There's something rotten in Rio and the smell is coming from the huge stacks of rubbish pried up on sidewalks all over the city. Rio's street sweepers chose the carnival holiday to demand better salaries. Their wages start at roughly $400 a month.
There could hardly be a better time for them to prove their importance. The streets were left a mess after hundreds of carnival parades and now, rubbish pries up in both poor and uptown neighbourhoods and in tourist areas like Ipanema or Copacabana beach.                                                                                                                                         
The president of Rio's rubbish collecting company has even appealed to the population to store rubbish at home whenever possible. He says 30% of the city's sweepers have gone on strike. Some of those who have been working have been threatened by the strike movement so now the police has been deployed alongside rubbish collectors to keep them sage as they go about their business.
The strike has divided opinions in Rio. On social media, many support the sweepers' demands for better salaries. Others say they are opportunists and the situation is a big embarrassment to the city.
But Brazil's culture of littering the streets doesn't help. A video that went viral online shows that even authorities have a problem with that. Rio's mayor, Eduardo Paes, is seen throwing what seemed to be the rest of an apple on the sidewalk--and now promised to impose himself a fine for his wrongdoing. His government recently created a programme to keep Rio's residents from littering the streets.
小題1:Rio's street cleaners go on strike to

A．prove their importance	B．threaten the government
C．a(chǎn)sk for higher salaries	D．a(chǎn)ppeal to the public not to litter

小題2:The reason why the police are involved is that __

A．the police are called out to put down the riot	B．the police are required to protect some cleaners
C．the police are to collect rubbish for the time being	D．the police are sent to arrest people who litter around

小題3:The author's attitude to Brazil's culture of littering is __

A．hopeless

B．a(chǎn)pproving

C．critical

D．optimistic

小題4: The purpose of writing the passage is to __

A．criticize, street sweepers of Rio for misusing their rights

B．call attention to the embarrassing situation of Rio

C．describe the effect or the strike on people

D．inform people of the present situation of Rio

Multitasking
What is the first thing you nitice when you walk into a shop? The products displayed (展示) at the entrance? Or the soft background music?
But have you ever notice the smell? Unless it is bad, the answer is likely to be no. But while a shop’s scent may not be outstanding compared with sightsand sounds, it is certainly there. And it is providing to be an increasing powerful tool in encouraging people to purchase.
A brand store has become famous for its distinctive scent which floats through the fairly dark hall and out to the entrance, via scent machines. A smell may be attractive but it may not just be used for freshening air. One sports goods company once reported that when it first introduced scent into its stores, customers’ intension to purchase increased by 80 percent.
When it comes to the best shopping streets in Pairs, scent is just as important to a brand’s success as the quality of its window displays and goods on slaes. That is mainly because shopping is a very different experience to what it used to be.
Some years ago,the focus for brand name shopping was on a few people with sales assistants’ disproving attitude and don’t-touch-what-you-can’t-afford displays. Now the rise of electronic commerce (e-commerce) has opened up famous brands to a wider audience. But while e-shops can use sights and sounds, only bricks-and-mortar stores (實(shí)體店) can offer a full experience from the minute customers step through the door to the moment they leave. Another brand store seeks to be much more than a shop, but rather a destination. And scent is just one way to achieve this.
Now a famous store uses complex man-made smell to make sure that the soft scent of baby powder floats through the kid department, and coconut (椰子) scent in the swimsuit section. A department store has even opened a new lab, inviting customers on a journey into the store’s windows to smell books, pots and drawers, in search of their perfect scent.
小題1:According to the passage, what is an increasingly powerful tool in the success of some brand store?

A．Friendly assistant.	B．Unique scents.
C．Soft background music	D．a(chǎn)ttractive window display.

小題2:E-shops are mentioned in the passage to _______ .

A．a(chǎn)show the advantages of brick-and-mortar stores

B．urge shop assistants to change their attitude

C．push stores to use sights and sounds

D．introduce the rise of e-commerce

小題3:The underlined word “destination” in Paragraph 5 means _______ .

