A job is more than a job，especially to the old. “It’s not the money that matters，but the sense of self-worth．”56-year-old Cbeng Wonlan said. So，every day Ms Cheng carries a bag of parcels，letters and documents and does her rounds in North Point. She’s a courier(快遞員)
Five years ago．Ms Cheng was a nurse at a private clinic. She had worked there for 30 years but was Jobless when the doctor migrated. It was difficult for her to find another job as a nurse. “People do not trust my ability when they learn how old I am，”she said. After two years of searching, she eventually found another nursing job. But then after two years，she quit Why?
‘My colleagues were young and they didn’t understand me because of my age. They often asked me ‘You are so old what are you working for? I was very unhappy” She said. So while the rest of her family left for work，she was left to lonely boredom at home .Then her neighbours told her about Employee’s Retraining Board(ERB)offering retraining courses for older people. These courses are specifically designed to encourage the older people back to work.
“I was interested in courier work. I didn’t think my age was a barrier because I was fit.” She said .Upon graduating，Ms Cheng was offered a job by the Speeding Shuttle Courier Service Company. But then Ms Cheng was faced with a conflict：she was caught between honour and employment“I felt embarrassed about carrying and delivering letters and parcels.” she said. It took Ms Cheng 24 hours to make up her mind：there was nothing wrong or embarrassing about doing the job. So she went off to work as a courier．
Ms Cheng’s employer is delighted with her responsible attitude and said．“I hired older people because they were able and reliable .Age is not an important factor but attitude is Many old people will not run from difficulties but the young ones will”
小題1:Why was it difficult for Ms Cheng to find another nursing Job?

A．Nursing clinics were hard to find

B．She found it difficult to trust others

C．People thought she was too old to work

D．People didn’t think she had enough work experience

小題2:Ms Cheng left her second nursing job because___________.

A．she was bored with change less jobs

B．it was too difficult

C．she was too old to do the job

D．the other staff made her feel uncomfortable

小題3:Employee Retraining Board is a plan for___________.

A．finding jobs for older people

B．teaching new skills to older people

C．training older people to be healthier

D．providing older people with chances to earn money

小題4:According to Anthony Chong，young people___________.

A．are more likely to give up than the older ones

B．are less experienced than the older ores

C．are filler and stronger than the older ones

D．are able and reliable

小題5:From the text, we call infer that__________.

A．the life of the old is miserable

B．there is a generation gap between young and old

C．job—hunting is hard for old people

D．the old are looked down upon in society

Last week I talked with some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery(外科手術)”, one replied.
I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job.
One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it re-grows, you can get at least 5 cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of agony(痛苦) just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost.
In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.
小題1:We can know from the passage that the author works as ________.

A．a doctor

B．a model

C．a teacher

D．a reporter

小題2:Many graduates today turn to cosmetic s surgery to ________.

A．marry a better man\woman	B．become a model
C．get an advantage over others in job-hunt	D．attract more admirers

小題3:According to the passage, the author believes that ________.

A．everyone should purchase perfection, whatever the cost

B．it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs

C．it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career

D．media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery

小題4:The best title for the passage should be “________”.

A．Young Graduates Have Higher Expectation

B．Young Graduates Look to Surgery for Better Jobs

C．Young Graduates’ Opinion About Cosmetic Surgery

D．Young Graduates Face a Different Situation in Job-hunt

閱讀下面的短文，從短文后各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項，并標在答題卡的相應位置。
Stop and think! Where do you      most of your time? You work, watch TV,               computer games, and sleep all      . It's easy to forget, but there is a(n)     new world outside your door. The best way to     it is to go backpacking.
　　Backpacking means to go hiking     . You bring only what you can     on your back. Are you eager to get     ? Wait a minute! Before you go     , you should gather    basic equipment. First you need some     shoes or boots. Always carry a waterproof (防水的) jacket or poncho(雨披), especially hiking in a     climate, or if the weather forecast    of coming rain.     , you need a backpack. It's also a good idea to     a compass, a leakproof (防漏的) water bottle and a    .
One-day hikes     the easiest to organize.     a trip with a small group of friends. Remember! Hiking in a group is safer than hiking     . Decide how     you will go. For most people, a distance of ten to twelve miles is far enough in a day if they are already used to walking .
Wherever you go, enjoy yourself. You may be tired when you get home, but you'll feel very happy.

