閱讀下列短文, 從每題所給的選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卷上將該項涂黑。

D

Around the globe, the tourist trade is booming and you are promised to enjoy all the comfort and convenience of modern tourism. The first-class systems of communication by air, sea and land make it possible for us to visit each other’s countries at a moderate cost. What was once the ‘grand tour’, reserved for only the very rich, is now within most people’s grasp. The package tour and chartered flights (包機) are quite popular to us. Modern travelers enjoy a level of comfort which those on grand tours in the old days couldn’t have dreamed of. With all this coming and going, you would expect greater understanding to develop between the nations of the world. Not a bit of it! So what’s the sense of this mass exchange of populations if the nations of the world remain basically ignorant of each other? So there is a great misdirection in tourist business, especially in conducted tour items.

    Many tourist organizations are directly responsible for this state of affairs. They purposely set out to “protect” their passengers from too much contact with the local population. Modern tourists lead a protected and separated life. They live at international hotels, where they eats their international food and sips their international drink while gazing at the natives from a distance. Designed tours to places of interest are carefully arranged. The tourists are allowed to see only what the organizers want them to see and no more. A strict schedule makes it impossible for the tourists to wander off on their own; and anyway, language is always a barrier, so they might only be too happy to be protected in this way.

At its very worst, this merely leads to a new and terrible kind of colonization. The sad thing about this situation is that it leads to the persistence of certain old ideas of other nations and countries. We don’t see the people of other nations as they really are, but as we have been brought up to believe what they are, even staying along with that from text books during our schooling.

You can test this for yourself. Take five nationalities, say, French, German, English, American and Italian. Now in your mind, match them with these five adjectives: musical, emotional, cold, pedantic (愛追究的), native. Far from providing us with any insight into the national characteristics of the peoples just mentioned, these adjectives just actually act as barriers, for we can’t do the job with certainty. So, frequently, when you set out on your travels, the only characteristics you notice are those which confirm what you have already obtained as the first conceptions in your mind. And you get home only with the highly unoriginal and inaccurate impression, such as the saying, “Anglo-Saxons are hypocrites (偽君子)” and “Latin peoples shout a lot ”. However, to gain the real understanding, you only have to make a few foreign friends and you will know how ridiculousridiculous ridiculous ridiculous and harmful some old conceptions of other nations are. But how can you make foreign friends when the tourist trade does its best to prevent you?

     Being carried to an extreme, stereotypes can be positively dangerous. A very wild and limited outlook may stir up racial hatred and blind us to the basic fact — how reasonless it sounds! – that all people are human. We are all similar to each other, while at the same time all unique.

What does “grand tour” bring people now?

A. It only offers us reasonable cost.           B. It is the best way of modern tourism.

C. It is not liked by rich people.          D. It is available for the majority to enjoy it.

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

   A. By travelling abroad, one can know a certain country well.

   B. Making friends is impossible for anyone staying abroad.

   C. The tourist organizations have the best way to do their duty.

   D. Traveling conditions are much more improved than before.

Which word in the following is the best to summarize “Latin people shout a lot”?

A. Silent.            B. Noisy.         C. Lively.             D. Active.

The purpose of the author’s writing is to point out ______.

A. conducted tour should be stopped    B. the way of touring should be changed

C. gained knowledge can’t be renewed       D. some nations stay the same as before

What is the author’s attitude toward the present tourism?

A. Objective         B. Negative.           C. Critical.           D. Appreciative.

 The main idea for this passage is that ______.

A. tourism does little to increase understanding between nations

B. tourism is terrible without the work of the tourist organizations   

C. conducted tour is so dull that nobody wants to accept it now

D. tourism really does something wonderful to many countries   

閱讀理解

　　Roses are red, but they've never been blue. They are actually a lot of colors, but they lack the right pigment genes(色素基因)that would make them blue.

　　But don't worry, if blue is your favorite color, science has the answer. US scientists have said they could make the missing pigment gene in the near future with developments in biotechnology.

　　The scientists were studying how some medicines affect the liver(肝臟) when they found a human protein that fumed things blue during the process. This may be used to create the world's first - known blue rose.

