London has become a cycle friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme. It has been
designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London.
     So how does it work?First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock
one of the bikes,  which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay
an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go, for the length of time you use the bike.
     Transport for London,  which runs the scheme,  are hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking
stations in place by the end of the year. The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion(擁擠)in
London and is expected to create up to 40,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London
Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been "filled with thousands of
gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as commonplace
on our roads as black cabs and red buses".
     However,  there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday. On the first
day some people found they couldn't dock their bikes properly and their usage of the bikes had not
registered. Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few "teething problems" and have
said they wouldn't charge for the first day as a "gesture of goodwill". Some other people have criticized
the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles.
     Despite the comments,  the greenthinking London Mayor still seems very positive about things,  
saying,  "My campaign for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a big
pedalpowered push forwards."

1. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the new bike scheme in order to ________.

A. reduce the air pollution of the city
B. encourage the citizens to take exercise
C. deal with the city's traffic problems
D. increase employment opportunities

2. All the following are the problems of the scheme EXCEPT________.

A. the high cost to hire a bike
B. not registering their usage of the bikes
C. not charging for the first day of the scheme
D. docking the bikes properly

3. From the passage we can infer that ________.

A. London Mayor is confident of the scheme
B. the scheme will be cancelled because of the problems
C. all the citizens in London support the scheme
D. the cycling revolution is not successful

     When we offer our best wishes to others, more often than not, we say: "May you be happy every
day". But it's easier said than done to stay happy all the time. There are always things that stand in its
way.
     The first, perhaps the biggest is genetics. Some scientists say that some people are naturally happier
than others. Besides, major life events as well as social and economic factors can also stand in the way
of happiness, such as losing your job or a family member. Then, there is health affecting your happiness.
So, is it possible that people can find lasting happiness with so many factors preventing them?
     Positive psychologists(心理學(xué)家)believe it's possible for people to stay happy for long periods,
although it cannot be lasting. Martin Seligman at University of Pennsylvania argues that daytoday
happiness comes from two things: pleasures and satisfactions. Pleasures are rich experiences that simply
make us feel good things like eating cake or drinking wine. While pleasures can be quite satisfying, the
enjoyment we get from them is shortlived.
     Satisfactions are activities that we like to do and we give all we have to them. They are often
challenging, and we have to draw_on personal skills and strengths to perform them. For some people,
satisfactions come with work. Doctors, for example, often become so concentrated in an operation that
hours pass without them noticing the time. For others, it may be hobbies like gardening, playing tennis or
stamp collecting. These satisfactory activities affect the mood in a way that appears to be lasting.
     Too often, people choose pleasures over satisfactions because they are easier and the effects are
more immediate. Though pleasures may work for a while, there are bad effects. Pleasurable activities
become less enjoyable if overused. Always choosing pleasures over satisfactions can also prevent people
from developing their personal strengths, which, if they're not put to work, will die.

1. How many aspects are mentioned that affect one's staying happy?

A. Two. 
B. Three.
C. Four.  
D. Five.

2. Compared with pleasures, satisfactions ________.

A. have immediate effect and work quickly
B. are more meaningful and last longer
C. are more easily ignored by people
D. depend mostly on one's genetics

3. The underlined phrase "draw on" means ________.

A. learn  
B. find  
C. improve  
D. use

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A. How to Be a Happier Person?
B. It's Impossible to Stay Happy Long.
C. Pleasures Are Different From Satisfactions.
D. The Factors That Affect Our Happiness.

A. The water supplying situation in Beijing
B. Water wasting in businesses
C. The consequence of the fierce drought in southeast of China
D. The efficient measures saving water
E. Much water is wasted from the old water facilities
F. Some of the businesses should be forced to close up to save water
1. ________
    The most severe drought in more than a century ravaging Southwest provinces should serve as a
reminder to other parts of the country that they need to get prepared to avert the dangers from the
water crisis, with more than 400 cities in need of water.
2. ________
     Beijing is a case in point. With per capita water resources of only 180 cubic meters, shortage of
water has been a permanent scourge(天災(zāi)). And what the city has done in saving on water is far
from enough.
3. ________
     A total of 220,000 tons of fresh water are wasted in flushing toilets every day. The amount of water
leaking in a year from the old water supply pipelines is estimated to be about 70 Kunming Lakes at the
Summer Palace. The 9,000 carwashing shops consume as much as 30 million cubic meters of water a
year.
4. ________
     In addition, the 38 golf courses around the city use 20 million cubic meters of water a year. And at
least more than a million tons of water are needed to make artificial snow for the ski runs in the city's
suburbs. The amount of water consumed by the more than 1,000 bathhouses is estimated at nearly 20
million tons.
5. ________
     This situation is similar in other cities badly in need of water. There is much we can to do to save
water. Of the 100 residential communities that have pipelines for treated water in Beijing, only 20
percent are using it to flush toilets. Why do we need so many golf courses to waste the precious fresh
water? Why do we allow carwashing shops to waste fresh water rather than treated water to wash
cars? Why does the government allow so many bathhouses and ski runs to operate?
All these businesses are making money at the expense of our precious resource of fresh water. We can't
afford to wait until it is too late. Do whatever we can to save water.