A．a(chǎn) platform that exhibts goods

B．a(chǎn) spot where travelers like to stay

C．a(chǎn) place where customers love to go

D．a(chǎn) target that a store expects to meet

小題4:The main purpose of the passage is to ______ .

A．compare and evaluate	B．examine and assess
C．a(chǎn)rgue and discuss	D．inform and explain

Since the first Earth Day in 1970,American have gotten a lot “greenter” toward the environment . “We didn’t know at that time there even was an environment,let alone that there was a problem with it,”says Bruce Anderson,president of Earth Day USA.
But what began as nothing important in public affairs has grown into a social movement .Business people,political leaders, university professors,and especially millions of grass-roots Americans are taking part in the movement. “The understanding has increased many ,many times,”says Gaylord Nelson,the fromer govermor from Wisconsin,who thought up the first According to US government reports , emissions (排放)from cars and trucks have dropped from 10.3 million tons a year to 5.5 tons .The number of cities producing CO beyond the standard has been reduced from 40 to 9 .Although serious problems still remain and need to be dealt with , the world is a safer and healthier place .A kind of “Green thinking ” has become part of practices .
Great improvement has been achieved .In 1988 there were only 600 recycling programs ,; today in 1995 there are about 6,600 .Advanced lights ,motors , and building designs have helped save a lot of energy and therefore prevented pollution .
Twenty –five years ago , there were hardly any education programs for environment .Today , it’s hard to find a public school , university , or law school that does not have such a kind of program .” Until we do that , nothing else will change! ” say Bruce Anderson .
小題1:According to Anderson , before 1970, Americans had little idea about ___

A．the social movement

B．recycling techniques

C．environmental problems

D．the importance of Earth Day

小題2:Where does the support for environmental protection mainly come from?

A．The grass –roots level

B．The business circle

C．Government officials

D．University professors

小題3:What have Americans achieved in environmental protection ?

A．They have cut car emissions to the lowest

B．They have settled their environmental problems

C．They have lowered their CO levels in forty cities.

D．They have reduced pollution through effective measures .

小題4:What is especially important for environmental protection according to the last paragraph ?

A．Education

B．Planning

C．Green living

D．CO reduction

When our restaurant business failed，we headed north in a camping truck to Texas，hoping to have a “fresh start”.
At the     of Palo Duro Canyon (峽谷）State Park，I     a job advertisement hiring park hosts. The position offered a     ，permanent campsite in the park, and     , the hosts served as a link between the park’s guests and the rangers (護(hù)林人). It was the perfect solution: a rent-free place to reorganize our lives. We entered the park and I made an     for the following day.
The park was     , so it took us some time to find an available site. That evening, as we finished our dinner, my wife saw two large skunks (臭鼠由）walking toward our table. We     climbed onto the table and, for the next four hours, waited for them to     our camp.
Having survived that night, we were     that everything else would be all right. The next day we met with the people who ran the park. They explained our     and gave us a beautiful campsite.
That evening,     , we learned about the canyon    . They were strong and cold, rocking our little camping truck violently，and we lay     in the dark until the winds died away.
   the weeks that followed, we learned to survive in our truck and     the little money my wife     by substitute teaching. Building a successful business and then losing it had left very little time for building a successful     For a time after our business    I thought I might lose my family as well.
Living in the tiny     with no television, we sat close together reading and talking. One evening, standing under a jeweled sky，I found myself     for all the hardships. We had walked the trails and climbed the canyon walls. We had become a family!

