Treasure hunts have excited people’s imagination for hundreds of years both in real life and in books such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Is-land. Kit Williams, a modern writer, had the idea of combining the real excitement of a treasure hunt with clues found in a book when he wrote a children’s story, Masquerade, in 1979. The book was about a hare, and a month before it came out Williams buried a gold hare in a park in Bedfordshire. The book contained a large number of clues to help readers find the hare, but Williams put in a lot of “red herrings”, or false clues, to mislead them.
Ken Roberts, the man who found the hare, had been looking for it for nearly two years. Although he had been searching in the wrong area most of the time, he found it by logic，not by luck. His success came from the fact that he had gaine4d an important clue at the start. He had realized that the words: “One of Six to Eight” under the first picture in the book connected the hare in some way to Katherine of Aragon, the first of Henry VIII’s six wives. Even here, however, Williams had succeeded in misleading him. Ken knew that Katherine of Aragon had died at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire in 1536 and thought that Williams had buried the hare there. He had been digging there for over a year before a new idea occurred to him. He found out that Kit Williams had spent his childhood near Ampthill, in Bedfordshire, and thought that he must have buried the hare in a place he knew well, but he still could not see the connection with Katherine of Aragon, until one day he came across two stone crosses in Ampthill Park and learnt that they had been built in her honor in 1773.
Even then his search had not come to an end. It was only after he had spent several nights digging around the cross that he decided to write to Kit Williams to find out if he was wasting his time there. Williams encouraged him to continue, and on February 24th 1982, he found the treasure. It was worth 3000 in the beginning, but the excitement it had caused since its burial made it much more valuable.
小題1:Which of the following describes Roberts’ logic in searching for the hare?

A．Henry VIII’s six wives

B．Katherine’s burial place at Kimbolton

C．Williams’ childhood in Ampthill

D．Katherine of Argon

小題2:What is the subject discussed in the text?

A．An exciting historical event.

B．A modern treasure hunt.

C．The attraction of Masquerade.

D．The importance of logical thinking.

She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louver Museum(盧浮宮) where it is housed.
“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state.
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision(視覺(jué)) is excellent at picking up details, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”
However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.  
In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louver by a former employee, who took it out of the museum, hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later. During World War Ⅱ, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.
小題1:We can infer from the text that_______

A．the Mona Lisa is proved to be able to last another 500 years

B．Mona Lisa’s beauty is fading gradually with 500 years passing by

C．the Mona Lisa has been catching people’s wide attention in the past 500 years

D．Mona Lisa does not look out of date though painted 500 years ago

小題2:Which of the following is true about the Mona Lisa?

A．It was once taken away and hidden up by German forces.

B．Its painter himself loved it greatly and always kept it in a shade.

C．Mona Lisa stops smiling when you look at her wanting to see her smiles.

D．King Francis I bought it and then returned it to Italy.

小題3:Choose the right order about the happenings onto Mona Lisa.
a. It was stolen from the Louver.
b. Its painter sold it to King Francis I
c. Its state of health was checked.
d. It was returned to France and housed in the Louver Museum.
e. It was hidden and protected against Germans.

A．b-a-d-e-c

B．d-e-c-b-a

C．d-a-e-c-b

D．b-c-a-d-e

小題4:It may add to the difficulty in repairing the painting that_____.

A．experts haven’t noticed changes in its shape as visitors do

B．it is likely to be stolen again when it’s under repair

C．it is uncertain which country, Italy of France, should take charge

D．experts aren’t sure about the materials and the chemical state of its oil paint

If we are asked exactly what we were doing a year ago, we might have to say that we could not remember. But if we had kept a book and written in it an account (陳述) of what we did each day, we should be able to give an answer to the question.
It is the same in history. Many things have been forgotten because we do not have any written account of them. Sometimes men did keep a record of the important happenings in their country, but often it was destroyed by fire or in a war. Sometimes there was never any written record at all because the people of that time and place did not know how to write. For example, we know a great deal about the people who lived in china 4,000 years ago, because they could write and leave written records for whose who lived after them. But we know almost nothing about the people who lived even 200 years ago in central Africa, because they had not learned go write.
Sometimes, of course, even if the people cannot write, they may know something of the past. They have heard about it from older people, and often songs and dances and stories have been made about the most important happenings, and those have been sung and acted and told for many generations, for most people are proud to tell what their fathers did in the past. This we may call ‘remembered history’. Some of it has now been written history, because words are much more easily changed when used again and again in speech than when copied in writing. But where there are no written records, such spoken stories are often very helpful.  
小題1: Which of the following ideas is NOT talked about in the passage above?

