Pottery is the name given to all kinds of useful or artistic objects made from clay. Pottery can be plates or water pots or baskets. Pottery can be large or small, fancy or plain. Pottery is part of the large family of ceramics（陶器）.Ceramics are synthetic materials. For example, bricks and tiles (瓦片) are both ceramics.
How is pottery made? First, a potter takes some clay. Clay is a soft, red material from the earth. It looks a little like red dirt, but it's very different. Clay is thick and rich. Wet clay can be worked into any shape. When the clay dries, it will keep that shape. The potters takes some clay and pushes and squeezes（擠壓）it until it is soft and smooth. After that, the clay can be shaped into anything. There are several ways to shape clay. Sometimes potters use their hands. Sometimes they use a special wheel. They place the clay in the center of a round, flat wheel. The wheel moves very fast, and the potter shapes the clay.
After the potter has shaped the clay, it can be decorated(裝飾). Potters use glaze, which is a kind of paint, to decorate their work. Some glazes are very simple. Other glazes have beautiful colors and designs. The glaze is not just beautiful. It is also useful. The glaze makes the pottery smooth and waterproof. Potters also make some decorative lines and designs on the surface. After it is decorated, the clay must be baked, or fired, in a special oven.
Baking the clay at very high temperature makes it hard and strong. Firing also makes the glaze stick to the pottery. When the firing is over, the potter carefully removes the pottery from the oven and lets it cool slowly. If it cools too quickly, it could crack and break.
Since pottery is waterproof, it is very popular for dishes. You can find examples of pottery in almost any home. But pottery can also be found in museums. Some pieces of pottery are valuable and beautiful pieces of art.
【小題1】It is possible that ceramics are materials of _______ .

A．metal

B．plastic

C．wood

D．earth

【小題2】The word "waterproof" means _______ .

A．能盛水的

B．防水的

C．溶解于水的

D．吸水性強的

【小題3】Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Plates, water pots and bowls are all examples of pottery.

B．Wet clay can be made into anything of different shapes by the hands or a special wheel.

C．The clay becomes smooth and waterproof because of the glaze.

D．After the firing in high temperature, pottery is easy to break.

For as early as I could remember, my mother had been a bright, cheerful woman deeply interested and involved in the world around her. However, in the last fifteen years of her life, she had to live with senile dementia (老年癡呆). I would go to my home to pay her a visit in California and she would curiously look at me and then ask, “Who are you?” I would answer, “I’m your own son, of course.” “Where do you live?” She would ask. “In Virginia”, I would tell her. “Isn’t that interesting,” she would say, “I have a son in Virginia.”
Mother seemed only forgetful as well as confused at the beginning of that disease, but sometime later she would go through different time of intense anxiety. She would keep walk ing through the house she used to live in most of her life crying uneasily that she would like to go home. Or sometimes she left home and wandered away if she were unattended for a short time.
Hoping to make her happy and put her mind at ease I would take her in my car, visiting sites where she used to live when she was a child. In the yard of the hillside house in Shipman I sat in the car and admired the view of the old oaks and long green lawn(草坪). I pictured my mother there was a little girl playing with the pet lamb she had been so fond of. I looked to her for some response. She shook her head and said, “I want to go home.”
Over the years I have decided that what my mother was calling home was not a place, but a time. I think it was a time when she was much younger, when her children were still underfoot, when her husband was still energetic and attentive.
Watching my mother’s suffering set me wondering where I would have in mind if someday I couldn’t find home and wanted to go there. In this family we tend to be long-lived and we grow fuzzy (糊涂的) minded as the years go by. At eighty I have already noticed some alarming symptoms. My doctor says the forgetfulness is only natural and that it comes with age. Still the fear of senile dementia is haunting there. Someday if and when I become even more cloudy minded than I am now, unable to drive and unable to tell you where "home" is, my dear son, I expect I will ask you to take me home, I know you will do your best to find the place I need to be. I leave these notes for your guidance.
【小題1】What’s the main idea of the first and second paragraphs?

A．The mother of the author could not find her home.

B．The mother of the author could not remember who’s his son.

C．The author’s mother suffered with serious senile dementia.

D．The author didn’t know how to cure his mother.

