If you watch British television on Friday March 15, you might be surprised to see celebrities wearing funny red noses and joking around. But don’t worry, they’re not mad, it’s all part of a biennial fund-raising event called Red Nose Day.
Organized by the charity Comic Relief, founded in 1985 by two British comedians, the aim of the event is to raise money to fight poverty and injustice in the UK and Africa.
Celebrities and public figures support the event by making appearances on comic TV shows broadcast by the BBC. This year, for example, UK Prime Minister David Cameron appeared in a music video by One Direction, which the band produced for the event.
But Britons don’t just raise money for charitable causes on one day a year, they do it all year round. One way of doing so is by shopping in charity shops.
These small, inconspicuous shops sell clothes, books and household goods just like any other shop. But there’s one big difference—it’s all secondhand.
There are nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK, according to the Charity Retail Association. Their business model is simple: Anybody who has things they don’t want anymore can donate them to a charity shop, where they are checked for damage, cleaned and priced. Most items go back on sale at a small part of their original price and the money that is made by selling them is used for a charitable cause.
The idea of buying used clothes may sound off-putting, but for shoppers who have less spending money, such as the elderly or those in low-paying jobs, it has been a welcome option for years.
Now, “thrifting”—shopping at charity shops— is also becoming popular with young people looking for alternative fashion.
“I love shopping at thrift stores. You can find very unique clothes for a very cheap price. It doesn’t bother me that other people may have worn them, I simply wash them before I wear them,” said Anne Marie, a 19-year-old Internet user from the US, in a comment on a Yahoo forum.
So next time you spot a charity shop, why not go inside? Who knows, you might find a lovely dress for just a few pounds. Even better, you can enjoy wearing it in the knowledge that your money helped a good cause.
小題1:What do famous people in Britain do in support of the Red Nose Day event?

A．Appear on comic TV shows.

B．Donate large sums of money.

C．Donate expensive clothes to charity shops.

D．Play in a music video with the Prime Minister.

小題2:What do we learn from the passage about Comic Relief?

A．It was founded in 1985 by two British comedians in Africa.

B．It organizes the Red Nose Day fund-raising event.

C．It runs nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK.

D．It is financially supported by the UK government.

小題3:One reason for the popularity of the thrift shops is that __________.

A．they sell a wide variety of goods

B．their business model is simple

C．their goods are carefully checked, cleaned and priced

D．they provide things, sometimes special, at low prices

小題4:The passage is written mainly to __________.

A．inspire more people to join in charitable causes in the UK

B．introduce the traditions of the Red Nose Day

C．a(chǎn)nalyze why charity shops are popular in the UK

D．explain how charity shops work in the UK

On October 12, 1989, some Chinese scientists were working at the computers to look for information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright spots crossing the computers’s screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror, they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of by computer viruses ! Obviously all these computers had been infected by computer viruses.
　　It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young men fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence . These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem（耶路撒冷）Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the functions , damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
　　We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Fridays and that they are spreading to a lot of computers. Among the countries that suffered computer viruses last year are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But fill now , how to get rid of the terrible viruses remains a problem.
小題1:The group of young men created the virus to________.

A．damage the computers

B．test their ability

C．tell the world that they were intelligent

D．play a trick on operators of the computers

小題2:According to the passage, computer viruses seem to________.

A．have been in nature for years

B．exist in any computers

C．be difficult to get rid of at present

D．be able to be got rid of in the near future

小題3:The most serious damage caused by the viruses is that________.

