Businesses put lots of time and money into new plans, programs and excellent employees with the hope things will change. Yet, at the end of the effort, not much changes. What happens?
In most cases, those new plans, programs and employees enter a company with an existing culture (文化). And plans, programs and new employees have a way of conforming to(順應(yīng))the existing culture. The culture of your business is the result of a particular mindset, or a particular way of thinking and the general feelings about certain things. Most often, it is the mindset of the founder or people managing the business.
The founder has gotten to where he is because of his skill sets, knowledge base and personal beliefs, which unfortunately all come with inherent (固有的)limits. Why Skills, knowledge and beliefs come from what he or she already knows or has experienced. In other words, it comes from the past. We (people) try to make the past fit the future. Just because something worked in the past, doesn't mean it is suitable for the future. As the saying goes, if you do and think what you have always done and thought, you will have what you have always had.
Therefore, lasting changes have to start with the way people think. To make changes in the way you think, you will be required to set goals beyond your basic abilities and continuously think them through. It is a way to train yourself and people to get out of the comfort zone where you feel happy with your knowledge and skills.
小題1:Which question does the author try to answer?

A．What past experience is useful for businesses

B．How much time is needed for making plans

C．How can changes be made in businesses

D．What kinds of employees are the best

小題2:Where does the business culture mainly come from?

A．The founder

B．The progress

C．The new employees

D．The collective effort

小題3:What does the author think about the mindset of the company leader?

A．It can prevent the enrichment of experience

B．It is useful far skill and knowledge learning

C．It is important for personal beliefs build-up

D．It may limit the company's development

Producing money requires both artistic and technological skills. Dollar bills are made so that they are interesting to look at but very hard to copy. In total, there are sixty-five separate steps required to make a dollar bill．
The money making process begins when a yearly order is sent by the Federal Reserve Board. That order will then be divided in half. Half will be done here in Washington, D.C. and the other half will be done in Fort Worth, Texas. Next, the Bureau orders special paper which is actually cloth since it is 75% cotton and 25% linen．
This paper is made so that it can last a long time. And, it is made with details that make it hard to copy. For example, bills contain security threads. These narrow pieces of plastic are inside the paper and run along the width of the bill. This special paper is also made with very small blue and red fibers．
Once the money is printed, guillotine cutters (切紙機) separate the sheets into two notes, then into individual notes．The notes are organized in "bricks," each of which contains forty one-hundred-note packages. The bricks then go to one of twelve Federal Reserve Districts, which then give the money to local banks. Ninety-five percent of the bills printed each year are used to replace money that is in circulation, or that has already been removed from circulation．
You may know that America's first president, George Washington, is pictured on the one- dollar bill. But do you know whose face is on the two, five, ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred-dollar bills? They are, in order. President Thomas Jefferson, President Abraham Lincoln, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, President Andrew Jackson, President Ulysses Grant and statesman Benjamin Franklin．
The average life span of a one-dollar bill is twenty-one months. But a ten-dollar bill lasts only about eighteen months．The one hundred-dollar bill lasts the longest, eighty-nine months．One popular question is about the two-dollar bill. This bill is not printed very often. This is because many Americans believe two-dollar bills are lucky, so they keep them． 
小題1:During money production, we must consider all EXCEPT that it must                   .

A．last a long time	B．be hard to copy
C．be done by the president's order	D．be interesting to look at

小題2:We can learn from the passage that the security threads                   .

A．a(chǎn)re narrow pieces of plastic

B．a(chǎn)re pressed outside the bills

C．a(chǎn)re longer than the width of the bills

D．a(chǎn)re actually made of cotton and linen

小題3: How many presidents are printed on the American money?

A．Four

B．Five

C．Six

D．Seven

小題4:Why are the two-dollar bills not made often?

