John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.
His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.
During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was starting Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting —7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.” So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he’d never seen.
I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened: A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I stared at her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, attractive smile curved her lips. “Going my way , sailor?” she murmured.
Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own.
And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her.
This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment.　　"I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?"
　　The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. "I don't know what this is about, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!"
It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive. "Tell me whom you love," Houssaye wrote, "And I will tell you who you are． "
【小題1】How did John Blanchard get to know Miss Hollis Maynell?

A．They lived in the same city．

B．They were both interested in literature．

C．John knew Hollis's name from a library book．

D．John came across Hollis in a Florida library．

【小題2】Hollis refused to send Blanchard a photo because            .

A．she was only a middle - aged woman

B．she wasn't confident about her appearance

C．she thought true love is beyond appearance

D．she had never taken any photo before they knew

【小題3】How could Blanchard recognize Hollis?

A．She would be wearing a rose on her coat．

B．She would be holding a book in her hand．

C．She would be standing behind a young girl．

D．She would be wearing a scarf around her neck．

【小題4】What was the real Miss Hollis Maynell like?

A．She was a plump woman with graying hair．

B．She was a slightly fat girl, with blonde hair．

C．She was a middle - aged woman in her forties．

D．She was a young, pretty girl wearing a green suit．

【小題5】When Blanchard went over to greet the woman, he was         ．

A．satisfied and confident

B．disappointed but well - behaved

C．annoyed and bad - mannered

D．shocked but inspired

【小題6】Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．A Test of Love	B．The Symbol of Rose
C．Love is blind	D．Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

A few days ago I asked my sons’ governess（女家庭教師）Julia to come into my study. “Be seated, Julia, ” I said, “Let’s settle our accounts. I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you’re too polite to mention it. Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month...”
“Forty.”
“No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay our governess thirty. Well, um, you’ve been here two months, so...”
“Two months and five days.”
“Exactly two months. I made a special note of it. That means you have sixty dollars coming to you. Take off nine Sundays... you know you didn’t work with Tom on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays... ”Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but - not a word.
“Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars. Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Dick. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven - nineteen. Take nineteen off ... that leaves. hmm.... forty one dollars. Correct?”
Julia’s left eye reddened with tears welling up. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but-still not a word.
“Around New Year’s Day you broke a teacup and a saucer; take off two dollars. The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but- forget it. When didn’t I take a loss! Then, due to your neglect（疏忽）, Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket; take away ten. Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more dollars off. The tenth of January I gave ten dollars.”
“You didn’t. ”sobbed Julia.
“But I made a note of it.”
“Well... if you say so.”
“Take twenty seven from forty one -that leaves fourteen.”
Both her eyes were filled with tears. Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose. Poor girl!
“Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife. Three dollars, nothing more.”
“Really? You see now, and I didn’t know that! Take three from fourteen.. leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three, three, three, one and one. Here it is!”
I handed her eleven dollars. She took them and pocketed them.
“Merci（法語: 謝謝）,” she whispered.
I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger. “For what, this - ‘merci’?” I asked.
“For the money.”
“But you know I’ve cheated you - robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this‘merci’?”
“In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”
“They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you... I m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you... Is it really possible to be so spineless（懦弱）? Why didn’t you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws（爪）-to be such a fool?”
Embarrassed, she smiled. And I could read her expression,“It is possible.”
I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars. She murmured her little“merci”several times and went out. I looked after her and thought,“How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”
【小題1】While talking to Julia, the writer expected from her________.

A．a protest

B．gratitude

C．obedience

D．an explanation

【小題2】What shocked the writer was Julia’s ________.

A．nervousness in front of her boss

B．acceptance of injustice

C．shyness when talking about money

D．unwillingness to express herself

【小題3】The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws?” He was actually telling the governess ________.

A．to be more aggressive	B．to be more careful in her work
C．to protect her right	D．to live independently

【小題4】At the end of the story, the writer said,“ How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!” to show ________.

