Dear Florence,
We arrived in India last week, and the voyage was the worst experience of my entire life. I’m lucky to be alive!
The first part of the journey was terrible, because the ship hit bad weather almost as soon as we left Liverpool. But much, much worse was to come. Later, we were involved in a collision with another boat and we had to abandon ship!
We had been at sea for about two weeks and we were in the Mediterranean. There is now a canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea called the Suez Canal, which opened last year. Our boat stopped at Port Said, the Egyptian port at the entrance to the canal. I remember looking through the porthole of my cabin and wishing that I could go ashore and visit this fascinating place, but mummy had ordered that I was to stay in the cabin because I was feeling ill. “you must stay here for at least another two days.” I remember her saying. How wrong she would turn out to be! The ship left the port and headed towards the canal . I was alone in the cabin and I watched the port disappear into the distance. Suddenly there was a loud bang, followed by the most awful crunching（嘎吱的）sound, and the ship shook and turned slightly on its side.
There was an eerie silence for a moment, then people started shouting. Mummy came running into the cabin and told me that we had collided with another boat. She took my hand and we ran along the deck towards the lifeboats. There was a lot of shouting and people were running everywhere, but the crew were all acting calmly, helping people into the lifeboats and telling people not to panic.
Well, clearly we survived, as did all the passengers and crew of the ship. The other boat wasn’t so lucky. It sank and several lives were lost.
I will write about the rest of the journey soon. Please give my love to Aunt Claire and Uncle Eric.
Your loving cousin,
Jane
56．小題1:When was the letter written?

A．Before the author went to India.	B．In the mid – 19th century.
C．When the author arrived in Egypt.	D．Just after the author arrived in India.

57．小題2:Why was the journey to India such a bad experience for the author?

A．She was sick when it started and nearly died in Egypt.

B．Her ship left England in bad weather and crashed into another ship near the Suez Canal.

C．She was seasick when her ship sank.

D．She was alone when her ship hit another boat and she got sick.

58．小題3:The author’s mother didn’t allow her to go ashore and visit the port city, Said because      .

A．she was homesick at that time

B．she didn’t feel very well then

C．she could meet some danger ashore

D．she could see the city through the porthole on board

59．小題4:The underlined phrase “eerie silence” in the sixth paragraph means         .

A．pleasant calm silence	B．long peaceful silence
C．sudden long silence	D．strange uncomfortable silence

Abby Subark is a mother of two from Boston. “For my kids, I’m nervous. I don’t know if they’ll be able to achieve their American dream.” She may be right. More than hard work or education, the best way to get rich in America is to be born rich.
It is the case that somebody who is in the upper third of income, poor scores, in the bottom on tests when they are in eighth grade, is more likely to go to college and finish college than a poor kid with the top scores. That’s what the working persons’  children are up against.
The Economic Policy Institute finds it would take a poor couple with 2 children 9 or 10 generations to achieve middle class status. That’s about 200 years. The hallmark (特征) of American opportunity has always been the ability to do better than your parents. But compared with similar developed countries, the United States ranks fifth out of six for so-called intergenerational mobility (變動).
If you look at the mechanisms (機制) for upward mobility that were so readily available 50 years ago, they are becoming out of reach, like plentiful factory jobs with good wages and affordable education and health care.
White families are twice as likely as blacks to be upwardly mobile. For most people in America today, where you end up depends on where you start.
If you started in the middle-income class, about 40 to 45 percent of what you are making right now is due to the fact that your parents were in the middle-income class. The rest is up to you.
But for the millions of people who find themselves below the poverty line and the millions more who are the working poor, their starting point for the American dream leaves them painfully far away from the middle class.
小題1:The main idea of the passage is _______.

A．How the middle class comes about in the U.S.

B．It’s hard to realize the American dream for the poor.

C．Wealth and social status depend on family background.

D．Upward mobility in America is never easy.

小題2:Which of the statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．People used to have job opportunities and welfare for upward mobility.

B．A great many poor people can hardly realize their American dream.

