Endangered languages are languages that wouldn’t exist any longer, much like endangered species of plants or animals. Languages are considered to be endangered when parents are no longer teaching the language to their children and are not using it actively in everyday life. A language is considered to nearly disappear when it is spoken by only a few elderly native speakers.
The world faces enormous challenges in order to protect different kinds of languages. Of the more than 6,912 languages, half may be in danger of disappearing in the next several decades.
It is caused by many reasons: small numbers of speakers, the regular use of other languages, attitudes towards their languages, moving of the younger population, government policies, and languages used in education and so on. A language may lack important things such as a body of literature, and people who read and write it. A language may also lack prestige (聲望) and support of its speakers.
The survival of a language is also threatened when speakers move to other areas where different languages are spoken, or when government policies improve the use of a specific language in school, official business and the media. These situations encourage people to learn the wider-known language and may cause them, especially the young, to stop using their mother tongue. Often those speaking lesser-known languages will choose to learn a more prestigious language with the hope of greater economic opportunities. Most of the world’s parents are teaching their children English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian or some other main languages instead of their own languages for social and economic reasons.
小題1:What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Languages in the world.

B．Reasons why languages become endangered.

C．What an endangered language is.

D．Languages spoken by few speakers.

小題2:About ________languages will probably disappear in this century according to the passage.

A．more than 6,912

B．more than 3,456

C．6,912

D．less than 3,456

小題3:Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?
①=Paragraph1   ②=Paragraph2  ③=Paragraph3  ④=Paragraph4

小題4:We can infer that the best way to maintain an endangered language is to _________.

A．forbid the speakers to move about

B．pass laws to protect the language

C．raise the salaries of the people who speak the language

D．teach the language to young children and encourage people to speak it often

小題5:All of the following about languages are true EXCEPT __________.

A．many languages will be probably endangered in this century

B．government policies have a big effect on languages

C．the endangered language is a language that is spoken by a few people

D．languages are related to their speakers’ social and economic position

Americans like to travel on their yearly holiday. Today, more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small house or inns(客棧)instead of hotels. They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning.
Rooms for the night in private(私人的)homes with breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years. In the past five to ten years, these bed-and-breakfast places have become popular in the United States. Many of these America’s bed-and-breakfast inns have only a few rooms; others are much larger. Some inns do not provide telephones or televisions in the rooms, others do.
Staying at a bed-and-breakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel. Usually the cost is much less. Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone’s home. The owners are glad to tell about the areas and the interesting places to visit. Many vacationers say that they enjoy the chance to meet local families.
小題1:Americans take a holiday trip _________.

A．a(chǎn)ll the year round

B．for years

C．every year

D．every other year

小題2:According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?  

A．Some Americans like to stay at bed-and-breakfast homes instead of at hotels.

B．The bed-and-breakfast inns are private homes open to vacationers.

C．The bed-and-breakfast inn owners provide a morning meal for their visitors and a room for the night.

D．The bed-and-breakfast inns have been popular in America for a long time.

小題3:Staying at the bed-and-breakfast inns, _________.

