Dear Economist,
My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love．There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage．I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart．My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs．
　　I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(緊密團結(jié)的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy．My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business．
　　Who is right? Will our marriage survive?
Brian Gee
Dear Brian,
I have to agree with you about Walmart．Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不覺地) a progressive success story．The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year．
　　Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages．Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed．Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees．And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers．
　　Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence．You are sure to win the conversation．The divorce is likely to be more argued．
Economist
小題1:What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?

A．His wife refuses to shop at Walmart．

B．They are faced with a divorce．

C．They can’t afford the costs of shopping at Walmart．

D．They are in conflict about shopping at Walmart．

小題2:Brian Gee’s wife tends to hold the opinion that _________．

A．it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees’ wages

B．consumers’ lives have improved thanks to Walmart

C．Walmart’s business operation increases productivity in economy

D．Walmart’s business increases global trade

小題3:What can be inferred from the reply letter?

A．Some employees accept the low pay to keep the job．

B．Walmart appeals to only poor consumers and poor employees．

C．Employees suffer from Walmart’s low prices more than consumers．

D．Jason Furman, a New York University economist, spoke highly of Walmart．

Recently in the hope of earning both money and social experience, I became a door-trw door salesman.
I once read a saying. “If somebody wants something of yours, you will be treated as warmly as spring, but if they don’t you may be treated as coldly as winter.” You may consider this an exaggeration (夸張), but if you are a salesman, it is clearly correct.
You would never have found it to be so true if you hadn’t been a salesman. You needn’t stand doubtful looks and unfriendly comments; you needn’t listen to something completely wrong and nod to say that it was quite right, you needn’t worry about being refused time after time; you needn’t always keep patience and a smile; you needn’t repeat the same sentences over and over again; you needn’t talk to somebody you dislike ....
I did this work for a month, then I decided to give it up; Apart from the reasons above, I found I was paying too much attention to the job and thus sacrificing my study time. The latest test result proved that my grades were getting worse.
Even worse, I hadn’t enough time to join my classmates in college activities. Some times 1 felt lonely and unhappy because of both my study and my part-time job. Now I don’t think it is worth doing such a thing for even though I was earning money it came at great cost.
Newspapers and magazines often publish stories about excellent students who do part-time work while also keeping high scores in class. But according to my experience, park-time work can have some strong negative influences on study.
Most students don’t view the relationship between study and work correctly. In my opinion, if it isn’t a must for financial reasons, students should be careful about taking up a part-time job.
小題1: From the text, we can tell that the writer is _____.    

A．a(chǎn)n unemployed man	B．a(chǎn) middle-school student
C．a(chǎn) college student	D．a(chǎn) door-to-door salesman

小題2:Which of the following words has the closest meaning to the underlined word “sacrificing”? 

A．Losing

B．Wasting

C．Using

D．Getting

小題3:The writer thought_____. 

A．doing a part-time job was unnecessary

B．part-time jobs had good effect upon study

C．it was hard to deal with the relationship between study and work

D．part-time jobs would be good for every college student

小題4:What would be the best title for the text _____.

A．Part-time Jobs Are Useful	B．Part-time Jobs Can Cost Dear
C．Students Shouldn’t Take Part-time Jobs	D．Part-time Jobs Are Important to Many Students

In the winter vocation of 2008, I was fixed with a job. I worked as a(n) 21  at Mr Breen’s  fruit shop. The fruit shop did good business. Most of the trade came from the housewives who lived in the neighborhood, 22_ he also had regular customers who arrived outside the shop in cars. Mr Breen 23 them all by names and they sometimes even had their order already made up, always 24  me to carry it out to their car. They were clearly longstanding customers, and I 25 they must have stayed faithful to him because he had  promised to sell good quality fruits. He had a way with them---- I had to 26  that. He called every woman “madam” for a start, 27 those who clearly were not, but when he said it, it did not sound like flattery(恭維). It just sounded 28  in an old-fashioned way. He was a great chatter  29 . If he did not know them, he would greet them with a few  30  about the weather,  31 he did, he would ask about their families or make  32 , always cutting his cloth 33  his customers. Whatever their bills came to, he 34  gave them back the few odd pence(零錢), and I was sure they thought he was very generous. But I thought he was the opposite. He never threw anything away. He was always looking for  35 for nothing.