C．You can make all your dreams come true in America if born rich.

D．Rich kids are more likely to go to college than poor kids.

小題3:The underlined sentence “where you end up depends on where you start” most probably means _______.

A．Your starting point cannot determine your destination.

B．Only a high goal can ensure success.

C．One’s birth has nothing to do with his fate.

D．One’s family lays solid foundation for his future achievements.

小題4:Why is Abby Subark nervous?

A．Her kids don’t want to compare with other rich kids in achievements.

B．Her kids don’t want to achieve success at all.

C．Her kids can achieve success through hard work and education.

D．Her kids can’t reach their goal without a rich family.

小題5:What can we infer after reading the passage?　

A．Poverty causes people much pain.

B．People below the poverty line can never be in the middle class.

C．Lower starting point makes it hard for people to realize their dream.

D．Poor people’s starting point is too low.

完形填空（共10小題；每小題２分，滿分20分）
閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從21－30各題所給的ABC和D項中，選出最佳選項．
The finest and most sought-after violins were handcrafted by an Italian violin maker over 250 years ago. The man’s name was Antonius Stradivarius. He was born in 1644 and began his career  21  a violin maker’s apprentice (學(xué)徒). Working on his own by 1680, he became determined to make   22  that could reproduce tones as rich as those produced by the human voice. He  23    several shapes and styles for his violins until he arrived at a design that pleased him. During his career he crafted 1,100 violins. Those in   24  have become treasured possessions.
Unfortunately, the secret of the Stradivarius violin died with its maker. During his lifetime Stradivarius kept his notes safely   25  , even his two sons, who helped him in his workshop, did not know all the steps involved in each violin’s construction.
Through the years, many experts have offered    26  explanations for the unique tone of a “Strad”. Some say it is due to the violin’s shape. Others suggests that the secret    27  the special properties(特性) of the wood, which Stradivarius obtained from native Italian trees that no longer exist. The most widely accepted explanation is that it is created by the varnish（清漆） that the   28   used to coat his violins. Chemists have analyzed as closely as possible the varnish and have found its   29   has improved the sound of many violins.   30  , no other violin maker has been able to fully reproduce the tone of the Stradivarius’s violins.
21.  A. with                B. as             C. for             D. from
22.  A. Instruments    B. facilities            C. equipment     D. tools
23.  A. investigated     B. surveyed      C. tested          D. experimented
24.  A. fashion             B. existence        C. possession     D. use
25.  A. protected         B. buried        C. hidden        D. covered
26.  A. possible      B. accurate             C. detailed       D. persuasive
27.  A. brings in     B. takes in       C. results in      D. lies in
28.  A. master       B. violinist       C. expert          D. user
29.  A. attention            B. application    C. invention            D. foundation
30.  A. Additionally         B. Luckily        C. Therefore     D. Still

Jeremy Wirick, 9, has been back in school for less than two months, but he has already had several asthma(哮喘)attacks. A recent attack happened on October 2, after he pushed himself too hard in gym class. Running, power walking, jogging and push-ups took their toll. When Jeremy got home an hour or two later, he was out of breath. He needed to use a nebulizer, a machine that helps send medicine quickly to the lungs, to get his breathing back to normal.
Asthma attacks like Jeremy increase in September and October. More than six times as many asthma sufferers who are elementary-school age need hospital treatment in the fall as in the summer.
Experts believe many factors can contribute to back-to-school asthma. Kids get together in close spaces, they start passing viruses around. A viral infection can cause an asthma attack. There are also certain fall allergies(過敏癥)that can cause attacks. Exercise is another common cause of an attack. Besides, the stress of school can make asthma worse.
Parents can play a big role in helping kids with asthma start the school year right. Dawne Gee’s10-year-old son, Alexander, has had asthma since he was a baby. Before the school year starts, she tells school workers in writing about her son’s asthma.
The Gees live in Kentucky, which has passed laws allowing students to carry their asthma medication(藥物治療)with them at school. Alexander’s mom makes sure he has his inhaler(人工呼吸器)with him when he goes to school and that he keeps it on hand at all times. In Delaware, where Jeremy lives, kids are allowed to carry their inhalers at school.
The American Lung Association says that about 6.2 million American children suffer from asthma. Asthma is the chronic (慢性) illness that causes students to miss the most days of school. There are many things that schools can do to help students control their asthma
小題1:The passage mainly deals with _______.
A. how to prevent and treat Asthma. what Asthma is and its symptoms
C. the side-effects Asthma has on kids
D. the causes of Asthma and its treatment
小題2:By saying “Running, power walking, jogging and push-ups took their toll.”, the writer means that_____.

