I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have eggs and toast. Others had cokes and candy for lunch while I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids’. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace(丟臉) because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning. So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years, our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, however, would merely be content with black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background, I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.
小題1:From the passage we can learn that the writer’s mother was          .

A．not generous at all

B．very strict with her children

C．very mean with money matters

D．very cruel to her children

小題2:Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?

A．Eating differently from other kids.

B．Wearing clean clothes made by mother

C．Going to bed early and getting up early

D．Letting mother know where they were

小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that        .

A．the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies

B．mother was punished for breaking Child Labor Law

C．a(chǎn)ll the other kids studied better than the writer

D．the writer’s family lived a miserable life

小題4:The passage was written in a        tone.

A．humorous

B．hateful

C．unfriendly

D．a(chǎn)ngry

小題5:Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Mother tried to save every penny to run her home

B．The writer is very grateful to her mother

C．The writer is severe with her children when bringing them up

D．The wrier hates her mother very much

I'm fat, I'm too skinny．I'd be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer legs．
Do any of these statements sound familiar? Are you used to putting yourself down? If so, you' re not alone．As a teen, you're going through many changes in your body．And as your body changes, so does your image of yourself．Lots of people have trouble adjusting, and this can affect their self-esteem （自尊） ．
If you have a positive body image, you probably like and accept yourself the way you are．This healthy attitude allows you to explore other aspects of growing up, such as developing good friendships, growing more independent from your parents, and challenging yourself physically and mentally．Developing these parts of yourself can help boost （提升） yourself-esteem．
A positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle （such as exercising and eating right） are a great combination for building good self-esteem．
Some people think they need to change how they look or act to feel good about themselves． But actually all you need to do is change the way you see your body and how you think about yourself．
The first thing to do is recognize that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size or color it comes in．If you are very worried about your weight or size, check with your doctor to verify （核實(shí)） that things are OK．But it is no one's business but your own what your body is like—ultimately, you have to be happy with yourself．
Next, identify which aspects of your appearance you can realistically change and which you can't．Everyone has things about themselves that they can't change and need to accept—like their height, for example, or their shoe size．
When you hear negative comments coming from within yourself, tell yourself to stop．Try building your self-esteem by giving yourself three good things every day．By focusing on the good things you do and the positive aspects of your life, you can change how you feel about yourself．
The most important thing is to get help if you feel like your body image and self-esteem are affecting your life．
小題1:If we have a positive body image, we will_____．

A．concentrate on our body image only

B．not develop strong self-esteem

C．like and accept ourselves as we are

D．be less independent of our parents

小題2:______ can NOT help to boost your self-esteem．

A．Growing independent from your parents

B．Accepting your own body as it actually is

C．Having a positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle

D．Improving your body image as much as you can

小題3:To improve our body image, we have to _____．

A．think about ourselves

B．be happy with ourselves

C．change the shape, size or color of one's body

D．check with our doctor to verify that our body is OK

小題4:Which is probably the best title of the passage?

A．Importance of Body Image	B．Effects on a Person's Self-esteem
C．Tips for Improving Body Image	D．Self-esteem and Body Image

“Image is everything．” An entire industry has been built upon the assumption that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough．If there is no substance（事實(shí)） behind the image, the product, service or person will fail eventually．
First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services．Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection．Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies．But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back．For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness．But the recent scandal （丑聞） showed that behind that image, it cheated in business practices．Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit．Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm．
Similarly, personal advisers can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars．Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons．But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune．With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close．
To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person．But image is only half of the equation．What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself —— the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success．
小題1:The downfall of the Arthur Andersen accounting firm is due to ________．

A．its dishonesty in business	B．its previous images
C．its bad management	D．its poor service

小題2:Why did some famous people fall from grace?