小題1:	A．operator B．a(chǎn)ssistant C．waiter D．secretary

小題2:	A．so B．when C．therefore D．but

小題3:	A．sold B．knew C．gave D．sent

小題4:	A．making B．letting C．getting D．keeping

小題5:	A．wished B．insisted C．declared D．supposed

小題6:	A．a(chǎn)dmit B．expect C．a(chǎn)nnounce D．promise

小題7:	A．yet B．only C．just D．even

小題8:	A．serious B．strange C．polite D．familiar

小題9:	A．a(chǎn)s well B．a(chǎn)s usual C．either D．a(chǎn)lso

小題10:

A．sayings B．questions C．words D．speeches

小題11:

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

小題12:

A．preparations B．jokes C．repairs D．friends

小題13:

A．a(chǎn)ccording to B．due to C．instead of D．up to

小題14:

A．never B．ever C．seldom D．a(chǎn)lways

小題15:

A．something B．a(chǎn)nything C．somebody D．a(chǎn)nybody

The story of English language is a story of change．The old English language, or old English, is quite different from Modern English．If we do not study old English, we can’t understand it．Some of the words are the same, but many are not used now．The story of the English language begins some time after the year 400 AD．At this time, some people came to England from North-west Europe．There were many groups of people．They were called Angles （盎格魯人）, Saxons（撒克遜人）and Jutes（朱特人），whose language, old English, is like some of the modern language of North-West Europe．In old English, the ending had many meanings．They showed past time and present time and many other things．In Modern English, most of these endings are gone．This is the biggest difference between Old and Modern English．
小題1:What does the first sentence of the passage mean?

A．The story of English language often changes．

B．English is a language that has changed a lot as time passes by．

C．The old English language has changed into Modern English．

D．The story of English language is one of how people change the language．

小題2:Old English has a story of ______．

A．2,500 years	B．more than 1,600 years
C．2,300 years	D．more than 400 years

小題3:Old English was first used by the people from ______．

A．Old English	B．English
C．North-West English	D．North-West Europe

小題4:Which of the following is NOT true about Old English?

A．The endings of words gave different special meanings．

B．It is easy for most English-speakers today to understand the language．

C．Its words are very different from those Modern English．

D．It was spoken by many groups of the people from North-West Europe．

Almost all theme park accidents can be prevented．Here, based on coverage of theme park safety, are some tips to help you and your family stay safe on your next visit．
If you are visiting with a child, take a moment to explain the ride to them, and tell them how they should behave．They are depending upon you to keep them safe．Set a good example for them by following the rules of the park, and make sure that they know you expect them to follow those rules, too．
Tell them to stay seated, to hold the grab bar or put their hands in the laps, and not to stick their knees and feet outside a ride vehicle．Make them look to you for the okay to get on or off a ride, too．
And never put a crying child on a ride．If your child starts to cry, let others pass you in line until your child is calmed．Or, gently exit the queue and find something more relaxing to do． 
Young kids can’t keep an adult’s pace in a theme park．Let them take plenty of breaks．
“Kids get tired,” said TPI reader Matt Johnson, a father of four．“Tired kids make parents even more tired．And tired kids and parents may get hurt — physically and emotionally．” He advises that parents plan a mid-day break, perhaps a swim back at the hotel, to avoid mid-day heat and crowds．“You will see cranky families having a miserable time while you are refreshed and having a great evening．”
小題1:The second paragraph tells readers that ________．

A．children should be trained to be more independent

B．a(chǎn)dults should tell children some safety rules firstly

C．a(chǎn)dults should set a good example to behave well in a theme park

D．there is a danger to take young children to visit a theme park

小題2:Which of the following is NOT right for children who are taking the rides?

