There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. Sadly, she went to the holy man and asked, “What magical things do you have to bring my son back to life?”
Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, “Fetch me a mustard (芥菜) seed from a home that has never known sadness. We will use it to drive the sadness out of your life.” The woman happily went off at once in search of that magical mustard seed.
She first came to a splendid house, knocked at the door and said, “I am looking for a home that has never known sadness. Is it such a place? It is very important to me.”
They told her “You’ve certainly come to the wrong place” and began to describe all the tragic things that had happened to them recently.
The woman said to herself, “I have had misfortune of my own. Who is able to help these poor, unfortunate people?” She stayed to comfort them, and then went on in search of a home that had never known sadness. But wherever she went, she found one tale after another of sadness and misfortune. She became so involved in other people’s sorrow that finally she forgot about her search for the magical mustard seed, never realizing that it had, in fact, driven the sadness out of her life.
小題1:Which of the following does the story lead us to believe?

A．Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

B．Time passed cannot be called back again.

C．You can’t feel happy unless compared with others.

D．You can’t expect to know the result until you have tried.

小題2:Instead of sending the woman away, the holy man      .

A．a(chǎn)sked her to help him first

B．tried to comfort her with kind words

C．a(chǎn)sked her to look for a thing that didn’t exist at all

D．tried to encourage her by talking with her

小題3:Leaving the holy man, the woman      .

A．was full of hope	B．was filled with sadness
C．was determined to try again	D．became discouraged

小題4:The best title for the text would be “     ”.

A．A woman’s misfortune	B．A nice surprise
C．The holy man’s faith	D．Cure for sadness

Gwendolyn Brooks wrote hundreds of poems during her lifetime. She was known around the world for using poetry to increase understanding of black culture in America.
During the 1940’s and the 1950’s, Gwendolyn Brooks used her poems to describe conditions among the poor, racial (種族的) inequality and drug use in the black community. She also wrote poems about the struggles of black women.
But her skill was more than her ability to write about struggling black people. She combined traditional European poetry styles with the African American experience.
Gwendolyn Brooks once said that she wrote about what she saw and heard in the street. She said she found most of her materials through looking out of the window of her second-floor apartment in Chicago, Illinois.
In her early poetry, Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about the South Side of Chicago, where many black people live. In her poems, the South Side is called Bronzeville. It was “A Street in Bronzeville” that gained the attention of literary experts in 1945. Critics praised her poetic skills and her powerful descriptions about the black experience during the time. The Bronzeville poems were her first published collection.
In 1950, Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature. She won the prize for her second book of poems called “Annie Allen”. “Annie Allen” is a collection of poetry about a Bronzeville girl as a daughter, a wife and a mother. She experiences loneliness, loss, death and poverty (貧窮).
Gwendolyn Brooks said that winning the prize changed her life.
Her next work was a novel written in 1953 called “Maud Martha”. “Maud Martha” attracted little attention when it was first published. But now it is considered an important work by some critics. Its main ideas about the difficult lives of many women are popular among female writers today.                                                      
小題1:Gwendolyn Brooks became world-famous because     .

A．she was an expert on the language of poetry

B．she introduced black culture by writing poems

C．she fought for black rights by writing poems

D．her poems showed the lives of black women

小題2:Which of the following can we learn from the text?

A．Gwendolyn Brooks’ poems focused on black people in Africa.

B．Winning the Pulitzer Prize for Literature was important to Brooks.

C．Gwendolyn Brooks used to suffer a lot from drugs.

D．Gwendolyn Brooks was very strict with herself.

小題3:How did Gwendolyn Brooks get ideas for most of her poems?

A．By observing life.	B．By having talks.
C．By reading widely.	D．By traveling.

小題4:We can infer that the book “Annie Allen” mainly deals with      .

