Mr. Baker lived in an old and low house. His wife was blind in both eyes and the two children were very young. All his family often went hungry(挨餓.) He had nothing but a small piece of field. One autumn he grew some wheat in his field. He hoped it would do well because all family would depend on it. The whole winter it often snowed. And the next spring the wheat was doing well. Mr. Baker was happy. One day Mr. Baker went to watch his wheat. To his surprise, a lot of crops were eaten up by a horse. He became angry but could not find out whose horse had eaten them. He thought the horse would go there again. So he decided to stay in his field and tried to catch the horse.
A few days later a yellow horse came in his field again and began to eat the wheat. Mr. Baker ran after it quickly, with a stick in his hand. But the beast ran much faster than he. He tried his best, but could not catch up with it. The next morning, when Mr. Baker was working in his field, he saw the yellow horse pulling carriage on the road. He picked up a stick at once, ran closer to the horse and began to beat it up.
The driver was surprised and stopped him. He asked, “Why are you beating my horse?”
“It has nothing to do with you, ” Mr. Baker said angrily. “The beast knows why I’m beating him!”
【小題1】What was Mr. Baker?

A．A driver

B．A doctor

C．A keeper

D．A farmer

【小題2】Why was Mr. Baker happy at first?

A．Because wheat was doing well.

B．Because he would soon get a good harvest.

C．Because he found out the beast that ate up his wheat.

D．Because his family would not grow any more wheat.

【小題3】Mr. Baker tried his best to catch the horse to ____________.

A．sell it for some money

B．beat it up(痛打)

C．make it work for him

D．find out the owner of the horse

【小題4】Which of the following is true?

A．The horse knew that it had done wrong.

B．The horse had nothing to do with the driver.

C．The horse knew whose wheat it had eaten up.

D．The horse belonged to the driver.

Mrs. Blake teaches English in a large school in the inner area of a big city on the west coast. Even since she was a young girl, she has wanted to become a teacher. She has taught eight years now and hasn’t changed her mind. After she graduated from high school, she went on to college. Four years later, she received her bachelor’s degree (BA) in English and her teaching certificate. Then she went to teach in the secondary schools of her state. In the summers, Mrs. Blake takes more classes; she hopes to get a master’s degree (MA). With an MA, she will receive a higher salary and if possible, she hopes to get a doctor’s degree as well. The school day at Mrs. Blake’s high school, like that in many high schools in the United States, is divided into one hour each. Mrs. Blake must teach five of these periods. During her free period, which for her is from 2 to 3 P.M, Mrs. Blake must meet with parents, make our examinations, check assignments at all, Mrs. Blake works continuously from the time she arrives at school in the morning till the time she leaves for home late in the afternoon.
【小題1】How long is it since Mrs. Blake graduated from high school?

A．four years

B．eight years

C．twenty years

D．twelve years

【小題2】According to the article, which is the right order of the degrees a person can receive after going to university?

A．a(chǎn) bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree – a doctor’s degree

B．a(chǎn) doctor’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree

C．a(chǎn) master’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree

D．a(chǎn) bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree – a master’s degree

【小題3】How many degrees has Mrs. Blake achieved so far?

A．four

B．two

C．three

D．one

【小題4】Which of the following sentences is not true?

A．Mrs. Blake has turned her wish of becoming a teacher into reality.

B．Mrs. Blake teaches in the inner area of big city on the east of the United States.

C．Mrs. Blake is still studying in her holidays in order to get higher degrees.

D．The working hours in the school where Mrs. Blake works are similar to those of many other high schools in the states.

