I suppose that the most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. And especially if it’s given from the heart. When people are talking, there’s no need to do anything but receive them. Listen to what they’re saying. Care about it. Most times caring about it is even more important than understanding it. Most of us don’t value ourselves or our love enough to know this. It has taken me a long time to believe in the power of simple saying “I’m so sorry,” when someone is in pain.
One of my patients told me that when she tried to tell her story people often interrupted to tell her that they once had something just like that happening to them. Her pain became a story about them. Eventually, she stopped talking to most people. We connect through listening. When we interrupt what someone is saying to let them know that we understand, we move the focus of attention to ourselves. When we listen, they know we care.
I have even learned to respond to someone crying by just listening. In the old days I used to reach for the handkerchiefs, until I realized that passing a person a handkerchief may be just another way to shut him down, to take them out of their experience of sadness. Now I just listen. When they have cried all they need to cry, they find me there with them.
This simple thing has not been that easy to learn. It certainly went against everything I had been taught since I was very young. I thought people listened only because they were too shy to speak or did not know the answer. But now I know that a loving silence often has far more power to heal than the kindest words.
小題1:What does the author value most in the communication with each other?

A．Deep understanding	B．Saying “I’m Sorry”.
C．Attention from heart.	D．Doing nothing.

小題2:The woman patient stopped telling her story to most people because ______.

A．She didn’t get enough respect from others

B．she was discouraged by being often interrupted

C．people often told her their own opinions

D．people couldn’t understand her sad situation

小題3: If you hand a handkerchief to someone crying, you may ______.

A．hurt his feelings	B．make him embarrassed
C．encourage him to continue to cry	D．stop him from letting out his sorrow

小題4: It can be inferred from the passage that while communicating, ______.

A．listening is a perfect way to respond to others

B．people keep silent because they don’t know the answer

C．keeping silent means being too shy to speak

D．it is easy to form the habit of listening silently

Do you want to have a close friend? Do you know how to make a good friend? Now, let me tell you. Before you make friends, you have to decide who you want to be your friends. Most people like to have friends who like to do the same kind of things they do.
The quickest way to make a friend is to smile. When you smile, people think you are friendly and easy to talk to. It may not be easy at first to smile, but remember most people will stay away from a scared or angry looking face.
One easy way to start a conversation with someone is to say something nice about him. Think about how great you feel when someone says something nice to you. Doesn’t it make you want to keep talking to that person?
Ask your new friends questions about themselves. Who’s their favorite singer, where do they live, what do they do after school are all good questions to start a conversation. Make sure you have something to add to the conversation, too. When someone asks you a question, do have an answer for them. There’s nothing that will stop a conversation quicker than a shrug (聳肩) for an answer.
Kids who show an interest in other kids and who are kind and friendly make good friends. Remember, everyone wants to be around people who like to do similar things and people who are nice to them.
小題1:What does the underlined word scared( in para.2) mean?

A．holy

B．frightening

C．happy

D．sad

小題2:The main idea is _________.

A．how to start a conversation	B．how to praise a person
C．how to make friends	D．the importance of making friends

小題3:What kind of people are easy to become friends?

A．who are happy every day.	B．who often speak ill of others.
C．who are good at communicating .	D．who share the same interest.

小題4:If a person shrug , what does he/she mean?

A．being very proud	B．making no answer
C．being very happy	D．be humorous

小題5:Most people enjoy talking to one _______.

