I’ve been writing for most of my life. The book Writing Without Teachers introduced me to one distinction(區(qū)別)and one practice that has helped my writing processes tremendously. The distinction is between the creative mind and the critical mind. While you need to employ both to get to a finished result, they cannot work in parallel no matter how much we might like to think so.
Trying to criticize writing on the fly is possibly the single greatest barrier to writing that most of us encounter. If you are listening to that 5th grade English teacher correct your grammar while you are trying to capture a fleeting (稍縱即逝的) thought, the thought will die. If you capture the fleeting thought and simply share it with the world in raw form, no one is likely to understand. You must learn to create first and then criticize if you want to make writing the tool for thinking that it is.
The practice that can help you past your learned bad habits of trying to edit as you write is what Elbow calls “free writing.” In free writing, the objective is to get words down on paper non-stop, usually for 15-20 minutes. No stopping, no going back, no criticizing. The goal is to get the words flowing. As the words begin to flow, the ideas will come from the shadows and let themselves be captured on your notepad or your screen.
Now you have raw materials that you can begin to work with using the critical mind that you’ve persuaded to sit on the side and watch quietly. Most likely, you will believe that this will take more time than you actually have and you will end up staring blankly at the pages as the deadline draws near.
Instead of staring at a blank start filling it with words no matter how bad. Halfway through your available time, stop and rework your raw writing into something closer to finished product. Move back and forth until you run out of time and the final result will most likely be far better than your current practices.
小題1:When the author says the creative mind and the critical mind “cannot work in parallel” in the writing process, he means                .

A．one cannot use them at the same time	B．they cannot be regarded as equally important
C．they are in constant conflict with each other	D．no one can be both creative and critical

小題2:What prevents people from writing on is                .

A．putting their ideas in raw form	B．ignoring grammatical soundness
C．a(chǎn)ttempting to edit as they write	D．trying to capture fleeting thoughts

小題3:What is the chief objective of the first stage of writing?

A．To organize one’s thoughts logically.	B．To get one’s ideas down.
C．To choose an appropriate topic.	D．To collect raw materials.

小題4:One common concern of writers about “free writing” is that                .

A．it overstresses the role of the creative mind	B．it does not help them to think clearly
C．it may bring about too much criticism	D．it takes too much time to edit afterwards

小題5:In what way does the critical mind help the writer in the writing process?

A．It allows him to sit on the side and observe.	B．It helps him to come up with new ideas.
C．It saves the writing time available to him.	D．It improves his writing into better shape.

Recreational tree climbing is taking root in the ecotourism industry, and it's sending guys like Tim Kovar to far off reaches of the globe. Kovar, a tree-climbing instructor, recently returned to the U.S. from Brazil, where he spent time developing a tree-climbing operation thanks to the "slow travel" movement.
Slow travel, is like the slow food movement, the practice of giving fast food in favor of homegrown cooking—the kind that takes hours to prepare and enjoy. Likewise, slow travel urges visitors to experience a place's natural surroundings and learn about the ecology in a way not afforded by extreme games.
"Tree climbing is a slow activity," says Kovar. "It's not something you do quickly and then you're on to the next thing or event." There is no such thing as a quick climb, especially for beginners. This wasn't a race against the clock or the fellow climbers. In fact, tree climbing is unlikely to ever become a feature of the extreme games. Many climbers refuse competition. There has already been so much competition in the world.
"When you stand below the tree, it can be amazing," Rusel DeMaria says, looking affectionately up at Michael's Triumph, a 150-foot-tall tree. But reaching the treetop, he adds, is an entirely different feeling. Likewise, his wife, Viola Brumbaugh, kneels on the ground and asks Michael's Triumph for permission to climb. "It goes a lot smoother that way, "She says.
And climbing has been included into many educational programs. New Tribe offers guided climbs through its school, Tree Climbing Northwest, where "we teach enough tree biology and forest ecology to raise awareness in our students," says New Tribe present Sophis Sparks. "We know that the tree climbing experience deepens personal appreciation for trees. After climbing, people value trees more and are motivated to support preservation. This is not just to preserve their playground."
Perhaps that is why he struggles with the term "recreational tree climbing," saying, "I prefer to call it inspirational tree climbing."
小題1:What do slow travel and the slow food movement have in common?