小題1:	A．back B．edge C．centre D．entrance

小題2:	A．sponsored B．published C．noticed D．a(chǎn)nswered

小題3:	A．safe B．free C．convenient D．beautiful

小題4:	A．in return B．in time C．in short D．in turn

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)ttempt B．a(chǎn)greement C．a(chǎn)ppeal D．a(chǎn)ppointmei

小題6:	A．crowded B．dangerous C．ideal D．quiet

小題7:	A．repeatedly B．immediately C．eventually D．calmly

小題8:	A．a(chǎn)ttack B．leave C．pass D．search

小題9:	A．satisfied B．determined C．confident D．a(chǎn)ware

小題10:

A．responsibilities B．requirements C．circumstances D．conditions

小題11:

A．moreover B．therefore C．meanwhile D．however

小題12:

A．winds B．snows C．woods D．trails

小題13:

A．shaking B．quarrelling C．mourning D．a(chǎn)ching

小題14:

A．After B．Between C．During D．Beyond

小題15:

A．give away B．hand out C．live on D．put aside

小題16:

A．borrowed B．earned C．posted D．raised

小題17:

A．business B．career C．family D．image

小題18:

A．started B．failed C．expanded D．declined

小題19:

A．truck B．park C．house D．camp

小題20:

A．desperate B．ready C．suitable D．thankful

For most city people, the elevator is an unremarkable machine that inspires none of the enthusiasm or interest that Americans afford trains, jets，and even bicycles. Dr. Christopher Wilk is a member of a small group of elevator experts who consider this a misunderstanding. Without the elevator, they point out, there could be no downtown skyscrapers or tall buildings, and city life as we know it would be impossible. In that sense, they argue，the elevator’s role in American history has been no less significant than that of cars. In fact, according to Wilk_? the car and the elevator have been locked in a “secret war” for over a century, with cars making it possible for people to spread horizontally (水平地)，and elevators pushing them toward life in close groups of towering vertical (垂直的)columns.
If we tend to ignore the significance of elevators, it might be because riding in them tends to be such a brief, boring, and even awkward experience^one that can involve unexpectedly meeting people with whom we have nothing in common, and an unpleasant awareness of the fact that we’re hanging from a cable in a long passage.
In a new book, Lifted, German journalist and cultural studies professor Andreas Bernard directed all his attention to this experience, studying the origins of elevator and its relationship to humankind and finding that riding in an elevator has never been a totally comfortable experience. “After 150 years, we are still not used to it”， Bernard said. “We still have not exactly learned to cope with the mixture of closeness and displeasure.” That mixture, according to Bernard, sets the elevator ride apart from just about every other situation we find ourselves in as we go about our lives.
Today，as the world’s urban population explodes，and cities become more crowded, taller, and more crowded, America’s total number of elevators—900,000 at last count, according to Elevator World magazine’s “2012 Vertical Transportation Industry”一are a force that’s becoming more important than ever. And for the people who really, really love them, it seems like high time that we looked seriously at just what kind of force they are.
小題1:What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．The general view of elevators.

B．The particular interests of experts.

C．The desire for a remarkable machine.

D．The enthusiasm for transport vehicles.

小題2:The author’s purpose in mentioning cars is   .

A．to contrast their functions with elevators,

B．to emphasize the importance of elevators

C．to reveal their secret war against elevators

D．to explain people’s preference for elevators

小題3:According to Prof. Bernard, what has made the elevator ride different from other life experiences?

A．Vertical direction.

B．Lack of excitement.

C．Little physical space.

D．Uncomfortable conditions.

小題4:The author urges readers to consider  .

A．the exact number of elevator lovers

B．the serious future situation of elevators

C．the role of elevators in city development

D．the relationship between cars and elevators

小題1:Why is June 6, 1990 a special day for Mommy?

A．Her dream of being a mother came true.

B．She found her origin from her Chinese mother.

C．She wrote the letter to her daughter.

D．Her female line was well linked.

小題2:How does Mommy feel about her being given away?

A．It is bitter and disappointing.

B．It is painful but understandable.

C．She feels sorry but sympathetic.

D．She feels hurt and angry.

小題3:What does “I stood out like a sore thumb” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．I walked clumsily out of pains.

B．I was not easy to love due to jealousy.

C．I was impatient out of fear.