【小題2】Which of the following is NOT the symptom of the mother of the author?

A．forgetful

B．confused

C．cheerful

D．uneasy

【小題3】What’s the meaning of the underlined word “picture”?

A．photograph

B．describe

C．a(chǎn)ppear

D．paint

【小題4】What can you infer from the third paragraph?

A．The author cared much about his mother.

B．The mother of the author liked pet lambs very much.

C．The author found a very little girl who was playing with a pet lamb.

D．The mother of the author did not like her usual home.

【小題5】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Where Is Home?	B．A story about a son and a mother.
C．Everyone will suffer with senile dementia.	D．Take Mother Home.

Sushi is a kind of food made with a mixture of cooked or raw fish, vegetables, and rice. Although Sushi is most commonly considered to have its origin in Japan, it actually began in China during the 7^th Century.
At that time, any fish caught had to be preserved. Raw fish was cleaned and then pressed between layers of heavy salt. After a couple of months, the whole process was complete. Over time, a discovery was made that by rolling the fish in rice that had been soaked in vinegar the fish was easily fermented (發(fā)酵) in a few days rather than months. The rice was then thrown away and the fish was eaten. However, with a food shortage, people began consuming the rice as well as the fish and thus, Sushi today as we know was born. However, in the 1800s, a famous chef by the name of Yohei created two styles of Sushi—one called Edo, and the second, Osaka, for two cities.
Sushi is usually consumed with hot green tea. Also, Gari is offered free and eaten between bites to create a better taste. Two kinds of sauce are usually available: one is soy sauce, which is poured on most kinds of Sushi; the other is a thick sweet sauce used on eel (鰻魚).
Sushi has taken the world by storm and today is a multi-billion dollar industry. Its popularity continues to rise because people are looking for healthy food that is quick and easy to make. With such unbelievable popularity as well as the health benefits of eating Sushi, it is likely that this food will continue to be a part of everyday life for many more centuries to come.
【小題1】Two kinds of Sushi, Edo and Osaka, were probably named after _______.

A．the chef’s name	B．their birthplaces
C．the name of fish	D．some kinds of food

【小題2】When people eat Sushi, Gari is used to _______.

A．keep Sushi last long

B．make green tea better

C．digest Sushi more quickly

D．make Sushi more delicious

【小題3】Why do people like Sushi today?

A．It is cheap and delicious.

B．It is served with free Gari.

C．It is beneficial to people’s health.

D．It is easy to be kept for a long time.

【小題4】What can be the best title for the text?

A．Delicious Sushi and Its Origin

B．How to Make Delicious Sushi

C．Yohei and Two Styles of Sushi

D．The Birthplace of Sushi—China

A few months before I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.
As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special position. My parents were complementary instructors：Mom taught me the words, and Dad taught me to obey them. But the stranger... He was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies(喜劇).
If I wanted to know anything about politics，history or science，he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.
I now know that my early concepts about relationship were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom blamed...and NEVER asked to leave.
More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended(融合) right in but is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you were to walk into my parent's room today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name?
We just call him...“TV”.
He has a younger sister now. We call her “Computer”.
【小題1】The stranger can do all the following things EXCEPT that he can ________.

A．tell us some funny stories

B．reject our proposals(提議)

C．influence the children's character

D．predict the future

【小題2】The underlined word “spellbound” in Paragraph 2 most probably means ________.

A．concentrated

B．puzzled

C．fascinated

D．a(chǎn)stonished

【小題3】What can we learn from the last three paragraphs of the passage?

A．The computer is more advanced and has gained greater popularity.

B．Old as he is，we like the stranger best.

C．The TV set is out of fashion and often breaks down.

D．We decide to throw the TV set away immediately.

