More than a third of the babies born this year could receive a 100th birthday message from whoever happens to be on the throne in the second decade of the 22nd century, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It forecasts that 35% of the 826,000 people born in 2012 will live to become centenarians.
But a long life is not unalloyed good news. David Sinclair, head of policy and research at the International Longevity Centre UK, warned that for many the future may mean social isolation(隔離）as they live longer than friends and members of their families.
"It is of course good news that so many more people are living longer," he said, "but there is a big 'but¹. We will be older, but in worse health, and at high risk of living alone. The other problem is that we are very poor at forward planning. We deal with the problems that are under our noses, but even problems two or three years away seem quite distant enough to put off.When you're talking about forecasts for a time half a century away and more, I see no evidence that we are putting in place the measures to deal with it."
This year there will be 14,500 centenarians in the UK, a number which is expected to increase to 110,000 in 2035.
Women have higher life expectancies than men at every age: the likelihood of a girl born this year reaching her century is estimated to be 39%; for boys the figure is 32%.
The estimated number of female centenarians has risen from 500 in 1961 to more than 10,000 in 2010，a figure which is projected to reach 71,000 by 2035 and 276,000 by 2060.
Men are also living far longer, although their numbers are far fewer. There were an estimated 92 male centenarians in 1961 and just below 2,000 in 2010.
小題1:The underlined word centenarians probably means people who_____.

A．a(chǎn)re born this year	B．live longer than their friends
C．a(chǎn)re in poor health	D．a(chǎn)re a hundred or more years old

小題2:From what David Sinclair said, we can learn_____.

A．he doesn't believe so many people are living longer

B．the older we are, the more likely we are to live alone and in poor health

C．the people who are good at forward planning are likely to live longer

D．too distant planning is not always necessary for most of us

小題3:Which of the following statement is true?

A．About 289，100 people born in 2012 will live to 100.

B．More men will reach their century than women in the future.

C．The number of the female centenarians was 1,000 in 1970s

D．More than 600 people reached their century in 1961.

小題4:What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．A long life is not always good news.

B．A long life also means social and physical isolation

C．In the future, more people will live to 100 in the UK.

D．It is good to live to 100.

Many of us mistakenly believe that it’s wrong to think we have any good qualities. We may spend a lot of time blaming ourselves for our negative qualities, thinking that self criticism is the key to improving our performance. However, a constant focus on our supposed shortcomings can stop our efforts to make friends with other people. How can we believe that others could like us if we believe our inner being is flawed?
If someone seems to dislike you, the reason for that dislike might have little or nothing to do with you. The person who doesn’t like you might be fearful, or shallow or busy or shy. Perhaps you and that person are simply a mismatch for each other at this particular time.
Don’t take yourself out of the game by deciding that your flaws are bigger than your good qualities. In fact, some of the very qualities you consider to be flaws may be irresistible to someone else. Although some factors that might cause one person to reject you, there are at least many factors that will work in your favor.
You might be thirty pounds over your ideal weight, but you may have a wonderful laugh and a real enthusiasm for life. There are many people who don’t mind your extra pounds. You may drive a shabby car, but you might be a great dancer and a loyal friend. There are people out there  looking for loyalty, or fun, or sweetness, or wisdom, and the package it comes in is not important. If you are worried that you are not beautiful enough to attract friends, keep in mind that not everyone is looking for physical beauty in their friends. You can decide to feel inferior because you don’t have much money and you don’t drive a nice car. You can believe that this is the reason                                       
that you don’t have many friends in your life. On the other hand, if you are very wealthy you may be suspicious that everyone is after your money and that nobody really likes you as a person.
The point is that you can focus on just about anything and believe it’s the reason you do not have friends and cannot make any.
小題1:According to the passage,         plays an important role in making friends.

A．a(chǎn)dmitting your shortcomings	B．self criticism
C．modesty	D．confidence

小題2:If you are not liked by a person,        .

A．you should find the reason in yourself

B．you’d better talk with the person face to face

C．you may not be the one to be blamed

D．you and that person misunderstand each other

小題3:We can learn from the third paragraph that        .