A．the travelers needn’t pay anything

B．the travelers don’t have to pay for the telephone or television

C．the travelers can meet and talk with the local people

D．the owners will show the travelers around the area

Age has its special advantage in America. And one of the more impressive of them is the senior citizen discount. Anyone who has reached a certain age—in some cases as low as 55－is automatically entitled to plenty of price reductions at nearly every level of commercial life. Eligibility（資格）is determined not by one’s need but by the date on one’s birth certificate. Practically the discounts have become a routine part of many businesses-as common as color televisions in motel rooms and free coffee on airliners.
People with gray hair often are given the discounts without even asking for them；yet, millions of Americans above age 60 are healthy and solvent（有支付能力的）. Businesses that would never dare offer discounts to college students or anyone under 30 freely offer them to older Americans. The practice is acceptable because of the widespread belief that “elderly” and “needy” are synonymous（同義的）. Perhaps that once was true, but today, to be sure, there is economic variety within the elderly, and most of them aren’t poor.
It is impossible to determine the effect of the discounts on individual companies. For many firms, they are a stimulus to income. But in other cases the discounts are given at the expense, directly or indirectly, of younger Americans. Moreover, they directly annoy some politicians and scholars who consider it a coming conflict between the generations.
Generational tensions are being fueled by continuing debate over Social Security benefits, which mostly involves a transfer of resources from the young to the old. Employment is another point. Supported by laws and court decisions, more and more older Americans are refusing the retirement dinner in favor of staying on the job-thereby lessening employment and promotion opportunities for younger workers. Far from a kind of charity they once were, senior citizen discounts have become a powerful economic privilege（特權(quán)）to a group with millions of members who don’t need them.
It no longer makes sense to treat the elderly as a single group whose economic needs deserve priority over those of others. Senior citizen discounts only enrich the myth that older people can’t take care of themselves and need special treatment；and they threaten the creation of a new myth, that the elderly ale ungrateful and taking for themselves at the expense of children and other age groups. Senior citizen discounts are the heart of the very thing older Americans are fighting against－discrimination by age.
小題1:We learn from the first paragraph that   .

A．offering senior citizen discounts has become routine commercial practice

B．senior citizen discounts have enabled many old people to live a good life

C．giving senior citizen discounts has increased the market for the elderly

D．senior citizens have to show their birth certificates to get a discount

小題2:The reason to give the senior citizen discount is that   .

A．the elderly need humane help from society

B．businesses should do something for society in return

C．old people are entitled to special treatment for their contribution to society

D．the senior discounts can make up for the lack of the Social Security system

小題3:What does the author think of the Social Security system?

A．It encourages elderly people to retire in time.

B．It opens up broad career chances for young people.

C．It benefits the old at the expense of the young.

D．It should be strengthened by laws and court decisions.

小題4:What does the author mainly argue in the passage?

A．Senior citizens should fight hard against age discrimination.

B．The elderly are selfish and taking senior discounts for granted.

C．Senior citizen discounts may well be a type of age discrimination.

D．Discount should be given to the economic needs of senior citizens.

Japanese students work very hard but many are very unhappy. They feel great pressure from their parents to do well in school and in college. Most students are always being told by their parents to study harder so that they can have successful future. Although this may be good advice for those who are very bright, it can have very bad results for many students who are not quick enough at learning.
Unfortunately, a number of students actually kill themselves. Others are after comfort in using drugs. Some students, however, do bad things with groups of bad people and turn to crime. Many of them have tried very hard at school but, in spite of all their tries, have failed in certain examinations and have disappointed their parents. Such students feel that they are less important than everyone else they meet and leave school before they finish their study.
It is surprising that although most Japanese parents are anxious for their children to do well at school, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are unable to help their children with their lessons and that it is the teachers’ job to help their children.
To make matter worse, a lot of parents send their children to special schools called juku-cram schools. These schools are open during the evenings and on weekends, and their only purpose is to prepare students to pass exams; they do not try to educate students in any real sense of the world. Thus comes a shock to realize that almost three quarters of the junior high school students attend these cram schools.
Ordinary Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the length of students’ hair to their clothes and things in their school bags. Child psychologists now think that such strict rules often lead to a feeling of being unsafe and being unable to fit into society. They believe that no sense of moral(道德) values is developed and that students are given neither guidance nor training in becoming good citizens.
小題1:Many Japanese students are unhappy at school because          .

A．the school work is too much

B．their teachers are too strict with them

C．their parents put much pressure on them

D．they can’t get on well with their friends

小題2:How many unexpected things will some of Japanese students do when they are not doing well in their studies?

A．Two

B．Four

C．Six

D．Eight

小題3:What’s some experts’ opinion about Japanese school rules?

A．They are a set of effective rules.