　　Scientists have already turned a cup full of bacteria (細菌) blue with an enzyme (生化酶) taken from a person's liver. They're now trying to put this same human gene into roses. Technology also promises to make sure the roe still smells good. Commercial growing has led to many beautiful but dull- smelling roses. Their colors are varied and they last a long time, but they've little fragrance.

　　Genetic engineers are also trying to get science to fight diseases and insects that affect the world's 120 different rose kinds. These roses are a US $10 billion-a-year business world-wide. The technology may be very useful in gardening, say scientists. “We could try to grow blue cotton, blue anything really. ”said a scientist..

　　So far, though, it hasn't been easy. They have only managed to get a few blue spots into the stems. “ It's not as easy as you may think. It's going to take more work. ”

　　They're not alone, an Australian company was set up in 1986 to develop a blue rose. Researchers have tried to put a “blue” petunia gene into rose`. But they have not had much success so far.

1．If you like blue roses, you ________.

[　　]

A．can have one in the future

B．can buy one in a shop

C．can never see one

D．can to go to the lab to enjoy them

2．Scientists try to find ________ to make blue roses.

[　　]

A．right human genes

B．a right protein

C．right pigment genes

D．a right enzyme

3．We can infer from the passage that biotechnology will ________.

[　　]

A．make blue roses possible

B．change our life greatly

C．help a lot in gardening

D．make roses smell good

Real-life Friends
Most people know the saying: A man's best friend is his dog; and that Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. However, dogs can’t offer advice or make you a cup of tea when you need one; and precious stones are cold comfort when you need a hug, and a shoulder to cry on.
What are Friends?
There are many ways to describe a friend. Friends are the family you can choose for yourself. Friends are a much better medication（醫(yī)療）than medication is, and people who spend time with friends are happier with their lives as they are less lonely.
A good friend will put you to bed when you’re lost consciousness. Ensure you’re not laid on your back, and remember to remove your shoes. You should be able to tell a true friend anything without being judged by them.
How do Friendships Begin?
This is an easy question. Find someone else who has similar interests with you. You now have another person to talk to about your shared interest but remember they like to talk too, so be prepared to shut up and listen once in a while. Hopefully they will have other friends and will introduce you to them, thereby expanding your circle.
Friendships which begin due to location, for example, next-door neighbors or school classmates, rarely survive transitions such as moving to other neighborhoods, schools, colleges, jobs, immigration, and so forth. Attend a school reunion and you’ll wonder what on earth you ever had in common with these people other than your age, although it is possible to have a friendship with someone you met at school. Mutually maintain it, and eventually become godparent or “uncle” to each others’ children.
How Friendships are Maintained
To have a friend you must also be a friend and be prepared to be there for them should they need you. Failure in this respect would label you a fair-weather friend and you would most probably be abandoned.
Boundaries
Like every other relationship you have in your life, there are boundaries you shouldn’t cross with your friends. One of those is money: Don’t lend to your friend and don’t ask for a loan yourself.
Friends are unpaid counselors（顧問）,but phoning them at 2 am because you’re awake and would like a chat is not a good idea. Neither is phoning them at 10 am if you know they’re a shift-worker. Friends are people who need some space and quiet time. Generally, it all boils down to mutual respect and understanding.
It’s not a good plan to interrupt your friend while they’re on a date/on holiday/attending an orchestral recital/at a funeral.
Trust
Trust is the most vital element in any relationship. If you’re not trustworthy then you probably don’t deserve friends, so try to remember that you promised to see that dull film with them or applaud them at their first attempt at a karaoke or an Open Mic night. If you have promised to look after their clothes while they go for a bet, then make sure you do. You might like to carry enough cash to help them out too, as you never know when that situation might be reversed.
Don’t lie to your friend: if they know you well they’ll know you’re lying or will at least be suspicious. If you find out something that you know will hurt your friend, be tactful（圓滑）. Do they need to know? Would they appreciate knowing? Can you tell their mum so she can break the news? Cowardly, yes, but mums usually have a much better way with words. Remember, if you do decide to tell them and it’s painful, they will probably need some time alone, after lashing out at（抨擊）the closest thing—you. In that case, play the waiting game. Then don’t beat them up about it afterwards.
A Friend for Life
Strong friendships can last a lifetime with care and consideration. The benefits are multi-folds; you’ve got someone to share birthday cake with, and especially for single people, a pub meal or a trip to the cinema is no fun alone, is it? Plus it’s always nice to know there’s someone there for you, as you’re there for them, through the bad times as well as the good. Altogether now: Oh I get by with a little help from my friends. Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends.
【小題1】According to the passage we can learn that good friends should be ___________.

