Talk about a real-life hero! Ten-year-old Larry Champagne from St. Louis, Missouri, hit the brake (剎車) on a runaway school bus. He saved himself and 20 other kids on board from disaster.
It all happened in one terrible accident. On the way to school, the bus driver, Ernestine Blackman, suddenly fell ill. Seeing the car was running away, the other kids started to scream, but Larry ran to the front and stopped the bus.
“At first I thought, ‘We’re going to die,’” says Larry, “but after I pressed the brake, I felt safe.”
Larry’s speedy reaction made news all over the country. He appeared on TV shows as a hero. The bus company gave Larry a big gift. His school hung a medal of honor around his neck.
“My grandmother always tells me to do what’s right,” says Larry. He thanked his brother, Jerrick, 9, who “helped me get the bus driver up” during the emergency. How did he know how to stop the bus? Larry is something of a mechanic（機械師）. He helps his grandfather work on his old truck. “He gets his hands dirty,” says his grandfather. One thing is for certain: Larry knows where to find the brakes.
小題1:What did Larry do to save the runaway bus?

A．He parked it for the sleeping bus driver.

B．He helped all the kids climb out through the windows.

C．He made a call to the police.

D．He pressed the brake.

小題2:When did Larry finally feel safe?

A．When the kids finally stopped screaming.

B．When the police officers arrived.

C．Once he pressed the brake, and the bus stopped.

D．When the bus driver started driving again.

小題3:Larry got the following as praise for his hero action Except _______.

A．appearing on TV shows	B．a scholarship from his school
C．a big gift from the bus company	D．a medal of honor

小題4:Larry thanked his brother Jerrick for ________.

A．helping him get the bus driver up

B．helping him work on his old truck

C．teaching him how to find the brake

D．teaching him how to stop the bus

小題5:The underlined sentence “Larry is something of a mechanic” tells us that ____.

A．Larry’s job is a mechanic

B．Larry knows something about machines

C．Larry is a robot

D．Larry knows nothing about machines

Taiwanese fishing boats that sailed to the Diaoyu Islands to protest Japan's "purchase" of part of the islands completed their voyage Tuesday morning and have set sail for home.
Local media reported that the boats finished their protest at 9:15 a.m. and are expected to return to a port in northeast Taiwan's Yilan county at noon Wednesday.
Although the boats originally numbered 75，they were joined at sea by other boats from different parts of Taiwan, raising the total number to about 100 vessels. Organizers said the voyage was made to protect Taiwanese fishing rights in nearby waters and to protest Japan's "purchase" of part of the Diaoyu Islands.
The Japanese government announced a plan to "purchase" part of the islands earlier this month despite repeated protests from the Chinese government. The action aroused demonstrations across China as well as consumers' boycott of Japanese products in recent weeks. Local authorities in Taiwan have also protested the move.
"Japan's purchase and nationalization of China's Diaoyu Islands are putting China-Japan economic and trade ties at risk due to man-made factors." An official spokesman from Beijing warned .
China-Japan economic and trade relations was back on track in 1952 when the two countries signed their first non-governmental trade agreement. Currently, China has been Japan's largest trade partner since 2007 while Japan is China’s fourth largest trade partner, after the EU, U.S. and the ASEAN. Meanwhile, China is the biggest destination for Japanese exports and biggest source of imports. In the first half of 2012, Japan's exports to China totaled 73.54 billion U.S. dollars, down 6.2 percent from the same period last year, while its import from China was 91.29 billion U.S. dollars, up 7 percent from the same period last year.
Now, China-Japan economic and trade relations are at a crossroads. Negotiation could be the way out of the rift.
小題1:Why are China-Japan economic and trade relations at a crossroads?

A．Because Taiwan fishing boats sailed to the island to protest Japan.

B．Because Taiwanese are deprived of their fishing right.

C．Because Japan is not China's largest trade partner.

D．Because Japan announced to purchase China's Diaoyu Islands.

小題2:We can infer from the passage that _____.

A．About 100 boats joined the original team later.

B．Negotiation will bring both countries out of the conflict.

C．Japan's “purchase”has cast a shadow on China-Japan export and import.

D．Japan's exports to China totaled 78 billion U.S. dollars in 2011.

小題3:What does the underlined word “rift” in the last paragraph mean?

A．gap

B．conflict

C．crash

D．quarrel

小題4:What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Japan declared to purchase China's Diaoyu Islands.

