Every child has written their names on the beach at some point.
But whereas most people’s “handwriting” is washed away, one super-rich Arab sheikh(酋長) has ensure that his graffiti(胡寫亂畫) will last a little longer.
Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, 63, has scrawled his name in sand on an island he owns with letters so big that they be seen from space.
The word “HAMAD” measures 1,000 meters high and is a staggering two miles long from the “H” to the “D” on the Al Futaisi Island.
And rather than allow the writing to be washed away by the ocean, the letters actually form waterways that absorb the encroaching(滲入) tide. The ruler’s name is even visible on Google’s map service.
Hamad dreamed up the idea and had his workmen work hard for weeks to craft the enormous piece of sand graffiti. It is not known how much it cost to make.
However, the sheikh boasts a personal fortune second to the Saudi king’s.
Hamad, also known as the “Rainbow Sheikh”, is a member of the Abu Dhabi Ruling Family.
He is understood to have some 200 cars including seven Mercedes 500 SELs painted in different colors of the rainbow which he stores in a giant pyramid.
The Arab sheikh had a taste for doing things on a large scale. He built the world’s largest truck—eight times the size of the Dodge Power Wagon, with four bedrooms inside the cabin.
Hamad constructed a motor home in the shape of a giant globe which is exactly 1 millionth the size of the actual earth.
Alongside his displays of wealth he has become a well-known philanthropist(慈善家) in medicine and supplied a complete Kinney stone operating theatre to a public hospital in Morocco where he continues to fund its stuff.
小題1:Which of the following in NOT true according to the passage?

A．Hamad is a man who wants himself to be well-known from apace.

B．Hamad is a super-rich person who always does something unusual.

C．Hamad is a man who is always so mean in his family

D．Hamad is a man who boasts his fortune is second to the Saudi king’s

小題2:In what way could Hamad make his handwriting last longer?
A. The word “HAMAD” measures 1,000 meters wide and high.
B The word “HAMAD” is a staggering two miles long from the “H” to the “D”.
C. The word “HAMAD” actually forms huge waterways that absorb the encroaching tide.
D. The word “HAMAD” cost his workmen a lot of hard work for several weeks.
小題3:Why does Hamad have his seven Mercedes-Benz500 SELs painted in different colors?

A．Perhaps he hoped his cars were stored in a giant pyramid safely.

B．In some ways he could make a very strange rainbow.

C．Maybe he just wanted to show off his wealth.

D．He is always interested in making his cars like these.

小題4:Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．The Rainbow Sheikh’s name can be seen from space

B．The richest Arab sheikh’s name has made many funny things

C．A great person likes doing things on a large scale

D．A well-known philanthropist displays his wealth

33 Chilean miners were trapped nearly a half-mile underground after the mine accident. They had no real hope that they’d ever be found. Luckily, though, the men had Luis Urzua. They were rescued to safety on October 13, 2010.Urzua, 54, was the shift leader at the time of the disaster, and used all his wisdoms and his leadership talents to help his men stay calm and in control for the 17 terrible days it took for rescuers to make their first contact with them.
It was no surprise that Urzua was the last of the 33 miners to leave the mine.
Urzua --- after shaking hands with rescue workers ---- climbed into a capsule barely wider than a man’s shoulders at 9:46 and was hauled up (拖上來) from a narrow hole drilled through 2,000 feet of rock. He arrived at the top 11 minutes later.
“We have done what the entire world was waiting for,” he told Chilean President Sebastian Pinera immediately after his rescue. “The 69 days that we fought so hard were not in vain.” Pinera greeted Urzua, saying “You have been rescued, coming out last like a good leader… You have no idea how all Chileans share with
you your hardships, your hope, and your joy. You are an inspiration.” With Urzua by his side, the president led the crowd in singing the national anthem.Robinson Marquez once worked with Urzua in a nearby mine. He described Urzua as a calm, professional person and a born leader. “He is very protective of his men and obviously loves them. He wouldn’t have left until all of his men were safely above ground,” Marquez said.
Under Urzua’s leadership, the men stretched an emergency food supply meant to last just 48 hours over two and a half weeks, taking tiny sips of milk and bites of fish every other day.He described the difficulties of the first days, saying that it took about three hours for the dust to settle before the men could inspect where tons of collapsed rock sealed off (堵住) the main way out. When the rescuers first made contact by drilling a narrow hole into their refuge (避難處), the miners were so excited that everyone wanted to hug the drill hammer.After the collapse, Urzua was the first to speak to Pinera and to urge him not to let him and his men down. “Don’t leave us alone,” he asked the president, who assured the workers that they would not be abandoned, telling them he would do everything he could to get them back to the surface.
小題1:The mine collapsed on ____.

