Amanda Clement grew up in Hudson, South Dakota. Baseball was always her favorite sport. Once in a while her brother Hank and his friends would let her play first base in their games. More often, however, they asked her to umpire (裁判) for them, because they knew her calls would be fair and there would be no arguing.

One day in 1904, Amanda and her mother traveled to Hawarden, Iowa, to watch Hank play for the home team against Hawarden. When they arrived at the ball field, two local teams were waiting to play a preliminary (預(yù)備) game. The umpire hadn’t arrived, so Hank argued that the teams should let his sister serve as umpire. The players finally agreed.

Amanda, then sixteen and standing five feet, ten inches tall, made perfect calls. She was so good that players for the main game asked her to umpire for them and even offered to pay her. Thus, at sixteen, Amanda Clement became the first paid female baseball umpire of all time. She is honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

1.Why did Hank and his friends often ask Amanda to umpire for them?

A. Because she called them brothers.

B. Because they wanted to make her happy.

C. Because no one else wanted to do it for them.

D. Because she knew the rules well and was fair.

2.Amanda went to Hawarden in order to ______.

A. serve as umpire

B. watch her brother play

C. make money

D. help the local teams

3.Amanda most probably learned how to umpire a baseball game ______.

A. in her P. E. classes at school

B. in an umpire training school

C. by watching and playing the games

D. from her mother, a baseball umpire

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown

B. Amanda Clement, First Female Umpire

C. Baseball Games in Hawarden, Iowa

D. A Family of Baseball Fans

The most common problem that worries all of us today is the fear of insecurity. Life has become so competitive that every now and then we are struck (遭遇) by the fear of the unknown. With every new turn of events our self-confidence takes a blow. The biggest challenge before every person today is not to lose confidence in one’s ability.

There are several reasons that affect a person’s self-confidence. The most important reason is lack of success. Not being able to succeed affects one’s self-confidence greatly. This is when one begins to doubt his own ability. In many cases one’s self-confidence is low when he feels rejected by society. For example, a person who loses his job gives a wide berth to other people for fear of being questioned about his work. However, this isn’t right at all. One needs to think along positive lines in spite of failures. After all it is your life and you have every right to live your life as you wish.

The challenge lies in not allowing your self-confidence to decrease. It is very important to believe in yourself. Self belief is the secret to success. When success doesn’t come to you, you should not allow your self-belief to be affected. Always keep in mind that success is sure to come in time. So, there is nothing wrong with your ability. Whenever lack of success causes you to doubt your ability, don’t forget to remind yourself that quick success does not last long. Also remember not to compare yourself to others. These tips will do a world of good to your confidence.

In order to be self-confident, you need to have a lifestyle that is right for you. Create one and live a life as you want to. Leave others to themselves.

1. According to the text, what causes people to fear the unknown?

A. The low abilities.

B. The lack of security.

C. The loss of self-confidence.

D. The severe competition in life.

2.What does the underlined phrase “gives a wide berth to” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. Introduces something to.

B. Holds a birthday party for.

C. Makes friends with.

D. Keeps away from.

3.What is the function of the first paragraph ?

A. To explain the meaning of self-confidence.

B. To explain why self-confidence is important.

C. To show the main topic – to be self-confident.

D. To show the reasons that affect one’s self-confidence.

4.In the author’s opinion, it’s important that one _____.

A. should not forget his failures

B. should follow others’ advice

C. should not lose heart

D. should believe life

短文改錯

請改正下面短文中的錯誤。文中共有10處語言錯誤，每句中最多有兩處。每處錯誤僅涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除或修改。

增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號（∧），并在其下面寫出該加的詞；

刪除：把多余的詞用斜線（＼）劃掉；

修改：在錯的詞下畫一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。

注意：1．每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞；

2．只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計分。

I love camping. It is my favoritest way to spend the summer vacation. Last year, my family and I went camping in the countryside. It was one of the most excited experiences I had never had. We slept in a tent and went on a long walk every day. We cook over a fire and the food always tasted wonderfully. For a whole week, I saw lovely mountain views or breathed fresh air. At night, I heard the gentle wind blowing in the tree, and I felt so peaceful. It doesn’t cost many to camp, and what I believe it’s the best way to get close nature and enjoy its beauty.

It pays to be smart. We are not all smart in the same way. You may be a talented musician, but you might not be a good reader . Each of us is different .

Psychologists have two different views on intelligence .Others believe there are many different intelligence .Some psychologists say there is one type of intelligence that can be measured with IQ tests .These psychologists support their view with research that concludes that people who do well on one kind of test for mental ability do well on other tests .They do well on tests using words , numbers or pictures. They do well on individual or group tests , and written or oral tests .Those who do poorly on one test , do the same on all tests .

Studies of the brain show that there is a biological basis for general intelligence . The brain waves of people with higher intelligence show a quicker reaction .Some researchers conclude that differences in intelligence result from differences in the speed and effectiveness of information processing by the brain .

