People who traveled in the past had to put up with many discomforts which we do not have nowadays, and of course they traveled far more slowly. Roads were bad indeed and you often found you could not get along at all because of the mud. In dry weather many places were thick in dust and when it was stormy, trees might fall across the road and it was nobody’s business to clear them away.
Ordinary people traveled on foot or on horseback, but everyone who could afford it kept a private coach. There were public coaches too. called “stage coaches” because long journeys took several days and were done in stages, with stops over night at inns. Some stage, coaches ran only in the summer months. Others all the year around. They were very slow and crowded and passengers often became in on the way because of the swaying (搖晃).
Break downs were frequent, since many roads were not smooth. So a coach might very easily turn right over. Early in the century coach and wagon builders were encouraged to put very wide wheels on their vehicles. So that these might level the roads a little. But many people complained of this since it slowed travel down a good deal.
Most travelers during the 18th century wrote bitterly about the state of the roads. One visitor to Sussex took six hours to travel nine miles in his coach; another wrote to a friend that on time of his journeys “almost every mile was marked by the overturn of a carriage”.
小題1:Which of the following mainly prevented people from travelling fast in the past?

A．Falling trees	B．Thick dust
C．Muddy road	D．Many discomforts

小題2: The underlined word “them” in the first paragraph refers to _____.

A．the discomforts	B．the blocked roads
C．the dusty places	D．the fallen trees

小題3: Public coaches were called “stage-coaches” because ______. 

A．the long journey was broken into several parts

B．they were slow and crowded

C．they stopped for meals at inns

D．they served public people only

小題4: The sentence “almost every mile was marked by the overturn of a carriage” suggests that ______.

A．the coaches were of poor quality

B．the writers liked to describe the road bitterly

C．the road condition was really poor

D．travelling about in the past was extremely slow

閱讀下面短文，從短文所給各題的四個選項（A、B、C、D）中選出能填入相應空白處的最佳選項。
Newcomers（新來的人） to the United States are often    36   by the schools. American schools    37   seem so different from the schools they know in    38   parts of the world. American education is based on the    39   that children    40   to learn to think    41   themselves. The school should be the    42   where they learn to do this.    43  , children learn the “three R’s” [(Reading, Writing and Arithmetic(算術(shù))], history and government (often called Social Studies) and many other    44  . They also learn    45  be independent(獨立的)，how to make their own judgement(判斷), and how to develop their own   46   and interests. The American teacher does not    47  the children in her class to sit    48  hands folded quietly and to say    49 . She wants them to listen attentively(專心地) to ask questions. She knows that    50   children learn from books is    51 . She also knows that it is necessary for them to know how to use this    52  for their   53   and development. During Open School Week, parents have a    54   to see how American education    55  .

小題1:	A．happy B．a(chǎn)fraid C．glad D．surprised

小題2:	A．some time B．sometime C．sometimes D．some times

小題3:	A．other B．the other C．a(chǎn)nother D．a(chǎn)ll

小題4:	A．opinion B．idea C．promise D．conclusion

小題5:	A．need B．needed C．dare D．dared

小題6:	A．of B．a(chǎn)gainst C．for D．with

小題7:	A．place B．space C．room D．a(chǎn)rea

小題8:	A．From school B．out school C．By school D．In school

小題9:	A．lessons B．knowledge C．subjects D．object

小題10:

A．when to B．how to C．what to D．where to

小題11:

A．a(chǎn)bility B．skill C．a(chǎn)bilities D．skills

小題12:

A．think B．want C．let D．make

小題13:

A．with B．a(chǎn)cross C．over D．a(chǎn)bove

小題14:

A．something B．a(chǎn)nything C．nothing D．much

小題15:

A．that B．which C．where D．what

小題16:

A．important B．unimportant C．necessary D．useless

小題17:

A．study B．work C．learning D．a(chǎn)im

小題18:

A．growing B．growth C．future D．tomorrow

小題19:

A．a(chǎn)bility B．possibility C．interest D．chance

小題20:

A．develops B．learns C．goes D．works

As motorways become more and more blocked up with traffic, a new generation on flying cars will be needed to ferry people along skyways. That is the conclusion of engineers from the US space agency and aeronautical firms, who envision future commuters traveling by “skycar”.
These could look much like the concept skycar shown in the picture, designed by Boeing research and development. However, such vehicles could be some 25 years from appearing on the market. Efforts to build flying vehicles in the past have not been very successful. Such vehicles would not only be expensive and require the skills of a trained pilot to fly, but there are significant engineering challenges involved in developing them. “When you try to combine them you get the worst of both worlds: a very heavy, slow, expensive vehicle that’s hard to use,” said Mark Moore, head of the personal air vehicle(PAV) division of the vehicle systems program at Nasa’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, US. But Boeing is also considering how to police the airways-and prevent total pandemonium(吵雜狂亂的喧鬧)-if thousands of flying cars enter the skies.
“The neat, gee-whiz part is thinking about what the vehicle itself would look like,” said Dick Paul, a vice president with Phantom Works, Boeing’s research and development arm. “But we’re trying to think through all the consequences of what it would take to deploy(散開) a fleet of these.”
Past proposals to solve this problem have included artificial intelligence systems to prevent collisions between air traffic. Nasa is working on flying vehicles with the initial goal of transforming small plane travel. Small planes are generally costly, loud, and require months of training and lots of money to operate, making flying to work impractical for most people. But within five years, Nasa researchers hope to develop technology for a small plane that can fly out of regional airports, costs less than $100,000(£55,725), is as quiet as a motorcycle and as simple to operate as a car.
Although it would not have any road-driving capabilities, it would bring this form of travel within the grasp of a wider section of people. The new technology would automate many of the pilot’s functions. This Small Aircraft Transportation System(Sats) would divert pressure away from the “hub-and-spoke(中心輻射型)” model of air travel. Hub-and-spoke refers to the typically US model of passengers being processed through large “hub” airports and then on to secondary flights to “spoke” airports near their final destinations.
小題1:The best title for this text would be      .

A．Developing Skycars	B．The Traffic Jams in the Sky
C．How to Guide Flying Cars in the Sky	D．What Flying Cars Will Look Like

小題2: The underlined word “envision” in Paragraph 1 most probably means “    ”.

A．see

B．expect

C．think

D．a(chǎn)nnounce

小題3:When engineers develop the skycars, they have to deal with the following difficulties except      .

A．how to fly out of regional airports

B．how to prevent the disorder of the airways

C．how to reduce expenses and the vehicle’s weight

D．how to fly the skycars to enter skies

小題4: Now Nasa researchers’ aim is to      .

A．make big flying cars

B．work out the plan——how to transform small plane travel

C．develop a new kind of small plane different from the traditional one

D．build a new kind of small plane with road-driving abilities

It is time for students to sell such things as chocolate bars and greeting cards to raise money for their school, class or club．It is inevitable that they will knock on your door and you will easily hand over your cash for overpriced items that you really do not want．That is okay, though, because there are many reasons why children should be allowed to raise money for their schools and clubs．
Fundraising is a great way to help children learn social skills．It is not easy to go up to a complete stranger and ask him for his money．They have to nicely ask for help, show the interested buyer what they have to offer and explain how it will help them in school．If someone refuses to buy an item, that child has to take the failure in stride（不特別費力地）, and that is a learning lesson as well．
Students can learn how to deal with money by fundraising．Of course, it might seem safer for us to take charge of our children’s earnings from their fundraising before it is turned into the school．However, by making them keep track of it, count it, and make sure everyone pays the right amount, they are learning an important lesson．Dealing with more Fundraising helps improve their schools．It is the children’s school．They have to learn there and grow there．Why not let them help in making it a better place?
Fundraising allows for more life experiences for the child．The raised money is used towards things like parties, trips, or for the music club to go to see a Broadway play．The children receive the rewards for their hard work at raising the money．Without fundraising, these field trips and special school memories would be missed．
In a word, fundraising helps children a lot in many ways．
小題1:The underlined word “inevitable” in the first paragraph means “_______”．

A．unlikely

B．improper

C．unavoidable

D．unrealistic

小題2:One of the important indications that children are grown up is that __________．

A．children learn to care for others

B．children can deal with money

C．children like to make up

D．children make a date with friends of the other sex

小題3:The author thinks that fundraising _______．

A．a(chǎn)dds to the family’s burden

B．wastes the learning time

C．builds up the children’s bodies

D．helps to develop the children’s character

小題4:Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
CP: Central point   P: Point      Sp: Sub-point     C: Conclusion

In the old days, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. Now this is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during of the birth a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member.
Nowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we send them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit terminally (晚期的）in patients— even when those patients are their parents. This deprives（剝奪）the dying patient of family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.
Some of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed about 500 terminally in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We were most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome.
It is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients’ communication in order to truly understand their needs, fears and fantasies . Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their great need to be informed, to be kept up - to - date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to cope with the coming of death and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance before death.
小題1: The elders of today's Americans _______ .