A．Because no one wants them．

B．Because they aren't damaged quickly like other bills．

C．Because they aren't used in America any more．

D．Because their material is a bit more expensive．

Is there a limit to the number of years that a person can expect to live? Can changes in life-style add years to one’s life? Throughout history people have sought answers to these questions and others.
Various myths offer the hope of great longevity. In the imaginary land of Shangri-La, for example, people are said to lead a charmed existence for a thousand years. The Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was convinced that he would find the Foundation of Youth in what is now the state of Florida. According to the Bible, Methuselah lived to be more than 900 years old.
The subject of longevity is fascinating, and scientists study individuals such as Jeanne Calment to learn about the aging process. Calment died in 1997 in Arles, France, at the age of 122. She never married, and she lived in her own apartment until moving to a retirement community when she was 109.
Most scientists agree that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years. This potential has changed little since modern human beings appeared more than 100 thousand years age. Recent improvements in medicine and the environment have extended life expectancy, especially for those from poorer parts of the world. It is not clear, however, whether such improvements will lengthen life expectancy beyond a certain point.
Life expectancy is the number of years an infant can be expected to live, given the conditions into which it is born. Life expectancy, therefore, is affected by nutrition, medical care, and social and political circumstances. An individual’s genetic makeup is also an important factor. Children from long-lived families can hope to enjoy long lives themselves. According to recent data, the average life expectancy worldwide in 1998 was 67 years. This can be compared with an average life expectancy of 77 in the United States.
In 1970 the average life expectancy worldwide was 61 years, or 6 years less than it was in 1998. This same period saw a drop in infant mortality -— the death of a child before the first birthday-—from 80 births out of 1,000 to 54 births out of 1,000. According to some researchers, the rise in the average life expectancy is due primarily to the drop in infant mortality. It is not so much that adults are living to an older age. It is, rather, that more people are living into adulthood because more children are surviving beyond their first birthdays.
小題1:Infant mortality is defined as ________ .

A．the number of children born alive

B．the kinds of behavior typical of very young children

C．the number of children, out of 1,000 births, who die before their first birthday

D．the typical and obvious thoughts of very young children

小題2:Although it may be possible to improve the life expectancy of a particular group of people, ________ .

A．it is more difficult to affect the rate of infant mortality

B．it is unlikely that one will be able to extend the potential life span of human beings in general

C．the process of evolution is extending the potential life span beyond 125 years

D．the potential that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years has changed much since modern human beings appeared

小題3:One can infer that people have at times imagined that ________ .

A．people live longer in the state of Florida

B．a(chǎn) long life is a burden rather than a blessing

C．it is possible to find a way to live for centuries

D．life expectancy is affected by a couple of factors

小題4:One can conclude that  ________ .

A．the aging process can be stopped.

B．the aging process is inevitable.

C．life expectancy in the United States will soon reach 125 years.

D．the average life expectancy worldwide is decreasing

Australia is sometimes called “the lucky country”. One reason is the wonderful riches under the earth: gold, silver, iron, coal and many other precious metals. Oil and natural gas have helped to build big industries. Victoria, the southeastern state, has a large number of industries. Oil is no problem for them. The Bass Strait, off the coast of Victoria, has been one of the country's biggest oil fields for many years.
South Australia is the driest of all the states, but it does have the Murray River. The river brings greenness and life to the state's southeast corner. In the early days of Australian history, the Murray River was South Australia's main road. Before real roads and railways came, the river carried people and goods from the coast up into the country. Some towns on the Murray still keep the old riverboats, and visitors can ride on them.
小題1:People sometimes call Australia “the lucky country”, because ____ .

A．the people in Australia are very lucky

B．Australia has a large number of industries

C．there is the biggest oil fields of the world

D．the country has very rich natural resources

小題2:What do you think of South Australia?

A．It's a scene of desolation（荒涼）.	B．It's a scene of desert.
C．The land is full of life.	D．The land lies waste.

小題3:Which of the following gives you a correct idea of the Murray River?
a．It lies in the south of the country.
b．It is the largest river of the country.
c．It irrigates the driest of the country.
d．It brings greenness and life to the southeast corner.
e．It is still an important passageway to carry people and goods.

A．a(chǎn), b, c and d

B．b, c, d and e

C．c, d, e and a

D．d, e, a and b

小題4:Which of the following pictures shows the right position of Victoria?
D

National parks in the UK are a wonder to see, run by the National Trust, a non-profit charity which maintains Great Britain's historical and natural landscapes. Britain's park Authority has made planning restrictions to protect these wilderness areas in housing and commercial activities.
Mainland England and Wales have the largest number of protected parks. The first established area was the l,438 kilometer Peak District. The first national park lies in northern and central England. The Peak District with vast beauty is thought to be the world's most visited national park after Japan's Mount Fuji.
In the northwest area of Wales lies Snowdonia National Park. This attractive, mysterious ancient landscape is home to steep mountains. Walking trails to Mount Snowdon is only one of several exciting activities for hikers.
National parks in the UK can also boast of having Britain's largest protected wetland "The Broad", just outside the village of Homing. An ideal spot for families, this 200-mile area combines waterways with an interesting intersection(交叉) of windmills, castles and an ancient Normal church.
Spreading across 885 miles of truly impressive rocky land is Lake District National Park. England's largest park attraction is spread between Edinburgh to the north and Manchester to the south. Although the land itself seems wild, almost 40,000 people live within the park. Within this district's vast borders we can find over 6,000 archaeological(考古的) sites and monuments dating back to prehistory.
The United Kingdom has taken great care to preserve its wilderness areas for the future generations, and all the parks are adventures waiting to De found which can be enjoyed by both natives and visitors.
小題1:Who is in charge of the National parks in the UK? (no more than 3 words)
小題2:According to the passage, which is thought to be the world's most visited national park? (no more than 5 words)
小題3:If you want to see ancient monuments, where would you go? (no more than 4 words)
小題4:For whom are the wild areas preserved in the UK? (no more than 4 words)
小題5:What's the text mainly about? (no more than 6 words)