小題1:	A．spend B．cost C．take D．waste

小題2:	A．learn B．buy C．have D．play

小題3:	A．indoor B．indoors 　 C．outdoor D．outdoors

小題4:	A．over B．whole 　 C．entire D．complete

小題5:	A．find out B．discover C．explore D．study

小題6:	A．on foot B．by bus 　 C．by car D．by boat

小題7:	A．carry B．fetch C．lift D．raise

小題8:	A．away B．off C．ready D．started

小題9:	A．everywhere B．every place C．anywhere D．wherever

小題10:

A．many B．any 　 C．numbers of D．some

小題11:

A．beautiful B．cheap C．comfortable D．expensive

小題12:

A．cold B．wet C．dry D．warm

小題13:

A．says B．tells C．reports D．declares

小題14:

A．Therefore B．Thus 　 C．So D．Finally

小題15:

A．have B．make 　 C．look for D．collect

小題16:

A．book B．basin C．pen D．bag

小題17:

A．is B．seems C．are D．appear

小題18:

A．Get B．Arrange 　 C．Find D．Manage

小題19:

A．lonely B．itself C．own D．alone

小題20:

A．soon B．often C．fast D．far

Does eating a good breakfast improve school study? A study of more than 1,000 pupils in the city of Lawrence suggests it does.
Youngsters who took part in the breakfast program improved their scores in the tests much more than those who didn’t. Among those who attended the program, fewer were found late for school than those who didn’t. And much fewer were found absent from their classes.
“Starting the day with a meal appears to be quite helpful,” says Amy Sampson, a research professor, who carried out the experiment on the students for a year.
Students who miss breakfast may be losing out on important nourishment in fruit, milk, bread and so on. If you are in a hurry in the morning, get you some pieces of bread with some fruit or yogurt. In that case, you won’t have to go to the selling machines for some chips or candy bars.
小題1:How many students in primary school are interviewed in Lawrence.                          

A．1000

B．over 1000

C．less than 1000

D．almost 1000

小題2:According to the passage, pupils who took part in the breakfast program ______.

A．are clever than those who didn’t

B．are healthier than those who didn’t

C．were often late for school

D．made greater progress in the study than those who didn’t

小題3:The breakfast program was carried out by _____.

A．the Lawrence City government	B．teachers in a middle school
C．a professor	D．1,000 pupils

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

A．Over 1,000 pupils took part in the experiment.

B．The experiment lasted a year.

C．A good breakfast can improve school study.

D．A good breakfast means eating a lot .

小題5:Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Breakfast or not?	B．1,000 clever pupils.
C．How to keep fit?	D．How to become clever?

Londoners are great readers. They buy vast numbers of newspapers and magazines and of books --- especially paperbacks, which are still comparatively cheap in spite of ever-increasing rises in the costs of printing. They still continue to buy “proper” books, too, printed on good paper and bound (裝訂) between hard covers.
There are many streets in London containing shops which specialize in book-selling. Perhaps the best known of these is Charring Cross Road in the very heart of London. Here bookshops of all sorts and sizes are to be found, from the celebrated one which boasts of being “the biggest bookshop in the world” to the tiny, dusty little places which seem to have been left over from Dickens’ time. Some of these shops stock, or will obtain, any kind of book, but many of them specialize in second-hand books, in art books, in foreign books, in books on philosophy, politics or any other of the countless subjects about which books may be written. One shop in this area specializes only in books about ballet!
Although it may be the most convenient place for Londoners to buy books, Charring Cross Road is not the cheapest. For the really cheap second-hand books, the collector must venture off the beaten track, to Farringdon Road, for example, in the East Central district of London. Here there is nothing so impressive as bookshops. The booksellers come along each morning and pour out their sacks of books onto small hand carts. And the collectors, some professionals and some amateurs, have been waiting for them. In places like this they can still, occasionally, pick up for a few pence an old one that may be worth many pounds.
小題1:”Londoners are great readers” means that ___________.

A．Londoners are great because they read a lot.

B．There are a great number of readers in London.

C．Londoners read a lot.

D．Londoners are readers who read only great books.

小題2:According to this passage, Charring Cross Road __________.

A．is in the suburbs of London	B．is the busiest street in London
C．contains various kinds of shops	D．is famous for its bookshops

小題3:In this passage, what does the underlined part “venture off the beaten track” mean?

A．move away from a busy street

B．buy books in a most busy street

C．waste time looking for books

D．take a risk of losing one’s life

小題4:On Farringdon Road, _______________.