Shirley Temple(1928—2014)，an American actress，was considered among the most successful child stars in the history of film．Born by an ambitious mother，Temple first appeared in a film at the age of three，and at six she starred in Stand Up and Cheer (1934)．Known and recognized for her ability to sing and tapdance in several films，Temple became a famous figure in 1934．At the end of that year she was given a special Academy Award “in grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution．’’
During the Great Depression of the l930s，Temple was celebrated by an adoring public．At the height of her popularity，from l935 to 1938，Temple was the biggest box-office attraction in Hollywood．Temple made a number of films as a teenager，but her appeal had faded，and the films were not successful．In l949, Temple depaaed elegantly from Hollywood．
Two decades later，she reappeared into the spotlight by announcing her qualification as a candidate for Congress．She lost the election，but Temple displayed her determination and went on to enjoy a long and successful：career with the United Nations and the State Department．
After retirement，she reposed that she was at peace with her life and proud of her accomplishments in two of the nation’s most influential areas．“If I had to do it all over again．’’Shirley Temple once declared，‘‘I wouldn’t change anything．’’

【小題1】Temple became famous at the age of          

A．3

B．6

C．10

D．2l

【小題2】What do we learn from Paragraph 2 ?

A．Temple was still popular in l949．

B．Temple was a failure as a child star．

C．Hollywood made a big fortune because of Temple.

D．People became tired of Temple in the Great Depression.

【小題3】Temple attracted people’s attention again when        

A．she entered Congress

B．she worked for the UN

C．she went on with the pohtical life

D．she announced to participate in the election

【小題4】We know-from the last paragraph that Temple       

A．wanted to lead a different life

B．regreued having left Hollywood

C．was content with her experiences

D．was sorry about her election failure

【小題5】Which of the following best describes Temple?

A．3pecial and generous．	B．Patient and sensitive．
C．Attractive and humorous．	D．Talented and determined．

Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899—July 2, 1961) was an American writer and journalist. His writing style had a strong influence on 20^th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image(形象) affected later generations. Hemingway produced most of his works between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.
Hemingway was raised in Illinois. After high school he reported for The Kansas City Star, before leaving for the Italian front to enlist with the World War I ambulance drivers. In 1918, he was seriously wounded and returned home. In 1922, he married Hadley Richardson. The couple moved to Paris, where he worked as a foreign journalist. Advised and encouraged by other American writers in Paris—F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, he began to see his work appear in print there, and in 1925 his first important book, a collection of stories called In Our Time, was published. A year later, he published The Sun Also Rises, a novel with which he scored his first solid success. The writing of books occupied Hemingway for most of the postwar years. He remained based in Paris, but he traveled widely for bullfighting(斗牛), fishing, and hunting that by then had become part of his life and formed the background for much of his writing. Hemingway’s love of Spain and bullfighting resulted in Death in the Afternoon (1932). His position as a master of short fiction had been advanced by Men Without Women in 1927. The harvest of Hemingway’s considerable experience of Spain in war and peace was the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940). In the public view, however, the novel A Farewell to Arms (1929) overshadowed such works.
Shortly after he published The Old Man and the Sea in 1952, Hemingway went to Africa, where he was almost killed in a plane crash that left him in pain or ill-health for much of the rest of his life. Hemingway lived in Florida and Cuba during the 1930s and 1940s, but in 1959 he moved from Cuba to Ketchum, Idaho, where ended his life in the summer of 1961.
【小題1】Which best arranges Hemingway’s works in the correct order of time?
a. A Farewell to Arms       b. Men Without Women
c. The Old Man and the Sea  d. Death in the Afternoon
e. The Sun Also Rises       f. For Whom the Bell Tolls

A．e, a, b, f, d, c	B．e, b, a, d, f, c
C．b, a, d, f, e, c	D．b, d, a, e, c, f

【小題2】The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 probably means that A Farewell to Arms         .

A．was thought to be better than other works of Hemingway’s

B．was considered to make a show in Hemingway’s life

C．was only as excellent as the other works of Hemingway’s

D．was believed to be among the worst works of Hemingway’s

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Hemingway must have spent his childhood in Italy.
B. Hemingway was an energetic writer with a wide interest.
C. Hemingway’s first book In Our Time was published before 1925.
D Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature just before his death.
【小題4】It can be concluded from the passage that           .

