Phil White has just returned from an 18,000-mile, around-the-world bicycle trip. White had two reasons for making this epic journey. First of all, he wanted to use the trip to raise money for charity, which he did. He raised £70,000 for the British charity, Oxfam. White's second reason for making the trip was to break the world record and become the fastest person to cycle around the world. He is still waiting to find out if he has broken the record or not.
White set off from Trafalgar Square, in London, on 19th June 2004 and was back 299 days later. He spent more than l,300 hours in the saddle（車座）and destroyed four sets of tyres and three bike chains. He had the adventure of his life crossing Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Americas. Amazingly, he did all of this with absolutely no support team. No jeep carrying food, water and medicine. No doctor. Nothing! Just a bike and a very, very long road.
The journey was lonely and desperate at times. He also had to fight his way across deserts, through jungles and over mountains. He cycled through heavy rains and temperatures of up to 45 degrees, all to help people in need. There were other dangers along the road. In Iran, he was chased by armed robbers and was lucky to escape with his life and the little money he had. The worst thing that happened to him was having to cycle into a headwind on a road that crosses the south of Australia. For 1,000 kilometres he battled against the wind that was constantly pushing him. This part of the trip was slow, hard work and depressing, but he made it in the end. Now Mr. White is back and intends to write a book about his adventures.
【小題1】When Phil White returned from his trip, he________.

A．broke the world record	B．collected money for Oxfam
C．destroyed several bikes	D．travelled about 1,300 hours

【小題2】What does the word "epic" in Paragraph l most probably mean _____.

A．Very slow but exciting.	B．Very long and difficult.
C．Very smooth but tiring.	D．Very lonely and depressing.

【小題3】During his journey around the world, Phil White _______.

A．fought heroically against robbers in Iran

B．experienced the extremes of heat and cold

C．managed to ride against the wind in Australia

D．had a team of people who travelled with him

【小題4】Which of the following words can best describe Phil White?

A．Imaginative.

B．Patriotic.

C．Modest.

D．Determined.

When Frida Kahlo’s paintings were on show in London, a poet described her paintings as “ a ribbon （絲帶）around a bomb”. Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time. Sadly, she is actually a much bigger name today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City , Kahlo suffered from polio（小兒麻痹癥）at the age of seven. Her  spine（脊柱）become bent as she grew older. Then, in 1925, her back was broken in several places in a school-bus accident. Throughout the rest of her life, the artist had many operations, but noting was able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929, she got married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican artist. Rivera’s strong influences on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and1940s, even in her home country. Her first one-woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953.For more than a decade after her death in 1954, Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last.
【小題1】What does the phrase “a much bigger name” in paragraph 1 most nearly mean?

A．a(chǎn) far better artist

B．a(chǎn) for more gifted artist

C．a(chǎn) much stronger person

D．a(chǎn) much more famous person

【小題2】The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by         .

A．polio	B．her bent spine
C．back injuries	D．the operations she had

【小題3】Kahlo’s style had become increasingly independent since the           .

A．1930s

B．1940s

C．1950s

D．1970s

【小題4】What is author’s attitude toward Kahlo?

A．Devotion

B．Sympathy

C．Worry

D．Encouragement

When I was two years old, something happened which I have never forgotten. It was early spring, and there was a light mist over the trees and fields. The other young fellows and I were feeding at the lower end of the field when we heard the distant cry of dogs.
The oldest among us lifted his head to listen. “There are the hounds(獵犬)”, he said, and immediately raced off. The rest of us followed him to the top of the field where we could see several fields beyond.
Soon the dogs were all racing down the field next to ours, making a loud “yoyoyoyo” sound. After then came men on horses, some in green coats. Suddenly, the dogs became silent and ran around with their noses to the ground.
“They’ve lost the smell of the hare.” said the old horse. “Perhaps it will escape.” But the dogs began their “yoyoyoyo” again and came at full speed towards our field. Just then a hare, wild with fear, ran towards the trees. The dogs jumped over the stream and ran across the field, followed by the huntsmen. Six or eight jumped their horses over the stream, close behind the dogs. Before the hare could get away, the dogs were upon her with wild cries. We heard a terrible scream, and that was the end of the hare. One of the men picked her up and held her by the leg. She was covered in blood, but all the huntsmen seemed pleased.
I was so greatly surprised that at first I did not see what was happening by the stream but when I did look, I saw a sad sight. Two fine horses were down, one in the stream struggling to stand up and the other on the grass with one of his legs broken. One rider, who seemed unhurt, was climbing out of the water, but the other lay quite still. “His neck is broken,” said my mother. “I can’t understand why men are so fond of this sport. They often hurt themselves and ruin good horses, all for one hare that they could get more easily in other ways. But we are only horses, and don’t know why men do these things.”
They carried the dead rider to our master’s house, and then came back to the black horse on the grass. The animal was in great pain and one of his legs was broken. Someone ran to our master’s house and came back to the horse with a gun. Soon after there was a loud bang and a terrible cry, and the black horse did not move any more.
【小題1】What does “I” in the passage refer to?

