As I was driving out of the store parking lot, they crossed in front of me．My first reaction was filled with   36  at being delayed for a whole ten seconds．But I quickly became   37  when I realized that it was an elderly   38   ．
The man leaned on his   39  who walked in front of him．He not only used her for   40  but it was obvious that he was blind．The two of them  _41  as one—each needing the other to  42    in this fast-changing world．
That little example of true strength   43  my whole personal perception(理解) of life that day．Suddenly I wasn’t so   44  having to work a few extra hours on Saturdays．I had my    45 ，and I was still   46  young．
That picture of those two elderly people walking with dignity(尊嚴(yán)) and strength   47  me the entire week．My   48  wasn’t so bad after all．I had my health and a good job．I had a wonderful，         49  wife．I started to think—not only was I   50  to have these all, but so was that wonderful old couple，who，_51  the trials and sufferings of a long life，still had the love and support of each other to   52    them through this world．
There are so many people out there just like that couple．My wife and I sometimes   53 ourselves in our old age, walking arm in arm into the sunset. That image always gives us a    54  feeling．Just remember, none of us would be here if it wasn’t for our elders．We all should spend a little extra time and patience,   55  helping our elder friends．

小題1:	A．tension B．a(chǎn)nger C．surprise D．puzzle

小題2:	A．nervous B．worried C．patient D．satisfied

小題3:	A．couple B．driver C．policeman D．truck

小題4:	A．friend B．daughter C．wife D．mother

小題5:	A．fun B．free C．support D．care

小題6:	A．worked B．stood C．thought D．considered

小題7:	A．warn B．point C．remind D．function

小題8:	A．ruin B．remove C．change D．fail

小題9:	A．sure of B．mad about C．excited with D．curious about

小題10:

A．courage B．freedom C．dream D．strength

小題11:

A．similarly B．extremely C．naturally D．relatively

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)greed with B．stayed with C．happened to D．connected with

小題13:

A．family B．plan C．life D．salary

小題14:

A．supportive B．famous C．a(chǎn)ctive D．pretty

小題15:

A．lucky B．fit C．willing D．eager

小題16:

A．unless B．despite C．owing to D．since

小題17:

A．challenge B．value C．carry D．a(chǎn)rrange

小題18:

A．picture B．share C．compare D．teach

小題19:

A．sad B．bitter C．serious D．warm

小題20:

A．in case of B．regardless of C．a(chǎn)s a result of D．when it comes to

The Barbie doll first appeared at the toy fair in New York in 1959. Its creator was Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman. She and her husband Elliott along with Harold Matt Matson started the toy company Mattel. She based the design of the new doll on a German doll named Bild Lilli and named her after their daughter Barbara.
The first Barbie wore a black and white swimsuit and had her hair in a ponytail(馬尾辮). She looked very grown-up. But any concerns that parents would not want to buy it for little girls were soon proved wrong.
Mattel sold 300,000 Barbie dolls in the first year at a price of three dollars. Today, a fifty-year-old Barbie in good condition might cost more than 27,000 dollars.
Barbie dolls have represented 50 different nationalities and are sold in 150 countries. Mattel says 90% of girls in the United States between the ages of three and ten own at least one Barbie doll. It says girls between the ages of three and six own an average of about 12.
Barbie also faced her share of critics. A well-known example was when women’s education groups objected to a talking Barbie doll that declared, among other things, “Math class is tough!” Mattel agreed to change it. Saudi Arabia has banned Barbie dolls. And a lawmaker in the American state of West Virginia would like to do the same. Last month, he proposed banning sales of Barbie and other dolls that influence girls to put too much importance on physical beauty.
Some people say Barbie is an unhealthy role model for young girls. Robin Gerber disagrees. She wrote a book about Barbie. She points out dolls like scientist Barbie and race car driver Barbie. She says people who criticize Barbie should tell girls the story of the businesswoman who created her. She says Ruth Handler wanted the dolls to help girls think about what they wanted to do with their lives.
小題1:The first Barbie doll might not be popular among little girls because _______.

A．her hairstyle was out of fashion

B．her appearance looked much too mature

C．her way of dressing was against the tradition

D．physical beauty wasn’t thought to be important

小題2:From the passage we know that Mattel ________.

A．is one of the world’s largest toy companies

B．is the director of an American toy company

C．was the woman who originally created Barbie

D．was a salesman who was good at selling Barbie dolls

小題3:Barbie dolls are criticized partly because they make girls ________.

