I worked hard for a whole week. So I decided to relax and went out of town with my son for the   1 . When we were walking on the street, we felt a little   2 . So we found a café and  3  to have lunch there. After we sat down at our table, I   4 an elderly couple having lunch at a table across the room. I must have looked over at them a few times because my son asked me if I   5  them. I shook my head and said no. But I told him that they   6  me of my own grandparents.
When the waitress came over, I asked her if she knew them. She said she did. She said it was the elderly man’s birthday today. On hearing this, I wanted to do something for them, so I told the   7  that I wanted to buy them the lunch and gave her the money.
Some time later, the elderly couple came over to   8  us. They were so excited that someone had bought them lunch. It was really a big   9  for them. They said that they had been a little   10  because their own son and daughter seemed to have   11  the old man’s birthday. But they were really cheered up by my   12 .
My son was surprised that I had paid for this couple who we didn’t know. He asked me why I did it. I smiled at him and replied that my grandparents used to go out for lunch to celebrate their birthdays in the same way and it just felt like the   13  thing to do to make this couple smile,  14  on their birthdays. Hearing my   15 , my son smiled.

小題1:	A．week B．hour C．month D．weekend

小題2:	A．hungry B．thirsty C．hot D．bored

小題3:	A．continued B．decided C．refused D．begged

小題4:	A．noticed B．visited C．recognized D．a(chǎn)ttracted

小題5:	A．interrupted B．invited C．knew D．needed

小題6:	A．introduced B．reminded C．brought D．sent

小題7:	A．manager B．man C．couple D．waitress

小題8:	A．support B．comfort C．impress D．thank

小題9:	A．a(chǎn)ctivity B．surprise C．chance D．change

小題10:

A．moved B．tired C．shocked D．sad

小題11:

A．ruined B．delayed C．forgotten D．celebrated

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)ction B．a(chǎn)dvice C．opinion D．wish

小題13:

A．right B．normal C．unnecessary D．useful

小題14:

A．a(chǎn)lways B．only C．especially D．even

小題15:

A．excuses B．news C．questions D．words

C
One Sunday, my family had gathered at my parents’ house to feast upon Mom’s wonderful cooking. During the normal dinner chatter (閑聊), I noticed that my father was slurring (說話含混) his words. No one mentioned this during dinner, but I felt compelled to discuss it with my mother afterward.
We decided that there was something seriously wrong and that Dad needed to see the doctor.
Mom phoned me two days later. “The doctor found a brain tumor (腫瘤). It’s too large at this point to operate. Maybe they can do something then, but the odds are long.”
Even with the treatment, my father’s condition worsened, and the doctor finally informed us that this condition was terminal (晚期的). During one of his stays in the hospital, we brought our baby daughter Chelsey with us when we visited him. By this time he had great difficulty speaking. I finally figured out that he wanted Chelsey to sit on his stomach so he could make faces at her.
Watching the two of them together, I realized I was living an experience that would stay with me forever. Though grateful for the times they could share, I couldn’t shake the feeling of a clock ticking in the background.?
On the visit to my parents’ home during what we all know was my father’s last days, my mother took Chelsey from my arms and announced, “Your father would like to see you alone for a minute.”
I entered the bedroom where my father lay on a rented hospital bed. He appeared even weaker than the day before.
“How are you feeling, Dad?” I asked. “Can I do anything for you?”
He tried to speak, but he couldn’t make out a word.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand you,” I said.
With great difficulty he said, “I love you.”
We don’t learn courage from heroes on the evening news. We learn true courage from watching ordinary people rise above hopeless situations. In many ways my father was a strict, uncommunicative man. He found it difficult to show emotion. The bravest thing I ever saw him do was overcome that barrier to open his heart to his son and family at the end of his life.
小題1:Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The writer accompanied his father to a medical examination.

B．The writer’s father got worse after the removal of the brain tumor.

C．The writer was quick to notice the strange condition of his father.

D．The writer’s father had known about his illness before the writer discovered it.

小題2: What does the underlined sentence “the odds are long” mean?

A．There’s little possibility for Father to recover.

B．It takes a long time for Father to recover.

C．Father needs love and care from his family.

D．They need a proper time to operate on Father.

小題3:The father had never said “I love you” to the writer before because ________.

A．he believed in strictness and punishment

B．he was not so attached to the writer

C．he thought there was no need to tell the writer

D．he was not used to openly showing his emotions

小題4:What does the writer attempt to tell us?