A．Their images were not well built up

B．They failed to live up to their images．

C．They felt much pressure from the public

D．They paid little attention to fame and fortune．

小題3:The structure of the passage is ________．
A: Argument              P: Point               C: Conclusion

小題4:The author tries to argue that _________．

A．image creates everything	B．image is the key to success
C．truth is unlikely ever to be equaled	D．truth and image are equally important

A woman named Emily renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office was asked to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a …”
“Of course I have a job,” said Emily. “I’m a mother.”
“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation… ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.
One day I found myself in the same situation. The clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title. “What is your occupation?” she asked.
The words simply popped out. “I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”
The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.
I repeated the title slowly, then I stared with wonder as my statement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “Just what you do in this field?”
Coolly, without any trace of panic in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t), in the lab and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most careers and rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out.
As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (受鼓舞) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.
I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”
Motherhood…What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.
小題1:What can we infer from the conversation between the woman and the recorder at the beginning of the passage?

A．The recorder was impatient and rude.

B．The woman felt ashamed to admit what her job was.

C．The author was upset about the situation that mothers faced.

D．Motherhood was not recognized and respected as a job by society.

小題2:How did the female clerk feel at first when the author told her occupation?

A．curious

B．indifferent

C．puzzled

D．interested

小題3:Why did the woman clerk show more respect for the author?

A．Because the author cared little about rewards.

B．Because she thought the author did admirable work.

C．Because she admired the author’s research work in the lab.

D．Because the writer did something she had little knowledge of.

小題4:What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To show how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it.

B．To argue that motherhood is a worthy career and deserves respect.

C．To show that the author had a greater job than Emily.

D．To show that being a mother is hard and boring work.

As the price of a college degree continues to rise, there's growing evidence that the monetary（貨幣的） payoff isn't quite as big as often advertised. The best estimate now is that a college degree is worth about $300,000 in today's dollars--nowhere near the million figure that is often quoted.
"That million number has driven me crazy!" says Sandy Baum, a Skidmore economist who studied the value of a college degree for the College Board last year.
Baum's research showed that college graduates earn, on average, about $20,000 a year more than those who finished their educations at high school. Add that up over a 40-year working life and the total differential is about $800,000, she figures. But since much of that bonus is earned many years from now, taking away the impact of inflation means that$800,000 in future dollars is worth only about $450,000 in today's dollars.
Then, if you remove the cost of a college degree--about ,$30,000 in tuition and books for students who get no aid and attend public in-state universities--and the money a student could have earned at a job instead of attending school, the real net value in today's dollars is somewhere in the $300,000 range, a number confirmed by other studies.
But, especially these days, that still makes a college degree one of the most lucrative investments a person can make, Baum notes.
　Better yet, college graduates can go on to earn advanced degrees, which return even bigger payoffs. The average holder of a bachelor's degree earns about$51,000 a year, Baum calculates. But those who've gone on to earn MBAs, law degrees, or other professional degrees earn about $100,000 a year.
　In addition, Baum found that there are plenty of other rewards for a degree. The quality of the jobs college graduates get is far better, for example. College graduates are more likely to get jobs with health insurance. And it is easier for them to find and hold jobs. The unemployment rate for college graduates was just 2.2 percent last year, half the unemployment level of those with only high school diplomas.
There are lots of other nonmonetary benefits as well. College graduates are healthier, contribute more to their communities, and raise kids who are better prepared academically, studies show.
Other researchers have found that the payoff of a degree is especially lucrative for students from low-income families, since the education and degrees give them a chance to break out of low-paying careers.
小題1:What can be inferred from Para 1 ?

A．The payoff of a college degree is still big enough to match the advertised.

B．It’s more and more difficult to get a college degree.

C．The return of a college degree is less than often quoted.

D．A college degree is worth about one million dollars.

小題2:Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “l(fā)ucrative” in Para.5?

A．a(chǎn)ttractive

B．worthless

C．a(chǎn)pproachable

D．balanced

小題3:How can a college graduate increase his or her yearly income according to the passage?

A．By getting jobs with health insurance immediately.

B．By going on for higher degrees.

C．By breaking out of low-paying jobs.

D．By contributing more to his or her community.

小題4:Which of the following statements can be learned from the text ?

A． According to Baum's research, high school graduates earn more than those who have college degrees.

B． College education is enough to ensure you a good life.

C． Nonmonetary benefits from the degree attract students more than monetary ones.

D．Students from low-income families still think degrees are profitable to change their life.

