Over the years, thanks to my life’s obstacles(障礙), I understood the meaning of faith and the strong will to survive. It was Hurricane Ike that made me fully____ the beauty of our strength and a human’s motivation to ____.
Mom had a two-week ____ in summer. While we enjoyed our holiday in Southeast Texas, we didn’t realize the fact that Ike ____ cause months and likely years of “l(fā)abor”. By September 7^th, the “eyes of Texas” were watching Hurricane Ike more ____, making the typical mad rush for last-minute hurricane ____. Two days later, both oil and ice were in ____ demand.
In the early hours of September 11^th, some neighbors were planning to ____the storm in their homes, ____ others were making final preparations to get away. At first, we decided to stay. But that afternoon, the Houston-Galveston area would be on the more ____ side of the storm. Mom and I packed some of our most ____ belongings in the car and ____ the East Texas town of Lufkin.
As Ike pushed farther inland, we ____power in Lufkin. On Sunday, our next-door neighbor told us via cell phone that our ____ had remained well. Our hopes could not have been ____. But a few hours later, the neighbors reported that our brick chimney had ____, and it was sitting on our living room, ____ a hole in the roof between two skylights (天窗).
We wouldn’t be allowed to return home ____ September 17^th. I climbed upstairs, and looked toward the hole in the roof which showed a beautiful blue sky.
Without hesitation, I shouted, “Wow! A third skylight!”
My neighbors could not believe I was making jokes ____ crying, but ____ is always good medicine. It was with that joke that I knew, given time, everything would be okay.

小題1:	A．observe B．a(chǎn)ppreciate C．explore D．improve

小題2:	A．work B．a(chǎn)pologize C．recover D．change

小題3:	A．vacation B．journey C．meeting D．schedule

小題4:	A．must B．might C．should D．would

小題5:	A．closely B．constantly C．warningly D．differently

小題6:	A．a(chǎn)dventure B．equipment C．supplies D．reports

小題7:	A．basic B．high C．pure D．neat

小題8:	A．get through B．put away C．test out D．suffer from

小題9:	A．since B．when C．until D．while

小題10:

A．dangerous B．a(chǎn)bundant C．peaceful D．a(chǎn)wesome

小題11:

A．a(chǎn)vailable B．concrete C．prized D．potential

小題12:

A．set out B．headed for C．settled down D．watched out

小題13:

A．provided B．reduced C．produced D．lost

小題14:

A．garden B．house C．pool D．yard

小題15:

A．clearer B．wilder C．lower D．higher

小題16:

A．passed B．stood C．gone D．followed

小題17:

A．leaving B．digging C．filling D．kicking

小題18:

A．by B．before C．until D．a(chǎn)fter

小題19:

A．in spite of B．instead of C．a(chǎn)part from D．in terms of

小題20:

A．faith B．will C．strength D．laughter

I’d meant to go to Miros that day. I’d packed my bag and was ready. The motor-boat       in on time. The sky was cloudy, but the wind wasn’t too strong for the two-hour        . I stood at my window, staring at the boat. Then I lost        of her, an old light-house partly blocked my view of the harbor. A dozen passengers were          their way there. I was about to join them --- when a man’s face          at the light-house window.
This was strange, because the light-house had been empty, unused and         for thirty years. It was stranger still --- because I’d seen that        before. I couldn’t place it but it was, or had once been, familiar to me. I opened my window and        across. “I know we’ve met before, but I can’t remember where.”
I        him to open his if he could and answer me. He did neither. The face behind the glass        motionless (靜止). Seeing him more clearly now, I knew he was not looking at me. He seemed to be looking upwards,        the clouds. How well I’d known that face, sometime, somewhere!
I         again. “We met years ago. Was it in Athens in the 1950s? I used to live in Plaka.”
He didn’t reply nor give any         that he’d heard. I went back further, to        I was in the navy. “Perhaps we met at sea during the war,” and that thought at once         him to mind. Commander Leftis! He was Commander Leftis of course! How could I have forgotten? I’d saved his life once. But surely he …
The motor-boat        her bell. I turned my eyes. The wind had risen, but she was pulling      . Laughing, I called, “Now I’ve missed her, and it’s your        , Commander!”
As the boat drew away, the face at the window faded.        minute it was there. Looking up, I could see the whites of the eyes. The       minute it was gone.
Well, I didn’t rush to the light-house. I knew that Leftis was dead. He died at sea in 1963 or 1964. But there’s one other thing I ought to tell you: the motor-boat never reached Miros. It was lost in a storm, with all the passengers.