A．family life

B．inequality

C．a(chǎn)dventure

D．failure

Two men, both seriously ill, were in the same hospital room. One man was allowed to 46 in his bed for an hour each afternoon for treatment. His 47 was next to the room's only window. The other man 48 spend all his time flat on his back. Every 49 when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he 50 pass the time by describing(描述) to his 51 all the things he could see outside the window. The window overlooked（遠(yuǎn)眺） a 52 with a lovely lake. Ducks played on the water while children 53 their model boats. Young lovers walked 54 among flowers. As the man by the window described all this beautifully, the other man would close his eyes and 55 the scene.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the 56 body of the man by the window, who had died 57 in his sleep. She was sad and 58 the hospital attendants (服務(wù)員) to take the body away. 59 it seemed appropriate (合適的), the other man asked if he could 60 next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch（調(diào)換）, and after 61 he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly and painfully, he sat up to take his 62 look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the 63 of seeing it for himself. He strained (緊張地) to slowly turn to 64 the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have forced his dead roommate to 65 those wonderful things outside this window. The nurse answered that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

小題1:	A．stand up B．lie down C．sit up D．sit down

小題2:	A．room B．table C．seat D．bed

小題3:	A．had to B．would rather C．prefer to D．rather than

小題4:	A．morning B．evening C．a(chǎn)fternoon D．dawn

小題5:	A．will B．would C．should D．might

小題6:	A．nurse B．workmate C．roommate D．doctor

小題7:	A．park B．street C．farm D．field

小題8:	A．played B．made C．started D．sailed

小題9:	A．face to face B．shoulder to shoulder C．a(chǎn)rm in arm D．back to back

小題10:

A．describe B．tell C．hear D．imagine

小題11:

A．strong B．warm C．sick D．lifeless

小題12:

A．peacefully B．sadly C．secretly D．completely

小題13:

A．looked B．found C．called D．saw

小題14:

A．Before B．As soon as C．Although D．As far as

小題15:

A．changed B．sit C．be moved D．be taken

小題16:

A．making sure B．depending on C．making up D．a(chǎn)ccounting for

小題17:

A．next B．first C．last D．a(chǎn)nother

小題18:

A．surprise B．feeling C．try D．joy

小題19:

A．look out B．look at C．glare at D．stare at

小題20:

A．remember B．describe C．write D．talk

Mrs Smith's husband went off on a business trip to Australia. He wanted to catch the 3:30 plane to Darwin. She was very surprised when he telephoned her at 5 o'clock and said that he was still at the airport.
"What happened?" asked Mrs Smith.
"Well," said Mr Smith, "everything was going fine. I got my ticket, checked my luggage and waited in line at the gate. I walked across the runway to the airplane and I saw my friend Jack Scott. Jack was an airplane engineer. I shouted to him and a policeman caught me."
"Why did he catch you?"
"I don't know," said Mr Smith," All I said was ‘Hi, Jack! '"
The word "hijack" means "to take control of a plane by force".
小題1:Why did Mr Smith want to fly to Australia? Because____________.

A．he was an Australian businessman

B．he was leaving for Australia on business

C．his wife wanted him to

D．he wanted" to see his wife

小題2:Mrs Smith was very surprised because

A．Mr Smith didn't arrive in Darwin	B．Mr Smith telephoned her later
C．Mr Smith didn't leave the airport	D．Mr Smith was in Darwin

小題3:Mr Smith couldn't get on the plane because

A．he met with his friend Jack

B．he didn't get the ticket

C．there was something wrong with the airplane engine

D．he was stopped by a policeman

小題4:Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The police didn't know Mr Smith was Jack Scott's friend.

B．Jack Scott worked as an airplane engineer.

C．The policeman misunderstood Mr Smith.

D．Mr Smith knew why the policeman caught him.

小題5:Why was Mr Smith caught by the policeman?

A．Because he didn't keep silence at the airport.

B．Because he greeted an airport engineer named Jack.

C．Because the pronunciation of "Hi, Jack" has another frightful meaning.

D．Because the policeman didn't know English.

