If you've been joining in chat room conversations, or trading e-mail with Web pals, you have become one of the millions who write in a peculiarly short form of English.
And you've got a sense of humor about short forms like SOHF(="sense" of humor failure) to describe Internet newcomers who don't understand you.
Across the globe, every night teenagers and their elders are “talking” online—many of them are talking at the same time.
It's fast: try talking to six people at once. It's brief: three or four words per exchange. It takes wit, concentration, and quick fingers.
And it requires tremendous linguistic economy. There's neither time nor space for explanations. Why consume precious key-strokes telling six friends you have to leave for a moment to take care of your little brother when BRB(="be" right back) will do? Want to enter a conversation? Just type PMFJI(="pardon" me for jumping in).  Interested in whom you're talking to? Type A/S/L, the nearly universal request to know your pal's age, sex and location. You may get 15/M/NY as a response from your pal.
If something makes you laugh, say you're OTF(="on" the floor),or LOL(="laughing" out loud),or combine the two into ROTFL(="rolling" on the floor laughing).
And when it's time to get back to work or go to bed, you type GTG(="got" to go) or TTYL(talk to you later).
People want to write as fast as possible, and they want to get their ideas across as quickly as they can. Capital letters are left in the dust, except when expressing emotion, as it takes more time to hold down the “shift” key and capitals. Punctuation is going, too.?
【小題1】In order to talk to several people at the same time on the Internet_______.

A．you have to speak fast and fluently

B．you have to express your ideas in a brief way

C．you should speak with wit and humor

D．one should pay much attention to the accuracy of the words

【小題2】If you get 17/F/NY as an answer to your A/S/L, it means_______.

A．the person on the other end is 17 from New York and he is fine

B．you are talking to a girl who is 17 and lives in New York

C．you are talking to 17 girls who are from New York

D．the person who are talking to you is a 1.7-foot tall New York girl

【小題3】To save time on the Internet_______.

A．some people leave their letters in the dustbin

B．some people never use “shift” in their writing

C．many people leave the capital and punctuation

D．people seldom use capital letters or punctuation

For most of us, the rain that falls on our roof runs off into the ground or the sewer(下水道) system. But if you want to save a little water and reuse it on your lawns or plants --- or even use it for laundry, dishes, or other needs --- collecting rainwater from your gutter’s downspouts(檐槽的水落管) is a no-brainer.
According to John C. Davis, writing in E / The Environmental Magazine, just about any homeowner can collect rainwater, given that the roof and gutters do most of the work. And since an inch of rain falling on a 2,000-square-foot roof produces some 1,200 gallons of water, you can harvest enough to water your lawn or garden.
Plants and grass actually do better when fed rainwater instead of tap water, which is usually treated with substances that can hold back plant growth. Using rainwater can also extend the life of pipes, since the salts added to tap water may gradually damage the pipes. However, homeowners should set up a water purification system if they do plan to use rainwater for inside needs.
Rainwater harvesting can also be good for the local community, as it reduces the erosion, flooding, and pollution associated with heavy rainfall, and reduces dependence on public water supplies. So some states fund rainwater collection systems in their local communities.
Many varieties of rain barrel(桶) systems, starting at just $100, are available for home use. A typical setup is simply a rain barrel positioned under a gutter’s downspout. Skillful homeowners can make their own water harvesting systems, but buying one is a lot easier. Most garden centres offer a range of choices as well as tips.
【小題1】The underlined word “no-brainer” in Para. 1 probably means something that ______.

A．is hard to deal with	B．is very easy
C．is of no real value	D．deserves more attention

【小題2】From Paragraphs 3 and 4, we can learn _______.

A．how to set up a water harvesting system

B．how a rain barrel system works

C．some advice on saving tap water

D．the benefits of using rainwater

【小題3】What is the topic of the passage ?

A．Basic gardening skills.	B．Water-saving techniques.
C．Wastewater treatment systems.	D．Roof rainwater collection.