A．paid counselors	B．money lenders
C．good listeners	D．next-door neighbors

【小題2】The author brings in the topic by ___________.

A．giving negative examples	B．raising a relative question
C．describing a natural fact	D．explaining what friends are

【小題3】The underlined phrase “a fair-weather friend” in Para 6 probably refers to a friend who _____.

A．likes only fine weather

B．will always stand by you

C．likes to make friends in fine weather

D．will run away from you when you need help badly

【小題4】What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The more friends you have, the happier you will be.

B．Medication is also a better way to maintain strong friendships.

C．You may lose a friend if you are always telling lies to him or her.

D．We should only make friends with those having similar interests.

【小題5】 From the last paragraph we can learn that the author ____________.

A．doubt whether there are true friends and friendship

B．has lost a lot of good friends without any reasons

C．has already benefited a great deal from his friends

D．has been tired of making friends with single people

【小題6】 Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．How to make friends.	B．Friends and friendship.
C．Ways to maintain friendship.	D．Boundaries of friends.

Real-life Friends

Most people know the saying: A man's best friend is his dog; and that Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. However, dogs can’t offer advice or make you a cup of tea when you need one; and precious stones are cold comfort when you need a hug, and a shoulder to cry on.

What are Friends?

There are many ways to describe a friend. Friends are the family you can choose for yourself. Friends are a much better medication（醫(yī)療）than medication is, and people who spend time with friends are happier with their lives as they are less lonely.

A good friend will put you to bed when you’re lost consciousness. Ensure you’re not laid on your back, and remember to remove your shoes. You should be able to tell a true friend anything without being judged by them.

How do Friendships Begin?

This is an easy question. Find someone else who has similar interests with you. You now have another person to talk to about your shared interest but remember they like to talk too, so be prepared to shut up and listen once in a while. Hopefully they will have other friends and will introduce you to them, thereby expanding your circle.

Friendships which begin due to location, for example, next-door neighbors or school classmates, rarely survive transitions such as moving to other neighborhoods, schools, colleges, jobs, immigration, and so forth. Attend a school reunion and you’ll wonder what on earth you ever had in common with these people other than your age, although it is possible to have a friendship with someone you met at school. Mutually maintain it, and eventually become godparent or “uncle” to each others’ children.

How Friendships are Maintained

To have a friend you must also be a friend and be prepared to be there for them should they need you. Failure in this respect would label you a fair-weather friend and you would most probably be abandoned.

Boundaries

Like every other relationship you have in your life, there are boundaries you shouldn’t cross with your friends. One of those is money: Don’t lend to your friend and don’t ask for a loan yourself.

Friends are unpaid counselors（顧問）,but phoning them at 2 am because you’re awake and would like a chat is not a good idea. Neither is phoning them at 10 am if you know they’re a shift-worker. Friends are people who need some space and quiet time. Generally, it all boils down to mutual respect and understanding.

It’s not a good plan to interrupt your friend while they’re on a date/on holiday/attending an orchestral recital/at a funeral.

Trust

Trust is the most vital element in any relationship. If you’re not trustworthy then you probably don’t deserve friends, so try to remember that you promised to see that dull film with them or applaud them at their first attempt at a karaoke or an Open Mic night. If you have promised to look after their clothes while they go for a bet, then make sure you do. You might like to carry enough cash to help them out too, as you never know when that situation might be reversed.

Don’t lie to your friend: if they know you well they’ll know you’re lying or will at least be suspicious. If you find out something that you know will hurt your friend, be tactful（圓滑）. Do they need to know? Would they appreciate knowing? Can you tell their mum so she can break the news? Cowardly, yes, but mums usually have a much better way with words. Remember, if you do decide to tell them and it’s painful, they will probably need some time alone, after lashing out at（抨擊）the closest thing—you. In that case, play the waiting game. Then don’t beat them up about it afterwards.