A．They take people a long time.	B．They are related to the eco-tourism industry.
C．They advocate protecting nature.	D．They cost people little money

小題2:What do we know about tree climbing from the passage?

A．People compete to see who can climb to the top first.

B．It favors the experience of enjoying nature.

C．It is a kind of extreme sport and needs a lot of effort.

D．People view it as a challenge to climb the tallest tree in a forest.

小題3:Brumbaugh kneels on the ground before climbing trees to ___________________.

A．beg for the safety of climbing	B．Expect to climb faster than her husband
C．Show respect for the tree	D．a(chǎn)sk for permission of her husband

小題4:Sophia Sparks prefers the term "inspirational tree climbing" because it ____________.

A．provide people with more chances to play outside

B．bring a lot of pleasure to life

C．Deepens personal love between each other

D．Makes people realize they should protect trees

小題5:What's the best title for the passage?

A．Tree-climbing travelling	B．Slow travel movements
C．Dangers of climbing	D．Respect for nature

Some kids start to drink alcohol （酒精） at a young age． They think it is part of becoming an adult．They also think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it．They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs （毒品）． It is easy for kids to get liquor（酒精飲料）by using fake identification （偽造證件）．
Parents may start to notice a change in their child’s behavior if the child starts drinking． Kids who drink sometimes stop doing things they normally liked to do．They may keep telephone calls and meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things．They act moody（喜怒無常） and do not have the same eating and sleeping habits．
Parents need to stay involved （牽涉） in their kids’ lives． They should talk to their children about their problems to be aware of any changes．
Parents can be the best protection． Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves． It helps them resist（抵抗） doing bad things even when other kids are doing them． Parents can also help set a good example by not drinking and driving． They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows．
Give the children good ideas on how to say “no” to drinking, even when they are at a party． Try not to overreact or panic （驚慌） if the child tries alcohol． How you handle it can affect their attitude． It may be helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews （宵禁令） and rules about parties or other events．
小題1:Which of the following is NOT the reason why some kids have an early start of drinking?

A．They want to show their maturity （成熟） by drinking alcohol．

B．Drinking alcohol is much cooler than taking drugs．

C．They are affected by many other people around them．

D．They can get liquor easily．

小題2:According to the passage, what changes may happen to the kids who start drinking?

A．Nothing serious will happen to them．

B．They keep the same eating and sleeping habits．

C．They can control their moods quite well．

D．Sometimes they act secretly．

小題3:According to the writer, if parents find their children try alcohol, they had better ________．

A．punish them at once

B．a(chǎn)sk the police for help

C．a(chǎn)sk their children’s friends for help

D．set up curfews and rules about parties or other events with other parents

小題4:Which is the main subject discussed in the passage?

A．Teen health．	B．Teen education．
C．Teen drinking	D．Parents’ worries．

It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day. Some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn’t last long.    
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides(殺蟲劑) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job---eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to the sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.
小題1:From paragraph I we learn that the villagers __________.

A．worked very hard for centuries

B．dreamed of having a better life

C．were poor but somewhat content

D．lived a different life from their forefathers

小題2:Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?

A．the frogs were easy money

B．They needs money to buy medicine

C．they wanted to please the visitors

D．the frogs made too much noise

小題3: What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?

A．the crops didn’t do well

B．there were too many insects

C．the visits brought in diseases

D．the pesticides were overused

小題4:What can we infer from the last sentence of the text?