     What can help you make a fortune in the future? Graduating from a top university might not be
enough. A new study from the University of Essex in Britain has shown that the more friends you
have in school, the more money you'll earn later.
     The idea that popularity could have a serious impact on one's earning potential shouldn't come as
too much of a surprise. The researchers noted that if you want to get ahead in life, social skills and
networking are easily as powerful as talent and hard work.
     "If a person has lots of friends, it means that he or she has the ability to get along with others in all
kinds of different situations, " said Xu Yanchun, 17, from Nantou High School in Shenzhen, who totally
agreed with the recent finding. "Also, friends always help each other. They not only create wider social
circles for you but lift your mood when you occasionally feel depressed, " said Xu. She believed that all
this helps you "earn a higher salary".
     Maybe that's why some people think the younger generations are in the age of friendaholism(交友狂癥). A woman even complained that the networking website Facebook's 5,000friend limit was too low
for her large reserve of social contacts.
     But what does a friend mean? Should friends be regarded as a form of currency?
     "Call me uncool, but I think of a friend as an actual person with whom I have an actual history and
whom I enjoy actually seeing. It seems, however, that this is no longer the definition(定義)of 'friend', "
said Meghan Daum, who works with The Los Angeles Times in the US.
     Daum despised(鄙視)the idea that quantity trumps(勝過)quality in the age of friendaholism. She
thought the idea of friendship, at least among the growing population of Internet social networkers, was
to get as many of notreallyfriends as possible. For example, a friend might be someone you might know
personally but who could just as easily be the friend of a friend of some other Facebook friends you
don't actually know.

1. What's the main idea of the passage?

A. Making friends is important.
B. Making friends makes you earn more money.
C. Friends give you success.
D. Social skills are important.

2. Which of the following sentences is TRUE?

A. It is surprising that making more money is popular with people.
B. If you want to win in life, social skills are as important as talent and hard work.
C. The young now have friendaholism.
D. Friends do not create your wider social circles but lift your mood when you occasionally
     feel depressed.

3. What's the opinion of Xu Yanchun about making friends?

A. Making friends may help you a lot in your life.
B. Making friends can get a lot of money.
C. Making friends can make you work hard.
D. Making friends can improve your ability to work.

4. What's the author's attitude?

A. Objective.  
B. Subjective.
C. Neutral.  
D. Optimistic.

     A university graduate described as a "respectable and intelligent" woman is seeking professional
help after being convicted of (證明有……罪)shoplifting for the second time in six months.
     Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she
can control the desire to steal from shops .
     Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road ,Cambridge ,admitted stealing clothes worth
￡9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street ,London ,on March 9.
     Phillip Lemoyne ,prosecuting(起訴),said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them
to the ladies' toilet in the store .When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had
selected ,having taken off the anti-theft security alarms(防盜警報(bào)裝置).
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying ,Mr Lemoyne said.
    He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions.
    Luz,28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October ,but Morag
Duff, defending ,said she had never been in trouble with the police before that .
    "She is ashamed andembarrassed but doesn't really have any explanation why she did this," Miss
Duff said. "She didn't intend to steal when she went into the store .She is at a loss to explain it. She is
otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady .She went to her doctor and asked for advice
because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this."
   Judge David Azan fined Luz ￡ 50,  and warned : "You've got a criminal record .If you carry on like
this ,you will end up in prison ,which will ruin your bright future you may have."
   Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain ,went on to a famous university in
Berlin , Germany for her master's degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University ,UK.

1. What is Ana Luz's nationality?

A. American.      
B. British.      
C. Spanish.      
D. German.

2. What does the underlined sentence "She is at a loss to explain it" mean?  

A. In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things .
B. She doesn't have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops .
C. She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops.
D. Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions.

3. Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word "shoplifting" used in the passage?

A . Carrying goods in a lift for a shop.        
B. Taking goods to the ladies' toilet .
C. Selecting some goods from a display.      
D. Taking goods from a shop without paying.