A．who speaks highly of them	B．who are very out-going.
C．who is always smiling	D．who points out their shortcomings

As a child, I was afraid of everything. At the age of 8, I even became  1   of getting Halloween candy.  2  , on October 31, my twin brother and I went out and  3  to every house in the neighborhood. Most of the houses only had a few steps to the door. It was easy. However, when we   4   one of the bigger houses with 10 tall steps  5  to the front door, which were known to have the best candy, my fear  6   me. My brother was already up the stairs, while I stood   7   at the bottom.
It was  8   that I’d be able to climb all that way, for I was afraid that I might fall over in the dark and  9  my bag of candy. I might  10  my clothes on something. I wanted the candy, but there was no  11   I would go up those stairs to get it. I failed. I lost more than just candy. I lost my  12  .
Fear of the unknown  13  me for a long time. After six years in nursing, I was  14    with the career I had chosen. I faced a  15  : step out into the unknown or  16   the rest of my life at the bottom of those steps, never  17  the best candy.
Finally, with only $100 in my savings account, I started my own business. Whenever I would lose a client (客戶), the old fears  18   . However, I’d tasted the candy, and now I don’t   19  when I face difficulties. I believe that, though   20   things can happen when we step out, worse things happen when we don’t.

小題1:	A．afraid B．happy C．fond D．tired

小題2:	A．Hardly B．Normally C．Certainly D．Approximately

小題3:	A．pointed B．rushed C．moved D．traveled

小題4:	A．knocked B．escaped C．reached D．entered

小題5:	A．pointing B．belonging C．opening D．leading

小題6:	A．encouraged B．spread C．prevented D．attracted

小題7:	A．slightly B．frozen C．calmly D．happily

小題8:	A．unlikely B．unlucky C．possible D．pitiful

小題9:	A．fall B．drop C．forget D．lose

小題10:

A．bury B．break C．tear D．catch

小題11:

A．way B．need C．doubt D．wonder

小題12:

A．bag B．life C．way D．confidence

小題13:

A．amused B．controlled C．helped D．ruined

小題14:

A．excited B．concerned C．impressive D．unsatisfied

小題15:

A．difficulty B．cause C．fear D．choice

小題16:

A．save B．spend C．change D．escape

小題17:

A．presenting B．buying C．making D．tasting

小題18:

A．disappeared B．warned C．returned D．reminded

小題19:

A．fear B．cry C．fail D．complain

小題20:

A．big B．fortunate C．bad D．small

There’s no shortage of web sites offering deals-everything from daily deals to members-only private sales. But when it comes to real jaw-dropping deals, there’s one company that seems to have figured out a way to really deliver.
The company is called Quibids and they auction（拍賣）the hottest, in-demand electronics like Apple ipads and ipods, as well as other items like gift cards from the top retailers（零售商）. Unlike other sites, the prices people pay are nowhere near retail. How low are the prices?
$ 33.84 for a new Apple ipad 32 GB（retail $ 600）
$ 22.10 for a new Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera（retail $ 1070）
Our first reaction on seeing these prices was disbelief. After all, how could Quibids possibly afford to sell these items for so little ---- surely they must be losing a lot of money.
That’s where its unique business model comes into play. You see, for every bid a buyer places for an item on Quibids, the company collects a small fee from the bidder. The fee to bid is only about 60 cents, but based on the volume of sales and bids, the company is able to collect enough to make up for the ridiculous prices the items sell for.
But best of all, participating in the Quibids auction is incredibly fun. Because each bid costs a little to place, shoppers can strategize when to place their bids. Each auction has a strict time limit. When you place your bid, the system adds a little time to the auction to see if any other bids come in. If you have the winning bid when the clock runs out ---- you win the item for that price.
But the best part of Quibids may be the “Buy-It-Now” feature. This allows bidders who did not win an auction to still buy the product they want and apply the cost of the bids they placed as a discount on the regular product price. So you still get the item and the bids you placed previously in the auction don’t cost you anything!
小題1:According to the passage, the success of Quibids mainly lies in          .

A．how its buying and selling is conducted	B．the change in people’s shopping model
C．the quality of the goods and service	D．their willingness to risk losing money

小題2:It can be inferred from the passage that          .

A．other retailers will be out of business	B．winning a bid is not just a matter of luck
C．Quibids only sell popular electronics	D．the prices on Quibids are the lowest

小題3:A buyer who bid twice for a $ 20 MP4 can get one from “Buy-It-Now” for          .

