閱讀下面短文, 掌握其大意，然后從36-55各題所給的四個選項A、B、C、D中，選出最佳選項（共20個小題，每小題1分，滿分20分）。
One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door found that he only had one dime (一角銀幣) left. He was hungry so he decided to    36    for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve (不知所措，慌張) when a lovely young woman opened the door.    37    a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked   38   so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I   39   you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied, “Mother has taught me never to accept  40    for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt   41   physically, but it also increased his faith in God and the human race. He was about to give up and    42    before this point. Years later the young woman became seriously ill. The  43   doctors were baffled (阻擋). They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists(專家) can be called in to study her   44   disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now   45    , was called in for the consultation (會診). When he heard the name of the town she came __46__, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he  47  and went down through the hospital hall into her room. Dressed  48  his doctor’s gown (罩衣) he went in to see her. He recognized(辨認) her at once. He went back to the   49   room and determined to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave special   50   to her case.
After a long struggle, the battle was   51  . Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval (批準). He looked at it and then    52   something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was    53   to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill    54   her attention. She read these words…
“Paid in (已繳)full with a glass of   55  .”
(Singed) Dr. Howard Kelly Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she prayed silently: “Thank you, God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”
36. A. search   B. beg     C. wait    D. look
37. A. Because of   B. In front of  C. In case of   D. Instead of
38. A. upset    B. thirsty C. hungry       D. sad
39. A. owe      B. cost    C. lend    D. own
40. A. offer    B. pay     C. help    D. thanks
41. A. quicker B. weaker       C. stronger     D. warmer
42. A. stop      B. continue     C. retire  D. surrender
43. A. local     B. poor   C. kind    D. cruel
44. A. common      B. ordinary     C. rare    D. scarce
45. A. old       B. famous       C. unknown    D. retired
46. A. from    B. to       C. into    D. for
47. A. stood    B. waited C. fell     D. rose
48. A. on     B. in    C. with   D. of
49. A. waiting B. treating      C. information       D. consultation
50. A. interest B. food   C. attention           D. effort
51. A. defeated       B. won    C. lost     D. completed
52. A. changed       B. left     C. crossed       D. wrote
53. A. excited B. afraid  C. nervous      D. surprised
54. A. caught  B. called  C. paid    D. caused
55. A. water    B. coffee      C. milk  D. ice cream

James Stallman Rockefeller, the oldest-known U.S. Olympic medal winner and the former head of the bank that became Citigroup, died Tuesday. He was 102. Records of the U.S. Olympic Committee show that Rockefeller was the oldest American medal winner. He was the captain of Yale University's eight-man rowing team with coxswain that won gold at the 1924 Paris Olympics - beating the Canadian team by less than 16 seconds. The oars from the winning race and the gold medal were prominently displayed in Rockefeller's house. "I think he was really proud of that - probably more than the bank career," said his grandson。
Rockefeller suffered a stroke on Thursday, said his grandson, who lived with him at his Greenwich home for two years, attributed his long life to a regimented(嚴密組織的) lifestyle: breakfast at eight a.m., lunch at 1 p.m., cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner promptly at 7 p.m.. He liked plain food, without sauces or cheese, and plenty of fresh vegetables, including those grown in the garden of his estate. Rockefeller was in good health until shortly before he died. He drove his car up until last year and would review documents from the various charities and businesses he helped lead.
Rockefeller, born June 8, 1902, was a grandson of William Rockefeller, who founded Standard Oil with his brother, John D. Rockefeller. He graduated from Yale in 1924 and served in the Airborne Command during World War II. He started at the bank, and then called the National City Bank, in 1930, following his uncle and grandfather, who were leaders of the bank. He was became president in 1952, chairman in 1959 and retired in 1967. In 1955, under Rockefeller's leadership, the bank merged with the First National Bank of New York to form Citigroup. Rockefeller also was a director of numerous companies, including Pan American Airways, Northern Pacific Railroad, NCR and Monsanto, and served on the boards of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the American Museum of Natural History.