小題1:	A．reached B．a(chǎn)rrived C．went D．came

小題2:	A．voyage B．crossing C．travel D．boating

小題3:	A．sight B．way C．patience D．chances

小題4:	A．searching B．finding C．making D．hurrying

小題5:	A．placed B．existed C．occurred D．a(chǎn)ppeared

小題6:	A．locked B．opened C．rebuilt D．chained

小題7:	A．man B．face C．window D．light-house

小題8:	A．jumped B．ran C．shouted D．screamed

小題9:	A．expected B．hoped C．believed D．a(chǎn)sked

小題10:

A．became B．remained C．seemed D．grew

小題11:

A．through B．a(chǎn)fter C．for D．a(chǎn)t

小題12:

A．persuaded B．repeated C．tried D．continued

小題13:

A．suggestion B．a(chǎn)nswer C．sign D．a(chǎn)ction

小題14:

A．when B．which C．where D．how

小題15:

A．kept B．brought C．caused D．changed

小題16:

A．beat B．rang C．turned on D．put on

小題17:

A．up B．down C．in D．out

小題18:

A．problem B．question C．duty D．fault

小題19:

A．Each B．Every C．One D．Some

小題20:

A．next B．rest C．other D．last

I consider myself something of an expert on apologies. A quick temper has　　me with plenty of opportunities to make them. In one of my earlier　　, my mother was telling me“Don’t watch the　　when you say, ‘I’m sorry’. Hold your head up and look at the person in the　　, so he’ll know you　　it. ”

My mother thus made the key point of a(n)　　apology: It must be direct. You must never　　to be doing something else. You do not　　a pile of letters while apologizing to a person　　in position after blaming him or her for a mistake that turned out to be your　　. You do not apologize to a hostess, whose guest of honor you treat　　, by sending flowers the next day without mentioning your bad　　.
One of the important things we should do for an　　apology is a readiness to　　the responsibility for our careless mistakes. We are used to making excuses, which leaves no　　for the other person to　　us. Since most people are open-hearted, the no-excuse apology leaves both parties feeling　　about themselves. That, after all, is the　　of every apology. It　　little whether the apologizer is wholly or only partly at fault. Answering for one’s　　encourages others to take their share of the blame.

小題1:	A．provided B．mixed C．compared D．treated

小題2:	A．dreams B．courses C．memories D．ideas

小題3:	A．side B．ground C．wall D．bottom

小題4:	A．mind B．soul C．face D．eye

小題5:	A．imagine B．enjoy C．mean D．regret

小題6:	A．useful B．successful C．equal D．basic

小題7:	A．pretend B．forget C．refuse D．expect

小題8:	A．hold on B．put away C．look through D．pick up

小題9:	A．poorer B．weaker C．worse D．lower

小題10:

A．fault B．reason C．result D．duty

小題11:

A．cruelly B．freely C．roughly D．foolishly

小題12:

A．manners B．excuses C．efforts D．roles

小題13:

A．a(chǎn)ctive B．effective C．extra D．easy

小題14:

A．raise B．perform C．a(chǎn)dmit D．bear

小題15:

A．situation B．need C．sign D．room

小題16:

A．a(chǎn)dvise B．forgive C．warn D．blame

小題17:

A．wiser B．warmer C．better D．cleverer

小題18:

A．purpose B．method C．end D．a(chǎn)dvantage

小題19:

A．cares B．matters C．depends D．remains

小題20:

A．facts B．states C．rights D．a(chǎn)ctions

A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps. One should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.
A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting us in age.
Men often discover their similarity to each other by the common love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, “Love me, love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this: “Love my, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond(紐帶) of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.
A good book is often the best container of a life preserving the best that life could think out; for the world of a man’s life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which become our steady companions and comforters.
Books are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay(腐朽), but good books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds, ages ago.
The great and good do not die, even in this world. Preserved in books, their spirits walked abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect(智者) to which one still listens.
小題1:The writer introduces the topic of the passage by            .