A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs.
Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions. Furthermore, some institutions should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them. Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer. The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young.
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.
To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations.
【小題1】What is the passage mainly about?

A．The problems faced by the old in society.

B．Why we should take responsibility for the old.

C．How we can improve the lives of the old.

D．Where the old can go to get their pensions.

【小題2】The underlined word "viable" most probably means"       ".

A．impossible

B．practical

C．useful

D．important

【小題3】What is the writer's main purpose in writing this article?

A．To point out the need for government support for old people.

B．To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people.

C．To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem.

D．To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life.

【小題4】The text is most likely to be found in a book about____.  

A．social science	B．historical events
C．political problem	D．political systems

January l:  It has happened.  I got a call today saying a little girl in Russia is now my little girl. There are a lot of papers to prepare, and we have to travel to Russia to bring her home,
but now it is certain. I think I'll tell some close friends. Jason is so excited.  I haven't told Steven yet. How can I tell a seven-year-old that he has a sister who is already five years old?
January 10: Today I received a picture of Katerina. The picture is small and not very clear,  but I look at it over and over again.  I don't know anything else about her.  She has lived in a home for children without parents for most of her life.  I wonder how I will talk to her.  I don't speak Russian, and she doesn't speak English.
February l: Today I showed Katerina’s picture to Steven* He is very happy and wants to tell all his friends about his new sister.  I want to buy some new clothes for Katerina, but I don't know her size.  I haven' t received any information from the adoption organization,  and I'm feeling a little worried.
February 16: Finally! Today we received good news! All the papers are ready and tomorrow we will go to Russia to bring Katerina home with us．
February 18: Today I met my daughter for the first time．She is very small, very thin, and very shy． On the way home in the airplane, she slept most of the time．When she woke up, she cried． I am very worried and hope that I can be a good mother to Katerina．
February 19: Steven met his sister this morning． Although Katerina was quiet at first, soon she and Steven began to talk in a mix of Russian, English, and hand movements． Steven and his sister get along well together． In fact, he is able to help her talk with Jason and me． I am worried about how Katerina will be in school． Next week she will start school． How will she understand her teacher?
March 21: Katerina looks much better now． She is heavier, her hair looks good, and her skin is clear． She loves to watch television with her brother, and she has learned to roller-skate． She is doing well in school, and her English gets better every day． Although she sometimes looks sad, and sometimes cries, most of the time she is happy． I think she is slowly my life without her．
【小題1】Who is Katerina?

A．Steven's elder sister．	B．An adopted girl．
C．Jason's close friend．	D．The writer's niece．

【小題2】When back at home, what is the writer most worried about?

A．How Steven can get along well with Katerina．

B．How Katerina can communicate with Jason and her．

C．Whether Katerina will adapt herself to the school life．

D．Whether she can be a good mother to Katerina．

【小題3】From the passage we know that in her new family Katerina ______．

A．gets very fat	B．becomes depressed
C．remains frightened	D．is well treated

【小題4】Where is the passage most probably from?

A．A diary．	B．An advertisement
C．An essay．	D．A speech

Every time you go shopping, the vegetables and fruit look so tempting that you wish you could buy all of them. Some people are lucky and can grow the fruit and vegetables in the gardens that they have. While getting fresh vegetables, they can also achieve great cost cutting.
Mushrooms are expensive and can also go bad very quickly. Mushrooms can also be grown easily in a dark environment. In fact it’s better than growing other vegetables since you really don’t need an outdoor space. A special type of soil that is good for growing mushrooms is easily available.
Actually mushrooms aren’t even vegetables; they are fungi and for this reason, you don’t even require sunlight to grow them. Well how does one go about growing mushrooms? You could always Google “growing mushrooms” and you will find a number of mushroom growing kits（成套工具）available online that are effective and not very expensive either.
Mushrooms can be added to any dish that you cook. Simply use them in pizzas, salads and anything that you pretty much fancy. Grow mushrooms in your own house and use them whenever you want. Fresh mushrooms are taster than the ones that are stored in your refrigerator.
If you have had a really good crop of mushrooms, then you can even store them. Ideally you should use the white variety of the mushrooms. Simply pick them, slice them and put them on a cookie sheet in a freezer. When they are frozen, just put them in a zip lock and you can use them when you want to. They give a really great taste to the dish that you are making. Thaw them before you use them.
You should try growing mushrooms, since it’s cost-effective. Furthermore, you can eat the fresh mushrooms any time that you want.
【小題1】What is an advantage of growing vegetables according to the passage?