Her frozen fingers touched the flame trying to feel alive. She could feel the warmth but it was a cold heat, as if the candle was rejecting her.
Her arms turned red because of the cold, her short sleeved shirt not giving her enough warmth. The winter air grabbed(抓住) at her arms, causing her pain, but she didn’t mind. She knew she should put her jacket on, it was winter in Connecticut, but that would be giving up. Up here, in this tree she felt safe.
She looked at the candle, surrounded by hardening wax(蠟). She placed her fingers gently on the warm green wax. This candle was a reminder of her life inside that house, a life she would have to return to eventually.
As a child, she had gotten this candle. She spent all she had on it. The beautiful crystal box （水晶盒）had caught her eye. Five whole nickels（五分幣） had brought her that candle.
She gave it to her mother for Mother’s Day. Her mother had managed a smile and put it on a shelf. “It’s very pretty, honey! I will put it right here.” Since then that candle had never been moved, never been lighted, sitting dusty on a cluttered shelf that no one could see. Later on, her parents got divorced.
By now the candle was colder than the air and the darkness was complete. The snow on the ground made the night lighter and less satisfying than it had been before the first snowfall. She liked the darkness because she felt safe in it. From the glances of her friends who liked the girl she used to be. From the boys who could never figure out who she was. From her guidance counselor(顧問) whose endless worried looks never made her feel any better.
No one was outside at this time of night. She was alone in the world, just how she liked it. Just as she was about to lean back against the branch, she heard a sound.
She heard footsteps breaking the ice in the snow, heading toward her. He was making his way toward the white fence at the edge of the building, right against the road. Normally she would have ignored this person and stayed on her branch faraway from human contact, but this figure had something with him. He trudged(吃力地走) toward the white fence carrying a case. The figure reached the fence, opened the case and took out a shiny object.
She took her eyes off this figure only long enough to climb down the tree to get a better view of him. She reached the bottom and saw that the person had turned to face the street, sitting on the white fence that she and her friends once sat on. She stepped carefully on the ice, making her way toward him.
And then a beautiful sound of music came from the shiny object. She stopped and listened to it. She started walking towards the guy again. Just as she was about to step onto the snow banks, she slipped on the ice crashing to the ground. The figure turned around in surprise and a sudden recognition fell upon them both.
小題1:The girl was hiding in the tree at deep night to ______.

A．keep herself from the cold	B．wait for the boy to come
C．want to be left alone	D．seek safety from any hurt

小題2:From the story, we can learn that ______.

A．the girl suffered a lot in her life

B．the girl’s parents divorced because of her

C．teachers and friends treated the girl badly

D．the girl used to stay in the tree when feeling sad

小題3:The underlined word “it” in the story refers to ______.

A．leaning back against the branch	B．being alone in the world
C．not being disturbed at night	D．it being dark with snow around

小題4:From the end of the story, it can be known that the girl _______.

A．knew the person	B．knew what the object was
C．realized her wishes	D．would never feel alone any more

Two thieves came to a house to steal something. They dug a hole in the wall of the house.
There lived many mice in the house. The woman in the moonlight saw a mouse crawl into the house.“Look！In comes one，”she said to the man in the house. The thief was so frightened that he hurriedly crawled out of the house and said to the one waiting outside，“She found me when I was just in.” But the thief outside didn’t believe him，so he said，“Let us two try to crawl into the house together.”At that time two mice happened to crawl into the house，too. The woman saw the mice and shouted，“In come two，catch them！” The two thieves were terribly frightened. The man in the house said，“You saw them come in but where are they？ I will catch them tonight.”The two thieves started running away at once.
The two thieves wanted to make it clear whether they had been found or not the night before. The next day they acted as men selling sweet potatoes and came before the house. The man and the woman were ploughing in their fields. The rein（韁繩）broke and the woman came home for a rope. She saw two men selling sweet potatoes and wanted to buy some. She picked out two which looked like mice. At the time the man couldn’t wait for her any longer in the fields and he ran back from the fields to hurry her up. The woman showed the sweet potatoes to the man and said，“How they look like the two of last night.”The man said，“I asked you to fetch a rope，why don’t you hurry for it？”The two thieves ran away quickly without their sweet potatoes.
小題1:The two thieves failed to steal anything from the house because______.

A．they were found out

B．they were frightened by what they had heard in the house

C．they didn’t work together well with each other

D．mice stopped them from doing so

小題2:From the last paragraph，we know that ______.

A．the two thieves were famous selling sweet potatoes

B．the woman recognized the two thieves

C．the woman pretended to know nothing about the two thieves and made fun of them

D．the two thieves didn’t know that they were not found at all

小題3:“______”is the best title for this passage.

