Climbers at the top of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, will now be able to make video calls and surf the Internet on their mobile phones, a Nepalese (尼泊爾的) telecom group claims.
Ncell, a branch company of Swedish phone giant TeliaSonera, said on Thursday it had set up a high-speed third-generation (3G) phone base station at an altitude of 5,200 metres in the Everest region.
“Today we made the world’s highest video call from Mount Everest base camp successfully. The coverage (覆蓋范圍) of the network will reach up to the peak of Mount Everest,” Ncell Nepal chief Pasi Koistinen told reporters in Kathmandu.
The installation (安裝) will also help tens of thousands of tourists and hikers who visit the world’s highest mountain every year.
Climbers who reached its 8,848-metre peak previously depended on expensive satellite phones and a voice-only network set up by China Mobile in 2007 on the Chinese side of the mountain.
“This is a great milestone for mobile communications as the 3G high speed Internet will bring faster, more affordable telecommunication services from the world’s tallest mountain,” said Lars Nyberg, chief executive of TeliaSonera, which owns 80 percent of Ncell.
The 3G services will be fast enough to make video calls and use the Internet, said the company, which also claimed the world’s lowest 3G base at 1,400 metres below sea level in a mine in Europe.
Despite the installation in Mount Everest, telecom services cover less than one-third of the 28 million people of Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world.
TeliaSonera said it planned to invest $ 100 million in the next year to ensure that mobile coverage increases to more than 90 per cent of the Himalayan nation’s population.
The 3G network on Mount Everest puts TeliaSonera ahead of state-controlled Nepal Telecom, Indian-owned United Telecom and China Mobile.
Around 3,000 people have climbed to the Everest summit since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to conquer the peak in 1953.
小題1:Who are most likely to benefit from the 3G services at Mount Everest?

A．The telecom firm.	B．The local residents.
C．Travelers to Nepal.	D．Mount Everest explorers.

小題2:According to Lars Nyberg, the 3G services they provide __________.

A．a(chǎn)re fast and convenient	B．a(chǎn)re a little expensive
C．can make voice-only calls	D．offer free emailing

小題3:What do we know about TeliaSonera?

A．80 percent of it is owned by Ncell

B．It belongs to Nepal Telecom.

C．It is in the charge of Pasi Koistinen

D．It provides services for Pasi Koistinen.

小題4:What is the best title of the text?

A．Telecommunication in Nepal

B．3G services reach Mt. Everest summit

C．TeliaSonera takes lead in communication

D．Good news for hikers and climbers

Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships．One strength of the human condition is our tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances．Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties．Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily difficulties．People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties．Studies over a range of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people protect themselves from illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely．
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways．First, friends, relatives and coworkers may let us know that they value us．Our self respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties．Second, other people often provide us with informational support．They help us to explain and understand our problems and find solutions to them．Third, we typically find social companionship supportive．Engaging in leisure time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distract（轉(zhuǎn)移…注意力）us from our worries and troubles．Finally, other people may give us important support—financial aid, material resources, and needed services—that reduces stress by helping us solve and deal with our problems．
小題1:Research shows that people’s physical and mental health has much to do with      .

A．the social medical system

B．the amount of support they get from others

C．their strength for dealing with interpersonal ties

D．their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles

小題2:The underlined word “cushions” probably means “    ”

A．a(chǎn)dds up to	B．decreases the effect of
C．gets rid of	D．lays the foundation for