There was a time in my life when beauty meant something special to me. I guess that would have been when I was about six or seven years old, just several weeks or maybe a month before the orphanage（孤兒院）turned me into an old man．
I would get up every morning at the orphanage, make my bed just like the little soldier that I had become and then I would get into one of the two straight lines and march to breakfast with the other twenty or thirty boys who also lived in my dormitory.
After breakfast one Saturday morning I returned to the dormitory and saw the house parent chasing the beautiful monarch butterflies who lived by the hundreds in the bushes scattered around the orphanage.
I carefully watched as he caught these beautiful creatures, one after another, and then took them from the net and then stuck straight pins through their head and wings，pinning them onto a heavy cardboard sheet．
How cruel it was to kill something of such beauty. I had walked many times out into the bushes，all by myself, just so the butterflies could land on my head，face and hands so I could look at them up close.
When the telephone rang the house parent laid the large cardboard paper down on the back cement（水泥）step and went inside to answer the phone. I walked up to the cardboard and looked at the one butterfly who he had just pinned to the large paper. It was still moving about so I reached down and touched it on the wing causing one of the pins to fall out．It started flying around and around trying to get away but it was still pinned by the one wing with the other straight pin．Finally its wing broke off and the butterfly fell to the ground and just trembled.
I picked up the torn wing and the butterfly and I spat on its wing and tried to get it to stick back on so it could fly away and be free before the house parent came back．But it would not stay on him.
小題1:The author set the living butterfly free because_______.

A．he liked it very much

B．he had sympathy for the beautiful butterfly

C．he couldn’t bear a butterfly dying in his favorite bushes

D．its wing broke off

小題2:According to the passage，the author’s life in the orphanage was_____.

A．dull and full of strict rules

B．simple and easy

C．happy and full of hope

D．hard and busy

小題3:What is the author’s attitude towards the house parent’s pinning some butterflies on the cardboard?

A．tolerant

B．unconcerned

C．disgusted

D．discouraged

小題4:We know from the passage that_________.
A. the author lived alone in the dormitory
B. there were one hundred butterflies living in the bushes
C the cardboard paper was left on the step so as to be watched
D. the author failed to stick the worn wing onto the butterfly with his spit
小題5:Which of the following is right according to the passage?

A．I found beauty meant nothing special to me.

B．The house parent helped the children handle the quilt.

C．The house parent chased the butterfly in order to show it to the children.

D．I thought it cruel to catch the butterfly.

She was dancing. My lame grandmother was dancing. I stood in the living room doorway, looking at her beautiful movements, absolutely shocked. She was the pet of the dancing world. And then she’d had her accident and it was all over. I had read that in an old newspaper article.
‘‘So… Your leg? I mean, how did your leg heal (恢復(fù)健全)?”
“To tell you the truth — my legs have been well all my life,” she sighed.
“But I don’t understand!” I said, “Your dancing career (事業(yè))… You pretended all these years?”
‘‘Very much so, and for a very good reason.”
She thought for a while and then continued. “We were talking about engagement (訂婚) when your grandfather had to go to war. I was so afraid of losing him that the only way I could stay normal was to dance. I put all my energy and time into practicing and I became very good. Critics praised me, the public loved me, but all I could feel was the ache in my heart, not knowing whether the love of my life would ever return. Then one day a letter came. There were only three sentences: ‘I have lost my leg. I am no longer a whole man and now give you back your freedom. It is best you forget about me.’’’
“I made my decision there and then. I traveled away from the city. When I returned I had bought myself a stick. I told everyone I had been in a car crash and that my leg would never completely heal again. My dancing days were over. No one doubted the story — I had learned to limp (一瘸一拐地走) convincingly before I returned home. And I made sure the first person to hear of my accident was a reporter I knew well. Then I traveled to the hospital. They had pushed your grandfather outside in his wheelchair. I took a deep breath, leaned on my stick and limped to him.”
“I showed him newspaper articles of my accident. ‘There is a whole life waiting for us out there! But I am not going to carry you. You are going to walk yourself.’”
“I limped a few steps toward him and showed him what I’d taken out of my pocket. ‘Now show me you are still a man.’ I said. He bent to take his stick from the ground and struggled out of that wheelchair. He managed it on his own and walked to me and never sat in a wheelchair again in his life.”
“What did you show him?” I had to know. Grandma looked at me and smiled. “Two engagement rings, of course. I had bought them the day after he left for the war and I was not going to waste them on any other man.”
小題1:What does the underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refer to?

