A relationship is defined as a state of connectedness between people. Although in today’s society with its crazy rhythm of everyday life, when people tend to live in thickly populated cities, spending most of their time in the office and hardly knowing their neighbor’s name, we still find ourselves in some kinds of relationships-with friends, family, or colleagues.?
Family relationships are the first relationships people enter. Parents and relatives influence our emotional development by creating a model that we are sometimes bound to follow all our lives, often subconsciously （潛意識(shí)地）. In day-care, at school, then in the office we spend a lot of time among fellow students and co-workers. We learn to keep business relationships, to work in a team environment, then form smaller groups of like-minded people and finally select some of them as our friends.?
What is a true friendship? How does it start? Are we destined to become friends with certain people or can we actually plan whom to be friends with？?
“Everybody‘s friend is nobody’s.” said Arthur Schopenhauer. Unlike a companionship based on belonging to the same team or group, friendship is a very personal and selective type of relationship. It calls for trust, sincerity, and emotional bonds.?
Sociologists believe that most people are looking for similarities in views, social status, and interests when choosing friends. No wonder that our friends are often people of the same age, sex, and education. Another important factor is joint activity and solidarity. This is the reason why many of us befriend our colleagues and other people who work in the same field.?
Most people would agree that a friend is someone who always listens and understands. Understanding in this context implies a lot of meanings-compassion, sympathy, and emotional closeness. It’s a process in which your friend reads your emotional state, shares your feelings, identifies himself or herself with you.
小題1:What is the best title of this passage？_______

A．Family and Relationships

B．How to Make Friends with Colleagues

C．What is a True Friendship

D．People and Relationship

小題2:According to the passage, which of the following affects us most when choosing friends？

A．Kindergarten.

B．Family.

C．School.

D．Office.

小題3: Why are our friends usually of the same age，sex，and education？

A．Because they are clever and well-behaved.

B．Because most of us are looking for similarities in views，social status, and interests when choosing friends.

C．Because they help us with our work and share our happiness and sorrow.

D．Because they cooperate with us well.

小題4:Which of the following statements is NOT true？

A．A companionship is based on belonging to the same team or group.

B．Friendship needs trust, sincerity, and emotional bonds.

C．Relationships are friendships between people.

D．Understanding is a process in which the friend reads our emotional state, shares our feelings, identifies himself / herself with us.

It’s become part of the restaurant table setting: knife, fork, napkin and cell phone.
　  Distracted (思想不集中的) dining is the new concern with customers constantly texting friends, uploading a Weibo photo of the meal they’re about to chew down or emailing the boss. For many smart-phone users, it’s hard just to focus on the meal and company at hand.
　  Now, one restaurant in Los Angeles is giving diners a reason to turn off the digital world, by offering customers willing to check (寄存) their phones at the door a 5-percent discount on their bill. Owner and chef Mark Gold of Eva Restaurant, located on Beverly Boulevard near N. Gardner Street, hopes this gives customers a way to truly sit back and relax, enjoy their meal and actually talk with friends and family in person.
　  “For us, it’s really not about people disturbing other guests. Eva is home, and we want to create that environment of home, and we want people to connect again,” he explained. “It’s about two people sitting together and just connecting, without the distraction of a phone, and we’re trying to create an atmosphere where you come in and really enjoy the experience and the food and the company.”
　  Gold said applying the suggestion reminds him to avoid cell phone usage, too. “I’m guilty of it as well. When my wife and I go to dinner it seems like the cell phone is part of the table setting now. Every table you look at, it’s a wine glass, the silverware and the cell phone,” he joked.
　  The husband and wife team runs Eva, a 40-person space with European flair. Gold said a little less than half take advantage of the deal, and no one has gotten upset about it.
　  “I think once the server approaches the table and they’re presented with the offer, they like the idea of actually talking to each other again,” he said.
小題1:When having meal in Eva Restaurant, we are not offered             on the table.[學(xué),

A．forks

B．cellphones

C．napkins

D．knives

小題2:Why does Gold think people should not use cellphones at table?

A．Because it can cause health problems.

B．Because it will disturb other customers.

C．Because it can get a 5-percent discount on the customers’ bills.

D．Because it may prevent people communicating with their companions.

小題3:What can we learn from the passage?

A．Many people would like to upload a photo of their food before they eat nowadays.

B．People are forbidden to use cellphones in Eva Restaurant.

C．More than half of the customers in Eva Restaurant have enjoyed the discount.

D．People can easily connect with each other anytime without using cellphones.

小題4:What can be the best title of the passage?

A．No Cellphone at Table!

B．Focus on Your Cellphone!

C．Eva Restaurant – Home to Customers.

D．Talk Face to Face.