A．A scared hare.	B．Ayounghorse.
C．Afierce dog.	D．A bravehunter.

【小題2】Which word can be used to describe my true feeling at the scene of the hunting?

A．Sad.

B．Pleased.

C．Angry.

D．Delighted.

【小題3】The men hunted the hare at the cost of the lives of____________.

A．oneriderandonehorse

B．tworidersandtwohorses

C．sixoreighthuntsmenandadog

D．theoldesthorseandahuntsman

【小題4】The best title for the passage would be____________.

A．WhataPoorHare

B．MyTerrible ChildhoodMemory

C．A Black Horse

D．SceneryintheField

【小題5】The writer probably holds the view that ____________.

A．hunting is a nice outdoor activity

B．it is dangerous to hunt wild animals

C．hunting dogs are good helpers to huntsmen

D．human beings should treat animals well

One summer I was driving from my hometown of Tahoe City, California, to New Orleans. In the middle of the desert, I came upon a young man standing by the roadside. He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his other hand. I drove right by him. There was a time in the country when you’d be considered a stupid person if you passed by somebody in need. Now you are a fool for helping. With gangs, drug addicts, murderers, thieves everywhere, “I don’t want to get involved” has become a national motto.
Several states later I was still thinking about the hitch-hiker(免費(fèi)搭車的人). Leaving him standing in the desert did not bother me so much. What bothered me was how easily I had reached the decision. I never even lifted my foot off the accelerator(加速器).
Does anyone stop any more? I wondered. I recalled Blanche DuBois’s family line: “I have always depended on the kindness of the strangers”. Could anyone rely on the kindness of the strangers these days? One way to test this would be for a person to journey from coast to coast without any money, relying only on the good will of his fellow Americans. What kind of Americans would he find? Who would feed him, shelter him, and carry him down the road?
The idea interested me.
So I decided to travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic without a penny. It would be a cashless journey through the land of the almighty dollar. I would only accept offers of rides, food and a place to rest my head. My final destination would be Cape Fear in North Carolina, a symbol of all the fears I’d have to conquer during the trip.
I rose early on September 6, 1994, and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge with a 50-pound pack on my back and a sign displaying my destination to passing vehicles: “America”.
For six weeks I hitched 82 rides and covered 4,223 miles across 14 states. As I traveled, folks were always warning me about someplace else. In Montana they told me to watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming; in Nebraska they said people would not be as nice as in Iowa. Yet I was amazed by people’s readiness to help a stranger, even when it seemed against their own best interests.
【小題1】Why did the author drive past the young man in the desert without stopping?

A．Because he failed to notice this man.

B．Because he was driving too fast.

C．Because he was afraid of being cheated.

D．Because he thought the young man didn’t need help.

【小題2】What was it that made the author upset?

A．Making the decision of not offering help so easily.

B．Leaving the young man alone in the desert.

C．Being considered a fool.

D．Keeping thinking about the young man.

【小題3】What is the structure of the text?

A．①—②③④—⑤—⑥⑦

B．①②—③④—⑤⑥⑦

C．①②—③④⑤⑥—⑦

D．①②③—④—⑤⑥⑦

【小題4】The author decided to travel without a penny in order to ___________.

A．find out how long he could survive without help

B．figure out how strangers thought of his plan

C．go through the great difficulty in surviving unexpected environment

D．find out whether strangers would offer help to him

【小題5】The following part might probably___________.