A．the computer’s functions are lowered

B．the normal programs are damaged

C．a(chǎn)ll the information stored in the computers is gone

D．the computers infected by the viruses can no longer be used

Women consistently lie on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter to make their lives appear more exciting, a survey has found.
Researchers found that at least one in four women exaggerated or distorted what they are doing on social media once a month. The survey of 2000 women found they mostly pretended to be out on the town, when in fact they are home alone, and embellished about an exotic holiday or their job.
The most common reasons for women to write “fibs” included worrying their lives would seem “boring”, jealousy at seeing other people’s more exciting posts and wanting to impress their friends and acquaintances.
Psychologists suggested that as people attempt to “stay connected” on social media, they can in fact “paradoxically” be left “more isolated”. They also said that the “more we try to make our lives seem perfect, the less perfect we feel”.
According to the OnePoll survey, one third of women surveyed admitted to “dishonesty” on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter at some stage.
Almost one in four admitted to lying or exaggerating about key aspects of their life online between one and three times a month while almost one in 10 said they lied more than once a week.
Nearly 30 percent of women lied about “doing something when I am home alone”, almost a quarter overstated their alcohol consumption while one in five were not truthful about their holiday activities or their jobs. Almost one in five women even lied about their “relationship status”.
“We work very hard presenting ourselves to the world online, pretending and attempting to be happy all the time which is exhausting and ultimately unfulfilling,” said Dr Michael Sinclair, a leading British consultant psychologist.
“Omitting the less desirable imperfections of our lives from the conversations with our `friends` online leads to less opportunity to feel empathized with(與…產(chǎn)生共鳴), resulting in a greater sense of disconnection from others.”
The survey was commissioned by Pencourage, a new anonymous “diary-style” social media website.
小題1:Which of the words below is closest in meaning to the underlined word “fibs” in Para 3?

A．life experiences	B．short stories
C．careful thoughts	D．insignificant lies

小題2:A woman tends to tell a lie online when she__________.

A．hopes to make more friends	B．envies other people’s exciting life
C．feels lonely at home	D．gets tired of the boring life

小題3:A woman might pretend to be happier online than she actually is by __________.

A．a(chǎn)voiding conversations with friends

B．describing her holiday activities

C．leaving out the imperfections in life

D．overstating her trouble at work

小題4:According to Dr Michael Sinclair, constantly lying online may __________.

A．eventually make one’s life more exciting

B．a(chǎn)ctually lead to a sense of isolation

C．really improve one’s sense of happiness

D．scarcely have any influence on relationships

A recent study, which was published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how dangerous it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers has three times the possibility of a serious accident, compared with a teenager driving alone.
The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased greatly after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.
Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue is that adults who are responsible for giving out licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled driving is.” he says.
Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (使緩解) the problem is to have states set up so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a process with several stages. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself able to drive in the presence(在場)of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night of passenger restrictions (限制) before graduating to full driving rights.
Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies.
小題1:Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the passage?

A．Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m.

B．Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night.

C．A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car.

D．A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight.

小題2:According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly due to _______.

A．their frequent driving at night	B．their lack of driving experience
C．their wrong way of driving	D．their driving with passengers

小題3:According to Paragraph 3, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive.

B．Driving is a skill too complex for teenagers to learn.

C．Restrictions should be forced on teenagers demanding to take driving licenses.

D．The licensing department is partly responsible for teenagers’ driving accidents.

小題4:A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers’ driving accidents is that ______.

A．driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule

B．they should be forbidden to take on passengers

C．they should not be allowed to drive after 10 pm

D．the licensing system should be improved

Every summer, hundreds of thousands of students travel to other countries looking for work and adventure. Most of the opportunities are in   1  work. The pay is usually poor, but most people work   2  for the thrill of travel. You can pick grapes in France, entertain kids on American summer camps, and, of course, there are always   3  in hotels and restaurants.
But it is not as easy as it used to be to find work. Unless you speak the language of the country well, there will be very   4  openings. For example, when you arrive to wash dishes in a restaurant in Paris, the owner will   5  you to speak French. British students only have a language   6  for jobs in the USA and Australia.
Not every one   7  the experience. Sarah James was once responsible for forty American children in Europe. During the   8 , one child lost his passport; four children were lost in Madrid for a whole day; the whole group was thrown out of one hotel because of the  9  they made. Sarah says, “It really was a 24-hour-a-day job since the kids never   10 ! And the pay was awful. It wasn’t worth it.”
The trouble is that   11  expect to have an easy time of it. After all, they see it as a  12 . In practice, though, they have to work hard. At the same time, all vacation work is casual work, and jobs are   13  only when the hotel, the restaurant, or the campsite is busy. But students have few employment   14 . As soon as the holiday season finishes, companies will get rid of them. And if their employer doesn’t like them, they’ll be   15 , too.