We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles of your neck, or because an unexpected twist has made your neck ache and stiff. Your whole body feels tight. The slightest move makes you jump with pain. Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck. That is why we use phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling. We have all met such people.
One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands—often at the wrong time—during a performance in the theater. He keeps you from hearing the actors.
Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and play begins. They come hurrying down to your row of seats. You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap. You must stand up to let them pass. You are proud of your self-control after they have settled into their seats…Well, what now…Good God, one of them is up again. He forgot to go to the men’s room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass. Now, that is “a pain in the neck.”
Another, well-known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies. His mouth is full of popcorn; he is chewing loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him. None of them remain still. Up and down, back and forth, they go for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink.
Then, there is the main sitting next to you at a lunch counter smoking a smelly cigar. He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across your food into your mouth.
We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway car and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him. You are reading the newspaper and he leans over and stretches his neck so that he can read the paper with you. He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it.
We also call such a person a “rubberneck”, always putting out his neck to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors. They enjoy invading your privacy. People have a strong dislike for rubbernecks. They hate being spied upon.
小題1:Where can you find this passage?

A．Medicine dictionaries.	B．A travel guide.
C．Social science books.	D．Students text books.

小題2:How do you feel when late comers walk back and forth in front of you in a cinema?

A．Disturbed.

B．Ignored.

C．Bored.

D．Relaxed.

小題3:A “rubberneck” often                 .

A．says bad words behind people

B．quarrels face to face with neighbors

C．bargains the price with sales women

D．a(chǎn)sks about other people’s business

小題4:Which of the follow is “a pain in the neck”?

A．Someone who helps you find your seat in a movie theatre.

B．Someone who smokes in a smoking section on a train.

C．Someone who throws trash out of his car window on the highway.

D．Someone who goes to the doctor for his severe pain on the neck.

Americans are buying more products and services than ever before through the Internet, and the popularity of online sales is likely to spread to other countries. Online sales now represent as much as one-tenth of all retail(零售) sales in the United States，which has led traditional stores to seek new ways to keep their customers loyal.
Lynne Shaner used the Internet to buy everything she needed for her wedding and holiday gifts for her husband. Other than food, 90 percent of her purchases(購(gòu)買的東西) were made on her home computer. “I find that, by being able to go online and opt for the things that I need to select and have them delivered to me right at my doorstep, I’m free from all the driving, all the crowds, all the noise, and I usually get a better selection.”
There are a lot of people like her. Experts say American online shopping hit records in both November and December. Fifty-seven percent of Americans have bought something electronically. Store owners worry that this growing amount of online sales will hurt their business. Cornell University marketing professor Ed McLaughlin says, “They should be worried. Anything that can move online will be sold online. And it's just a matter of time. However, traditional stores can keep their customers by selling goods like clothing, which buyers may want to see and try on before purchasing. The stores could also offer things that are difficult to ship. ”
Bill Martin, whose business helps stores learn about their customers, says, “Traditional stores offer a social experience that some people enjoy. There is still a lot of emotion in the buying decision that takes place, and you can't always get that on-line. It's a rather cold process. Traditional stores can provide goods for buyers more quickly than online stores. And some retailers are using websites to persuade people to visit their stores. ”
While online shopping worries some business owners, the only worry for delivery services like FedEx and UPS is keeping up with the number of packages. UPS Manager Dana Kline says her company is very busy at this time of year. UPS is so busy that it has filled 55,000 temporary worker positions during the holiday season.
小題1:According to Lynne Shaner, shopping online ________.

A．helps choose things she needs most

B．will replace traditional shopping soon

C．offer many benefits to customers

D．seldom provides a better selection

小題2:What does the underlined phrase “opt for” in the second paragraph mean?

A．choose

B．sell

C．design

D．purchase

小題3:Professor Ed McLaughlin thinks that _________.

A．online shopping has little effect on traditional stores

B．it is time for store owners to be anxious about their business

C．traditional stores can do nothing to stop challenges from online shopping

D．traditional stores should sell more things that are difficult to ship

小題4:What can we know from the fourth paragraph?

A．Online sales fail to offer customers sense of emotion.

B．Customers enjoy social experience when shopping online.

C．Traditional stores can help customers decide what to buy.

D．Customers can buy goods more quickly after visiting websites.

小題5:From the passage we can infer _______.