A．Two Clever Thieves	B．Terrible Mice
C．Hit the Mark by a Fluke	D．A Clever Couple

小題4:Which of the following statements is FALSE？

A．The two thieves not only failed to steal things but also lost their sweet potatoes.

B．Whenever they found mice，the people in the house would try to catch them.

C．The two thieves ran away at once，because they thought the woman had seen them.

D．The man let the woman go home for a rope，which would be used for catching the thieves.

I first went to hear a live rock concert when I was eight years old. My brother
and his friends were all 36  of a heavy metal group called Black Wednesday. When they 37  that Black Wednesday were going to perform at our local theatre, they all bought 38  for performance. However, at the last minute, one of the friends couldn’t go, so my brother  39  me the ticket. I was really 40 !
I remember the buzz (嘈雜聲) of excitement inside the theatre as we all found our 41 . After a few minutes, the lights went down and everybody became 42 . I could barely make out the stage in the 43 . We waited. Then there was a roar from the crowd, like an explosion, as the first members of the band 44  the stage. My brother leaned over and shouted something in my ear, but I couldn’t 45  what he was saying. The first song was already starting and the music was as 46  as a jet engine. I could 47  the drum beats and bass notes in my stomach.
I can’t recall any of the songs that the band played. I just 48  that I really enjoyed the show and didn’t want it to 49 . But in the end, after three encores (加演), the show finished. We left the 50  and walked unsteadily out onto the pavement. I felt a little dizzy, as if I had just 51  from a long sleep. My ears were still 52  with the beat of the last song.
After the 53  , I became a Black Wednesday fan too for a few years before getting into other kinds of music. Once in a while, 54 , I listen to one of their songs and 55  I’m back at that first show.

小題1:	A．members B．fans C．friends D．volunteers

小題2:	A．guessed B．thought C．discovered D．predicted

小題3:	A．flowers B．drinks C．clothes D．tickets

小題4:	A．offered B．booked C．returned D．found

小題5:	A．relaxed B．excited C．embarrassed D．encouraged

小題6:	A．seats B．entrance C．spots D．space

小題7:	A．comfortable B．serious C．nervous D．quiet

小題8:	A．silence B．darkness C．noise D．smoke

小題9:	A．fell upon B．got through C．stepped onto D．broke into

小題10:

A．forget B．bear C．repeat D．hear

小題11:

A．loud B．hard C．sweet D．fast

小題12:

A．enjoy B．touch C．feel D．digest

小題13:

A．realize B．understand C．believe D．remember

小題14:

A．continue B．finish C．delay D．change

小題15:

A．theatre B．party C．opera D．stage

小題16:

A．escaped B．traveled C．woken D．benefited

小題17:

A．a(chǎn)ching B．burning C．rolling D．ringing

小題18:

A．competition B．performance C．interview D．celebration

小題19:

A．besides B．otherwise C．instead D．though

小題20:

A．decide B．regret C．imagine D．conclude

About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film-studio（影棚）to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our "act" would last only for a short time, we could see quite a number of interesting things.
We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie-camera was wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in "snow". Two more fans were turned on, and a "strong wind" blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold.
The next scene was a complete contrast(對比).The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen. An actor and actress stood in front of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water's edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio!
Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film ”Stars”!
小題1:Who is the author?

A．A cameraman.	B．A crowd-scene actor.
C．A film director	D．A workman for scene setting

小題2:What made the author feel cold?

A．The heavy snowfall.	B．The low temperature
C．The man-made scene..	D．The film being shown

小題3:What would happen in the "three minutes" mentioned, in the last paragraph?

A．The next scene would be prepared.

B．More stars would act in the film.

C．The author would leave the studio.

D．A new scene would be filmed.

