One of the biggest challenges facing students and their families is what career they should enter and what is the best path for them to take.
I was talking to someone the other day who told me he first studied accounting because that was what everyone was studying several years ago. It was and some say still is a reliable career. However, then he told me that he was now studying financial investment because again--- that’s what everyone was studying now and it was needed if he wanted to get ahead in the company.
And I asked him what he was actually interested in and then— well the conversation kind of died. So I asked why he had bothered studying accounting in the first place and he explained that it was his parents’ idea. Finally I asked what his passion was and he wasn’t too sure because he never thought about it.
And so it is— lifelong learning— or the continual need to make ourselves marketable in a world that appears to be more competitive as time goes by. Is there a secret to help us so we can live a life of quality?
Regardless or not at this stage in world history with increasing connection between people,
ideas and markets — the ability to match the needs and desires of the day with your own skills and products is a tremendous and vigorous challenge.
Many have gone into English or foreign language study because it was encouraged at the time when China was entering the WTO. Or maybe they were interested in international affairs or working abroad. Upon graduation they then faced the reality that there was a limit to how many jobs they could apply for.
Perhaps some then studied further doing courses for work such as a tour guide or translator/ interpreter. Many may have decided that going into teaching was more rewarding or stable. Others would have gone into media or advertising or conference management and acquired new skills along the way.
This constant quest to remain ahead of the game makes many upset and exhausted. Some futurists who examine technology have even predicted that people should expect to change careers six or seven times during their lifetime!
So if you are concerned by the nature of change, why not start spending more time looking at the most modern leading economies, institutions and their publications. A whole lot of changes are starting to happen yet there is no reason why this cannot be enjoyable, exciting and also rewarding. Our attitude, approach and willingness to continually learn and update our skills must remain strong.
My tip is to track the work that our government is setting about to achieve. In particular, look at the people who have been chosen as the key support team and try to read behind the light surface news and look at their career development and examine the recent reports that they are now recommending the government move towards. Key industry development, new ways of dealing with information and new demands are creating opportunities for the students and workers of tomorrow — if we stay prepared.
小題1:Who is this article intended for?

A．Government administrators.

B．Students planning their careers.

C．Foreign language learners.

D．Professors designing courses.

小題2:The case of the student who first studied accounting and then financial investment shows ______.

A．many people decide their majors without knowing their own interest

B．parents’ decisions are always blind and will result in a life of low quality

C．a(chǎn)ccounting and financial investment are necessary to ensure a reliable career.

D．people never have a chance to think about their own interest in choosing career.

小題3:In the writer’s opinion, to make yourself competitive in the changing world today is _____.

A．exhausting

B．disappointing

C．unbelievable

D．necessary

小題4:According to the writer, lifetime learning can be exciting if ______.

A．we are prepared for the changes

B．we know who President has on his support team

C．we read the publications of advanced institutions

D．we learn English or some other foreign languages

小題5:Whoever has been chosen as the key support team of the government _______.