A．Hemingway produced most of his works in Africa

B．Hemingway led a very happy life in his last few years

C．most of Hemingway’s works were based on his life experience

D．Hemingway’s writing style affected the life of later generations

As a boy growing up in India, I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have vivid memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is otherwise scared of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was!All along the Rhine(萊茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me overseas, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today, I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general, for me, has always been an ordeal(terrible and painful experience). Flying on Lufthansa, however, is something I always have and always will look forward to.
【小題1】Which country does the author live in now?

A．India.

B．Canada.

C．Belgium.

D．Germany.

【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE about the author’s trip to Europe in 1998?

A．The author traveled with one of his parents.

B．Both their going and return are by air.

C．They traveled in spring that year.

D．They stayed in Europe for nearly two months.

【小題3】It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is　　　.

A．a(chǎn) city in India	B．a(chǎn) city in Europe
C．a(chǎn)n airline company	D．a(chǎn) travel agency

【小題4】The underlined word“sombre”in the 4th paragraph probably means“　　　”.

A．happy	B．sad
C．a(chǎn)ngry	D．enjoyable

It was the first snow of the winter---an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up to now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, Ontario, had been through best snow days many times, but I think she may still remember this one.
I managed to get into my wool snow trousers. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear the ugly clothes. At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots.
In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of the winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the time that it was more a statement of hope than of confidence.
I handed her my boots and stuck out my feet. Like most children, I expected the adult to do all the work. After much pushing, she managed to get the first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.
I announced, “They are on the wrong feet.”
She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again.
“They are my brother’s boots, you know, I hate them.”
Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl. She struggled with me. She asked “now, where are your mittens(手套)?”
I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots.”
【小題1】The little girl was more satisfied with her __________.

A．trousers

B．jackets

C．boots

D．hat

【小題2】Miss Finlayson had difficulty with the little girl’s boots mainly because________.

A．the girl got them from her brother

B．the girl put something in them

C．they were on the wrong feet

D．they did not fit the girl well

【小題3】Why does the author say Miss Finlayson would remember that first snow day?

A．Because the little girl was in her brother’s clothes.

B．Because it was the most exciting day of the winter.

C．Because the little girl wore a pretty scarf.

D．Because the little girl played a trick on her.

【小題4】It can be inferred from the passage that Miss Finlayson _______________.

A．was losing confidence in the little girl

B．was gradually losing patience with the little girl

C．became disappointed with the little girl

D．got curious about the little girl

My heart sank when the man at the immigration counter gestured to the back room. I was born and raised in America, and this was Miami, where I live, but they weren’t quite ready to let me in yet.
　 “Please wait in here, Ms. Abujaber,” the immigration officer said. My husband, with his very American last name, accompanied me. He was getting used to this. The same thing had happened recently in Canada when I’d flown to Montreal to speak at a book event. That time they held me for 45 minutes. Today we were returning from a literary festival in Jamaica, and I was shocked that I was being sent “in back” once again.
　　The officer behind the counter called me up and said, “Miss, your name looks like the name of someone who’s on our wanted list. We’re going to have to check you out with Washington.”
　　“How long will it take?”
　　“Hard to say…a few minutes,” he said, “We’ll call you when we’re ready for you.” After an hour, Washington still hadn’t decided anything about me.
“Isn’t this computerized?” I asked at the counter, “Can’t you just look me up?”
“Just a few more minutes,” they assured me.
　　After an hour and a half, I pulled my cell phone out to call the friends I was supposed to meet that evening. An officer rushed over. “No phones!” he said, “For all we know you could be calling a terrorist cell and giving them information.”
　　“I’m just a university professor,” I said. My voice came out in a squeak.
　　“Of course you are. And we take people like you out of here in leg irons every day.”
　　I put my phone away.
　　My husband and I were getting hungry and tired. Whole families had been brought into the waiting room, and the place was packed with excitable children, exhausted parents, and even a flight attendant.
　　I wanted to scream, to jump on a chair and shout: “I’m an American citizen; a novelist; I probably teach English literature to your children.”
After two hours in detention (扣押), I was approached by one of the officers. “You’re free to go,” he said. No explanation or apologies. For a moment, neither of us moved. We were still in shock. Then we leaped to our feet.
　　“Oh, one more thing,” he handed me a tattered photocopy with an address on it, “If you aren’t happy with your treatment, you can write to this agency.”
　　“Will they respond?” I asked.
　　“I don’t know—I don’t know of anyone who’s ever written to them before.” Then he added,” By the way, this will probably keep happening each time you travel internationally.”
　　“What can I do to keep it from happening again?”
　　He smiled the empty smile we’d seen all day, “Absolutely nothing.”
　　After telling several friends about our ordeal, probably the most frequent advice I’ve heard in response is to change my name. Twenty years ago, my own graduate school writing professor advised me to write under a pen name so that publishers wouldn’t stick me in what he called “the ethnic ghetto”—a separate, secondary shelf in the bookstore. But a name is an integral part of anyone’s personal and professional identity—just like the town you’re born in and the place where you’re raised.
　　Like my father, I’ll keep the name, but my airport experience has given me a whole new perspective on what diversity and tolerance are supposed to mean. I had no idea that being an American would ever be this hard.
【小題1】The author was held at the airport because ______.

