My daughter and I collected the empty cans and bottles in our home .this morning, We had 6 full garbage bags later so I knew we would be spending a bit more of time at the recycling center. When we got there , a man and his kids were also doing the morning recycling and were using two of the four machines to recycle their plastic and cans. Luckily ,we were able to use the 2 remaining machines.
Of course, there were others that came, but when they saw the two families with garbage bags full of recycled things, they quickly left. However, one woman came in with just 5 cans and looked as if she was in a hurry. So I stopped what I was doing and let her in to recycle her cans. Of course, she was grateful, and it felt good to let her go ahead of me. But that was not the whole story.
My daughter and I continued to work through the bags, but the plastic recycling machine stopped working because it was full. My daughter was left with nothing to, do. The other family was still using the other two plastic recycling machines, but it. seemed that they were almost done .I just told my daughter we would have to wait until they were done. But the man of the other family came through with another act of kindness. He offered to let us go ahead of him. I was really surprised, because we had more than 5 bottles, but he didn’t seem to mind. I happily accepted it.
It was great to give and then to get an act of kindness in turn. It was small, I didn't expect it, but it surely brightened up my day.
【小題1】What can we learn from Paragraph l?

A．The writer did collecting every morning.

B．The writer usually had 6 bags of cans to recycle.

C．There were four recycling machines in all.

D．Most people did recycling in the morning.

【小題2】Why did the writer let the woman recycle her cans first?

A．Because there were many other families there.

B．Because the woman seemed to be in a hurry.

C．Because the writer wanted to hear a story.

D．Because the woman was very grateful.

【小題3】Why couldn't the writer finish her recycling in time?

A．Because her daughter' s machine stopped working.

B．Because the other family was still using the machines.

C．Because she let the other family use her machine first.

D．Because she helped recycle the other family's bags first.

【小題4】What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The kindness.	B．The offer.
C．The machine.	D．The 5 bottles.

【小題5】Which of the following best describes the topic of this passage?

A．A good name is sooner-lost than won.

B．A little is better than none.

C．All men cannot be first.

D．One good turn deserves another.

Noah Webster, born on October 16, 1758 , is known for The American Dictionary of the English Language. He has been called the " Father of American Scholarship and Education. " His " Blue-Backed Speller" books were used to teach spelling and reading to five generations of American children. But how much .do you know about him beyond that?
At the age of 16, Noah Webster began attending ,Yale College. Unfortunately, he spent his four years at Yale during the American Revolutionary War, and, because of food shortages, many of his college classes were held in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Later, he served in the army.
Having graduated from Yale in 1778, Webster wanted to continue his education in order to earn his law degree. He had to teach school in order to pay for his education. He set up many small schools that didn't survive, but he was a good teacher because instead of forcing his students to learn, like most teachers did, he rewarded them. He earned his law degree in 1781, but did not practice law until 1789. Once he started he found the law was not to his liking.
Webster did not have much money. In 1793 , Alexander Hamilton lent him $ 1500 to move to New York City to edit a newspaper. In December, he founded New York ' s first daily newspaper, American Minerva, and edited it for four years. For decades, he published . textbooks, political essays, a report on some diseases, and newspaper articles for his party, He wrote so much that a modern list of his published works required 655 pages .Noah Webster died on May 28, 1843 and was buried in the Grove Street Cemetery.
【小題1】What's the main idea of Paragraph l?

A． Webster's famous dictionarie .

B．Webster's daily routines.

C． Webster's main achievements.

D．Webster's college education.

【小題2】Which of the following best describes Webster's life at Yale?

A．Tough.

B．Smooth.

C．Normal.

D．Tiring.

【小題3】What did Noah want to be after graduation from Yale?

A．A teacher.

B．A lawyer.

C．A headmaster.

D．A scholar.

【小題4】Why was Webster a good teacher?

A．Because he set up many small schools.

B．Because he graduated from Yale College,

C．Because he forced his students to learn.

D．Because he often rewarded his students.

【小題5】What can we infer from Paragraph 4?

A．Webster was a most productive author.

B．Webster led a miserable life in New York City.

C．Webster's books added up to 655 pages.

D．Webster didn't write any polifical works.