B．Japan's purchase of Diaoyu Islands aroused nationwide protest.

C．The Diaoyu Islands belong to China!

D．China plays an important part in Japan's economy development.

Tens of thousands of smartphone applications are running ads from the overwhelming(勢不可擋的) advertising networks that change smartphone settings and copy people’s contact information without permission.
Aggressive ad networks can disguise（假扮） ads as text message notifications (通告), and sometimes change browser settings and bookmarks. Often, the ads will upload your contacts list to the ad network’s servers--- information that the ad network can then sell to marketers.
Sounds scary? It’s not a giant problem yet, but it’s a growing one. As many as 5% of free mobile apps use an “aggressive” ad network to make money, according to Lookout, a San Francisco-based mobile security company. PhoneLiving was one of the most popular app developers to use these kinds of ad networks; their dozens of talking animal apps have been downloaded several million times. Later, PhoneLiving says it has mended its ways. The company admittedusing invasive techniques to make money from its apps, but said it dropped those methods at the start of July because of bad reviews and declining downloads.
The most popular type of apps that use aggressive ad networks are “Personalisation” apps, which include wallpapers. Comic and entertainment apps are also among the most likely to have rogue(兇猛的) ad networks running behind the scenes. Like aggressive pop-ups on PCs, the bad software isn’t easy to get rid of. Though the damage can typically be removed by deleting the app, it can be hard to tell which app is causing the problems.
When developers create free mobile apps, they usually make money through ads displayed within the app. App makers don’t usually tell people which ad network they are using, which makes it hard to avoid the known offenders. The best defense is to read reviews and avoid downloading apps that have attracted many complaints.
小題1:What is an example of bad behavior by the annoying mobile ads?

A．They change browser settings and bookmarks.

B．They change people’s calendar settings.

C．They send scam text messages occasionally.

D．They download free versions of games.

小題2:What do we know about PhoneLiving?

A．Its operation model is against the will of netizens.

B．It was forced to admit its bad behavior.

C．It has changed its business model rapidly.

D．Its relationship with Lookout may break up.

小題3:Why is the bad software hard to get rid of?

A．The software runs behind the scenes.

B．The app is very hard to delete.

C．It is difficult to find the problem app.

D．The network antivirus is out of date.

小題4:What does the underlined word, “ invasive”, mean in the third paragraph?

A．innovative

B．positive

C．flexible

D．aggressive

小題5:What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Mobile ads can attack your phone and steal your contacts.

B．Mobile ads have become popular in recent years.

C．Smartphones have been damaged by mobile ads.

D．You may download some aggressive apps unconsciously.

Electronic books have changed the way many people read for pleasure. Now online textbooks are changing the way some students learn and some teachers teach.
More than one hundred seventy-five thousand students attend the public schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, outside Washington. Last year, the school system used digital books in fifteen schools. This school year, middle schools and high schools changed from printed to electronic textbooks in their social studies classes.
Luke Rosa is a history teacher at Falls Church High School. His students work on laptop computers at school. He explains the idea to them this way. “I mean, it’s just like a regular textbook, except it’s got it all online.”
Peter Noonan, an assistant superintendent (助理監(jiān)督) of schools, said, “The world’s changing. And the online textbooks can change right along with the events that are happening.” Digital books also cost less than printed textbooks, he said.
A student named Melanie Reuter said, “I don’t have to carry a textbook around, so that’s nice.”
But another student said, “I don’t like it because the Internet sometimes doesn’t work.”
Students also need access to the Internet when they are not at school. About ten percent of students in Fairfax Country do not have a computer or online access at home. Public libraries in the country have free Internet. There are also after-school computer labs as well as computer clubhouse supported by the country. Middle school student Slieman Hakim is happy about that. He said, “My family only has one computer; my sister and I both do our homework on it. So I come here to do my homework. It’s good.”
Other school systems in the area are also considering online textbooks.
小題1:Which of the following is /are NOT used when students have social studies classes?

A．Paper textbooks.	B．The Internet.
C．Computers.	D．Electronic textbooks.

小題2:According to the passage, one of the disadvantages of digital textbooks is that_________.

A．they are more expensive

B．they can’t be used if the computer is offline

C．they’re soon out of date

D．reading online does harm to the students’ eyes

小題3:Why does Slieman Hakim feel happy?

A．He is offered a free computer to do his homework.

B．He doesn’t have to do his homework at home.

C．He has access to the Internet to study at any place.