Rockefeller and his wife, Nancy Carnegie Rockefeller, had four children. His wife died in 1994.
16. Rockefeller lost his wife when he was ___________.
A. at the age of 91    B. in his eighties   C. in his nineties       D. in his 1994
17. We can learn from the passage that ____________.
A. the American rowing team beat the Canadian team in less than 16 seconds in 1924.
B. Rockefeller was the first American medal winner.
C. James Stallman Rockefeller founded the National City Bank and became president.
D. His grandson thought Rockefeller had long life because of a regimented lifestyle.
18. What does the underlined word in the last paragraph but one mean?
A. combined     B. joined     C. took on     D. together with
19. What we can infer from the passage is that __________.
A. James Stallman Rockefeller is a great Olympic medal winner.
B. James Stallman Rockefeller was in good health until he died.
C. James Stallman Rockefeller was very active in American society.
D. James Stallman Rockefeller was the only grandson of William Rockefeller.

Be Brave With New Things
The old advertising slogan, “so simple a child can do it ,” has taken on new meaning to me. A few weeks ago I got a computer, but I an mechanically illiterate. I knew that children had no fear of the future, so that seemed a good place to seek help. I asked my nephew, twelve years old, at an elementary school, to help me.
My nephew took the machine for granted and has simply accepted the fact that computers are now a way of life. He plays with them and does his homework on them and even creates programs for them. I , on the other hand, are terrified by what this equipment can do. It can interchange paragraphs, switch words around and even correct my spelling. It informs me of Its limitations, takes commands and asks questions. It even seems to have a sense of communication. Rather than accusing me of making an error, it prints “One of us has made a mistake!” It never gets tired and is always patient and ready to go when I am.
I think it was somewhat normal for me to be suspicious of computers. They represent a break with some very familiar habits and traditions. It is only human to instinctively avoid anything that shifts thoroughly from the acceptable, comfortable past. But the world is governed by ceaseless change and we must therefore establish links with the present and future as well as the past. Computer technology is an excellent case in point, as the newest systems grow out of date in only a few years, or even months.
This ability to see, experience and accept the new is one of our saving characteristics. To be fearful of tomorrow, to close ourselves to possibilities, to resist the inevitable, to advocate standing still when all else is moving forward, is to lose touch. If we accept the new with joy and wonder, we can move gracefully into each tomorrow. More often than not, the children shall lead us.
6．What is the new meaning of  “So simple a child can do it” for the author?
A．computers are so easy to operate that even a child can play them well
B．A child can always do more complex things than an adult.
C．It is easier for a child to accept new things than for an adult.
D．A child has greater ability than an adult in operating computers.
7．According to the second paragraph, which of the following statements is true?
A．The nephew thought it is natural to accept the fact that computers are now a way of life.
B．The nephew believed that machines were made for people to do whatever they wanted.
C．computers are not only used to communicate, but also to remove their limitations.
D．It is a fact that both adults and children have accepted computers as a way of life.
8．Which of the following doesn’t the author’s computer do ?
A．It asks the author if she has made a mistake.
B．It accuses the author of making mistakes.
C．It corrects the author’s spelling mistakes.
D．It informs the author of her mistakes.
9．According to the third paragraph, it is human nature that we resist those things which   
A．only represent the comfortable and acceptable past
B．change thoroughly into the comfortable and acceptable past
C．make people stand still when all else is moving forward
D．change completely from the acceptable and comfortable past
10．How do you understand the underlined sentence in the  text?
　　A. It is always ready to inform me when I am ready to go.
　　B. It is always ready to start working when I am ready for work.
　　C. When I am ready to go, it is patient to wait.
　　D. When I am ready to go, it has already gone.

For many of us, printed books are satisfying in ways beyond the words they contain. Billions of printed books have been published, read and saved in the 600 years since movable type was invented, so why mess with a good things?
Sony Electronics is doing just that, betting that readers will be won over by the convenience of readability of its new electronic book devices. Sony's reader, the PRS-505, can hold 160 books in its fixed memory, enough to line the shelves on a good-sized wall in the average American home. The $299 device is about the size of a paperback book, but a half-inch thick and weighs less than a pound.
