School was over and I was both mentally and physically tired. I sat at the very front of the bus because of the       to get home. Sitting at the front makes you       out like a shiny coin in a pile of dull pennies.
Janie, the driver, tried to     the uncomfortable atmosphere by striking the match of a conversation.
I tried to mind my manners and       listen, but I was too busy thinking about my day. On this day,     , her conversation was worth listening to.
“ My father’s sick, ” she said to no one in      . I could see the anxiety and fear in her eyes. With a sudden    of attitude and interest, I asked, “ What’s wrong with him?”
With her eyes wet and her voice tight from      the tears, she responded, “Heart trouble.” Her eyes     as she continued. “I’ve already lost my mum, so I don’t think I can     losing him. ”
I couldn’t respond. I was shocked . My heart       for her. I sat on the old, smelly seat thinking of the great       my own mother was thrown into when my father died.
I saw how hard it was,       still is, for her. I wouldn’t like anyone to go through that .
Suddenly I realized Janie wasn’t only a bus driver. That was just her job. She had a    world of family and concerns too. I had never thought of her as anything but a driver.
I suddenly felt very   . I realized I had only thought of people as     as what their purposes were in my life. I paid no attention to Janie because she was a bus driver. I had judged her by her job and      her as unimportant.
For all I know, I’m just another person in       else’s world, and may not even be important. I should not have been so selfish and self-centred. Everyone      a place to go to, people to see and appointments to     . Understanding people is an art.

小題1:	A．determination B．decision C．attempt D．anxiety

小題2:	A．make B．give C．stand D．find

小題3:	A．hold B．break C．take D．control

小題4:	A．devotedly B．carelessly C．sincerely D．politely

小題5:	A．therefore B．instead C．otherwise D．however

小題6:	A．common B．silence C．particular D．surprise

小題7:	A．sense B．change C．wonder D．choice

小題8:	A．removing B．clearing C．keeping D．fighting

小題9:	A．lowered B．closed C．widened D．Opened

小題10:

A．mind B．regret C．bear D．escape

小題11:

A．hurt B．ached C．struck D．impressed

小題12:

A．pain B．pity C．disappointment D．mercy

小題13:

A．yet B．and C．or D．but

小題14:

A．dark B．narrow C．whole D．bright

小題15:

A．confused B．selfish C．worried D．sad

小題16:

A．long B．much C．well D．far

小題17:

A．regarded B．served C．made D．taken

小題18:

A．someone B．anyone C．no one D．everyone

小題19:

A．has B．gets C．finds D．needs

小題20:

A．stay B．get C．keep D．Put

I IMCKKD up the phone. Without so much as a hello ,a voice said: “What’s new? We have an eagle in the backyard.
It look me three second* lo recognize my nephew’s a voice. He was excited.
“He’s sitting on top of a dead tree in the backyard .He’s been there a long lime. We’re tilling in the sunroom watching him."
But actually, my nephew is blind.
Ketinitis pigmentosa（色素性視網(wǎng)膜炎）brgan stealing his sight when he was 12. He’ s in his 20s now.
“It’s a big thing. Dad said it must have a wingspan of 6 feet (1.88 meters). We’ve got an eagle out hack!"
I could believe they had the rare pleasure of spotting an eagle. What I couldn’t believe was that my nephew, without sight, was giving the comment. It shouldn’t have been that surprising,really?
His sight might be gone, but he sees plenty. From memory, mostly; from conventions around him; from listening to television and radio. He has an amazing memory. We took him into town with us when we were visiting his parents once. Our GPS wasn’ t working, so he gave us directions turn by turn, complete with landmarks, approximate distances and cautions on curves（拐彎處）in the road. He knew exactly where we were and got us to where wanted to go.
Second to his family, there are two things that have been important in this young man’s life: a guide dog and a job.
The guide dog gave him the confidence he didn’t know he had.
The job, “well” as his dad said: “Having a job makes him like everybody else. Now, he has something to come home and complain about at the end of the day."
I never have a conversation with my nephew without asking about his job in case lie wants to complain. But I know-and I know that he knows work is a gift.
We were created to work. We were made to produce goods and services, to invent and solve problems. Work is what drags us out of bed in the morning.
Work gives us something to do and somewhere to go. If that doesn’t I sound like a big deal, talk to someone who’ s unemployed. It is working hard that enhances the lime that you don’t work, from kicking back and reading a book to watching an eagle in your backyard.
小題1:What surprised the author when she received her nephew’s phone call?

