Credit cards let people buy things now and pay for them over months or even years.But some people get deep into debt：Some banks have terms and charges that can make it harder for people to pay off that debt.In the United States，there are calls for stronger government supervision of the credit card industry.They_offer_economic_power_at_a_price.In 2004，Americans had about $800 billion in credit card debt.Now they own about $968 billion.
Critics say banks made it too easy to get credit cards.But that may be changing.The crisis in the housing and credit they call markets is beginning to affect the credit card industry.More payments are late.Charges for late payments are a growing source of profit for banks.But late payments can also signal bad debts.
The central bank，the Federal Reserve，says two­thirds of American banks have recently reported tighter lending requirements.Many people report having their credit limits reduced without warning.
Some lawmakers are concerned that cardholders do not have enough protections from what abusive policies.These include actions like raising interest rates because of an unrelated event.Also，banks may raise the chances of a late payment by changing monthly payment dates for credit cards.
According to a survey,82% of Americans think credit cards provide a valuable service.But a majority,58%，say they do not trust credit card companies.And three out of four think the government should regulate the industry more closely.Three out of four people feel there is always some condition that makes a card less appealing than the company made in scared.And a little more than half say they have had a card that was not as good as they expected.But close to 80% say no one really reads the terms and conditions when they sign up for a credit card.
小題1:What does the underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably mean?

A．We can enjoy more convenience using credit cards.

B．Credit cards can improve our buying power.

C．We can buy things at lower prices using credit cards.

D．Credit cards bring more card debt as well as convenience.

小題2:Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?

A．Banks are making it harder for people to get credit cards.

B．Some people’s credit limits have been reduced.

C．It is more difficult to borrow money from some banks.

D．Banks are receiving more charges from late payments.

小題3:What can we know from the text?

A．Banks actually prefer to see more late payment.

B．People should be more careful when applying for a credit card.

C．The US government provides better protection for cardholders.

D．The majority of Americans don’t think much of credit cards.

小題4:What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．Credit cards are still very well received in America.

B．Credit cards don’t live up to some people’s expectations.

C．Many people don’t believe in credit card companies.

D．The results of a survey about credit cards in Americans.

The car，running along the well­lit road now sank in darkness.I broke the ____ on purpose，____ that the driver was too tired to drive.“When do you go back home in the evening？”“9 o’clock after this ____.” “Then when do you come out in the morning？” I ____ another question.“9 o’clock，too—just as if I worked at an office.” His __ surprised me，because every time I ride a taxi，what I ___ from the driver are only complaints that they have to work from morning till night，it’s hard to earn money and they’re often ___ by the police，or that their leaders are seated lazily，___ the fruits.But this driver told me，“I find it ____ to be a section chief as I was before.I like driving just for ____.It’s fortunate that I hardly drive ____ a passenger.So I earn two or three thousand yuan a month with ease.Yes，I never ____ an empty taxi.If it goes southward，I go northward.If it goes along a ____，I turn into a narrow street.”
His words showed his ____ with his life and the pride he ____ in his job.Such feelings are so rare among people nowadays as oxygen in high ____.As an ancient saying goes，“Neither joy in material ____ nor grieve(悲痛) over personal setbacks.” How many people nowadays can show high ideals by ____ living and go far with a calm mind？I couldn’t help feeling ____ when finding such a state of mind in a stranger on a cold ___.