A．she and her husband returned from Jamaica

B．her name was similar to a terrorist’s

C．she had been held in Montreal

D．she had spoken at a book event

【小題2】She was not allowed to call her friends because ______.

A．her identity hadn’t been confirmed yet

B．she had been held for only one hour and a half

C．there were other families in the waiting room

D．she couldn’t use her own cell phone

【小題3】We learn from the passage that the author would ______ to prevent similar experience from happening again.

A．write to the agency	B．change her name
C．a(chǎn)void traveling abroad	D．do nothing

【小題4】Her experiences indicate that there still exists ______ in the US.

A．hatred	B．discrimination
C．tolerance	D．diversity

【小題5】The author sounds ______ in the last paragraph.

A．impatient

B．bitter

C．worried

D．ironic (具有諷刺意味的)

Cliff House
Top of the world
Near the North Pole
Christmas, 1925
My dear boys,
I am dreadfully busy this year一it makes my hand more shaky than ever when I think of it一and not very rich; in fact awful things have been happening, and some of the presents have got spoilt, and I haven't got the North Polar Bear to help me, and I have had to move house just before Christmas, so you can imagine what a state everything is in, and you will see why I have a new address, and why I can only write one letter between you both．
|K] It all happened like this: one very windy day last November my hood blew off and went and stuck on the top of the North Pole. I told him not to, but the North Polar Bear climbed up to the thin top to get it down一and he did. The pole broke in the middle and fell on the roof of my house, and the North Polar Bear fell through the hole it made into the dining room with my hood over his nose, and all the snow fell off the roof into the house and melted and put out all the fires and ran down into the cellars where I was collecting this year's presents, and the North Polar
Bear's leg got broken.
He is well again now, but I was so cross with him that he says he won't try to help me again一I expect his temper is hurt, and will be mended by next Christmas.
I send you a picture of the accident and of my new house on the cliffs above the North Pole(with beautiful cellars in the cliffs).
That's all. Good Bye！
【小題1】Why can the writer only write one letter to the two boys?

A．His hand is more shaky than ever.

B．He is extremely busy.

C．He has got a new address.

D．He has to help the North Polar Bear.

【小題2】Which of the following is most likely to be the picture of the accident?

【小題3】The underlined "him'，refers to

A．the hood

B．the pole

C．the hale

D．the bear

The younger daughter of former New York Mayor Richard White has moved her wedding from New Year’s Eve to this Thursday so her mother, who has been fighting against cancer for 11 years, can take part in the ceremony, a family spokesman said on Wednesday, Oct, 12, 2013. Elizabeth Lally White, who turns 28 on Thursday, will marry Sam Peterson in Spiaggia, a restaurant on North Michigan Avenue. The reception also will be held at the restaurant, which had been previously scheduled to host the couple’s engagement party on Thursday.

