A well-known manufacturer of weighing machines produced a new model.
The machine had a computer inside it, and this computer could do wonderful things: it could weigh people very accurately; it could tell them their weight in their own language; and it could tell them what they should eat to reduce their weight.
The manufacturer decided to try out his machine before he sold it to the shops.
He looked around for a good place to put it and finally decided on an airport. There were always people at an airport from many different countries.
The first person to use the machine was an Italian woman. She stood on the machine, put a coin in and waited to hear her weight.
The machine took only a second or two to weigh her, decide on her nationality and the language she spoke, and figure out what kind of food she should eat.
“Good morning, madam,” it said in perfect Italian. “Your weight is 72 kilos, three more than it should be for a woman of your height, age and nationality. This is because you have been eating too much spaghetti. I suggest you eat more fruit and vegetables. Please have a nice day”.
The second person to use the machine was a Chinese girl. She stood on the machine, put a coin in and waited to hear her weight.
“Good morning, Miss," the machine said in perfect Chinese. "Your weight is 38 kilos, exactly the correct weight for your height, age and nationality. Continue to eat what you are eating. Please have a nice day.”
The third person to use the machine was a huge Australian woman. She walked up to the machine and looked at it for a long time. At last she found the courage to stand on the machine and put a coin in. The machine spoke immediately. “Good morning. Will one of you ladies please get off?”
小題1: What could the computer do?

A．Weigh and talk to people.	B．Translate information.
C．Give them diet pills.	D．Make them lose weight.

小題2: What did the machine say to the Italian woman?

A．She was a little too light.	B．She was a little too heavy.
C．She disliked spaghetti.	D．She couldn’t speak Italian.

小題3:What did the machine say to the Chinese woman?

A．She should eat more.	B．She could speak Chinese.
C．She would have a nice day.	D．She was fine.

小題4:What did the machine suggest about the Australian woman?

A．She was unwell.	B．She was courageous.
C．She was too heavy.	D．She had dieted well.

Nuclear radiation （核輻射）has a certain mystery, partly because it cannot be detected （探測）by human senses. It can’t be seen or heard, or touched or tasted, even though it may be all around us. There are other things like that. For example, radio waves are all around us but we can’t detect them or sense them without a radio receiver. Similarly, we can’t sense radioactivity without a radiation detector. But unlike common radio waves, nuclear radiation is not harmless to human beings and other living things.
At very high levels, radiation can kill an animal or human being at once by killing plenty of cells in important organs(器官). Even the lowest levels can do serious damage. There is no level of radiation that is completely safe. If the radiation does not hit anything important, the damage may not be serious. This is the case when only a few cells are hit, and when they are killed at once. Your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones. But if the few cells are only damaged, and if they reproduce themselves, you may be in trouble. They reproduce themselves in an unusual way. They can grow into cancer. Sometimes this does not show up for many years.
This is another reason for some of the mystery about nuclear radiation. Serious damage can be done without the knowledge of the person at the time that damage has occurred. A person can be irradiated(放射治療) and feel fine, then die of cancer five, ten, or twenty years later as a result. A child can be born weak or easy to get serious illness as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents.
小題1:According to the passage, the danger of nuclear power lies in       .

A．nuclear mystery	B．radiation detection
C．radiation level	D．nuclear radiation

小題2:Radiation can lead to serious trouble even at the lowest level        .   

A．when it kills a few cells

B．because the killed cells can’t be replaced

C．if it damages a few cells

D．unless the damaged cells can reproduce themselves

小題3:What does the author want to tell us?

A．Radiation can hurt us.	B．Radiation is a subject scientists work on.
C．Radiation is a mystery.	D．Radiation is the source of cancer.