A．your good qualities may make you earn more money

B．your weakness may also be your strengths in some way

C．your negative qualities may cause you to lose friends

D．you’ll have few friends if you don’t share the same interest

小題4: Which of the following is TRUE according to the author?

A．It is important to lose weight.

B．It is easier for a wealthy person to make friends.

C．Inner qualities are more important than physical appearance.

D．If you are not beautiful enough, try to improve your physical beauty.

小題5:What do you think the author is most likely to suggest if he continues to write?

A．How to find your good qualities.	B．How to make friends.
C．How to make self criticism.	D．How to keep fit.

There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as an external（外部的） result or product that can easily be identified and measured. The worker who gets a promotion, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language--- all these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts.
By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since by definition it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way. The process is not the road itself, but rather the attitudes and feelings people have, their caution or courage, as they go through new experiences and unexpected obstacles. In this process, the journey never really ends; there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept.
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to be faced with the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first. How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is essential to our ability to grow.
These feelings of insecurity and self – doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow. If we do not face and overcome these internal fears and doubts, if we protect ourselves too much, then we cease to grow. We become trapped inside a shell of our own making.
小題1:A person is generally believed to achieve personal growth when______..

A．he has given up his smoking habit

B．he has made great efforts in his work

C．he is interested in making anything new

D．he has tried to determine where he is on his journey

小題2:In the author’s eyes, one who views personal growth as a process would______.

A．judge his ability to grow from his own achievements

B．succeed in climbing up the social ladder

C．face difficulties and take up challenges

D．a(chǎn)im high and reach his goal each time

小題3:When the author says “a new way of being” (para. 3), he is referring to _____.

A．a(chǎn) new way of taking risks

B．a(chǎn) new approach to experiencing the world

C．a(chǎn) new system of adapting to change

D．a(chǎn) new method of finding ourselves

小題4:For personal growth, the author may not support __________.

A．curiosity and more chances

B．being quick in self – adaptation

C．open – minded to new experiences

D．a(chǎn)voidance of internal fears and doubts

When I was a child, my parents taught me the difference between good and bad behavior by showing me specific examples. My mother told me that you don’t   36  other kids because you would not like    37  if they hit you. That makes   38   . But, if my mother told me to be “nice” to someone, it was too vague for me to   39 . But if she said that being nice               40   delivering daffodils to a next door neighbor, that I could understand.
I believe that doing practical things can  41   the world a better place. When I was in my twenties I thought a lot about the meaning of life. At the time, I was getting started in my  42    of designing more humane facilities for animals at big farms and slaughterhouses(屠宰場(chǎng)). Many people would think that to even work at a slauterhouse would be inhumane, but they   43  that every human and animal   44  dies. In my mind, I had a(n)   45   of a way to make tht dying as   46  as possible.
Back in the 1970s, I went to fifty different feedlots and big farms in Arizona and Texas and       47  them work cattle. I cataloged the parts of each facility that ­  48  effectively. I took the best loading ramps, and other components and  49    them into an ideal new system. I get great   50  when a farmer tells me that my corral (畜欄)  51  helps cattle move through it quietly and   52 . When cattle stay calm, it means they are not scared. And that makes me feel I’ve    53  something important.
Some people might think if I could snap my   54  I’d choose to be “normal”. But, I wouldn’t want to give up my    55   to see in beautiful, precise pictures. I believe in them.

小題1:	A．knock B．hit C．beat D．strike

小題2:	A．this B．which C．it D．that

小題3:	A．sense B．difference C．sail D．way

小題4:	A．recognize B．realize C．know D．understand

小題5:	A．meant B．minded C．missed D．a(chǎn)dmitted

小題6:	A．give B．turn C．make D．take

小題7:	A．job B．career C．trade D．industry

小題8:	A．regret B．remember C．forgive D．forget

小題9:	A．constantly B．eventually C．immediately D．directly

小題10:

A．description B．scene C．picture D．image

小題11:

A．peaceful B．calm C．quiet D．silent

小題12:

A．required B．a(chǎn)sked C．promised D．helped

小題13:

A．solved B．worked C．a(chǎn)cted D．conducted

小題14:

A．collected B．gathered C．a(chǎn)ssembled D．met

小題15:

A．satisfaction B．expectation C．explanation D．presentation

小題16:

A．a(chǎn)im B．intention C．plan D．design

小題17:

A．hardly B．difficultly C．easily D．happily

小題18:

A．reached B．a(chǎn)ccomplished C．a(chǎn)dapted D．polished

小題19:

A．fingers B．hands C．a(chǎn)rms D．feet

小題20:

A．skill B．possibility C．talent D．a(chǎn)bility

What is it that you love to do but never feel that you get it quite right? Perhaps you don't even try any more because you think what you do is not  36  enough.
Discouragement seems to follow us a good part of the time,   37  whatever it is that we work so hard doing, it seems that there is    38   someone else who can do it much better.
I have always enjoyed music and it is    39   to me that every musician has a    40  of their own. My father__41   several instruments and when he played with others, it was not difficult to ___42  his sound in a group. Whether it was guitar or another instrument, he had his own  43 sound.
I  44  read of a music teacher who commented to a discouraged student, “   45   else can make the sound that you make. The sound that you make may not be the same as someone else's but who is to say which is     46   . ” It is said that, “   47    is in the eye of the beholder（觀看者）, ” perhaps it could be said that “a delightful sound is in the ear of the    48   . ”
Every person has a different tone of voice that     49  only to them,     50    we all know people with an unforgettable laugh or a way of     51    that is unique to them. It might not be the sound of your music or your voice at all. It      52    be the way you whistle or the sound of your footsteps.
Each person has a（an）   53 on the world in some way. Someone else can do what you do, but they cannot do it   54  the same way that you do it. The next time you feel   55 , remember “Nobody else can make the sound that you make. ”

小題1:	A．easy B．hard C．simple D．good

小題2:	A．when B．a(chǎn)lthough C．because D．if

小題3:	A．seldom B．sometimes C．never D．a(chǎn)lways

小題4:	A．satisfying B．interesting C．inspiring D．convincing

小題5:	A．gift B．song C．life D．sound

小題6:	A．created B．designed C．played D．checked

小題7:	A．pick out B．call up C．turn down D．give off

小題8:	A．special B．powerful C．perfect D．loud

小題9:	A．even B．yet C．once D．still

小題10:

A．Nobody B．Somebody C．Anybody D．Everybody

小題11:

A．bigger B．deeper C．better D．lower

小題12:

A．interest B．beauty C．patience D．honesty

小題13:

A．speaker B．receiver C．looker D．listener

小題14:

A．belongs B．a(chǎn)dds C．a(chǎn)dapts D．devotes

小題15:

A．but B．yet C．for D．a(chǎn)nd

小題16:

A．speaking B．walking C．jumping D．running

小題17:

A．must B．would C．might D．could

小題18:

A．effect B．opinion C．duty D．choice

小題19:

A．carefully B．exactly C．cautiously D．seriously

小題20:

A．a(chǎn)nnoyed B．puzzled C．bothered D．discouraged

All my life I had loved airports．To me，they were fl kind of magic gateway to the world，but today it seemed like a cold and heartless place．
“Well，here we are，the airport，"my sister said with fl sigh．As 1 watched her unload my luggage，I could see the sadness in her eyes．One last hug and a final good-bye and I would be on my way to a new lire abroad，leaving my beloved sister behind．
I looked at my sister and even though her eyes were filled with tears，she was trying to keep a brave face．“You’d better go or you’ll miss your flight，”she said．
“I am just going to walk away and not look back，” I said． As I held her one last time she whispered，“Don’t worry about me，I’ll be fine．"“I’ll miss you，” I replied with tears in my eyes．As I promised，I did not look back。but 1 was sobbing．To me it was the end of the world．
While boarding the plane 1 was still crying．I did not have the energy to put my bag in the overhead locker, so I put it on the empty seat next to mine．As I settled into my chair， a feeling of sadness overwhelmed（淹沒(méi)） me．I felt like my best friend had just been taken away from me．
The plane shook heavily and the bag fell，with some stuff spreading on the floor．When I bent over to gather the things up，I saw an unfamiliar little book in the middle of my belongings．It was not until I picked it up that I realized that it was a diary．
Immediately I recognized my sister’s handwriting．“Hi，Sis，What a day it has been today．First you let me know that you are moving abroad and then my boss…”My sister had been keeping a diary for the past month and she was now passing it on to me．I was to write in it for the next couple of months and then send it back to her．Even though a large ocean separated us，at some point it felt like she was actually there．
小題1:The writer started to cry         .