A．We don’t often value health until we lose it.

B．Don’t wait to see a doctor till it is too late.

C．Life is short, so live your life to the fullest.

D．Bravely express your love for your family.

閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
The world always makes way for the dreamer.
When I was twelve years old, my father took me to see Zig Zigler. I remember sitting in that dark hall listening to Mr. Zigler  36  everyone’s spirits up to the ceiling, I   37  there feeling like I could do anything. When we got to the car, I turned to my father and said, “Dad, I want to  38  people feel like that.” My father asked me  39  I meant. “I want to be a motivational （激勵人的）speaker just like Mr. Zigler,”I replied. A  40   was born.
Recently, I began seeking my dream of motivating others.  41   a four-year relationship with Fortune 100 Company  42  as a sales-trainer and ending as a regional sales manager, I left the company at the height of my  43  . Many people were  44  that I would leave after earning a six-figure income. And they asked  45  I would risk everything for a dream.
I made my   46   to start my own company and leave my secure position after   47  a regional sales meeting. The vice-president of our company delivered a  48  that changed my life. He asked us, “If a god would offer you three wishes, what would they be?” After giving us a  49  to write down the three wishes, he then asked us, “Why do you need a   50  ?” I would never forget the power I felt at that moment. I realized that   51   I had accomplished in the past had prepared me for this moment. I was ready and didn’t need a god’s help to become a motivational speaker. A motivational speaker was  52   .
Having made that decision, I was immediately  53  .One week after I gave notice, my husband was laid off from his job, and now we had no  54  . But I held fast to my dream. The wonder really began to happen. In a short time my husband found a better job．And I was able to book several  55  engagements with new customers. I discovered the incredible power of dreams.

小題1:	A．raise B．blow C．put D．rise

小題2:	A．slipped B．came C．a(chǎn)rrived D．left

小題3:	A．get B．make C．hope D．cheer

小題4:	A．that B．which C．what D．if

小題5:	A．speaker B．idea C．girl D．dream

小題6:A．Because    B．Before   C After          D．While

小題7:	A．regarding B．working C．a(chǎn)cting D．beginning

小題8:	A．life B．love C．income D．career

小題9:	A．surprised B．moved C．disappointed D．delighte

小題10:

A．when B．if C．why D．how

小題11:

A．plan B．decision C．promise D．mind

小題12:

A．entering B．joining C．a(chǎn)ttending D．holding

小題13:

A．speech B．book C．report D．newspaper

小題14:

A．day B．second C．week D．moment

小題15:

A．help B．god C．job D．company

小題16:

A．something B．a(chǎn)nything C．nothing D．everything

小題17:

A．a(chǎn)live B．born C．missing D．dead

小題18:

A．tested B．searched C．checked D．examined

小題19:

A．help B．harm C．income D．money

小題20:

A．selling B．speaking C．writing D．listening

A
“Depend on yourself” is what nature says to every man. Parents can help you. Teachers can help you. But all these only help you to help yourself.
There have been many great men in history. But many of them were very poor in boyhood, and had no uncles, aunts, or friends to help them. Schools were few and low. They could not depend on them for an education. They saw how it was, and set to work with all their strength to know something. They worked their own way up to fame.
One of the most famous teachers in England used to tell his pupils, “I cannot make worthy men of you, but I can help you make men of yourselves.”
Some young men have no ambitions(抱負(fù)) to do anything; and they are to be pitied. They can never succeed unless they see their foolishness, and change their courses. They are nothing now, and will be nothing as long as they live, unless they accept the advice of parents and teachers, and depend upon their own honest and serious efforts.
小題1:The best title for this passage is ________.

A．Depend on Yourself

B．Don’t Depend on Your Parents

C．Nobody can help you

D．The Good Advice

小題2: From the passage we know that many great men in history ________.

A．learned everything themselves in boyhood

B．didn’t receive any education

C．had no relatives or friends

D．depended on themselves to become famous

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Parents can make you succeed.

B．Great men in history were very poor.

C．Teachers would not like to help you to be a man.

D．Only you can make yourself a great man.

小題4:Why have some young men failed in everything?

A．They have no ambitions.

B．They are to be pitied.

C．They have changed their courses.

D．They have seen their foolishness.