In the computer age, most of us take a broadband Internet connection for granted. Whether cable or mobile broadband, today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.
There’s a catch, of course. You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t, it’s slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out, there may be no Internet access at all.
Technology experts often talk about the “l(fā)ast mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs, it’s relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in developing countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely(稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere. Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables(光纖電纜) promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.
Still, the “l(fā)ast mile” problem remains hard to deal with. There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication(跡象), it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.
小題1:The underlined part “ a catch” (in Paragraph 2) probably means “________”.

A．a(chǎn) rare challenge	B．a(chǎn) desirable plan
C．a(chǎn)n efficient device	D．a(chǎn) hidden problem

小題2:What can we know from the third paragraph?

A．Internet connection has not been popular in most cities.

B．Internet service providers care about rural customers.

C．Computer is popular in developing countries.

D．It is hard to bring Internet access to users in remote areas.

小題3: Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements ________.

A．make TV and telephone available everywhere

B．bring great change to people’s everyday life

C．make it possible for more people to use the Internet

D．bring faster Internet connections to users

小題4:What may eventually settle the “l(fā)ast mile” problem?

A．The broadband connection’s getting faster.

B．More and more Internet users.

C．More and more Internet connections.

D．The rapid progress in cell phone technology.

We have completed our first month of preschool. Matthew seems to 26  it. He is catching on to the routine quite nicely. I didn’t leave him there 27  much the first couple weeks. I am finding if I’m not there he behaves much better.
In this class a little German boy, who does not speak  28 ，cried all the time at first and now cries occasionally.
The Monday of the second week the little fellow just cried and cried. He was sitting  29  Matthew. I thought Matthew was going to start  30  and join in. I stood by and watched, ready for the rescue. Matthew kept turning around and  31  the boy. Then he reached his hand back and  32  him on the leg. He was comforting the boy! Later Matthew was playing with a  33  and the boy with blocks. Actually he was just standing by and crying. Matthew drove his truck over to the blocks,  34  it, picked up a few of the blocks and started handing them to  35 . They then together started 36  towers on the table and the little boy  37  crying．It seemed  38  Matthew knew what the little guy needed．Here was the little guy，who can’t speak English，and Matthew，who  39  playing together，like they were best  40 .
One of the days when I stayed，they were at lunch and Matthew was  41  at the table. I pulled up a chair to sit next to him．He smiled，then grabbed his book bag and took off running  42  the cafeteria．I took off after him．When we reached the wall he just giggled (咯咯笑)，turned around and looked at me． I bent  43  to blame him for leaving his seat and running. He suddenly  44  a big wet kiss right on my cheek and smiled at me．All I could do was to take his hand and  45  him back to his seat．Then I turned my back and couldn’t help laughing.

小題1:	A．escape B．hate C．enjoy D．a(chǎn)void

小題2:	A．out B．in C．off D．a(chǎn)lone

小題3:	A．Spanish B．English C．Chinese D．Japanese

小題4:	A．behind B．beside C．in front of D．far from

小題5:	A．over again B．a(chǎn)ny moment C．even harder D．loudly

小題6:	A．beating B．shouting at C．1ooking at D．1earning from

小題7:	A．helped B．hit C．held D．patted

小題8:	A．toy B．doll C．truck D．train

小題9:	A．parked B．repaired C．broke D．threw

小題10:

A．me B．the teacher C．himself D．the little boy

小題11:

A．a(chǎn)dding B．climbing C．building D．putting

小題12:

A．continued B．enjoyed C．began D．stopped

小題13:

A．where B．a(chǎn)s C．when D．a(chǎn)s if

小題14:

A．signs B．starts C．teaches D．1earns

小題15:

A．brothers B．children C．friends D．people

小題16:

A．standing B．running C．sitting D．jumping

小題17:

A．a(chǎn)cross B．into C．out of D．through

小題18:

A．up B．down C．in D．towards

小題19:

A．left B．received C．shouted D．showed

小題20:

A．force B．walk C．push D．drive

We are warned by our teachers not to waste time because time 21 will never return. I think it quite 22. What does time look 23? Nobody knows, and we can’t see it or touch it and no 24 of money can buy it. Time is abstract(抽象的), so we have to  25about it.
Time passes very quickly. Some students say they don’t have 26time to review their lessons. It is 27 they don’t know how to make use of their time. They waste it in going to theatres or playing, and 28 other useless things. Why do we study everyday? Why do we work? Why do most people 29 take buses instead of walking? The answer is very 30 .We wish to save time because time is31.
Today we are living in the 21^st century. We 32 time as life. When a person dies, his life ends. Since life is short, we must 33 our time and energy to our study so that we 34 be able to work and live well in the future. Laziness is the 35 of time, for it not only brings us 36, but also does other 37 to us. If it is necessary for us to do our work today, 38 we do it today and not 39 it until tomorrow. Remember that time is much more 40.

小題1:	A．lost B．passed C．missed D．used

小題2:	A．important B．true C．interesting D．usual

小題3:	A．for B．like C．a(chǎn)fter D．over

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)mount B．quality C．quantity D．price

小題5:	A．think B．imagine C．examine D．check

小題6:	A．spare B．free C．enough D．much

小題7:	A．that B．why C．because D．certain

小題8:	A．doing B．making C．taking D．getting

小題9:	A．needn’t B．have to C．had better D．would rather

小題10:

A．easy B．simple C．stupid D．interesting

小題11:

A．worthless B．priceless C．ready D．little

小題12:

A．look upon B．a(chǎn)gree C．think D．believe

小題13:

A．spend B．give C．set D．devote

小題14:

A．must B．should C．may D．would

小題15:

A．helper B．thief C．friend D．teacher

小題16:

A．wealth B．health C．failure D．illness

小題17:

A．danger B．harm C．trouble D．difficulty

小題18:

A．help B．make C．have D．let

小題19:

A．keep B．remain C．manage D．leave

小題20:

A．valuable B．expensive C．worth D．rich

Geniuses amaze us，impress us and make us all a little jealous. How do they differ from the average person？Scientists are working hard to figure out that answer. Tune in to the National Geographic Channel to find out about the discoveries they’re making in the series My Brilliant Brain.
When Marc Yu was only two years old，he began to play the piano. After a year, he started learning pieces by Beethoven. Now he’s a world-famous concert pianist at age eight. He learns newer and more difficult pieces with ease and can identify any note he hears. He seems to be specially designed for music. In Born Genius, National Geographic looks at the science behind child prodigies （神童） to explain why some children seem to be born without limits.
Geniuses didn’t come naturally to Tommy McHugh. His came only after he nearly died from bleeding in his brain. After recovering, McHugh’s head was filled with new thoughts and picture. So, he began to express them in the form of poetry and art. Now, he’s a seemingly unstoppable creative machine. Suffers of brain injury have shown that great mental ability can sometimes come from damage or disease. Accidental Genius explores this puzzling relationship.
Can normal people be trained to be geniuses? Susan Polger has shown no sign of extraordinary intelligence. Yet, during her childhood, she studied thousands of chess patterns and learned to recognize them immediately. As a result, she was able to beat skilled adult players by age 10 and can now play up to five games at the same time without even seeing the boards. Make Me a Genius examines what is takes to turn an ordinary brain into that of a genius.
If becoming a genius were easy, we’d all be done. Yet, there is much more to super intelligence than simply being born lucky. Learn more about amazing brains this month on National Geographic’s My Brilliant Brain.
小題1: In paragraph 2, Marc Yu’s story tells us_________________.

A．a(chǎn) child prodigy can work easier than others.

B．a(chǎn) child prodigy is trained by family.

C．a(chǎn) child prodigy has an unbelievable listening skill.

D．a(chǎn) child prodigy always practise his skills.

小題2:In paragraph 3, the sentence “Geniuses didn’t come naturally to Tommy McHugh.” means that ______________.

A．Tommy McHugh could not be called a genius.

B．Tommy McHugh became a genius when he was young.

C．Tommy McHugh was a robot but not a real human being.