A．An eagle remained in her nephew’ s backyard for a long time.

B．The sight of an eagle made her nephew so excited.

C．Her nephew regained his sight after he had been blind for several years.

D．Despite being blind, her nephew described the eagle as if he could really see it.

小題2:By mentioning her nephew lending her amend when site visited his parents, the author intends to           .   

A．show that she got along well with her nephew and his family

B．fell us of her nephew’s good sense of direction

C．show how good a memory her nephew has

D．prove that her nephew had no trouble living by himself alone

小題3:According lo the article, a job is very important lo the author's nephew mainly because    .

A．a job make* him confident and slops him from complaining

B．a job enables him lo feel normal

C．with a job he can afford to raise his guide dog

D．with a job he can help his parents support I he family

小題4:What can we conclude from the lust two paragraphs?

A．Everyone has to work, so make sure to play.

B．The hander you work, the more successful you w ill lie.

C．Work enriches our lives, so we should appreciate it.

D．Work is just a way for us to kill time and make a living.

As the new semester begins，millions of college students across the country are trying hard to remember how best to write a paper-or，more likely，how best to delay that paper．
Procrastination is the thief of time and a lot of students suffer from it．They can spend whole days in the library doing nothing but staring into space，eating snacks，surfing the Internet，watching videos and looking at their pretty peers sitting around them，who，most likely，are doing nothing either．
Paralyzed by their habit to procrastinate，they write micro blogs about their fears，asking their online friends if they sometimes have the same issue．But this does nothing to solve their problems．
According to a recent report by the BBC，95 percent of us procrastinate at some point and 20 percent of the world’s population are procrastinators，complicating their lives with their continual delaying of tasks．
Procrastinators like to find excuses to justify their behavior，but BBC columnist Rowan Pelling says they are all wrong．Many procrastinators tell themselves they are perfectionists who work best under pressure．Pelling says this is nonsense，as work done at the last minute is more likely to have mistakes than work done on time．
She says the behavior of procrastinators often makes them feel flustered and ashamed，inconveniences others，and annoys loved ones．
Fortunately，social seientists have made tireless efforts to understand this behavioral shortcoming and offer strategies to control it．Piers Steel，a Canadian social scientist and author of The Procrastination Equation，believes humankind is“designed”to procrastinate．Nevertheless，he suggests a couple of good ways to get through the task at hand．
The first one is obvious：Break the task down into small pieces and work your way through them methodically．
The second is clever：Give a trusted friend a sum of money and tell them that if you don’t complete the task you have undertaken by a specific time，they can keep it or donate it to a cause you hate.
小題1:What does the underlined word“Procrastination” in the second paragraph refer to?

A．A bad habit of putting work or tasks off．

B．A thief who steals time and money in college.

C．A college student who learns nothing．

D．A study way of doing nothing in the library.

小題2:Which of the following statements is true according to the text?

A．College students can have their papers written if they delay them．

B．Many students don’t know what to do in the library．

C．Students can’t solve their procrastination by writing micro blogs．

D．20％of the procrastinators make their life complicated．

小題3:According to Rowan Pelling，we can learn that procrastinators .

A．can find reasonable excuses for their behavior

B．are able to work best under pressure

C．are more likely to avoid mistakes at work[]

D．may upset themselves and their loved ones more frequently

小題4:Which of the following may Piers Steel support?