B
It is the duty of every man to work. The life of a lazy man is of no use to himself and to others. The man who is too lazy to work is the man who is generally most ready to beg or to steal. Every boy, when he is young, should learn how to do some useful work.
But it is not enough that a boy should learn some kind of work. He should put his heart and soul completely into his work, and not waste his spare time. “Work while you work and play while you play” is as good a rule for young people as for the old!
There is no better help to diligence (勤奮) than the habit of early rising, and this, just like all other good habits, is most easily formed in youth. There is an English saying, “Lost time never returns”. This means that everybody must be diligent and make good use of his time. One must study hard when one is young so that one may make great progress, succeed in life and become useful to one’s country. Those who are diligent will never become beggars. Therefore, we can say that diligence is the mother of success.
小題1:From the passage, we know that those who are too lazy to work will_________.

A．waste their time

B．help others

C．become beggars or thieves

D．make progress some day

小題2:In order to learn to be diligent, it’s important for young people to _________.

A．form the good habit of getting up early in youth

B．learn about some good habits

C．work while they work and play while they play

D．work all the time without playing

小題3:One can’t be successful in life unless he _________when he is young.

A．is diligent in his study

B．loves life

C．spends some time learning something

D．makes up for his lost time

How can you make a million dollars in one month? I’m sure I am going to get the   小題1:  of many readers with this question. The    小題2:   news is that you are not going to make a million dollars in one month    小題3:   you win the lottery (彩票) or some prize.
We all want to be millionaires. However, if you try to find out how they become   小題4:  rich, you will learn that they worked very    小題5:  for the money. That is what most   小題6:  have had to do, including Bill Gates and Andrew Carnegie, and they often went   小題7:  hardships before they succeeded    小題8:   .
There are many reasons why the millionaires have made it   小題9:    for themselves. In this article, I am going to    小題10: passion (熱情) which I think is the most    小題11:   quality to have in order to succeed. I am sure that if one was to   小題12:   the people who made millions in their lifetime, this would be found in all of them.
Take J.K Rowling for    小題13:  . Her first Harry Potter was sent to twelve publishing houses, all of which    小題14:  to publish it. A year later, she was finally given the chance by a small    小題15: , which paid 15.000. and the  小題16: from that company was that she should get herself a job since she had little  小題17:   of making a living by writing children’s books. If you want to make a million dollars, find something that    小題18:   you really passionate (熱情的) and work hard at it. It doesn’t    小題19:   what it is. Let me know how you    小題20:   ! 

小題21:

A．consideration B．a(chǎn)ttention C．surprise D．happiness

小題22:

A．disappointing B．surprising C．good D．funny

小題23:

A．if B．a(chǎn)lthough C．unless D．when

小題24:

A．such B．too C．this D．that

小題25:

A．happily B．hard C．long D．less

小題26:

A．teachers B．rich C．millionaires D．poor

小題27:

A．through B．back C．on D．under

小題28:

A．a(chǎn)t first B．a(chǎn)t last C．by chance D．on end

小題29:

A．happen B．cause C．change D．rise

小題30:

A．refer to B．object to C．talk about D．a(chǎn)gree with

小題31:

A．good B．interesting C．exciting D．important

小題32:

A．discuss B．like C．study D．visit

小題33:

A．granted B．experiment C．example D．experience

小題34:

A．refused B．a(chǎn)greed C．promised D．loved

小題35:

A．school B．factory C．bank D．publisher

小題36:

A．praise B．word C．comment D．a(chǎn)dvice

小題37:

A．chance B．time C．dollar D．energy

小題38:

A．makes B．matter C．drives D．forces

小題39:

A．care B．matter C．work D．tell

小題40:

A．begin B．finish C．go D．understand

B
When I was about 10 one day, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee. I knew I could see Mr. Lee anytime around the neighborhood, so I just stood there. After we passed him, my mother stopped and said something unforgettable, “You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody you know without opening your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street.” That sentence sounds simple but it made me become who I am.
At work, I used to say hello to the president of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people in the café and people who cleaned the buildings, and asked them how their children were doing, for every single person deserves to be accepted, no matter how humble(低微的) they are. I remember that after a few years of passing by the president, I had the courage to ask him for a chat. We had a great talk. At some point, when I asked him how far he thought I could go in his company, he said that if I wanted to, I could get all the way to his seat.
I’ve become vice-president, but that hasn’t changed how I treat people. I speak to people wherever I am. Speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too.
The day you speak to someone who has his head down and then see him lift it up and smile, you will realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say hello.
小題1:What is the best title for this passage?

