When the lazy days of summer arrive and the schedule is packed with swimming, camp, and family
vacations, it can be a challenge to find time for learning. But kids' reading skills don't have to grow cold
once school's out. Here are some ways to make reading a natural part of their summer fun:
     Explore your library. Visit your local library to check out books and magazines that your kids haven't
seen before. Many libraries have summer reading programs, book clubs, and reading contests for even
the youngest borrowers. With a new library card, a child will feel extra grownup checking out books.
     Read on the road. Going on a long car trip? Make sure the back seat is stocked with favorite reads.
When you're not at the wheel, read the books aloud. Get some audiobooks (many libraries have large
selections) and listen to them together during driving time.
     Make your own books. Pick one of your family's favorite parts of summer-whether it's baseball, ice
cream, or the pool-and have your child draw pictures of it or cut out pictures from magazines. Stick the
pictures onto paper to make a booklet and write text for it. When you're done, read the book together.
Reread it whenever you like!
     Keep in touch. Kids don't have to go away to write about summer vacation. Even if your family stays
home, they can send postcards to tell friends and relatives about their adventures. Ask a relative to be
your child's pen pal and encourage them to write each week.
     Keep up the reading habits. Even if everything else changes during the summer, keep up the reading
routines around your house. Read with your kids every day-whether it's just before bedtime or under a
shady tree on a lazy afternoon. And don't forget to take a book to the beach!Just_brush_the_sand_off_
the_pages-it's_no_sweat!

1. The purpose of the passage is to________.

A. encourage parents to read
B. give advice on raising kids
C. raise a good summer reader
D. suggest places for vacations

2. If you drive on a long trip in summer, you can________.

A. visit the local library and join book clubs
B. borrow some audiobooks to listen to
C. keep in touch with friends by sending postcards
D. read your own picture books with your son

3. By saying "Just brush the sand off the pages-it's no sweat", the author means________.

A. taking away the sand on the book is very difficult
B. a special book is needed when you're reading on the beach
C. one can remove the sand on the book with a brush easily
D. there's no trouble reading even on the beach

4. Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A. Parents.  
B. Students.
C. Teachers.  
D. Editors.

     Sadness is unpleasant, and in a society where personal happiness is prized above all else, there is
little tolerance for falling in despair.Especially now we've got drugs for getting rid of sad feelings-whether
it's after losing a job, the breakup of a relationship or the death of a loved one.So it's no surprise that
more and more people are taking them.
     But is this really such a good idea? A growing number of voices from the world of mental health
research are saying it isn't. They fear that the increasing tendency to treat normal sadness as a disease is
playing fast and loose (行為輕率). Sadness, they argue, serves a useful purpose-and if we lose it, we
lose out. Yet many psychiatrists (精神病醫(yī)生) insist not.Sadness has a nasty habit of turning into
depression (抑郁癥), they warn.Even when people are sad for good reason, they should take drugs to
make themselves feel better.
     So who is right? Is sadness something we cannot live without or something horrible never to touch?
     There are lots of ideas about why feeling sad should become part of human life. It may be a
selfprotection strategy, as other primates (靈長類) also show signs of sadness. A losing monkey that
doesn't show sadness after it loses a fight may be seen as continuing to challenge the winning monkey-and
that could result in death.
     In humans, sadness has a further function: we may display sadness as a form of communication. By
acting sad, we tell other community members that we need support.
     Then there is the idea that creativity is connected to dark moods. There are plenty of great artists,
writers and musicians who have suffered from depression or disorder. Scientists find that people with
signs of depression perform better at a creative task, and that negative moods make people think deeply
over the unhappy experience, which allows creative processes to come to the front. There is also
evidence that too much happiness can be bad for your career. A doctor found that people who scored
8 out of 10 on a happiness test were more successful in income and education than 9s or 10s. The
happiest people lose their willingness to make changes to their lives that may benefit them.

1. The underlined word "this" refers to________.

A. taking drugs  
B. falling in despair
C. losing a job  
D. feeling sad

2. The author believes sadness is________.

A. a good thing for people's health
B. something horrible never to touch
C. a necessary function of humans
D. always to be treated as depression

3. Some animals show their sadness in order to________.

A. cheat their enemy  
B. protect themselves
C. comfort the loser  
D. challenge the winner

4. We can infer from the last paragraph that________.

A. people with great creativity tend to be happier
B. unhappy experiences contribute to a greater career
C. too much happiness can be bad for your career
D. the happiest people are the most successful ones

1. What stopped disabled kids from joining in summer camp according to the passage?

A. Some extra costs for it.
B. Lack of enough time
C. No permission from parents.
D. Lack of selfconfidence.

2. What's the purpose of setting up the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation?

A. To develop children's confidence.
B. To raise money for disabled children.
C. To organize summer camp for different people.
D. To make it possible for disabled children to attend camps.

