A lot of teenagers are good at art at school, but how would you feel if people called you “the new Picasso(畢加索)” or if presidents and other famous people collected your paintings?
Alexandra Nechita was ten when her paintings became famous all over the world. She visited Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and her family’s native place (祖籍) Romania where 5,000 fans came to see her at the airport. Alexandra said, “When it all started, I was moved. It was very exciting and I loved the traveling, but I got very tired. And I missed home.”
Alexandra is a good student. Her studies always come first. She only starts painting after she’s done her homework. She works on two or three paintings at a time. The paintings sell for thousands and Alexandra’s parents have given up their jobs to work for their daughter. Life for the Nechita family is very different from what it was like a few years ago.
Alexandra’s father Niki left Romania for political reasons in 1985. At first he tried his best to learn English and had different kinds of low-paid jobs. In 1987, he brought his wife and Alexandra, who was then 18 months old, to America. The family was very poor. Alexandra began to draw at the age of three.
She was drawing for four or five hours a day. Soon people offered to buy her paintings and she had her first art show at the age of eight. Stories about this child appeared in the newspapers and television. They now live in a large house with a swimming pool. Her mother said, “We started without anything, but thanks to Alexandra, we have everything we ever dreamed of.”
【小題1】Alexandra became well-known all over the world for her paintings at the age of _______.

Alexis Rocha is a 13-year-old boy from California, US. He weighs 147 pounds (67 kg). But six months ago, he weighed more than 202 pounds (91 kg). How did he lose all that weight in only half a year?
“One day, I was surprised to find that I weighed about 200 pounds,” Rocha says. “I thought I had to do something.”
Rocha is from a boxing (拳擊) family—his father and two older brothers are professional boxers. So he decided to start boxing. He began with simple exercises, like sit-ups and push-ups (俯臥撐). Then Rocha started jogging(慢跑). “No kid likes running,” he says. “I don’t want to do it, either, but I have no choice but to keep on.”
Months later, Rocha joined a boxing club in his city. He is always the first kid at the club to begin exercising, and the last to leave with sweat (汗水) on his face. Every day he boxes for about three hours.
“Rocha works very hard,” says his coach, Hector Lopez. “It’s surprising to see him lose the pounds so quickly. I’ve never seen anything like this in my 20 years of coaching.”
Rocha is very happy with his weight now. There is a family photo in his room from 18 months ago. “Each time I look at the photo, I laugh at myself. I was so big back then,” Rocha says. “I look 100 times thinner and 1,000 times stronger now.”
【小題1】How much weight did Rocha lose in six months?
A. At least 24 pounds.     B. At least 30 pounds.　　    C. At least 55 pounds.
【小題2】 Rocha said he had no choice but to keep on running because_______.
A. he liked running very much
B. he wanted to be thin and strong
C. he wanted to be a professional boxer
【小題3】What makes Coach Hector Lopez surprised?
A. Rocha lost weight so quickly.
B. Rocha was so fat 18 months ago.
C. Rocha comes from a boxing family.
【小題4】What’s the correct order of the following sentences?
a. He did some sit-ups and push-ups.
b. He lost the pounds quickly.
c. He joined a boxing club.
d. He began running.
f. He boxed for about three hours every day.
A. a-d-c-f-b     B. d-a-f-c-b     C. a-d-f-c-b 
【小題5】The writer mainly wants to tell us _______.
A. Rocha is a hardworking boy
B. it is important to get exercise
C. everything is possible if you work hard

Mr Scott was the owner of a shop. He lived by himself in a small room above his shop. He was always afraid that someone might break into his shop at night
One day, when he checked his money after closing up, he found he had almost 10,000 dollars. He thought keeping so much money in the shop was a dangerous thing. So he took the money with him to his bedroom, put it in the pocket of his coat and went to bed with his coat on. At midnight the doorbell rang and woke him up. He got out of bed and called out in a shaky(顫抖的) voice, “What do you want?” Under the street light stood a policeman, “Sorry to wake you up,” the policeman said, “but all the lights are on in your shop. I think you just forgot to turn them off when you closed up.”
【小題1】Where did Mr Scott live?
A. By himself.         B. In his shop.        C. Above his shop.
【小題2】How much money did he have that day?
A.＄10,000.         B.￥10,000.        C. 10,000.
【小題3】Why did Mr Scott sleep with he money that night? '
A. Because he loved money very much.
b. Because he thought it was not safe to keep it in the shop.
C. Because he knew the policeman would wake him up.
【小題4】Why did the policeman wake him up? '
A. Because he wanted to turn off the lights .
b. Because he wanted to remind Mr Scott
C. Because he wanted to ring his doorbell.
【小題5】How did Mr Scott feel when he heard the doorbell.
A. Excited.           B. Angry.          C. Stressed.