A．shows the government’s interest in new information

B．enables you to find out how hard-working these people are

C．indicates the direction the economy is developing

D．reveals the government encourages creative young people

Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was about to be lost forever, by the U.S. education system. Remarkably, he could read, yet, in spite of his reading skills, Steve was failing. He had been failing since first grade, as he was passed on from grade to grade. Steve was a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a twelve year old, yet, Steve went unnoticed... until Miss White.
Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn’t take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart would break under her sharp words, and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just miserable! Still, he did not study.
In the middle of the first semester of school, the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things, as the day wore on. His heart was not in school, but in the woods, where he often escaped alone, trying to shut out the sights, sounds and smells of his alcoholic home. No one checked on him to see if he was safe. No one knew he was gone, because no one was sober（清醒的） enough to care. Oddly, Steve never missed a day of school.
One day, Miss White’s impatient voice broke into his daydreams. “Steve!!” Startled, he turned to look at her.
“Pay attention!”
Steve locked his gaze on Miss White with adolescent adoration (青春期的愛慕), as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.
“You all did pretty well,” she told the class, “except for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but...” She hesitated, pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp stare, her eyes searching his face.
“...The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!”
She just stared at Steve, as the class spun around for a good look. Steve dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.
　After that, it was war!! Steve still wouldn’t do his homework. Even as the punishments became more severe, he remained stubborn.
“Just try it! ONE WEEK!” He was unmoved.
“You’re smart enough! You’ll see a change!” Nothing fazed him.
“Give yourself a chance! Don’t give up on your life!” Nothing.
“Steve! Please! I care about you!”
Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it!! Someone cared about him? Someone, totally unattainable and perfect, CARED ABOUT HIM??!!
Steve went home from school, thoughtful, that afternoon. Walking into the house, he took one look around. Both parents were passed out, in various stages of undress, and the stench(惡臭) was overpowering! He, quickly, gathered up his camping gear, a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and this time...his schoolbooks. Grim faced and determined, he headed for the woods.
The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles! God, she was beautiful! He yearned for her smile to turn on him. It did not.
Miss White, immediately, gave a quiz on the weekend homework. Steve hurried through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper. With a look of surprise, Miss White took his paper. Obviously puzzled, she began to look it over. Steve walked back to his desk, his heart pounding within his chest. As he sat down, he couldn’t resist another look at the lovely woman.
Miss White’s face was in total shock! She glanced up at Steve, then down, then up. Suddenly, her face broke into a radiant smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test!
From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it!
He discovered that he could understand and retain knowledge, and that he could translate the things he learned into his own life. Steve began to excel! And he continued this course throughout his school life.
After high-school Steve enlisted in the Navy, and he had a successful military career. During that time, he met the love of his life, he raised a family, and he graduated from college Magna Cum Laude. During his Naval career, he inspired many young people, who without him, might not have believed in themselves. Steve began a second career after the Navy, and he continues to inspire others, as an adjunct professor（副教授） in a nearby college。
Miss White left a great legacy. She saved one boy who has changed many lives. I know, because I am the love of his life.
You see, it’s simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared.
小題1:What does the underlined sentence in the first paragraph mean?

A．Steve would give up schooling forever.

B．Steve was at a loss about improving his study.

C．Being unhappy both in school and at home, Steve intended to end his own life.

D．Due to his poor study, Steve was about to be expelled from his school.

小題2:What made Steve change greatly all of a sudden?

A．Miss White’s encouragement	B．Miss White’s praise
C．knowing Miss White concerned him	D．Miss White’s persuasion

小題3:What might be the best title for this passage?

A．A boy loves his teacher	B．The difference a teacher can make
C．A great teacher	D．Please care about your students

Many language learners think their pronunciation is good enough because their teacher doesn’t correct them too often or because other students can 36 them.
Pronunciation is the area which is 37 the least attention to in language learning. Most teachers 38 just let their students speak. The teachers stop them 39 the students say something completely wrong. Working on each student’s pronunciation in class is just 40. Also, the students who are 41 at pronunciation may be afraid that it will embarrass their classmates if they help 42 their mistakes.
Although you believe your pronunciation is good enough to 43, you may be 44 when you actually go to a foreign country. One of my friends was the best student in his 45 class in Poland. However, when he went to America, he found Americans didn’t understand 46 of what he said.
Your pronunciation may still be quite 47 that of a native speaker. If this is the 48, other people will find it 49 to understand what you’re saying and will not be comfortable with you.
50, don’t think you can communicate in a foreign language 51 you’ve tested your skills on real native speakers. 52 for native or near­native pronunciation so that people you talk to can communicate with you 53. In order to achieve this goal, there’s no 54 that you will need to start thinking about pronunciation and 55 time on it.

小題1:	A．mistake B．watch C．surround D．understand

小題2:	A．made B．found C．paid D．called

小題3:	A．never B．ever C．even D．usually

小題4:	A．only if B．a(chǎn)s if C．even if D．so that

小題5:	A．fantastic B．impossible C．necessary D．important

小題6:	A．poor B．well C．good D．strict

小題7:	A．put out B．work out C．try out D．point out

小題8:	A．communicate B．travel C．pronounce D．exchange

小題9:	A．happy B．sad C．surprised D．excited

小題10:

A．Polish B．French C．German D．English

小題11:

A．none B．half C．rest D．lot

小題12:

A．near to B．near from C．far from D．next to

小題13:

A．same B．matter C．case D．fact

小題14:

A．easy B．beneficial C．convenient D．hard

小題15:

A．In conclusion B．In other words C．In total D．On the contrary

小題16:

A．when B．until C．a(chǎn)fter D．while

小題17:

A．Stand B．Look C．Aim D．Search

小題18:

A．smoothly B．difficultly C．truly D．practically

小題19:

A．way B．need C．doubt D．wonder

小題20:

A．take B．cost C．spend D．kill

Tired of living in the same location but don’t want to leave the house you love? That wouldn’t be a problem if architect Felipe Campolina had his way.
The Brazilian architect has designed a concept for a home tower consisting of portable, stackable (可疊起堆放的) apartment units, which he says opens up new possibilities for ways of living in the city.
His design would allow owners to take their home with them when they travel — whether for a weekend away or for longer periods, he said.
The mobile home tower project is at the concept stage, and it could be years before it is built, if ever at all.
But if it is realized, it would offer an eco-friendly solution to living in urban areas, Campolina said.
“We have enough technology to build with fewer materials and minimize (使減至最小) the impact on nature,” he said.
His vision would call for units with a green roof and walls and a system for recycling water.
The tower, whose first floor would be built nine meters above ground, would also make it possible to save space in thickly populated areas.
“It is designed to facilitate (使便利) its application in dense urban centers, where space is very limited,” he said.
Still just a concept, Campolina — who designed the building for architecture journal eVolo’s Skyscraper Competition — said with enough public interest, it just might become a reality one day.
小題1:We can learn from the first four paragraphs that the tower _____.

A．is now being built

B．is intended for people in the countryside

C．will be made up of mobile living units

D．was designed by a US architect

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE about the home tower?

A．All its walls will be painted blue.

B．It will have a waste paper recycling system.

C．It will be made of recycled rubbish.

D．It will do little harm to the environment.

小題3:The building’s first floor would be built high above ground _____.

A．to save space in crowded cities	B．to make the building attractive
C．to build the house solidly	D．to fix its units more easily

閱讀下面短文并回答問題，然后將答案寫到答題卡相應(yīng)的位置(請注意問題后的詞數(shù)要求)。
【1】Who says you need super power to save the world? On April 22, more than a billion people worldwide celebrated Earth Day by taking part in green activities in their communities. However, you needn’t wait until Earth Day. You needn’t be an adult, either! Every day, young people across the globe are doing their part to keep the Earth healthy and green. These are just a few kid heroes for the planet.
Manatee (海牛) minder
【2】When she was in second grade, Stephanie Cohen read about a baby manatee hit by a boat off the coast of Florida. Biologists saved the manatee. But caring for the sea creature was expensive. Stephanie took up a collection and raised 27 dollars in one day. Now 18, Stephanie still raises money to help these "Gentle Giants".
Goodbye paper bags
【3】When Adrienne Smith, 15, was in sixth grade, she noticed that many of her classmates carried paper lunch bags. To help kid cut down on waste, she invented an eco-friendly lunch bag. It is partly made from recycled plastic bottles. "Kids like it because they can fold it up and put it in their backpacks," said Adrienne. She sells the bags at greenearbag.com. And some of the money goes to charity.
He's skiing to save the earth
【4】Parker Liantaud, 15, wanted to raise awareness about the effects of climate change on the polar regions. He set out to become one of the youngest people ever to ski the North Pole. Although the cruel conditions forced Parker and his guide to finish the last 15 miles of the journey by helicopter, Parker felt he met his goal to inspire others. "All young people have the power to make a change," he said.
He ______ the earth
【5】Every year, Max Kesselman, from Pennsylvania, USA, celebrates his birthday December 3 by cleaning up the Earth. When Max was 6, he noticed trash on the sides of the road. He wrote a letter to local leaders suggesting a cleanup day on his birthday.(words:353)
小題1:What is the main idea of the passage? （no more than 8 words）
小題2:What does the word "it" (Line 3, Paragraph3) probably refer to? （no more than 5 words ）
小題3:Fill in the blanks of the title of Paragraph 5 with proper words． （no more than 5 words）
小題4:Why didn't Parker ski the North Pole all the way?（No more than 7 words）
小題5:Write out  at least one other Green Activity you can take part in?（no more than 8 words）

I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs and toast. Others had cokes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the other kids’. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning. So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years, our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, however, would merely be content with black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background, I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.
小題1:Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?

A．Eating differently from other kids.	B．Wearing clean clothes made by mother
C．Going to bed early and getting up early	D．Letting mother know where they were

小題2:It can be inferred from the passage that____________.

A．the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies

B．mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law

C．a(chǎn)ll the other kids studied better than the writer

D．the writer’s family lived a miserable life

小題3:Which of the following statements is Not true according to the passage ?