3. According to the passage, the Lisa Beth Gerstman Foundation ________.

A. is in the charge of CIYMCA
B. has a history of over 30 years
C. has gained support from camps
D. funded 150 disabled kids during its first summer

     The words "timetable" and  "schedule" make most final year students want to eat their own vomit(嘔吐
物). Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that final year students must develop a timetable. If you don't have a
schedule or plan for studying ,you will have no way of allocating your valuable time when the unexpected
arises. A well-thought-out timetable can be a lifesaver . It is up to you to learn how to develop a schedule
that meets your needs .Change it if necessary ,but most important ,follow it . All timetables should be made
with the idea that they can be changed. A good one will keep you from wandering off course.
     A good timetable should make every hour count-every class ,social event and other activity you engage
in .You must focus on the other "free time" available and how you will use it .Make a weekly schedule and
divided each day into one-hour increments .Indicate times for classes ,socializing ,and work time. Also
block off a period for sleeping every day. In the precious hours left over ,plan time for study .This gives
you a rough road map of the time available. Of course ,you can change your schedule as circumstances
need.
   The timetable you develop should guide you in how to distribute the available time in the most productive
manner .Sticking to your schedule can be tough ,but don't dribble away valuable time. Avoiding study is
the easiest thing in the world .It is up to you to follow the schedule you've prepared .A good deal of your
success in high school and with any future study depends on this simple truth.
     Remember ,there is a learning curve. You learn the most in the first 30 minutes of study; after that ,it
progressively deteriorates(減弱). After four or five hours of studying the same material in the same way,
you are learning virtually nothing. The solution is to keep switching subjects and study styles.

1．What is the best title of the passage?

A．Advantages of starting a timetable  
B．Keep to it ,and you will succeed
C．Make a schedule ,and follow it     
D．Learn to love your timetable

2．What does Paragraph 2 talk about?

A．Tips for making a schedule.      
B．Significance of a scientific timetable.
C．Requirements for making a timetable.
D．Importance of following one's schedule.

3．The following are characteristics of a good timetable EXCEPT that     .

A．it can be changed        
B．it is flexible
C．it is of many periods      
D．it can save our time

4．From this passage ,we can learn if we wish to achieve high learning efficiency, we'd better     .

A．shift subjects and use different methods regularly
B．devote to the same material continuously
C．turn to teachers for help if necessary
D．have a break every thirty minutes

     Below is a housing guide for students going to London.
     University accommodation(住所)offices
     Many university accommodation offices have their own list of registered landlords(房東). Others also
provide information on accommodation agencies and other housing organizations.The advantage of using
your university accommodation office is that you can get some support if you have a problem.The
disadvantage is that they are unlikely to have enough registered landlords to house all their students.
     Property papers：Loot and Renting
     Loot is an important source( )of information about private housing for corenters.The offers are from
private landlords, agencies and individuals looking for other corenters.They also have a website：
www.loot.com.The advantage of using Loot is that there are some excellent bargains.The disadvantage
is that there is no quality control over the offers.
     Renting is another useful paper.The offers in this paper are mainly from accommodation agencies.
Their website is at www.renting.co.uk.
     Accommodation agencies
     The majority of rented accommodation in London is probably advertised through accommodation
agencies.The advantage of using accommodation agencies is that you will have access to a large number
of accommodations.A good agent will listen to your requirement and can save you time in looking for the
right accommodation.The disadvantage is that they will make a range of charges to potential renters.
     Noticeboards
     Around the universities you will find a number of noticeboards where offers of accommodation will be
posted.These will either be from landlords or from students.Some universities will also have online
noticeboards where students can advertise to other students.Advertisements from students can be an
excellent way to find accommodation.However, advertisements from landlords can be problematic.
     Word of mouth  
     Some of the best housing in London is never advertised but is passed on from one group of students
to another by word of mouth.It might be that you can find out about good offers from final year students.
However, don't suppose that just because you have found out about housing from a friend it is necessarily going to be better than that found through any other source.
     Family
     Faced with the very high rents charged in London, some students and their parents will consider
buying as an alternative.In some cases this might be a good choice.

1. What is the advantage of using Loot?

A. It has more offers from accommodation agencies than Renting.
B. It gives you personal information about other corenters.
C. Their website is designed mainly for students.
D. There are some good bargains.