A．physical exercise affected their health

B．physical exercise gave them a deep thought

C．a(chǎn)sthma attacks made them like physical exercise

D．a(chǎn)sthma attacks could be cured through physical exercise

小題3: Which of the following statements is NOT supported by the passage?

A．Kids are likely to suffer asthma attacks in the fall

B．Stress can add to the risk of asthma attacks

C．Medical officials should be blamed for asthma attacks

D．Asthma attacks will need necessary medical treatment

小題4:The passage lists many factors that cause asthma attacks except_____.

A．A viral infection	B．unhealthy habits
C．certain fall allergies	D．physical exercise

How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
小題1:How did the author get to know America?

A． From her relatives.	B． From her mother.
C． From books and pictures.	D． From radio programs.

小題2:Upon leaving for America the author felt_______.

A．confused	B．excited
C．worried	D． amazed

小題3:For the first two years in New York, the author _________.

A．often lost her way	B．did not think about her future
C．studied in three different schools	D．got on well with her stepfather

小題4:What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A．She worked as a translator.

B．She attended a lot of job interviews.

C．She paid telephone bills for her family.

D．She helped her family with her English.

小題5:The author believes that______.

A．her future will be free from troubles

B．it is difficult to learn to become patient

C．there are more good things than bad things

D．good things will happen if one keeps trying

閱讀表達（共5小題；每小題3分，滿分15分）
閱讀下面短文，并根據(jù)短文后的要求答題（請注意問題后的字?jǐn)?shù)要求）。
（1） Hello. It’s one of the first words we learn as babies, yet it’s one of the last ones we think to use as adults. That’s unfortunate, because saying hello is more than just saying hello—it is recognition of another’s worth. How might the world change—how might we change—if we mastered this word? To find out, I spent one month saying hello to every person I met. Here’s what I’ve learned. 
（2） It can boost （促進） productivity. In one of the few studies ever done on this subject, Allan
Allday, an assistant professor of special education at Oklahoma State University, had middle school teachers greet their students individually each morning. This exchange of greetings raised the kids’ productivity. School went from impersonal to personal, and that resulted in more class participation and better grades. 
（3） Environments influence friendliness, One study found that people in the city were kiss likely to one hands with a stranger than those in the countryside. And researchers say, pleasure environments generally encourage more smiles and hellos than unpleasant ones. My experience was similarly. Whatever the reason, my urban hellos were answered far less often than my rural one. Similarly, people in vacation spots, like the Jersey Shore, were far friendlier than those hurrying work downtown. 
（4） It’s a form of universal health insurance. It’s impossible to say hello without smiling. And smiling has been shown to lower blood pressure, relieve stress and boost happiness. Apparently, a smile creates a similar effect in the recipient （接受者）。
（5）So maybe we can make the world a better place by____________. After a month of doing it. I feel lighter and more connected and I have a better sense of well-being. 
小題1:What does the author say about the adults according to Paragraph 1? （within 8 words）
_________________________________________________________________________
小題2:Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?
Teachers and students got friendlier so that the students became more active in learning and scored higher in tests. 
____________________________________________________________________________
小題3:Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. （within 5 words）
小題4:List three effects of smiling on health according to the text. （within 8 words）
①                         ②                     ③
小題5:Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 Chinese. 

