Charlie was spending his summer holidays by the sea. One day he climbed over some rocks. He was looking for some crabs (螃蟹) for supper. He took off  his shorts and put them on a rock.
The afternoon went quickly. Time was flying by. Look! The sea was coming in fast. It was over some of the rocks now.
Charlie looked up. "It's getting late. Oh dear! Look at the sea. Where are my shorts now?" he thought. He saw them on a rock.
Oh dear! The rock was an island! Now he must swim and got them.
Charlie jumped into the sea and started swimming. He reached the rock and put his shorts on his head. Then he started swimming back. Oh no! The sea was too strong for Charlie. It was pulling him away from the beach.
"Help!" he called. "I can't get back. "
Luckily, a boat was coming by. The people in the boat saw Charlie and heard his call for help.
"Are you all right?" asked the woman in the boat.
"No! I can't swim back. The sea is too strong. "
The woman stopped the boat and she and a girl pulled Charlie into the boat. He threw his shorts into the boat too. Then they turned the boat Bound and took Charlie back to the beach.
"That was lucky," said the woman.
"Thank you very much," said Charlie.
"Be careful next time," said the woman. "The sea is usually very strong near these rocks. "
"Next time, I'm going to keep my shorts in my bag," said Charlie. "Better safe than sorry!"
小題1:Where did the story take place?

A．In the hills

B．By the sea

C．On the river

D．In the town

小題2:Before looking for crabs, Charlie put _______________.

A．his shirts in a bag	B．his shoes on a rock
C．his shorts in a bag	D．his shorts on a rock

小題3:Charlie cried for help because______________.

A．the sea was carrying him away from the beach

B．the sea was pulling Charlie onto the rocks

C．the sea was getting lower

D．the sea was going out

小題4:Who saved Charlie? _____.

A．A man and a girl

B．Two men

C．A woman and a girl

D．A man and a boy

Peter was a boy of 14. His parents went to gambling day and night. Nobody cared about him. He always failed in his exams. So his teachers didn’t like him, and nor did his classmates play with him.
Peter often slept in class because his heart was not in school. He almost gave himself up.
One day, Miss Jerry, a new teacher, came to Peter’s class. She was a smiling, beautiful woman. Peter was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn’t take his eyes off his teachers; yet, still he failed.
It was Miss Jerry’s class. She was asking a question. “I’d like the smartest boy to answer my question.” Then she said loudly, “Peter, please!”
Peter was surprised. And he stood up without a word.
“Just try it! I believe you can!”
After school, Miss Jerry had a long talk with Peter. She told him that she cared about him and believed in him.
Peter thought a lot that evening. From then on he arrived at school on time every day. Miss Jerry helped him with his homework in the afternoon. She even cooked delicious food for him. She told Peter, “Nothing is impossible if you put your heart in it.”
Later, Miss Jerry gave another exam. Peter did it with all his heart. He was very excited to find that he had passed the exam. Now Peter discovered that not only could he learn well, but he could do it well. A change took place in Peter’s heart.
小題1:Peter always failed in the exams at first because he________.

A．went gambling	B．talked in class
C．didn’t answer	D．gave himself up\

小題2:Miss Jerry changed Peter by ________.

A．doing homework for him

B．encouraging and helping him

C．giving Peter another exam

D．cooking delicious food for him

小題3:From the passage, we can learn ________.

A．Miss Jerry was a loving and careful teacher

B．Peter’s parents cared about him very much

C．Miss Jerry loved to answer Peter’s question

D．Peter didn’t like to play with his classmates

小題4:Which may be the best title for the passage?