A．March 2

B．June 3

C．August 5

D．October 13

小題2:Which word can’t be used to describe Urzua?

A．Selfish

B．Calm

C．Optimistic

D．Talented

小題3:What do you know about the capsule?

A．It is very spacious.	B．It is very narrow.
C．It is made by Urzua.	D．It is used in space.

小題4:The emergency food supply was designed to last ____.

A．over two and a half weeks	B．five days
C．one week	D．two days

The Apple iPhone’s impact was widely evident (明顯的) at the Consumer Electronics Show, as new touch－screen devices could be found everywhere.
The consumer electronics industry came unbuttoned in Las Vegas this week. At the annual Consumer Electronics Show, companies from around the world unveiled many devices boasting (以擁有…而自豪) touch – sensitive technology, rather than traditional push-button controls.
Motorola, Sony, and LG Electronics all showed off touch-screen phones this week. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates praised and offered a touch-screen computer, the Surface, related to a flat panel TV for a tabletop. Even camera makers, such as Kodak，included touch-screen LCDs in their devices. Touch-screen tech has been in use for years，but the push to develop and weave it into consumer electronics gathered steam with the June introduction of Apple’s iPhone. “The touch-screen industry is really getting hot,” says Jennifer Colegrove, a senior analyst at iSuppli. “Since the iPhone came out, there are a lot of companies that did not have a relationship with touch screens before that decided, ‘OK, I want to make a touch screen, too.’”
The touch－screen tech ecosystem now includes more than 100 companies specializing in everything from smudge-proof (防污的) screens to sensors (傳感器) able to detect fingers before they even contact the screen. Sales of leading touch-screen technologies，such as those used in mobile phones and navigation (航行) devices，are expected to rise to $ 4.4 billion in 2012, up from $ 2.4 billion in 2006，according to iSuppli estimates.
小題1:What did the writer think about the Apple iPhone？

A．The Apple iPhone was beautiful.

B．The Apple iPhone was popular.

C．The Apple iPhone was expensive.

D．The Apple iPhone was attractive.

小題2:What is the meaning of the underlined word “unveiled” in the second paragraph？

A．Invented.	B．Unlocked.
C．Discovered.	D．Showed.

小題3:The touch-screen tech was used in consumer electronics mainly because of _______.

A．traditional push-button controls

B．Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates

C．the introduction of Apple’s iPhone

D．the touch-screen tech ecosystem

小題4:What can we learn from the passage?

A．The touch-screen technology will disappear.

B．The touch-screen technology will be replaced by traditional push-button controls.

C．The touch-screen technology will be as important as traditional push-button controls.

D．The touch-screen technology will be more widely used in electronics devices.

Winners Club
You choose to be a winner!
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers．It has been made to help you better manage your money．The Winners Club is a transaction account(交易賬戶)where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24／7---that’s 24 hours a day，7 days a week!
It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers：
●No account keeping fees!
You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees．In fact，there are no account keeping or transaction fees!
●Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow．The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits(儲蓄)without taking them out in a month．
●Convenient
Teenagers are busy—we get that．You may never need to come to a bank at all．With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet…You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account．This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job!
●Mega magazine included
Along with your regular report，you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money．There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members．
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers．And it is so easy to join．Simply fill in an application form．You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key-card) but it is easy．We can’t wait to hear from you．It’s the best way to choose to be a winner !
小題1:The Winners Club is a bank account intended for__________．

A．parents

B．teenagers

C．winners

D．a(chǎn)dults

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?