小題1:	A．window B．stillness C．silence D．quietness

小題2:	A．on condition B．for fear C．in belief D．in order

小題3:	A．night B．trip C．cycle D．process

小題4:	A．threw out B．gave away C．made up D．led to

小題5:	A．character B．confidence C．a(chǎn)ttitude D．easiness

小題6:	A．suffer B．request C．benefit D．hear

小題7:	A．detected B．ordered C．fined D．seized

小題8:	A．keeping B．tasting C．enjoying D．choosing

小題9:	A．exciting B．disappointing C．tiring D．a(chǎn)mazing

小題10:

A．freedom B．pleasure C．hobby D．company

小題11:

A．without B．with C．behind D．beside

小題12:

A．follow B．a(chǎn)dmire C．envy D．meet

小題13:

A．route B．path C．railway D．highway

小題14:

A．intelligence B．satisfaction C．competition D．honesty

小題15:

A．made B．held C．caught D．took

小題16:

A．buildings B．mountains C．standard D．heaven

小題17:

A．gains B．concerns C．supports D．losses

小題18:

A．special B．happy C．simple D．original

小題19:．

A．a(chǎn)ngry	B．content
C．dangerous	D．curious

小題20:

A．morning B．night C．moment D．season

How many times have you got upset because someone wasn’t doing his job，because your child isn’t behaving？How many times have you been irritated (惱怒的) when you’ve planned something carefully and things didn’t go as you’d hoped?
This kind of anger and irritation happens to all of us—it’s part of the human experiences.
One thing that irritates me is when people talk during a movie，or cut me off in traffic.Actually，I have a lot of these little annoyances—don’t we all？And it isn’t always easy to find peace when you’ve become upset or irritated.
Let me tell you a little secret to finding peace of mind：see_the_glass_as_already_broken.
See，the cause of our stress，anger and irritation is that things don’t go the way we like，the way we expect them to.Think of how many times this has been true for you.And so the solution is simple：expect things to go wrong，expect things to be different than we hoped or planned，expect the unexpected to happen.And accept it.
One quick example：on our recent trip to Japan，I told my kids to expect things to go wrong—they always do   on a trip.I told them，“See it as part of the adventure.”
And this worked like a charm.When we inevitably (不可避免地) took the wrong train on a foreign­language subway system，or when it rained on the day we went to Disney Sea，or when we took three trains and walked 10 blocks only to find the National Children’s Castle closed on Mondays...they said，“It’s part of the adventure！” And it was all OK—we didn’t get too bothered.
So when the nice glass you bought inevitably falls and breaks some day，you might get upset.But things will be different，if you see the glass as already broken，from the day you get it.You know it’ll break some day，so from the beginning，see it as already broken.Be a time­traveler，or someone with time­traveling vision，and see the future of this glass，from this moment until it inevitably breaks.And when it breaks，you won’t be upset or sad—because it was already broken，from the day you got it.And you’ll realize that every moment you have with it is precious.
小題1:The author would probably agree that________.

A．we should control our anger and irritation

B．we must get well prepared for the future

C．optimism can help us overcome our anger and irritation

D．a(chǎn)nger and irritation is a natural part of our life

小題2:The purpose of the author is to________.

A．tell us his own experience in life

B．a(chǎn)dvise us how to find peace of mind

C．tell us a happy trip he took with his children

D．a(chǎn)sk us to see things from both sides

小題3:By the underlined part (in Para.4)，the author tells us  to________.

A．get ready for the worst result of things

B．enjoy the process of things

C．expect little from life

D．find the relationship between cause and effect

小題4:We can learn from the passage that the author________.

A．often gets angry in his life

B．can adjust his state of mind accordingly

C．a(chǎn)lways expects others to act in his way

D．a(chǎn)lways suffers from his anger and irritation

I stood there outside of the classroom with the other students，waiting for the supervisor(監(jiān)考老師) to open the door，and ____ filled the heart.
When we were finally inside the classroom，I realized how ____ it was.The heater hadn’t been on and the ____ were as cold as ice.Alright then，the supervisor started to walk around，____ everyone’s calculator to make sure they were “approved devices”(允許使用的工具)．
At around 8∶25，the test started.I was ____ my way through word problems，grammar sections，and reading and ____ sections.The supervisor kept walking around the room，___ each student’s extra pencils and ____ sharpening them for us.
I turned the ____ when instructed to，____ it wasn’t another math section and it wasn’t.It was a reading section——____！I started reading the excerpt(片段) given and was ____ to discover that it wasn’t a boring piece about astrology(星象) or biological science.____，it was an excerpt from a romantic novel.I became little ____ with reading it and at times I wanted to say “Aww” aloud.My heart was ____ swooning(沉醉) and I think I was ____.Hopefully I got the questions from that section ____ because I actually had fun answering them.Who knew the SAT could actually bring ____？
It was about 1∶00 p．m.when the test was over.I got out of the classroom with ____.As I was walking outside the building，I was thinking that the test was no longer a bitter ____ for the first time in my life.