A．describing life experience of great writers

B．telling his own story of reading good books

C．presenting the best thoughts in good books

D．comparing good books to good friends in life

小題2:What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Readers feel sympathy for the author.

B．Readers live together with the author.

C．Readers and the author share the same feeling.

D．Readers are the author’s companions and comforters.

小題3:which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．We can learn about the great and good through books.

B．The most important part of a man’s life is his treasures.

C．Good books help us to know about their authors’ friends.

D．Books are often regarded as best containers in our life.

小題4:the passage mainly tells us that            .
A. one should have some good friends
B one should read as many books as possible
C. one should keep company with good books
D books are the most lasting products of human efforts

That summer an army of crickets(蟋蟀) started a war with my father. Dad didn’t care for insects much more than Mamma, but he could tolerate a few living in the basement. Mamma was a city girl and she said a cricket was just too noisy. Then to support her point she wouldn’t go to bed. She drank coffee and smoked my father’s cigarettes and paced between the sofa and the TV. Next morning she threatened to pack up and leave, so Dad drove to the store and hurried back. He sprayed poison from a jug. When he was finished he told us that was the end of it.
For a couple of weeks we went back to find dead crickets in the laundry. He suggested that we’d all be better off to hide as many as we could from Mamma. I fed a few dozen to the cat who I didn’t like because he scratched for no reason.
However, soon live crickets started showing up in the kitchen and bathroom. Mamma was upset because she thought they were the dead crickets coming back, but Dad said these were certainly new ones. He fetched his jug of poison and sprayed all over until the whole house smelled of poison, and then he sprayed the basement again.
A couple of weeks later, when both live and dead crickets kept turning up, Dad emptied the basement of junk. Then he burned a lot of old newspapers and magazines which he said the crickets had turned into nests.
While we ate supper that evening, the wind lifted some flames onto the wood pile. The only gasoline was in the lawn mower’s(割草機) fuel tank but that was enough to create an explosion big enough to reach the house. Once the roof caught, there wasn’t much anyone could do.
After the fire trucks left, Mamma took the others to Aunt Gail’s. I helped Dad and Uncle Burt carry things out of the house and pile them by the road. We worked into the night and we didn’t talk much, while all around the noise of crickets broke our silence.
小題1:What do we know about the author’s mother?

A．She didn’t like insects at all.

B．She liked insects more than his father.

C．She cared for insects very much.

D．She could only tolerate a few insects.

小題2:The author’s father drove to the store to buy _______.

A．cigarettes for himself	B．some poison
C．more coffee for his wife	D．some gasoline

小題3:The author’s father burned the old newspapers and magazines because he thought ______.

A．they were no longer useful

B．the crickets were afraid of fires

C．they became the home of crickets

D．the dead crickets came back to life

小題4:We learn from the last paragraph that ________.

A．the author’s family lost their battle against the crickets

B．the author’s parents learned to put up with insects

C．the author’s family didn’t suffer much in the fire

D．the author’s parents got divorced

It was raining. I went into a café and asked for a coffee. ____ I was waiting for my drink, I realized there were other people in the place, but I sensed ____. I saw their bodies, but I couldn’t feel their souls ____ their souls belonged to the ____.
I stood up and walked _______the tables. When I came to the biggest computer, I saw a thin, small man _____ in front of it. “I’m Steve,” he ______ answered after I asked him a couple of times what his name was. “I can’t talk with you. I’m ____,” he said. He was chatting online and, ____, he was playing a computer game – a war game. I was ______.
Why didn’t Steve want to talk with me? I tried ____ to speak to that computer geek （怪人），____ not a word came out of his mouth. I touched his shoulder, but no reaction. I was _____. I put my hand in front of the monitor, and he started to shout, “____!”
I took a few steps back, wondering if all those people in the café were looking at me. I raised my head, and saw nobody showed any interest.
      , I realized that the people there were having a nice conversation with their machines, not with people. They were more interested in having a relationship with the      , particularly Steve. I wouldn’t want to         the future of human beings if they preferred sharing their lives with machines         with people.
I was worried and sank in my thoughts. I didn’t even ____ that the coffee was bad, ____ Steve didn’t notice there was a person next to him.