A．a(chǎn)re often absent when a family member is born or dying

B．a(chǎn)re unfamiliar with birth and death

C．usually see the birth or death of a family member

D．have often experienced the fear of death as part of life

小題2: Children in America are deprived of the chance to________.

A．visit a patient at hospital	B．visit their family members
C．learn how to face death	D．look after the patients

小題3: The need of a dying patient for people to accompany him shows________.

A．his wish for communication with other people	B．his fear of death
C．his unwillingness to die	D．he feels very upset about his condition

小題4: It may be concluded from the passage that________.

A．dying patients should be truthfully informed of their condition

B．dying patients are afraid of being told of the coming of death

C．most patients are unable to accept death until it can’t be avoided

D．most doctors and nurses understand what dying patients need

What makes Americans spend nearly half their food dollars on meals away from home? The answers lie in the way Americans live today. During the first few decades of the twentieth century, canned and other convenience foods freed the family cook from full-time duty at the kitchen range. Then, in the 1940s, work in the wartime defense plants took more women out of the home than ever before, setting the pattern of the working wife and mother. Today about half of the country’s married women are employed outside the home. But, unless family members pitch in with food preparation, women are not fully liberated from that housework. Instead, many have become, in a sense, prisoners of the completely cooked convenience meals. It’s easier to pick up a bucket of fried chicken on the way home from work or take the family out for pizzas or burgers than to start opening cans or heating up frozen dinners after a long , hard day. Also, the rising divorce rate means that there are more single working parents with children to feed. And many young adults and elderly people, as well as unmarried and divorced mature people, live alone rather than as part of a family unit and don’t want to bother cooking for one.
Fast food is appealing because it is fast, it doesn’t require any dressing up, it offers a “fun” break in the daily outline, and the outlay of money seems small. It can be eaten in the car--- sometimes picked up at a drive-in window without even getting out---or on the run. Even if it is brought home to eat, there will never be any dirty dishes to wash because of the handy disposable (一次性的) wrappings. Children, especially, love fast food because it’s finger food, no struggling with knives and forks, no annoying instructions from adults about table manner.
小題1:Americans enjoy fast food mainly because __________.

A．it can be eaten in the car

B．it is much more tasty than home-made food

C．one only uses his fingers while eating it

D．it is time-saving and convenient

小題2:It can be inferred that children __________.

A．want to have more freedom at table

B．never wash dishes after each meal

C．a(chǎn)re good at using forks and knives while eating

D．take eating time as a fun break

小題3: Many Americans are eating out and not cooking at home partially because __________.

A．they want to make a change after eating the same food for years at home

B．the food made outside home tastes better than food cooked at home

C．many of them live alone and don’t like taking trouble to cook

D．American women refuse to cook at home due to women’s liberation movement

小題4:According to the text, a drive-in window is a __________.

A．car window from which you can see the driver

B．window in the restaurant from which you get your takeout in the car

C．place where you check the mechanic condition of your car

D．place where you return the used plates after eating

Although many Chinese students say that their knowledge of English grammar is good, most would admit that their spoken English is poor. Whenever I speak to a Chinese student they always say, “My spoken English is poor.” However, their spoken English does not have to remain “poor”! I would like to suggest that there may be some reasons for their problems with spoken English.
First, they fail to find suitable words to express themselves due to a limited vocabulary. Obviously the better answer is to expand their vocabulary. However, you can speak with a limited vocabulary, if your attitude is positive. Others will follow you as long as you use the words that you know.
Second, they are afraid of making mistakes. Sometimes they make mistakes when they are speaking because they are shy and nervous. Yet students should remember that their goal should be FLUENCY NOT ACCURACY（準確性）. Your aim in writing is to be accurate following the rules for grammar and using the right words and spelling them correctly. However, in speaking your aim is fluency. You want to get your message across, to talk to someone in English, as quickly and as well as you can, even though sometimes you may use a wrong word or tense, but it doesn’t matter because the person you are speaking to will understand you and make allowances for any mistakes he hears.
The third reason is that not enough attention is paid to listening. You have one mouth but two ears! All that hearing was necessary for you to start speaking.
Fourth, most Chinese students are reactive rather than proactive language learners. Instead of actively seeking out opportunities to improve their spoken English, they passively wait for speaking opportunities to come to them and wonder why their English always remains poor. If you have this proactive outlook, then you will see English opportunities wherever you go.
If you do not use your English beyond the classroom, you will forget what English you know. Remember: USE IT OR LOSE IT! You can learn how to speak English better by speaking English more.
小題1:What is most probably the writer’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To improve your reading.