A．Special gifts are ready for parents．

B．The bank opens only on work days．

C．Services are convenient for its members．

D．Fees are necessary for the account keeping．

小題3:The Winners Club provides magazines which___________．

A．encourage spending

B．a(chǎn)re free to all teenagers

C．a(chǎn)re full of adventure stories

D．help to make more of your money

小題4:If you want to be a member of the Club，you must_________．

A．be an Internet user

B．be permitted by your parent

C．have a big sum of money

D．be in your twenties

小題5:What is the purpose of this text?

A．To set up a club．

B．To provide part-time jobs．

C．To organize key-cards．

D．To introduce a new banking service．

Honesty，my mum always used to tell me，is the best policy．Of course，this didn’t include her when she told me that if I didn’t eat all my vegetables Father Christmas would find out and wouldn’t give me any presents．
But when it comes to medicine．I had assumed it was important to always be honest with my patients．After all，the doctor-patient relationship is based on trust，and therefore honesty is essential．Or so I thought．
I had just started working in geriatrics(老年病科)．Mr. McMahon was brought in when his belly was found very swollen．I took a medical history from his daughter who’d accompanied him in the ambulance．She’d been his main carer for years．I stood looking at him as she gave a detailed history．“Has he lost any weight recently?”I asked．“Well，it’s funny you should mention that，but yes．”she said slowly．There was silence for a few moments．“Why? What are you worried about?”she asked．I hesitated．She was obviously very involved in his care and it was only fair that I told her the truth．“Well．we need to prove it’s not cancer．”I said and talked briefly about some of the tests I was going to order．
Half an hour later, a nurse called me：“Mr. McMahon’s daughter broke down--she said you told her he had cancer．”My heart sank．By the time I arrived at the ward，my consultant was already there，explaining that we still had to run lots of tests and that it was by no means confirmed that he had cancer．I stood silently at the end of the bed．My consultant was obviously angry with me and as we left Mr. McMahon，she turned to me．“Why on earth did you do that?”she asked in disbelief．I looked at her and bit my lip．“She asked me what I was worried about and I told her．”I said，hanging my head．“And give her more to worry about?”replied my consultant．“You don’t say the word‘cancer’until it’s confirmed．Even if you suspect it，think very carefully before you tell people.”
As it turned out, it wasn’t cancer．But I did learn that when someone is stressed and worried about their loved one they’re sometimes selective in what they hear and as a doctor it’s important to be mindful of this．In being truthful，I’d made the situation worse．
小題1:The purpose of the first two paragraphs is to show that the author_____．

A．misunderstood the doctor-patient relationship

B．was anxious to receive Christmas gifts

C．regarded honesty as the best policy

D．had an unhealthy eating habit

小題2:The author’s consultant was angry with him because________．

A．he told the daughter what he suspected

B．he delayed running the necessary tests

C．he failed to confirm the patient’s disease

D．he forgot what the consultant had advised

小題3:The author hung his head (the underlined part in Paragraph 4) because he was feeling________．     

A．helpless

B．hurt

C．disappointed

D．guilty

小題4:What lesson has the author learnt from his experience?

A．Learning from parents is necessary．

B．Jumping to a conclusion is dangerous．

C．Telling the truth may not always be the best solution．

D．Selecting pleasant words may not be the perfect policy．

The London Eye is a giant 135---meter tall Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames in the British capital. Since 20 January 2011, it has been officially known as the EDF Energy London Eye following a three---year deal with the company. It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people every year. The London Eye is located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames In the London Borough of Lambeth in England, between Westminster Bridge( which has longer history than the famous Severn Bridge to the west of London) and Hungerford Bridge. When erected in 1999, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until surpassed first by the 160 m Star of Nanchang in 2006, and the 165m Singapore Flyer in 2008. A breathtaking feat of design and engineering, passengers in the London Eye’s capsules can see up to 40 kilometers in all directions. The London Eye is the vision of David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20^th century, and time turning into the new millennium(千禧年). Back in 2000, the London Eye was known as the Millennium wheel. In 2009, a 4D Film Experience was added as a free extra to enjoy before your ride on the Eye. Once you get high enough and start coming down the other side, you will see people reach for their cameras. Here’s where the good stuff is right at your fingertips(or seems so). Parliament and Big Ben are beneath you, as are so many other historical things . If you are interested in other attractions in London, you can refer to the homepage.
小題1:Which of the following statements is NOT correct ?