D．I looked different from others.

小題4:What can be inferred from Mommy’s Anglo family life?

A．She used to experience an identity crisis.

B．She fought against her American identity.

C．She forgot the pains of her early years.

D．She kept her love for Asia from childhood.

小題5:Why did Mommy name her daughter “Shao-ming?”

A．To match her own birth-name.

B．To brighten the lives of the family.

C．To identify her with Chinese origin.

D．To justify her pride in Chinese culture.

小題6:By “Your past is more complete than mine,” Mommy means ________.

A．her past was completed earlier than Shao-ming’s

B．Shao-ming has got motherly care and a sense of roots

C．her mother didn’t comfort her the way she did Shao-ming

D．her past was spent brokenly, first in Asia, then in the US

“Mum, can I invite my classmate Brett over to stay tomorrow night, please? It’s Friday, and we don’t have any ___.Can I, please?” Mum was sitting at the kitchen table. Dad was ___next to her, resting his head on his arms. Mum could ___that James wanted so badly to have his friend over.
“I’m so sorry, James,” she said.
“I’m never allowed to have friends come to the house? Why, Mum?” James asked sadly, almost in ___.
“I know it’s ___ for you,” Mum said softly. “But I’m just worried other people might think we’re a little… strange. And then they would make fun of you.”
“No, they wouldn’t, Mum,” James protested. “We’re not ___ at all. We’re just ordinary people.”
Mum sighed heavily. “To tell you the truth, James, my neck has been so painful that it’s given me a heavy ___. And your poor father –he doesn’t feel ___. He really needs a rest.”
“I can help, Mum!” James said. “___ I can make you and Dad feel better, can Brett come over? Please?”
“Well…”Mum began.
“Great! Thanks Mum!” James almost shouted. “Just sit there, don’t move.” He rushed over to the kitchen drawer and ___ what he needed –two spanners. “Hang on, Mum,” he said. “This won’t take a second.” After some ___, James was finished. With a smile of ___ on his face he said, “There! How does that feel?” “Oh, James,” Mum said. “That’s a much better! How did you do it?”
“Easy,” James said ___.” Dad had tightened your neck bolts (螺栓) too much! I just___ them slightly! I learned that in robotic science at school.”
“What about you father? Can you ___ him?” asked Mum.
“I’ll try,” James replied. He ___ up Dad’s hair at the back of his neck. and plugged the electric wire into Dad’s head. Then he turned the ___on. Dad opened his eyes and ___ immediately. “He just let his ___run too low, that’s all,” James said, “Shall I tell Brett to come over straight after school tomorrow?”
“I guess so,” replied Mum. “Your friends will just have to ___ that we are a very unusual family. Thanks, son!”

小題1:	A．chance B．message C．homework D．difficulty

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)sleep B．reading C．a(chǎn)lone D．standing

小題3:	A．explain B．see C．a(chǎn)gree D．doubt

小題4:	A．terror B．tears C．surprise D．silence

小題5:	A．fair B．easy C．good D．hard

小題6:	A．strange B．normal C．popular D．a(chǎn)nxious

小題7:	A．headache B．loss C．task D．day

小題8:	A．ill B．funny C．sorry D．well

小題9:	A．As B．If C．Since D．Before

小題10:

A．kept B．controlled C．found D．returned

小題11:

A．requests B．thoughts C．repairs D．instructions

小題12:

A．sympathy B．satisfaction C．bitterness D．politeness

小題13:

A．embarrassedly B．gratefully C．impatiently D．proudly

小題14:

A．a(chǎn)djusted B．collected C．produced D．covered

小題15:

A．greet B．a(chǎn)ccompany C．help D．a(chǎn)sk

小題16:

A．lifted B．caught C．gave D．filled

小題17:

A．television B．power C．light D．gas

小題18:

A．grew up B．lay down C．broke down D．sat up

小題19:

A．food B．temperature C．battery D．blood

小題20:

A．prove B．expect C．suspect D．a(chǎn)ccept

(Q =" Question;" A = Answer)
Situation I
Q: If someone sits right next to me in an empty movie theater, is it rude to move?
A: Maybe, but nobody will fault you for it. Chances are that close sitter doesn't realize he disturbs you, so he may miss your annoyance. You undoubtedly aren't the first person he's met who needs enough room. Forgive his bad judgment, move quietly and enjoy the show.
Situation II
Q: If I use the bathroom at a store, do I need to buy something?
A: Consider frequency and urgency. Is this a one-time or an emergency? If so, you don't have to buy anything, but it would be kind if you did. However, if you regularly use the bathroom at this place, then you are a customer, and you should act like one.
Situation III
Q: If someone is talking loudly on the bus, is there a nice way to ask him to keep it down?
A: No. Try other means.1) Stare at him until he gets aware of it and quiets down. 2) Lift your finger in a silence motion(動作)and smile. 3) Put on earphones and ignore him.
Situation IV
Q: If I remember my friend's birthday a day late, should I apologize or just wish her a happy birthday like nothing happened?
A: This is the reason why the word belated was invented. "Happy belated birthday!" is short for: "Well, I know I forgot, but then I remembered. Forgive me and happy birthday."
Situation V
Q: Can I lie about seeing a text because I was too busy or lazy to respond(回復(fù)) to it?
A: Don't lie. Receiving a text does not mean you need to respond to it. Why waste a perfectly good lie when the truth will serve? "Yes," you can say if ever asked, "I saw it." No explanation is needed as to why you don't respond.
小題1:You will get annoyed in a theater when         .

A．a(chǎn) person is too active

B．a(chǎn) person is too rude to you

C．a(chǎn) person talks too loudly

D．a(chǎn) person sits too close to you

小題2:How will you quiet someone down in a public place?

A．By making fun of him continuously.

B．By looking purposefully at him.

C．By talking to him directly.

D．By pointing angrily at him.

小題3:The underlined word "belated" in Situation IV probably means      .

A．predicted

B．returned

C．cancelled

D．delayed

小題4:What is the passage mainly about?

A．Modern ways to mind your manners.

B．Different ways to change others' manners.

C．Proper manners to offer help to others.

D．Good manners to talk to people.

Let's say you want to hit the gym more regularly this year. How do you make that happen? Consider putting the habit loop to use.
Here's how it works:
A habit is a 3-step process. First, there's a cue, something that tells your brain to operate automatically. Then there's a routine. And finally, a reward, which helps your brain learn to desire the behavior. It's what you can use to create-or break-habits of your own.
Here's how to apply it:
Choose a cue, like leaving your running shoes by the door, then pick. a reward-say, a piece of chocolate when you get home from the gym. That way, the cue and the reward become interconnected. Finally, when you see the shoes, your brain will start longing for the reward, which will make it easier to work out day after day. The best part? In a couple of weeks, you won't need the chocolate at all. Your brain will come to see the workout itself as the reward. Which is the whole point, right?
小題1:Which of the following best fits in the box with a “?” in THE HABIT LOOP?

A．Pick a new cue.	B．Form a new habit.
C．Choose a new reward.	D．Design a new resolution.

小題2:According to THE HABIT LOOP, you can stick to your plan most effectively by______.

A．changing the routine	B．trying it for a week
C．a(chǎn)djusting your goal	D．writing it down

小題3:What's the purpose of putting the habit loop to use?

A．To test out different kinds of cues.

B．To do something as a habit even without rewards.

C．To work out the best New Year's resolution.

D．To motivate yourself with satisfactory rewards.

小題4:“This year when I see the Harry Potter poster, I will read 30 pages of an English novel or an English newspaper in order to watch TV for half an hour." What is the cue in this resolution?

A．The Harry Potter poster.

B．Reading 30 pages of an English novel.

C．An English newspaper.

D．Watching TV for half an hour.