A．$ 21.2

B．$ 20

C．$ 19.4

D．$ 18.8

小題4:Which might be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．Buy Products for Next to Nothing	B．How to Buy New Must–have Electronics
C．The Most Successful Shopping Website	D．Tips on Shopping Online

After six months of living in New Zealand, I realized one thing. Despite my  1  for greater contact with local students,  2  I initiated(開始) the contact, it wouldn’t happen. Local students are not interested in contacts with the international students, because they regard us as shy,  3   and sometimes snobby （勢利的） people. Of course we know that’s not true. I want to change their opinions.
After  4    the problem, I put on my “confidence mask” each morning and walked around with a smile on my face. I chatted with people whenever I had the chance. I showed that I was not afraid to  5    them, and that I was worthy of being a friend.
A side-effect of my  6    confidence was that my emotions occasionally broke down Only in the  7    of my room, where no one could see, would I reveal my real emotions. All the rejections, funny looks, and  8    behind my back calling me a weirdo（古怪的人） melted  into tears. Once that was done, I would put on my confidence mask once again and start a new day.
It finally worked  My name became known throughout the school as I appeared to be 9    and active. Slowly, I discovered that I no longer needed to put on my confidence mask. I had real   friends. Instead of dragging myself to school and  10   to be happy, I was truly happy. I could not believe it when I was elected to the student government as Deputy Head boy----the first international student to receive the title.
From my  11    in New Zealand, I believe one thing will always be true: If you try your best to reach your goals, you’ll achieve your  12    dreams.

小題1:	A．desire B．invitation C．devotion D．effort

小題2:	A．if B．otherwise C．unless D．once

小題3:	A．energetic B．considerate C．free D．dull

小題4:	A．getting B．realizing C．solving D．making

小題5:	A．get up with B．put up with C．open up to D．look forward to

小題6:	A．accepted B．proved C．elected D．forced

小題7:	A．public B．privacy C．possession D．protection

小題8:	A．laughing B．talking C．acting D．walking

小題9:	A．minded B．talented C．humorous D．enthusiastic

小題10:

A．looking B．helping C．pretending D．treating

小題11:

A．experience B．trouble C．travel D．struggle

小題12:

A．great B．impossible C．hopeful D．reasonable

What’s delicious, healthy to eat and comes in various colors? Eggplant! And no, it has nothing to do with chickens! This strangely named vegetable is, however, as versatile as an egg. It can be steamed, fried or baked. It can be eaten by itself or combined with meats and other vegetables.
Eggplant was first grown in India during the 5th century B.C. Its popularity soon spread to China and then throughout Asia. Finally, during the Middle Ages the vegetable made its way to Europe. At that time, eggplant was not the shiny purple vegetable most people know today. Instead, it was like a white egg. Due to this egg-like appearance, eggplant got its name. In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a “mad apple”. This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one’s health. People actually thought eggplant could cause insanity(精神錯亂) and cancer.
Fortunately, today people know that eggplant doesn’t cause insanity or cancer. In fact, eggplant is so healthy that it may prevent cancer. In addition, the brain and the heart benefit from this supper vegetable. Since it is high in fiber, eggplant can also improve digestion.
Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant in the world today. Depending on its location, eggplant may be purple, green, orange or yellow-white. And it can be as small as a tomato or as large as a cucumber. Dish diversities(多樣性) range from simple to complex, with all of them being delicious!
Today, thousands of people are gathering in Loomis, Calif, for the 23rd annual Loomis Eggplant Festival. The main activity at the festival is eating delicious eggplant dishes. There is plenty more to do and see, though. Recipe contests, arts and crafts, performers, races and children’s activities all “egg-cite” festival-goers. Most people at the festival would agree — eggplant is an “egg-cellent” vegetable!
小題1:What does the underlined word “versatile” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．simple in shape	B．various in cooking
C．diverse in size	D．flexible in price

小題2:Which of the following statements about eggplants is TRUE?
A. Eggplant was once misunderstood by the people for its bitterness.
B. Eggplant was introduced into Europe during the 5th century B.C.
C. Eggplant got its name for its nutrition which is as rich as an egg.
D. Eggplant looks like what it used to be in color and shape.
小題3:Eggplant is so healthy that it can _____________.

