閱讀下面短文，從每題所給的四個選項中，選出最佳答案。
This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers(young people aged from13~19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize(批評)American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”
小題1:This year ________teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.

A．twenty-three hundred

B．thirteen hundred

C．over three thousand

D．less than two thousand

小題2:The whole exchange programme is mainly to__________.

A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America

B．send students in America to travel in Germany

C．let students learn something about other countries

D．have teenagers learn new languages

小題3:Fred and Mike agree that__________.

A．America food tasted better than German food

B．German schools were harder than American schools

C．Americans and Germans were both friendly

D．There were more cars on the streets in America

小題4:What is particular in American schools is that________.

A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings

B．there are a lot of after-school activities

C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all

D．students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car

XI’AN---Seven people died in a fire early on Wednesday morning in Xi’an, capital of Shanxi Province. A restaurant with a karaoke hall in the southern suburbs caught fire around 2 a. m. and seven waitresses who were sleeping on the second floor of the restaurant were killed. The restaurant was completely destroyed and the waitresses, the local police said, were killed by toxic smoke from burning decorations.
MANILA---Four people were killed yesterday in the central Philippine island of Tacloban when a bomb they had dug up exploded, local police were quoted as saying. The four people were digging to set up a septic（poisonous）tank in their house when they dug up the bomb. It went off, killing all four people, local police were quoted by radio station DZBB as saying. The police did not say where the bomb came from. Unexploded bombs from World War II are still discovered around the Philippines once in a while.
TEL AVIV---An Israeli couple kissed for 30 hours and 45 minutes which, a spokeswoman said yesterday, was a world record. The couple, both in their twenties, started kissing on Monday at 8:30 p.m. along with 250 other couples in a contest. “For nearly 31 hours they didn’t eat, drink, talk or even go to the bathroom. And the whole time, they were standing up”, said Arielle Goldman, who handled public relations for the event. She said a representative of the Guinness Book of World Records was on hang to witness the event, recorded on video. The previous record was 29 hour and 37 minutes, Goldman said. The winning couple received two round-the-world plane tickets and $2,500. (277 words)
小題1:Which of the following statements is right?

A．The news report didn’t mention the loss caused by the fire.

B．After reading the report we know how the fire broke out.

C．The reporter tended to think the bomb had something to do with World War II

D．The police refused to admit the bomb had anything to do with World War II.

小題2: The underlined word “toxic” means _____.

A．poisonous

B．dangerous

C．hot

D．thick

小題3: The Israeli couple kissed for nearly 31 hours_____.

A．to test their endurance	B．to set a new world record
C．to show their special love	D．to prove they are very healthy

小題4:Why did so many couples take part in the contest?

A．Because it was a good chance to enjoy themselves.

B．Because they were poor and wanted to gain the 2,500 dollars.

C．Because they wanted to attract people’s attention.

D．Because they aimed at the honor and prize.

Wong Fuk-wing(黃福榮), a Hong Kong volunteer（志愿者）at an orphanage（孤兒院）in Yushu, was killed in the earthquake when he was trying to save others on April 14, 2010.
Wong managed to run safely out of the building with some children when the first quake happened at 7:50 am on April 14, but he went back inside to rescue three other children and three teachers inside, although he knew the danger of aftershocks（余震）.
At 10 am, all the children and one of the teachers were saved. However, Wong was buried under the fallen building and died. The other two teachers were still waiting to be rescued.
46-year-old Wong was a truck driver, who often said he could only give his efforts to charity（慈善）instead of money, as he did not earn a lot. His tragic（悲劇的）end touched the hearts of many people both in Hong Kong and on the mainland.
Wong began volunteering in 2002. In 2003, Wong was told by the doctor he got serious illness, which gave him a great blow. However, the illness did not deter the warm-hearted man. When the earthquake struck Wenchuan is Sichuan Province in 2008, Wong rushed to the disaster area of Shifang to offer his help though his family did not want him to go.
In fact, Qinghai is a place Wong had often visited since 2006. As a volunteer, he gave out medicine and clothing to the orphanage there. No one could expect that Wong would die helping others.
Hong Kong Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen said he had “the highest respect” for the hero who gave his life for others. “What he did has shown the Hong Kong spirit.” The citizens of Hong Kong called him “ the pride of Hong Kong’s people” and people on the mainland have also praised him as “ a true hero”.
小題1:Wong died in the earthquake          .

A．a(chǎn)fter he sent medicine and clothing to the orphanage

B．when he returned to save the teachers and students

C．because he suffered from his serious illness again

D．a(chǎn)s the first earthquake happened

小題2:The underlined word “ deter” in Para. 5 refers to “      ”.