D．Tommy McHugh became a genius after a sudden accident.

小題3:The writer provides different examples to _____________.

A．show how people can be geniuses.	B．show becoming a genius is easy.
C．show geniuses are common.	D．show people know how to explain geniuses.

小題4:The passage may come from_________.

A．a(chǎn) report

B．a(chǎn) novel

C．a(chǎn) TV program

D．a(chǎn) newspaper

Work your brain!
Between 2 and 3 pounds of wonder，it controls everything we say，do or think，who we are and what we care about. The way we walk or laugh or figure out things. What we like and the talents we possess. How we see and talk and run and jump and process our food.
The brain uses 20 percent of our body's oxygen and 20 percent of its blood. Somewhere within its protein，fat, 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion nerve cells，it helps us remember where we put our gym shoes. Change our temperature so we don't die because of the heat or cold. Speed us up or slow us down. Help us choose between orange juice or orange­flavored drinks.
Its intricacies(復雜性)are stunning，far beyond anything most of us can imagine. To keep this work of art as polished(有光澤的) as possible we need to eat right，exercise and keep mentally stimulated(刺激)．
Good nutrition helps brain cells communicate with each other. Exercise stimulates a hormone(荷爾蒙)in our brain that improves memory. Mental stimulation keeps you sharp even as you age.
“It's very important that we tell people to be physically active and mentally active，” said neurologist Malcolm Stewart.
“People cannot stop aging，but you're able to reduce the damage；you're able to keep the function up.”
Following are Dr.Stewart's advice for improving brain health：
小題1:The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to ______.

A．inform us how the brain works

B．give us advice on how to keep the brain healthy

C．tell us that the brain plays an important role in our lives

D．show how special the brain is to us

小題2:The word “stunning” in Paragraph 5 means ______.

A．interesting

B．strange

C．significant

D．a(chǎn)mazing

小題3:According to the text，more exercise ______.

A．keeps our mind sharp

B．helps improve our memory

C．gives our brain a rest

D．is good for brain cells communicating with each other

小題4:In order to keep brain healthy，we should avoid ______.

A．eating a good lunch	B．doing puzzles
C．eating a large supper	D．taking aerobic exercise

School was over and I felt quite tired. I sat at the very  41 of the crowded bus because of my anxiety to get home. Sitting there makes me  42  out like a shiny coin in a pile of dull pennies.
Janie, the  43  , tries to break the uncomfortable atmosphere by striking the match of  44  .
I tried to mind my manners and  45  listen, but usually I am too busy thinking about my day. On this day,   46  , her conversation was worth listening to.
“My father’s sick,” she said to no one in particular (專門) , I could see the  47  and fear in her eyes. “What’s wrong with him?” I asked. With her eyes wet and her voice tight from  48  the tears, she answered, “Heart trouble.” Her eyes   49  as she continued. “I have already lost my mum, so I don’t think I can stand losing him.”
I was  50  . My heart ached for her. And this reminded me of the great  51  that my own mother was thrown into when her father died. I saw how hard it was, and   52  is, for her. I wouldn’t like anyone to  53  that.
Suddenly I realized Janie wasn’t only a bus driver. That was  54  her job. She had a whole world of   55  and concerns, too. I suddenly felt very  56  . I realized I had only thought of people as far as what their purposes were in my life. I paid no attention to Janie  57  she was a bus driver. I had  58  her by her job and brushed her off as unimportant.
For all I know, I’m just another person in  59  else’s world, and may not be  60 . I should not have been so selfish and self-centered. Everyone has places to go, people to see and appointment to keep. Understanding people is an art.