Downing Street sources have indicated that the British tennis player，Andy Murray，will be Recommended for a knighthood(爵士頭銜)for ending Britain’s 77-year wait for a Wimbledon men’s champion title．David Cameron，the British prime minister，who was in the royal box on Sunday at Wimbledon．told reporters that he couldn’t think of anyone who deserves one more．
More news on the knighthood is surely to come．but Murray’s achievement has a twist in that he is Scottish．not English．
Also in the royal box show on Sunday was Scotland’s  first minister, Alex Salmond, waving the white-and-blue Scottish flag．in the row directly behind Cameron after the victory．No Scotsman had won the singles at Wimbledon since Harold Mahony in 1896．Salmond was later asked on BBC Radio whether Murray’s achievement had been a victory for Britain． “Absolutely，and for tennis fans everywhere，"Salmond said．“Let everyone enjoy the victory．But you will allow us just the little private thing．Let us wave our national flag．’’
The Scottish government，headed by Salmond，has announced that Scotland will hold a referendum(全民票)on independence from Britain in September 2014．Murray，who lives in the London area but was born and raised in the Scottish town of Dunblane，has not said publicly which way he would vote on the issue，and his Wimbledon Championship will only mix interest in his views．
But this was，make no mistake，a national moment．Murray’s semifinal victory over Jerzy Janowicz drew a peak television audience of 13.24 million viewers．the biggest of the year in Britain．The final then topped that with a peak audience of 17.3 million，the biggest audience for a Wimbledon final since at least 1990, according to the BBC．
Only one name will go on the trophy(獎杯)，but tennis at the highest level has now become a team event．Murray，who once had frequent fits of anger during matches，has transformed himself into a much more focused force with the help of an extensive support group．Murray’s rise to champion has clearly  something to do with his decision to hire the former number one tennis champion Ivan Lendl as his coach just before the2012 season．“He’s been very patient with me; I'm just happy I managed to do it for him．”
Onward Team Murray goes toward a defense of the United States Open title，beginning next month，and then eventually to defending at Wimbledon next year with the British drought(干旱) well and truly over．
【小題1】The underlined word “twist” in the second paragraph refers to Murray’s_____.

A．a(chǎn)chievement	B．knighthood
C．champion title	D．nationality

【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Murray is the first British to have won the singles at Wimbledon．

B．Murray’s victory over Jerzy Janowicz drew the biggest audience of the year．

C．Murray has won the championship of the United States Open before．

D．Murray was born a strong，talented and cool-headed tennis player．

【小題3】What does the author mean by saying“the British drought well and truly over”?

A．Murray is concerned about the drought that struck Britain．

B．Drought in Britain will be over next year when Wimbledon is held．

C．British government’s rule over Scotland will come to an end soon．

D．The British people’s desire for a Wimbledon victory is fully satisfied．

【小題4】What does the writer intend to tell us?

A．The whole Great Britain is enjoying Murray’s victory．

B．Scotland is going to gain independence from Britain

C．The secret lies behind Murray’s Wimbledon victory．

D．Murray was torn between the choices in the referendum．

A new U．S．government report says more than two million Americans fall ill each year with drug—resistant bacterial infections(感染)，and 23，000 of them are dying as a result．The head of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[CDC]said that the number probably will grow．Officials warn that steps must be taken now to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotic(抗生素)drugs．
Without urgent action to stop that trend，warned Tom Frieden whose agency wrote the report，the miracle drugs to fight them won’t be available in the future．
“If we are not careful，the medicine chest will be empty when we go there to look for a lifesaving antibiotic for someone with a deadly infection．But if we act now，we can preserve these medications while we continue to work on development of new medicines．”
The report names a drug—resistant abuse of gonorrhea(淋病)，which causes about one quarter of a million hospitalizations in the United States annually．Of the number at least 1 4，000 result in death．
Drug resistance develops through the overuse and inappropriate use of anti—bacterial agents．These can be：doctors prescribing(開藥) them to patients who have viral infections that are not affected by medicine meant to fight bacteria；patients not taking all of their medicine as prescribed，so the bacteria making them sick are only weakened，not killed；antibiotic use in healthy farm animals to prevent illness and promote growth．Antibiotic remainders left in meat and animal products can then lead to drug resistance in humans．
To limit the spread of resistant infections，experts recommend wider use of routine immunizations(預(yù)防)，as well as hand—washing in hospitals and other health care facilities．Also， the report urges hand—washing by food handlers．?
Michael Bell，deputy director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at CDC，said Patients also can play a role in preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics by asking health care providers a few simple questions．
【小題1】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Drug Resistance Developing Quickly in the US

B．Drug—Resistant Bacterial Infections Growing in the US

C．Actions for Preserving Anti-Bacterial Medications in the US

D．Preventions of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections in the US

【小題2】According to Frieden，we must take measures without delay to preserve effectiveness of antibiotics，or_____.