A．“Remembered history” is less reliable than written history.

B．Written records of the past played a most important in our learning of the human history.

C．A written account of our daily activities helps us to remember what we have done

D．Where there are no written records, there is no history.

小題2:Remembered history”refers to          .

A．history based on a person’s imagination

B．stories of important happenings passed down from mouth to mouth

C．history written down in books

D．what we have learned and remembered in history lessons

小題3:“Remembered history”is regarded as valuable only when       .

A．it is written down	B．there is no written account
C．is proves down	D．people are interested in it

小題4: It can be inferred from the passage that we could have learned much more about our past than we do now if our ancestors had      .

A．kept a written record of every past event

B．not fought against one another in wars

C．told exact stories of the most important happenings

D．produced and taught more songs and dances

Narcissus was a beautiful looking boy. He had long, flowing, blond hair, beautiful, bright, blue eyes and even, white teeth. Many young ladies fell in love with him including the nymph（女神）: Echo.
Nymphs were lively spirits who lived near streams and lakes and protected trees in the forest. Echo had upset the Queen of the Gods; Hera. As a punishment Hera made Echo unable to speak except to repeat the last three words of the person she was talking to.
Poor Echo fell in love with Narcissus but could never tell him how she felt. Narcissus teased her and she ran away with tears pouring down her face. Aphrodite, the goddess of love saw what happened and decided to punish Narcissus. As he came to a pool of water Narcissus saw his reflection (影子)and fell in love with the vision he saw. It was of course his own reflection.
Poor Narcissus watched his own reflection, every time he tried to touch the face of the vision he loved it broke up on the shimmering surface of the water. Narcissus stopped eating, lost his beautiful looks and desired to get his love. In the end he anguished gradually and died.
Aphrodite took pity on him and made a flower grow in his place on the bank of the lake. Narcissus flowers (水仙花) can be found to this day growing wherever you can find water and trees.  
小題1:Echo fell in love with Narcissus because_________.

A．Narcissus was good-looking.

B．Echo was a lively spirit

C．Narcissus loved her, too.

D．Echo took pity on Narcissus

小題2: Why did Aphrodite, the goddess of love, punish Narcissus?

A．Aphrodite envied Echo because she loved Narcissus

B．She thought Narcissus didn’t respect and made Echo sad.

C．Narcissus fell in love with the vision, not Echo.

D．Echo was trapped in love and didn’t protect trees in the forest any longer.

小題3:What does the underlined word “anguished” in the fourth paragraph mean?

A．become increasingly thin and weak

B．become very hungry

C．become very fat

D．become out of mind

小題4:What is the main purpose of writing the passage?

A．To tell people a sad love story

B．To tell people how Narcissus flowers came

C．To tell the true meaning of beauty and ugliness

D．To tell people not affect others’ love

There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama came from ritual (宗教儀式). The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world, even the seasonal changes, as unpredictable, and they sought through various means, to control these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then kept and repeated until they hardened into fixed rituals. Eventually stories arose which explained the mysteries of the rites. As time passed some rituals were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths (神話), coutinued to exist and provided material for art and drama.
Those who believe that drama came from ritual also argue that those rites contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost always used. Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances and when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made between the “acting area” and the “watching area.” In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in performing, religious leaders usually undertook that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they often imitated other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and used gestures about the desired effect, success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival (復(fù)活) of the Sun. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.
Another theory traces the theater’s origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this view, tales about the hunt, war, or other feats are gradually added in detail, at first through imitation, action, and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely-related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds.
小題1:What does the passage mainly discuss?

A．The origins of theater.	B．The role of ritual in modern dance.
C．The importance of storytelling.	D．The variety of early religious activities.

小題2:What aspect of drama does the author discuss in the first parapraph?

A．The reason why drama is often unpredictable.	B．The seasons in which dramas were performed.
C．The connection between myths and dramatic plots.	D．The importance of costumes in early drama.

小題3:Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a common element of theater and ritual?

A．Dance.

B．Costumes.

C．Music.

D．Magic.

小題4:According to the passage, what is the main difference between ritual and drama?

A．Ritual uses music whereas drama does not.	B．Ritual is shorter than drama.
C．Ritual requires fewer performers than drama.	D．Ritual has a religious purpose and drama does not.

If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles. The study also found the effect is greater the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density（密度）in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,”said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and math skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible（靈活的），” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.
小題1: Which part will change more when a person studies a second language?