A．It is so popular that every year, more than 3.5 million people visit the London Eye.

B．London Eye is called the EDF Energy London Eye from 2011 because the company bought it.

C．It is designed by David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team.

D．It is 135---meter tall and is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe.

小題2:What cannot be seen from the London Eye ?

A．The beautiful sights of the River Thames.

B．The Westminster Bridge.

C．The famous Seven Bridge.

D．Big Ben

小題3:We can infer from the passage that___________.

A．London Eye is the third tallest Ferris wheel in the world.

B．London Eye was named the Millennium Wheel at first.

C．London Eye is free of charge, and that's why so many people come here.

D．Before your ride on the London Eye, you can first enjoy a 4D film now.

小題4:You can find this passage_________.

A．in a magazine

B．in a newspaper

C．from a guidebook

D．on a website

What is your favorite English letter?  Many of you may say Q. Why?  Because
so many of you chat with your friends on QQ. What do you like about QQ?  What do you talk about?  The CCTV reporter,  Miss Wang,  interviews three kids. Let’s listen to what they say.
When do you chat on QQ?  What do you talk about?
　Lin Yuhan,  Xi’an:  On weekends. We talk about homework and chat with each other.
　　Tang Xuting,  Shanghai:  At weekends and when I don’t have much homework. We exchange test answers and chat.
Yang Yuhang,  Dalian:  Our class goes online together at 4: 00～6: 00pm on weekends. We complain about homework,  chat and talk about computer games.
　　What do you put on your QQ blog(博客)？
　　Lin: I put good articles I have found online on my blog. I also write articles myself. They are about funny things that have happened in my class.
　Tang: I put pictures on my blog. Not my own photos,  but pictures from my favorite Japanese cartoons(動畫片)like Tennis Prince Conan.
　　Yang: I put DV films on my blog. I shoot(拍攝)them during sports meetings and school parties. The most popular one is about a dancing teacher,   he is so funny that everyone watches it.
　　 How do you like QQ?
　Lin: It’s a good space for us to make a record of our lives of both good times and sad times.
　　Tang: My friends and I may not have time to chat at school. But we can do it on QQ. It’s very helpful to our friendships.
　　Yang: If you chat with friends on the telephone,  your parents sometimes listen to your conversation. There’s no such problem with QQ. You can relax and talk freely.
小題1:What does Yang Yuhang talk about on QQ on weekends?
①homework　　　  ②chat
③test answers　　　④computer games

A．①②	B．②③
C．①②④	D．②③④

小題2:What does Lin Yuhan put on her QQ blog?

A．Some pictures.	B．Good articles.
C．DV films.	D．Japanese cartoons.

小題3:Which one is TRUE according to this article?

A．Lin says QQ is very helpful to their friendships.

B．Yang says he can chat freely with many friends and relax on QQ.

C．Tang says QQ is a good space for them to make a record of their lives.

D．Tang says he chats on QQ on weekends though he has lots of homework.

The name England comes from the words “Angle land”．The Angles were people who came from northern Germany in the 5th and 6th centuries，after the Romans had left.The French name for England is Angleterre，which also means “Angle land”．There were also invasions (侵略) of southern England by Saxons and Jutes (people from another part of northern Germany)．English people are sometimes called Anglo­Saxons.The Celts who used to live in this area were forced to move back into Scotland，Ireland，Cornwall and into Western France (the area known as Brittany)．
England at first became a series of kingdoms，the strongest of which was Wessex (the name comes from West­Saxon)．The names of many of the areas in England come from this period—for example，the name Sussex comes from South­Saxon，Essex from East­Saxon，and East Anglia from East­Angle.The Vikings then came from Denmark，and later the Normans invaded from France. Eventually England，Wales，Scotland and Northern Ireland were united，forming the United Kingdom.
The English language is the main language spoken throughout England，although there are many different accents.It can be difficult to know how to spell or to pronounce some English words，because the language has been influenced by Latin and Greek (languages used at the time of the Romans，and used in religion and education until recent times)，German (the language of the Angles，Saxons and Jutes)，F(xiàn)rench(the language of the Normans)，Gaelic/Scots (Celtic languages) and Danish (the language of the Vikings)．
There are now many people throughout the United Kingdom who speak a foreign language either as their first or second language；mainly due to immigration (移民) from Europe or the Commonwealth (countries which used to be part of the British Empire)．
小題1:According to the first paragraph，which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．The Romans were forced to leave England when the Jutes attacked there.