小題1:	A．happiness B．nervousness C．calmness D．sadness

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)mazing B．disappointing C．tiring D．freezing

小題3:	A．seats B．walls C．floors D．hearts

小題4:	A．seeing B．taking C．checking D．preparing

小題5:	A．looking B．pacing C．making D．showing

小題6:	A．comprehension B．thinking C．guessing D．recitation

小題7:	A．bringing in B．putting down C．picking up D．showing off

小題8:	A．kindly B．slightly C．directly D．slowly

小題9:	A．door B．direction C．pencil D．page

小題10:

A．finding B．praying C．deciding D．imagining

小題11:

A．terrible B．great C．sure D．no

小題12:

A．frightened B．worried C．shocked D．regretted

小題13:

A．However B．Therefore C．Also D．Rather

小題14:

A．carried away B．worn out C．tired D．confused

小題15:

A．suddenly B．totally C．over D．a(chǎn)gain

小題16:

A．reading B．sleeping C．smiling D．whispering

小題17:

A．right B．ready C．clear D．possible

小題18:

A．hope B．joy C．interest D．trouble

小題19:

A．relief B．hunger C．strength D．courage

小題20:

A．a(chǎn)ttempt B．fact C．process D．experience

Heading overseas on a business trip or just for pleasure any time soon？If so，have you thought about what you are going to do about communication？You may need to arrange cab service or get directions to an attraction，not to mention you want to stay in touch with the folks back home.
Hope you aren’t counting_on your personal cell phone.Industry experts estimate that most American cell phones won’t work overseas due to compatibility (兼容性) issues.And even if yours did work，the roaming (漫游) charges would be too high.
So what are your choices？You could rent a phone with a local number in the country you’re traveling to，but that wouldn’t do you much good if you’re constantly on the go.A more cost­effective way would be to rent a satellite phone from a company like Global Cellular Rental.
The process is amazingly fast and simple.All you have to do is to log onto the company’s website，www.globalcellularrental.com，and place an order.The site will show you the countries you will be traveling to and ask you how long you will need the phone.The company then ships a cell phone directly to you anywhere in the world.The phone arrives with complete instructions.
The traveler also learns his overseas phone number well in advance，enabling him to inform all vital contacts of the number before he ever steps on a plane.
Roaming rates are usually 80 percent less than those charged by American service providers.Calls back to the US can be discounted 40 percent or more.The rentals cost is just $5 per day，and discount packages are available for long­term rentals of two months or more.
This cell phone solution is becoming so popular that Global Cellular Rental actually has relationships with hotel chains around the world to keep phones in stock for hotel guests.And for those whose journey really takes them off the beaten track，the company can also rent satellite phones to them.These phones work anywhere in the world as long as you are outside.
小題1:The underlined words in Paragraph 2 mean “________”．

A．throwing away	B．depending on
C．complaining about	D．figuring out

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．You must place an order on its website.

B．Discount packages need to be applied in advance.

C．The Global Cellular Rental is an American company.

D．The company doesn’t help those travelers to remote areas.

小題3:Which shows the cost­effective aspect of the satellite phone when an American user travels in Beijing?

A．The roaming rates are 20% discount compared to American local service.

B．Calls back to the US cost 60% less compared to American local service.

C．The rental cost is $150 per month if you rent for three months.