A．his understanding of Julia’s anxiety

B．his worry about Julia’s future

C．his concern on the living condition of working-class people

D．his sympathy for the mental state of those exploited

【小題5】From the story, we can tell that Julia’s employer was________.

A．greedy but honest	B．ill-tempered but warm-hearted
C．strict but forgiving	D．none of the above

A month went by in this manner , but a month was all I could bear .
The memory of Marguerite accompanied me wherever I went . I had loved that woman --- still loved her --- too much for her suddenly to mean nothing to me . Whatever feelings I might have for her now , I had to see her again . At once .
…
I knew Marguerite . Meeting me so unexpectedly must have thrown her into a state of great confusion . Probably , she had heard of my departure which had set her mind at rest as to the consequences of our sudden parting . But , seeing me back and coming face to face with me , pale as I was , she had sensed that my return had a purpose , and must have wondered what was going to happen .
If , when I saw her again , Marguerite had been unhappy ; if , in taking my revenge （復仇）, there had also been some way of helping her , then I might well have forgiven her , and would certainly never have dreamed of doing her any harm . But when I saw her again , she was happy , at least on the surface . Another man had ensured her the luxury （奢侈）in which I had been unable to keep her . She brought shame both to my pride and my love ; she was going to have to pay for what I had suffered .
I could not remain indifferent （冷漠）to what she did now . It followed that the thing that would hurt her most would be exactly for me to show indifference . Indifference , therefore , was the feeling which I now needed to pretend , not only in her presence but in the eyes of others .
I tried to put a smile on my face , and I went to call on Prudence with whom Marguerite was staying .
Prudence saw me to the door , and I returned to my apartment with tears of anger in my eyes and thirst for revenge in my heart and thought only of finding a way to make the poor creature suffer .
【小題1】This passage is most probably _______________ of a love story .

A．the beginning

B．the introduction

C．a summary

D．a chapter

【小題2】According to the passage , the hero（男主角）wanted to _____________ .

A．forgive Marguerite because he found her unhappy

B．stop the relationship with Marguerite because he couldn’t keep her in the luxury

C．make up the relationship with Marguerite because he still loved her

D．give Marguerite sufferings because his pride and his love were hurt

【小題3】What kind of feelings did the hero most probably have ?

A．Indifference and love .

B．Indifference and hate .

C．Love and hate .

D．Hate and sadness .

【小題4】What would the author most probably write about next ?

A．Why he changed his mind suddenly .

B．How he made up his relationship with Marguerite .

C．How he made Marguerite suffer.

D．Why he wanted Marguerite to pay for what he had suffered .

Not long ago, few little girls imagined they could grow up to become astronauts. For years in the United States, on1y men had that opportunity . In 1983, that changed. Sally Ride made history by becoming the first American woman to travel to space.
On Monday, Ride died at the age of 61, ‘‘Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model,”President Barack Obama said in a statement. “She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars.”
Ride became interested in space when she was a kid. “If you asked me when I was 12 whether I wanted to be an astronaut ,I’m sure I wou1d have said yes,” she said in a 2010 interview . “ But I didn’t even think about that as a possible career.”
After studying physics in college and graduate school, Ride got her chance. She was accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program in 1978, and then chosen to be the first American female in space. In 1983, she blasted into space aboard the Challenger shuttle.“There is no amusement park ride on the Earth that even comes so close,” she said.
Ride returned to space on the Challenger a second time in1984 . Between the two missions, she spent a total of 343 hours in orbit. After that, she remained involved with the space program and also worked to share her passion for science with kids. She co-authored six science books for children , and started her own science education company.
Ride knew that she he1d a unique place in history . “ I realized how important it was for a woman to break that barrier and open the door for other women to be able to do the same exciting things that the men had been doing,” she said.
Since Ride’s historic trip, more than 40 other American women have traveled to space. They all had Ride to thank for opening the door to the final frontier.
【小題1】Sally Ride was regarded as a national hero because she___________ .