A．They cannot put their hands away from the grab bar．

B．They are forbidden to put their knees or feet out．

C．They should ask adults’ permission first to get on a ride．

D．Without adults’ okay sign, children shouldn’t get off a ride．

小題3:If your child begins to cry just when he is going to take a ride, you should ________．

A．tell him to be relaxed	B．make him share your interest
C．give up the present activity	D．encourage him to be brave

小題4:We may infer from Matt Johnson’s words that ________．

A．he doesn’t like to visit a theme park with his children

B．parents with many children may be tired of visiting a theme park

C．not all the families are relaxed or happy when they visit a theme park

D．visitors should arrange everything carefully before starting

Uncle Tom gave little Vicki Black a birthday gift one week before her birthday. He told her not to open it until her birthday. She knew her mother wouldn’t tolerate any disrespect to the kind man who helped them out after Vicki’s father passed away. Besides, Vicki didn’t want Uncle Tom to get angry. But little Vicky didn’t want to just hold it and guess what was in it. After all, she looked forward to his coming to show her interesting things, like how to turn an old sock into a doll.
All the day, Vicki couldn’t stop thinking about the gift. While her teacher was giving a lecture¸ Vicki sat still in her seat, drawing paper dolls inside the box. When school was done, she raced home. Walking into the room, again, she shook the present, but she heard nothing. Holding her breath, she opened the box and looked inside. Seconds later, she cried. When Mrs. Black saw the box, she said angrily, “Didn’t I tell you to leave it alone?” Vicki sobbed and said, “Mommy, you don’t understand.”
“Don’t cry to me. You have missed everything now, just because you couldn’t wait,” Mrs. Black accused. “What will Uncle Tom think now?”
“Uncle Tom gave me nothing,” Vicki cried and handed the empty box to her mother. “He played a trick on me.”
Mrs. Black said doubtfully, “Uncle Tom is not like that. You must have dropped it.”
Vicki kept crying. Only a rapid knock on the door made the house quiet. It was Uncle Tom. He looked at the empty box. “You have already done it? I told you to wait for your birthday.”
“You didn’t give me a gift.” Fresh tears filled her eyes.
“I try to give you something. I know your birthday is a special day. I tell myself to give you something valuable to last your whole life. I think hard and get the idea to give you an important lesson. If you open it on birthday, I see you learn. Then I will make a big party to celebrate. Maybe next year you listen and then you will understand the gift better.
Vicki’s cheeks flushed.
小題1:We can learn from the text that Vicki_______.

A．often received gifts from her father

B．expected Uncle Tom to give her a doll

C．was sad because of her father’s death

D．liked and respected Uncle Tom

小題2:What do the underlined words “done it” refer to?

A．Guessed the result

B．Opened the box

C．Realized Uncle Tom’s purpose

D．Known what her birthday gift was

小題3:What kind of person is Uncle Tom?

A．Thoughtful

B．Humorous

C．Mysterious

D．Funny

小題4:What did Uncle Tom want to teach Vicki?

A．How to respect others	B．The meaning of gifts
C．How to deal with gifts	D．The value of a promise

A couple of years ago, I went to a lady’s house to buy some vitamins. Upon entering the house, I  36  that there was an electronic keyboard on a stand, leaning  37  the wall. Being a piano music lover and  38 , I asked, if the woman played. She nodded and added that she had been

 39  lessons at age 54! I told her that it was very   40  that she was pursuing （追求） her passion（熱情）to play the piano.  .  . 
Then she asked me  41  question. “I have been playing for 8 years now,” I answered. 
“Then you must play a song for me before you leave,” she  42 .I thought she was joking and I simply smiled. At the end of the deal of the vitamins, she  43 me of our musical “ 44 _”. She then showed me to an old upright piano in the living room,  45   asked me to play a song for her. I thought  46   and decided to play David Lantz’s “Return to the Heart”, since she had so much passion for  47 ,and it was my soul-searching song. 
I played the song to the best of my ability, and with my emotions  48  into it as possible. She loved it.  49  I was about to step out of the door, I heard a weak voice calling out, “Young man!”
I turned around. And there was an old lady  50  one little step at a time with the help of another woman. “I wanted to come out to  51  you for the beautiful song that you played. I have been very sick, and it’s very hard for me to  52 my bed, but your music made me feel good ”she said. With that, she turned around and walked  53  back to her room. 
I was deeply  54  by her appreciation and felt a deeper understanding for the song. It served its purpose beautifully, returning to one’s  55  for peace and joy. 
小題1: 

A．observed

B．watched

C．noticed

D．caught

小題2: 