A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country

B．Health is more important than money

C．The harmony between man and nature is important

D．good old day will never be forgotten

LONDON: What could possibly be wrong with planting trees? The benefits are obvious; they  firm the soil, soak up (攝取) extra water and take carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) out of the atmosphere.
However, it now turns out that planting trees could add to global warming.
Tree roots do a great job of keeping soil firmly on the ground and out of the wind’s power. The problem is that some of those dust clouds play an important part in taking in carbon dioxide.
Huge dust storms blow out over the oceans from dry parts of North Africa and central Asia. Tons of dust are lifted and left as a thin film over the ocean surface. The dust fuels oceanic life.
Dust from China is carried east and left in the Pacific Ocean. If a tree-planting programme there is successful and the dust supply reduced, the final result may be that less carbon dioxide gets locked away in the ocean.
Andy Ridgwell, an environmental scientist from the University of East Anglia, has spent the past few years studying dust and says his work “shows clearly the complexity of the system and the importance of not tinkering(粗劣地修補) with it without understanding the results. For this reason the need is to focus(集中) on cutting carbon dioxide giving off rather than monkeying (瞎弄) about with the land surface.”
An American scientist, Robert Jackson, has shown that when native grassland areas are invaded(侵入) by trees, carbon is lost from the soil. “We are studying why the soil carbon disappears, but one theory is that trees do a lot more of their growing above ground compared to grasses, so less carbon goes directly into the soil from trees, ” says Jackson.
In wet areas of the world, the gain from trees absorbing carbon dioxide above ground seems to be outweighed(超過) by the loss of carbon from the soil below ground. Countries that plan to combat global warming by planting trees may have to think again.
Solutions to environmental problems are often more complex than they first appear, and understanding the Earth’s climate is a very great challenge.
小題1:People usually hold the opinion that_____________.

A．huge dust storms can destroy carbon dioxide

B．huge dust storms can destroy the oceans on the earth

C．huge dust storms can’t do anything beneficial for man

D．planting trees is the only way to control huge dust storms

小題2: Andy Ridgwell, the environmental scientist, believes that_____________.

A．dust plays a more important part than trees

B．trees shouldn’t have been planted in dry places

C．carbon dioxide is harmful to everything on the earth

D．environmental problems are more complex than expected

小題3: Robert Jackson’s experiment proves that_____________.

A．grassland areas should be covered by forests

B．trees hold more carbon than grasses

C．carbon can turn grass into dust

D．less carbon can make trees grow faster

Knowing about yourself not only means finding out what you’re good at and what you like，but also means discovering what you’re not good at and what you don’t like．Both help you to see your aim in life．
Although most students would be unhappy if they failed a very difficult physics examination，they have in fact learned a lot about themselves．They know that they should not become engineers or physical scientists．So failing can help a student to live a happier life if he  learns something from it．They may then decide on their aims and choose the work they like and are fit for．
It is impossible to decide whether you like something until you have tried it．If you decide to play the piano，you need to take more than one lesson before knowing whether you are really interested in it or able to do well．It is not enough if you want to be a great pianist．You also have to like the hard practice and long training．If you enjoy being a great pianist but hate the work，forget it．
It’s a good plan to try as many ideas as possible when you are young．Then you will find out what your true interests are．
小題1:If you say you really know yourself，        ．

A．you know what you don’t like

B．you know what you are good at

C．you have no interest in your work

D．you’ve got the whole picture of yourself

小題2:Failing can turn into something good      ．

A．if you have aim in life	B．if your decision is fight
C．if you lead a happier life	D．if you learn something from it

小題3:What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．Failure is a better mirror

B．Success is more helpful

C．No one is fit for the job of a physical scientist

D．Physics can help students live a better life

Many Chinese students who have learnt English for more than ten years are still unable to speak English very well when they meet a foreigner. They seem to have mastered the basic language structure(結構), but a conversation in English will make them feel uneasy. They are afraid that other people might find out their mistakes.
It's uncommon that many students who are bad speakers of English can write English perfectly. This proves that they are unable to organize their idea in English. The center of the problem is that they lack practice and confidence (自信).
Why should you be afraid? Do you fear those foreigners with whom you are speaking? Don't be shy, they will not laugh at you just for a little mistake you make. The best way to get rid of trouble is to learn to speak by speaking more. I am sure that constant practice will help you succeed.
小題1:What's the best topic for the passage?

A．How to Speak to Foreigners	B．How to Study English Well
C．How to Organize the Idea in English	D．Practice Speaking English All the Time

小題2: Many Chinese students can write English very well, but they cannot speak English fluently because _______________.

A．they seldom meet foreigners

B．they seldom practice speaking English

C．they had no chance to speak English

D．they think it's enough to master the basic language structure only

小題3:So many Chinese students are afraid to speak to foreigners because __.