A．we will have to develop better medicines in place of antibiotics

B．there may be no effective anti-bacterial drugs for use in the future

C．we can’t find other medicines to cure serious illnesses in the future

D．more and more Americans will suffer from bacterial infections each year

【小題3】Of those patients admitted to the hospital because of a drug-resistant abuse of gonorrhea annually，deaths add up to_____.

A．a(chǎn)t least 5.6％

B．a(chǎn)bout 25％

C．a(chǎn)bout 1.4％

D．a(chǎn)t least 2.5％

【小題4】One of the approaches through which drug resistance develops is that_____.

A．people eat the meat with Antibiotic remainder in animals

B．doctors prescribe less antibiotics than needed for patients

C．doctors prescribe much more antibiotic than needed for patients

D．patients don’t take their ant-bacterial agents that doctors prescribe

Happiness through Honorable Actions
Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self-respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized as “honor” help you create this life of good feelings.
Here is an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk’s mistake, we would drive home with a sense of mean excitement. Later we might tell our family of friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case, where we don’t tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot be trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk’s attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased. Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it’s easy to think and act honorably again when we’re happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it’s started, it’s easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.
【小題1】 According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our ______.

A．self-respect	B．financial rewards
C．a(chǎn)dvertising ability	D．friendly relationship

【小題2】The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to ______.

A．lying

B．stealing

C．cheating

D．a(chǎn)dvertising

【小題3】The underlined phrase “bringing the error to the clerk’s attention” means ______.

A．offering advice to the clerk	B．telling the truth to the clerk
C．a(chǎn)sking the clerk to be more attentive	D．reminding the clerk of the charged item

【小題4】How does the positive cycle work according to the author?

Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there’s a whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will get you a long-term hurt regardless of your skills or the job’s pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas:
1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating（孤立的）jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
2) How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don’t happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
3) Do you enjoy working with computers？
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you’ll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
4) What type of work environment do you enjoy？
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won’t know immediately to a smaller setting where you’ll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
5) How do you like to get paid?
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I’ve seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.
【小題1】What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．You may ignore your skills when you select job.

B．Job skills are the most important things when you select job.

C．There are more important things than job skills when you select job.

D．Selecting job, you should assess your skills and match them with the position.

【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Isolating jobs usually drive people mad.

B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily.

C．Extreme people tend to work with others.

D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs.

【小題3】 What is the missing word about a job search in the following chart?

A．Design

B．Changes

C．Cooperation

D．Hobbies

【小題4】What is the best title for this passage?

A．Lifestyles and Job Pay	B．Jobs and Environment
C．Job Skills and Abilities	D．Personalities and Jobs

Q: On Facebook, my friends are a mix of real-life pals, former classmates, professional colleagues, extended-family members, and … my mom. Mom is the first to like and comment on everything I post, which is annoying. I tried talking to her about it, but her feelings quickly got hurt, so I backed off. I know I can’t block her, but now I don’t want to post anything. How do I handle this?
A: This is about Facebook, not your mom. The often-shrugged-off truth about social media is that nothing is private. It’s easy to forget this, so in a way, you’re lucky that your mom is reminding you. Everything you post—comments, likes, photos—is freely available to future friends, employers, lovers etc unless blocked. That said, you can ask Mom again nicely to tone it down. You can also customize your controls so she can’t see everything you post.
Q: In which situations am I required to make a phone call versus send a text message?
A: A text is for information—time, date, news. It’s for the stuff you can keep short and sweet. A phone call is for analysis, discussion, opinion, and, if you must, gossip.
Q: I’m always on Facebook, so I just send messages to friends through the site. But when should I log off and send an e-mail?
A: When you’re serious about anything. Think of it as chatting with someone on a bus versus asking her to meet you for coffee. The former is good for casual conversation; the latter is personal and requires attention.
Q: For which occasions should I mail paper invitations versus send e-mail ones? (E-cards are free and easy—what’s not to love?!)
A: Anything important needs a paper invitation. That’s your baseline. So ask yourself: “Do I want people to dress up for this event?” If the answer is yes, dress up your invitation by making it printed instead of virtual. For more casual events and gatherings, e-card away.
Q: Is using emoticons ever inappropriate to express a feeling or make a point in texts or e-mails?
A: Emoticons are for fun. Is the message you’re writing fun? Use an emoticon. Are you asking for a big favor? Skip it. Is the message to your boss or a colleague? Skip it. Avoid them if you want to be taken seriously about anything.
Q: I have a big, happy announcement to share with a lot of people. Is it appropriate to share it on my blog?
A: Yes, so you don’t have to go cc-ing everyone in an e-mail. Post away. But send a private message to those who should know first.
Q: I have a big, sad announcement. What should I do?
A: Respect your privacy—and yourself. Pick up the phone and call a trusted friend or family member to let her know, and then ask her to help spread the news offline.
【小題1】What do we learn about social media from the first Q and A?