A．Parents’ Day

B．A Lazy Boy

C．A Boy’s Change

D．A Strict Teacher

Homework is an important part of education. However, what is it about homework? What makes it important?
First, homework helps students learn. Homework produces higher learning ability by asking the student to read the same text many times.
Most of the time, homework will ask students to read other books. So children have to read and understand it by themselves. Sometimes, parents must help children with this type of learning. Children hope to use what they have read to solve questions and problems in the homework.
Good use of homework makes children know that learning can happen with or without the teacher.
As homework is finished, students learn to work out their own problems. Most students need a little help now and then, but doing homework is a way that children can learn to take care of themselves. If the student can do his or her own work, it is likely the ability he gets will be good for their future life.
Most homework gives room for additional(額外的) learning. Short answers, long answers and papers provide a way for students to learn things that interest them. Science can give the student a chance to go deeper into a field and have a better understanding. These things are almost impossible within the classroom education. If the project is done by a group, the students will also learn cooperation(合作).
Good study skills students get from homework and test preparation can be used easily in most work places.
Title: 小題1:________

Benefits	Ways
小題2:_______	Make students repeat the same text.
Develop thinking ability	Make students read other books.
	Help students to work out 小題3:________
	Be good for their future life
Learn more	Give room for additional learning
	Provide a way for students to learn 小題4:________ things
	Help go deeper into a field and understand better
	Help learn cooperation by working with a group
Get study skills	Use the skills in their 小題5:_______ when they left schools

I am one of those people who are terrible at saying no. I take on too many projects at once, and spend too much of my time doing things I’d rather not be doing. I get stuff done, but it’s not always the best I can do, or the best way I could spend my time.
That’s why my newest goal, both as a professional and a person, is to be a quitter.
Being a quitter isn’t being someone who gives up, who doesn’t see important things through to the end. I desire to be the opposite of that. The quitter I want to be is someone who gets out when there’s no value in what he’s doing, or when that value comes at the expense of something more important.
We get involved in something, realize we don’t want to be a part of it, but keep on going. We say “Well, I’ve already invested so much time in this, I might as well stick it out.” A friend of mine once told me, “I knew I was an adult when I could stop reading a book, even after getting 500 pages into it.” Odd though it sounds, we all tend to do this.
I propose the opposite: quit as often as possible, regardless of project status or time invested. If you’re reading a book, and don’t like it, stop reading. Cut your losses, realize that the smartest thing to do is stop before your losses grow even more, and quit. Instead of reading an entire book you hate, read half of a bad one and half of a good one. Isn’t that a better use of your time?
Step back for a second. Let’s learn how to say “no” at the beginning, or in the middle, and free up more of our time to do the things we’d like to be doing, and the things actually worth doing.
Saying no is hard, and admitting a mistaken yes is even harder. But if we do both, we’ll start to make sure that we’re spending our time creating value, rather than increasing our losses. Let’s be quitters together.
小題1:The author wants to be a quitter, because he/she        .

A．wishes to have more time for relaxation

B．hopes to improve his/her personality

C．expects to make more efficient use of his/her time

D．has found it hard to do several things at one time

小題2:In what circumstances does the author suggest quitting is a good idea?

A．When you know a task cannot be finished.

B．When you feel tired and need a rest.

C．When you meet with difficulties along the way.

D．When you realize what you are doing is not worth the time.

小題3:The message the author tries to convey is to        .

A．learn to say no	B．create more value
C．live your life to the fullest	D．stop doing many things at a time

I live in the land of Disney, Hollywood and year - round sun．You may think People ,n such an attractive, fun - filled place are happier than others．If so you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness．
Many intelligent people still think fun equals happiness．The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common．Fun is what we experience during an act．Happiness is what we experience after an act．It is a deep, long-lasting emotion．
Going to an amusement park or a ball game, watching a movie or television are fun activities that help us relax, temporally forget our problems and maybe even laugh．But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends．
I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun．They have constant access to exciting parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells "happiness" But in memoir（回憶錄） after memoir, they expose Ac unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages and loneliness．
Ask a bachelor why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying．If he is honest, he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment．For commitment is in fact quite painful．The single life is filled with fun, adventure and excitement．Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features．
Similarly, couples that choose not to have children are deciding in favor of painless fun over painful happiness．They can dine out whenever they want and sleep as late as they want．Couples with babies are lucky to get a whole night' s sleep．I don't know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children．
Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations we can ever come to．It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can truly increase our happiness．It liberates money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless．And it frees us from envy: we now understand that all those rich and famous people we were so sure are happy because they are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all．
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?