The Sony book reader is revolutionary not only in its storage capacity. The font（字體） is highly readable and adjustable by size. Unlike laptop computers, you can put the Sony in your purse, read it in direct sunlight and even bookmark the pages. And you can connect it to your PC to download books.
Surprisingly, though the reader has liberated the book from paper, electronic books aren't always a bargain. For example, David Baldacci's "Stone Cold" download retails（零售） for $15.19 at the Sony site, while Amazon（卓越網） will deliver a hard copy to your mailbox for $16.19.
The Sony reader also lets you store and play or display music. So what's not to like about the Sony? Well, for many bibliophiles, a lot. Book lovers like to have, hold and keep their volumes, which don't need charging. You can write notes in the margins, and enjoy the ambience they provide on your book shelves.
The need for electronic reading devices is likely to grow as more people worried about the billions of tons of paper used for printed material. Many believe the time will come when devices like the Sony reader are as common as printed newspapers and magazines today.
1．What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The age of the electronic book reader is coming
B. Printed books are out of date
C. The Sony reader meets many readers’ needs
D. The revolution in book readers
2．According to the passage, the Sony book reader _________.
A. is as light as a laptop computer               B. can hold more than 200 books
C. is convenient to carry around                  D. cannot be connected to a PC
3．What is the author’s point when he mentions “Stone Cold”?
A. Amazon’s printed books are very cheap
B. “Stone Cold” can be got from the Sony site and Amazon
C. The Sony book reader is not very cheap to use
D. The Sony book reader can benefit its buyers a lot
4．The underlined word “bibliophiles” in Paragraph 5 refers to “__________”.
A. music lovers                                            B. book lovers
C. electronic reading devices                      D. Sony readers
5．According to the author, what’s the future for the electronic reading devices?
A. They’ll replace printed newspapers and magazines
B. They’ll still be more expensive than printed newspapers
C. They’ll become a must in people’s daily life
D. They’ll become more popular as time goes on

In the very early 　1800’　s, a young boy about 14 years old named John lived in an orphanage (孤兒院) in Old England along with several other children. Orphan meant unwanted and unloved.
Christmas was the one day of the year when the children didn’t work and received a gift, an orange. Usually they tried to taste and preserve it for so long that it often rotted before they ever peeled(剝開)it to enjoy the sweet juice. Many thought were expressed as Christmas time approached. The children would say, “I will keep mine the longest.” John usually slept with his next to his pillow. This year John was overjoyed by the Christmas season. He was becoming a man and stronger and soon he would be old enough to leave. He would save his orange until his birthday in July.
Christmas day finally came. The children were so excited as they entered the big dining hall. Immediately the master shouted, “John, leave the hall and there will be no orange for you this year.” John’s heart broke violently wide open. He turned and went swiftly back to the cold room. Then he heard the door open and each of the children entered. Little Elizabeth with her hair falling over her shoulders, a smile on her face, and tears in her eyes held out a piece of rag to John. “Here John,” she said, “this is for you.” As he lifted back the edges of the rag he saw a big juicy orange all peeled and quartered and then he realized what they had done.
John never forgot the sharing, love and personal sacrifice his friends had shown him that Christmas day. In memory of that day every year he would send oranges all over the world to children everywhere.
1. The first paragraph is mainly to tell us that ______.
A. John lived in the early 　1800’　s          B. John’s parents had died
C. John lived a hard life in an orphanage   D. John lived with several other children　　
2. These children would be happiest when ______.
A. they got the special gift                 B. they preserved it very long
C. they finally enjoyed the sweet juice       D. they entered the dining hall
3. What would overjoy John most the next year according to the second paragraph?
A. He placed his orange next to his pillow.
B. He would eat his orange on his birthday.
C. He wouldn’t get his special gift.
D. He would stay in the orphanage for another year
4. According to the text, where did John’s orange come from this year?
A. It was made up of what these children donated.
B. His master gave him a whole one again.
C. These children bought him one.
D. Little Elizabeth donated hers to John.
5. What can be inferred from the text?
A. John had expected he wouldn’t get the gift this year.
B. John knew why he didn’t get the gift this year.
C. John felt ashamed for not getting the special gift.
D. The story teaches us to learn to share with others.

Georgia was waking up to a new president Monday but it was also getting as its first lady a green?eyed linguist from Holland who has already managed to cast a spell over the little Caucasus nation. Sandra Roelofs is seen by some as the secret weapon which enables her husband Saakashvili to win in this presidential election.