A．Mother practiced economy in running her home

B．The writer is very thankful for her mother

C．The writer is severe with her children when bringing them up

D．The wrier has a deep hatred for her mother

小題4:The passage was written in a way of _________ tone.

A．humorous

B．hateful

C．ridiculous

D．critical

Ever wonder how much a cloud weighs? What about a hurricane? A meteorologist has done some estimates and the results might surprise you.
Let's start with a very simple white puffy cloud — a cumulus cloud（積云）. How much does the water in a cumulus cloud weigh? Peggy LeMone, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, did the numbers. "The water in the little cloud weighs about 550 tons," she calculates. "Or if you want to convert it to something that might be a little more meaningful … think of elephants."
The thought of a hundred elephants-worth of water suspended in the sky begs another question — what keeps it up there?
"First of all, the water isn't in elephant sized particles（微粒）, it's in tiny tiny tiny particles," explains LeMone. And those particles float on the warmer air that's rising below. But still, the concept of so much water floating in the sky was surprising even to a meteorologist like LeMone. "I had no idea how much a cloud would weigh, actually, when I started the calculations," she says.
So how many elephant units of water are inside a big storm cloud—10 times bigger all the way around than the "puffy" cumulus cloud? Again, LeMone did the numbers: About 200,000 elephants.
Now, ratchet up the calculations for a hurricane about the size of Missouri and the figures get really massive. "What we're doing is weighing the water in one cubic meter theoretically pulled from a cloud and then multiplying by the number of meters in a whole hurricane," she explains.
The result? Forty million elephants. That means the water in one hurricane weighs more than all the elephants on the planet. Perhaps even more than all the elephants that have ever lived on the planet.
小題1:The weight of      is NOT mentioned in the passage.

A．a(chǎn) cumulus cloud

B．a(chǎn) tornado

C．a(chǎn) hurricane

D．a(chǎn) storm cloud

小題2:How did Peggy LeMone feel about the result of her calculations?

A．She found it not convincing.

B．She thought it needed further calculations.

C．She was quite surprised at it.

D．She considered the calculations inaccurate.

小題3:What can be inferred from the passage?

A．A storm cloud weighs about 200,000 elephants.

B．The water in a hurricane weighs more than that in any other kind of cloud.

C．There are less than forty million elephants living on the earth.

D．The water in the cloud is in very tiny partials.

How would you like to learn more without having to study more？Here’s how：
1．Get to bed and go to sleep.Your performance，attention，and the ability to concentrate are damaged by lack of sleep.Teenagers need nine to ten hours of sleep a night for best performance.
2．Feed your head.The brain runs badly if it doesn’t get enough fuel.That means protein(蛋白質(zhì))and complex carbs (復(fù)合碳水化合物)－eggs and wheat bread for breakfast，say，rather than sugary cereal(含糖的麥片粥)and orange juice.The biggest mistake teens make is not to have breakfast or to go for sugar，which raises blood sugar levels.
3．Body exercise is brain exercise.Body exercise really improves brain performance，perhaps because it increases blood flow，or perhaps because it reduces stress and anxiety(焦慮).Twenty minutes of activity a day that raises your heart rate will do great good.
4．Learn now what you want to remember for the rest of your life.Teenage brains are much better at remembering things than the brains  of young children or adults.Scientists aren’t sure why.Whatever the reason，the teenage years are the time to learn new languages and master other lifelong skills.
5．Learn the power of risk taking.Adults are always worried about the downside of teenage risk?taking，and it’s true that teenagers are more likely than adults to get themselves in trouble by drinking and driving.But the fact that the parts of the brain that drive people to try new，risky，and exciting things appear to be more developed in teenagers can be a huge advantage.Pick certain challenges－difficult sports，a hard job，mastering a performance art，traveling overseas－and the teenage brain is able to deal with them.They have this power they’re given to go out and do it without fear.
6．Learn what you love.Because emotional(情感的)systems develop fast in teenager brains，teenagers learn things they’re interested in quickly and well.Their brains give them tools like attention on the project.
小題1:According to the passage，teenagers should have　　　　for breakfast.

A．wheat bread and eggs	B．sugar and orange juice
C．sugar and bread	D．wheat bread and orange juice

小題2:Body exercise plays a part in all the following EXCEPT　　　　.