A．UPS has filled more worker positions than FedEx

B．business owners are concerned about delivery services

C．FedEx is keeping up with UPS on the number of packages

D．delivery services are facing more and more pressure from online sales

This is a true story of how my car got stuck in water and how a stranger helped me during the worst rain storm.
Last Sunday, the sky was grey when I woke up. The weather report said rain was coming, but I couldn’t stay home just because of rain.
Around 8:00 am I had a doctor’s appointment. It wasn’t raining then. At 9:00 I left the doctor’s office to drive to work, and it was raining hard. I just had to go about 5-6 miles down one main road to get to a nearby school, where I could stay until the rain ended. Unfortunately, the road in front of the school was flooded, and my car stopped in the middle.
“Who is going to save me?” I wondered. I shut off the engine and turned on my flashers (車燈). I called 911. They were not helpful. I called my husband, even though he couldn’t come and help me. I was also very close to a police station. But I never saw even one police car. I decided to get out of the car, since it was still pouring.
My best decision of the day had been to wear rain boots. I took my umbrella and quickly got out and ran across the street to a shelter.
Before long, a tow truck(拖車) happened to pass by the street. The driver kindly offered to help me. At that moment, I really needed car pulled out quickly, so I trusted the stranger. He pulled my car and drove me home. After he had dropped my car off, he also helped me check the engine. He said the engine was most likely flooded, but fortunately there was no water inside the car.
Although many years have passed, I still remember that stormy day and the warm-hearted stranger clearly.
小題1:How was the weather when the author got up?

A．Rainy.

B．Cloudy.

C．Windy.

D．Sunny.

小題2:Which of the following is the correct order about the things that the author did?
① Drove to work.                      ② Drove to the doctor’s office.
③ Ran to a shelter.                      ④ Called 911 for help.

A．②①④③

B．②③①④

C．①②④③

D．①③②④

小題3:What did the author do after her car had got stuck in the water?

A．She turned off her flashers.

B．She tried to restart the engine.

C．She went to the police station nearby.

D．She got out of her car.

小題4:How did the stranger help the author?

A．He lent his car to her.

B．He pulled her car out of the water.

C．He drove her to school.

D．He helped her fix her engine.

What does the word “home” mean to you? How do you say the word in French? In Spanish? In your language? Although people usually know what the word means, it often has no exact translation. It’s not surprising really, because the idea of home differs from country to country, and from person to person. A home is more than a roof and four walls. It’s the cooking, eating, talking, playing and family living that go on inside, which are important as well. And at home you usually feel safe and relaxed.
But it’s not just that homes look different in different countries, they also contain different things and reveal（顯示） different attitudes and needs. For example, in cold northern Europe, there’s a fire in the living room or kitchen and all the chairs face it. In the south, where the sun shines a lot and it’s more important to keep the heat out, there are small windows, cool stone floors and often no carpets. We asked some people about their homes.
How often do people move house in your country?
“In my country many people don’t stay in one place for a very long time. They often move every ten years or so.”
Cheryl, Boston, USA
What are typical features of homes in your country?
“In Britain, even in town there’s always a garden and sometimes a cellar（地下室）. We have separate bedrooms and living rooms. But we don’t often have balconies (陽(yáng)臺(tái)). The weather isn’t warm enough!”
— Pat, Exeter, England
小題1:Which one is true according to the passage?

A．People in Britain seldom have balconies because it’s so hot outside.

B．“Home” is a place where you feel safe and relaxed.

C．Although homes look different in different countries, they have the same needs.

D．Houses in northern Europe always have big windows and cool stone floors.

小題2:The word “home” has no exact translation because ______.

A．people can’t find this word in the dictionary

B．no one knows what it is

C．it has different meanings in different countries

D．people can’t understand each other very well

小題3:You can ______ at home according to the passage.

A．eat, play, and teach students	B．cook, talk, and play games
C．swim, eat, and make friends	D．do nothing

小題4:Why is it important to keep the heat out of the houses in southern Europe?

A．Because they want to breathe fresh air outside.

B．Because there’s a fire in the living room.

C．Because they wear heavy clothing all day long.

D．Because the sun there shines a lot.

This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers (young people aged from 13 to 19) from all over the world will spend about ten months in US homes. They will attend US schools, meet US teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world．
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America．
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study, the language began to come to him. Schools were completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual(個(gè)人). Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, In America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea．“I suppose I should criticize(批評(píng)) American schools,” he says. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens(公民). There ought to be some middle ground between the two.
小題1:The world exchange programme is mainly to ________.

A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America

B．send students in America to travel in Germany

C．have teenagers learn new languages

D．let students learn something about other countries

小題2:Fred and Mike agreed that ________.

A．American food tastes better than German food．

B．Americans and Germans were both friendly

C．German schools were harder than American schools

D．There were more cars on the streets in America

小題3:What is special in American schools is that ________.

A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings

B．students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car

C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all

D．there are a lot of after-school activities

小題4:After experiencing the American school life, Mike thought _________.