She runs an investment consultancy（投資咨詢公司）, speaks six languages and some believe she is the real brains behind her husband’s rise to power.
Roelofs, who is a year younger than her husband, met him in 1993 when he was studying an international law programme in Strasbourg, France. She planed to go from there to Somalis as an aid worker but Saakashvili persuaded her to go with him instead to New York, where he had got a scholarship. They married soon after and when Saakashvili returned to his native Georgia to begin a career in politics, she went with him.
She has enchanted(使人心醉) many of her adopted countrymen. The mention of her name sends women swooning（神魂顛倒）, and melts the tough expressions of strong Georgian men.“You can really tell that she cares about people,” says a resident of the capital, Tbilisi.“She runs a hunitarian organization. She is smart and pretty and kind and did you hear the way she speaks Georgian? Perfectly!”
The new first lady’s looks and intelligence play a large part in her appeal. But Georgians are especially taken by her simple manner. She has said that she plans to keep living in the family’s modest flat, even though they have the right to move into a luxurious government residence. “She doesn’t care about fancy houses and cars.” said Malika, a 29?year?old civil servant in Tbilisi.
11. The underlined part “cast a spell over” means_________.
A. cast a shadow over                                B. attract
C. love                                                     D. respect
12. Which of the following can be best used to describe Sandra Roelofs?
A. Proud.                     B. Hard?working.        C. Charming.         D. Humble.
13.What moves Georgians most is that Sandra Roelofs is very ________.
A. pretty               B. modest                     C. intelligent          D. plain
14. Which is the right order in which Sandra Roelofs did the following?
a. Roelofs married Saakashvili.
b. She planned to go from France to Somalis as an aid worker.
c. Roelofs runs an investment consultancy.
d. Roelofs came from Holland.
e. Roelofs went to Georgia with Saakashvili.
A. d?a?e?c?b                                B. d?a?b?e?c
C. a?b?e?c?d                                       D. d?b?a?e?c

Human Relations
----- By Marion Williams
A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and you can imagine how excited they were. Certainly the boy was   1   as the apple of their eyes.
One morning, the husband saw a medicine bottle   2  ．As he was late for work, he asked his wife to cap the bottle and ___3____. The mother, who was busy in the kitchen,   4    the matter. The boy playfully went to the medicine bottle, was    5   with its color,and drank it all. It   6    to be a poisonous medicine    7    adults in small dosages. When the child showed   signs of poisoning, the mother took him to the hospital,  8  he died. The mother was stunned（使昏迷）.She was too   9    to face her husband. When the   10   father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he   11   his wife and uttered just four words.  
The husband just said “   12    ”
The husaband was indeed   13    in human relationships.The child was dead. He could   14   be brought back to life. There was no   15   in finding fault with the mother.   16   , if only he had taken time to keep the bottle in the cupboard or other place, this would not have happened. No one is   17   . She had also lost her only child .What she needed at that moment was consolation(安慰，慰藉) and   18   from the husband. That was what he gave her.  
If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective（觀點）, there would be much fewer  problems in the world. Sometimes we spend time in asking who is    19    or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this way we   20   some warmth in human relationship .
1．A．treated              B．thought                   C．ignored                   D．abandoned
2．A．shut                  B．close                      C．bare                       D．open
3．A．put it aside        B．set it aside              C．put it away              D．leave it alone
4．A．completely forgetting                            B．wholly terrified
C．totally forgot                                        D．absolutely remembered
5．A．satisfied            B．fascinated               C．puzzled                   D．calmed
6．A．happened          B．seemed                   C．appeared                 D．uttered
7．A．stood for           B．made for                 C．meant for                  D．called for
8．. A．when               B．then                       C．but                         D．where
9．A．ashamed            B．frightened              C．annoyed                  D．worried
10．A．awful             B．angry                     C．distraught               D．patient
11．A．looked at     B．stared at                  C．glared at                 D．amazed at
12．A．I hate you, now.                                  B．How do you do?