Many years ago, a rich man found that someone wan taking valuable things from his house. He locked all the doors and all the windows .Still the things went. It must be one of the servants! How could he catch the servant? He thought of a good plan.
Late one evening. When it was dark, he called all the servants together, “There is a thief in the house, but I know how to catch him.”He said.”In the next room there is a square box. In that box there is a chicken which is magic. Each of you must go into the room alone. It is quite dark in the room. You must feel your way to the table and press the first finger of your right hand on the top of the box. If you are not the thief, nothing will happen. If you are the thief, the chicken will make such a loud sound that everyone in the house will hear it.”Some of the servants said that they did not want to do this. They were frightened of the magic chicken. But the man said that they must do what he said. If they had done nothing wrong. They had nothing to fear.
So the servants went into the dark room one at a time, while the rest listened carefully. Soon everyone had been in the room. but the chicken made no sound.”Good “said the man.”Now I know who the thief is! The servants looked very surprised.“Show me your right hands! The chicken did not make a sound for a very good reason. There is no chicken in the box at all! But the top of the box was covered with paint. You all have paint on your fingers, except for one person. That person is the thief, and he was afraid to put his finger on the box.”He pointed to one of the servants.”Your finger is clean! You are the thief!”
【小題1】Were the rich man call all the servants together?
A. Yes, they were.  B. No, they weren’t.   C.I don’t know.
【小題2】When did the rich man call all the servants together?
A. In the morning B. In the afternoon C. In the evening
【小題3】 Did the rich man catch the thief at last?
A. Yes, he did B. No, he didn’t   C. He gave up the plan
【小題4】 Which of the following is NOT true?
A. There was paint on the box.
B. All of the servants touched the box.
C. All of the servants went into the dark room
【小題5】 What do you think of the rich man?
A. Brave.   B. Clever   C. Friendly.

Steven Park and his wife Susan were having financial(財政) problems. One day, they each decided, without telling the other, to buy lotto ticket(彩票). Before buying these tickets, they had never spent money on the lotto. They both used numbers that were their anniversary(周年紀念) date and address. That night, they were watching the news on TV, and the winning numbers were drawn. Soon after hearing the numbers, they started jumping up and down. They were shocked(震驚) to find out that they each held a winning ticket! The ticket won＄450,000.
【小題1】Why did the parks buy a lotto ticket?
【小題2】What number did the Parks use?
【小題3】 Where did the Parks get the news that they won?
【小題4】 When did the Parks start jumping up and down?
【小題5】How much did the Parks win?

In the 1930s a young traveler was climbing the French Alps(法國阿爾卑斯山).He arrived at big piece of land without living things.It was ugly.It was the kind of place you hurry away from.
Then,suddenly,the young traveler stopped on the way.In the middle of this large land there was an old man.On his back was a bag of seeds.In his land was an iron pipe(鐵管).
The man used the iron pipe to make a hole in the ground.Then from the bag he took a seed and put it in the hole.He did this again and again.
Later the old man told the traveler,“I’ve planted over 100,00 seeds.Perhaps only a tenth of them will grow.”
The old man’s wife and son had died,and this was how he chose to spend his final years.
“I want to do something useful,”he said.
(1)二十年以后那個年輕的游客已不再年輕。 He retutned to the place.What he saw amazed him.He could mot believe his eyes.The land was covered with a beautiful forest two miles wide and five miles long.Birds were singing,animals were playing,and wild flowers were here and there.
(2)The traveler stood there remembering the lifeless picture of the place that it once was.A beautiful forest stood there now,all because someone cared.
【小題1】Why did the ola man plant seeds?_____________________________________________
【小題2】How many seeds did the old man think could grow,all of them or only some?___________
【小題3】What amazed the young traveler when he returned to the place?______________________
【小題4】將短文中畫線句子(1)翻譯成英語。___________________________________________
【小題5】將短文中畫線句子(2)翻譯成漢語。___________________________________________