小題1:	A．seasonal B．mental C．professional D．formal

小題2:	A．hard B．voluntarily C．a(chǎn)broad D．continuously

小題3:	A．jobs B．visitors C．customers D．parties

小題4:	A．good B．new C．a(chǎn)ttractive D．few

小題5:	A．teach B．expect C．a(chǎn)llow D．forbid

小題6:	A．program B．lesson C．a(chǎn)dvantage D．exam

小題7:	A．has B．enjoys C．forgets D．remembers

小題8:	A．trip B．flight C．discussion D．ceremony

小題9:	A．promise B．progress C．complaint D．noise

小題10:

A．cried B．studied C．slept D．helped

小題11:

A．children B．students C．employers D．parents

小題12:

A．job B．lesson C．holiday D．shame

小題13:

A．countless B．a(chǎn)vailable C．interesting D．boring

小題14:

A．experiences B．rules C．plans D．rights

小題15:

A．dismissed B．charged C．fined D．punished

In today's Internet age, the demand for online games continues to grow. Online computer game centers exist in many cities and towns throughout Asia. Facing the pressures of school and life, people tend to the virtual world, expecting a diversion from these problems. Too often, however, they can lead to problems and unhealthy addictions.
This is most clearly seen in the example of South Korea. The country has the world's highest percentage of high­speed Internet services. It also has a high number of online game players and related problems. It was once reported that a young man collapsed (突然暈倒) and died while playing online games. He had been playing almost nonstop for 86 hours at an Internet cafe. Another young man killed his sister after becoming confused between the online world and real life. A 12­year­old boy stole US $ 16000 from his father and ran away from home. He did this to continue his obsession  (著迷) with online game. Such problems, however, don't just happen in South Korea. They are spreading to other parts of Asia, as well.
What kinds of people develop online game addiction? What does the problem look like? Dr SueHuei Chen, a clinical psychologist, researches Internet addiction. She discovered some signs of at­risk individuals such as lack friendship and good social skills. Those problem individuals feel it so compulsive to play online games that they could sacrifice things such as school and family. They feel the need to spend more and more time online. And they become upset if anyone tries to limit their online game playing.
How many problem game players are there? In mainland China, the potential number of problem online gamers is alarming. Just in 2004, China has had 13.8 million online game players according to China Daily. Furthermore, it stated that 80 percent of these were under 25 and had signs of addiction. Such numbers point toward a growing problem among Chinese youth.
Make sure to keep control over your online game playing. If you don't control it, it can get control of you.
小題1:The underlined word “diversion” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.

A．solution

B．comfort

C．escape

D．support

小題2:The examples in the second paragraph tell us that ________.

A．the side effects are caused by high­speed Internet services

B．online game playing can even cause death

C．online games have caused much damage to young people

D．the teenage boy can't resist the temptation of the online games

小題3:According to Dr SueHuei Chen, what can we do to prevent game addiction?

A．Limit the speed of the Internet services.

B．Sacrifice things such as school and family.

C．Spend more and more time online.

D．Care much for the young and improve their ability to get along with others.

小題4:We can conclude from the passage that ________.

A．the demand for online services continues to grow

B．China is fighting a battle against online games

C．the problems caused by online games don't just exist in South Korea

D．in the year 2004 there were a total of 13.8 million Chinese visiting the Internet

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

A．Internet Problem	B．Addiction to online Game
C．Problem People in the World	D．Online Game Can Control People

Most visitors come to the UK expecting the rain and weather for which the country is famous. However, when summer finally arrives, British people like nothing more than heading for the coast. Here are some of more famous places of interest that you could expect to visit on a trip to Britain. Black pool, in the northwest of England, is the most visited place in the UK. Each year around 6.5 to 7 million people come to enjoy the miles of sandy beaches, the 158m Black pool Tower and the 11km-long Golden Mile, where there are entertainments, pubs, ice rinks (溜冰場) and even a zoo. On the south coast of the country you can find Brighton. Until 1786, Brighton was a sleepy village. Then the future king, George IV, decided to build a house there, and now it has become a large, international centre. Apart from the beaches, Brighton is famous for its pier (碼頭). There are theatres, entertainments and restaurants there. Brighton is also fantastic for shopping. If you want to travel a little further, why not go to Corn-wall in the far southwest of the UK? South Cornwall offers miles of sandy beaches and beautiful scenery. The climate there is warmer than the rest of Britain, and you can even find palm trees. For a bit more excitement, go to North Cornwall. The scenery there is nicer, and the beaches are famous for their powerful waves. As a result, North Cornwall has become the home of British surfing. One word of warning though, if you are using the roads in the UK during holidays, you can expect long traffic jams on the motorways. It might be better to take the train.
小題1:Which is the best title for this passage?