A．describe how the author fooled the strangers

B．describe how strangers went out their way to help the author

C．explain why people refused to help strangers

D．explain how the author overcame his difficulties on the way

On 23rd December, 2013, Michael Schumacher — the famous Formula-One race car driver — received serious brain injuries after hitting his head on a rock while downhill skiing with his son. The accident happened during a family holiday in the French Alps. Although he was wearing a helmet, which broke apart on impact, the F1 celebrity was moving at speeds of up to 62 mph and skiing outside the off-piste safety demarcations (滑雪場地外的安全區(qū)). Doctors reported that he would have died on impact if he hadn’t been wearing a helmet. He has been in a coma (昏迷) since arriving at a nearby hospital where he was airlifted to from the site of the accident.
Michael Schumacher grew up in frugal (簡樸的) conditions and started what would become his remarkable professional career when his working class father — a bricklayer — built him a go-kart from where he started participating in competitions. He started his adult career racing for Formula Ford in 1988 and later raced for Formula One Ford, Ferrari, and Mercedes AMG. He holds numerous F1 world records including most race victories, fastest laps, and most races won in a single season. According to the Formula One website, he is “statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen”. Also notable are his contributions to charity, during the peak of his career he has given away more than 50 million Euros to a variety of charity organizations, most to help children around the world.
Millions of Europeans and other fans around the world are holding their breath and waiting for information about his hopeful recovery. We wish him and his family the best.
【小題1】Michael Schumacher is in a coma after ________.

A．crashing in an airlift accident

B．a(chǎn) Formula One Ford car crash

C．a(chǎn) skiing accident during his holiday

D．a(chǎn) bump onto a rock in a skiing race

【小題2】What is a go-kart most likely to be?

A．A medical instrument.

B．A small car-racing field.

C．A racing-car driver’s safety helmet.

D．A small motor vehicle used for racing.

【小題3】From the passage we can learn that Michael Schumacher ________.

A．is recovering quickly at the Alpine Hospital in France

B．gave all his money to charity during the height of his career

C．raced for Ferrari and Mercedes before becoming a celebrity

D．came from humble origins to become the greatest F1 driver ever

Johnny the Explorer
Johnny was three when he ran away from home for the first time. Somebody left the garden gate open. Johnny wandered out, crossed some fields and, two hours later, arrived in the next village. He was just able to give his name and address.
By the time he was seven, Johnny used to disappear from home two to three times a year. Sometimes he covered quite long distances on foot. Sometimes he got on a bus or even a train, and simply sat there until someone asked for his ticket. Generally the police brought him home. “Why do you do it?” they used to ask. “I just like seeing places,” Johnny told them.
Johnny continued to “see places” although everyone tried to stop him. His parents used to watch him closely, and so did his teachers; but sooner or later Johnny managed to slip away. As he grew older, his favorite trick was to hide on a long distance truck. Sometimes he travelled hundreds of miles before anyone discovered him.
It is hardly surprising that eventually Johnny managed to board a plane. He was twelve at the time. It was a cargo plane and, a few hours later, Johnny found himself in Cairo. How did he get on board? No one knows! According to Johnny himself, it was easy: he just went into the airport, walked along some passages and got on board the nearest plane.
In spite of all this, Johnny did well at school. He enjoyed mathematics and languages and, perhaps not surprisingly, he was especially good at geography. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” his teachers asked him. “An explorer!” he answered. “But it’s difficult to become an explorer in this modern age,” they tried to tell him. But it was no use: Johnny knew what he wanted!
Just before he left school, Johnny saw a notice in a daily paper. A long journey was about to go to Brazil to travel up the Amazon River. There were jobs for three young people “willing to work hard and with a sense of adventure”. Johnny applied, and two months later, he was on his way to Brazil.
【小題1】At what age did Johnny board a plane for the first time?

A．Three

B．Seven

C．Twelve

D．Not mentioned

【小題2】Johnny frequently left home because ______.

A．he preferred to stay alone

B．he enjoyed seeing new places

C．he couldn’t do well at school

D．he didn’t get along well with his parents

【小題3】People around Johnny ______.