A．on

B．a(chǎn)t

C．over

D．a(chǎn)gainst

小題3:	A．player B．teacher C．composer D．starter

小題4:	A．giving B．a(chǎn)ttending C．teaching D．reviewing

小題5:	A．interesting B．wonderful C．moved D．impressive

小題6: 

A．a(chǎn)nother

B．a(chǎn) different

C．the same

D．other

小題7: 

A．a(chǎn)dvised

B．ordered

C．demanded

D．requested

小題8: 

A．warned

B．reminded

C．a(chǎn)sked

D．required

小題9: 

A．course

B．task

C．discussion

D．deal

小題10: 

A．a(chǎn)nd

B．but

C．a(chǎn)s a result

D．what’s more

小題11: 

A．for the moment

B．a(chǎn)t the moment

C．for a moment

D．a(chǎn)t a moment

小題12: 

A．music

B．songs

C．the piano

D．vitamins

小題13: 

A．dropping

B．falling

C．pouring

D．running

小題14: 

A．Since

B．As

C．While

D．Because

小題15: 

A．taking

B．making

C．having

D．giving

小題16: 

A．thank

B．praise

C．a(chǎn)dmire

D．owe

小題17: 

A．get on

B．get up

C．get off

D．get down

小題18: 

A．quietly

B．calmly

C．happily

D．slowly

小題19: 

A．shocked

B．touched

C．delighted

D．disturbed

小題20: 

A．world

B．heart

C．brains

D．dreams

After spending a weekend away with my adult son, I was so impressed by his generous heart that I sent him this letter.
Dear son,
I want to thank you for teaching me a very valuable lesson in life by the great example you   31 . When we were eating at that cafe in Boston and a person who had  32 his hamburger didn’t have enough money to pay for it, without   33 , you went over and   34  the extra $2 into his hand.
When we were leaving, you   35  threw a five-cent coin onto the pavement and said something like, “Some kid will really enjoy   36  this.”
Last week, a young man   37  me in the line at a petrol station didn’t have   38  money to pay for his petrol. I asked the money collector, “How much   39  is he?” She told me he had meant to put $15 of petrol in his car   40  he had been looking at the wrong gauge (計量表) and had put in 15   41 , which came to a little over $20. That is an easy mistake as both gauges run fast.
Something made me think of you and   42  you did that night at the cafe in Boston. I handed the man $6. He was so   43  and said, “But why would you do this for me?” I just smiled as I thought of you.
Thank you, son, for teaching me that “it’s   44  to give than to receive”. Now when I see a five-cent coin on the   45  and want to pick it up, I think of you and leave it there, just in case some kid will get a kick out of finding it.
Love always, Mum.

小題1:	A．followed B．gave C．set D．took

小題2:	A．ordered B．booked C．offered D．bought

小題3:	A．hesitation B．doubt C．permission D．difficulty

小題4:	A．spread B．put C．threw D．loaded[

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)gain B．a(chǎn)lready C．only D．a(chǎn)lso

小題6:	A．finding B．a(chǎn)ccepting C．looking for D．pointing at

小題7:	A．behind B．beyond C．a(chǎn)head of D．next to[

小題8:	A．much B．some C．a(chǎn)ny D．enough

小題9:	A．far B．long C．short D．high

小題10:

A．a(chǎn)nd B．but C．so D．while

小題11:

A．kilometers B．kilograms C．pounds D．litres

小題12:

A．what B．which C．how D．that

小題13:

A．excited B．surprised C．interested D．encouraged

小題14:

A．easier B．better C．faster D．worse

小題15:

A．comer B．mud C．ground D．carpet

Ann，a mother of 3 children, is a warm-hearted social worker and she has done a lot to help people  36 . The family’s dinner conversation often turns to local poor families, and she  37  tries her best to seek help for them. This year, Ann   38 that Santa Claus would make a special   39 to a young unemployed mother named Ashley, who was   40 two sons by herself.
One Sunday morning, the family were joyfully having breakfast   41 the phone rang, saying that the aid she had requested for Ashley had  42 . No Santa Claus, no presents, nothing. On hearing the news, Ann noticed the   43  disappear from her children's faces. Kinzie, the youngest one,  44 down from her chair and ran out of the kitchen room. In a matter of   45 , she returned carrying her piggy bank and began to   46 the coins over and over again, $3.30 in total. “Mom,” she shook her head  47 , “I know it's not much. But maybe this will buy a   48 for the children.” Then suddenly everyone was reaching into their pockets and   49 their purses. Immediately the money –- coins and bills   50 on the table. On Christmas Eve, Ann as well as Kinzie drove to Ashley’s house. After Ann wished the   51 woman a merry Christmas, she began to unload the gifts from the car,  52  them to Ashley one by one and told her the whole story.
Ashley was moved to tears   53 the words: Kinzie opened not only her piggy bank but also her  54 , and my children as well as I myself would be able to do something   55 for someone else in need.

小題1: A．in time B．in need C．in trouble D．in sight

小題2: A．therefore B．even C．a(chǎn)lways D．a(chǎn)lready

小題3: A．expected B．believed C．dreamed D．promised

小題4: A．present B．a(chǎn)rrangement C．a(chǎn)ppointment D．visit

小題5: A．raising B．producing C．a(chǎn)dopting D．a(chǎn)ttending

小題6: A．until B．while C．since D．when

小題7: A．failed B．a(chǎn)rrived C．passed D．stopped

小題8: A．a(chǎn)nger B．expression C．cheer D．worry

小題9: A．sat B．slipped C．fell D．got

小題10: A．days B．time C．seconds D．hours

小題11: A．pour B．pick C．stare D．count

小題12: A．sadly B．happily C．excitedly D．repeatedly

小題13: A．clothes B．toy C．present D．cake

小題14: A．emptying B．feeling C．opening D．finding

小題15: A．filled up B．grew up C．blew up D．piled up

小題16: A．a(chǎn)stonished B．pleased C．a(chǎn)mused D．embarrassed

小題17: A．showing B．handing C．unfolding D．shouldering

小題18: A．over B．by C．with D．for

小題19: A．mind B．smile C．sympathy D．heart

小題20: A．important B．similar C．valuable D．different

 

Almost all theme park accidents can be prevented. Here, based on coverage of theme park safety, are some tips to help you and your family stay safe on your next visit.
If you are visiting with a child, take a moment to explain the ride to them, and tell them what they should do. They are depending upon you to keep them safe. Set a good example for them by following the rules of the park, and make sure that they know you expect them to follow those rules, too.
Tell them to stay seated, to hold the grab bar or put their hands in the laps, and not to stick their knees and feet outside a ride vehicle. Make them look to you for the okay to get on or off a ride, too. And never put a crying child on a ride. If your child starts to cry, let others pass you in line until your child is calmed. Or, gently exit the queue and find something more relaxing to do. 
Young kids can’t keep an adult’s pace in a theme park. Let them take plenty of breaks.
“Kids get tired,” said TPI reader Matt Johnson, a father of four. “Tired kids make parents even more tired. And tired kids and parents may get hurt — physically and emotionally.” He advises that parents plan a mid-day break, perhaps a swim back at the hotel, to avoid mid-day heat and crowds. “You will see cranky families having a miserable time while you are refreshed and having a great evening.”
小題1:The second paragraph tells readers that ______.

A．children should be trained to be more independent

B．a(chǎn)dults should tell children some safety rules firstly

C．a(chǎn)dults should set a good example to conduct well in a theme park

D．there is a danger to take young children to visit a theme park

小題2:Which of the following is NOT right for children who are taking the rides?

A．They cannot put their hands away from the grab bar.

B．They are forbidden to put their knees or feet out.

C．They should ask adults’ permission first to get on a ride.

D．Without adults’ okay sign, children shouldn’t get off a ride.

小題3:If your child begins to cry just when he is going to take a ride, you should ______.

A．tell him to be relaxed	B．make him share your interest
C．give up the present activity	D．encourage him to be brave

小題4:We may infer from Matt Johnson’s words that ______.

A．he doesn’t like to visit a theme park with his children

B．parents with many children may be tired of visiting a theme park

C．not all the families are relaxed or happy when they visit a theme park

D．visitors should arrange everything carefully before starting

小題5:What is the meaning of the underlined word “exit” in the third paragraph?

A．等待

B．發(fā)現(xiàn)

C．進入

D．離開