A．It is illegal to keep track of personal privacy on Facebook.

B．Personal privacy is inaccessible online with control customized.

C．People tend to ignore privacy provided it is blocked purposefully.

D．We need someone to remind us constantly of our privacy online.

【小題2】Which of the following is appropriate about using social media?

A．Sending texts to consult a doctor for surgery

B．Carrying on casual conversations via emails.

C．Emailing your boss with emoticons for promotion.

D．Writing a formal invitation for a dress-up event.

【小題3】According to the passage, how would you make it known that you have won a scholarship to Harvard?

A．Arranging for a social gathering to celebrate it.

B．Informing your teachers who may help you spread.

C．Telling your parents before posting it on your blog.

D．Sending everyone a message privately to share it.

As the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But Venezuela, whose beauty queens have won Miss Universe and Miss World over six times, doesn’t leave it to chance. In Venezuela, girls as young as four can be found attending beauty schools, where they can learn a range of skills from how to walk to the correct way to hold a wine glass.
“Hair must always be completely clean, make-up should look natural, and you should always, always wear high-heels,” advises Andrea Reyes, a teacher in a school of Caracas with 160 students.
Beauty contests are treated in Venezuela much as sporting competitions are elsewhere. Many Venezuelan parents believe that if their daughters can succeed and get the beauty crown, their future as famous and public persons is sure to come. As a result, the girls are trained to compete at a young age.
Among former beauty queens are Irene Saez, who went on to compete for the country’s president, and Eva Ekvall, whose battle with cancer helped to make more people know about the illness in Venezuela.
However, voices against the trend can be heard all over the country. At one time, a feminist (男女平等主義者) group tried to stop the Miss Venezuela broadcast. President Hugo Chavez has spoken out against the culture of plastic surgery(整形手術(shù))in Venezuela, calling it a “frightening thing”.
The BBC reporter Sarah Grainger says that acceptance of the contests is partly a result of the country’s “machista” (大男子主義的) view of the different roles that men and women should play, “Men are supposed to be strong and brave and women to be gentle and beautiful”.
Miss Universe 1996, Alicia Machado, knows the price to be paid when you’re no longer seen as attractive. After winning the beauty contest, she said all she wanted to do was “eat, eat and eat”. Her weight gain later and warning by the organizers of the contest to replace her as queen with the runner-up was among the hottest topics in the country, especially in Latin America.
【小題1】What’s the advice given by a teacher in Caracas to her students?

A．Attending beauty schools as early as possible.

B．Wearing high-heels at times.

C．Washing your hair quite often.

D．Fighting against cancer bravely.

【小題2】Girls try to win in the beauty contest to__________.

A．try plastic surgery

B．practice the country’s “machista” view

C．earn a good future

D．eat as much as one pleases

【小題3】We can learn from the passage that__________.

A．Venezuela girls have won Miss Universe and Miss World over six times by chance

B．In Venezuela, people judge men and women in quite different ways

C．Eva Ekvall once competed for the country’s president

D．Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has spoken out against beauty contests

【小題4】What does the underlined word “runner-up” in the last paragraph mean?

A．the news reporter covering the beauty contest

B．the organizer of the beauty contest

C．the girl who is slim

D．the person who comes in the second place