小題1:	A．front B．end C．side D．middle

小題2:	A．find B．take C．think D．stand

小題3:	A．doctor B．driver C．teacher D．a(chǎn)ssistant

小題4:	A．fire B．topic C．conversation D．discussion

小題5:	A．politely B．slightly C．carelessly D．partly

小題6:	A．however B．therefore C．instead D．otherwise

小題7:	A．surprise B．worry C．curiosity D．a(chǎn)nger

小題8:	A．fighting B．turning C．clearing D．protecting

小題9:	A．opened B．shone C．closed D．lowered

小題10:

A．recognized B．worried C．shocked D．excited

小題11:

A．victory B．pain C．respect D．disappointment

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)way B．seldom C．still D．never

小題13:

A．pick up B．work out C．go through D．get down

小題14:

A．a(chǎn)lmost B．nearly C．ever D．just

小題15:

A．family B．bus C．school D．friend

小題16:

A．selfish B．desperate C．pessimistic D．ridiculous

小題17:

A．while B．because C．though D．until

小題18:

A．blamed B．received C．considered D．judged

小題19:

A．everyone B．a(chǎn)nyone C．someone D．nobody

小題20:

A．happy B．wise C．useful D．important

Children, especially boys, tend to idealize their fathers when they are young．Every little boy wants to grow up to be just like his father, and every little girl thinks her father is the smartest man on the earth．It’s not very easy to be a good father, but it’s not that difficult either．Children will truly enjoy spending time with their fathers, not just when they are kids, but even when they are adults．
Not all children communicate well with their fathers．Communication is often left to mothers, while fathers dispense advice as and when necessary．Don’t expect all conversations to centre around the dinner table．Go to your children’s bedrooms and talk to them about school, their teachers or their friends．Remember that the conversation cannot be one-sided．When your children open up to you, you also need to open up to them．
If your children come home from school feeling upset, go up to them and ask them what is the matter．And if it is something which seems to you to be a silly reason to be upset, don’t voice your opinion．It may be silly to you, but to your children it is important enough．So don’t wave the topic away by telling them not to bother about such stupid things．Simply discussing their problems with them will help them feel better．
Don’t shy away from having discussions about your teenage children’s love lives．Generally speaking, your children are definitely not going to discuss intimate details with you．Try to let them know that you are relaxed about topics on love．Tell your children how you met your wife．It is perfectly normal for children to go through feelings for the opposite sex as they grow up, and by keeping the topic closed for discussion, you are only shutting them off from discussing their feelings with you．All they will do is turn to their friends．
小題1:To children their fathers are usually very _____．

A．kind

B．great

C．serious

D．strong

小題2:From the second paragraph we can know that _____．

A．some children don’t like their fathers at all

B．talking with children around the dinner table is unnecessary

C．it is better for fathers to communicate more with their children

D．mothers should communicate less with their children．

小題3:Suppose your children are worried about something you should _____．
A．have a talk with them       Ｂ．express your opinion
C．keep silent                  D．let them alone
小題4:Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “intimate” in Paragraph 4?

A．Public

B．Personal

C．Strange

D．Serious

It doesn’t matter when or how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That’s what all doctors thought, until they heard about Al Herpin. Al Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.
Al Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day, they never saw Herpin sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by his strange continuous sleeplessness. They asked him a lot of questions, hoping to find an answer. They found only one answer that might explain this question. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure.
Herpin died at the age of 94.
小題1:The doctors came to Herpin’s home in order to __________.

A．treat him for his illness

B．find the reason why some old people didn’t need any sleep.

C．get some proof to show his sleeplessness was not really true.

D．help him to have a rest in some day.

小題2:After watching him closely, the doctors came to believe that Al Herpin ________.

A．needed some kind of sleep.

B．needed no sleep at all.

C．was too old to need any sleep.

D．often slept in a chair.

小題3:Al Herpin’s condition could be regarded as ___________.

A．a(chǎn)n unusual one	B．a(chǎn) common one
C．very healthy	D．very funny

小題4: The main idea of this passage is that ____________.  

A．large numbers of people do not need sleep

B．everyone needs some sleep to stay alive

C．people can live longer by trying not to sleep at all

D．a(chǎn) person was found who actually didn’t need any sleep