Almost every day we come across situations in which we have to make decisions one way or another. Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people in the world in rich and poor countries, choice is a luxury, something wonderful but hard to get, not a right. And for those who think they are exercising their right to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion, a false idea created by companies and advertiser, hoping to sell their products.

The endless choice gives birth to anxiety in people’s lives. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item(商品) that is not really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods bought in almost every family are not really needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trusted into the hands of the professionals, lifestyle instructors, or advisors.

It is not just the availability of the goods that is the problem, but the speed with which new types of products come on the market. Advances in design and production help quicken the process. Products also need to have a short lifespan so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The typical example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed makes selection a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing; no choice, no anxiety.

What does the author try to argue in Paragraph 1?

A. The exercise of rights is a luxury.

B. The practice of choice is difficult.

C. The right of choice is given but at a price.

D. Choice and right exist at the same time.

Why do more choices of goods give rise to anxiety?

A. Professionals find it hard to decide on a suitable product.

B. People are likely to find themselves overcome by business persuasion.

C. Shoppers may find themselves lost in the broad range of items.

D. Companies and advertisers are often misleading about the rage of choice.

By using computers as an example, the author wants to prove that _______.

A. advanced products meet the needs of people

B. products of the latest design flood the market

C. competitions are fierce in high-tech industry

D. everyday goods need to be replaced often

What is this passage mainly about?

A. The variety of choices in modern society.

B. The opinions on people’s right in different countries

C. The Problems about the availability of everyday goods.

D. The helplessness in purchasing decisions

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his vast fortune , largely to the cause of global health , during the course of his lifetime . With an estimated（估計）worth of more than $ 40 billion , according to Forbes , the project will be no small feat （功績）for Gates . Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $ 24 billion to address global health issues , Gates said that eventually his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except “a few percent left for the kids.”

So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest ? Gates believes that “the equality of opportunity” in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world . Improving the health of the populations , he says , has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially successful . “National borders allow inequalities ,” said Gates : “We all need to take a more global view , rather than just saying my country is doing well . We have to step up these health issues , knowing how few resources are going into them .”

Gates said that both his parents set an example for him as a child . His father , William H. Gates , was the head of the local Planned Parenthood , and his mother , Mary , volunteered for the United Way . As he gathered his fortune , Gates knew he would eventually want to give back as well , but he didn’t expect to devote himself whole-heartedly to one project until he was about 60.

However , Gates , 47 , began to question his ability to wait that long . “It seemed there was a real time urgency,” Gates said . “I started to think , How many lives could I save before then ?”

Bill Gates believes that one important way of developing poor countries is          .

       A．to set up more foundations for them

       B．to aid them with natural resources

       C．to put more effort into the health issues in them

       D．to help them take a more global view

It can be learned from the text that Bill Gates thinks          .

       A．Americans should care about people in other countries

       B．Americans should treat fellow citizens well

       C．Americans should devote themselves to certain projects

       D．Americans can be world-famous by giving away vast fortune

Bill Gates gave away his vast fortune earlier than he had expected because of          .

       A．his weakening health condition      B．his parents’ suggestions

       C．his great success in business   D．his concerns for suffering people

--- Is that 120? My brother is seriously ill!

---Ok. Help is _________ .

A. in the way   B. in many ways   C. on the way  D. by the way

By this autumn they _____for ten years .

A. will have married    B. will have been married

C. have been married   D. will be married

The picture I took in the countryside ______ me of the time when I stayed there. 

      A. remembers    B. reminds           C.calls           D. tells

He began to take political science        only when he left school .

       A．strictly     B．truly        C．carefully D．seriously

Those successful deaf dancers think that dancing is an activity ________ sight matters more than hearing.

A. when                B. whose               C. which               D. where

The country has already sent up three unmanned spacecraft, the most recent ____ at the end of last March.

A. has been launched     B. having been launched

C. being launched         D. to be launched

閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。

In the United States there was an unusual tale telling of the daughter of a mechanic （技工）. One day while walking along the bank of a lake, the girl  36   to see 20 eggs laid by a wild goose. After some time the girl   37   the mother would not return to her eggs and she   38   to take them home. There she carefully   39   the eggs in the heat of a lamp. Several days   40   the eggs broke and the baby geese came into the   41  .

Geese are known to take the first living thing they see as their mother.   42  , to these young geese, the girl was their mother.

As they   43  , the girl was able to   44   her birds to run across the grass, but she could not teach them to   45  . The girl became increasingly worried about this, both when   46   and in her dreams. Later, she had an   47  : She would pilot a plane to guide them in   48  . She asked her father for a plane and he assembled（組裝）a small aircraft for her.

Caring about   49   safety, the father decided to pilot the plane himself. However, the birds did not   50   or follow him, and   51   slept in the grass.

One day, the girl   52   into the plane, started it and soon left the   53  . Seeing their mother take to the air, the birds   54   flapped（拍打）their wings and   55  . She flew the plane freely in the sky, her young birds following.

A. managed          B. attempted            C. happened        D. supposed

A. realized         B. expected             C. imagined        D. admitted

A. helped             B. decided              C. afforded         D. meant

A. placed              B. protected             C. treated          D. examined

A. ago                    B. out                  C. later            D. long

A. family            B. lake                 C. home           D. world

A. But             B. Also                        C. Thus           D. Still

A. increased          B. improved             C. rose            D. grew

A. ask             B. lead                 C. want            D. allow

A. fly                B. race                 C. swim           D. sing

A. asleep          B. away                 C. around         D. awake

A. idea              B. opinion               C. explanation     D. excuse

A. sky            B. heaven                C. flight          D. plane

A. his            B. her                   C. their           D. its

A. respect            B. remember              C. recognize      D. receive

A. so                 B. instead                C. hardly          D. too

A. climbed        B. looked                 C. reached         D. fell

A. house          B. floor                   C. water          D. ground

A. secretly        B. disappointedly          C. patiently         D. eagerly

A. looked away      B. set out                C. went by       D. turned back

Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self- respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.

      Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.

     Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.

     Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?

     In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot lie trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased.  Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.

     There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.

According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our

A. self-respect B. financial rewards C. advertising ability D. friendly relationship

The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to___.

A. lying     B. stealing     C. cheating     D. advertising

The phrase "bringing the error to the clerk's attention" (in para. 5) means___.

A. telling the truth to the clerk B. offering advice to the clerk

C. asking the clerk to be more attentive D. reminding the clerk of the charged item

How will we feel if we let the clerk know her mistake?

A. We'll be very excited.         B. We'll feel unfortunate.

C. We'll have a sense of honor.    D. We'll feel sorry for the clerk.

Which of the following can be the best title of this passage.*

A. How to Live Truthfully        B. Importance of Peacefulness

C. Ways of Gaining Self-respect   D. Happiness through Honorable Actions