A． grey matter density	B． the brain
C． mental system	D． musles

小題2: Who can study a second language easier?.

A． The adults	B．The teenagers
C． The children	D．The old

小題3:The underlined word “bilingual” probably means      .

A． a researcher on language learning

B． a second language learner

C． a person who can speak two languages

D． an active language learner

小題4:  How do you understand the underlined sentence ( in paragraph 4 ) in the passage?

A． It means that we can practise our brain by studying a second language

B． It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn

C． It means that learning a second language makes you more flexable

D． It means that learners will better understand the difficult ideas.

  People use money to buy food, furniture, books, bicycles and hundreds of other things they need or want. Most of the money today is made of metal or paper. But people used to use all kinds of things as money. One of the first kinds of money was shells. Shells were not the only things used as money. In China, cloth and knives were used. In the Philippine Islands, rice was used as money for a long time. Elephant tusks, monkey tails, and salt were used as money in parts of Africa.
Some animals were used as money too. The first metal coins were made in China. They were round and had a square hole in the center. People strung them together and carried them from place to place. The first coins in England were made of tin (錫). Sweden and Russia used copper (銅) to make their money. Later countries began to make coins of gold and silver.
Later the Chinese thought of a way to improve money. They began to use paper money. Money has had an interesting history from the days of shell money until today.
小題1:People used different kinds of things as          .

A．gold

B．metal

C．money

D．silver

小題2:Tin was first made as money in         .

A．China

B．Philippine Islands

C．England

D．Russia

小題3: The word "strung" in the passage probably means         ."

A．came

B．tied

C．put

D．made

小題4: The best topic of the article is”         .”

A．How Many Kinds of Money Are There in the World	B．The History of Money
C．Money in Different Countries	D．The Use of Money

Besides entertainment and beautiful lanterns, another important part of the Lantern Festival, or Yuanxiao Festival is eating small dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour. We call these balls Yuanxiao or Tangyuan. Obviously, they get the name from the festival itself. It is said that the custom of eating Yuanxiao originated during the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the fourth century, then became popular during the Tang and Song periods.
The fillings inside the dumplings or Yuansiao are either sweet or salty. Sweet fillings are made of sugar, Walnuts, sesame（芝麻）, osmanthus flowers(桂花), rose petals, sweetened tangerine（橘子）peel, bean paste, or jujube paste（棗子醬）. A single ingredient or any combination can be used as the filling . The salty variety is filled with minced meat（肉末兒）, vegetables or a mixture.
The way to make Yuanxiao also varies between northern and southern China. The usual method followed in southern provinces is to shape the dough of rice flour into balls, make a hole, insert the filling, then close the hole and smooth out the dumpling by rolling it between your hands. In North China, sweet or nutmeat stuffing is the usual ingredient. The fillings are pressed into hardened cores, dipped lightly in water and rolled in a flat basket containing dry glutinous rice flour. A layer of the flour sticks to the filling, which is then again dipped in water and rolled a second time in the rice flour. And so it goes, like rolling a snowball, until the dumpling is the desired size.
The custom of eating Yuanxiao dumplings remains. This tradition encourages both old and new stores to promote their Yuanxiao products. They all try their best to improve the taste and quality of the dumplings to attract more customers.
小題1:Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The custom of eating Yuanxiao dates back to the fourth century.

B．Sugar, rose petals and minced meat are all fillings of Yuanxiao.

C．Sweet Yuanxiao are usually made in southern China.

D．People in northern China usually make Yuanxiao by rolling like a snowball.

小題2:Which country does the Lantern Festival come from?

A．China

B．South Korea

C．Jin Dynasty

D．Tang and Song periods.

小題3:Choose the right order of making Tangyuan in southern provinces.
① make a hole and insert the filling 
② roll the dough between your hands 
③ shape the dough of rice flour into balls  
④ close the hole  
⑤ prepare some rice flour

A．⑤③②①④

B．③⑤①②④

C．③①④②⑤

D．⑤③①④②

小題4:What is the best title of this passage?

A．The Lantern Festival	B．The ingredients of Yuanxiao
C．The difference between Yuanxiao and Tangyuan.	D．China’s traditional food—Yuanxiao.

小題5:Why do we eat Yuanxiao today?

A．Because it’s a tradition.

B．Because it’s a tasty food.

C．Because we love our country.

D．Because this food can make money.