Forest guards in western India are using cell phones with ringtones of cows mooing, goats bleating and roosters crowing to attract leopards that have wandered into human settlements, officials said on Monday.
The wild cats in the state of Gujarat often get into villages near forests in search of food, say officials, adding that this results in attacks on people. But rather than use methods such as live bait(誘惑物) like goats tied to trees to lure the leopards, which then fall into large pits dug by guards, officials say they have found a safer method to trap the cats.
“The moos of a cow, bleating of a goat from the phone has proved effective to trap leopards,” said D. Vasani, a senior forest official in Gujarat. “This trick works.” Vasani said forest guards have downloaded the sounds of over a dozen animals as ringtones on their mobiles which they attach to speakers and fix behind a cage. They then play the ringtone continuously for up to two hours until the curious leopard appears and moves into the cage looking for its easy meal.
At least five leopards have so far been lured from villages since the new ringtone method was introduced three months ago. The cats have all been released back into forest areas.
Wildlife activists welcomed the new initiative saying that previous methods of trapping the cats using pits often resulted in the animals getting injured.
小題1:What can be the best title of the passage?

A．Cell Phones to Hunt Animals

B．Practical Uses of Cell Phones

C．Wildlife and New Technology

D．Phone Ringtones to Catch Leopards

小題2:Forest guards in India try to catch leopards mainly because ______.

A．leopards attack villagers

B．they want leopard fur

C．leopards attack animals

D．they have new ringtones

小題3:What will be needed to trap the leopards using the new method?
① cell phones   ②animals    ③ sounds of animals   ④ cages    ⑤large pits

A．①②③④

B．①③④

C．①④⑤

D．②③⑤

Years ago, I worked in an office in Halifax. We had large windows overlooking a busy street. I stood by one of them. When a woman in a passing car __36__and made eye contact, naturally, I __37__. 
It was the beginning of a year of window antics（古怪行徑）. When things were __38 _, I stood in the window and waved at the passengers who looked up. And this made me laugh- work __39__ was washed away.  It didn't __40__ long to attract the following - a man with a construction truck, the carpool crowd and the business lady with her children…. When waving became ___41___, I made signs: "Hi!", "Hello!", "Be Happy!" I ___42__ them in the window and waved. 
Christmas approached. Job cuts were announced. Several co-workers would ___43___their jobs. Stress reached a high point. Everyone was ___44__. We needed something to break the tension. While working a night __45 _, a red lab jacket __46_  my attention. I used my __47__ and turned it into a Santa’s costume. The next day my co-workers gathered around me and __48 _for the first time in weeks. Just then my boss walked through the door. He looked up, saw me, paused, __49__ his head, turned and left.
I __50_ trouble. The phone on the desk rang. It was my boss. "Mike, come to my office!"  Entering his office, I felt nervous. "Mike... "That was all he managed to say. Tears _51__  in his eyes, as I sat silent and confused. When he regained __52_ , he said, "Thanks, Mike! With the job cuts, it's been hard to enjoy the __53__season. Thanks for the laugh, I needed it.”
That evening, and every evening of the Christmas season, I stood __54__ in the window and waved to my __55_ . The bus crowd waved wildly, and the little children smiled at the strange Santa. My heart filled with joy. For a few minutes each day, we could forget the loss of jobs. 

小題1:	A．speeded up B．broke down C．looked up D．pulled though

小題2:	A．shouted B．hid C．left D．waved

小題3:	A．slow B．bad C．right D．important

小題4:	A．pleasure B．stress C．experience D．challenge

小題5:	A．spend B．take C．cost D．pay

小題6:	A．encouraging B．embarrassing C．moving D．boring

小題7:	A．saw B．read C．posted D．painted

小題8:	A．lose B．seek C．finish D．take

小題9:	A．terrified B．satisfied C．depressed D．exhausted

小題10:

A．class B．shift C．club D．party

小題11:

A．pulled B．a(chǎn)ttracted C．deserved D．a(chǎn)ttacked

小題12:

A．imagination B．relation C．experience D．strategy

小題13:

A．spoke B．laughed C．a(chǎn)cted D．returned

小題14:

A．nodded B．shook C．raised D．lower

小題15:

A．took B．put C．feared D．a(chǎn)void

小題16:

A．fell B．formed C．dried D．disappeared

小題17:

A．confidence B．balance C．control D．strength

小題18:

A．Labor B．Christmas C．Thanksgiving D．National

小題19:

A．luckily B．eagerly C．proudly D．naturally

小題20:

A．boss B．children C．co-workers D．fans