Howard Gardner , a psychologist at the Harvard School of Education , has four children .He believes that all children are different and shouldn’t be tested by one intelligence test .Although Gardner believes general intelligence exists , he doesn’t think it tells much about the talents of a person outside of formal schooling .He think that the human mind has different intelligences .These intelligences allow us to solve the kinds of problems we are presented with in life .Each of us has different abilities within these intelligences .Gardner believes that the purpose of school should be to encourage development of all of our intelligences .

1.What does the text mainly talk about?

A. How to understand intelligence .

B. How to become intelligent .

C. The importance of intelligence tests .

D. The causes of different intelligences.

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE concerning general intelligence ?

A. Intelligent people do not do well on group tests .

B. Most intelligent people do well on the intelligence tests .

C. Intelligent people do better on written tests than on oral tests .

D. People doing well on one type of intelligence test do well on other tests .

3.Gardner believes that ________ .

A. all children are alike .

B. children should take one intelligence test .

C. there is no general intelligence .

D. children have different intelligences .

4.According to Gardner, schools should ________ .

A. test students’ IQs once at least.

B. promote development of all intelligences .

C. train students who do poorly on tests .

D. focus on finding the most intelligent students

完形填空

閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C、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。

Paul, a colleague of mine, received a car from his brother as a Christmas gift. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a boy was walking around the shiny new car, ________ it.

“Is this your car, Mister?” he said.

Paul nodded and said “my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was ________. “You mean your brother bought it for you and it didn’t cost you anything? Boy, I wish” He ________.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. But what the boy said ________ Paul all the way down to his heels.

“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a ________ like that.”

Paul looked at the boy , and then impulsively(沖動地) he added. “Would you like to take a ________ in my car?”

“Oh yes, I’d love that.”

After a moment, the boy turned with his ________ shining, saying, “Mister, would you mind driving me to the front of my house?”

Paul ________ a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his________ that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was ________ again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.

He ran up the steps. After a while Paul saw him coming back. He was ________ his little lame brother. He ________ sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of ________up against him and pointed to the car.

“There he is, Tony, just like I ________ you upstairs. His brother bought it for him for Christmas. And some day I’ll give you one just like it and then you can see ________ yourself all the pretty things in the ________ windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”

Paul got out and ________the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining eyed older brother ________ in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what________ meant when he said: “It is more ________to give.”

1.A. admiring B. cleaning C. glancing D. touching

2.A. happy B. sad C. disappointed D. astonished

3.A. agreed B. promised C. hesitated D. sighed

4.A. made B. comforted C. pushed D. shocked

5.A. boy B. brother C. boss D. star

6.A. look B. walk C. ride D. rest

7.A. eyes B. forehead C. face D. hands

8.A. smiled B. cared C. choked D. feared

9.A. classmates B. neighbors C. colleagues D. parents

10.A. afraid B. confused C. wrong D. hopeless

11.A. carrying B. raising C. dragging D. pulling

12.A. abruptly B. firmly C. hurriedly D. carefully

13.A. got B. squeezed C. put D. tried

14.A. asked B. answered C. told D. showed

15.A. by B. for C. of D. to

16.A. shop B. home C. car D. Christmas

17.A. guided B. lifted C. sent D. threw

18.A. walked B. ran C. climbed D. broke

19.A. Jesus B. Father C. Brother D. Tony

20.A. pleased B. blessed C. important D. valuable

In New York City public schools, 176 different languages are spoken among the more than 1 million students. For 160,000 children, English is not their first language. New York's Department of Education makes learning better for these students by providing dual-language programs, in which students are taught in two languages, English and another one, like Russian or Chinese. Math, social studies, science and all other regular courses are taught in both languages. And they learn about the culture of the other country.

Milady Baez, Deputy Chancellor of English Language Learners and Student Support, says these dual-language programs will help children succeed in the future. "The jobs of the future require that our students know more than one language. They are going to be traveling abroad; they are going to be communicating with people from all over the world. This will open doors for them."

Middle-schoolers might not have jobs on their minds yet. For Kequing Jaing, she likes keeping up her first language, Mandarin."It makes me feel that I am home because I can speak in Chinese, learn in Chinese, while learning in English. So it makes me feel better and makes me understand more about the task I'm learning."

Anastasia Hudikova came to the United States when she was 2 years old. She says the Russian-English program keeps her connected to her heritage and her parents happy."They're really happy about the program. They are really happy that I can preserve my culture and my language, and that I can speak it fluently in school."

The New York schools also offer dual-language programs in seven other languages: Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Korean, Polish and Spanish. There are plans to add even more languages in the future.

While these dual-language programs are popular, some organizations in the U.S. say teaching English comes first. U.S. Studies show that children who learn English early will be more successful later.

1.Dual-language programs in New York aim to __________.