D．He needn’t share a computer with his sister to do homework.

小題4:What can we learn from the passage?

A．The lessons online are completely different from those in paper textbooks.

B．Digital textbooks are more beautiful than paper textbooks.

C．All students like digital textbooks because they are new.

D．Students can do their homework in the computer clubhouses.

小題5:The passage aims to ________.

A．report the use of electronic textbooks in school

B．show how to use electronic textbooks

C．encourage more schools to use electronic textbooks

D．tell readers electronic textbooks will replace regular textbooks

The black and white bird came ashore on a beach in the south of the North Island nearly 4,000 miles away from its usual habitat. The creature’s astonishing journey was witnessed by a woman walking her dog as the two-foot bird waddled out of the water in front of her. She said, “It was out of this world to see it. It was this glistening white thing standing up on the sand and I thought I was seeing things.” The tale of the lost penguin is similar to the 2006 children’s film Happy Feet, in which a young penguin finds himself far from home during a voyage of discovery.
Conservationists believe it has completed an incredible journey for such a young bird — it is estimated to be around 10 months old. The most likely explanation for its appearance in New Zealand is the hunt for food. Experts said it may also have rested on an ice floe (浮冰) during its travels and was carried north for a great distance before it made a swim for dry land. Colin Miskelly, a curator of New Zealand Museum, said, “They can spend months at a time in the ocean and come ashore only to moult (脫毛,換毛)or rest.” Mr. Miskelly said the brave bird would have to find its way back south soon if it was going to survive. He said, “It is probably hot and thirsty and has been eating wet sand.” “It doesn’t realize that the sand isn’t going to melt inside it because they typically eat snow — their only liquid.”
New Zealand residents have been warned to give the bird a wide berth — it can inflict (予以) painful bites if threatened.
小題1:Which of the following is True of Paragraph 1?

A．A young penguin found himself far from home during a voyage of moulting.

B．A creature’s astonishing journey was incredible in the north of the North Island.

C．A woman witnessed a 2 feet bird waddled in the children’s film while walking her dog.

D．A penguin came ashore on a beach thousands of miles away from its habitate.

小題2:Conservationists tend to explain that____________.

A．the young bird has completed a pleasant journey of 4,000 thousand miles

B．the young bird’s appearance in New Zealand is due to its hunt for food and delay of returning

C．the young bird comes ashore in New Zealand only to moult or rest during its voyage

D．the young bird is certain to be over 10 months old when it appears on a beach

小題3:What do we know about the penguin according to Mr. Miskelly?

A．The penguin could spend months at a time in the ocean and came ashore only to have young ones.

B．The young bird might have slept on an ice floe and could not swim for dry land.

C．The young penguin didn’t realize the sand wasn’t going to melt inside it like snow it eats.

D．The brave bird would have to find its way back north soon if it was going to survive.

小題4:What does the underlined part mean in the last sentence? 

A．The residents should keep well away from it when they want to watch the young penguin.

B．Some people do not realize the danger of the young bird and they are expected to touch it.

C．New Zealand residents want to keep the young bird but it wants to leave the shore.

D．If the local people threatened the young bird, it would do harm to other birds nearby. .

Roger Conner is a modern­-day Horatio Alger hero. Roger started out as an unpaid worker in a small flower shop. He has become the owner of a florist company whose sales are well over $100 000 a year.
One day when Roger was only twelve, he stopped at a local flower shop. He asked the owner if he could work for him, without pay, in order to learn the business. Roger started working every day after school and on weekends. After two years on the job, he finally asked for a small salary. The owners told him he “wasn't good enough to be paid.” So he quit, and found a paying job at another local flower shop. He worked hard there, but after six months they laid him off because business was slow.
Not discouraged, Roger decided to do it alone and started his own flower store in a basement in his town. He started his business with only sixty­-five dollars. He bought old refrigerators at garage sales and knocked the shelves out. This turned them into coolers for his fresh­-cut flowers. His business grew rapidly as he built up a reputation for top quality and fine service.
In 1977, Roger bought out the flower store where he had worked without pay for over two years. The people who said he “wasn’t good enough to be paid” were astonished to find that they were being taken over by a teenager. He had plans to renovate (振興) the whole store.
One of the reasons the owners sold out to Roger was that the store wasn't doing well. But after Roger took over ownership and redid the store, business started booming. In fact, business was so good that after one year, he celebrated by buying out the other store where he had worked. Roger then combined both stores and moved to a location in the center of his town.
The new store has 2 000 square feet and seven employees. And he did it all before he reached the age of twenty.
小題1:The author is wants to show us that people who want to succeed in business should ________.