I went to Beijing this National holiday, and it was an interesting experience of my life.
　　My friends told us that taking the “hard　 36　”to Beijing would be really terrible. So we didn’t know what to　 37　. But we were pleasantly surprised when we finally boarded the　 38　 , which was relatively modern and　 39　 . During the 14 - hour ride we ate peanuts and talked. It was not　 40　 at all.
　　It was morning when we arrived. We stepped out of the railway station, having sat in hard seats and not getting much　 41　 . However, We had energy, First we tried to get return tickets to Shanghai, but the tickets seller　 42　 us that tickets would not be on　 43　 for another two days. We were a little worried about getting　 44　 , but we made up our minds to　 45　 for the hotel to put our bags down. After fighting our way　 46　 the“ gypsy” taxi drivers that tried to　 47　 us one hundred yuan for the ride, we found a taxi and it　 48　 cost us thirty yuan to get　 49　 we had planned to go. When we reached the hotel, there was a window for airplane and train tickets.　 50　 the man behind the counter could get tickets that day, which we　 51　 . The most important lesson about China I ever　 52　 , is to get someone to do your work for you, and it seems to work out much　 53　 . We were not able to get tickets, but the　 54　 agents（代理）could.
　　While in Beijing we saw a lot of places of interest, most of which were very　 55　 . It was fun to be with thousands of people in one place, There aren’t any words to describe it.
36．A. chair             B. bed                 C. seat                 D. bench
37．A. provide          B. expect              C. happen               D. think
38．A. plane             B. bus                 C. ship                 D. train
39．A. quick             B. clean               C. simple               D. long
40．A. bad               B. good               C. easy                 D. hard
41．A. trouble           B. food               C. sleep                 D. help
42．A. promised          B. informed            C. advised              D. persuaded
43．A. time             B. show               C. duty                 D. sale
44．A. behind            B. out                 C. through              D. back
45．A. start              B. ask                 C. look                 D. pay
46．A. towards           B. into                 C. across               D. past
47．A. offer              B. charge              C. bargain              D. share
48．A. even              B. still                C. also                 D. only
49．A. what             B. which              C. where               D. how
50．A. Somehow          B. However            C. Therefore            D. Otherwise
51．A. wouldn't          B. couldn't             C. shouldn't             D. needn't
52．A. learned            B. taught              C. offered               D. heard
53．A. harder             B. earlier              C. later                 D. easier
54．A. business           B. transport            C. travel                D. hotel
55．A. interesting         B. crowded             C. famous              D. noisy

My grandfather came from Hungary and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out, he seemed to have become another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of concern for his welfare, but out of fear: if his only son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.
One day in 1918, my Uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off to war. Realizing how he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle bought them all service pins, which meant that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.
The moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded the train. The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed. I’m sure my grandmother had a tear in her eye for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted, “The war is over!” For a moment, nobody moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed home. My mother said it was a great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn’t last a tiny bit longer.
小題1:What the grandfather was most worried about was ______.

A．the spread of the world war	B．the safety of his two cousins
C．a(chǎn) drop in his living standards	D．his relatives killing each other

小題2:The underlined phrase “draft notice” means “______”.

A．order for army service	B．train ticket for Europe
C．letter of rejection	D．note of warning

小題3:What did the “service pins”（in Para. 2） stand for in the eyes of the little girls?

A．Strength.

B．Courage.

C．Victory.

D．Honor.

小題4:Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?

A．Disappointing.

B．Unexpected.

C．Uncertain.

D．Inspiring.