A．pay too much attention to their physical beauty

B．neglect their schoolwork and inner beauty

C．prefer physical beauty to inner beauty

D．waste too much time and money on clothes

小題4:It can be inferred from the last paragraph that in her book Robin Gerber ________.

A．shows Barbie dolls have a negative influence on girls

B．praises a successful person who sells Barbie dolls

C．expresses her own favorable opinion about Barbie

D．a(chǎn)rgues for banning the sales of Barbie dolls

A used book or nearly-new kitchen gadget (配件) may not be at the top of every Christmas wish list, but hard economic times coupled with a new green awareness are changing attitudes about gift-giving in France.
French holiday shoppers are choosing larger numbers for “green” gifting this Christmas, studies show. About 30 percent of French consumers will give second-hand items as gifts to stretch out their tight budgets but also to do their little bit for recycling, according to a study by international consulting firm Deloitte.
The survey of Christmas consumer behaviors in 18 European countries found the French were more than twice as likely as other Europeans to give second-hand items. Websites promoting re-gifting and green gifting are popular in France, with many reporting a rise in business.
“Concerns about the ecology and the economy have come together and we are now seeing people who accept the types of gifts that were not appreciated just a short time ago,” said Sebastien Ravut, who runs a website promoting eco-friendly consumerism. His site lists shops in France that offer fair trade products, bio-friendly goods and recycled items. Over the Christmas holidays, the number of visits to the site has doubled from last year, reaching 60,000 a month.
A study by online survey firm Vivodi for PriceMinister showed eight out of 10 people would be happy to receive a used item as a gift and that younger consumers were more open to the idea.
But Gilles Goldenberg, author of the Deloitte study, said that environmental concerns are not why customers buy used goods. “The number one concern is getting the lowest possible price,” said Goldenberg. “Eco-friendly products are drawing a lot of interest, but not if that means paying more.”
Theatre tickets and other low-carbon gifts are fashionable, and eco-friendly websites are also encouraging gift givers to offer time and services instead of stuff. “The order of the day is to spend less time shopping and more time connecting” over the holidays, said Florence de Monclin from the Nicolas Helot foundation for Nature and Humanity.
小題1:We can judge from the Deloitte study that _________.

A．over a quarter of the French give second-hand Christmas gifts

B．the French are less willing to buy eco-friendly gifts than other Europeans

C．80% of French people are happy to receive second-hand gifts

D．less than 10% of European consumers are likely to give second-hand gifts

小題2:According to Goldenberg, the main reason for customers to buy used goods is that _______.

A．they want to be eco-friendly	B．they want to save money
C．it is encouraged by websites	D．it is a new fashion in Europe

小題3: All the following might be a promoted gift EXCEPT ________.

A．a(chǎn) theatre ticket

B．a(chǎn) second-hand book

C．a(chǎn) nearly-new digital toaster

D．a(chǎn) box of heavily packaged chocolate

小題4:Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Old people are not open minded enough to accept second-hand gifts.

B．People wish to receive second-hand gifts because of the economic downturn.

C．Ravut’s website received a sharp decrease in visits during the Christmas holidays.

D．In de Monclin’s opinion, people should spend more time with friends and family during holidays

Only three local students won Chinese Blog（博客）Competition. And 15 of the 18 awards went to students from China. 
170 students’ task: to get a fully-designed blog up and running, complete with many posting based on a theme of choice—all written in Chinese. 
Themes ranged from local opinions－such as the usage of Singlish, education and whether Singapore can be a cultural centre－to food blogs. 
The entries were judged on Language proficiency（熟練程度）and the quality of writing, as well as the design and level of exchanging ideas with readers. 
Academics from the National University of Singapore and the SIM University IT experts, and a journalist from Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore made up the judges. 
In the end, only three Singaporean students made it to the award list—the rest of the awards were swept up by students from China. 
“No surprise.” said Mr. Chow Yaw Long, 37, teachers in charge from Ianova Junior College, which organized the event. “Although the topics were local subjects, the foreign students were generally better in terms of the content of the posts and their grasp of the Chinese language.”
One of the three local students winning the first prize in the Best Language Award was blogger Christina Gao，19, from the Saint Andrew’s Junior College, who spared no effort in researching for and writing her blog. Each entry took her between five and seven days to produce, complete with pictures and even podcasts（播客）.Her advice for bloggers is: Be responsible. “Some bloggers out there only seek to blame the authorities and other bloggers.” Said Miss Gao. “I think they lack responsibilities and there is no value to their posts.”
小題1:The competition was organized by _______

A．the National University of Singapore

B．Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao

C．Ianova Junior College

D．the Saint Andrew’s Junior College

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

A．Chinese students won most of the awards.