A．You can save a lot of money

B．You can eat all kinds of vegetables.

C．You are lucky to eat what you like

D．You can satisfy your desire.

【小題2】Mushrooms are different from other vegetables in that _______.

A．they can grow well in an outdoor space

B．it is easy for them to go bad in a few days

C．they can grow without soil

D．they can be grown where there is no light

【小題3】Which of the following is the right order of storing mushrooms?
a. put them on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator
b. place frozen mushrooms in a zip lock
c. cut them into slices
d. choose the white mushrooms

A．a(chǎn)-b-c-d

B．d-c-a-b

C．a(chǎn)-d-c-b

D．d-a-c-b

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

A．We should eat more fruit and vegetables

B．Mushrooms online are very expensive

C．It is easy and cost-effective to grow mushrooms

D．Mushrooms — tasty and healthy vegetables

Strange Baby-Naming Laws
Germany Parents are banned by law from using last names and the names of objects and products as first names. A child’s first name must clearly indicate his or her sex, and all names must be approved by the office of vital statistics in the area in which the child was born.
Iceland The country’s naming committee consults the National Register of Persons to determine if a name is acceptable. If parents want to go off-list, they must apply for approval and pay a fee, and the name must contain only letters in the Icelandic alphabet.
New Zealand The country’s Births, Deaths, and Marriages Registration Act of 1995 prohibits parents from choosing a name that “ might cause offense to a reasonable person; is unreasonably long; or is, includes, or resembles an official title or rank,” including, apparently, Adolf Hitler and Yeah Detroit—both names recently rejected.
Denmark If Danish parents prefer a moniker not on the list of 7,000 preapproved baby names, they must get permission from local church and government officials. Fifteen to 20 percent of the 1,100 reviewed names—including creative spellings of common names, last names as first names, and unusual names—are rejected each year.
【小題1】You can tell whether a baby is a girl or a boy according to the first name in _____.

A．Denmark

B．New Zealand

C．Iceland

D．Germany

【小題2】In Iceland, the names should _____.

A．be approved by the office of vital statistics.

B．be accepted by the National Register of Persons.

C．contain only letters in the Roman alphabet.

D．be paid for some money.

【小題3】Which name is accepted in New Zealand?

A．Bin Laden	B．Talula Does The Hula
C．Keenan Got Lucky	D．John Smith

【小題4】According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A．Danish babies’ names should be on the list if parents can’t get the permission.

B．Each year about 150-200 reviewed names are rejected in Denmark.

C．Adolf Hitler is banned in Iceland.

D．Parents should pay a fee for babies’ names if the names are rejected.

Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.
We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic (傳統(tǒng)型) or Pepsi, Diet (低糖的) Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.
We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished.
Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse----only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly.
While both groups did better than chance would predict, nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people got all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so tiredness, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.
【小題1】According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to ________.

A．show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guess-work

B．compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks

C．find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking

D．reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers

【小題2】 It is implied but not stated in the first paragraph that ________.

A．the competition between the two colas is very strong

B．blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans

C．the purpose of taste tests is to promote the sale of colas

D．the improvement of quality is the chief concern of the two cola companies

【小題3】The word “burnout” (Line3, Para. 5) refers to the state of _________.

A．being seriously burnt in the skin

B．being badly damaged by fire

C．being unable to function because of excessive use

D．being unable to burn for lack of fuel

【小題4】The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ________.