A．work without pay

B．own a flower shop

C．work hard and never give up

D．work as teenagers

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

A．He worked for two years without pay.

B．He needed luck to be successful.

C．He opened his first flower business in a basement.

D．He became successful before the age of twenty.

小題3:The passage may be a ________.

A．newspaper report	B．humorous story
C．television play	D．scientific story

小題4:The underlined part in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.

A．employed him

B．didn’t let him work there

C．paid him money

D．were proud of him

小題5:From the passage, a “Horatio Alger hero” may be the kind of person who________.

A．works hard in the flower business

B．was born into a rich family

C．starts out poor and becomes rich

D．becomes famous as a result of good luck

Google Inc. introduced plans in June to offer 3-D maps of major cities and other new features for its popular Google Maps and Google Earth services.
New features include the ability to _____50_____ portions of Google Maps onto phones and other _____51_____ devices, with detailed data, so users can find their way around _____52_____ areas even if they don’t have an active Internet connection.
Perhaps the most _____53_____ new feature was the detailed three-dimensional images that Google plans to offer for major cities in coming months.
Google product manager Peter Birch explained that the company is using _____54_____ to obtain detailed images of every street and building in an area, from different _____55_____, which are then compiled into images that appear to show height, depth and even architectural details of buildings and streets, _____56_____ landscape features such as trees.
“We are trying to create the effect that you are flying _____57_____ the city, almost as if you were in your own personal helicopter,” said Birch.
Compiling those images _____58_____ extensive photographing and processing of images, however. _____59_____ Birch promised to have images _____60_____ for several major cities in coming months, he and other Google officials did not offer a detailed timetable.
Industry blogs have reported that Apple is preparing to _____61_____ its own maps and navigation service, including 3-D images. Analysts say the _____62_____ is part of a larger race between the two tech giants to offer services that keep users _____63_____ and allow each company to deliver advertising or other products targeted to specific locations and other data on ____64______ interests.

小題1:	A．buy B．download C．use D．apply

小題2:	A．expensive B．useful C．portable D．cheap

小題3:	A．familiar B．unfamiliar C．quiet D．busy

小題4:	A．interesting B．impressive C．ridiculous D．surprising

小題5:	A．computers B．cameras C．phones D．planes

小題6:	A．angles B．parts C．sides D．areas

小題7:	A．except B．except for C．including D．as well as

小題8:	A．over B．below C．through D．in

小題9:	A．spends B．costs C．obtains D．requires

小題10:

A．When B．As C．While D．As long as

小題11:

A．sold B．available C．accessible D．vivid

小題12:

A．introduce B．make C．draw D．sell

小題13:

A．image B．competition C．service D．map

小題14:

A．busy B．convenient C．attractive D．engaged

小題15:

A．children’s B．users’ C．managers’ D．students’

The organization representing British universities has expressed concern about the potential effect of tuition fees（學費）after figures showed a drop of more than 6% in student applications with less than a month to go before the deadline for 2013 applications.
Data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) showed there were 265,784 university applications by UK-based candiates up to 17 Decemeber, 6.3% down on the parallel period in the admissions cycle the year before. While this is less than the 8.4% year-on-uear fall seen in earlier Ucas figures, released in mid-November, the coming January deadline makes it ever more likely that the total 2013 applicant figure will see a second sizeable fall following the introduction of annual fees of up to ￡9,000.
Nicola Dandridge, the chairman of Universities UK, said : “However, we must be concerned about any drops in the numbers applying to university and in particular, we must look closely at how the increase in graduate contributions in England may be affecting the decisions of promising students. However ,the December figures show a drop in numbers across the UK, suggesting that it is not only a question of tuition fees in England putting off from applying.”
A report of the Uncas figures to mid-December shows a 6.5% fall for applicants in England and 11.7% for those in Wales, with smaller drops of 3.9% for Scotland and 0.5% for Nortern Ireland. Scotiish students at home insitiutions pay on fees, while those from Nothern Ireland have fees capped to ￡3,575 for Northern Irish universities.
Dandridge added: “No one should be put off applying to university because of worries about finance.”
“It is important that no one is put off applying to university because they do not have information about the student support available to them. Most new students don’t need to pay directly. There will be more financial support for those from poorer families and everyone will make lower loan repayments thatn they do now once they are in well paid jobs.”
小題1:A drop of more than 6% for 2013 applications is probably the effect of        .