A．you can find fine bookshops for the latest books

B．there are only small bookshops for the second-hand books

C．you can see book sellers selling books on hand-carts

D．the same books as the ones in the bookshops of Charring Cross Road are sold

Who is your role model? Normally the answer to this question would be anyone around you who you find truly inspiring. It could also be someone like J. K. Rowling or Martin Luther King. Jr. , who have proven to be strong and intelligent people.
However, in today’s world, stars are regarded as role models along with the heroes listed above, despite their intentions or actions. Teens attempt to imitate their actions for two major reasons. Firstly, to be fashionable and accepted by popular culture, and secondly because stars’ actions are so well documented by the media that it seems to grab our attention and turns it to following stars’ lives. Much of the reports about stars is shocking and exhibits bad morals or lifestyles that aren’t right for teenagers. In addition, almost everything stars do is described beyond truth to make a shocking story by taking it to the next level.
However, teens must take responsibility for their actions. We can’t always blame stars for influencing us. Only you have control over yourself and only you choose to do something. Our bodies and actions are in the hands of no one else.
Now, who ever said stars are role models? Whether they choose to be or not, stars set examples as soon as they step into the spotlight. With reporters following and recording every move they make, it is impossible not to be watched and then be imitated. These people influence teens whether or not they want to. Why should someone who doesn’t want to be setting an example set one? So，should we look up to them or to people who are true and good role models? It’s our responsibility as teens to know right from wrong, and it’s time for us to take responsibility for our actions. In doing so，we will lean toward those inspiring people that want to be setting an example, and follow in their steps to be like them.
小題1:According to the first paragraph, _______ can usually be role models.

A．political leaders

B．wealthy writers

C．people inspiring others

D．people with great intelligence

小題2:What are the major reasons for the teens to imitate stars?

A．Interest in stars’ life and expectation of getting rich.

B．Motivation for being fashionable and inspiration from popular examples.

C．Intentions to gain acceptance and encouragement from stars’ lifestyle.

D．Desires to be stylish and great influence from the mass media.

小題3:The author writes the passage mainly to advise the teenagers to _______.

A．have a control over their own bodies and actions

B．be responsible for their own choices and behaviors

C．follow fashionable stars’ steps to be more popular

D．choose right role models according to different reports

小題4:It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A．stars have the responsibility for teenagers’ actions

B．not all famous stars choose to influence teenagers

C．teenagers choose those inspiring people as their role models

D．stars set examples immediately they stepped into the spotlight

The greatest recent social changes have been in the lives of women. During the twentieth century there has been a remarkable shortening of the proportion of a woman's life spent in caring for the children. A woman marrying at the end of the nineteenth century would probably have been in her middle twenties ,and would be likely to have seven or eight children, four or five of whom lived till they were five years old. By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live a further twenty years, during which health made it unusual for her to get paid work.. Today women marry younger and have fewer children. Usually a woman's youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty-five years and can be expected to live another thirty-five years and is likely to take paid work until retirement at sixty. Even while she has to take care of children, her work is lightened by moder living conditions.
This important change in women's life-patterns has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic position. Even a few years ago most girls took a full-time job after they left school.. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school- leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women usually marry older, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born.  Many more afterwards return to full-or-part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life, and with both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interests of each of them.
小題1:At what age did most women marry around the 1890 according to the passage?

A．At about twenty-five	B．In their earl fifties
C．At the age of fifteen	D．At any age from fifteen to forty-five

小題2:What happened to an ordinary family in about 1900?

A．The youngest child could live to fifteen.

B．Four of five children died after they were five.

C．Seven or eight children lived to be more than five.

D．Some children died when the were very young.

小題3:When she was over fifty , a late nineteenth-century mother ______.

A．was usaully expected to die fiarely soon

B．would expect to work until she died

C．would be healthy enough to take up paid jobs

D．was less like to find a job even if she wanted to

小題4:What do we know from the passage?

A．Husbands and wives share equal responsibilities at home.

B．More and more women are looked down upon by husbands.

C．Today women prefer to get married rather than get jobs.

D．A husband plays a greater part in looking after the children.

Does Being Famous Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔隊) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小報) publish thrilling stories about their privacy. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!
According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. In the end, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villarreal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of following celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice（正義）. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
小題1:It can be learned from the passage that stars today _________.

A．spend too much on their public appearance

B．are often misunderstood by the public

C．can no longer have their privacy protected

D．care little about how they have become famous

小題2:What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.

B．Great heroes of the past were generally admired.

C．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.

D．Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids.