A．was the first American to travel to space

B．opened a door for women to find jobs suitable for them

C．became the first American female in space

D．was the first to travel on the Challenger

【小題2】By saying ‘‘There is no amusement park ride on the Earth that even comes so close”, Ride really meant____________ .

A．she preferred a ride in an amusement park on the Earth

B．the trip to space was like that in an amusement park

C．she came close to an amusement park on the Earth

D．the trip to space was far more interesting than any ride on the Earth

【小題3】 The correct order of the following events that happened to Sally Ride is_____________
a. accepted into an astronaut training program
b. spent a total of 343 hours in orbit
c. co-authored six science books for children
d. traveled to space aboard the Challenger
e. studied physics in co11ege and graduate school

A．e-a-b-c-d

B．a-d-b-c-e

C．e-a-d-b-c

D．e-a-b-d-c

【小題4】The passage is most probably taken out of _________________ .

A．a novel

B．a report

C．a diary

D．an essay

She once said: "When people ask me if writing has been a hard or easy road I always answer with the famous saying, "the end is nothing; the road is all.'” That is what I mean when I say writing has been a pleasure. I have never faced the type-writer (打字機) with the thought that one more task had to be done."
Like most writers, Willa Cather did not write books for the money that they brought her, but rather for the pleasure that came in their writing. Her works were, like her, simple and full of the vigor (活力) of her days in Nebraska, where she grew from childhood to young womanhood and where she developed a deep love for the treeless land of the Great Plains with its wild flowers, wheat fields and rivers.
"It's a rather strange thing about the flat country," she wrote later. "It takes hold of you, or it leaves you perfectly cold. A great many people find it very dull; they like a church tower, an old factory, a waterfall country all made to look like a German, Christmas card... But when I come to the open plains, something happens. I'm home. I breathe differently."
【小題1】What did Cather mean by "the end is nothing; the road is all"?

A．Writing is the only path to success.

B．I feel happy when I finish writing a book.

C．I enjoy writing whether it is hard or easy.

D．Writing itself, not its result, is important.

【小題2】What was the place like where Cather grew up?

A．It was cold, plain and without a church.

B．It was a colorful world of wild flowers.

C．It was like a German Christmas card

D．It was vast, open, flat and wild.

【小題3】When she said "It takes hold of you, or it leaves you perfectly cold", Willa Gather meant ______.

A．you either love the place or hate it

B．you decide either to stay or to leave

C．some find the place warm; others find it cold

D．some find the place peaceful; others find it wild

【小題4】What happens when Cather comes to the open plains?

A．She breathes differently from others:

B．She wants to make the place her home.

C．She finds the place similar to her home.

D．She feels completely comfortable

Helen Thomas, the pioneering White House reporter known for putting presidents on the hot seat, died at 92．
To those who regularly watch presidential press conferences, Helen Thomas is a familiar figure．Usually dressed in red and always seated in the front row, she is always the first or second reporter the president calls upon．It is an honor she has earned．Besides, it affords her the perfect opportunity to do what she does best - challenge the president and other public officials to tell the plain truth．She said, "We reporters' priority（首要事情） is the people's right to know - without fear or favor．We are the people's servants．"
Helen Thomas was born in Kentucky in 1920．All the nine Thomas children were brought up to value education, and all were expected to make something of themselves through working hard．She made up her mind while still in high school to become a reporter after writing for the student newspaper．After receiving her bachelor's degree in 1942, Thomas headed straight for Washington, D．C．in search of a newspaper job．Before long, she landed one at Washington Daily News．Her duty included fetching coffee and doughnuts for the paper's reporters and editors．The eager young woman found the atmosphere exciting and was convinced she had made the right career choice．
Her big break came when she was sent to Florida to report on the vacation of President-elect John F．Kennedy and his family．Once President Kennedy took office, Thomas changed her focus from the president's family to his policies．She began attending the daily press briefings at the White House as well as presidential press conferences．Thomas has covered every president since Kennedy．Over the years, Thomas found her job "thrilling and inspiring," but never boring．And she took very seriously her duty to "keep an eye on the president" and keep American people informed．
【小題1】What can we learn about Helen Thomas from the passage?