A．cure the cancer with certainty	B．do good to digestion
C．replace other vegetables	D．help relieve insanity

小題4:The diversities of eggplant reflect in many aspects EXCEPT _____________.

A．colors

B．sizes

C．dishes

D．nutrition

小題5:The passage mainly tells us about __________________.

A．the 23rd annual Loomis Eggplant Festival

B．the general introduction of eggplant

C．the origin of eggplant

D．the benefits of eggplant

If you've been joining in chat room conversations, or trading e-mail with Web pals, you have become one of the millions who write in a peculiarly short form of English.
And you've got a sense of humor about short forms like SOHF(="sense" of humor failure) to describe Internet newcomers who don't understand you.
Across the globe, every night teenagers and their elders are “talking” online—many of them are talking at the same time.
It's fast: try talking to six people at once. It's brief: three or four words per exchange. It takes wit, concentration, and quick fingers.
And it requires tremendous linguistic economy. There's neither time nor space for explanations. Why consume precious key-strokes telling six friends you have to leave for a moment to take care of your little brother when BRB(="be" right back) will do? Want to enter a conversation? Just type PMFJI(="pardon" me for jumping in).  Interested in whom you're talking to? Type A/S/L, the nearly universal request to know your pal's age, sex and location. You may get 15/M/NY as a response from your pal.
If something makes you laugh, say you're OTF(="on" the floor),or LOL(="laughing" out loud),or combine the two into ROTFL(="rolling" on the floor laughing).
And when it's time to get back to work or go to bed, you type GTG(="got" to go) or TTYL(talk to you later).
People want to write as fast as possible, and they want to get their ideas across as quickly as they can. Capital letters are left in the dust, except when expressing emotion, as it takes more time to hold down the “shift” key and capitals. Punctuation is going, too.?
小題1:In order to talk to several people at the same time on the Internet_______.

A．you have to speak fast and fluently

B．you have to express your ideas in a brief way

C．you should speak with wit and humor

D．one should pay much attention to the accuracy of the words

小題2:If you get 17/F/NY as an answer to your A/S/L, it means_______.

A．the person on the other end is 17 from New York and he is fine

B．you are talking to a girl who is 17 and lives in New York

C．you are talking to 17 girls who are from New York

D．the person who are talking to you is a 1.7-foot tall New York girl

小題3:To save time on the Internet_______.

A．some people leave their letters in the dustbin

B．some people never use “shift” in their writing

C．many people leave the capital and punctuation

D．people seldom use capital letters or punctuation

There is very simple way of measuring the height of a water-tower, which we cannot measure by climbing.
Suppose, for example, that we wish to find out the height of the water-tower, AB, in a factory. We first of all go to where the water-tower is standing and measure a distance of, say, 25 feet from it. Then we take a stick, and stand it in the ground at the spot we have just marked.
Let us suppose the stick we are using is 4 feet in height. We now walk farther away from the water –tower in the same straight line as when we measured off the distance of 25 feet. We go from the water-tower until we come to point E, where with our head on the ground, we see the top of the stick and the top of the water-tower in the same height line---that is, the top of the stick just covers the highest part of the water-tower. Every schoolboy can work out the height of the water-tower now.
Suppose that the line CE is five feet. We know that the stick is 4 feet high and the distance BE is 30 feet. Thus, 5 is to 4 as 30 is to AB.
小題1:If we want to know how high a tall tree is,_______.
A. we have to climb up the tree
B. we have no way out
C. we must cut down the tree
D we needn’t climb up the tree
小題2: According to the passage, which of the following is correct?

小題3:It is clear from this that the problem can be settled by _________.

A．a child

B．the boy who has little schooling

C．everyone

D．a girl at middle school

小題4:To measure a water-tower in this way, _________.