D．Forty percent or more discount is available when he calls back to the US.

小題4:How many ways of overseas communications by phone are mentioned in the passage?

A．2.	B．3.
C．4.	D．5.

Several parents and children escaped the summer heat and enjoyed a refreshing “Leap Into a Good Book”．About 30 children and parents gathered as volunteers for both agencies.
After the readings，refreshments (點心) were offered and children and parents were given books，a gift bag and a bookmark with information on adult literacy (讀寫能力) programs.
Learn to Read of Northwest Florida Inc.and Even Start coordinated the event with hopes that combining their programs will help target functionally illiterate adults and their families.A functionally illiterate adult is one who has reading skills below a seventh­grade level.That often means they have difficulty filling out job applications，understanding a lease，reading medication labels or to their children.
Merelin Hernandez,9，a fourth­grader at Warrington Elementary School，understands the importance of reading.She also says it makes her happy when she is bored.“Reading helps me go to another grade，”she says.“I feel proud when I get a B because then I know I am reading well.”Monae Walker,7，a student at Oakcrest Elementary School，says reading teaches her and makes her happy.
Learn to Read of Northwest Florida Inc.provides one­on­one tutoring for basic reading and writing skills to adults 16 and older who are not in school.Tutors go through a 12­hour workshop and tutor their students 3 hours per week.The program currently has 150 active tutors.
Even Start is a family education program at McMillan Learning Center，which offers adult education classes and infant，toddler and prekindergarten services at no cost to families.Linda Harris，a teacher in charge of the Escambia Even Start program，says the program equips parents so they can help their children.
小題1:The event “Leap Into a Good Book”________．

A．was mainly held by Learn to Read

B．targeted functionally literate parents

C．was attended by about 30 volunteers

D．was held to enjoy reading in summer

小題2:According to the passage，a functionally illiterate adult________.

A．has skills below a seventh­grade level

B．has never got school education

C．has no ability to recognize English words

D．can’t fill out a job application

小題3:According to the passage，Monae Walker________.

A．was attending the one­on­one tutoring

B．was a school­leaver

C．was having a good time there

D．read books with her parents

小題4:According to the passage，Even Start can________.

A．make parents able to help their children

B．educate children how to use words

C．offer some services for families in life

D．offer a good place for children

It amazed me—every time I saw Joe，he was smiling.It didn’t ____ whether he had to stop at a stop light，or if he were the seventh person in ____ at the bank，and the service stopped just before he got there.Joe ___ smiled.It made me wonder why he seemed so ____ every day.
Having observed Joe with other people，I ____ something else also.Joe asked people how they were doing，and really seemed to listen to their ____.If someone were hurting，he had __7__ for him and kind words，and offered to ____ in any way he could.
It made me think...What if I tried to smile more？A(n) ____ of sorts began when I went to the grocery store.I smiled as I went up and down the aisles...and people I didn’t even ___ smiled back at me.Some even ____！The little kid in the cart(購物車) who was giving his mother a ____ time saw me smile and ____ talking...and，you guessed it.He made a shy little attempt at a smile.The man in the handicapped(殘疾的) cart ____ a person to reach something...I could get that for him.The smile even transferred over to him，and he ____me.
As I drove home，I was smiling.I ____ what I had just learned，and when someone passed me and gave me a(n) ____，I smiled at him.He looked puzzled.
Now I know a smile is a small thing，but what if we were all to try to smile a few more times each day？I couldn’t believe how ___ I felt.Nothing in my life had changed，____ maybe it had.For what I learned was that such a small thing could ____ not only my spirits，but those around me as well.