A Friend for Life

Strong friendships can last a lifetime with care and consideration. The benefits are multi-folds; you’ve got someone to share birthday cake with, and especially for single people, a pub meal or a trip to the cinema is no fun alone, is it? Plus it’s always nice to know there’s someone there for you, as you’re there for them, through the bad times as well as the good. Altogether now: Oh I get by with a little help from my friends. Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends.

1.According to the passage we can learn that good friends should be ___________.

A．paid counselors	B．money lenders
C．good listeners	D．next-door neighbors

2.The author brings in the topic by ___________.

A．giving negative examples	B．raising a relative question
C．describing a natural fact	D．explaining what friends are

3.The underlined phrase “a fair-weather friend” in Para 6 probably refers to a friend who _____.

A．likes only fine weather

B．will always stand by you

C．likes to make friends in fine weather

D．will run away from you when you need help badly

4.What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The more friends you have, the happier you will be.

B．Medication is also a better way to maintain strong friendships.

C．You may lose a friend if you are always telling lies to him or her.

D．We should only make friends with those having similar interests.

5. From the last paragraph we can learn that the author ____________.

A．doubt whether there are true friends and friendship

B．has lost a lot of good friends without any reasons

C．has already benefited a great deal from his friends

D．has been tired of making friends with single people

6. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．How to make friends.	B．Friends and friendship.
C．Ways to maintain friendship.	D．Boundaries of friends.

 

What is most likely to affect your success at school or at a job? The ability to read. And that goes for your kids too. The declining literacy(讀寫能力的下降) of our society has been a main concern of educators for a while now, and yet things are not getting better.

In most cases, how well we learn to read will depend largely on our exposure（接觸） to language as children. If we hear people around us talking about all kinds of subjects as children, we naturally pick up the words and phrases they use. If we pick up a lot of words, we will learn to read better.

Much of the traditional advice to struggling readers, theses days, seems to include developing “cognitive strategies”（認知策略）. In this way, readers are asked to centre more, to think, to be interested and ask questions, to analyze, to predict, to reason, and to check their understanding, or worse still to answer questions of what they have read. In other words they are asked to become self-conscious（有自我意識的） readers. I do not agree with this approach.

Here are my several strategies for reading improvement.

Read about things that interest you. If you are interested in what you are reading about, the words will come alive, and you will understand better. The more you read, the better you will become at reading. Just get started and it will become a habit, as long as you are interested in what you are reading.

Read material that is at your level or just a little difficult for you. Read material that you find easy to read, or just a little challenging. Looking up many unknown words in a dictionary is dull, and the results of the dictionary search are quickly forgotten.

_____ If you can hear the new words and phrases that you are reading, you will have an easier time understanding and remembering them. Hearing the rhythm of someone reading a text will help your own reading.

Don’t worry about what you don’t understand. Most of your reading should be for pleasure. You can still enjoy reading without understanding all of what you read. You may even understand some things in your own personal way.

Unfortunately not all reading is just for pleasure. When you are reading a textbook or report or other material for school, you may need to underline, take notes and read some parts over again. However, if you have developed the habit of reading for pleasure, you will find that the skills you need will come naturally, and that you will understand a lot better than before.

1.In Paragraph 2, the author tells us the importance of _____.

    A. hearing people around as children            B. talking ability as children

    C. contacting different people                  D. learning different languages

2.Which sentence is best to be filled in the blank in the passage?

    A. Listen as much as possible.              B. Try to use your imagination.

    C. Great works need to be read out loud.    D. Listen first if you have trouble reading.

3.It can be learned from the last paragraph that _____.

    A. you should find pleasure from reading a textbook

    B. the habit of reading for pleasure is important

    C. reading for school is helpful for reading for pleasure

    D. reading for school requires different skills from reading for pleasure

4.What is the purpose of the author in writing the passage?

    A. To tell us some ways to improve reading ability.

    B. To show that poor literacy has been a big problem.

    C. To teach us how to look for fun in reading.

    D. To tell us some ways to pick up new words and phrases.