A．making people less anxious	B．raising heart rate
C．reducing blood pressure	D．reducing stress

小題3:The underlined word “downside” in the passage probably means　　　　.

A．excitement	B．disadvantage
C．benefit	D．power

小題4:It can be learned from the passage that　　　　.

A．teenagers learn quickly when they are fond of something

B．teenagers should be forbidden to drive

C．scientists know why teenagers have a good memory

D．teenagers need less sleep than adults

A farmer found a wounded eagle (鷹) in his field. He was so   26   that he took it home and cleaned its wounds. After that he placed it  27  in the yard, in the hope that it    28    recover soon.
Strangely enough, the eagle soon got used to the    29   of all the chickens in the yard. It learned to    30    from side to side like chickens, and eat happily from a trough (食槽). For many years, the eagle    31    his new life on the farm.
Then one day, one of the farmer’s friends pointed to the playing    32   and asked, “  33   is that eagle acting like a chicken?” The farmer told him what had   34  , and the friend felt quite   35  .
“I can’t believe that!” said the friend. “It should fly in the    36   , not live here!” He picked up the eagle, and   37   it into the air. The eagle was  38  , and cried loudly. Then it just fell down on the ground.
That night, the friend could   39   sleep as he remembered the chicken-like eagle. The next morning, he headed back to the farm for another   40  . This time he carried the eagle to the   41   of a nearby mountain.
When he stood at the highest place of the mountain, he looked into its eyes and shouted, “Don’t you   42   ? You weren’t made to live like a chicken!” As he   43   the eagle up, he made sure it was facing into the bright   44   of the rising sun. Then he    45    tossed (拋) the bird into the sky. This time the eagle opened his wings, and disappeared into the clouds.

小題1:	A．polite B．brave C．kind D．proud

小題2:	A．forward B．outside C．inside D．backward

小題3:	A．would B．should C．must D．need

小題4:	A．food B．sounds C．water D．habits

小題5:	A．walk B．sleep C．talk D．drink

小題6:	A．wasted B．forgot C．lost D．enjoyed

小題7:	A．chicken B．eagle C．farmer D．plane

小題8:	A．When B．How C．Why D．What

小題9:	A．suffered B．experienced C．happened D．found

小題10:

A．pleased B．surprised C．worried D．satisfied

小題11:

A．sky B．sea C．land D．lake

小題12:

A．pulled B．moved C．took D．threw

小題13:

A．a(chǎn)fraid B．interested C．excited D．a(chǎn)ngry

小題14:

A．hardly B．exactly C．a(chǎn)ctually D．finally

小題15:

A．drink B．meeting C．rest D．try

小題16:

A．top B．foot C．center D．side

小題17:

A．believe B．cry C．understand D．work

小題18:

A．held B．put C．filled D．tied

小題19:

A．sight B．light C．space D．shape

小題20:

A．easily B．softly C．quickly D．powerfully

Many years ago in a small village, an old man was hired to clear the spring (泉水) up on the mountain. He patrolled (巡邏) the spring every day, and swept away all the leaves and other things that would dirty the fresh flow of water. Soon, beautiful swans (天鵝) came to the clear spring, and the village became a popular attraction for visitors.
Years passed. One evening the town leaders held a meeting. As they looked at the salary list, one of them said, “Why do we keep this old man on year after year? I don’t think we need him or his work.” Later, the old man was asked to leave.
For several weeks, nothing changed. By early autumn, the leaves began to fall off the trees, and the spring was covered with leaves. A few days later, the water was much darker. Only a few months after the old man left, all the swans left, as did the tourists. Disease reached deeply into the village.
Quickly, the leaders held a special meeting. Realizing their mistake, they rehired the old man. Then within a few weeks, the spring began to clear up. Soon new life returned to the village.
So, my friends, do you see? No matter how small your work or your life seems to be, never overlook it. Anything we can do will make a difference.
小題1:The leaders decided to ask the old man to leave because they thought ______.

A．his work was unnecessary	B．he did his work carelessly
C．he was too old to do the job	D．he could do other better jobs

小題2:How did the leaders feel a few months after the old man left?

A．Regretful.

B．Moved.

C．Excited.

D．Calm.

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

A．Believe.

B．Ignore(忽略).

C．Praise.

D．Punish.

小題4:With this story, the writer wants to tell us that ______.

A．even a small job can be important	B．work can bring old people happiness
C．everyone should always respect others	D．everyone can be his own master