小題1:	A．Before B．Since C．Although D．While

小題2:	A．pain B．loneliness C．sadness D．fear

小題3:	A．because B．when C．until D．unless

小題4:	A．home B．world C．net D．café

小題5:	A．beside B．a(chǎn)mong C．between D．on

小題6:	A．sleeping B．laughing C．sitting D．learning

小題7:	A．finally B．quickly C．patiently D．loudly

小題8:	A．busy B．thirsty C．tired D．sick

小題9:	A．first of all B．just then C．a(chǎn)t the same time D．by that time

小題10:

A．surprised B．delighted C．moved D．frightened

小題11:

A．once B．a(chǎn)gain C．first D．even

小題12:

A．but B．so C．if D．or

小題13:

A．excited B．respected C．a(chǎn)fraid D．unhappy

小題14:

A．Shut up B．Enjoy yourself C．Leave me alone D．Help me out

小題15:

A．From then on B．At that moment C．In all D．Above all

小題16:

A．computer B．soul C．shop D．geek

小題17:

A．tell B．plan C．imagine D．design

小題18:

A．other than B．instead of C．except for D．a(chǎn)s well as

小題19:

A．pretend B．understand C．insist D．realize

小題20:

A．a(chǎn)s if B．just as C．so that D．even though

During my elementary school years, I used to compare my mom with my best friend Tiffany’s mom.  
Tiffany’s mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food. Her mom allowed her to do anything she liked. I really admired Tiffany. My mom didn’t give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave myself. I was annoyed with her.
Whenever I didn’t get what I wanted, I would complain to my mom, Tiffany’s mom would give her that! I wish she were my mom. Every time, my mom would calmly say “Poor Tiffany”. I couldn’t understand her. “She shouldn’t be feeling sorry for Tiffany!” I thought. “She should be feeling sorry for me.”
One day, I couldn’t help saying to Mom, “Poor Tiffany? Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her?” I burst out crying.
My mom sat down next to me and said softly. “Yes, I do feel sorry for her. I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught.”
I looked up at her. “What are you talking about?”   
Mom said with care, “One day she will really want something. Maybe she’ll find out that she can’t have it. Her mother won’t always be around to give her money, and what’s more, money can’t buy everything.”  

It took some time, but I eventually understood my mom’s words. Now I am a happy and successful woman.   
小題1:During the author’s elementary school years, she __________.

A．wished that her mom were as good as Tiffany’s

B．went to school with Tiffany every day

C．usually compared her lesson with Tiffany’s

D．sometimes gave lots of money to Tiffany

小題2:Why did the author’s mom always say “Poor Tiffany”? 

A．She felt sorry for Tiffany because Tiffany was poor.

B．She wanted to tell a lie to comfort the author.

C．She thought that Tiffany was spoiled by her mother.

D．She told the author this and wanted her to help Tiffany.

小題3:What do we learn about the author’s mother? 

A．She was strict and taught the author to be independent.

B．She cared for other people’s children more than her own.

C．She thought that life lessons were as important as money.

D．She was so poor that she couldn’t give the author much money.

小題4:What can we infer from the passage? 

A．The author was quite annoyed with her mother in the past.

B．The author’s mother felt sorry for Tiffany.

C．Tiffany’s mother took the author’s mother’s advice.

D．The author is thankful to her mother now.

When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, "Well, it's so-and-so's fault，"or "I know I'm late, but it's not my fault; the car broke down. " It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner's key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don't rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague(同事) fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about-creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don't have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on "whose fault it is." Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.
小題1:According to the passage, winners_______________.

A．deal with problems rather than blame others

B．meet with fewer difficulties in their eyes

C．have responsible and able colleagues

D．blame themselves rather than others

小題2: The underlined word “remedy” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to    .

A．a(chǎn)void	B．a(chǎn)ccept
C．improve	D．consider

小題3:When your colleague brings about a problem, you should __          .

A．find a better way to deal with the problem

B．blame him for his lack of responsibility

C．tell him to find the cause of the problem

D．a(chǎn)sk a more able colleague for help

小題4:Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．A Winner's Achievement.	B．A Winner's Problem.
C．A Winner's Opportunity.	D．A Winner's Secret.