A．Human beings are not born to be procrastinators．

B．Complete your tasks or work step by step．

C．Give your trusted friend money and ask him to help you finish your tasks．

D．You can’t control procrastination but you can avoid it．

小題5:What’she best title of the text?

A．Who steals my time?

B．The solutions to procrastination

C．I’ll do it tomorrow，I swear!

D．Don’t do nothing!

The connection shared by grandparents and grandchildren is something very special and despite the changing family situation, it still remains strong across generations. For most of us, our grandparents were our first best friends, the ones with whom we shared our secrets and our pain.
In majority of the cases, grandparents would have babysat their grandchildren while parents were busy working and didn't have much time for their children. Even as a kid grows up, the love and affection for grandparents never dies, and for many teens, visiting grandparents or living with them in the same house is a pleasure. Kedar Patwary, a mass communication student, says, "I often end up having long conversations with my grandfather about the evolution of Indian society and I really admire him for the patience with which he answers all my questions. "
Many teenagers feel that their parents treat them as grown-ups, while their grandparents give them much freedom.
Leela Narayanan, a grandmother. says that she loves to pamper her grandchildren and cook favorite dishes for them. She further adds that her eldest granddaughter, who is now 19, was brought up by her till she was four and the closeness they shared remains the same even now。
At times, the gap m generations plays a negative role, when grandparents find it difficult adjusting to the modern lifestyle. Technology is what works against this relationship. Youngsters'  eing crazy about with gadgets leaves them with no time for their loved ones.
Maria Kutty, is a grandmother t0 12 kids. Her face lights up every time her grandchildren are mentioned. But she has one complaint.  "All my children stay close to me but when they come to visit and I want to spend time with them, I can't find them anywhere. They only have time for clickety-clackety things in their hands. Sometimes they listen to loud music and talk about things I don't understand. I feel very sad when I think of all those times," she says.
小題1:The author uses Kedar Patwary as an example ______.

A．to show Indian society is full of perfect harmony

B．to stress all the children admire their grandparents

C．to show grandparents get on well with grandchildren

D．to indicate grandparents are all good babysitters

小題2:What does the underlined word "pamper" mean in the passage?

A．Spoil.

B．Raise.

C．Manage.

D．Educate.

小題3:The gap generation sometimes is negative because_______.

A．grandchildren can 't fit in with modern lifestyle

B．grandparents are eager to know more technology

C．grandchildren are addicted to their digital products

D．grandparents spared no time with their grandchildren

小題4:How does the author develop the passage?

A．By giving example.

B．By following the order of time.

C．By making comparisons.

D．By his personal experience.

San Francisco's Chinatown is the biggest and oldest in the country. It's the third most visited tourist destination in the city. It's also the city's most densely populated neighbor- hood. So why are. businesses in Chinatown struggling?
In this week's paper, I outline some of the reasons for why Chinatown's crowded streets and busy shops might be declining. Underneath the surface, Chinatown is falling. And the city, local organizations and businesses are trying to figure out what they can do to turn things around.
While numbers of people visit Chinatown, they don't stay long and they don't spend a lot of money.  And beyond annual festivals,1ike Chinese New Years,  this month's Moon Festival and last month's Sunday Streets - which drew about 15,000 t0 20.000 people – the neighborhood has a hard time attracting locals.
Can you remember the last. time you went to Chinatown ?If you can't, You're not alone. Locals told me that Chinatown doesn't have much to offer them - that the stores are all the same. There are some good eating joints, people said, but they don't know how to find them. Some people even told me that they sometimes go to extreme measures to avoid the neighborhood altogether. But when asked if the-v would like to see Chinatown gone, the answer was always a strong no.
Locals are hopeful that things will get better and traffic will increase when the Central Subway is complete. But chat's not for another five years. at least. And if' new shops or restaurants don't make their way into Chinatown. the same problem of attracting locals will exist.
Not that Chinatown's going to die. The dragon still has some fire in its belly. And many people are rooting for positive change. The question is, how does Chinatown change without losing the very importance of what makes it unique?
小題1:Which can we know about Chinatown according to the passage?