A．no tool is needed

B．Besides a stick, tape-measure (卷尺) or at least a ruler is necessary.

C．we have to use nothing but a stick

D．we have to prepare a set of expensive tools

The weather is getting hotter. You are thirsty playing basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may be just the thing. But be careful what you are drinking. Something that looks cool may not be good for your health. There are plenty of “energy drinks” on the market. Most of them have beautiful colors and cool names. The lists on them tell you they are helpful to your health. Sounds great!
But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks have lots of caffeine(咖啡堿)in them. These drinks are especially aimed at young people, students, busy people and sports players. Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake. But be careful not to drink too much. Caffeine makes your heart beat fast. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee(IOC) has limited(限制) its use. Caffeine in most energy drinks is at least as strong as that in a cup of coffee or tea. Possible health dangers have something to do with energy drinks. Just one box of energy drink can make you nervous, have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart problems. Scientists say that teenagers should be discouraged from taking drinks with a lot of caffeine in them.
小題1:Many people like drinking energy drinks because of the following EXCEPT that ______.

A．they have beautiful colors and cool names

B．they have lots of caffeine

C．they can keep them awake and better at sports

D．they are said to be helpful to health

小題2:The main reason for people not to drink too much energy drinks is that they may cause ______.

A．heart problems	B．nervousness
C．sleeping difficulty	D．possible health dangers

小題3:The underlined word “discouraged” can be replaced(替換) with ______.

A．encouraged

B．stopped

C．helped

D．disliked

小題4:From the passage we can know that ______.

A．advertisements are important in getting people to buy energy drinks

B．energy drinks are helpful to teenagers’ study

C．sports players need to drink a lot of energy drinks

D．energy drinks are especially aimed at teenagers

小題5:Which of the following can be the best title of the passage? ______

A．What’s the Use of Energy Drinks?

B．Who Can Drink Energy Drinks?

C．What’s That in Energy Drinks?

D．Why Can’t We Buy Energy Drinks?

To help make the most of your experience at Auckland Zoo we suggest:
Plan Your Day:
Plan your day to learn more about your favorite zoo animals.
Don’t forget your camera – the best way to capture your visit forever.
Keep Safe at the Zoo:
Children aged 12 years and under need to be accompanied (陪同) by a caregiver.
To keep the safety of our animals, any throwing games are not permitted in the zoo grounds.
The zoo animals are not trained. Do not enter any enclosure (圍場), or put any part of your body into an enclosure.
There are a number of natural waterways at the zoo, so please take care of your children at all times.
General Information:
Check out the weather before you come. In winter we suggest you bring a jacket and an umbrella, and in summer, be sure to bring sunscreen and a hat.
Every zoo animal enjoys its own specific: well-balanced food. We hope that you enjoy some great food treats on your zoo visit, but please do not feed any of our animals. Our keepers work strictly on this.
Feel free to take personal photos and make videos. However, any commercial photography or filming needs written permissions from zoo management.
Not all animals are permitted in the zoo grounds. We welcome people with guide dogs, but they must contact us ahead of time about their visit. Please phone the Zoo Information Center on +64(0)9-360-3805.
Smoking is not permitted in covered areas.
Auckland Zoo does not allow entry to any unaccompanied children 12 years and under. If the children are found by themselves, the staff do have the right to call the police.
小題1:When visiting Auckland Zoo, parents should tell their children that _________.

A．they could play throwing games

B．they couldstay close to the animals

C．the zoo animals have been well-trained

D．it’s dangerous to play near the waterways

小題2:The underlined word “this” in the part of “General Information” refers to the fact that ____.

A．zoo animals enjoy their well-balanced food

B．visitors are not allowed to feed animals

C．visitors enjoy their own food treats

D．children offer food to the zoo animals

小題3:The main purpose of the passage is to _________.

A．give people some tips on visiting Auckland Zoo

B．introduce Auckland Zoo animals

C．ask people to stop polluting Auckland Zoo

D．attract people to the zoo