A．Her accident.

B．Her pet.

C．Her leg.

D．Her dancing career.

小題2:Which is the correct order of the following events according to the passage?
a. Grandfather lost his leg in the war.
b. Grandmother bought two engagement rings.
c. Grandfather was inspired to stand up on his own.
d. Grandmother pretended she was lame.
e. Grandmother became an excellent dancer.
f. Grandfather had to go to war.

A．e-f-b-a-d-c	B．f-e-a-c-b-d
C．f-b-e-a-d-c	D．e-b-f-a-c-d

小題3:Which of the following words can best describe grandmother?

A．Thoughtful and determined.	B．Unselfish but stubborn.
C．Courageous but unreliable.	D．Sensitive and dishonest.

小題4:What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．The love of a disabled couple.	B．The grandmother’s unconditional love.
C．The meaning of an engagement.	D．The grandfather’s brave story.

When I was a child, I had an old neighbour named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any other doctor I’ve ever known. He never  11__ at us for playing in his yard. I remembered him as a kind and  _12_ person
When Dr. Gibbs didn’t work, he planted trees. His house covered an area of ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it _ 13_ .
He had some interesting _ 14 _ concerning planting. He belonged to the “No pains, no gains”  __15  of plant growing. He never watered his new trees. Once I asked  _16__, he said, “Watering plants will spoil them, and if you water them, each successive tree_ 17_ will grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things 18__for them and weed out the weak ones.” So he never watered his trees. He would _19__a pine, and instead of _20__it every morning, he beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. I __21__ him why he did so, and he said it was to get the tree’s _22__.
I planted a couple of trees a few _23__ ago. I carried water to them for a solid summer, sprayed them and prayed over them. Two years of careful tending has _24__ in trees that expect to be _25__ to hand and foot. Whenever a cold wind blows in, they tremble their branches.
Dr. Gibbs passed away a _26__of years after I left home. Now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees. They’re _27__ now, big and healthy.
Funny things about Dr. Gibbs’ trees. Hardship and difficulty seemed to benefit them _28__
comfort and ease never could.
Life is tough, whether we want 29_ to be or not. Too many times we pray for ease, but that’s a prayer seldom met. What we need to do is to pray for 30_ that reach deep into the earth, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won’t be swept away.

小題1:	A．shouted B．shot C．a(chǎn)imed D．pointed

小題2:	A．cruel B．greedy C．pleasant D．disciplined

小題3:	A．museum B．park C．playground D．forest

小題4:	A．features B．theories C．characters D．instructions

小題5:	A．class B．college C．school D．university

小題6:	A．what B．when C．how D．why

小題7:	A．image B．product C．generation D．species

小題8:	A．cheap B．easy C．expensive D．rough

小題9:	A．paint B．plant C．uproot D．establish

小題10:

A．starving B．beating C．watering D．feeding

小題11:

A．a(chǎn)sked B．told C．informed D．demanded

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)pproval B．a(chǎn)ttention C．pain D．communication

小題13:

A．weeks B．months C．years D．days

小題14:

A．resulted B．produced C．believed D．spent

小題15:

A．treated B．tended C．supported D．a(chǎn)ttended

小題16:

A．number B．couple C．row D．period

小題17:

A．trembling B．dying C．strong D．intelligent

小題18:

A．while B．though C．a(chǎn)s D．a(chǎn)nd

小題19:

A．them B．that C．it D．this

小題20:

A．trunks B．roots C．branches D．Leaves

The other day I heard a few local musicians talking, "I hate all the pianos in this town and I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They cannot even understand rhythm (韻律).""Nobody wants to pay musicians anything. I’m sick of all the people who want you to play without paying you.” One younger musician said, "There are a couple of clubs who want me to play for a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also planning to join in several summer festivals this year." I really liked what the younger musician said so I made friends with him.
Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive or negative (消極的), they’re all rubbing off on you. If you’re around people who are always complaining(抱怨) or blaming (責(zé)備) others, it is possible that you will start doing the same as well. If you spend lots of time with people who don’t support your dreams, it is time to take a look at the people you call "friends".
There is an easy exercise you can try. Make a list of the people who you often stay with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard. The choice is always yours to make. Of course, this exercise is entirely different from making friends only for the good of oneself. We really should try to help and spend time with those who are working towards a goal or dream.
小題1:The musicians’ conversation at the beginning is to show that ______.