A．the increased tuition fees

B．the approaching deadline

C．the concern from applicants

D．the difficulties with applications

小題2:Compared with the previous year, the fall in student applications is         .

A．3.9%

B．6%

C．6.3%

D．8.4%

小題3:Why is the fall for application the smallest in Soctoland and Northem lreland?

A．Because they have more financial support.

B．Because the tuition is much cheaper for them.

C．Because the education is better there.

D．Because the universities are free for them.

小題4:Which of the following is true?

A．The application for universities is on a rise continuously.

B．The fall for applications is due to family problems.

C．The education in Scotland and Northern Ireland is worse.

D．The rise of tuition fees has an effect on applications.

小題5:The last paragraph tells us that        .

A．everyone should apply to university

B．students may get financial supports

C．lower loan repayments is unavailable

D．most new students will not pay fees

We couldn’t forget the historic moment on Oct.11, 2012, when the first Chinese Nobel laureate, Mo Yan, won the 2012 Nobel Prize for Literature. Minutes after the award was announced, millions of Chinese expressed pleasure and pride for Mo Yan on the Internet. So a Chinese getting the Nobel Prize for literature did really increase the national pride.
On Dec.11 (Monday) in Sweden Mo was given the Nobel diploma, medal and a document confirming the prize amount. In his speech at the ceremony, Mo said receiving the prize felt like a fairy tale, but of course it was true and that literature was useless compared with science. Mo's award filled the blank left by Chinese literature in the world literary history. Meanwhile, Monday's Nobel awards ceremony set off another buying rush on Mo's works among Chinese readers.
小題1:Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for _________.

A．history

B．Literature

C．peace

D．physics

小題2:Which of the following words can best describe our Chinese feeling when hearing the news?

A．Calm

B．Relaxed

C．Proud

D．indifferent

小題3:The underlined word “laureate” in Paragraph 1 most probably means _________.

A．loser

B．winner

C．fan

D．superstar

小題4:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．It was hard for Mo Yan to believe he was awarded the prize.

B．Mo Yan thinks Literature is useless.

C．Mo Yan was given the Nobel Prize, medal and a document.

D．Mo Yan’s works were more popular after his receiving the prize.

Switzerland is the best place to be born in the world in 2013，and the US is just 16th. A new study made by the Economist Intelligence Unit says American babies will have a dimmer（暗淡）future than those born in Hong Kong，Ireland and even Canada. The EIU，a sister company of The Economist，tried to measure how well countries will provide the best opportunities for a healthy，safe and prosperous life in years to come.
People born in Switzerland will tend to be the happiest and have the best quality of life in terms of wealth，health and trust in public institutions，according to the analysis. The Scandinavian countries of Norway，Sweden and Denmark also all make the top five in a‘quality-of-lif e’index(指數(shù)）where it is best to be born next year.
One of the most important factors is being rich，but other factors come into play including crime，trust in public institutions and the health of family life. In total，the index takes into account 11 factors. These include fixed factors such as geography，others that change slowly over time such as demography (人口學) social and cultural characteristics, and the state of the world economy. The index also looks at income per head in 2030，which is roughly when children born in 2013 will reach adulthood. Small economies take up the top 10 countries，with Australia coming second and New Zealand and the Netherlands not too far behind.
Half of the top 10 countries are European，but only one，the Netherlands，is from the eurozone. The crisis-ridden south of Europe，including Greece，Portugal and Spain，falls behind despite the advantage of a favourable climate. Interestingly，the largest European economies-Germany，F(xiàn)rance and Britain-do not do particularly well. Nigeria has the unenviable(不值得羨慕的)title of being the worst country for a baby to enter the world in 2013.
小題1:According to the passage，the happiest people live in      ·

A．Denmark

B．Switzerland

C．Germany

D．Nigeria

小題2:The factors of telling the best place to be born don’t include      ．

A．economy	B．geography
C．trust in public institutions	D．pollution

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE according to the text？

A．The Economist Intelligence Unit is a company.

B．The Economist attempted to measure the best place to live.

C．The Scandinavian countries are hardly at the top of the list.

D．Half of the top 10 countries are from the eurozone.

小題4:The purpose of the text is to show people      ．

A．the best place to be born in 2013

B．a new study made by the EIU

C．the worst country to be born in 2013

D．the factors of measuring the best place to be born