A．prevent

B．refuse

C．beat

D．encourage

小題3:What can we know about Wong from the passage?

A．He never visited Qinghai before 2010.

B．He was supported by his family being a volunteer.

C．He was thought highly of by the Chinese.

D．He was a taxi driver before he died.

小題4:Why are so many people deeply moved by the story of Wong?

A．He always offered money to the orphanage.	B．He fought against his illness bravely.
C．He helped the orphanage though being poor.	D．He put other people’s lives above own.

Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories, destroying (摧毀) fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly damaged (破壞) that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.
A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.
“I was eating with my wife and children,” he said, “When we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him,
safe but very frightened.”
Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.
“There was no time to take anything,” she said, “A few minutes later, the roof came down.”
Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded (水淹的) area and the welfare department (福利機構) brought them food, clothes and shelter.
小題1:How many homes altogether (總共) were damaged in the storm?

A．Fourteen	B．Twenty-one
C．Twenty-nine	D．Thirty-six

小題2:Where was Mr. Tan when the storm first began?

A．He was in bed.	B．He was inside the house.
C．He was outside the house.	D．He was on the roof.

小題3: Mrs. Woo and her family didn’t get hurt because _________.

A．her husband knew there would be a storm

B．they were all outside the house when the storm became worse

C．she felt the house was moving

D．the welfare department helped her

小題4: The underlined word “shelter” in this passage means ______.

A．something to eat	B．something to wear
C．somewhere to study	D．somewhere to stay

小題5:Which of he following may be the best title for this passage?

A．A Terrible Storm	B．A Lucky Woman
C．Good Soldiers	D．Clever People

Consult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 65～68.

小題1: What does the phrase “green shoots” mean in “Green shoots have begun to appear in different markets”?

A．Signs of recovery.	B．High prices.
C．Environmental protection.	D．Change in policy.

小題2:Fill in the blank in the sentence “I can’t believe this is Joshua—he’s ______ since we last met!”

A．shot out

B．shot through

C．shot up

D．shot down

小題3:When you are talking about unimportant things, we say you are ______.

A．shooting yourself in the foot	B．shooting the breeze
C．shooting your mouth off	D．shooting questions at somebody

小題4: Choose a word to complete the sentence “The ______, which killed a policeman and wounded a passer-by, was reported to have lasted only 13 seconds.”

A．shooter

B．shoot

C．shot

D．shooting

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A line of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes marched across the South on Friday, peeling away roofs, overturning cars and killing at least 11 people in Tennessee, officials said.
It was the second wave of violent weather to hit the state in less than a week. Last weekend, tornadoes killed 24 people in the western part of the state and destroyed more than 1,000 homes and buildings.
The storms crossed an area from northern Mississippi to northern Virginia as they moved to the northeast late Friday after developing from a low-pressure system in the central Plains.
The Nashville suburbs were the hardest hit, with at least eight deaths happening northeast of the city. Three more people were killed in a rural area about 65 miles southeast of Nashville.
Tornadoes were also reported in some other places. The storms pulled up trees, knocked down power lines and damaged buildings. What’s worse, phone lines and most businesses were out of service. Hospitals admitted at least 60 people with storm-related injuries and transferred at least nine badly injured patients to Nashville hospitals.
In southern Indiana, the storms damaged some areas with golf ball-sized hail. High winds blew the roof off a country club and overthrew a semitrailer（拖車）. As the storms moved farther east, parts of West Virginia were lashed with heavy rain and winds, great damages caused.
The number of tornadoes in the US has jumped through the first part of 2006 compared with the past few years. Through the end of March, an estimated 286 tornadoes had hit the US, compared with an average of 70 for the same three-month period in each of the past three years.
The number of tornado-related deaths was 38 before Friday's storms. The average number of deaths from 2003 to 2005 was 45 a year, the prediction center said.
小題1: How many deaths have the thunderstorms and tornadoes on Friday caused?

A．Three.

B．Eight.

C．Eleven.

D．Twenty-two.

小題2: Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Tennessee was hit twice by tornadoes within a week.

B．The latest tornado might start in northern Mississippi.

C．At least four states were hit by the tornado.

D．In the tornadoes of the first 3 months 38 people were killed.

小題3: In the first 3 months of last 3 years, about ____ tornadoes happened each month in the US.

A．About 23.

B．About 70.

C．About 98.

D．About 210.

小題4:We can infer from the report more deaths and injuries were caused because ____. 