小題3:What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?

A．There are huge population of fans.

B．They get little support from society.

C．They get few good opportunities.

D．Many modern ways of getting news are being used.

小題4:What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?

A．Sincere.

B．Doubting

C．Supporting.

D．Disagreeing.

Stop Spam!
When I first got an e-mail account ten years ago, I received communications only from family, friends, and colleagues. Now it seems that every time I check my e-mail, I have an endless series of advertisements and other correspondence that do not interest me at all. If we want e-mail to continue to be useful, we need specific laws that make spamming (發(fā)送垃圾郵件) a crime.
If lawmakers do not do something soon to prohibit spam, the problem will certainly get much worse. Computer programs allow spammers to send hundreds of millions of e-mails almost instantly. As more and more advertisers turn to spam to sell their products, individual (個人的) e-mail boxes are often flooded with spam e-mails. Would people continue to use e-mail if they had to deal with an annoying amount of spam each time?
This problem is troubling for individuals and companies as well. Many spam e-mails contain computer viruses that can shut down the entire network of a company. Companies rely on e-mail for their employees to communicate with each other. Spam frequently causes failures in their local communications networks, and their employees are thus unable to communicate effectively. Such a situation results in a loss of productivity and requires companies to repeatedly repair their networks. These computer problems raise production costs of companies, which are, in the end, passes on to the consumer.
For these reasons, I believe that lawmakers need to legislate (立法) against spam. Spammers should be fined, and perhaps sent to prison if they continue to disturb people. E-mail is a tool which helps people all over the world to communicate conveniently, but spam is destroying this convenience.
小題1:What does the underlined word “correspondence” in the Paragraph 1 probably mean?                                                       

A．messages

B．ideas

C．connections

D．programs

小題2:According to the text, what is the major cause of the flooding spam?   

A．Companies rely on e-mail for communications.

B．More people in the world communicate by e-mails.

C．Many computer viruses contain spam e-mail.

D．More advertisers begin to promote sales through spam.

小題3:According to Paragraph 3, who is the final victim of spam?             

A．The business	B．The advertiser.
C．The employee	D．The consumer.

小題4:What is the purpose of the text?

A．To inform.

B．To educate.

C．To persuade.

D．To instruct.

Although Paris is often considered the city of romance, close to a million adults who call it home are single. Many single people say that France’s capital is one of the most difficult places to meet people. The complaints(抱怨) of this lonely group have inspired a new phenomenon known as “supermarket dating.” At Galerie Lafayette Gourmet, singles can shop for more than just the items on their grocery list. They can look for someone who has blue eyes, brown hair, and is 1.8 meters tall, or whatever may be on their romantic shopping list.
At this Paris location, single people of all ages can schedule their shopping for Thursday nights between 6:30 and 9:00 p.m. When they walk through the door, they pick up a purple basket to advise that they are looking for love. They try to arrive early because the baskets disappear quickly, and then they have to wait in line for their turn to wander the store aisles(過道) .
With purple baskets in hand, shoppers can consider their romantic options while they pick out their groceries. When they are ready to pay, they can go to the checkout line for singles who want to chat.
Most of the people who look for love in the supermarket are skeptical of Internet dating. They know that it is easy to embellish(美化) one’s appearance or to lie about one’s age over the Internet. The supermarket, on the other hand, is considered a safe and casual environment in which to meet a potential match. In addition, what one finds in another’s grocery basket can say a thing or two about that person’s character or intentions. Buying pet food can be a man’s way of showing a potential match that he has a sensitive side. Women who fill their baskets with low-fat food show their healthy style of living. These days it’s possible to find much more than food at a grocery store.
小題1:What do many single people in Pairs complain about?

A．The difficulty in meeting people.

B．The idea of supermarket dating.

C．The items on their grocery list.

D．The inconvenience in shopping.

小題2:Which of the following can be inferred but is not clearly stated in the second paragraph?

A．The dating supermarket is located in Paris.

B．The dating supermarket is open only on Thursday evenings.

C．People looking for love must get a basket of a particular colour

D．The dating supermarket has very good business.

小題3:According to the writer, a possible way to win a woman’s heart is to _______.

A．pick up a purple basket

B．Buy low-fat food

C．embellish your appearance

D．buy pet food

小題4:Why do the people prefer the supermarket dating to Internet dating?

A．The supermarket dating is more convenient.

B．The supermarket dating is more casual.

C．The supermarket dating can be trusted more.

D．The supermarket dating is less expensive.