London is the capital of Britain. It is located in the southeast plain of England. The Thames River goes through this city.
The British have lived there for about 3,000 years. The Roman Empire intruded into (侵入)Britannia Island in 54 BC. The Romans built the first wooden bridge over the Thames River.
London is a world-famous cultural city. There are many famous cultural sites. It is one of the world's great tourist destinations. About eight million people visit London every year.
The largest museum is the British Museum, which was built in the 18th century. There are many ancient cultural relics of Britain and of other countries in the museum. The London Tower stands on the southeast of Tower Mountain. It was once a palace, and it is now an exhibition center. Westminster Hall is located on the west bank of the Thames River and was built in 750 AD. It is the largest Gothic building of the world and was a palace in the past, too.
The Clock Tower, which is about 97 meters high, is located northeast of the parliament. The famous “Big Ben” weighs about 21 tons and its big pendulum（鐘擺）is about 305 kilograms. Hyde Park is one of the great parks in the world and it is in the west district of London. There is a free forum(論壇) there and some people give speeches there every week. They can say almost anything, but they can't attack the Queen or support violent revolution.
小題1:Which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．London lies in the southeast plain of England.

B．The British first lived in London thousands of years ago.

C．People can enjoy a walk along the Thames River in London.

D．The Roman Empire intruded into Britannia Island over 2,100 years ago.

小題2:We learn from the passage that _________.

A．London receives millions of visitors every month

B．only in the British Museum can you see ancient cultural relics of Britain

C．the famous "Big Ben" in the Clock Tower is about 97 meters high

D．not everything can be talked about in the forum at Hyde Park

小題3:This passage is most probably taken from a website about ___________ .

A．traveling

B．kids

C．museums

D．Holidays

Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: international contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourage international brotherhood. Not only was there the incident of tragedy involving murders of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused principally by minor national contests.
One country received its second-place medals with visible anger after the hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, as the losers disagreed with the final decisions. They believed that one of their goals should have been allowed and that their opponents’ victory was unfair. Their manager was in great anger when he said: “This isn’t hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished.” The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension(停賽) of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not yield first place to Russia, after a disputable(有爭議的) end to their contest. The game had ended in disorder. It was thought at first that the United States had won by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other, and another player popped it into the basket. It was the first time the US had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury (評審委員會) debated the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism (愛國主義).
小題1:According to the author, recent Olympic Games have ____.

A．created goodwill between the nations

B．hardly showed any international friendship

C．caused only false national pride

D．led to more and more misunderstanding and hatred

小題2:What did the manager mean by saying, “...Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished”?

A．There should be no more hockey matches organized by the Federation.

B．His team would no longer take part in international games.

C．Hockey and the Federation are ruined by the unfair decisions.

D．The Federation should be ended.

小題3: The basketball example implied that        .

A．too much patriotism was displayed in the incident

B．the announcement to make the match last longer was wrong

C．the appeal jury was too hesitant in making the decision

D．The American team was right in receiving the silver medals

小題4:Which statement best summarizes this passage?

A．The organization of the Olympic Games must be improved.

B．Different teams often have disputes when fighting for the first place.

C．Any team that has disrespectful behavior should be suspended.

D．Athletes should compete as individuals.

Charlotte’s Web by E．B． White is a children’s book．
As the story opens,eight-year-old farm girl Fern Arable stops her father from killing a baby pig who is weaker than his brothers and sisters．The little pig,Wilbur,becomes one of the main characters in the story．Later he will be treated as a friend by Charlotte,a wise and loving spider living on the same farm．Wilbur slowly realizes that the farmer will kill him for his meat in a few months ,and Charlotte decides to help him out．She tries many things to keep Wilbur alive．She writes words in her web describing how wonderful Wilbur is and this makes the farm famous．
White creates a sort of modern animal fable（寓言）,in which animals can speak both with each other and with Fern．Also there are many great characters in this book．
The society of animals has many lessons to teach children and adults:friendship,sacrifice（犧牲），hope,determination,love,duty,fairness,respect,and many more．
Part of this novel’s success is the fact that the author makes a heroine（女主角）out of a spider,a creature that many people probably dislike．Unlike a lovely little pig or other creatures,a spider is a creature greatly different from humans．White’s Charlotte is a truly wonderful character．He tells the story of Charlotte and her friends in a special way．This is a book that no one could ever dislike．It has much to offer to children as well as to older teens and adult readers．
小題1:According to the descripion of the book,Charlotte ______．

A．is a nice and clever spider

B．often teaches her friends good lessons

C．a(chǎn)lways sacrifices herself for her friends

D．is disliked by many animals around her

小題2:According to the writer,which of the following is a factor in the success of the book?