A．Fun and happiness．

B．Success and satisfaction．

C．Marriage and commitment．

D．Entertainment and responsibility．

小題2:The author probably agrees that ____．

A．fun creates long - lasting satisfaction

B．long - standing fun may lead to happiness

C．fun is short-lived while happiness is long-lasting

D．fun provides enjoyment while pain leads to happiness

小題3:What does the author think of marriage?
A．It ends in pain．
B．It means commitment．
C．It affords greater fun．
D．It leads to raising children．
【小題14If one gets the real meaning of happiness, he ____．
A．will start a business
B．won' t place too much value on money
C．will seek for freedom
D．won't devote himself to his family

Last winter, when I was heavily pregnant(懷孕), I was visiting my sister and brother-in-law’s house. I had to park my car in a nearby parking lot because they didn’t have a place for parking. The snow was extremely heavy and there was lots of    1   on the ground, so not many people dared to go out that evening! When I left their house and    2   to my car around 11pm, I noticed that my car was the only one    3  .
Surrounded by silence, I rushed into the car nervously. When I finally tried to   4   away, my wheels began to spin(打滑). I realized I was stuck! I wondered what I should do.   5  , in my rear-view mirror(后視鏡), I saw four teenage boys    6   my car. They were walking side by side in a line and behaved a bit like    7   ------ at least I thought that was what they looked like. My car was in a very    8   area and I was so frightened when I saw them. I was certain they were coming to my car to    9   me.
Terrified, I just froze. One of the young men tapped on my window    10   and said, “Excuse me, Madam, would you like some    11  ? You seem to have a problem with the car.” Still a little afraid, I said, “I am stuck.” And the young man said, “It’s okay. Stay in your car and we’ll    12   you out of the snow.” And they did! When they finally got my car out of the snow, they   13  and waved good-bye to me. I rolled down my window and thanked them,    14   to have judged them so poorly.
People like to judge the person they come across, and they are in turn judged by others. It’s natural that we judge others, but when we do this, we shouldn’t    15   the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

小題1:	A．sand B．ice C．stone D．water

小題2:	A．looked B．escaped C．returned D．pointed

小題3:	A．left B．destroyed C．prepared D．sold

小題4:	A．walk B．run C．drive D．get

小題5:	A．Actually B．Suddenly C．Obviously D．Finally

小題6:	A．damaging B．touching C．hitting D．a(chǎn)pproaching

小題7:	A．robbers B．students C．policemen D．soldiers

小題8:	A．secret B．bright C．lonely D．dirty

小題9:	A．support B．harm C．serve D．warm

小題10:

A．rapidly B．loudly C．helplessly D．gently

小題11:

A．change B．a(chǎn)dvice C．fun D．help

小題12:

A．pull B．push C．lead D．put

小題13:

A．waited B．shouted C．smiled D．joked

小題14:

A．sorry B．delighted C．confident D．frightened

小題15:

A．hate B．stop C．follow D．forget

Life is difficult.
It is a great truth because once we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult.
Most do not fully see this truth. Instead they complain(抱怨) about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that difficulties stand for a special kind of suffering especially forced on them or else on their families, their class, or even their nation.
What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their nature, cause sadness, or loneliness(孤獨(dú)) or regret or anger or fear.
These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes a lot of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy.
Yet, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure. When we want to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Those things that hurt, instruct(指導(dǎo)).” It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems.
小題1:Which sentence best express the central point of the passage?

A．Problems and difficulties represent a special kind of suffering.

B．We become stronger by facing and solving problems of life.