A．German schools trained students to be better citizens

B．A better education should include something good from both America and Germany

C．American schools were not as good as German schools

D．The easy life in the American schools was more helpful to students

Pasta is the world’s favorite food. Asurveytaken in 17 countriesconfirmedthat pasta is what people like to eat most. Not only is pasta the number one food in its home country -Italy, but is alsoenjoyedin faraway places like the Philippines, Mexico andSouth Africa.
Pasta has become popular, for one thing, because it is cheap and easy to prepare. Just cook noodles or other forms of pasta, make a sauce to go with it and you’re finished. Many different types of meals can becreatedwith pasta. It tastes good and fills your stomach. It produces energy in the form ofcarbohydrates(碳水化合物)， which is whyathleteseat pasta regularly. Pasta can also be kept for a longer time. You don’t have to use it up at once.
Pasta has also become popular because it stands for the Italian way of life. People all over the world like it because it’s so simple. It has two basic ingredients(成分), wheatand water, just like bread.
Legend has itthat Marco Polo brought pasta back to Italy with him but this is not true. Arabs probably brought a noodle-likedishtoSicilyin the 8th century. Farmers have been growing wheat, the mainingredientof pasta, there for ages.
The worldwide sales of pasta have risen sharply over the past decade. Italy leads the pasta-eatingcommunityof the world. The Italians are the number one consumers followed by Venezuela and Tunisia.
小題1:In which country do people eat pasta most?

A．Mexico

B．Venezuela

C．The Philippines

D．South Africa

小題2:Sports people often have pasta because_________.

A．it costs less money

B．it can be kept longer

C．it provides proper energy

D．it contains no carbohydrates

小題3:One reason why pasta is favored is that_______.

A．people like a simple lifestyle

B．it smells just like bread

C．it is rich in nutrition

D．Italian food stands for fansition.

小題4:What would be the best title for the text?

A．The origin of pasta

B．Italians’ love for pasta

C．Pasta is changing people’s way of life

D．Pasta—the world’s favorite food

 
小題1: The letter is probably from __________.
A. Supervisor Management Unit              B Thames Valley Police
C. Criminal Justice System                  D. Crime Reduction Committee
小題2: What’s the purpose of this letter?

A．To thank Ms. Adamczak for her contribution to the security of her community.

B．To inform Ms. Adamczak of how the investigation of the crime she reported was going

C．To respond to Ms. Adamczak’s crime report

D．To inform Ms. Adamczak of the investigation result of crime she reported

小題3: Which one is not the possible result of this reported crime?

A．The police will pay a visit to Ms. Adamczak’s .

B．The police will contact Ms. Adamczak and give her an update.

C．The police will not send Ms. Adamczak any further letters.

D．Your report will be held on file as an undetected crime.

小題4: What does the word “l(fā)eads” most probably mean?

A．Clue.

B．Darkness.

C．Investigation.

D．Contact.

As a teenager, I felt I was always letting people down. I was rebellious(叛逆)on the outside,      on the inside I wanted people to     .
Once I left home to hitchhike(搭便車)to California with my friend Penelope. The trip wasn’t     , and there were many times I didn’t feel safe. One situation in particular       me grateful to still be alive. When I returned home, I was different—not so outwardly sure of myself.
I was happy to be home. But then I noticed that Penelope, who was       with us, was wearing my clothes. And my       seemed to like her better than me. I wondered if I would be       if I weren’t there. I told my mom, and she explained that       Penelope was a lovely girl, no one could       me. I pointed out, “She is more patient and is neater than I have ever been.” My mom said these were wonderful      , but I was the only person who could fill my      . She made me realize that even with my      , —and they were many—I was a loved member of the family who couldn’t be replaced.
I became a searcher,       who I was and what made me unique. My       of myself was changing. I wanted a solid base to start from. I started to resist pressure to       in ways that I didn’t like any more, and I       who I really was. I came to feel much more       that no one can ever take my place.
Each of us       a unique place in the world. You are special, no matter what others say or what you may think. So       about being replaced. You       be.

小題1:	A．a(chǎn)nd B．but C．a(chǎn)s D．for

小題2:	A．leave B．replace C．receive D．like

小題3:	A．easy B．hard C．fun D．long

小題4:	A．made B．kept C．left D．forced

小題5:	A．playing B．eating C．staying D．travelling

小題6:	A．family B．friends C．relatives D．neighbors

小題7:	A．loved B．mentioned C．cared D．missed

小題8:	A．since B．a(chǎn)s C．while D．unless

小題9:	A．scold B．compare C．replace D．match

小題10:

A．qualities B．girls C．people D．times

小題11:

A．character B．role C．task D．form

小題12:

A．faults B．a(chǎn)dvantages C．manners D．pities

小題13:

A．looking at B．looking back C．seeking out D．giving up

小題14:

A．picture B．view C．sense D．a(chǎn)dvice

小題15:

A．think B．learn C．change D．a(chǎn)ct

小題16:

A．hated B．celebrated C．wished D．expected

小題17:

A．sure B．doubtful C．happy D．lonely

小題18:

A．takes B．catches C．seizes D．holds

小題19:

A．talk B．forget C．care D．a(chǎn)rgue

小題20:

A．mustn’t B．shouldn’t C．can’t D．needn’t