2. A good agent can help you________.

A. know more people
B. find cheap accommodation
C. get the right accommodation quickly
D. get free information about most accommodations

3. The information passed on by word of mouth is important because________.

A. it is better than that found through any other source
B. it helps you find some of the best housing never advertised
C. the final year students always offer better information
D. the landlords have little valuable information

4. For students going to London for the first time, which of the following provides the most reliable
    information?

A. University accommodation offices.
B. Loot and Renting.
C. Noticeboards.
D. Family.

     Friends play an important part in our lives, and although we may take the fact of friendship for
granted, we often don't clearly understand how we make friends. While we get on well with a number
of people,     1   .
     Moreover, a great many relationships come under the general term “friendship”. In all cases, two
people like one another and enjoy being together, but beyond that, the degree of closeness between
them and the reasons for their interest in each other change greatly.
     At the beginning, much depends on how people meet, and on good first impressions. As we get to
know people,   2    . Although these factors are not of the greatest importance, it is more difficult to have
a good relationship with people when there is a big difference in age and background.
     Then,     3   . Friends will stand closer together and will spend more time looking at each other than
ordinary friends. Smiles and soft voices also express friendliness, and it is because they may give the
wrong signals that shy people often have difficulty making friends. A friendly look with a wrong facial
expression can turn into an unfriendly stare, and nervousness may be wrongly understood as unfriendliness.
     Some relationships are a result of argument and discussion, but it is usual for close friends to have the
same ideas and beliefs, the same opinions and interests. The more closely involved people become, the
more they depend on each other. And    4    . Equally, friends have to learn to make allowances for each
other, to put up with annoying habits, and to accept differences in opinions.
     In contrast with marriage,     5    . But the support and understanding that results from shared
experiences and affections does seem to create a close and lasting relationship.

A. we are usually friends with only a few
B. many factors can affect friendship and relationship
C. people want to do friends favors and hate to let them down
D. argument and discussion can improve personal relationships
E. we consider things like age, race, looks, economic and social status, etc.
F. we pay attention to actual behavior, facial expression, and the way a person speaks
G. there are no friendship ceremonies to strengthen the relationship between two people

     It is true that good writers rewrite and rewrite and then rewrite some more.But in order to work up
the desire to rewrite，it is important to learn to like what you write at the early stage.
     I am surprised at the number of famous writers I know who say that they so dislike reading their own
writing later that they even hate to look over the publishers' opinions.One reason we may dislike reading
our own work is that we're often disappointed that the rich ideas in our minds seem very thin and plain
when first written down.Jerry Fodor and Steven Pinker suggest that this fact may be a result of how our
minds work.
     Different from popular belief，we do not usually think in the words and sentences of ordinary
language but in symbols for ideas (known as‘mentalese’)，and writing our ideas down is an act of
translation from that symbolic language.But while mentalese contains our thoughts in the form of a
complex tapestry (織錦)，writing can only be composed one thread at a time.Therefore it should not be
surprising that our first attempt at expressing ideas should look so simple.It is only by repeatedly rewriting
that we produce new threads and connect them to get closer to the ideas formed in our minds.
     When people write as if some strict critics (批評家) are looking over their shoulder，they are so
worried about what this critic might say that they get stuck before they even start.Peter Elbow makes an
excellent suggestion to deal with this problem.When writing we should have two different minds.At the
first stage，we should see every idea，as well as the words we use to express it，as wonderful and
worth putting down.It is only during rewrites that we should examine what we excitedly wrote in the first
stage and check for weaknesses.

1. What do we learn from the text about those famous writers?

A. They often regret writing poor works.
B. Some of them write surprisingly much.
C. Many of them hate reading their own works.
D. They are happy to review the publishers' opinions.

2. What do people generally believe about the way human minds work?

A. People think in words and sentences.
B. Human ideas are translated into symbols.
C. People think by connecting threads of ideas.
D. Human thoughts are expressed through pictures.

3. What can we conclude from the text?

A. Most people believe we think in symbols.
B. Loving our own writing is scientifically reasonable.
C. The writers and critics can never reach an agreement.
D. Thinking and writing are different stages of mind at work.

Columbus College,241 Queen Elizabeth
Drive，Kowloon City
Memo
To：All Staff
From：Jakie Mok，Secretary；Sports Development Committee
Date：May 20,
    A week ago，“Sports for Life”programme was sent to the parents，requiring them to select a sport
they wanted their child to play.Since then，our staff have received lots of calls from parents asking for
more information about it.Here is a memo(備忘錄)for your reference when you answer the phones.
Sports 1：Basketball
    We expect that this will be the most popular of the four sports.Therefore，students should be advised
to sign up as soon as possible.Students will take a private bus to and from Kwun Tong Sports Park.To
cover the cost of hiring a bus，each student will have to pay $10 each time.There will be four basketball
courts available for our use with one teacher watching over each game.
Sports 2：Gym
    We will be using St.Peter's Memorial Park.There are two reasons for choosing this park.First，it is
not very busy and crowded before 6：00 pm.Second，it has lots of trees with plenty of shade.Students
must bring along two bottles of water to prevent thirst.Three activities，skipping，jogging，outdoor
aerobics(有氧運動)，all of which are free of charge，will be arranged.And there will be a teacher on
duty for each of the activities.
Sports 3：Hiking
     Hiking(遠足)will take place at Kowloon Peak.The activity will start at 2：30 pm and finish 90
minutes later.Three teachers will accompany the students，and a hiking instructor will accompany each
group of 15 hikers.Each instructor will cost $75/hr.Students are advised to bring plenty of water and
sunscreen.
Sports 4：Swimming
     The Kowloon City Aquatic Centre is a 10minute walk from our school.Four teachers will go to the
pool and conduct the goingson from the poolside.We will only be able to reserve the pool for one hour
(i.e.2：45 pm to 3：45 pm). Only students skilful at swimming can take up this activity.The pool will
have two lifeguards present.Girls must wear a swimming suit.The cost is $10 per visit.