A．That there are many animals in the book．

B．That the author of the book is very famous．

C．That the author knows children very well．

D．That the author makes a heroine out of a spider．

小題3:We learn from the passage that Charlitte’s Web ______．
A．is the most interesting book for children
B．is E．B． White’s only book written for children
C．is a good book not only for children but also for adults
D．is mainly about how animals get along with each other
小題4:What is the purpose of the writer in writing this passage?

A．To introduce the book Charlitte’s Web

B．To discuss what kinds of books are good to read

C．To explain why Charlitte’s Web is a good book

D．To tell us the importance of friendship in our life

For centuries, the body's blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, are said to be cold-blooded. For example, the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. He seems to kill for no reason, and no emotion, as if taking someone's life as nothing．
Cold can affect other parts of the body. The expression “get cold feet” has nothing to do with cold or your feet．The expression means being afraid to do something you have decided to do．For example, you agree to be president of an organization．But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned（辭職）, and all the work of the organization will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation．
The expression “give someone the cold shoulder” probably comes from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of speaking to him face to face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you. Or, to someone who has lied about you to others．
A cold fish is not a fish．It is a person．But it is a person who is unfriendly, and shows no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone. Someone who is a cold fish could be cold-hearted. Now a cold-hearted person is someone who has no sympathy. Several popular songs in recent years were about cold-hearted men or cold-hearted women who, without feelings, broke the hearts of their lovers．
“Out in the cold” means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise. He was left out in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be．
小題1:When you refuse to speak to a man and treat him in a distant way, you may express by “_____”．

A．I give him the cold shoulder

B．I think he is a cold-blooded man

C．I think he is a cold fish

D．I'm likely to get cold feet

小題2:If Sue shows absolutely no reaction to those awful pictures of starving children in Africa, you will say ______．

A．she is a cold-blooded killer	B．she gets cold feet
C．she is a cold fish	D．she is out in the cold

小題3:We can use the expression “_____" to describe a man who hurts his lover without mercy．

A．cold-blooded

B．cold-hearted

C．cold feet

D．cold shoulder

小題4:The topic of this passage is about _____．

A．the relationship between cold and our body

B．some expressions about friendship

C．some expressions connected with cold

D．how cold weather comes into being

When I put a foot in the school for the first time, the thing that I will never forget is a big smile coming from the people of the reception. This is the kind of things that means a lot to you when you are feeling like a strange person in a country that you have never been, as it was in my case.
In the classes, I don’t know if I’m a lucky person, but the teachers that I have had, in my opinion, are excellent, very professional in their jobs, and they just seem to enjoy teaching, and make the lessons useful and classes amusing.
Another fact that I’ve really enjoyed is that the school is not only aimed at the English language knowledge. You can also find every kind of activity intended to entertain the students in their free time, with things like going to museums and galleries, visiting special places in the city or going to the very famous pub night to have a few beers with your friends. So here you have the opportunity to enjoy the stay in London, to meet new friends, and also to learn everything about the city and the British culture.
Personally, there are some facts that have not been easy for me since I arrived, like being so far away from my family, the differences between English food and the food I used to eat, and the high prices for everything. However, I am impressed about a very developed and multicultural city, with people aware of the sense of living in community, with a public transport amazingly thorough, with outstanding tourist places, with opportunities for work and with food from every part of the world that you can imagine.
I’ve experienced something priceless with my friends in London. Every time I made contact with my friends from another country, I learn about their culture. I was lucky to have such good friends. I think that time was a present for me.
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?

A．The author’s learning experience in London.

B．The friends the author made while in London.

C．The author’s progress in learning English.

D．The poor memories in a foreign country.

小題2:When setting foot in the new country, the author ________.

A．felt the great pressure from foreigners

B．was uneasy in the unfamiliar environment

C．missed everything and everyone in his back home

D．had difficulty dealing with different cultures and customs

小題3:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The author’s experience in London is worthless.

B．Schools in London focus on no activities.

C．The author had some difficulty in adapting to the life in London.

D．The teachers are easily confused by the international students.

小題4:What did the author do besides his studies while in London?

A．He learned the differences between languages.

B．He got to know the city with different cultures.

C．He served at many outstanding tourists places.

D．He made contact with friends from his home.