A. help the students learn better

B. rid the students of homesickness

C. attract more international students

D.prevent the students forgetting their culture

2.Who may not quite agree with dual-language programs?

A. Milady Baez

B. Kequing Jaing

C. Anastasia Hudikova’s parents

D. some organizations in the U.S

3.The author writes the passage in order to_________.

A. encourage us to learn more languages

B. introduce dual-language programs in New York schools

C. advertise the dual-language programs

D. inspire more students to study in New York

短文改錯

假定英語課上老師要求同桌之間交換修改作文，請你修改你同桌寫的以下作文。文中共有10處語言錯誤，每句中最多有兩處。每處錯誤僅涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除或修改。

增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號()，并在其下面寫出該加的詞。

刪除：把多余的詞用斜線(＼)劃掉。

修改：在錯的詞下劃一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。

注意：1. 每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞；

2. 只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計分。

My family was very poor when I was a child. My parents lost their jobs or lived with heavy pressure. As a result, I wanted to study hardly so as to have different future. During my high school life, I spent all my time studied those difficult subjects, which made me one of the best student in our school. After graduation, I was admitted in a key university where I meet a lot of interesting friends. Now, I am working in a big company and I am able to afford anything I wanted. What’s more, my parents also have been found new jobs. So I believe that our dream will came true if we try our best.

Of the several films Hirokazu has made about childhood and children, this one is the most modest, but no less pleasing for its delicate style and small setting. This wise and funny film works small miracles in describing such a moment when kids turn from the wishfulness of childhood into shaping the world for themselves.

The sweetly reflective hero, a sixth-grader named Koichi, starts out by wishing for a volcano to erupt. Not just any volcano, but the one that towers above his town, smoking heavily and giving off ash. An eruption would lead to a withdrawing, which would lead, at least in his mind, to a reunion with his father and kid brother, who’ve been living in Hakata while Koichi lives with his mother and retired grandparents in Kagoshima. The volcano, knowing nothing of this, refuses to erupt, but Koichi hears of another approach to realizing the desired miracle.

One of the pleasures of I Wish is watching how kids behave — how Koichi attacks his dinner, for example. Another pleasure is rediscovering how kids think. These kids can be logical and ever so tricky. But children’s thought processes can also be fancy. A boy wishes he could play baseball like one of baseball stars, who eats curry for breakfast; so he, too, starts eating curry for breakfast, instead of practicing on the field. Another boy tries to wish his dead dog, Marble, back to life. And what does Koichi finally wish for? I wish you’d see this delightful film to find out.

1. Koichi wishes the volcano to erupt so that he can ______.

A. enjoy the wonderful scene of a volcano

B. help those who suffer from the eruption

C. get together with his family members

D. work miracles during the disaster

2.Which of the following statements is true of the film?

A. It is set in a volcano eruption.

B. It is a serious science fiction movie.

C. It shows some dull and ridiculous behaviors.

D. It shows a lively and thoughtful world of children.

3.What does the writer intend to do in this text?

A. To recommend a film.

B. To make a review on a film.

C. To share pleasures of watching a film.

D. To discuss kids’ behavior and thoughts.

完形填空

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。

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night when she had made dinner after a long, hard day at .

On that evening so long ago, my mom a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember to see if anyone noticed! all my dad did was reach for his toast, at my mom and ask me how my day was at school… I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember him spread butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom to my dad for burning the toast. And I’II never what he said: “Honey, I love toast.”

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really his toast burned. He me in his arms and said, “Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she’s really . And besides, a burned toast never anyone!”

is full of imperfect things... and imperfect people. I’m not the best at anything, and I forget and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I’ve over the years is that learning to accept each other’s – and to celebrate each other’s differences – is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and relationship where a burned toast isn’t a deal-breaker!

1.A. in particular B. in fact C. after all D. in all

2.A. kitchen B. home C. work D. school

3.A. cooked B. placed C. broke D. ate

4.A. waiting B. hoping C. turning D. hesitating

5.A. And B. Thus C. Yet D. Instead

6.A. stare B. smile C. laugh D. shout

7.A. cheering B. admiring C. studying D. watching

8.A. shout B. explain C. talk D. apologize

9.A. believe B. doubt C. forget D. understand

10.A. broken B. buttered C. burned D. baked

11.A. cared B. liked C. knew D. minded

12.A. turned B. wrapped C. beat D. left

13.A. angry B. hungry C. depressed D. tired

14.A. poisons B. hurts C. upsets D. chokes

15.A. Society B. School C. Family D. Life

16.A. meetings B. birthdays C. holidays D. games

17.A. remembered B. expressed C. argued D. learned

18.A. concerns B. advice C. faults D. misunderstanding

19.A. choosing B. agreeing C. offering D. helping

20.A. lasting B. changing C. important D. familiar

--- Kim, give me your report by 1O am.

--- __ have you been in charge of this project?

A. Since when B. By whom

C. For what D. From where