Vicious(劇烈的)and Dangerous Sports Should be Banned by Law
When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, it’s amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak contemptuously of the poor old Romans because they relished the orgies of slaughter that went on in their arenas. We may despise them because they mistook these goings on for entertainment. We may forgive them condescendingly because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are our feelings of superiority really justified? Are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches, for instance, attract such universal interest? Don’t the spectators who attend them hope they will see some violence? Human beings remains as bloodthirsty as ever they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungry lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts of sophisticated arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long age; sports which are quite as barbarous as, say, public hangings or bearbaiting.
It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bull-fighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men batter each other to pulp in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Let us not deceive ourselves. Any talk of ‘the sporting spirit’ is sheer hypocrisy. People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Spectators are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions of people are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen. They feel disappointment because they have been deprived of the exquisite pleasure of witnessing prolonged torture and violence.
Why should we ban violent sports if people enjoy them so much? You may well ask. The answer is simple: they are uncivilized. For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally – admittedly with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight madmen cooped up in cages, or public floggings of any of the countless other barbaric practices which were common in the past. Prisons are no longer the grim forbidding places they used to be. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. Big efforts are being made to distribute wealth fairly. These changes have come about not because human beings have suddenly and unaccountably improved, but because positive steps were taken to change the law. The law is the biggest instrument of social change that we have and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind. We would recognize that violence is degrading and unworthy of human beings.
1.It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s opinion of nowadays’ human beings is
A. not very high.         B.  high.  C.  contemptuous.      D.  critical.
2.The main idea of this passage is
A. vicious and dangerous sports should be banned by law.
B. people are willing to pay vast sums money to see violence.
C. to compare two different attitudes towards dangerous sports.
D. people are bloodthirsty in sports.
3.That the author mentions the old Romans is
A. To compare the old Romans with today’s people.  B. to give an example.
C. to show human beings in the past know nothing better.
D. to indicate human beings are used to bloodthirsty.
4. How many dangerous sports does the author mention in this passage?
A.  Three.     B.  Five.    C.  Six.    D.  Seven.
5. The purpose of the author in writing this passage is
A. that, by banning the violent sports, we human beings can improve ourselves.
B. that, by banning the dangerous sports, we can improve the law.
C. that we must take positive steps to improve social welfare system.
D. to show law is the main instrument of social change.

The history of the Games Olympia
Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, is in the western part of the Peloponnese which, according to Greek mythology, is the island of "Pelops", the founder of the Olympic Games. Imposing temples, votive buildings, elaborate shrines and ancient sporting facilities(設(shè)備) were combined in a site of unique natural and mystical beauty.
Olympia functioned as a meeting place for worship and other religious and political practices as early as the 10th century B.C. The central part of Olympia was dominated by the majestic temple of Zeus, with the temple of Hera parallel to it. The ancient stadium in Olympia could hold more than 40,000 audience, while in the surrounding area there were auxiliary(輔助的) buildings which developed gradually up until the 4th century B.C. and were used as training sites for the athletes or to house the judges of the Games.
The Games and religion
The Olympic Games were closely linked to the religious festivals of the cult of Zeus, but were not a total part of a rite. Indeed, they had a secular character and aimed to show the physical qualities and development of the performances accomplished by young people, as well as encouraging good relations between the cities of Greece. According to specialists, the Olympic Games owed their purity and importance to religion.
Victory ceremonies
The Olympic victor received his first awards immediately after the competition. Following the announcement of the winner's name by the herald, a Hellanodikis (Greek judge) would place a palm branch in his hands, while the audience cheered and threw flowers to him. Red ribbons were tied on his head and hands as a mark of victory.
The official award ceremony would take place on the last day of the Games, at the elevated vestibule of the temple of Zeus. In a loud voice, the herald would announce the name of the Olympic winner, his father's name, and his homeland. Then, the Hellanodikis placed the sacred olive tree wreath（花環(huán)）, or kotinos, on the winner's head.
小題1:When did Olympia become the site of the Olympic Games?
A. In the 10th century B.C.
B. Before the 4th century B.C.
C. After the 4th century B.C.
D. It was not mentioned here.
小題2:Which one is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Zeus is the founder of the Olympic Games.

B．The ancient stadium in Olympic were used as training sites for the athletes in the 10th century.

C．The Olympic Games have much to do with the religion.

D．The Olympic victor would receive a golden medal.

小題3:Can you guess the meaning of this word “herald” in the passage?

A．the author

B．the headmaster

C．the announcer

D．the manager

小題4:When the athletes won the game, ______.

A．They were awarded immediately after the competition.

B．They were awarded twice. The first, immediately after the competition; the second, on the last day of the game.

C．They were awarded on the last day of the game.

D．They were awarded on the last day of the game or immediately after the competition.