When Luca first heard of the Island of Inventions, he was still very young. But its wonders sounded so incredible that they were forever burned in his memory. From that moment, he never stopped searching for clues which might lead him to the island. He read hundreds of adventure books, histories, volumes of physics and chemistry, even music.
Over time, he pieced together his idea of what the Island of Inventions was like. It was a secret place, where all the great wise men of the world would meet to learn and invent together. Access to the island was totally restricted. To join, you had to have created some great invention for humanity. Only then could you receive the special invitation — which came with directions to the island.
So Luca spent his youth studying and inventing. Every new idea he got, he made it into an invention, and if there were something he didn't understand, he’d seek others to help him. Soon he met other young inventors and he told them about the Island of Inventions. They too dreamed of one day receiving an invitation letter. 
As years passed, the disappointment of not receiving their invitation made Luca and his friends work harder and co-operate more. They would meet in Luca's house, share their ideas and build new machines. Their inventions became known throughout the world, and improved the lives of millions. 
But still, no invitation came.
They didn’t lose heart. They continued learning and inventing every day, trying to come up with more and better ideas. Fresh young talent joined their group, as more inventors dreamed of getting to the island.
One day many years later, Luca, already very old, was speaking with a brilliant young man named Roberts, who had written to him, asking him to join the group. Luca started telling the man of the wonderful Island of Inventions, and of how he was sure that some day they would receive an invitation. Surprised, the young inventor interrupted: “You mean this place isn’t the Island of Inventions? Isn't the letter you sent me the real invitation?”
It was only then that Luca realised that his dream had become true in his very own house. No island could exist which would be better than where he was now. No place of invention would be better than what he and his friends had created. Luca felt happy to know that he had always been on the island, and that his life of invention and study had been a truly happy one.
【小題1】Why did Luca and his colleagues probably never receive an invitation to the island?

A．Their ideas were not considered worthy enough.

B．They were too concerned with acquiring fame.

C．The organization had already broken up.

D．The island was not a real place.

【小題2】What did Luca learn at the end of the story?

A．The island of inventions did not exist.

B．He had wasted most of his life.

C．He had unknowingly built his own dreamland.

D．He finally would receive his invitation.

【小題3】Which of the following best describes Luca?

A．Aggressive.

B．Trusting.

C．Creative.

D．Easy-going.

It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and went. I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib (肋骨) might have pierced (穿透) a lung....”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled (憤慨地說出) those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy... I am so sorry....”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay.”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said, “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though.” He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.
【小題1】The author was in bad mood that morning because ________.

A．his father had a terrible accident

B．he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends

C．his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema

D．his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends

【小題2】Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?

A．Because he didn’t go along with his father.

B．Because he was rude to his father that morning.

C．Because he failed to come earlier after the accident.

D．Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital.

【小題3】The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that ________.

A．he had a poor memory

B．he didn’t want to forgive his son

C．he just wanted to comfort his son

D．he lost his memory after the accident

【小題4】What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?

A．Don’t treat your parents badly

B．Don’t hurt others with rude words

C．Don’t move the injured in an accident

D．Don’t be angry with friends at small things

My wife Julie and I were out on the road that runs around where we live, when we saw an old worn-out dog stumbling (蹣跚) painfully up the road. We stopped, bent down, talked gently to the dog and patted it. I checked and there was a collar with a phone number. I called but no one answered.
The dog was painfully thin. So Julie ran home to get some of our dog’s food while I tried to encourage the dog. After Julie came back, we sat down on the sidewalk while our new friend made short work of the food. Eventually we got her home.
After trying for many times we got a response from the number. A lady came around with a bunch of flowers for us. She explained that Tara had been her father’s dog. She was very old and got lost that morning. So, Tara was safely returned home.
Here is the truth of the story:
Actually Julie and I were out that morning because I was leaving. She was trying to persuade me to come back, but I wasn’t hearing anything that made that sound likely.
I was about to turn and go when an old black dog walked between us and almost fell down. Suddenly we had something more important than our problem to worry about. There was a creature in need right before us and we had to work together to help it.
We did help it. And here I am writing the story in my own home, in my own family.
In the song “Love Is Not a Fight” Warren Barfield talks about marriage. At one point he sings, “And if we try to leave, may God send angels (天使) to guard the door.”
Sometimes angels come disguised (偽裝) as dogs.
【小題1】How was the dog when found?

A．Too weak to walk.	B．Thin and worn out.
C．Unable to eat food.	D．Homeless but gentle.

【小題2】 We can infer from Paragraph 2 that         .

A．the dog didn’t go with the writer

B．the writer had his own pet dog

C．Julie bought some food for the dog

D．the dog didn’t eat any of the food

【小題3】The underlined part “our problem” in the passage refers to the fact that         .

A．the writer didn’t want to take Julie’s advice

B．an old black dog appeared in front of them

C．Julie disagreed with the writer’s travel on business

D．the couple had some trouble with their marriage

【小題4】Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．An Angel Dog

B．A Helpful Couple

C．Saving the Dog

D．A Famous Song

Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies’ two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sevigne in Paris.
Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities(設備) to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognized in the form of a Military Medal by the French government.
In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity(輻射能). Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.
【小題1】Why was Irene Curie awarded a Military Medal?

A．Because she received a degree in mathematics.

B．Because she contributed to saving the wounded.

C．Because she won the Nobel Prize with Frederic.

D．Because she worked as a helper to her mother.

【小題2】Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederic Joliot?

A．At the Curie Institute.	B．At the University of Paris.
C．At a military hospital.	D．At the College of Sevigne.

【小題3】When was the second child of Irene Curie and Frederic Joliot born?

A．In 1932.

B．In 1927.

C．In 1897.