A．Let’s Go to the Beach!	B．How to Enjoy Your Holidays
C．Welcome to Britain!	D．How to Travel in Britain

小題2:We may find this passage in a ______.

A．geography book

B．storybook

C．travel guide

D．news magazine

小題3:If Andrew likes surfing, which is the best place for him to spend his holidays?

A．Black pool.

B．Brighton.

C．South Cornwall.

D．North Cornwall.

小題4:Which is NOT the reason why Brighton is famous?

A．In Brighton you can satisfy your appetite for shopping.

B．In 1786, George IV decided to build a house there.

C．There is an interesting pier in Brighton.

D．You can enjoy yourself on the beautiful beaches.

小題5:From the passage we can infer that ______.

A．there are no beaches in the east and west of Britain

B．Black pool is the most famous place in the UK

C．the pier is more interesting than the beaches in Brighton

D．the climate in South Cornwall is attractive to many people

On the first day of school I brought my camera to school. I gave the students a piece of 8 ×11 cardboard(紙板), and asked them to write their names on both sides. As they finished, I asked them to get into groups of three to four students and took photographs of them holding their name cards.
After school, I developed the film and printed two sets of photos. That evening, I started to match the names with the faces. I kept one set of pictures at home for about a week so that I could review their names each night. On the second day of school, I put up the other set of photos as a bulletin board (公布欄), with a title such as "Presenting Room 108, ..."
The kids loved it! After I had learned all of their names I brought the second set back to school and stuck them onto an 8 ×11 sheet of paper. I placed it in the classroom for other teachers.
The cardboard name cards that were made on the first day were collected and put on a shelf. From time to time, they were given back to the students and placed on their desks so that guests or supply teachers (代課老師) could identify all of the students.
I’ve been doing this with my grade 7 students for the last nine years and they liked it. It’s fun to bring the photos out again at the end of the school year to see how much they have all changed in ten months.
小題1:The cardboards were used to ______.

A．play some kind of game	B．decorate the classroom
C．identify the students	D．print the photos on

小題2:The writer of the passage might be a ______.

A．head teacher

B．monitor

C．photographer

D．supply teacher

小題3:Why did the writer leave the second set of the photos at home?

A．To memorize the students’ names at home.	B．To make cardboard name cards for supply teachers.
C．To make a bulletin board in the classroom.	D．To match the students’ names with their faces

小題4:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The students didn’t have to use the cardboard name cards to identify each other.

B．Other teachers couldn’t identify the students without the cardboard name cards.

C．The writer kept the cardboard name cards as a souvenir for nine years.

D．The guests will know the students’ names by reading the cardboard name cards.

小題5:The passage mainly tells us ______.

A．a(chǎn) method of identifying students	B．a(chǎn) method of decorating classrooms
C．the development of photography	D．the importance of cardboard name cards