C．How did this happen?                           D．I love you, Darling.
13．A．a idiot             B．a genius                 C．a success                 D．a evil
14．A．never              B．seldom                   C．even                       D．once
15．A．wonder            B．point                     C．pleasure                  D．worry
16．A．Therefore        B．Otherwise              C．Besides                  D．However
17．A．to blame         B．to be blamed           C．to be accused           D．to be noticed
18．A．explanation      B．courage                  C．excuse                    D．sympathy
19．A．suitable           B．believable           C．accessible                D．responsible
20．A．make out         B．look out                  C．stand out                 D．miss out

During the years of depression(蕭條), food and money were very hard to find and people had to trade things with each other.  
One day I was   36   some potatoes from Mr Miller. I noticed a small poor boy hungrily   37   a full basket of   38   green peas. Then I was  39   to see that Mr Miller sold the boy a bag of peas   for just a marble (彈球).
Mrs Miller, who had been standing nearby,    40   and told me that Mr Miller loved to  trade with the three boys in the village for peas, tomatoes, and other things  41   he didn’t really need any marbles. I left the stand, smiling to myself,   42   by this man.
Several years went by. One day I learned that Mr Miller had died. I took part in the funeral(葬禮),  43   three young men . They came over to Mrs Miller, hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke with her and moved on,   44   their eyes.
Our 45   came to meet Mrs Miller. I mentioned 46   she had told me about the 47 . She told me,“Those three young men above were the boys I told you about. They just told me   48  they appreciated the things Jim‘traded’with them. Now, at last, they came to pay their debt.”  
“We’ve 49   had a great deal of the wealth in this world,” she added, “but right now, Jim would consider himself to be the  50   man.”
Then she gently lifted the   51   fingers of her husband. Resting underneath were three red marbles.
At that time I realized that we would not be  52    by our words, but by our kind  53  . It is said that it takes a minute to find a    54  person, an hour to appreciate him, a day to love him, but an entire life to  55   him.
James Barry
36.A.buying                 B. selling                      C.borrowing                 D. hunting
37.A.glaring at                 B. glanced at                 C. staring at                  D.watched at
38. A. picking fresh      B.freshly picked            C. picked freshly           D.fresh dried
39. A. astonished           B. amazed                    C. annoyed                   D.worried
40.A.turned over           B.going over                 C. came over                D.coming over
41.A.but                       B. otherwise                 C. or                               D. although
42.A.suspected              B.impressed                 C.regreted                    D.embarrassed
43.A.saw                      B.discovering                C.finding                  D.seeing
44.A.closing                 B.wiped                       C.cleaning                    D.wiping
45.A. time                    B. chance                     C. turn                         D. decision
46.A. the story             B. the proverb          C. the legend                  D. the joke
47.A. marbles               B. men                         C. debt                         D. life
48.A.why                    B. how                         C. when                       D. what
49.A. ever                    B. always                        C. never                       D.seldom
50.A. honest                 B. happiest                   C. coldest                        D. richest
51.A. lifeless                B. regretless                  C. useless                        D. hopeless
52.A. thought               B. touched                    C. remembered             D. affected
53.A.deeds                   B. things                      C. remarks                    D.rewards
54.A. strict                   B. honest                      C. special                            D. learned
55.A.ignore                  B. forget                      C. recognize                 D.remind

A person may have an idea about himself that will prevent him from doing good work.
He may have the belief that he is not capable (有能力的) of it. A child may think he is __1__ because he doesn’t understand how to make the __2__ of his mental faculties (才能). Older people may be mistaken that they are incapable of learning things new because of their __ 3__.