B．They can help the students to be useful persons.

C．They are bad for the development of each student.

D．They stress the importance of sense of moral values.

小題4:According to the third paragraph, who have not tried their best?

A．The schools.	B．The students.
C．The teachers.	D．The parents.

小題5:choose the best title for this passage:
A. Poor students in Japan
B. poor students in campus in Japan
C. wrong educational system in Japan
D How to develop a student

It is common and usual to see people freak out when they face challenges in their life. We all pass in different life problems and challenges. No one is free of life problems. Only a dead man faces no problem. As long as you are alive, challenges are everywhere.
How do you face problems and challenges in your life? Problems and challenges are the building blocks of your personality. They make you who you are. Besides, whether what happened in your life builds or destructs you depends on how you look at it. If you take your problems as troubles, they will be troubles and may cause destruction. If you take them as constructive tools, you are going to be built up on them.
Problems are everywhere. No one can avoid them. And they are good too. They open up a different look and opportunity if you are willing to see. When you face troubles, do not frustrate or freak out. Just cool yourself to think in a different direction. Think in a positive way. Every problem has its own good as well as bad sides. Focus on the good one. Look at the bright side.
Besides, there is always a good person, perhaps your mom or dad, or one of your friends, right beside you who can turn everything into your best if you are willing to turn to them. No matter what happens, they will be there to help you. Trust them and they will never let you down. All you need to know is that you are loved wherever you are.
小題1:What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “freak out” in Paragraph 1?

A．Feel shy.

B．Stay calm.

C．Keep up.

D．Feel upset.

小題2:In Paragraph 2, the writer implies that ______.

A．problems cause troubles

B．a(chǎn)ttitude is everything

C．challenges can be avoided

D．personalities are built on failures

小題3:According to the last paragraph, when we're in trouble, we ______.

A．can only depend on our parents

B．a(chǎn)re not alone

C．should only believe ourselves

D．a(chǎn)re not confident

小題4:What’s the writer’s purpose to write the passage?

A．To encourage.

B．To compare.

C．To prove.

D．To explain.

小題5:What can be the best title of the passage?

A．How to Avoid Problems

B．Challenges Are Everywhere

C．Face Your Challenges Bravely

D．You Are Loved Wherever You Are

MY Chinese friend is going to the US and he is nervous about what to talk about. “Talk about the weather,” is my advice.
“How are you?” is often followed by comments about the weather. “Nice day today.” “Cold/hot enough for you?” “Will it ever stop raining?” “Some winter we’re having.” “Can’t remember a winter/summer so cold/hot.” “Whew, it’s hot out there.”
These introductory statements are often followed by a long conversation entirely about weather conditions. Past, present and – with global warming – speculation (推測(cè)) about the future.
Our fascination with weather might seem silly, but the real purpose behind those endless discussions is small talk. Weather’s a safe topic of conversation. As a group, we Americans seem to enjoy chatting with those around us. Whenever we stand in line at the grocery store, we tend to engage in this sort of conversation with other people standing in line with us. If I were seated next to another American on any form of public transport, I’d expect both of us to make some harmless comment about the weather as a way of acknowledging (承認(rèn)) each other’s presence (存在). At parties, the weather is a common topic, especially with those you are meeting for the first time.
In contrast we are taught to avoid certain topics like religion and politics. Weather is neutral (中性的); you don’t have to have an opinion about it, just make a statement of a fact. What is truly interesting is the fact that we can go on and on about it.
My Chinese friend has a hard time understanding why we put so much effort into this topic – and why I warn him about bringing up much more “interesting” subjects like salaries or how much something costs.
Sometimes it is tricky (復(fù)雜的) to wend (行走) one’s way through winding cultural roads, especially those that are never taught in books.
小題1:What does the writer suggest her Chinese friend should talk about with people in the US? (No more than two words)
小題2:Why do Americans enjoy talking to people around them about the weather, in writer’s opinion? (No more than ten words)
小題3:List four topics that people should avoid talking about in the US. ( No more than 5 words)