4. From the passage we can learn that          .

A. Ana Luz is already got her PhD at Cambridge University ,UK
B. Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so 
C. the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more 
D. Phillip Lemoyne is the "respectable and intelligent" woman's defense lawyer

5. What would be the best title for the passage ? 

A. Shoplifting Shame of a PhD Student          
B. Apologizing for the Actions in Shops
C. Seeking Professional Help from Experts        
D. Controlling the Desire to Steal from Sho

     Every family with kids has seen its share of arguments, shouting and complaining. It turns out that all that conflict serves an important purpose in the development of children.Saying "no" followed by a bad temper,
just may be an unavoidable part of growing up. And that's a good thing. These are the first steps toward independence. Even young children have to challenge their parents sometimes.
      
     Studies have shown the following:                                                            

1. The intended readers of this passage are _____.

A. doctors
B. teachers
C. parents 
D. children

2. By saying "that's a good thing" in Paragraph 1, the author means _____.

A. children try being independent
B. children behave politely
C. parents control their feelings well
D. parents understand their children

3. If a 3-year-old boy challenges his parents angrily, according to studies, he may _____.

A. feel being overlooked by his parents
B. get tired of staying at home
C. be worried by the outside world
D. want to avoid going to school

4. In most cases, the conflict between parents and children _____.

A. leads to misunderstanding
B. doesn't really mean a deep emotional problem
C. is an important choice
D. involves visiting doctors

5. What can be concluded from the passage?

A. The more conflicts your family has,the better your child develops.
B. Children enjoy giving their opinions by challenging their parents.
C. Most parents would rather punish their children than reward them.
D. Communication can reduce conflict between parents and children.

     The whole morning we just checked our own things. We were looking for items to give
away. We thought of blankets, food and clothing. Our aim was not to find things we no
longer wanted, but things we use every day and would be useful to others.
     We made up boxes with the things and added some small toys. Inside the boxes a simple
letter was placed, reading:
     "Please take these items and know that your life is important. Times are difficult but
they will pass. We share what we have, believing it will matter. Use the blanket to stay warm.
Be safe and know that the human spirit can overcome anything. Don't hold your head down.
Someday please do the same when you can. How you do it and when, your heart will tell you.
      This kind act was not because the phone rang or for any reason. It was simply because
it was the right time to do. We have often seen homeless people at the park where we left
the belongings. The city would say that it isn't a problem but I see the lives walking to and
from it.
      I noticed that my wife had put her favorite green coat into one of the boxes. I asked if
she was sure about it and she simply replied that it had a hood (風(fēng)帽). She liked the coat
but knew the hood could shelter (遮擋)someone from the rain.
      We don't know where these gifts of compassion(同情)will go. We never go back and
see what happens. It's unimportant. The right things will find the right people and that is all
that counts. On the way my wife started to cry. When I asked why, she said because some
things felt so right.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph about the couple?_______.

A. They had deep feelings of their work
B. They often threw the useless daily items away
C. They liked helping others by sharing their things
D. They often gave away the daily items they didn't use

2. The couple placed the letter inside the box mainly to_______.

A. help the poor go through the difficulties
B. let the poor know who gave away the things
C. tell the poor how to use the items correctly
D. tell the poor to pass on the spirit to others

3. The couple liked this kind act because _______.

A. they thought it was the right thing to do
B. they had a good habit of saving things
C. they often received telephone calls for help
D. they hated being troubled by homeless people

4. What's the best title for this passage?_______.

A. Boxes filled with compassion
B. Good behavior leading to happiness
C. The most important thing in our life
D. Happiness coming from sharing things

     Email systems at thousands of companies' offices around the world were attacked by
a virus (病毒)called "Mellissa" that disguises itself as "an important message" from a friend.
     "Even though there was a weekend warning, more than 50,000 companies at about 100
places around the world have been attacked by the virus," computer experts said on Monday.
     The virus began to show up last Friday and spread rapidly the next first workday by
making computers send off dozens of email containing the virus. Although the virus had no
long-lasting damage to a computer, its effects were far-reaching.
      Michael Vatis, a senior US official said military and government computers were
damaged, along with thousands of the other instructions' systems.
     The body of email message says "Here is what you ask for…" Once the user opens it,
the virus digs into the user's address book and sends out messages to the first 50 addresses.
The reason the virus spreads so rapidly is that you're getting it from people you know and
trust. So anyone who gets an unexpected email with the "Important Message" subject line
is advised not to open it and to delete (刪除) it immediately.

1. From the passage we know that the virus attacked thousands of computers on ._____

A. Monday
B. Saturday
C. Friday
D. the first day of the month

2. The virus spreads rapidly because. ______.

A. it makes computers work without stop
B. it carries words "Important Message"
C. it sends out messages to dozens of people who know and trust the sender at one time
D. it attacks military and government offices

3. The underlined word "disguises" most probably means" ".

A. dresses
B. covers up
C. paints
D. notices

4. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

A. Stop Using Your Computer
B. "Important Message" is a Virus
C. Message from Friends Contains Virus
D. Virus Strikes Hard and Fast