B．To improve your listening.

C．To improve your spoken English.

D．To improve your vocabulary.

小題2:It can be inferred from the third paragraph that______.

A．don’t be fluency , Just be accuracy

B．don’t be nervous ,don’t be shy . Just write!

C．don’t be afraid of making mistakes . Just speak!

D．don’t be shy ,don’t be fluency. Just listen and write!

小題3:The last paragraph is possibly close to the meaning of “_____”.

A．more hurry, less speed	B．better late than never
C．silence is gold	D．practice makes perfect

小題4:The text is most probably taken from a ______.

A．teacher’s diary	B．report on study
C．sports newspaper	D．movie magazine

Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset (不安的) if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you!?Dinner parties usually start between 7p．m．a(chǎn)nd 8p．m．, and end at about 11p．m． Ask your host (主人) what time you should arrive． It's polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine as a gift．
Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks (小吃)． Do you want to be extra (特別地) polite? Say how much you like the room, or the pictures on the wall. But remember — it's not polite to ask how much things cost．
In many families, the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other side． They eat with their guests．
You'll probably start the meal with soup or something small, then you'll have meat or fish with vegetables, and then dessert (甜點心) followed by coffee． It's polite to finish everything on your plate and to take more if you want it．
Did you enjoy the evening? Call your hosts the next day, or write them a short “Thank you” letter． British and American people like to say “thank you” all the time!
小題1:An English friend doesn't invite you to his or her dinner, which ＿＿＿＿．

A．means he or she doesn't like you	B．means he or she likes you
C．doesn't mean he or she likes you	D．doesn't mean he or she doesn't like you

小題2:You are going to attend a dinner party and ＿＿＿＿．

A．you'd better bring a certain present with you

B．you must leave home for it at 7 p．m．

C．you should ask your host when you should leave

D．you must arrive before 8 p．m．

小題3:It's impolite ＿＿＿＿＿．

A．to say that you like the host's room very much

B．for a guest to ask the host the price of the things in the room

C．for a guest to have drinks and snacks before the evening

D．for the host and the hostess (女主人) to sit and eat with their guests

小題4:In which order will you eat or drink the following things at a meal？

A．Snacks, vegetables, meat, coffee．

B．Coffee, drinks, soup, fish, vegetables, dessert．

C．Soup, meat with vegetables, dessert and coffee．

D．Drinks, soup, something small, fish and vegetables．

小題5:What is the proper way to express your enjoyment of the evening？

A．Before leaving for home, you should say, “Thank you for inviting me．”

B．When you shake hands with your host, you should say, “I did enjoy the evening．”

C．You can write a “Thank you” letter to your host after that．

D．You should finish everything on your plate and take more if you want it．

Directions：For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A，B，C and D．Fill each blank with a word or phrase that best fits the context．
In the past, man didn’t have to think about the protection of his environment. There were few people on the earth, and natural resources seemed to be 36  .
Today things are 37  , and the world has become too  38  . We’re using up our natural resources too quickly, and at the same time we are  39  our environment with dangerous chemicals. If we continue to do this, human life on the earth will not survive.
Everyone 40   today that if too many fish are taken from the sea, there will soon be none left. Yet, with modern fishing 41  , more and more fish are caught. We know that if too many trees are cut down, forests will disappear and nothing will grow on the land. Yet, we   42  to use bigger and more powerful machines to cut down more and more trees.
We know that if rivers are polluted with waste products from factories, we’ll die.  43  , in most countries wastes are still put into rivers or into the sea, and there are 44   laws to stop this.
We know, too, that if the 45   of the world continues to rise at the present rate, in a few years there will not be enough food . What can we do to solve these problems? 
If we eat more vegetables and less meat there will be more food available for every one. Land that is used to grow crops   46  five times more people than land where animals are kept. Our natural resources will last longer if we learn to recycle them.
The world population will not rise so quickly if people use modern methods of birth control.
Finally, if we educate people to think about the problems, we shall have a better and cleaner 47   in the future.