A．tried to stop him from slipping away

B．kept following him to get him back

C．booked tickets for him if necessary

D．were clear about how he travelled abroad

【小題4】From the passage, we can learn that ______.

A．Johnny worked for a daily paper

B．Johnny lacked a sense of adventure

C．Johnny went exploring along the Amazon River

D．Johnny went to Brazil two months after he finished school

Every school has an ugly girl. In my primary school, it was me.
From first grade through fourth, I had to wear heavy orthopedic(整形外科的)shoes because of my weak ankles. I sounded like overweight elephant wearing bricks whenever I took a single step.
“Hey, Bigfoot!”
“Geez, you’re going to start an earthquake!”
Then in sixth grade I had to start wear glasses. Mom asked for the least expensive ones and that made me look like a fool.
“Four eyes!”
“Couldn’t you cover up more of your faces? Why stop at the eyes?”
In Seventh, I started competing on the city swim team, thinking that if I got a killer body, nobody would notice my face. Wrong again. I loved being fast and winning ribbons now and then, but now I had red, wet eyes from the chlorine(氯) in the pool. I also did not develop a killer body.
I changed my strategy at Eighth grade, the last year of middle school. I offered my help to anyone who needs. I worked for other girls, so they could hang out with their friends. My new program began to work. People who would never have acknowledged my existence before were suddenly seeking me out.
I’d been feeling pretty good until one day I went to Christine’s house to help her fill envelopes. Going into each envelope was invitation to Christine’s birthday party; it was a big event at a fancy hotel. Complete with dinner. She asked me to help her address these envelopes. There was no envelope for me.
My heart was broken. I tried to escape from all the eyes. High school had to be better, right？ Yes and no. Now that I’m here, I know there are still lots of shallow people judging you on what you’re wearing or how cool your hair is , but there are also kids who talk to you because they liked your answers or just as you’re kind, honest, and a good friend.
I still do kind things because I like the feeling I get when I am helping people. I, with my friends, went to Children’s hospital, playing games and reading to the sick kids.
I still had wet red and not a smart look, but you cannot tell me I am not beautiful. Every time I visit hospital, five-year-old Terry grasps my hand, “Morri, you are so nice. I want to grow up to be just like you.”
【小題1】Why was Morri laughed at by her classmates when she was in primary school?

A．She had weak ankles and eyesight.

B．Her glasses couldn’t cover up her face.

C．She couldn’t get along well with them.

D．She looked like an overweight elephant.

【小題2】Which of the following is the real reason for Morri competing on the city swim team?

A．To win more ribbons.

B．To shift others’ attention from her face.

C．To develop a killer body.

D．To have red wet eyes.

【小題3】From what Morri experienced in the last year of middle school, we can learn that __________.

A．her classmates thought highly of her

B．she was popular among her classmates

C．she was often cheated by her classmates

D．her classmates just made use of her

【小題4】The passage is intended to encourage people to __________.

A．a(chǎn)ddress as many as invitation envelopes as possible

B．take more sport activities including swimming

C．take others’ comments into careful consideration

D．take positive attitude towards disadvantages in life

One day an ant was drinking at a small stream and fell in. She made desperate efforts to reach the side, but made no progress at all. The poor ant almost exhausted was still bravely doing her best when a dove saw her.Moved with pity, the bird threw her a blade of grass, which supported her like a raft, and thus the ant reached the bank again. While she was resting and drying herself in the grass, she heard a man come near. He was walking along barefooted with a gun in his hand. As soon as he saw the dove, he wished to kill it. He would certainly have done so, but the ant bit him in the foot just as he raised his gun to fire. He stopped to see what had bit him, and the dove immediately flew away. It was an animal much weaker and smaller than herself that had saved her life.
【小題1】The ant could not reach the side though _______.

A．she cried for help

B．she asked the dove to save her

C．she tried very hard

D．she could smell well

【小題2】The dove saved the ant because _______.

A．she was the ant's friend

B．she took pity on the poor ant

C．the ant was almost exhausted

D．the ant had been struggled in the water for a long time

【小題3】The ant succeeded in getting on the bank with the help of _______.

A．a(chǎn) leaf

B．a(chǎn) piece of wood

C．a(chǎn) blade of grass

D．a(chǎn) raft

【小題4】Just as the man shot at the dove, _______.