A．The Power of Being Talkative

B．My Mother’s Influence on Me

C．The Power of Saying hello

D．My Way to Become Vice-President

小題2: It is implied in the first paragraph that____.

A．the writer didn’t know Mr. Lee

B．the writer didn’t say hello to Mr. Lee on that occasion

C．the writer didn’t get along well with his mother

D．the writer’s mother stopped to say hello to everyone she met

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

A．The writer didn’t say hello to everyone in the company.

B．The writer made a very good impression on the president of the company.

C．The president of the company thought the writer was much better than him.

D．The president of the company actually didn’t like the writer at all.

小題4: For the writer, saying hello to others_______.

A．is a way to get what he wants

B．has become a habit and a way of life.

C．is a way to show respect for his mother

D．is important in making him remembered.

小題5: According to paragraph 3, in the writer’s opinion, speaking to others can______.

A．make our world much better

B．make people much happier every day.

C．help people understand each other better

D．help people work much better

Life is like potato salad; when it’s shared it becomes a picnic.
When my three children were young, my husband Roy and I were very   小題1: . “Can we go on a picnic, Mom?” my six-year-old daughter, Becky   小題2: . “Please.” I had said no so many times in   小題3:  months, and I decided the usual Saturday morning chores (日常工作) could    小題4:  . To her   小題5:  I agreed.
I prepared a few sandwiches and   小題6:  a cooler with ice and drinks and called Roy   小題7: . My eleven-year-old twin sons loaded the cooler and the picnic basket in the trunk and off we went to spend some   小題8:  time together as a family.
About the time I got the lunch   小題9:  out on the table, Roy arrived on the   小題10: . That was one of the happiest meals we ever shared together. The meal was filled with   小題11: . We felt a closeness that had been hidden by work and school related responsibilities for so many months. Roy and the boys   小題12:  rocks into the lake. Becky fed the ducks and I sat quietly at the picnic table,   小題13:  God for blessing me with such a wonderful family.
That night as our children went to bed, I kissed their cheeks and   小題14: what a wonderful life I had. As I walked out of the room it dawned on me that even the busiest   小題15:  could become a picnic when it’s shared with the ones you   小題16: . Even though the kids have now grown up and   小題17:   from home, I can still remember how I felt that day while sitting at the picnic table.
Maybe today would be a good time to   小題18:  potato salad, call all of my   小題19:  kids, feed some hungry ducks and skip a few rocks into the lake. Since life is like potato salad, let’s make it a   小題20: .

小題21:

A．old B．poor C．busy D．patient

小題22:

A．begged B．a(chǎn)sked C．doubted D．wondered

小題23:

A．coming B．recent C．following D．late

小題24:

A．last B．wait C．relax D．a(chǎn)pproach

小題25:

A．disappointment B．sadness C．embarrassment D．surprise

小題26:

A．supplied B．provided C．compared D．filled

小題27:

A．off work B．a(chǎn)t home C．a(chǎn)t work D．on business

小題28:

A．unhappy B．quality C．quantity D．sad

小題29:

A．spread B．taken C．made D．cooked

小題30:

A．scene B．view C．sight D．scenery

小題31:

A．communication B．expectation C．hope D．laughter

小題32:

A．missed B．took C．skipped D．left

小題33:

A．praying B．praising C．thanking D．trusting

小題34:

A．expected B．realized C．imagined D．a(chǎn)dmitted

小題35:

A．lifestyle B．time C．world D．occupation

小題36:

A．enjoy B．own C．have D．love

小題37:

A．left alone B．left behind C．ran away D．moved away

小題38:

A．a(chǎn)ppreciate B．cook C．watch D．plant

小題39:

A．grown B．little C．young D．handsome

小題40:

A．salad B．life C．picnic D．purpose

A
Once there was a man who liked to eat mangoes. One day he decided to get the sweetest mango from the very top of the tree. Mangoes which are exposed to the sun the most are the sweetest.
So he climbed up to the top, where the branches were thin. He managed to pick up a few sweet reddish fruits, but, in an attempt to climb down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, he caught the branch as he was falling and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call nearby villagers for help. They immediately came with a ladder and sticks, but could do little to help him.
Then after some time one calm and thoughtful person arrived — a well-known sage (a wise person) who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were very curious to see what he would do, as he was famous in solving many people’s problems in the area and sometimes very complicated ones.
He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man.
Everybody was surprised. The hanging mango lover started to shout: “What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Do you want me to break my neck?” The sage was silent. Then he took another stone and threw it at the man. The man was very angry: “If I could just come down, I would show you!”
That’s what everybody wanted. Then he was coming down. But how? Now everybody was tense about what would happen next! Some wanted to blame the sage, but they didn’t. The sage picked another stone and threw it again at the man, even more forcefully. Now the man on the tree was even more angry and developed a great determination to come down and take revenge (復(fù)仇).
He then used all his skill and strength and somehow reached the branches which were safe to start going down. And he made it! Everybody was amazed.
However, the rescued man found the sage gone. He stood there, realizing that the man really saved him because he induced (引誘) him to try his best and save himself.
“I should be thankful and not angry.”
小題1:From the story we know that the sweetest mango must be the one ______.

A．on the very top of a tree	B．hidden in the middle of a tree
C．on the tree for the longest time	D．exposed to sunlight less often

小題2:What happened after he had picked a few sweet reddish mangoes?

A．He slipped and fell to the ground suddenly.

B．He was climbing down quickly but carefully.

C．He remained hanging helplessly on the tree.

D．He shouted loudly for help but no one helped.

小題3:How did the man feel when the sage hit him with a stone?

A．He was nervous.	B．He kept silent.
C．He felt surprised.	D．He was angry.

小題4:What do you think motivated (caused) the man to climb down?

A．Courage.

B．Revenge.

C．Carefulness.

D．Assistance.

小題5: What does the story imply?

A．Anger saves one’s life.	B．Wisdom does count (很重要).
C．Skill and strength count.	D．Anger is the biggest enemy.

D
At the railway stations all across Britain next week, groups of students will gather with their backpacks to wait for the trains that will carry them home for Christmas. This is a large movement of human beings as before, but with more contradictory traffic flows, so that trains filled with the young pass each other travelling in every direction.
At first, I went home every weekend with my washing, but then those visits became less regular. How did I let my parents know I was coming? They had no phone. Perhaps I wrote to them (“Expect me with dirty shirts this Friday afternoon”), but more likely I didn’t let them know, and just turned up or didn’t turn up, not understanding that my parents’ hopes of seeing me were a greater disappointment of my carelessness than a spoiled tea.
And in all this I suspect I was typical (有代表性的), at least of young men. As for our fathers and mothers, none of them talked of “empty-nest syndrome (綜合癥)”, even though its possible effect that the main human duty is to protect and feed the young would have suited their generation better than ours. Then, the feeling of loss went without a name. Today, it’s a condition with remedies, which will make parents feel more enjoyable in their life, The Mayo Clinic, for example, suggests you try to maintain regular contact with your children through “visits, phone calls, emails, texts or video chats”. If you feel unhappy, lean on (depend on … for support) loved ones or your mental health providers. Above all, stay positive: “Thinking about the extra time and energy that you might have to devote to your marriage or personal interests after your last child leaves home, it might help you adapt to this major life change.”
What can’t be denied, however, is that children often leave home. In modern societies, this is what they do. Christmas is the very time they can be depended on to return. For the non-religious, that may be this season’s true comfort and significance.
小題1:The main reason for the busy traffic across Britain next week is that _______.

A．young students will travel home for Christmas.

B．young people will travel in every direction.

C．it is a large movement of human beings

D．the traffic flows will be more contradictory

小題2:From the second paragraph we can learn that the writer _______.

A．went home every week to wash dirty clothes

B．understood his parents’ desire of seeing him

C．didn’t understand his parents’ feelings

D．went home to see his parents regularly

小題3:The underlined word “remedies” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _______.

A．reasons

B．excuses

C．habits

D．solutions

小題4:From the last paragraph we know that _______.

A．in modern society, children should leave home

B．Christmas is likely a time for family reunion

C．the significance of Christmas is celebration

D．Christmas is not a comfort for the non-religious

小題5:From the passage we can infer that by writing the article the writer is to _______.

A．persuade the young to show concern for their parents

B．a(chǎn)sk the young to go home regularly

C．make the young understand their parents’ interest

D．enable the young to be more independent