Famous centenarians (百歲老人) still active in arts, science are in no mood to retire. "Those who stand still, die," is one of Oliveira's favorite phrases. He knows from experience what it means, as the Portuguese film director has reached the age of 102 and is still active in his profession. Every year, Oliveira shoots a film and is currently working on his next project. "You have to work, work, work in order to forget that death is not far away," he said. When asked about his age, Oliveira said with some humility: "It's down to mother nature. It gave to me what it took from others."
Being both mentally and physically fit in old age is partly a matter of luck, but it also has something to do with character. Not every white-haired person is wise and social skills, openness and the ability to train the brain are essential for senior citizens.
Along with the architect Oscar Niemeyer (103), Nobel laureate Montalcini (101) and director Kurt Maetzig (100), Oliveira is one of those people of whom it would be very wrong to think as members of a listless elderly generation.
Another master in his profession is the architect Oscar Niemeyer. The 103-year-old Brazilian is best known for his futuristic-looking buildings in Brasilia, but he also speaks out on behalf of the poor. "The role of the architect is to struggle for a better world where we can develop a form of architecture that serves everyone and not just a privileged few," said Niemeyer recently. He spends almost every day working in his office in Copacabana, and even when he falls ill he keeps working on ideas: After a gallbladder (膽囊) operation he composed a samba tune (桑巴舞曲) in the clinic.
Another man who could sing a song about age is 107-year-old Heesters. The Dutch-born opera singer spent most of his life performing in Germany, where he still works. Recently Heesters said: "I want to be at least 108-years-old." He also plans to keep performing. "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?" Heesters has not given up trying to add to his tally of awards and is looking for a "good stage role".
Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who is 101-year-old and is still active in medical science, has described the force that keeps driving her on: "Progress is created through imperfection." In 1986 she and her lab colleague were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work on nerve growth factor. She's convinced that humans grow on challenges.
With so many brilliant examples given, we can see clearly that age is no barrier to some high achievers.
小題1:From the first two paragraphs, we can see ______.

A．being active at 102 is achievable for everybody

B．Oliveira owes his long life to his mother’s help

C．being fit in old age is a matter of luck and character

D．social skills and wisdom are difficult for the senior

小題2:How many centenarians are mentioned in this passage?

A．4

B．5

C．6

D．7

小題3:By saying "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?” in Paragraph 5, Heesters shows us he ________.

A．wants to sit or lie in comfort

B．is waiting for people to pick him up

C．is willing to work till he dies

D．prefers to give performance at home

小題4:In the passage so many examples were given to show ________.

A．old age is a big problem if you want to succeed

B．a(chǎn)s a senior citizen, you have to be open-minded and optimistic

C．old people should never think of themselves as old

D．old age cannot prevent a great person from achieving a lot

小題5:In the writer’s opinion, the architect Oscar Niemeyer is not ________.

A．intelligent

B．pessimistic

C．positive

D．diligent

We all know that some things are obviously right. For example, it is right to be    1   to other people. It is also right to look after the environment. Some things are   2   wrong, too. For instance, we should not hurt or bully(欺負(fù)) others, nor should we litter. Rules often tell us what is right or wrong.
Rules can help the public make the right    3  ,and remain safe. Car drivers have to obey traffic regulations that tell them the right things to do on the road to avoid crashes. Cyclists who give signals before turning or stopping help prevent   4  .
If people follow rules without taking other matters into consideration, it will be    5  for them to form what is sometimes called a “black and white” view. For example, they may believe that people should always tell the truth, and that lying is   6   acceptable. Such people always stick to their views, even if it means that they may get into   7  .
Sometimes it may not be so easy to know   8  what is right or wrong. Some people choose not to eat meat because they believe that it is    9   to eat animals, but others argue that they can eat meat and    10   be kind to animals; some insist that stealing is always wrong, but others think that one does not need to feel to   11   when stealing some food to eat, if lives in a really poor area and he is   12  . Rules help us live together in harmony, because they show us the right way to   13   other. However, some people argue that rules may be    14  , having observed that rules change all the time , and that some schools have some regulations and other have different ones ----so who is to   15  what is right ?