A．Her career took off after covering the Kennedys．

B．Her first job was to deliver doughnuts to a news agency．

C．She was born to a large family in Kentucky in 1942．

D．She decided to be a reporter while in college．

【小題2】Paragraph 3 is written to show Helen Thomas

A．is a good decision maker for her career

B．appreciates education and hard work

C．wants to be famous by writing reports

D．has great support from her family

【小題3】What does Helen Thomas think other work?

A．Unbearable．

B．Exciting．

C．Challenging．

D．Unforgettable．

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

A．A reporter sticking to the facts．

B．A reporter challenging President Kennedy．

C．A reporter from an ordinary family．

D．A reporter for Washington Daily News．

My husband, my four-month-old daughter and I set out on a five-day driving journey from California to Washington. We had to stop frequently because our little child needed to stretch from the car seat.
One of our stops, once we crossed the Oregon border, was at a Black Bear Diner. Walking towards the front door we noticed a gentleman standing at one side. He was clearly untidy, without shoes and wearing worn clothing. We passed right by him and opened the restaurant door. Then something told me to go back.
Holding my daughter, I turned around and said to the gentleman, “Sir. Are you hungry?” He said, “Yes.” I then asked, “May we buy you something to eat?” He responded with, “Sure, I can order something myself.”
My husband opened the door and the gentleman went straight to the counter. I told him to order whatever he wanted. The manager of the restaurant came over quite quickly and looked frightened. I spoke before he had an opportunity to. “This gentleman will have lunch with us today,” I said. “Please add his order to our bill.” The manager said with a frown(皺眉), “Okay.” We turned to our table and the gentleman said, loudly and quickly, “Thank You!” We were seated and upon completing our meal we were handed our bill. I asked my husband what the gentleman had ordered. One fresh orange juice, one coffee, one breakfast combination with a side of hash browns.
When we left the restaurant I looked for the gentleman but didn’t see him, but that very small act just made my day. I hope in some small way we were able to add some joy to his life, even if only for a few minutes.
【小題1】From the appearance of the gentleman, we can guess he was probably a(n) _____.

A．waiter

B．actor

C．beggar

D．worker

【小題2】The manager of the restaurant looked frightened because _____.

A．the man was not friendly

B．the man had stolen something from the restaurant

C．he had fired the man before

D．he was afraid the man wouldn’t afford to pay the food

【小題3】From the passage, we can infer the man _____.

A．was thankful for their kind act

B．felt ashamed and slipped away

C．was hungry and ate a lot of food

D．was too proud to accept their offer

【小題4】The phrase “made my day” in the last paragraph probably means ______.

A．wasted my money	B．made me very happy
C．made me feel sorry	D．moved me deeply

Jesse Owens was born in Alabama in the USA, in 1913. There were ten children in his family. Jesse was the youngest. He went to school in the city of Cleveland. At school he showed he had a special talent for athletics (田徑). He could run fast. He could jump high. He could jump far. Because he was good at athletics, Jesse became a student at Ohio State University.
　　   In May, 1935 in Michigan, USA, he broke the world record for the long jump. This was his first world record. On the 25th May Jesse did something unusual. In 45 minutes he broke six world records. Some people think that this was the greatest athletics achievement ever.
　　   In 1936 Jesse went to the Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. There were only nineteen black athletes in the USA team. He won gold medals in the 100 meters race, the 200 meters race, the long jump and the relay race.
　　   Jesse was not a professional athlete. This meant that he could not get money for running. Later, he became a professional athlete. To make money he had to appear in strange races. Sometimes he had to race against horses.
　　   In 1960 somebody broke Jesse's last world record. In 1980 Jesse died.
【小題1】Jesse Owens was born in _____in the USA.
A. Alabama    B. Cleveland    C. Ohio    D. Michigan
【小題2】Jesse showed he was very good at ______ when he was at school.