Sometimes people call each other "freaked-cat", but have you ever thought about this expression? When a cat is frightened, its heart starts beating faster, its muscles get tense, and there are changes in the chemicals in its bloodstream．Although the cat doesn't realize this, its body is getting ready for action．If the danger continues, the animal will do one of two things．It will defend itself, or it will run away as fast as it can．
Something like this also happens to people．When we are excited, angry, scared, or aroused by other emotions （feelings）, our bodies go through many physical changes．Our hearts beat faster, and our muscles get tense．All of these changes make us more alert and ready to react．We, too．get ready to defend ourselves or run．
Human beings, however, have a problem that animals never face．If we give way to our feelings and let them take over, we can get into trouble．Have you ever said something in anger —or hit somebody—and regretted it later? Have you ever shouted at a teacher, told somebody you were lonely, or said you were in love, and then wished later you had kept your mouth shut?
It isn't always clever to express your feelings freely．
Does this mean that it's smarter always to hide our feelings? No! If you keep feelings of anger, sadness, and bitterness hidden away or bottled up inside, your body stays tense．Physical illness can develop．It can actually be bad for your health．（It isn't good to keep pleasant feelings inside either; all feelings need to be expressed．）
Feelings that you keep all bottled up inside don't just go away．It's as if you bought some bananas and stuck them in a cupboard．You might not be able to see them．but before long you' d smell them．And if you opened the cupboard, chances are that you'd see little fruit flies flying all over them．They'd be rotten．
You can try to treat emotions as if they were bananas in the cupboard．You can hide them and you can pretend they don't exist, but they'll still be around．And at last you'll have to deal with them．just like those bananas．
小題1:The best title for this article is_____．

A．Emotions Affect Our Bodies

B．What Happens to A Frightened Cat

C．What Happens to An Excited Person

D．Feelings That People Have

小題2:What does the word "freaked" mean in the first sentence?

A．excited

B．scared

C．a(chǎn)ngry

D．shocked

小題3:According to the passage, we may conclude that we human beings_____．

A．have fewer problems than animals

B．have the same problems as animals

C．have more problems than animals

D．have cleverer problems than animals

小題4:If you hold in your feelings,_____．

A．gradually they'll disappear

B．they won't exist any more

C．they will fly all over

D．your body stays tense

小題5:The author wrote this article in order to_____．

A．tell us that it isn't good to keep feelings inside

B．give us some advice on how to express our feelings

C．make us face the problem that we have to deal with feelings

D．make us know that it isn't always wise to express our feelings freely

I once had a friend that was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the news that he might only live up to six months was a great shock to him, his family, and his friends. However, in spite of the serious illness, he was initially determined to look into all available treatments that might cure or extend his life. I think that when you find yourself in such situations, you tend to look up every possible way for hope of saving your life.
As months went on and his health grew worse, I noticed an unexpected change in attitude that came over him. He had also been a happy person with a cheerful personality, but rather than give in to discouragement and self-pity, he took comfort in God and humanity. His talks focused on others rather than himself, and he spoke of the afterlife as something he was prepared for, believing that his concerned ancestors, including his mother and father, were there waiting for him.
During the last few months, weeks, and days of his life, he was kindly cared for by family, friends, his loving wife, who looked after both his physical and emotional needs, and workers from a local hospice (安養(yǎng)院) came to the home to regulate his medication and provide any other needed support. He didn't complain about his fate, and he willingly allowed others to serve him.
Indeed, one might think why God allows death and suffering in our world, but for me, such experiences taught me to value family more and kindness for others. You often can't learn these important attributes in the lap of luxury, and perhaps, such an experience is the greatest and final gift the illness can give those left behind.
小題1:What did the man do after he first learned of his illness?

A．He was operated on immediately.

B．He retired from his job.

C．He researched cancer treatments.

D．He felt sad, doing nothing.

小題2:What was the man's main source of comfort after several months with the disease? 

A．His family and friends.

B．His belief in humanity.

C．His doctors’ encouragement.

D．The care from others.

小題3:What did the author learn from his friend’s story?

A．Giving more respect to friends.

B．Extending life as possible.

C．Caring for yourself and enjoying luxury.

D．Getting comfort from God.

小題4:What does the author mainly want to tell?

A．All people will face death, and thus, we must prepare for it spiritually.

B．Our characters can be strengthened by such an unpleasant situation.

C．Families provide the best support system during such a crisis.

D．People should help those who have got serious illness.