A．they are afraid they can't understand foreigners

B．they don't think their English is poor

C．they worry about making mistakes in their speaking

D．they didn't like speaking to foreigners

小題4:According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．We can speak English fluently by doing more speaking.

B．If you can write English perfectly, you are able to organize your idea in English.

C．If you can write good English composition, you can speak English very well.

D．Any Chinese students can't speak English fluently because they are afraid of making mistakes.

小題5:In the last paragraph, the expression "get rid of" means_______.  

A．throw away

B．free oneself from

C．give up

D．do with

When the six very best students from different cities in Guangdong Province all together chose universities in Hong Kong ; when the very best students of Beijing picked up HK University while giving up the nearby Peking or Tsinghua University ; when the highest enrollment(錄取) rate of Hong Kong Science and Industry University reached 48:1, it’s the high time to ask where the real education heaven for students in China is.
Years ago, the answer certainly would be “Peking or Tsinghua University”. But now no one could give the exact answer without hesitation . The only sure thing is that HK universities have gradually showed an unusual attraction to a great many mainland students.
There’s no doubt to call this HK craze (狂熱), which is even out of the expectation of those HK universities themselves.
How can HK universities shake the steady foundations of Peking and Tsinghua University and attract so many mainland students?
First, Hong Kong universities offer large-amount scholarship, especially for the top students who can receive the scholarship as much as 400,000 HK dollars. Since higher education has become a kind of heavy burden of many families, it’s easy to understand why the reaction to the generous offering of HK universities is great.
Second, most HK universities receive professors and students from all over the world and carry out bilingual (雙語) education. This kind of excellent language atmosphere is another attraction for mainland students.
Furthermore, university students in Hong Kong have a better chance to study abroad as exchange students.
Can mainland top universities like Peking or Tsinghua University be calm as before when facing the unexpected competition from HK? Will they take relevant measures to win back the top students who once help them set the worldwide reputation? Time will explain it .
The fierce competition brought by HK universities can be a good thing for an entire improvement of education in China. After the awakening and action-taking of mainland universities , they can perform better together with HK universities.
At least, it reminded the mainland universities the tuition fees (學費) are among students’ top concern when they are choosing universities . It’s time to move.
小題1:What is the passage mainly talking about?

A．Some thoughts brought by the enrollment of HK universities.

B．Higher education in Hong Kong.

C．The competition between HK University and Beijing University.

D．The fall of mainland universities.

小題2:Top students from mainland apply for HK universities because________.

A．many students now would love to study abroad to get a better experience

B．they concern only about the tuition fees when choosing universities

C．HK Universities offer higher scholarship, better environment and more opportunities for their further study

D．Beijing University has lost its worldwide reputation

小題3:   From the passage we can see HK universities________.

A．didn’t mean to enroll top students from mainland

B．didn’t expect their enrollment of mainland students would be so popular

C．have strict enrollment rules and only 1 out of 48 students can get the chance to study there

D．a(chǎn)re proud of their teaching staff and facilities.

小題4:What does the author mean by saying “It’s time to move .” in the last paragraph ?

A．Mainland universities should take measures as soon as possible to attract students.

B．The opportunities come for top students to study abroad .

C．Mainland universities should make full preparations to enroll Hong Kong students .

D．Top students should be offered further education free of charge .

If your cellphone suddenly stops working, don’t blame the service provider．The malfunction（故障） might well have been caused by something bigger -- a solar storm．Experts expect that Earth will see more solar activity in the near future．The malfunction of electronic devices will just one of the effects．
Sunspots（太陽黑子） serve as an indicator of the sun’s activity．For the past two years, sunspots have mostly been missing．Their absence, the most prolonged in nearly 100 years, has taken even seasoned sun watchers by surprise．
When the number of sunspots drops at the end of each 11-year cycle, solar storms die down and all become much calmer. This “solar minimum” doesn’t last long. Within a year, sunspots and solar storms begin to build toward a new crescendo, the next solar maximum.
What’s special about this latest cycle is that the sun is having trouble starting the next solar cycle. The sun began to calm down in late 2007, so no one expected many sunspots in 2008. They should return in 2010. Scientists have predicted that the next solar cycle could be the most active on record: more sunspots and more solar storms. However, sunspots are mostly missing now.
Since the earth is in close contact with the sun, strong solar activities can bring trouble to our life. People of the 21st century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. Air travel and radio communications can be affected by strong solar activities. A big solar storm could cause 20 times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.
What the sun will do next is beyond our ability to predict. Most astronomers think that the solar cycle will go on but at low level. However, there is also evidence that the sun is losing its ability to produce sunspots. By 2015, they could be gone altogether.
小題1:The sun watcher feel surprised at            .