A．musicians’ living conditions are not good

B．people in that town have poor taste in music

C．different people have different attitudes

D．young people are more likely to succeed

小題2: The underlined part "they’re rubbing off on you" in Paragraph 2 means ______.

A．they’ll push you ahead	B．they’ll have an influence on you
C．they’ll keep you from moving on	D．they’ll help you realize your dreams

小題3:Why did the author want to make friends with the younger musician?

A．He is more active than the others.

B．He can earn more than the others.

C．He has more things to do than the others.

D．His attitude is more positive than the others.

小題4:By doing the exercise mentioned in Paragraph 3, you can ______.

A．make the right kind of friends

B．improve your ability to make friends

C．develop a better relationship with your friends

D．make some new friends with the same interests as you

小題5:We can get the following information from the passage EXCEPT ______.

A．the younger musician is a positive person and would be a good friend

B．one will start complaining if one spends too much time with negative people

C．the exercise can help you keep close to really helpful friends

D．one should avoid making friends with people who have lots of difficulties

The trip to that city was eye-opening for everyone, and near its end, all the young people in our group began to reflect on what it had meant． We   41  the first night we had arrived． We had all gone into the markets of the city   42  the young people could experience its energy． But what we actually saw simply   43  us all --- the rundown houses, the children in rags, the people begging for money… Walking home,   44  under a low bridge, we came across   45  families of homeless people seeking a bit of dry ground to sleep on   46  the night． We had to step over bodies as we found our way through the darkness．
The poverty was   47  than anything my young companions had ever imagined． Back in the hotel, an air of sadness settled over the group． Many   48  and cried． Spending time in this   49  moves a person to care about humanity．
That evening, our group spent hours talking about what we had   50 ． Gently, I encouraged everyone to talk about the difficult   51  that day’s discoveries had inspired． Sitting together   52  a circle as everyone had a chance to speak, we all began to realize that  53  of us was alone in our struggle to cope with our reactions．
Based on my   54  in poverty-stricken areas, I suggested that   55  the emotions we had were painful, they could also be important in helping us to move forward． We all   56  that we had seen things that should never be allowed to happen．   57  , what could we do about it? Together, we began to brainstorm ways we could help to ease the   58  we had seen． As I encouraged group members to focus on   59  they could do, a sense of determination  60  the previous sadness． Instead of despair, these young people began to feel a call to action．

小題1:	A．put up with B．got back to C．looked back on D．made up for

小題2:	A．now that B．so that C．a(chǎn)s if D．even if

小題3:	A．puzzled B．a(chǎn)nnoyed C．embarrassed D．shocked

小題4:	A．marching B．running C．passing D．moving

小題5:	A．entire B．normal C．a(chǎn)verage D．general

小題6:	A．beyond B．with C．till D．for

小題7:	A．stronger B．deeper C．worse D．less

小題8:	A．gave up B．broke down C．set off D．held on

小題9:	A．environment B．hotel C．house D．background

小題10:

A．inspected B．a(chǎn)ttempted C．witnessed D．challenged

小題11:

A．feelings B．decisions C．thoughts D．impressions

小題12:

A．a(chǎn)long B．a(chǎn)round C．by D．in

小題13:

A．neither B．either C．none D．each

小題14:

A．experiences B．schedules C．data D．position

小題15:

A．once B．while C．since D．unless

小題16:

A．supposed B．a(chǎn)dvised C．confirmed D．a(chǎn)greed

小題17:

A．Surely B．Rather C．Now D．Indeed

小題18:

A．burden B．suffering C．a(chǎn)nxiety D．difficulty

小題19:

A．how B．where C．what D．when

小題20:

A．replaced B．changed C．covered D．improved