B．Not all the themes were about local subjects

C．The blogs could be written in Chinese or Singlish.

D．The judges were from university in Singapore and China.

小題3:What Miss Gao said suggests that _____________

A．she likes to blame the authorities

B．she has a sense of responsibility

C．she thinks highly of the others’ blogs

D．she loves to read valuable posts

Even if you are naturally shy, these three tricks will help you to quickly build a new social circle in any new city．
1．Take pictures
One of the great things about taking pictures at an event or party is that it gives you an excuse to get in touch with a person．Everybody loves seeing pictures of themselves，and it’s very easy after taking a picture to say “If you’d like I can email it to you”．This can be the seed that leads to new connections．The next time you hear about a fun event email your new contacts to let them know about it．
2．Eat alone in public
You might feel self-conscious eating by yourself but it has an important benefit：you are much easier to approach when you are alone．People may be afraid of interrupting you or being rude if you are in a conversation with someone else．Bring a book or newspaper to read (this will make  you feel less self-conscious)．Plus，having an interesting book with you will give others an excuse to start a conversation if they’ve read it．
3．Join a class，sports team，or club
Yoga，salsa dancing，volleyball，Toastmasters (a public speaking club)，a class for work，etc. Take up a new hobby or continue an old one!
These are all great places to meet new people，primarily because you will be forced to see the same people over and over again in the class．You will automatically make friends with them if you have a common interest and are forced to see each other again．
Tips：
* In the beginning．never turn down an invitation from someone，even if it’s something you wouldn’t normally do．
* Email your new friends with fun things to do instead of always asking what their plans are, If they have a better plan you can drop (放棄) yours and join them．This will help establish（建立） you as someone who is contributing value instead of just taking it (people want this in a friend) ．
*Don’t let little things in life upset you or be a negative person．People don’t want to be around someone like that！
小題1:     can give you an excuse to start new connections．

A．Taking pictures of others	B．Eating by yourself in public
C．Reading interesting books	D．Joining group activities

小題2:According to the text，which of the following is NOT mentioned as an advantage of joining a class?

A．It helps you find out your interest and take up a new hobby．

B．It helps you find out people who share a common interest with you．

C．It offers an opportunity to meet the same people repeatedly．

D．It is a good way to meet new people and make friends in a new city．

小題3:Which of the following pieces of advice is a tip from the text?

A．Try to be outgoing and talkative instead of being shy．

B．Never turn down an invitation from your friends．

C．Offer suggestions on how to spend time together．

D．Don’t give a negative response to any request．

London is the capital of the United Kingdom. It has about seven million people. The river Thames runs through London.
People from all over the world visit London to see Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. There are many museums, theatres and parks in London, as well as offices and factories. London began as a Roman settlement called Londinium. The plague(瘟疫) came to London in the 1600s, followed by the Great Fire of 1666. The city was badly bombed in World War II.
London is very slowly sinking into its foundations and the level of the river Thames is slowly rising. As a result, extra-high tides could flood a large part of London. To prevent this happening, a great barrier（屏障）has been built across the Thames at Woolwich. If very high tides happen, the barrier can be raised and London will be safe.
小題1:London is the capital of _________, which began as a __________ settlement.

A．England; Norman	B．UK; Frenchman
C．Scotland; English	D．UK; Roman

小題2:According to the passage, from 1600 to now, ________ great disasters have happened in London.

A．one

B．two

C．three

D．four

小題3:The reason why a great barrierhas been built across the Thames at Woolwich is that_________.

A．London is very slowly sinking into its foundations

B．the level of the river Thames is slowly rising

C．extra-high tides could flood a large part of London

D．a(chǎn)ll of the above.

Geena David knew she wanted to be a movie star when she was very young. She was not sure what gave her the idea, but she wanted to look like a movie star. “I have a lot of pictures from my childhood of me wearing sunglasses,” she says. “I used to wear them to watch TV.”
　 Early movie actors started wearing sunglasses not because they looked good, but because their eyes hurt. The lights used on movie sets were extremely bright and could cause a painful problem known as “Klieg eyes”. It was named after the Klieg brothers who invented the lights. Actors wore sunglasses to give their eyes a rest. But when movie stars began wearing their sunglasses in public, they quickly became a must.
　 Eventually actors started wearing sunglasses in their movies as well as on the street. Audrey Hephburn wore ultra-cool Ray-Ban sunglasses in the 1961 movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As a result, Ray-Ban sunglasses started to appear more and more in the movies. In 1979, Ray-Ban “Wayfarers” were worn by Jake and Elwood in The Blue Brothers. Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban “Aviator” sunglasses in the 1986 hit, Top Gun. Then in 1997, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made Ray-Ban “Predator” sunglasses famous in Men in Black.
　  Of course sunglasses aren’t just a fashion statement. The main reason to wear sunglasses is to protect our eyes against UV radiation. UV radiation can damage our eyes, so people now choose their sunglasses carefully. But you don’t have to give up style for safety. The choice of frames and lenses available these days is huge. So you can protect your eyes and still be the coolest person on the beach.
小題1:What is mainly discussed in this passage?

