs so little. They enjoy negotiating(談判) over prices, even if they really do not need the object. Later, they may hold their own yard to sell all the things they have bought.
小題1:What kind of things will go to a yard sale?

A．Cheap and ugly things.	B．Things people no longer use.
C．Things out of season.	D．Things of great value.

小題2:A white elephant refers to _________.

A．something that can cause a feeling of pain

B．something disliked by the owners while appreciated by others

C．something sold at the lowest prices

D．a toy shaped like a fish

小題3:Most people go to yard sales to________.

A．find valuable paintings	B．look for something special
C．find a bargain	D．kill their time

小題4:Which of the following is NOT true about a yard sale?

A．It may not be held when the weather is very cold.

B．It can last for a whole day.

C．It is usually held with a party.

D．It is held outdoors.

小題5:We can infer from the last paragraph that__________.

A．people may find something of great value on a yard sale

B．yard sales only attract those who have a low income

C．things on a yard sale can cost people a lot

D．most people don’t want to go to yard sales.