A．Businesses in Chinatown are going well.

B．Local people like going shopping there.

C．A great number of people visit it every year.

D．No period has seen a more prosperous Chinatown.

小題2:According to the locals we can know that _______.

A．Chinatown doesn't love to offer them assistance

B．shops in Chinatown lack their own characteristics

C．it is hard to buy quality goods at proper prices

D．they feel annoyed to see so many familiar faces

小題3:What is the author's attitude towards Chinatown?

A．Negative.

B．Sympathy.

C．Hopeful.

D．Indifferent.

小題4:It can be inferred from the passage ______.

A．the Central Subway is under construction

B．Chinatown has to make way for subway

C．many restaurants have been closed down

D．the locals hope Chinatown will be extinct

These days, many young people in Ho Chi Minh City(胡志明市), Vietnam, are taking gymnastics, dancing or yoga classes after work. Actually, there are many　　why young people are taking exercise classes and going to the gym, instead of shopping and entertaining friends　　work.
Nguyen Thu Nguyet, a white-collar worker, says, “Five o’clock is the time when everyone is　　in the street. If I　　to go home at that time, I’ll get　　in traffic. So rather than being in a traffic jam, 　　in smoke and dust, I go to a gym near my office for about an hour. ”Tran Minh Tue, a staff member of a company, also says, “I’ve found dancing is a good way to　　the non-stop drinking. More　　, I’m in better health and my stomach has gotten smaller. ”
At present, traffic jams in Ho Chi Minh City are very　　. The government is installing(安裝)water pipes, and many blockhouses(木屋)are built for their workers to work in. That　　the traffic problem. Authorities say that this year, another
57 km road will be　　up and more blockhouses will be built, 　　the total dug-out road length to 200 km. At the same time, traffic jams can　　serious air pollution, 　 　people’s health and the city’s investment environment, not to mention(提到)　　the city’s future development.
If more people　　rush hour by exercising or taking classes　　the rush hour, traffic jams may be　　. This is a clever　　that can also help people improve their health and meet others with similar　　.

小題1:	A．reasons　 B．reactions　 C．actions　 D．activities

小題2:	A．out of B．after C．except D．at

小題3:	A．out B．away C．off D．busy

小題4:	A．manage B．decide C．try D．refuse

小題5:	A．lost B．thrown C．stuck D．put

小題6:	A．breathing B．giving C．growing D．breaking

小題7:	A．keep up with B．keep away from C．keep in touch with D．keep on

小題8:	A．surprisingly B．interestingly C．importantly D．fortunately

小題9:	A．good B．serious C．comfortable D．convenient

小題10:

A．improves B．reduces C．worsens D．shortens

小題11:

A．dug B．picked C．put D．given

小題12:

A．rising B．raising C．providing D．offering

小題13:

A．let B．strike C．cause D．influence

小題14:

A．affording B．preventing C．protecting D．affecting

小題15:

A．limiting B．benefiting C．predicting D．promising

小題16:

A．avoid B．admit C．attract D．attend

小題17:

A．for B．during C．with D．at

小題18:

A．increased B．reduced C．stopped D．replaced

小題19:

A．solution B．search C．pollution D．advice

小題20:

A．jobs B．friends C．equipment D．interests

When I started my career in management, I was really green, but I always tried to stay positive on the job. I was working for a new company that was having a difficult time with its customers. Actually, at one point my General Manager told me he liked me and suggested I should start looking for a new job as we were about to lose our only order. Every day we faced people leaving the company, customers complaining, and upper management preparing to close the place.
One night, I went home thinking about the problems. My wife told me to forget about work and see a movie. We went and saw Slumdog Millionaire. Jamal, an eighteen-year-old Indian young man, is from a poor family and becomes rich later. He tries his best to change his position. I realized what we needed to do was to correct the situation.
The next day I called my customers to have a talk. I promised to do my best to solve the problems if they would give us some time. As a result, we were given one month to turn the situation around. This was our only chance to correct the situation. To achieve this, I worked day and night with my team. I can remember working from 6 a. m. and not going home until 2 a. m. the next day.
To make a long story short, we succeeded in solving all of the problems and at the same time increased our productivity(生產率). The customers and management were very happy, and I knew at that moment we had saved our jobs. Actually things went so well that we ended up having our pay doubled.
Through this experience I understand that you can achieve what you desire as long as you work at it and stay positive.
小題1: The General Manager advised the author to look for a new job mainly because　　　.

A．he knew the author didn’t want to stay there

B．his company was too small to hire so many people

C．he believed the author could get more pay that way

D．the management was preparing to close the department

小題2: Who caused the author to decide to change his situation?

A．The hero in a movie.	B．His wife.
C．His boss.	D．The customers.

小題3: How long did the author stay in his department every day during that month?

A．8 hours.	B．15 hours.
C．20 hours.	D．24 hours.

小題4:The experience of the author shows that　　　.

A．if a person does his best and keeps positive, he’ll succeed

B．if a person takes advice from others, he’ll make progress

C．if a person is clever, he’ll realize his dream sooner or later

D．if a person wants to change his fate, he mustn’t change his job

小題5:What would be the best title for this passage?

A．My Work Experience

B．My First Management Job

C．How to Correct Your Situation

D．The Importance of Working Hard

　　They are the sort of friends who are so close that they trust each other with their lives. If one falls, the other is there to catch him.
They are Wellman, whose legs were permanently injured nine years ago in a rock-climbing accident, and Corbett, an experienced rock climber. Together, they climbed up Half Dome, the famous 2, 000-foot rock in the Yosemite National Park, through one of the most difficult routes(路線).
During the climb, Corbett took the lead, hit in the metal spikes(尖狀物)that guided the ropes, and climbed up. Then, after Wellman pulled himself up the rope, Corbett went down to remove the spikes and climbed up again. This process was repeated time and again, inch by inch, for 13 days.  Wellman’s job was not easy either. He got himself up the rope through upper body strength alone. In all, Wellman figured that he had done 5, 000 pull-ups up the rope on the climb.
However, when the two men first met, they never talked about climbing. “He knew that was how I got injured. ”Wellman said. Until one day Wellman decided that he wanted to climb again and they started training.
Their climb of Half Dome was not all smooth. At one point, pieces of rock gave way, and Corbett dropped down quickly. Wellman locked their rope in place, stopping the fall at 20 feet. His quick action probably saved his friend’s life.
“Your partner can save your life—you can save your partner’s life. ”Wellman said as the pair received congratulations from friends. “There are real close ties. ”
小題1: Which of the following was a challenge for Corbett in climbing Half Dome?

A．To climb up to remove the spikes.

B．To climb it twice.

C．To do 5, 000 pull-ups up the rope.

D．To lock the rope in place.

小題2: Why did the two men never talk about climbing when they first met?

A．Corbett was poorly trained.

B．Wellman had lost interest in climbing.

C．Corbett didn’t want to hurt Wellman.

D．Wellman hadn’t decided whether to climb again or not.

小題3: What do we know about Wellman?

A．He climbed Half Dome by himself.

B．He was disabled in a traffic accident.

C．He stopped rock-climbing for some time.

D．He was saved by Corbett during the climb.

小題4: The main idea of the text is that　　　.