C．Life is difficult because our problems bring us pain.

D．People like to complain about their problems.

小題2:The writer probably used just one short sentence in the first paragraph to ___.

A．save space	B．persuade readers
C．make readers laugh	D．get readers’ attention

小題3:The main idea of paragraph 3 is that _________.

A．most people feel life is easy

B．the writer feel life is easy

C．the writer likes to complain about his problems

D．most people complain about how hard their lives are

小題4:According to the passage, we give school children difficult problems to solve in         order to ______.

A．encourage them to learn

B．teach them to fear the pain of solving the problems

C．help them learn to deal with pain

D．teach them how to respect problems

小題5:The saying from Benjamin Franklin “Those things that hurt, instruct” suggests   that ______.

A．we do not learn from experience

B．we do not learn when we are in pain

C．pain teaches us important lessons

D．pain cannot be avoided

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of   44  students in the classroom on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the   45  thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.
It   46  the class some time to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one   47  the papers. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the  48 of each student on a separate sheet of paper and 49  what everyone else had said about that individual.
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the whole class was   50  . “Really?” she heard whispered. “I never knew that I   51  anything to anyone!” and, “I didn’t know others liked me so much” were most of the comments. No one ever   52   those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t   53 . The exercise had completed its   54  . The students were   55  with themselves and one another.
That group of students moved on. Several years later, one of the students was   56  in Vietnam War and his teacher   57  the funeral of that special student. After the funeral, most of Mark’s former classmates left. Mark’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak to his teacher.
“We want to   58  you something,” his father said, taking a   59  out of his pocket.
“They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might   60  it.”
Opening the wallet, he   61  removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded, and refolded many times. The teacher knew without   62  that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him.
“Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark’s mother said. “As you can see, Mark   63  it.”

小題1:	A．other B．others C．the others D．the other

小題2:	A．worst B．nicest C．smallest D．biggest

小題3:	A．cost B．took C．paid D．spent

小題4:	A．handed in B．took out C．set down D．turned off

小題5:	A．number B．a(chǎn)ddress C．name D．home

小題6:	A．read B．explained C．expressed D．listed

小題7:	A．smiling B．crying C．singing D．playing

小題8:	A．meant B．marked C．referred D．concerned

小題9:	A．wrote B．recited C．mentioned D．examined

小題10:

A．decide B．conduct C．include D．matter

小題11:

A．plan B．decision C．purpose D．function

小題12:

A．excited B．worried C．satisfied D．disappointed

小題13:

A．killed B．injured C．wounded D．frightened

小題14:

A．joined B．a(chǎn)ttended C．took D．held

小題15:

A．give B．tell C．a(chǎn)sk D．show

小題16:

A．wallet B．book C．gift D．watch

小題17:

A．remind B．recognize C．review D．recommend

小題18:

A．suddenly B．quickly C．carefully D．surprisingly

小題19:

A．looking B．saying C．hearing D．noticing

小題20:

A．lost B．found C．remembered D．treasured

At the beginning of my 8:00 a.m. class one Monday at UNLV（拉斯維加斯內(nèi)華達(dá)大學(xué)）, I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been very good. The young man then proceeded to ask me why I always seemed to be so cheerful.
His question reminded me of something I’d read somewhere before: “Every morning when you get up, you have a choice about how you want to approach life that day,” I said to the young man. “I choose to be cheerful.”
“Let me give you an example,” I continued. “In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson. One day a few weeks ago I drove to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. But just then my car died. I tried to start it again, but the engine wouldn’t turn over. So I put my flashers on, grabbed my books, and marched down the road to the college.”
“As soon as I got there, the secretary in the Provost’s office asked me what had happened. ‘This is my lucky day’, I replied, smiling.”
“Your car breaks down and today is your lucky day?” She was puzzled, “What do you mean?”
“I live seventeen miles from here. I replied. My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway. It didn’t. Instead, it broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance of here. I’m still able to teach my class, and I’ve been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class. If my car was meant to break down today, it couldn’t have been arranged in a more convenient fashion.”
小題1:If you want to be cheerful you should ___________.