A．the phone lines were destroyed	B．there were enough hospitals
C．the people hid in their houses	D．there was also a hail in Tennessee

IQUIQUE, Chile (Reuters) — Rescue workers at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile had reason to sing this week. A small hole drilled into the earth became a passage to freedom for 33 trapped miners, who spent 69 days underground. “Never have people been trapped for so long so deeply,” says a doctor at NASA, the American space agency, which helped in the rescue.
But the chief medical officer for the miners said most are in good enough health to leave the hospital within a day or so. The first three recovered and went home Thursday night.
For much of the day the miners relaxed with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. The 32 Chileans and 1 Bolivian still wore special sunglasses to protect their eyes.
A partial mine collapse on 5th August trapped them more than half a kilometer underground. They had to stretch a two-day food supply. For two weeks no one knew if they were alive or dead. Later, they received supplies.
The first miner rescued on Wednesday was Florencio Avalos. The second was Mario Sepulveda, who talked about how the experience tested his faith. The last miner up was Luis Urzua, who was the shift leader when his crew became trapped.
Rescuers used a metal cage to pull the miners to safety in less than 24 hours — faster than expected. The rescue capsule was a half-meter wide and known as the Phoenix, an imaginary bird from ancient stories. It bursts into flames but is continually reborn and rises from the ashes.
Chile’s Navy built the capsule with advice from mining experts and NASA engineers. It worked like an elevator, traveling up and down on a cable through a shaft（豎井）drilled 622 meters into the rocks.
Millions of people around the world watched the rescue. More than one thousand journalists traveled to the mine in the Atacama Desert to report on the rescue. They joined family members of the miners and rescue crews housed in an area of tents known as Camp Hope.
小題1:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Rescued miners speak out

B．Miners’ life deep underground

C．A rebirth for 33 rescued miners in Chile

D．Chilean president honors rescued miners

小題2:How many rescued miners are still in hospital?

A．3.

B．30.

C．33.

D．69.

小題3:We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．a(chǎn)ll the trapped miners are Chileans

B．the Chileans rescued the miners alone

C．the rescue caught the world’s attention

D．the trapped miners lived easily underground

小題4: Which of the following is true of the Phoenix?

A．It was a wooden cage like a capsule.

B．It worked efficiently in the rescue.

C．It was named after a real Chilean bird.

D．It was built by NASA engineers.

小題5:The rescue is great for the reason that ______.

A．33 trapped miners were saved

B．the American space agency took part

C．Chilean President was on the rescuing spot

D．it lasted so long and the miners were trapped so deep

       New York: When the first plane struck 1 World Trade Center at 8:48 am on Tuesday, the people in 2 World Trade Center who saw the instant (瞬間的) damage to the other tower realized clearly what they, too, must do: get out fast.
Katherine Ilachinsiki, who had been knocked off her chair by the blast (一陣)of heat exploding from the neighboring tower, was one of those. Despite her 70 years of age, Mrs Ilachinsiki, an architect working on the 91^st floor of 2 World Trade Center, the south tower, went for the stairs. Twelve floors above her, Judy Wein, an executive (經(jīng)理), cried sharply and set off too.
But others up and down the 110 floors, many without seeing the damage across the way and thus unclear about what was happening, were not so sure. And the 18 minutes before the next plane would hit were ticking off.
Most people had no idea about what was the best thing to do, formal announcements inside the south tower asked people to stay put, assuring them that the building was sound and the threat was limited to the other tower.
Some left, others stayed. Some began to climb down and, when met with more announcements and other cautions (警告) to stop or return, went back up. The decisions made in those instants proved to be of great importance, because many who chose to stay were killed completely when the second plane crashed into the south tower.
One of those caught in indecision (猶豫不決) was the executive at Fuji Bank USA.
Richard Jacobs of Fuji Bank left the 79^th floor with the other office workers, but on the 48^th floor they heard the announcement that the situation was under control. Several got in the lifts and went back up, two minutes or so before the plane crashed into their floor.
“I just don’t know what happened to them,” Mr Jacobs said.
小題1:From the passage, we know that the south tower was hit by the plane ________.

A．a(chǎn)t 8:30	B．18 minutes earlier than the north tower
C．a(chǎn)t around 9:06	D．a(chǎn)t 8:48

小題2:The underlined words “stay put” means ________.

A．stay in the building	B．leave at once
C．put everything back and then leave	D．keep silent

小題3:Which floor was hit by the second plane?

A．The 91st floor

B．The 103rd floor

C．The 60th floor

D．The 79th floor

小題4:Fewer people would have died if       .