A．the longest sunspots’ absence	B．the largest sunspot number
C．the malfunction of electronic devices	D．the serious damage by sunspots

小題2:What does the underlined word “crescendo” in paragraph 3 most probably mean?

A．small number	B．high level
C．usual cycle	D．fresh start

小題3:We can infer that in the past two years         .

A．solar activities have brought much trouble to our life

B．the number of sunspots has increased to a large extent

C．the solar minimum took the place of the solar maximum

D．our cellphones have seldom been interrupted by the solar storm

小題4:Which statement does the text lead you to believe?

A．Solar activities do no harm to our daily life.

B．Hurricane Katrina is also a type of solar storms.

C．It’s difficult to predict sunspots.

D．From now on there’ re no sunspots.

小題5:What is the passage mainly about?

A．The earth is in close contact with the sun.

B．Sunspots can cause trouble to our life.

C．Introduction of sunspots.

D．Introduction of the solar storm．

Most worthwhile careers require some kind of specialized training. Ideally, therefore, the choice
of an __36__ should be made even before choice of a curriculum in high school. Actually, __37__, most people make several job choices during their working lives, __38__ because of economic and industrial changes and partly to improve __39__ position. The "one perfect job" does not exist. Young people should __40__ enter into a broad flexible training program that will __41__ them for a field of work rather than for a single __42__ .
Unfortunately many young people have to make career plans __43__ benefit of help from a competent vocational counselor or psychologist. Knowing __44__ about the occupational world, or themselves for that matter, they choose their lifework on a hit-or-miss __45__. Some drift from job to job. Others __46__ to work in which they are unhappy and for which they are not fitted.
One common mistake is choosing an occupation for __47__ real or imagined prestige (聲望).
Too many high-school students - or their parents for them - choose the professional field, __48__ both the relatively small percentage of workers in the professions and the extremely high educational and personal __49__. The imagined or real prestige of a profession or a White-collar job is __50__ good reason for choosing it as life’s work. __51__, these occupations are not always well paid. Since a large percentage of jobs are in mechanical and manual work, the __52__ of young people should give serious __53__ to these fields.
Before making an occupational choice, a person should have a general idea of what he wants __54__ life and how hard he is willing to work to get it. Some people desire social prestige, others intellectual satisfaction. Some want security; others are willing to take __55__ for financial gain. Each occupational choice has its demands as well as its rewards.

小題1:	A．identification B．a(chǎn)ccommodation C．occupation D．entertainment

小題2:	A．thereby B．however C．though D．therefore

小題3:	A．thoroughly B．mainly C．entirely D．partly

小題4:	A．its B．his C．their D．our

小題5:	A．therefore B．since C．furthermore D．forever

小題6:	A．fit B．make C．take D．leave

小題7:	A．means B．job C．way D．company

小題8:	A．to B．for C．with D．without

小題9:	A．little B．few C．much D．a(chǎn) lot

小題10:

A．chance B．purpose C．basis D．opportunity

小題11:

A．a(chǎn)pply B．a(chǎn)ppeal C．turn D．stick

小題12:

A．its B．their C．your D．our

小題13:

A．concerning B．following C．ignoring D．considering

小題14:

A．preferences B．requirements C．tendencies D．a(chǎn)mbitions

小題15:

A．a(chǎn) B．a(chǎn)ny C．the D．no

小題16:

A．Therefore B．Moreover C．Nevertheless D．However

小題17:

A．majority B．mass C．minority D．number

小題18:

A．proposal B．suggestion C．a(chǎn)pproval D．consideration

小題19:

A．towards B．out of C．a(chǎn)gainst D．without

小題20:

A．turns B．parts C．risks D．choices