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Students selecting basketball had better register early.
B. Students participating in gym should arrive at 6：00 pm.
C. Hiking usually begins at 2：30 pm and lasts 2 hours.
D. Students having swimming suits can take up swimming.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A. students taking part in basketball will walk to the courts
B. every student can gain admission to one of the four sports
C. hiking students can have a regular rest in the shade of trees
D. students taking up the four sports should bring bottles of water

3. It can be concluded that ________.

A. each sport will take only one hour
B. students will be charged for the four sports
C. all the sports will take place at Kowloon Peak
D. teachers will accompany students on each sport

4. The purpose of the memo is to ________.

A. attract students' interest in the programme
B. require the parents to select a sport for their child
C. help the staff explain the programme to the parents
D. remind teachers and lifeguards to be present on time

     根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項。選項中有兩項為
多余選項。
     For several years, Americans have enjoyed teleshoppingwatching TV and buying things by phone.
  1   In a number of European countries, people can turn on their TVs and shop for clothes，jewelry,
food, toys, and many other things.
      2      For example, the biggest Swedish company sells different kinds of things on TV in 15 European
countries, and in one year it made $100 million. In France there are two teleshopping channels, and the
French spend about $ 20 million a year to buy things through those channels.
      In Germany, until last year teleshopping was only possible on one channel for 1 hour every day. Then
the government allowed more teleshopping. Other channels can open for telebusiness, including the
largest American teleshopping company and a 24hour teleshopping company.   3  
     Some people like teleshopping because it allows them to do their shopping without leaving their
homes. With all the problems of traffic in the cities, this is an important reason, but at the same time,
other Europeans do not like this new way of shopping.    4    Many Europeans usually worry about the
quality of the things for sale on TV. Good quality is important to them，and they believe they cannot be
sure about the quality of the things on TV.
        5   They will have to be more careful about the quality of the things they sell. They will also have to
w ork harder to sell things that the buyers cannot touch or see in person.

A. Now teleshopping is starting in European.
B. They call teleshopping “Junk on the air”.
C. Teleshopping is becoming popular in Sweden.
D. German businesses are hoping this new teleshopping    will help them sell more things.
E. The need for high quality means that European teleshopping companies will have to be different
    from the  American companies.
F. Teleshopping is popular among people.
G. German teleshopping business is controlled by American.

Dear Economist,
     My newlywedded wife and I are deeply in love. There is, however, one issue that threatens the
happiness of our marriage. I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart. My  wife, meanwhile, would 
 rather  avoid Walmart at all costs. I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart
offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good-lower prices mean
better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighterknit(緊密團結的)
international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the
economy. My wife complains about poor labour policies, the fact that Walmart squeezes suppliers,
and that it puts local shops out of business.
     Who is right? Will our marriage survive?
     Brian Gee
     Dear Brian,
     I have to agree with you about Walmart. Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University,
now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不覺地) a  progressive success story.The chain's prices don't much affect me(I prefer Whole Foods)but
Furman estimated  that they benefited lowandmiddleincome Americans to  the sum of around $250
billion a year.
      Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress  wages.Then again, it may increase wages by
offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed. Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers
far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees. And while it is true that Walmart
employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers.
      Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence. You are sure to win the
conversation. The divorce is likely to be more argued.
      Economist

1. What concerned Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?

A. His wife refuses to shop at Walmart.
B. They are faced with a divorce.
C. They  can't  afford  the  costs  of  shopping  at   Walmart.
D. They are in conflict about shopping at Walmart.

2. Brian Gee's wife tends to hold the opinion that________.

A. it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees' wages
B. consumers' lives have improved thanks to Walmart
C. Walmart's business operation increased productivity in economy
D. Walmart's business increases global trade

3. What can be inferred from the reply letter?

A. Some employees accept the low pay to keep the job.
B. Walmart appeals to only poor consumers and poor employees.
C. Employees suffer from Walmart's low prices more than consumers.
D. Jason Furman, a New York University economist, spoke highly of Walmart.