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate．He is always in a good  36 and always has something  37 to say．
If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the  38 how to look on the positive side of the situation．Seeing this style really made me  39 , so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don' t  40 ．You can' t be positive all the time．How do you do it?"
Michael replied, each morning I  41 and say to myself 'Mike, you have two  42 today．You can choose to be in a  43 mood or be in a bad mood．' I  44 to be in a good mood．Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a  45 or choose to learn from it．I choose to learn from it．"
"Yeah, right．It isn't that easy．" I protested．
"Yes it is, " Michael said．"Life is all about choices．You choose how you react  46 situations and how people will affect your mood．You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood．The bottom line is: It's your choice  47 you live life．"
Several years later, I heard Michael was involved in a serious 48 , falling off 60 feet from a communications tower．After l8 hours of surgery, and weeks of intensive  49 , Michael recovered．When I asked him what had  50 his mind as the accident took place．
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon-to-born daughter," Michael replied．"Then, as I  51 on the ground, remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to  52 ．I chose to live．"
Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also  53 his amazing attitude．
I learned from him  54 every day we have a choice to live fully． 55 is everything．
36．A．mood                  B．sense                C．feeling                D．emotion
37．A．a(chǎn)ctive               B．positive               C．reactive              D．negative
38．A．trainee              B．interviewee         C．employee            D．bee
39．A．moved              B．interested            C．precious            D．curious
40．A．take it                B．hold it                C．make it               D．get it
41．A．make up             B．take up               C．wake up            D．bring up
42．A．roads                 B．choices                C．ways                  D．methods
43．A．good                   B．pretty                 C．nice                   D．smart
44．A．decide                B．choose                C．feel                     D．require
45．A．cook                  B．receiver               C．victim                 D．leader
46．A．by                      B．a(chǎn)gainst               C．with                   D．to
47．A．what                  B．that                    C．how                    D．which
48．A．thing                  B．incident              C．a(chǎn)ccident              D．state
49．A．help                    B．care                  C．rest                    D．holiday
50．A．gone through       B．broken through    C．looked through    D．read through
51．A．sat                   B．lay                      C．stood                  D．lied
52．A．move                 B．leave                  C．die                   D．remove
53．A．so long as           B．in case of            C．instead of          D．because of
54．A．what                  B．how                   C．that                     D．which
55．A．Attitude            B．Choice               C．Person                D．World

When I was going home to India last year, I called up my mother to ask if she wanted anything from China．
When India had not opened up its markets to the world, I carried suitcase loads of dark glasses and jeans．Thankfully, we can get all these anywhere in India now．
Still, her answer surprised me: “Green tea．”
As long as I can remember she didn’t even drink Indian tea ．
I dutifully bought a big packet of Longjing and headed home to hear the story．My mother and her brother, both regular newspaper readers, believed that Chinese green tea was the wonder drug for all illnesses．
At the turn of the century, China was not really familiar to the average Indian．It was a strange country．
How things change! And how soon!
Now every town of any size seems to have a “China Market”．And everyone is talking about China．
The govemment of Indin has planned to send a team to China to see how things are done．A minister once said that India must open the doors for more foreign investment(投資)and such a step would “work wonders as it did for China”．
But it’s a two-way street．I just heard about a thousand Shenzhen office workers who have gone to Bangalore to train in software．Meanwhile, all the Indian IT majors are setting up a strong presence in China．
No wonder that trade, which was only in the millions just ten years ago, is expected to hit about US $15 billion for last year and US $20 billion by 2008, a goal set by both governments．
No wonder, my colleague wrote some weeks ago about this being the Sino-Indian(中印)century as the two countries started on January 1 the Sino-Indian Friendship Year．
But what is still a wonder to me is my mother drinking Chinese tea．
小題1:According to the passage, the author left _____ for ______．

A．India; China	B．China; India
C．China; Longjing	D．India; Shenzhen

小題2:The reason why the writer’s mother asked for Chinese green tea is that_____．

A．she had a son working in China	B．she believed it had a curing effect
C．she enjoyed Chinese products	D．she was tired of Indian tea

小題3:The underlined part “it’s a two-way street” in Paragraph 10 probably means ____．

A．The exchanges between Indian and China benefit both．

B．China and India have different traffic rules．

C．Tea trade works wonders in both India and China．

D．Chinese produces are popular in both China and India．

小題4:It can be inferred from the passage that _______．

A．the author was concerned for his mother’s health

B．the author was in favor of drinking Chinese green tea

C．the author was surprised at China’s recent development

D．the author was curious about the growth of India’s IT industry