A．basketball

B．swimming

C．athletics

D．shooting

【小題3】Jesse's first world record was for the ______.

A．running

B．relay race

C．high jump

D．long jump

【小題4】He won ______ gold medals in 1936 in the Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

A．two

B．four

C．six

D．eight

I was in a strange city I didn’t know at all, and what’s more, I could not speak a word of the language. On my second day I got on the first bus that passed, rode on it for several stops, then got off and walked on. The first two hours passed pleasantly enough, then I decided to turn back to my hotel for lunch. After walking about for some time, I decided I had better ask the way. The trouble was that the only word I knew of the language was the name of the street in which I lived, and even that I pronounced badly. I stopped to ask a newspaper-seller. He handed me a paper. I shook my head and repeated the name of the street and he put the paper into my hands. I had to give him some money and went on my way. The next person.I asked was a policeman. He listened to me carefully, nodded and gently took me by the arm. There was a strange look in his eyes as he pointed left and right and left again. I nodded politely and began walking in the direction he pointed.?
About an hour passed and I noticed that the houses were getting fewer and fewer and green fields were appearing on either side of me. I had come all the way into the countryside. The only thing left for me to do was find the nearest railway station.
【小題1】The writer preferred to walk back to his hotel because.

A．he had no money to buy a ticket

B．he wanted to lose himself in the city

C．he tried to know the city in this way

D．it was late and there were no buses passing by

【小題2】 The newspaper-seller______.

A．didn’t know where the hotel was

B．didn’t understand what the writer said

C．could understand what the writer said

D．didn’t want to take the money from the writer

【小題3】 From the story we know that the policeman______.

A．was kind but didn’t understand the writer

B．told the writer where to take a train

C．knew what the writer really meant

D．was cold-hearted and didn’t help the writer

【小題4】 What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．The writer got close to the hotel where he stayed.

B．The writer got to the hotel with the policeman’s help.

C．The writer found he was much farther away from the hotel.

D．The writer found the hotel in the direction the policeman pointed.

One day, when I was working as a psychologist in England, an adolescent boy showed up in my office. It was David. He kept walking up and down restlessly, his face pale, and his hands shaking slightly. His head teacher had referred him to me. "This boy has lost his family," he wrote. "He is understandably very sad and refuses to talk to others, and I'm very worried about him. Can you help?" '
I looked at David and showed him to a chair. How could I help him? There are problems psychology doesn't have the answer to, and which no words can describe. Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and sympathetically.
The first two times we met David didn't say a word. He sat there, only looking up to look at the children’s drawings on the wall behind me. I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that he played chess with me every Wednesday afternoon - in complete silence and without looking at me. It's not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit I made sure David won once or twice.
Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed, took the chess board and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me?
"Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with," I thought. "Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering." Some months later, when we were playing chess, he looked up at me suddenly.
"It's your turn," he said.
After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times about his biking with some friends, an d about his plan to get into university. Now he had really started to live his own life.
Maybe I gave David something. But I also learned that one - without any words – can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry' on, a friendly touch, and an ear that listens. 
【小題1】When he first met the author, David________.

A．felt a little excited

B．walked energetically

C．looked a little nervous

D．showed up with his teacher

【小題2】As a psychologist, the author_______ .

A．was ready to listen to David

B．was skeptical about psychology

C．was able to describe David's problem

D．was sure of handling David's problem

【小題3】David enjoyed being with the author because he ______.

A．wanted to ask the author for advice

B．need to share sorrow with the author

C．liked the children's drawings in the office

D．beat the author many times in the chess game

【小題4】What can be inferred about David?

A．He recovered after months of treatment.

B．He liked biking before he lost his family.

C．He went into university soon after starting to talk.

D．He got friends in school before he met the author.

【小題5】What made David change?

A．His teacher's help.

B．The author's friendship.

C．His exchange of letters with the author.

D．The author's silent communication with him.