A person who believe that he is incapable will not make a real __4__ because he feels that it would be useless. He won’t go at a job with confidence necessary for __5__ , and he won’t  work his hardest way, even though he may think he is doing so. He is __6__ likely to fail, and the failure will __7__ his belief in his competence (才能) .
Alfred Alder, a famous doctor, had __8__ like this. When he was a small boy, he had a poor __9__ in maths. His teacher told his parents he had no ability in maths in order that they would not __10__ too much of him. In this way, they two __11__ the idea. He accepted __12__ mistaken thinking of his ability, felt that it was useless to __13__ and was very poor at maths, __14__ as they expected.
One day he worked at a problem which __15__ of the other students had been able to solve.
Alder __16__ in solving the problem. This gave him confidence (信心). He now __17__ with interest, determination and purpose, and he soon became especially good at __18__. He not only proved that he could learn maths well, but luckily he learned __19__ in his life from his own experience that if a person goes at a job with determination and purpose, he may __20__ himself as well as others by his ability.
1. A. clever                   B. shy                   C. useless                     D. stupid
2. A. biggest                 B. most                 C. highest                     D. deepest
3. A. ability                  B. age                   C. brain                        D. knowledge
4. A. decision                B. success              C. effort                       D. trouble
5. A. work                    B. study                C. improvement            D. success
6. A. truly                       B. really                C. however                   D. therefore
7. A. lead to                 B. strengthen         C. increase                    D. add to
8. A. an experience        B. an example        C. a thought                  D. a story
9. A. state                        B. mind                 C. start                         D. ending
10. A. blame                 B. expect               C. get                           D. win
11. A. developed           B. organized          C. discovered                D. found
12. A. his                     B. her                   C. its                          D. their
13. A. manage               B. succeed             C. try                         D. act
14. A. only                   B. almost               C. just                        D. then
15. A. none                   B. no                    C. no one                   D. nobody
16. A. gave                   B. succeeded          C. failed                            D. believed
17. A. lived                  B. worked             C. played                    D. graduated
18. A. lessons                  B. medicine           C. subjects                  D. maths
19. A. early                  B. deeply               C. late                        D. simply
20. A. encourage           B. love                  C. astonish                  D. disappoint

I recently turned fifty, which is young for a tree, midlife for an elephant , and ancient for a sportsman, Fifty is a nice number for the states in the US or for a national speed limit but it is not a number that I was prepared to have hung on me. Fifty is supposed to be my father’s age. but now I am stuck with this number and everything it means.
A few days ago, a friend tried to cheer me up by saying,  “ Fifty is what forty used to be . ”He had made an inspirational point, Am I over the hill ?People keep telling me that the hill has been moved, and I keep telling them that he high-jump bar has dropped from the six feet I once easily cleared to the four feet that is impossible for me now.
“ Your are not getting older, you are getting better . ” says Dr. Joyce Brothers . This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion.
And so. as I approach the day when I cannot even jump over the tennis net. I am moves to share some thoughts on aging with you. I am moved to show how aging feels to me physically and mentally. Getting older. of course, is obviously a better change than the one that brings you eulogies(悼詞). In fact , a poet named Robert Browning considered it the best change of all :
Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to me.
Whether or not Browning was right , most of my first fifty years have been golden ones, so I will settle for what is ahead being as good as what has gone by. I find myself moving toward what is ahead with a curious blend ( 混合) of both fighting and accepting my aging, hoping that the philosopher(哲學家) was right when he said . ”O(jiān)ld is always fifteen years from now. ”
44. The author seems to tell us in Paragraph I that      
A time alone will tell                                       B time goes by quickly
C time will show what is right                          D time makes one forget the past
45. When the author turned fifty , people around him      
A. tried to comfort him                                           B. got inspiration with him
C. were friendlier with him                              D. found him more talkative
46. The author considers his fifty years of life       
A peaceful                  B. ordinary                 C. satisfactory             D. regretful
47. We can infer from the passage that      
A. the old should led a simple life                            B. the old should face the fact of aging
C. the old should take more exercise                   D. the old should fill themselves with curiosity