Dogs and millionaires have a lot in common. They are absolute opportunists (especially when it comes to rewards). They defend their territory(地盤). And in general, they don’t like cats. Perhaps that explains a new survey showing that millionaires are far more dog-friendly than the rest of Americans.
According to a study by Spectrem Group, 58% of millionaire pet owners have a dog. Only 37% own a cat. Only 3% keep fish, 2% birds and 2% have a horse. Similarly, 39% of U. S. households own a dog, compared to 33% of households owning a cat, released by the Humane Society.
Jennifer Cona, a trust and estates attorney(信托和資產(chǎn)律師) and partner with Genser Subow Genser & Cona in New York, does a lot of work on pet trusts. She said of all the pet trusts she’s worked on, 90% are for dogs and only 10% are for cats. 
She said dogs provide one thing especially important for the wealthy: unconditional love.
“You don’t get that from a cat,” she said, “Dogs are like children for some families, except that they don’t mess up in college or run off with money. Sometimes it’s easy to see why dogs are the favorite children.”
Millionaires show their love for their dogs in part by their spending. One quarter of millionaire pet owners spend more than $1, 000 a year on their pets, the Spectrem study said, while more than half spend more than $500 a year.
Many would say those numbers are understated, given all the diamond-dog collars, dog foods and booming dog spas in evidence these days, not to mention the medical bills.
The survey showed 34% of pet owners spend money on decorating, while 6% spend on “sweaters, outfits and costumes.”
More than half of millionaire pet owners spend money on teeth cleaning for their pets. More than 16%, meanwhile, said they would spend money on reconstructive surgeries and “anti-anxiety, anti-depression” medication for their pets.
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?

A．Millionaires like dogs more than other Americans.

B．Keeping dogs as pets is quite popular among Americans.

C．Pet dogs help relieve their owners’ anxiety and depression.

D．Millionaires spend much money on teeth cleaning for their pets.

小題2:From the survey by Spectrem Group, we can learn ___________.

A．a(chǎn)bout one third of American households own a cat

B．more than half of millionaire pet owners have a dog

C．millionaire pet owners spend $1, 000 on their pets daily

D．34% of pet owners spend money on dog clothing

小題3:What’s the main reason why millionaires show great love for their dogs?

A．They can afford the high expense to raise pet dogs.

B．Pet dogs have never made a mess of things around.

C．Millionaires feel more secure in company of dogs.

D．Pet dogs show unconditional love for their owners.

小題4:What does Jennifer Cona probably think of millionaires owning pet dogs ?

A．Ridiculous.

B．Acceptable.

C．Negative.

D．Indifferent.

Facebook means never having to say goodbye. The social media website has earned a reputation for reconnecting old friends. Last week, a guy whom I hadn’t seen since my bachelor party five years ago sent me a friend request. I accepted and waited for “Easy E” to send me a greeting of some kind. He had sought me out, after all.
I learned from his profile that he was in a relationship and had a son. However, I’m pretty sure we won’t ever write wall-to-wall, let alone e-mail each other. But he’ll remain a friend of online until one of us makes a point of removing the other from his official list.
My pool of friends consists of family members, college buddies, co-workers from past and present, and friends of friends. There are 35 in all. If I spent some time uploading old e-mail addresses, I’m confident that I could increase my friend count actually.
A person could make a mission out of reconnecting with childhood friends, former classmates, distant cousins, and those one would like to get to know better. And some people can even handle hundreds of on-screen relationships, keeping up with the daily happenings of their small army of companions. After all, there are worse fates than having too many friends.
Thanks to e-mail, the inability to schedule face-to-face meetings no longer means a friendship must come to a close. But even with e-mail, people will lose touch if one or both parties stop writing back. That’s normal. People move from school to school, job to job, city to city. You never have to feel guilty for breaking away.
Every day, the masterminds of Web 2.0 find new ways of making human communication easier. However, convenience can be a walking stick. Some things shouldn’t be simplified. When it comes to friendship, there can be no shortcuts.
小題1:According to Paragraph 1, the website is famous because       .

A．it has an interesting name of “Facebook”

B．it can send people a greeting of some kind

C．it helps people get in touch with old friends

D．it reminds people of events in the past

小題2:From the second paragraph we can learn that the writer       .

A．would write to the friend quite often

B．did get some information about the friend

C．a(chǎn)sked the friend to e-mail him

D．would keep in touch with the friend forever

小題3:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．The author communicates with all the 35 friends by e-mails.

B．There are 35 people in the author’s list of friends right now.

C．The list of 35 friends doesn’t include the old e-mail addresses.

D．It is not difficult for the author to increase his friend count.

小題4:What does the writer mean by saying “However, convenience can be a walking stick”？

A．The masterminds of Web 2.0 also sell walking sticks online.

B．Taking a walking stick is a new way of making friends online.

C．Convenience is dangerous for human communication.

D．Convenience is not really good for human communication.