小題3:Social companionship is beneficial in that it

A．helps strengthen our ties with relatives

B．enables us to get rid of our faults and mistakes

C．makes our leisure time activities more enjoyable

D．draws our attention away from our worries and troubles

It was the summer of my freshman year of college. Instead of heading home for a nice long   1 , my friends and I had decided to   2  and take some extra courses. We had   3  the top floor of an old house to live in. My bed was   4   into a stuffy (愁悶的)former laundry room and each night was a new   5  in humidity. Still, it felt   6  to be in my own place for the first time. After the first few weeks,   7  , the thrill faded and   8  set in. I found myself sitting alone each night   9  my home and my parents.
My summer holidays had always been a   10  time. I spent hours playing basketball and swimming. I talked to my Mom while she tended her flowers. I   11  helping my Dad drag firewood for the winter. And every night I sat at a dinner table full of delicious food   12  with love while my family filled the room with the sound of sweet   13 . Now I found myself missing them   14  than ever.
Finally when my   15  were at their lowest, I heard a   16  at the door. I opened it and was   17  to see my parents standing there with big smiles to fill my   18  heart and a box full of food to feed my hungry friends. We spent the afternoon eating   19  , and just being together. It felt so good, and I felt so loved.
Victor Hugo wrote that, “The supreme happiness of life is the   20  that one is loved; loved for oneself, or better yet, loved despite oneself.” It was that gift of happiness that my parents gave me that afternoon and every day of my life.

小題1:	A．journey B．term C．break D．way

小題2:	A．leave B．stay C．relax D．travel

小題3:	A．rented B．bought C．painted D．repaired

小題4:	A．made B．changed C．jammed D．hidden

小題5:	A．wish B．pleasure C．experiment D．a(chǎn)dventure

小題6:	A．exciting B．boring C．a(chǎn)stonishing D．moving

小題7:	A．a(chǎn)nyway B．though C．therefore D．instead

小題8:	A．headache B．loneliness C．satisfaction D．homesickness

小題9:	A．forgetting about B．relying on C．thinking of D．referring to

小題10:

A．special B．terrible C．specific D．difficult

小題11:

A．gave up B．had trouble in C．put off D．took pride in

小題12:

A．frozen B．prepared C．tasted D．kept

小題13:

A．laughter B．scream C．whistle D．sigh

小題14:

A．less B．more C．worse D．better

小題15:

A．minds B．dreams C．spirits D．thoughts

小題16:

A．kick B．hit C．crash D．knock

小題17:

A．disappointed B．surprised C．puzzled D．encouraged

小題18:

A．hungry B．open C．sick D．gentle

小題19:

A．making up B．getting up C．catching up D．taking up

小題20:

A．sign B．chance C．secret D．belief

Fourteen – year – old Richie Hawley had spent five years studying violin at the Community School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles when he took part in a violin contest. Ninety two young people were invited to the contest and Hawley came out first．
The contest could have been the perfect setup for fear, worrying about mistakes, and trying to impress the judges．But Hawley says he did pretty well in staying calm. “I couldn’t be thinking about how many mistakes I’d make—it would distract me from playing,” he says．“I didn’t even remember trying to impress people while I played． It’s almost as if they weren’t there． I just wanted to make music．”
Hawley is a winner． But he didn’t become a winner by concentrating on winning． He did it by concentrating on playing well．
“The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part,” said the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin．“The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle．The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well．”
A characteristic of high performers is their intense, pleasurable concentration on work, rather than on their competitors or future glory or money, says Dr．Charles Garfield, who has studied 1,500 achievers in business, science, sports, the arts, and professions．“They are interested in winning, but they’re most interested in self-development, testing their limits．”
One of the most surprising things about top performers is how many losses they’ve had and how much they’ve learned from each． “Not one of the 1,500 I studied defined losing as failing,” Garfield says．“They kept calling their losses ‘setbacks’．”
A healthy attitude toward setbacks is essential to winning, experts agree．
“The worst thing you can do if you’ve had a setback is to let yourself get stuck in a prolonged depression． You should analyze carefully what went wrong, identify specific things you did right and give yourself credit for them．” Garfield believes that most people don’t give themselves enough praise． He even suggests keeping a diary of all the positive things you’ve done on the way to a goal．
小題1:Hawley won the contest because _______．

A．he put all his mind to his performance

B．he cared much about the judges’ feelings

C．he tried his best to avoid making mistakes

D．he paid close attention to the people around

小題2:High performers is that they tend to give priority to _______．

A．glory

B．wealth

C．pleasure

D．work

小題3:According to the passage, successful people concentrate on _______．

A．challenging their own limits	B．learning from others
C．defeating their opponents	D．a(chǎn)voiding setbacks

小題4: It can be learned from the passage that top performers are not _______．

A．interested in winning	B．free of losses
C．a(chǎn)ccustomed to failures	D．concerned about setbacks