A．The use of sunglasses.	B．The history of sunglasses.
C．The sunglasses wearing.	D．Why movie stars like to wear sunglasses.

小題2:Why did Geena David like to wear sunglasses?

A．She was a movie star.

B．She wanted to follow a movie star.

C．Wearing sunglasses was good to her eyes.

D．It was good to wear sunglasses when watching TV.

小題3:Early actors’ eyes hurt because ______.

A．they wore sunglasses

B．they went out in the sun too much

C．the lights on movie sets were too bright

D．their scripts were written in very small writing

小題4:Now people wear sunglasses ______.

A．just to protect their eyes	B．for fashion and to protect their eyes
C．because of bright lights	D．because movie stars wear them

There are three kinds of goals: short-term, intermediate and long-term goals. Short-term goals are those that usually deal with present activities. Such goals can be achieved in a week or two, or possible months. It should be remembered that just as a building is no stronger than its foundation (基礎(chǔ)), our long-term goals cannot be achieved without the achievement of solid short-term goals. Upon completing our short-term goals, we should date the time and then add new short-term goals that will build on those that have been completed.
The intermediate goals build on the foundation of the short-term goals. They might deal with just one term of school or the entire school years, or they could extend for several years. Any time you move a step at a time, you never allow yourself to become discouraged. As you complete each step, you will have more belief in your ability to grow and succeed.
Long-term goals may be related to our dreams of future. They might cover five years or more. Life is not a static (靜態(tài)的) thing. We should never allow a long-term goal to limit us or our course of action.
小題1: The long-term goals mean______.

A．something static and easy to get if we complete our short-term goals

B．something easy to reach if we complete a short-term goal in time

C．nothing but our dreams of future

D．a(chǎn) lot, such as a dream, and aspiration (熱望) or a wish in our life

小題2:When we complete each step of our goals, ______.

A．we will win final success	B．we become down-hearted
C．we should encourage ourselves	D．we should think about changing our goals

小題3: It is the most important for us students to have ___________ first.

A．long-term goals	B．intermediate goals
C．short-term goals	D．dreams of future

小題4:Which of the following titles is best for this passage?

A．Three Kinds of Goals	B．How to Reach Goals
C．Changeable Goals	D．Moveable Goals

Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there's a whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas;
1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating（使孤立）jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
2) How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
3) Do you enjoy working with computers？
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
4) What type of work environment do you enjoy？
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
5) How do you like to get paid?
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.
小題1:What is unnecessary in your job hunting?

A．Assessing your skills	B．Going to different areas
C．Matching your skills with a position	D．taking your personality into consideration

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

A．Isolating jobs usually drive people mad.	B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily.
C．Extreme people tend to work with others.	D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs.

小題3:What is the missing word about a job search in the following chart?

A．Design.

B．Changes.

C．Cooperation.

D．Hobbies.

小題4:What is the best title for this passage?

A．Lifestyles and Job Pay	B．Jobs and Environment
C．Job Skills and Abilities	D．Personalities and Jobs

Beware of those who use the truth to cheat. When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can create a false impression.
For example, someone might say,“I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery（抽獎(jiǎng)）. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy’s a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought two hundred tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false, but he deliberately omitted important information. That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Untrustworthy candidates in political campaigns often use this tactic (策略). Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents runs an as saying, “During Government Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!”That’s true. However an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net (凈余的) gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the truth. An ad might say, “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples (丘疹).” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
小題1: Which statement is true according to the article?

A．Whenever people tell the truth, they are really lying.

B．The truth can be used in dishonest ways

C．All governors help their states.

D．You can’t trust gamblers (賭博的人)

小題2:The author clearly wants people to           .

A．vote for female candidates

B．know that lies are lies

C．never trust anyone

D．think carefully about what they read and hear

小題3:Which of the following would be the best title?

A．Lying With the Truth	B．Everyone Lies
C．Yucky Corporation	D．Nose Pimples