Lally White’s mother, Maggie, 68, was reported to have caught breast cancer in 2002. She had an operation in her leg in April and she was hospitalized twice in the weeks following the procedure for treatment of flu-like symptoms that doctors said were not related to the cancer. Maggie, who has used a walker or a wheelchair during most public appearances in recent years, is well beyond the average survival time for someone with breast cancer.
“As the mayor himself has said, she had a pretty difficult summer.” said Jacquelyn Heard, who served Mayor White’s press secretary for years and followed him to the same international law firm that he joined after leaving office in May. “She was not able to get around the way that she normally would do. This year, she has had quite a few setbacks and they’ve been pretty well documented. Lally White decided to reschedule the wedding so that her mom can participate in the festivities (慶�；顒�).” Heard said. Lally White is a doctoral candidate at De-Paul University and plans to work with autistic (孤獨癥) children, and Sam Peterson works in insurance, Heard said.
Richard and Maggie White married in 1972 and had three children in addition to Lally — Nora, Patrick and Kevin. But Kevin was born with a disease and died in 1981 at 33 months.
【小題1】When was Elizabeth Lally White born?

A．In 1983.

B．In 1987.

C．In 1985.

D．In 1984.

【小題2】What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A．Maggie, 68, is recovering now.

B．Maggie caught breast cancer in 2002.

C．The cancer caused some flu-like symptoms on Maggie.

D．Average breast cancer patients lived a life shorter than Maggie.

【小題3】Why did Lally White reschedule her wedding?

A．She was afraid that her mother couldn’t participate her wedding on New Year’s Eve.

B．She was eager to work with autistic children after wedding.

C．Her family will move out of New York.

D．Her mother will accept operation because of her disease.

【小題4】How many children did the former mayor and his wife give birth to?

A．3.

B．4.

C．5.

D．6.

【小題5】What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The political life of former Mayor.

B．The brave wife of former Mayor.

C．The wedding of former Mayor’s daughter.

D．The family life of former Mayor.

Henry Edwards Huntington
Henry Edwards Huntington was born in 1850 in Oneonta，New York．In 1872 he went to work for his uncle，one of the owners of the Central Pacific Railroad．Twenty years later， Huntington moved to San Francisco at his uncle's request to share management of the Southern Pacific Railroad．On the way to San Francisco，he visited San Marino，and later bought it，which is home to his collections today．
In 1902，Huntington moved his business operations to Los Angeles，where he developed the street railway system that created the structure of the Los Angeles area．He greatly expanded the existing electric railway lines，creating an extensive inter-urban system providing the transportation necessary．Huntington’s business interests continued to grow particularly in the areas of water，power，and land development；at one time he served on as many as 60 corporate boards throughout the United States．
At the age of 60，he announced his decision to retire in order to devote time to his book and art collections and the landscaping of the 600一acre farm．In 1911 the large Beaux Arts building，in the charge of the architect Myron Hunt，was completed．
In 1913，Huntington married Arabella Duval Huntington．She shared his interests in collecting．As one of the most important art collectors of her generation，she was highly influential in the development of the art collection now shown in the former building．
In 1919，Henry and Arabella Huntington signed the agreement that conveyed their San Marino property and collections to a nonprofit educational trust，creating the Huntington，one of the world’s great cultural，research，and educational centers．
Henry E．Huntington died in 1927，leaving his great treasures the Huntington，including the world—famous H untington Library，Art Gallery，and Botanical Gardens in San Marino，California to the public，which hosts more than 500，000 visitors each year.
【小題1】What can you learn about Huntington from the first two paragraphs?

A．He worked in many fields before he came to Los Angeles．

B．He built a house to store his art collection in San Marino．

C．H e did a lot to the USA railway development．

D．He founded the Central Pacific Railroad．

【小題2】What did Huntington do after his retirement?

A．He devoted himself to his personal interests．

B．He worked part time for non—profit business．

C．H e was in charge of an educational center．

D．H e shared his wife’s interests with her．

【小題3】Which of the following can best describe Huntington?

A．An excellent artist．	B．A talented architect．
C．An ambitious educator．	D．A successful businessman．

【小題4】This passage is most probably taken from

A．a(chǎn) science fiction	B．a(chǎn) newspaper report
C．a(chǎn) novel	D．a(chǎn) biography