小題5:The passage tells us that “praise” in times of trouble _______．

A．helps people deal with their disappointment

B．makes people forget their setbacks

C．makes people regret about their past

D．helps people realize their goals

Statuses are wonderful human inventions that enable us to get along with one another and to determine where we "fit" in society. In our everyday lives whenever we meet people, we always try to judge them in terms of their statuses. For example, we must judge whether the person in the library is a reader or a librarian, whether the telephone caller is a friend or a salesman and so on.
Our statuses often vary with the people we meet, and change through life. Most of us can, at very high speed, assume(表現(xiàn)出) the different statuses that various situations require. Much of social communication consists of recognizing and selecting among proper statuses and allowing other people to assume their statuses in relation to us. This means that we fit our actions to those of other people, based on a constant mental process of assessment and understanding. Although some of us find the task more difficult than others, most of us perform it rather easily.
A status has been compared to ready-made clothes. Within certain limits the buyer can choose style and material. But an American is not free to choose the clothes of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince. We must choose from among the clothing presented by our society.
Furthermore, our choice is limited to a size that will fit, as well as by our wallet. Having made a choice within these limits, we can have certain changes made. But apart from small adjustments, we tend to be limited to what the stores have on their shelves. Statuses too come ready-made, and the range of choice among them is limited.
小題1:According to the writer, people often assume different statuses______.

A．in order to distinguish themselves from others

B．in order to better recognize other people

C．a(chǎn)s their mental processes change

D．a(chǎn)s the situation changes

小題2:In the last sentence of the second paragraph, “it” refers to “___”

A．constant mental process

B．selecting one’s own statuses

C．recognition of other people’s statuses

D．fitting our actions to those of other properly

小題3:What can be the best title for this text?

A．Proper Relations.

B．Limited Choices.

C．Judgment of Statuses.

D．Comparison of Clothes.

Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.
We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic (傳統(tǒng)型) or Pepsi, Diet (低糖的) Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.
We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished.
Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse----only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly.
While both groups did better than chance would predict, nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people got all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so tiredness, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.
小題1:According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to ________.

A．show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guess-work

B．compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks

C．find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking

D．reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers

小題2: It is implied but not stated in the first paragraph that ________.

A．the competition between the two colas is very strong

B．blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans

C．the purpose of taste tests is to promote the sale of colas

D．the improvement of quality is the chief concern of the two cola companies

小題3:The word “burnout” (Line3, Para. 5) refers to the state of _________.

A．being seriously burnt in the skin

B．being badly damaged by fire

C．being unable to function because of excessive use

D．being unable to burn for lack of fuel

小題4:The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ________.

A．emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other

B．recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas

C．show that taste preference is highly subjective

D．a(chǎn)rgue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy

Strange Baby-Naming Laws
Germany Parents are banned by law from using last names and the names of objects and products as first names. A child’s first name must clearly indicate his or her sex, and all names must be approved by the office of vital statistics in the area in which the child was born.
Iceland The country’s naming committee consults the National Register of Persons to determine if a name is acceptable. If parents want to go off-list, they must apply for approval and pay a fee, and the name must contain only letters in the Icelandic alphabet.
New Zealand The country’s Births, Deaths, and Marriages Registration Act of 1995 prohibits parents from choosing a name that “ might cause offense to a reasonable person; is unreasonably long; or is, includes, or resembles an official title or rank,” including, apparently, Adolf Hitler and Yeah Detroit—both names recently rejected.
Denmark If Danish parents prefer a moniker not on the list of 7,000 preapproved baby names, they must get permission from local church and government officials. Fifteen to 20 percent of the 1,100 reviewed names—including creative spellings of common names, last names as first names, and unusual names—are rejected each year.
小題1:You can tell whether a baby is a girl or a boy according to the first name in _____.

A．Denmark

B．New Zealand

C．Iceland

D．Germany

小題2:In Iceland, the names should _____.

A．be approved by the office of vital statistics.

B．be accepted by the National Register of Persons.

C．contain only letters in the Roman alphabet.

D．be paid for some money.

小題3:Which name is accepted in New Zealand?