A．emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other

B．recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas

C．show that taste preference is highly subjective

D．a(chǎn)rgue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy

Statuses are wonderful human inventions that enable us to get along with one another and to determine where we "fit" in society. In our everyday lives whenever we meet people, we always try to judge them in terms of their statuses. For example, we must judge whether the person in the library is a reader or a librarian, whether the telephone caller is a friend or a salesman and so on.
Our statuses often vary with the people we meet, and change through life. Most of us can, at very high speed, assume(表現(xiàn)出) the different statuses that various situations require. Much of social communication consists of recognizing and selecting among proper statuses and allowing other people to assume their statuses in relation to us. This means that we fit our actions to those of other people, based on a constant mental process of assessment and understanding. Although some of us find the task more difficult than others, most of us perform it rather easily.
A status has been compared to ready-made clothes. Within certain limits the buyer can choose style and material. But an American is not free to choose the clothes of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince. We must choose from among the clothing presented by our society.
Furthermore, our choice is limited to a size that will fit, as well as by our wallet. Having made a choice within these limits, we can have certain changes made. But apart from small adjustments, we tend to be limited to what the stores have on their shelves. Statuses too come ready-made, and the range of choice among them is limited.
【小題1】According to the writer, people often assume different statuses______.

A．in order to distinguish themselves from others

B．in order to better recognize other people

C．a(chǎn)s their mental processes change

D．a(chǎn)s the situation changes

【小題2】In the last sentence of the second paragraph, “it” refers to “___”

A．constant mental process

B．selecting one’s own statuses

C．recognition of other people’s statuses

D．fitting our actions to those of other properly

【小題3】What can be the best title for this text?

A．Proper Relations.

B．Limited Choices.

C．Judgment of Statuses.

D．Comparison of Clothes.

Fourteen – year – old Richie Hawley had spent five years studying violin at the Community School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles when he took part in a violin contest. Ninety two young people were invited to the contest and Hawley came out first．
The contest could have been the perfect setup for fear, worrying about mistakes, and trying to impress the judges．But Hawley says he did pretty well in staying calm. “I couldn’t be thinking about how many mistakes I’d make—it would distract me from playing,” he says．“I didn’t even remember trying to impress people while I played． It’s almost as if they weren’t there． I just wanted to make music．”
Hawley is a winner． But he didn’t become a winner by concentrating on winning． He did it by concentrating on playing well．
“The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part,” said the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin．“The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle．The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well．”
A characteristic of high performers is their intense, pleasurable concentration on work, rather than on their competitors or future glory or money, says Dr．Charles Garfield, who has studied 1,500 achievers in business, science, sports, the arts, and professions．“They are interested in winning, but they’re most interested in self-development, testing their limits．”
One of the most surprising things about top performers is how many losses they’ve had and how much they’ve learned from each． “Not one of the 1,500 I studied defined losing as failing,” Garfield says．“They kept calling their losses ‘setbacks’．”
A healthy attitude toward setbacks is essential to winning, experts agree．
“The worst thing you can do if you’ve had a setback is to let yourself get stuck in a prolonged depression． You should analyze carefully what went wrong, identify specific things you did right and give yourself credit for them．” Garfield believes that most people don’t give themselves enough praise． He even suggests keeping a diary of all the positive things you’ve done on the way to a goal．
【小題1】Hawley won the contest because _______．

A．he put all his mind to his performance

B．he cared much about the judges’ feelings

C．he tried his best to avoid making mistakes

D．he paid close attention to the people around

【小題2】High performers is that they tend to give priority to _______．

A．glory

B．wealth

C．pleasure

D．work

【小題3】According to the passage, successful people concentrate on _______．

A．challenging their own limits	B．learning from others
C．defeating their opponents	D．a(chǎn)voiding setbacks

【小題4】 It can be learned from the passage that top performers are not _______．

A．interested in winning	B．free of losses
C．a(chǎn)ccustomed to failures	D．concerned about setbacks

【小題5】The passage tells us that “praise” in times of trouble _______．

A．helps people deal with their disappointment

B．makes people forget their setbacks

C．makes people regret about their past

D．helps people realize their goals