A．the dove immediately flew away

B．the dove hid himself in the grass

C．the ant told the dove to leave at once

D．he felt something biting him in the foot

【小題5】In writing the story, the writer wants to show _______.

A．how clever the ant was

B．how kind the dove was

C．how the ant and the dove helped each other

D．we often need help from others, therefore we should help others as much as

An expensive car speeding down the main street of a small town was soon caught up with by a young motorcycle policeman. As he started to make out the ticket, the woman behind the wheel said proudly, “Before you go any further, young man, I think you should know that the mayor of this city is a good friend of mine.”The officer did not say a word, but kept writing. “I am also a friend of chief of police Barens,”continued the woman, getting more angry each moment, Still he kept on writing. “Young man,”she persisted, “I know Judge Lawson and State Senator (參議員) Patton.” Handing the ticket to the woman, the officer asked pleasantly , “Tell me, do you know Bill Bronson.”
“Why, no,”she answered.
“Well, that is the man you should have known,”he said, heading back to his motorcycle, “I an Bill Bronson.”
【小題1】The policeman stopped the car because_____

A．it was an expensive car

B．the driver was a proud lady

C．the driver was driving beyond the speed limit

D．the driver was going to make trouble for the police

【小題2】The woman was getting more angry each moment because _____.

A．the policeman didn’t know her friends

B．the policeman didn’t accept her kindness

C．the policeman was going to punish her

D．she didn’t know the policeman’s name

【小題3】The policeman was _______.

A．a(chǎn)n honourable fellow

B．a(chǎn) stupid fellow

C．a(chǎn)n impolite man

D．a(chǎn) shy man

【小題4】The woman was _______.

A．kind-hearted

B．a(chǎn) person who depended on someone else to finish her work

C．trying to frighten the policeman on the strength of her friends’ powerful positions

D．introducing her good friends’ names to the young officer

【小題5】The policeman _______.

A．had no sense of humor	B．had s sense of humor
C．had no sense of duty	D．was senseless

① On Friday, January 14, 2005, my cousin, Kara Rose, came into the world. ② She looked perfectly healthy from the outside, but on the inside, the doctors had failed to discover a serious problem. ③ She often had trouble breathing and then turned blue. ④ The doctors found that Kara had been born without part of her heart. ⑤ They didn’t think she would live long enough to leave the hospital. ⑥ When she was four days old, she had her first operation. ⑦ My family stayed together during this hard time, hoping everything would turn out for the best.
Kara’s strength and determination to live were strong. Eventually, she could go home. We all waited patiently for new technology that could give Kara a new heart. When she was eighteen months old, her parents took her to a famous surgeon who performed a series of operations. There was no guarantee she would make it through the operation, but she succeeded.
Kara grew stronger every day, and it was not long before she was well enough to be around people. She had an amazing character and always wore a sweet smile. When she fell asleep against my body, happy and content, I realized how valuable life really is. As I took her in my arms with her warm breath against my neck, I decided to live every day of my life to the fullest.
This child, who is 15 years younger than I, has gone through more suffering and pain than I ever have. I admire her strength and determination. Kara has taught me that no matter how bad things seem, they can work out in the end. Knowing this small, beautiful child has made me a stronger person, I now believe that difficulty can be beaten.
【小題1】Kara often had trouble breathing because　　　　.  

A．she didn’t stay long enough in the hospital

B．the doctors failed to discover the problem

C．she was born with an incomplete heart

D．her first operation was not successful

【小題2】When did Kara have the first operation?

A．15 years old.	B．4 years old.
C．4 days old.	D．18 months old.

【小題3】Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Kara’s determination helped her get through.

B．Kara eventually recovered at the age of 15.

C．The new technology gave the family the hope to live on.

D．Doctors were confident in the success of her operation.

【小題4】The writer wants to tell us that　　　　.  

A．younger people often suffer more pain

B．strong wills can help beat difficulties

C．experienced doctors can make miracles

D．medical technology is developing fast

【小題5】Where should the sentence in the box be added in Paragraph 1?
I was also anxiously hoping the doctors would be able to make her life longer.

A．After Sentence ①.	B．After Sentence ③.
C．After Sentence ⑤.	D．After Sentence ⑦.