A．Bin Laden	B．Talula Does The Hula
C．Keenan Got Lucky	D．John Smith

小題4:According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A．Danish babies’ names should be on the list if parents can’t get the permission.

B．Each year about 150-200 reviewed names are rejected in Denmark.

C．Adolf Hitler is banned in Iceland.

D．Parents should pay a fee for babies’ names if the names are rejected.

I used to be ashamed of my grandma. I know that's a ____16____ thing to say, but it was true until today, so I have to____17___ it.
The____18____ started when my friend Katy found Grandma's false teeth floating in a glass on the bathroom sink. I was so used to seeing them that I____19____ took notice of them. But Katy shouted, laughing and____20____ to talk to them. I had to get down on my knees and____21____ her to shut up so my grandma wouldn't____22____ and get hurt.
After that happened, I____23____ there were a million things about Grandma that were embarrassing（令人窘迫）.
Once she took Jill and me out to Burger King. ____24____ ordering our hamburgers well-done, she told the person behind the counter, "They'll have two Whoppers (巨無霸) well-to-do. " Jill burst out laughing, but I almost____25____.
After a while, I started wishing I could____26____ Grandma in a closet. I even complained to my parents. Both my parents said I had to be careful not to make Grandma feel____27____ in our home.
Then last Wednesday, something happened that____28____ everything completely. My teacher told us to help find interesting old people and____29____ them about their____30____　 for a big Oral History project. I was trying to think of someone when Angie pushed me gently.
"Volunteer your grandmother," she whispered. "She's____31____ and rich in experience."
That was the last thing I ever thought Angie would say about my grandma.
This is how I ended up on____32____ today interviewing my own grandmother before the whole school assembly (集合). All my friends and teachers were listening to her____33____   she was a great heroine. I was____34____ of my grandma and hoped she would____35____ know that I had been ashamed of her.

小題1:	A．funny B．common C．terrible D．clear

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)dmit B．receive　　　 C．refuse D．show

小題3:	A．quarrel　　　 B．a(chǎn)ccident C．trouble　　　 D．a(chǎn)dventure

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)lready　　　 B．a(chǎn)lways C．simply D．hardly

小題5:	A．enjoying B．pretending C．imagining D．continuing

小題6:	A．warn B．demand C．a(chǎn)dvise　　　 D．beg

小題7:	A．mind B．hear C．see D．fall

小題8:	A．expected B．declared C．realized D．doubted

小題9:	A．Because of B．Except for 　 C．Such as D．Instead of

小題10:

A．died 　　　　 B．cheered C．disappeared D．suffered

小題11:

A．meet B．a(chǎn)void C．a(chǎn)rrange D．hide

小題12:

A．independent　 B．inconvenient C．unwelcome D．unfamiliar

小題13:

A．changed B．finished C．stopped D．Prepared

小題14:

A．interview B．report 　　　 C．tell D．write

小題15:

A．news B．lives　　　　 C．a(chǎn)dvantages　　 D．a(chǎn)chievements

小題16:

A．free B．popular C．interesting　　 D．embarrassing

小題17:

A．show B．stage　　　　 C．duty D．time

小題18:

A．a(chǎn)nd then 　　 B．even if　　　 C．so that D．a(chǎn)s if

小題19:

A．sure B．proud C．a(chǎn)shamed D．a(chǎn)fraid

小題20:

A．never　　　　 B．even C．still D．once

January l:  It has happened.  I got a call today saying a little girl in Russia is now my little girl. There are a lot of papers to prepare, and we have to travel to Russia to bring her home,
but now it is certain. I think I'll tell some close friends. Jason is so excited.  I haven't told Steven yet. How can I tell a seven-year-old that he has a sister who is already five years old?
January 10: Today I received a picture of Katerina. The picture is small and not very clear,  but I look at it over and over again.  I don't know anything else about her.  She has lived in a home for children without parents for most of her life.  I wonder how I will talk to her.  I don't speak Russian, and she doesn't speak English.
February l: Today I showed Katerina’s picture to Steven* He is very happy and wants to tell all his friends about his new sister.  I want to buy some new clothes for Katerina, but I don't know her size.  I haven' t received any information from the adoption organization,  and I'm feeling a little worried.
February 16: Finally! Today we received good news! All the papers are ready and tomorrow we will go to Russia to bring Katerina home with us．
February 18: Today I met my daughter for the first time．She is very small, very thin, and very shy． On the way home in the airplane, she slept most of the time．When she woke up, she cried． I am very worried and hope that I can be a good mother to Katerina．
February 19: Steven met his sister this morning． Although Katerina was quiet at first, soon she and Steven began to talk in a mix of Russian, English, and hand movements． Steven and his sister get along well together． In fact, he is able to help her talk with Jason and me． I am worried about how Katerina will be in school． Next week she will start school． How will she understand her teacher?
March 21: Katerina looks much better now． She is heavier, her hair looks good, and her skin is clear． She loves to watch television with her brother, and she has learned to roller-skate． She is doing well in school, and her English gets better every day． Although she sometimes looks sad, and sometimes cries, most of the time she is happy． I think she is slowly my life without her．
小題1:Who is Katerina?

A．Steven's elder sister．	B．An adopted girl．
C．Jason's close friend．	D．The writer's niece．

小題2:When back at home, what is the writer most worried about?

A．How Steven can get along well with Katerina．

B．How Katerina can communicate with Jason and her．

C．Whether Katerina will adapt herself to the school life．

D．Whether she can be a good mother to Katerina．

小題3:From the passage we know that in her new family Katerina ______．

A．gets very fat	B．becomes depressed
C．remains frightened	D．is well treated

小題4:Where is the passage most probably from?

A．A diary．	B．An advertisement
C．An essay．	D．A speech

Confucius said, “In a group of three people, there is always something I can learn. Choose to follow the strengths of others, and use their shortcomings to reflect upon ourselves.”
As you can see from what Confucius said, everyone that we come across can teach us something useful. As long as we reflect on the lessons learnt from and by other people, we can continuously improve ourselves. But take note that when you reflect on these lessons, you apply some wisdom to each lesson because each situation is unique although they share some common principles.
We can learn a lot from everyone. We always tend to think that we can only learn from those who are higher in status or have more knowledge than us, but that is not really the case. We learn from those who are lower in status than us as well, because the experience and knowledge of each person is very different.
The best thing about this type of learning, reflecting other people’s strengths and shortcomings onto ourselves, is that we do not pay for the mistakes that are made. The only cost to us is the time that is needed to learn about and reflect on these lessons from other people’s lives.
As we all know, some mistakes can be ones which people cannot afford to make, for instance, a broken friendship or a financial loss. Thus constantly using other people’s strengths and shortcomings to reflect upon ourselves makes us realize the costs of these mistakes and reduces the possibility that we will make similar mistakes.
What can we do now to learn from others? By keeping our eyes and ears open. Be observant and able to realize what strengths and shortcomings other people have. A lot of people in this world like to complain about their lives. Listen to them and make you own assessment and from your own assessment, reflect upon your life and make improvements where necessary.
小題1:According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．Confucius thought we should learn from strengths of others.

B．Only from those who have more knowledge than us can we learn.

C．It is by reflecting on the lessons learnt by others that we can improve ourselves.

D．Reflecting upon other people’s strengths and shortcomings can help us make fewer mistakes.

小題2:The underlined part “this type of learning” in the fourth paragraph probably refers to_______.

A．learning from other people’s mistakes

B．learning from others’ experiences

C．finding what strengths and shortcomings other people have

D．reflecting others’ strengths and shortcomings onto ourselves

小題3:From the fifth paragraph, we learn that _______.

A．sometimes we can afford the costs of a broken friendship

B．our reflection will necessarily reduce our mistakes

C．some reflection will help to improve ourselves

D．reflection will stop us from making any mistakes in life

小題4:The passage is probably taken from __________.

A．a(chǎn) magazine about life	B．a(chǎn) book about travel
C．a(chǎn)n advertisement	D．a(chǎn) research report

小題5:What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．How to improve oneself.

B．How to use the shortcomings of others to reflect upon ourselves.

C．How to reduce the mistakes in one’s life.

D．How to learn from other people’s strengths and shortcomings.