小題1:	A．kind B．sensitive C．fair D．generous

小題2:	A．equally B．slightly C．clearly D．increasingly

小題3:	A．suggestion B．conclusions C．turns D．choices

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)ccidents B．mistakes C．falls D．deaths

小題5:	A．interesting B．vital C．easy D．valuable

小題6:	A．seldom B．rarely C．merely D．never

小題7:	A．trouble B．power C．prison D．control

小題8:	A．roughly B．eventually C．deliberately D．exactly

小題9:	A．a(chǎn)wful B．cruel C．unhealthy D．unnecessary

小題10:

A．still B．even C．later D．somehow

小題11:

A．nervous B．a(chǎn)nxious C．a(chǎn)fraid D．guilty

小題12:

A．begging B．staving C．growing D．wandering

小題13:

A．follow B．instruct C．treat D．protect

小題14:

A．disgusting B．confusing C．unsafe D．unimportant

小題15:

A．predict B．explain C．decide D．consider

In Europe, many people make friends between their countries through town twinning. Town or city twinning means two towns in different countries agree and decide to become “twins” with a sister-city relationship.
The people find pen friends in the twin town. They exchange newspapers and stamps. The school teachers discuss teaching methods with the teachers in the twin town. Officials visit the twin town for celebrations. Ordinary people travel to the twin town, too, but not very often if it is far away.
Sometimes, schools even exchange their classes for two or three weeks! For example, German middle school students study for a while at the school in their twin town in Britain, staying with British families. A few months later, their British friends come to study in Germany.
Many British towns are so pleased with the results of the twinning that they set out to find more than one twin town!
Tonbridge, a small town in Kent, for example, has twin towns in both Germany and France. Richmond near London has relationships with Germany, France and even a town in a Balkan(巴爾干半島的) country!
Town twinning can help make friends. It helps students improve their language skill, and also helps people to understand the differences between nations.
小題1:Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Town Twinning

B．Friendly Towns

C．Exchanging Teachers and Students

D．Peace and Understanding

小題2:Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Twin towns exchange newspapers and stamps.

B．Twin towns exchange business skill.

C．Schools in twin towns exchange classes for a period of time.

D．Ordinary people travel to the twin town.

小題3:Twin towns develop ____________.

A．between European countries and China

B．in the English-speaking countries only

C．in the same country

D．between different countries

小題4:How many countries are mentioned in this passage?

A．7

B．6.

C．5

D．4

小題5:One of the advantages of town twinning is to ________.

A．earn more money

B．set up schools

C．improve students’ language skills

D．develop industry and agriculture

Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised (組成) mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(變化無(wú)常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened（負(fù)擔(dān)過(guò)重的）urban school administrators and teachers.
Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.
One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.
Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.
小題1: It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.

A．the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties

B．many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities

C．there is a serious shortage of academic facilities (設(shè)施).

D．homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education

小題2: The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.

A．350,000

B．1,500,000

C．440,000

D．110,000

小題3:  One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.

A．the homeless children are too young to be counted as children

B．the homeless population is growing rapidly

C．the homeless children usually stay outside school

D．some homeless children are deserted by their families

小題4: The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that ___.

A．the educational problems of homeless children are being recognized

B．the estimates on homeless children are hard to determine

C．the address of grade-school children should be located

D．a(chǎn)ll homeless people are entitled（有權(quán)利的） to free education

小題5: The passage mainly deals with ____.

A．the legal problems of the homeless children

B．the educational problems of homeless children

C．the social status of older males

D．estimates on the homeless population