小題1:	A．work B．happen C．matter D．last

小題2:	A．order B．debt C．hand D．line

小題3:	A．a(chǎn)lways B．eventually C．immediately D．still

小題4:	A．naughty B．happy C．a(chǎn)ctive D．humourous

小題5:	A．decided B．judged C．noticed D．considered

小題6:	A．a(chǎn)nswers B．complaints C．excuses D．comments

小題7:	A．guidance B．respect C．sympathy D．protection

小題8:	A．perform B．a(chǎn)ttempt C．bother D．help

小題9:	A．experiment B．life C．project D．program

小題10:．

A．meet	B．touch
C．know	D．contact

小題11:

A．glared B．greeted C．a(chǎn)pproached D．escaped

小題12:

A．spare B．long C．hard D．great

小題13:

A．stopped B．tried C．kept D．enjoyed

小題14:

A．persuaded B．a(chǎn)ccepted C．supported D．needed

小題15:

A．thanked B．changed C．encouraged D．invited

小題16:

A．worried about B．thought about C．talked over D．looked over

小題17:

A．gesture B．a(chǎn)ddress C．call D．ticket

小題18:

A．normal B．great C．reasonable D．complicated

小題19:

A．so B．for C．but D．till

小題20:

A．release B．a(chǎn)dmire C．display D．lift

Cindy Sydney is the founder of C&S Paving Inc.(鋪路公司) in Miami，USA.In the following account，she recalls the job that challenged her ____ and skill but left her flying high.
When the Miami Airport was under ____ in 1979，we were a new company struggling to make it.National Car Rental wanted to have 2,500 square meters of dirt paved ____ the cars could be on site ____ the airport opened，and the official opening was only ten days away！____ other local paving company wanted to do the job, stating it couldn’t be done in such a(n) ____ time.
Because we were new and really needed the work，we were ____ to try harder.We gave National Car Rental our offer and ____ our best effort to get the job finished within ten days.We also ____ them that if we failed，they would be no worse off，____ they had plenty to gain if we succeeded.
We got the job and immediately went into ___.Working at night needed lights，so I rented a machine to produce electricity for the site.Our____challenge was to keep the rock mixture ____ enough.All the available water wagons(灑水車) were rented out for the airport construction，and we certainly couldn’t  ____ to buy a new one.Instead，I got a special ___ to rent fire engine hoses(消防水龍帶) and connect them to nearby hydrant(消防栓)；then I ____ held one of those hoses to ____ down the rock.
Those ten days were filled with challenges that ____ one creative idea after another.Nine days later，the night before the airport opened，National Car Rental was the only company that had cars on the parking lot.
“The key to our success was having the ____ to take on any job and then being ____ in our approach to getting it done.”

小題1:	A．kindness B．patience C．imagination D．experience

小題2:	A．construction B．repair C．control D．development

小題3:	A．a(chǎn)fter B．a(chǎn)s C．for D．so

小題4:	A．while B．since C．where D．when

小題5:	A．Some B．Any C．No D．Every

小題6:	A．short B．vacant C．initial D．regular

小題7:	A．a(chǎn)ble B．nervous C．a(chǎn)fraid D．willing

小題8:	A．supported B．promised C．continued D．improved

小題9:	A．a(chǎn)sked B．surprised C．reminded D．demanded

小題10:

A．though B．but C．a(chǎn)s D．unless

小題11:

A．discussion B．a(chǎn)ction C．practice D．production

小題12:

A．next B．first C．past D．previous

小題13:

A．cold B．wet C．loose D．clean

小題14:

A．swear B．delay C．consult D．a(chǎn)fford

小題15:

A．excuse B．order C．permit D．reason

小題16:

A．exactly B．personally C．a(chǎn)ngrily D．hardly

小題17:

A．pull B．knock C．hit D．water

小題18:．

A．required	B．mixed
C．followed	D．formed

小題19:

A．courage B．interest C．hope D．chance

小題20:

A．shabby B．efficient C．creative D．urgent

When it comes to social behaviour，mammals are in a league of their own.Some birds may form pairs，or even cooperate to hunt，but the complexity (復雜性) of their relationships can hardly compare to those within a school of dolphins，a herd of elephants or a group of humans.What makes mammalian social groups different from a flock of starlings or a shoal of fish，is that in many cases the individuals could recognize each other.Although we may think that  all elephants look pretty much the same，we can easily tell individuals of our own species apart and it has become clear through studies that the same is true of other species.Dolphins have their own signature whistles that act like “names”，and elephants can recognize and greet other individuals they have known but not seen for many years.This is something that only a few species of birds appear to be able to do.
Mammals in complex social groups not only recognize each other as individuals，but also they remember a lot of information about that individual.Social groups often rely on this memory—such as knowing who is dominant to whom，who is related to whom，and who has done what to whom in the past.It’s like remembering who you have lent money to or done a favour for，and who hasn’t repaid that money or has talked about you behind your back.You have to learn who to trust，who your friends are，and who to watch out for.
All this remembering goes on in a particular part of the brain called the neocortex (大腦皮層)．If you compare the size of a mammal’s social group with the size of this part of the brain，you will find they are remarkably closely related.This area seems to take a long time to develop fully and animals in which it is very large take a very  long time to grow up to adulthood.During this time，the youngster has to learn all the rules of social behaviour in their group and to piece together all  the relationships between the group members：Knowledge that will be needed to avoid getting into trouble.
小題1:What is special about a mammalian social group according to the passage?

A．All the individuals cooperate to hunt.

B．The individuals can communicate with each other.

C．The individuals can recognize each other.

D．The individuals form closer relationship.

小題2:The passage suggests that elephants________.

A．a(chǎn)re cleverer than dolphins

B．can recognize other species

C．may mistake a member for another

D．have good memories

小題3:Animals whose area of the neocortex is large________.

A．will have a long period of time before they become adults

B．will spend a shorter time learning the necessary knowledge

C．will learn the necessary knowledge much more easily

D．will have more difficulty in growing up as adults

小題4:If the neocortex is larger，the animals________.

A．can live a longer life

B．have a smaller social group

C．have a larger social group

D．have a greater body size

The morning had been a disaster.My tooth was aching，and I’d been in an argument with a friend.Her words still hurt：“The trouble with you is that you won’t put yourself in my place.Can’t you see things from my point of view？” I shook my head stubbornly—and felt the ache in my tooth.I’d thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday，but the pain was really unbearable.I started calling the dentists in the phone book，but no one could see me immediately.Finally，at about lunchtime，I got lucky.
“If you come by right now，” the receptionist said，“the dentist will fit you in.”
I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car.But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist.What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice？Why wasn’t he as busy as the others?
In the dentist’s office，I sat down and looked around.I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried.The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my ice­cold one.
When I told her my fears，she laughed and said，“Don’t worry.The dentist is very good.”
“How long do I have to wait for him？” I asked impatiently.
“Come on，he is coming.Just lie down and relax.And enjoy the artwork，” the assistant said.
“The artwork？” I was puzzled.
The chair went back.Suddenly I smiled.There was a beautiful picture，right where I could enjoy it：on the ceiling.How considerate the dentist was！At that moment，I began to understand what my friend meant by her words.
What a relief！                     (2013·重慶，A)
小題1:Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling that morning?

A．Cheerful.	B．Nervous.
C．Satisfied.	D．Upset.

小題2:What made the author begin to doubt about the dentist?

A．The dentist’s agreeing to treat her at very short notice.

B．The dentist’s being as busy as the other dentists.

C．The surroundings of the dentist’s office.

D．The laughing assistant of the dentist.

小題3:Why did the author suddenly smile?

A．Because the dentist came at last.

B．Because she saw a picture on the ceiling.

C．Because she could relax in the chair.

D．Because the assistant kept comforting her.

小題4:What did the author learn from her experience most probably?

A．Strike while the iron is hot.

B．Have a good word for one’s friend.

C．Put oneself in other’s shoes.

D．A friend in need is a friend indeed.