小題1:	A．beautiful B．unlimited C．rare D．valuable

小題2:	A．common B．the same C．changeable D．different

小題3:	A．crowded B．small C．dirty D．busy

小題4:	A．protecting B．saving C．polluting D．fighting

小題5:	A．wonders B．realizes C．considers D．discovers

小題6:	A．poles B．boats C．methods D．ideas

小題7:	A．continue B．have C．ought D．go on

小題8:	A．Thus B．However C．Generally speaking D．Therefore

小題9:	A．too many B．a(chǎn) few C．some D．few

小題10:

A．production B．pollution C．population D．revolution

小題11:

A．feeds B．increases C．supplies D．helps

小題12:

A．nature B．sea C．planet D．forest

People say teenagers are no good. They make too much noise in shopping malls; they drive recklessly（不顧一切地） up and down America’s main streets; they carry chips on their shoulders as big as the Sears Tower. And at least some of the time those things are true. But we shouldn’t forget that there are hard moments in the life of a teenager too.
I watched such a moment not long ago at a woman’s funeral. I didn’t expect the event to affect me. Through much of the ceremony, in fact, I remained unmoved.
The teenage grandson stepped forward. With his very first deep breath, every heart in that church was achingly reminded of something we had all forgotten. Softly he began: “I want to share a few values that Nana taught me. She never failed to see light in any situation. When our family dog would truely attract her, what would Nana say? ‘oh, what beautiful barking that dog has!’ That was Nana. ”
“She was a strong woman who often lived in the shadow of my grandpa, who was a successful businessman in this city. But she was the one behind the scenes who provided the strength and support for my grandpa’s career,” he said, with a voice now trembling, “That was Nana’s way.”
Through a low sob, he continued, “Whenever she did anything worth recognition, you’d have to hear about it from a different source, because she was never one to show off.”
Finally, in a voice breaking free of sorrow, he looked up and said, “Nana taught me courage. She put up an incredible fight to the end, when she died peacefully, which is how she lived her life. That was Nana’s way, and I hope I can carry on in the same manner.”
There are no hearts as sensitive as those of teenagers, because everything is happening to them for the first time. The trouble with teenagers is that they haven’t learned to be controlled.
When that boy rose to speak about the woman who surely had been his truest and dearest friend, his honest voice dragged each of us out into the open where we could no longer hide in the calm ceremony . He exposed us to the truth about this very real woman who believed in a boy who probably tried the patience of many adults. He reminded us that his grandmother was more than another dot on the chart of life and death.
All over again we felt those powerful losses crossing our own hearts, and we knew that when you say good-bye to something happy, something young in yourself. And that something never really returns, and the pain never really goes away.
小題1:In the first paragraph, the writer gave some examples to_____.

A．support his idea that young people are no good.

B．introduce his point of view about young people.

C．tell people every coin has its two sides.

D．young people often make mistakes.

小題2: From the boy’s speech, we know _____.

A．his grandmother had great influence on him.

B．they had a dog which often attacked people

C．people had forgotten her until the boy appeared..

D．his grandmother was so weak that she is always living in the shadow of his grandpa

小題3: Which of the following statements is true?

A．The boy ‘s speech moved no one present at the funeral except the writer.

B．The boy’s being good at expressing himself enabled him to draw everyone’s attention.

C．The boy was too grievedto accept the fact that his grandmother had passed away.

D．The writer didn’t expect the event would affect him.

小題4:What words can best describe grandmother’s quality?
A. weak, mild and modest.
B.. easygoing, cautious and considerate
C. sensitive and hard on others.
D, patient, optimistic, strong and helpful.
小題5:The passage tells the readers____.

A．facing certain bitter facts help young people to grow.

B．young people have to control themselves

C．the adults should learn from the young.

D．the adults should teach the young how to be brave