A．when she watched her sister unload her luggage

B．when she held her sister one last time

C．when she settled hherself into her chair

D．when she was boarding the plane

小題2:what had the writer thought about airports before she separated from her sister?

A．Airports brought freedom．

B．Airports were on the top of her love．

C．Airports led to the wonderful world．

D．Airports were fl cold and heartless place．

小題3:From the writer’s and her sister’s tears，we can see        .

A．they loved each other very much

B．they felt sad about the new life

C．they were afraid of the separation

D．it was the end of the world to them

小題4:What do we know about the diary from the passage?

A．The writer’s sister gave it as a gift

B．The writer had put it in her own bag

C．The writer’s sister received it as a present

D．The two sisters would write in it and share it

A man and his girlfriend just got married. The husband didn’t talk much but he was a steady man. The wife was pretty and dreamy.  Everyone could tell that the love they had for each other was true.
A few months later, the wife came to the husband with a proposal, “I read in a magazine about how we can  36  our marriage. Each of us will write a list of the things that we find a bit   37   with the other. Then, we can place them on the table to discuss how we    38   them together and make our life even happier.”
“Are you sure you are about to do this?” the husband sighed and    39  . So each of them went to a(n)   40   room and thought about the things that annoyed them about the other for the rest of the day.
The next morning, at the breakfast table, they decided that they would go over their    41   .
“I’ll start,” offered his wife eagerly. She    42   her list. It had many items on it, enough to fill 3 pages. She read all three pages to her husband and seemed to be quite pleased with her hard “work”. After hearing that, the husband stated   43  , “I don’t have anything on my list. I think that you are perfect the   44  that you are. I don’t want you to   45  anything for me.”
The wife, touched by his honesty and the depth of his love for and his   46  of her without any conditions, turned her head and wept. At that moment, she came to understand the saying: “Beauty lies in the lover's eyes”.
In life, there are enough time when we are disappointed, depressed and annoyed. We don’t really have to go  47  for them. We have a wonderful world that is full of beauty, light and promise. Why waste time seeking the bad, disappointing or annoying when we can look around us, and see the wonderful things before us? If you are accustomed to judging people, you have no time to love them.

小題1:	A．enrich B．strengthen C．lengthen D．deepen

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)nnoying B．surprising C．satisfying D．inspiring

小題3:	A．fix B．do C．find D．set

小題4:	A．smiled B．refused C．a(chǎn)greed D．hesitated

小題5:	A．spare B．separate C．empty D．special

小題6:	A．dishes B．magazines C．lives D．lists

小題7:	A．put away B．handed in C．took out D．wrote down

小題8:	A．disappointedly B．unluckily C．bitterly D．quietly

小題9:	A．a(chǎn)ppearance B．way C．situation D．position

小題10:

A．change B．a(chǎn)ccept C．decide D．drop

小題11:

A．a(chǎn)dvice B．warning C．a(chǎn)cceptance D．pride

小題12:

A．leaving B．waiting C．a(chǎn)sking D．looking

You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or a creator. When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place. “They” did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering. “They” are wrong and bad, and life is terrible as long as “they” are around. Or you may blame yourself for all your problems, thus internalizing(內(nèi)化) your victimization. The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently. They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives, but they don’t let this get in the way. They know they have their weaknesses, yet they don’t blame themselves when they fail. Whatever happens, they have choice in the matter. They believe their dance with each sacred(神圣的) moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities, yet their experience of life is worlds apart. Victims relish (沉溺) in anger, guilt, and other emotions that cause others—and even themselves—to feel like victims, too. Creators consciously choose love, inspiration, and other qualities which inspire not only themselves, but all around them. Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality, all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives. One person, on losing a job or a special relationship, may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months, years, or even a lifetime. Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief, then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life.    In every moment and every circumstance, you can choose to have a fuller, richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are.
小題1:What does the word “they” in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?