Ben Jones was walking home from school one day when he saw a black cat.It was walking across the srteet in front of him.Ben stopped,turned around,and walked down a different srteet to go home.Why did he do that?
“It’s unluchy when a black cat crosses the street in front of you,”says Ben,“I did not want to walk down that street!”
Many people think that some things bring bad luch of good luck.For example,some people think that 13 is an unlucky number.They never invite 13 people to a party.
“I never walk under a ladder(梯子),”says Ben.“And I never open an umbrella inside the house.They both bring bad luck.”
And what brings good luck?“We have a horseshoe over the front door of our house for good luck,”says Ben.
“And when I find a peney on the ground,I always pick it up .That brings me good luck all day!”
【小題1】Why did Ben turn aroundd when he saw the black cat crossing the street?
A.Because he thought it was unlucky.
B.Because he disliked a black cat.
C.Because he was afraid of the cat.
【小題2】In western countries,which number do some people think is unlucky?
A.4.               B.10.              C.13.
【小題3】Which of the following things can bring people good luck?
A.Opening an umbrella inside the house.
B.Walking under a ladder.
C.Picking up a penny on the ground.
【小題4】Where does Ben’s family have a horseshoe?
A.Over the front door.     B.Inside the house.      C.Under a ladder.
【小題5】Which is the best title of the passage?
A.A black cat.
B.Good luck and bad luck.
C.Good things can bring good luck.

A blind schoolgirl has become the youngest interpreter (口譯員) when she is only ten years
Alexia Sloane is from Cambridge. She was told by the doctor she had a brain tumour (腦癌) when she was on holiday "with her parents in France. After that the two-year-old girl became blind.
Though the little girl can't see anything, she has great talent for languages and at the age of 10 she is already fluent (流利的) in English, French, Spanish and Chinese-and is learning German.
Now her dream of working as an interpreter has come true. East of England MEP (歐盟議員) Robert Sturdy invited her to the European Parliament (議會). "Usually a person who enters the European Parliament should be 14 at least. So it was amazing for Alexia to work there at the age of 10. " said Alexia's mother Isabelle. Alexia can speak three languages since birth. As her mum is hah" French and half Spanish and her dad Richard is English. " She has always been very good at languages and shown an interest from a very young age. " added Isabelle, who also has a four-year-old daughter Melissa.
Alexia has dreamed of becoming an interpreter since she was six and chose to go to the European Parliament as her prize when she won the Young Achiever Community Award of the Year (年度青年成就獎). She asked if she could learn from the interpreters and HEP Robert Sturdy agreed to take her along as his guest. " It was fantastic and I decided to become an interpreter, "said Alexia. "Nothing can stop me. "
【小題1】How old is the youngest interpreter according to the passage?

A．She can speak five language fluently.

B．She is a talented language learner.

C．She is the only child in the family.

D． She went to France on holiday after she won the award.

Last Friday, a Tibetan(藏族的) postman became the first woman postal worker to give a speech at the World Postal Meeting in Bern, the capital of Switzerland. She was Nima Lamu, a postwoman of Yunling Post office, Yunnan Province.
She said, “I had to cross the Lancang River along a steel wire. My younger brother nearly died in the river before. I felt so afraid when I was asked for the first time to cross the river. But when I reached the other side, I found that I was flying.”
Her area is locked in (封閉) two snowy mountains and three big rivers. She said, “:What worries me most is the snakes on the way. Sometimes, I throw little stones toward them and I often tell my self ‘Keep going’. ”
Ten years ago, it took Nima five days to finish each week’s mail. She had to face snowstorms, floods, snakes and loneliness on her 350-kilometer journey. Nima said, “The situation has developed a lot these years. Now we have a bridge that was built across the Lancang River in 2006.”
Nima never dreamed she would become famous one day when she first look up her job, 12 years ago. Changes have been seen in recent years as more tourists visit Nima’s hometown. But one thing remains unchanged: she is still the carrier of the villagers’ hopes and dreams.
【小題1】Nima was invited to the meeting in Bern because she was _________.

A．he once fell into the river.	B．He was killed by a snake.
C．He died when swimming in the river.	D．He got hurt when building the bridge.

Lots of people make it as their aim to get to the top of Mount Everest. Mark is one of them. The difference between Mark and other climbers is that he lost both his legs when climbing. New Zealand’s highest mountain, Mount Cook. He was caught in a big ice hole and he had to have his legs cut below the knees after he was saved. But that couldn’t make Mark lose heart, who has become the first person with man-made legs to reach the top of Mount Everest.
From the top of the world’s highest mountain, Mark called his wife to say he made it. His wife, Anne got the phone when she was sleeping. She couldn’t hear him clearly on the phone. She was unable to say when he reached the top but thought it was around mid-day. She also said his “l(fā)egs” didn’t work well sometimes, so her husband was carrying a spare leg and repair tools.
Mark used to be a mountain guide before his accident. He said it was not important that no one like him had ever reached the 8850-meter mountain.
“I’m not doing this to be the first. I have been climbing most of my life and I just feel Mount Everest is really a great aim. I want to send a message that I can do-anything better.”
【小題1】What was the difference between Mark and other climbers?