A．two heads are better than one

B．friendship is precious in life

C．the disabled should never give up

D．a man can be destroyed but cannot be defeated

A school master of Thurso in Caithness, William Munro, wrote in a report in THE TIMES on September 8, 1809 that twelve years earlier he had been walking along Sandside Bay shore when he saw what he first thought was a naked woman, sitting on a rock and combing her light brown hair. The face was fatty round, with reddish cheeks and blue eyes. If the rock where the woman sat had not been so dangerous for swimmers, Munro would have thought it was human. After a few minutes it dropped into the sea and swam away. Others had seen it too.

The island of Benbecula in the outer Hebrides, about 1830, women cutting seaweed reported they had met a creature of female form playing happily off the shore. A few days later her dead body was found two miles from where she had first been seen. The description of the creature was recorded thus, “the upper part of the creature was about the size of a well-fed child of three or four years of age, with an extraordinarily developed breast. The hair was long, dark and glossy(有光澤), while the skin was white, soft and tender. The lower part of the body was like a salmon(鮭魚). ”
小題1:From the description given by the witnesses, we know that　　　　.

A．mermaids did exist

B．mermaids shaped like females

C．mermaids looked terrible

D．mermaids shaped like fish

小題2: This passage most probably comes from　　　　.

A．scientific books	B．tales collection
C．travel guide	D．fishing webpages

小題3: Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The school master and the women saw a mermaid in the same year.

B．The school master saw a mermaid swimming in the sea.

C．The women saw a mermaid swimming in the sea.

D．It was said that mermaids developed from salmons.

小題4: Which of the following is WRONG?

A．Not all the people believe they were mermaids.

B．People have taken photos of the creature.

C．The creature in the second case looked like a woman with a fish’s tail.

D．Both of these two tales may not be true.

There has been an outpouring of love for a 23-year-old disabled woman whose dog was killed in front of her while a groomer(美容師)tried to trim(修剪)its claws.

Calls and e-mails came from as far away as the Upper Peninsula and Arizona as well as Oakland and Macomb counties, offering Laurie Crouch, who uses a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis(硬化癥), everything from dogs to money, such as that from Jason Daly of Roseville who said, “I would like to buy her a new dog. ”
A story about the death of Crouch’s pet, Gooch, was printed on the front page of Macomb Daily. Crouch said a groomer tied Gooch up with a collar, and then she and a man sat on the dog to trim its nails. Gooch died after one claw was trimmed.
Crouch yelled at the groomer to stop when she saw Gooch was struggling to breathe, but she said she was ignored. “If I could have walked, I would have put my hands on her and pulled her off my dog and physically stopped her, but I can’t do that. ”Gooch was not a trained service animal, but naturally helped Crouch by picking up things for her.
“This case is absolute animal abuse(虐待), ”Larry Obrecht, division manager of the Oakland County Animal Shelter in Auburn Hills said.
People who read the story contacted Oakland Press to offer help. A message, from Rebecca Amett of Giggles N Wiggles Puppy Rescue in Roseville, said, “We have puppies to donate and want to help the young woman who lost her service dog. ”
“When Gooch was with me I was happy, ”Crouch said, “I think I can be happy again but no animal can replace Gooch. There’s never going to be another Gooch out there but I think I will find a dog that can bring me joy again. ”
小題1:People called and emailed to　　　　.

A．give their angry voice to the groomer

B．offer help and care to Laurie Crouch

C．tell Crouch how to punish the groomer

D．offer a cure for Crouch’s disease

小題2: Gooch died mainly because　　　　.

A．the groomer was careless

B．the groomer didn’t know how to trim the dog’s nails

C．the groomer sat on the dog with another man

D．the dog was wearing a collar

小題3:What do we know about Crouch’s dog?

A．It was a specially trained service dog.

B．It was trained to do many things for people.

C．It was Crouch’s only friend.

D．It could offer some help to Crouch.

小題4:What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．A disabled woman’s service dog.

B．A cruel groomer killed a disabled woman’s dog.

C．People’s love for a disabled woman who lost her dog.

D．A disabled woman loves to have the dog as company.