A．more announcements had been made	B．people hadn’t used the lifts
C．the attack had happened on a weekend	D．the people had obeyed the office rules

February 28^th, 2009 2:54 am GMT
I have to say that am shocked at just how bad the new music is. This cannot be the same band that produced great albums such as HTDAAB and ATYCLB! This is awful! They either do not care anymore, or have completely lost it. I never thought U2 would become irrelevant, but they have officially become one of those bands that you will now say, “Remember when they were great?”
----- Posted by Ronald Harris
February 28^th, 2009 8:29 pm GMT
Total drivel, Mr Harris. The new album is great, far better than the safe, cynical HTDAAB and ATYCLB. U2 have become inventive again, like they were in the 1990s. thank goodness!
----- Posted by Dan
March 3^rd, 2009 12:09 pm GMT
Agree, Dan. The new album is the best since Actung Baby. Magnificent is an anthem in the waiting, Breathe is unbelievable, and Stand Up Comedy is absolutely outstanding----- to name just three! Loving the new sound, pure class as usual.
----- Posted by Martin
March 4^th, 2009 7:43 pm GMT
Totally agree with you guys. This album is unbelievable. Breathe is definitely a great song, same with Moment of Surrender. I bet their upcoming tour will be amazing. If you haven’t bought the CD yet, you should. I bought mine on Amozon.com for $3.99. I couldn’t believe it.
----- Posted by Josh Briggs
小題1:According to Ronald Harris, U2’s new album is _________.

A．pretty good

B．so bad

C．the same as before

D．completely fresh

小題2: whose comment is contrary to the others?

A．Martin’s

B．Dan’s

C．Josh Briggs’

D．Ronald Harris’

小題3:Martin and Josh Briggs both like the song _________.

A．Magnificent

B．Moment of Surrender

C．Breathe

D．Stand Up Comedy

小題4: Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?

A．Most fans felt disappointed at the new album.

B．The new album is available on the Internet.

C．The people who made comments are fans of U2.

D．U2’s upcoming tour may be a great success.

小題5:The passage is most probably from ________.

A．a(chǎn) concert poster

B．a(chǎn) TV review

C．a(chǎn) newspaper

D．the Internet

OSLO — Excited with pride, Norwegians sang in the streets of Oslo on Sunday, celebrating Norway’s National Day and the country’s Eurovision Song Contest victory.
Hundreds of Norwegians sang along to Alexander Rybak’s winning song Fairytale as they walked in the country’s traditional National Day parade (游行) celebrating the Norwegian constitution.
Alexander Rybak — called “Alexander the Great” by the Norwegian media — won a great victory in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) by gaining the most votes in its 53-year history in Moscow on Saturday.
Alexander has played violin and piano since he was five years old, and he also composes his own music and sings. In 2006 he won the Norwegian talent show Kjempesjansen with his own song Foolin. Alexander has performed with one of the world’s most celebrated violinists, Pinchas Zukerman, won the Anders Jahres Culture Price and has been the concertmaster for Norway’s largest symphony orchestra (交響樂隊) for youths, Ung Symfoni.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said there was clearly something special about the 23-year-old and his folk music. “This is a phenomenal performance by a young and talented musician,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.
Rybak is expected to draw a large crowd of fans to Oslo’s Gardermoen airport when he arrives next Sunday, after having invited all his countrymen from the stage in Moscow.
With Rybak’s win, Norway will host next year’s Eurovision finals, a show that reaches a television audience of over 100 million people. Norway’s Minister of Culture, Trond Giske, promised that Norway would put on a splendid show next year but without spending as much as Moscow, which spent 24 million euros this year. “I don’t think that is necessary,” he told national broadcaster NRK.
The win was Norway’s third. The Nordic country also won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1985 and 1995.
小題1:What do Norwegians usually do on the country’s National Day?
A. Sing Fairytale.   B. Have a parade.  C. Hold a song test.  D. Watch the ESC. 
小題2:Which of the following statements about Rybak is TRUE?
A. He has a lot of fans all over the world.
B. He is the first Norwegian to win the ESC.
C. He is called “Alexander the Great” when he was born.
D. He showed a great talent for music before this ESC.
小題3:The underlined word “phenomenal” in Para. 5 means “____”.

A．very unusual and impressive	B．too special to be understood
C．with an educational purpose	D．a(chǎn)ble to draw a large audience

小題4:What’s Trond Giske’s opinion?

A．Norway will host next year’s Eurovision finals.

B．It doesn’t require too much money to win the finals.

C．Norway is determined to win next year’s Eurovision finals.

D．It doesn’t require a lot of money to make the finals splendid.

小題5:The main idea of the text is that ______________________________.

A．the Eurovision Song Contest belongs to the world

B．National Day is being celebrated in Norway

C．Crazy fans expect to meet their idol at the airport in Norway

D．Norway celebrates a Eurovision win on National Day.