A．try to succeed in doing everything	B．try to please your boss every day
C．earn a lot of money by working	D．choose to be cheerful every day

小題2:The underlined phrase “turn over” in the third paragraph means “________”

A．roll over

B．work normally

C．stopped suddenly

D．move around

小題3:According to this passage we can infer that the teacher’s car broke down ____.

A．near UNLV	B．a(chǎn)long the highway
C．near Henderson	D．a(chǎn)t the community college

小題4:Which one of the following is TRUE?

A．The teacher taught not only at UNLV but also at the community college.

B．That was the teacher’s lucky day because the teacher liked walking.

C．The teacher always hoped that the car would break down often.

D．The young man was sad because his car broke down.

“I am going home to Denmark, Son, and I just want to tell you I love you.”
In my dad’s last telephone call to me, he __36__ that line several times in half an hour. I wasn’t listening at the right level. I heard the words, but not the message, and__37__not their deeper meaning. I believed my dad would live to be 100 years old, __38__my great uncle lived to be 107 years old. I hadn’t felt his __39__over Mum’s death, understood his loneliness or__40__most of his friends had left the world. He often asked my brother and me to create grandchildren__41__he could be a devoted grandfather. I was too busy with my business to really listen.
“Dad’s dead,” sighed my brother not long after dad went back to Denmark.
I was__42__ and just cried for the loss of my dad. This isn’t the __43__it’s supposed to happen. If I had known these were to be dad’s final days, I would have asked to go with him to Denmark. If I had been really listening and thinking, I would have offered comfort during his final hours. After all, a loved one should hold his hand and__44__him as he makes the transition(過渡) from reality to another world. Dad __45__ his departure(離開) repeatedly, but I__46__it. I felt sadness, pain and regret. Why had I not been there for him? He’d always been there for me. In the mornings when I was nine years old, he__47__come home from working 18 hours and __48__ me up by patting my back lightly with his strong powerful hands and whispering, “Time to get up, Son.” __49__I was dressed and ready to go, he had put my schoolbag in my bicycle basket. Recalling these__50__moments with dad brings tears to my eyes.
Now my heart is still in__51__because dad was there for me and I wasn’t there for him. My hearty__52__is: always, always seize the moment to__53__ your love with your loved ones, and keep them__54__when they leave the world. Experiencing the__55__of death with one you love will make you understand the meaning of life better.

小題1:	A．held B．repeated C．signed D．declared

小題2:	A．possibly B．fortunately C．certainly D．occasionally

小題3:	A．a(chǎn)nd B．so C．a(chǎn)s D．while

小題4:	A．sorrow B．shock C．disappointment D．disadvantage

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)chieved B．regarded C．a(chǎn)dmitted D．realized

小題6:	A．in case that B．so that C．now that D．for fear that

小題7:	A．speechless B．hopeless C．useless D．homeless

小題8:	A．thing B．result C．case D．way

小題9:	A．comfort B．believe C．blame D．educate

小題10:

A．a(chǎn)bandoned B．a(chǎn)fforded C．a(chǎn)nnounced D．a(chǎn)llowed

小題11:

A．damaged B．missed C．lost D．replaced

小題12:

A．would B．should C．could D．might

小題13:

A．dress B．bring C．break D．wake

小題14:

A．The moment B．The first time C．In time of D．By the time

小題15:

A．terrible B．sweet C．stressful D．delighted

小題16:

A．trouble B．danger C．confusion D．pain

小題17:

A．a(chǎn)dvice B．wish C．dream D．a(chǎn)im

小題18:

A．provide B．spare C．share D．mix

小題19:

A．safe B．company C．a(chǎn)live D．informed

小題20:

A．possibility B．process C．strength D．warning