B．The Celts used to live in England but left for some reason.

C．Southern England once was attacked by Saxons and Jutes.

D．Angles and Saxons came from different parts of northern Germany.

小題2:In the history of England，________once was the strongest kingdom.

A．Sussex	B．Wessex
C．Essex	D．East Anglia

小題3:What can we learn from the third paragraph?

A．English words are hard to spell and to pronounce.

B．England had been invaded by most of the countries of Europe.

C．The English language was influenced by several foreign languages.

D．It’s hard for people who have different English accents to communicate.

小題4:Why do many people in the UK speak a foreign language nowadays?

A．Because they are required to learn a foreign language at school.

B．Because they plan to live outside the UK in the future.

C．Because they have moved from other countries.

D．Because they have worked in other countries.

小題5:The author writes this passage to________.

A．tell the history of England

B．tell how the United Kingdom was formed

C．introduce the main spoken language throughout England

D．tell the origin of the name of England

In white shirt, blue pants, black cloth shoes and two pigtails, Jingqiu gives off an air of great "pure beauty" in Zhang Yimou’s new movie Under the Hawthorn Tree, which tells the story of the sad romance of Jingqiu and a handsome young man named Laosan set at the end of　the "cultural revolution" (1966-- 1976).
Before it was released, moviegoers foresaw what this "pure beauty" could be. Director Zhang complained of how long it had taken him to find the right girl for the part of Jingqiu -- a character so innocent. She believes that simply lying on the same bed as a man will make her pregnant.
It was 18-year-old Zhou Dongyu who stood out from the crowd. According to Zhang, Zhou has "eyes that are clear like a fountain on a mountainside". Born to an ordinary worker's family, the Shijiazhuang girl was in her final year of high school and working hard for a place in an art college.
"If you have fair skin and clear eyes, as Jingqiu does, it is easy to look pure. Girls today wear so many jewels and make-up--that's the reason Zhang was not interested," said Du Yanlai, 17, of Chengdu.
While some teenagers consider such "pure" beauty illusory, others believe that it speaks of something soulful.
Purity is all about an innocence that shines through from within, thinks 16-year-old Tan Mengxi of Nanjing. "Being pure can be simple, not having complicated thoughts and being inexperienced. However, it doesn't mean an ignorant or native person. So, a person is pure in his or her nature if he or she is always enthusiastic and able to deal with difficult matters independently. This purity doesn't pass with time, "she said.
小題1:What's the real purity according to Tan Mengxi?

A．Having eyes as clear as a fountain.

B．Not wearing so many jewels and make-up.

C．Being ignorant and native.

D．Being simple, enthusiastic and able to manage things alone.

小題2:What does the underlined word “illusory” mean here?

A．unreal.

B．unhealthy.

C．unscientific.

D．negative.

小題3:What can we infer from the passage?

A．Zhou Dongyu, who was 18,was from an art college.

B．Director Zhang disliked those girls with so many accessories and make-up.

C．Different people have different opinions about purity.

D．Many young girls in China are eager to stand out.

小題4:The main idea of the passage is ______.

A．Why Director Zhang selected Miss Zhou as the leading star

B．How people like the movie Under the Hawthorn Tree

C．What makes a pure girl

D．Why Chinese girls want to be pure

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:This passage gives us some advice on _________.

A．how to make friends

B．what kind of person you can make friends with

C．how to start a conversation

D．the importance of smile

小題2:Most people like to make friends with those______.

A．who are sad every day.

B．who share the same interest

C．who are fond of talking

D．who say bad things to them

小題3:According to the third paragraph, most people enjoy talking to one _______.

A．who is always smiling

B．who seems to be friendly

C．who praises them

D．who points out their shortcomings.

小題4:The underlined (劃線的)part in this passage means “_______”.

A．being very proud	B．making no answer
C．knowing nothing	D．not hoping to answer