A．People and things around you.

B．Opportunities and problems.

C．Creators and their choices.

D．Victims and their sufferings.

小題2:According to Paragraph 2, creators __________.

A．seem willing to experience failures in life

B．possess the ability to predict future life

C．handle ups and downs of life wisely

D．have potential to create something new

小題3:What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A．Creators and victims face quite different things in life.

B．Creators and victims are masters of their lives.

C．Victims can influence more people than creators.

D．Compared with victims, creators are more emotional.

小題4:The examples mentioned in Paragraph 4 show that __________.

A．strong attachment to (沉浸在）sufferings in life pulls people into victims

B．people need family support to deal with challengers in life

C．it takes creators quite a long time to get rid of their pains

D．one’s experiences determine his attitude toward life

小題5:What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To define victims and creators.

B．To evaluate victims against creators.

C．To explain the relationship between victims and creators.

D．To suggest the transformation from victims to creators.

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 can 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 useful phone numbers, so you can 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 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 stop on 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 lives

C．have responsible and able colleagues

D．blame themselves rather than others

小題2:The underlined word remedy in Paragraph l 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 handle the problem

B．blame Nm for his lack of responsibility

C．tell him to find the cause of the problem

D．a(chǎn)sk your boss for help

小題4:When problems occur, winners take them as            ．

A．excuses for their failures	B．barriers to greater power
C．challenges to their colleagues	D．chances for self-development

In a world where comparisons happen non-stop, it is difficult to look outside yourself and to ever be   21  with who you are. There’s always someone who’s a bit   22 . The only solution is to reach   23  and measure against what Warren Buffett calls your own inner yardstick. There is no more   24  measure for comparison than who your were yesterday, last week or last decade, when you were at your   25 .
Nothing useful ever comes from comparison to others .Either you see yourself as better than someone and you get   26 , or you see someone else as better than you and you feel like all your hard work is for   27 . It is a fool’s game. Not one of us is exactly   28 . The only direct and honest comparison is   29  yourself. Everything else is apples to oranges.
My opinion is that you are only   30  to compare yourself to someone else if their life  31  is the same as your own. Good luck finding that   32 . And one thing is for sure. No matter how hard you work and how dedicated（埋頭苦干的）you are, there will always be someone who can run a little faster, jump a little higher, score a little better or look a little nicer in a swimsuit. And if there’s not, you can   33  someone is coming up fast   34  you. So how can you always win in life? Become your best   35 .
Having an image of your most recent past limits is the perfect thing to   36  you to the next level. If you ran 7 flights of stairs yesterday, then do 8 today. Who   37  if the guy next to you did 15? It doesn’t make a bit of   38 . You are a more   39  person today than you were yesterday. Your own   40  is all you need.

小題1:	A．patient B．strict C．content D．concerned

小題2:	A．stronger B．better C．lazier D．wiser

小題3:	A．inside B．out C．for D．up

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)ccurate B．useful C．careful D．powerful

小題5:	A．end B．best C．convenience D．side

小題6:	A．satisfied B．busy C．inspired D．lazy

小題7:	A．nothing B．fun C．sure D．success

小題8:	A．equal B．unique C．a(chǎn)like D．common

小題9:	A．within B．by C．for D．of

小題10:

A．instructed B．a(chǎn)llowed C．directed D．suggested

小題11:

A．situation B．position C．occasion D．a(chǎn)ccommodation

小題12:

A．game B．match C．friend D．enemy

小題13:

A．conclude B．bet C．a(chǎn)nnounce D．declare

小題14:

A．before B．beside C．below D．behind

小題15:

A．a(chǎn)ssistant B．competitor C．coach D．teacher

小題16:

A．contribute B．expose C．push D．devote

小題17:

A．cares B．says C．wonders D．a(chǎn)sks

小題18:

A．effort B．sense C．difference D．change

小題19:

A．successful B．happy C．lucky D．fit

小題20:

A．benefit B．progress C．habit D．result