D．In 1926.

【小題4】 In which of the following aspects was Irene Curie different from her mother?

A．Irene worked with radioactivity.

B．Irene combined family and career.

C．Irene won the Nobel Prize once.

D．Irene died from leukemia.

【小題5】What is the text mainly about?

A．Marie Curie	B．Irene Curie
C．Marie Curie’s husband	D．Irene Curie’s husband

When Julio Diaz stepped off the subway after work one night, he was simply planning to go to his favorite local diner for a meal. But when a teenage boy approached him with a knife, Diaz knew the evening was about to take a more dramatic(巨大而突然的) turn.
The young man demanded Diaz’s wallet, and Diaz passed it over without objection(異議). But just as he turned to walk away, Diaz called, “Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something.”
The young man turned around, surprised.
“If you’re going to rob people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep warm.”
The teenager looked at Diaz in disbelief, and asked why he would do such a thing. Diaz replied, “If you’re willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, I guess you must really need the money.”He said he was heading out for dinner, and that he would be happy to take someone with him.
The young man decided to take Diaz up on his offer. As they were sitting at the table, the manager, dishwashers and waiters all stopped over to say hello to Diaz, and the young man was amazed at his popularity.
“Haven’t you been taught that you should be nice to everybody?”Diaz asked him.
“Yeah, but I didn’t think people actually behaved that way,” the teenager replied. Thanks to Diaz, he was beginning to see that kindness wasn’t so strange, after all.
When the bill came, Diaz told the teen that he’d have to get the check. After all, he still had Diaz’s wallet.
But the teenager put the wallet on the table without a moment’s thought, and Diaz treated him to dinner. Diaz also gave the would-be robber a $20 bill — in exchange for his knife. “I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right,” Diaz said.
【小題1】When a teenage boy approached him with a knife, Diaz was on his way ________.

A．to the subway station.	B．to his workplace.
C．to have a meal.	D．to see a drama.

【小題2】The young man felt surprised when Diaz ________.

A．stepped off the subway platform

B．passed the wallet over without objection

C．called him to wait for a moment

D．invited him to have dinner together

【小題3】The underlined part “take Diaz up on”can be replaced by “________”.

A．follow

B．understand

C．check

D．accept

【小題4】The teenager gave the wallet back to Diaz maybe because _________.

A．Diaz was so popular with people in the restaurant

B．he began to realize people should be nice to others

C．Diaz had to pay for the meal they had together

D．he had been given a $20 bill to take with him

【小題5】Diaz possibly felt _________ during the whole night.

A．relaxed and happy	B．worried and helpless
C．angry and scared	D．surprised and anxious

Many of us have heard stories about teachers who can “see” into a student’s future. Even if a student is not performing well, they can predict success. We are convinced that this ability, this gift, is evidence that they were “called to teach.” If the gift of sight is evidence, how greater must be the gift of touch. I have a story.
I grew up in the fifties in a poor African American neighborhood in Stockton, California, that had neither sidewalks nor an elementary school. Each day, always in groups at our parents’ insistence, my friends and I would leave home early enough to walk eight blocks to school and be in our seats when the bell rang. For four blocks, we walked on dusty roads. By the fifth block, we walked on sidewalks that led to lovely homes and to Fair Oaks Elementary School. It was at Fair Oaks, in a sixth grade English class, that I met Ms. Victoria Hunter, a teacher who had a huge influence on my life.
During reading periods, she would walk around the room, stop at our desks, stand over us for a second or two, and then touch us. Without saying anything to us (nothing could break the silence of reading periods), she would place two fingers lightly on our throats and hold them there for seconds. I learned many years later when I was a student at Stanford University that teachers touch the throat of students to check for sub-vocalization (默讀), which slows down the reading speed. I did not know at the time why Ms. Hunter was touching our throats, but I was a serious and respectful student and so, during silent reading period, I did what Ms. Hunter told us to do. I kept my eyes on the material I was reading and waited for her to place her fingers lightly on my throat.
One day, out of curiosity, I raised my head from my book — though not high — so that I could see Ms. Hunter, a white woman from Canada, moving up and down the rows, stopping at the desks of my classmates. I wanted to see how they reacted when she touched their throats. She walked past them. I was confused. Did she pass them by because they were model students? What did we, the students who were touched, not do right? I sat up straighter in my chair, thinking that my way of sitting might be the problem. I was confused. Several days later, I watched again, this time raising my head a little higher. Nothing changed. Ms. Hunter touched the same students. Always, she touched me.
She touched me with her hands. She also touched me with her belief in my ability to achieve. She motivated me by demanding the best from me and by letting teachers I would meet in junior high school know that I should be challenged, that I would be serious about my work. I am convinced that she touched me because she could “see” me in the future. That was true of all of us at Fair Oaks who sat still and silent as Ms. Hunter placed her fingers lightly on our throats. We left Fair Oaks as “best students,” entered John Marshall Junior High School, finished at the top of our high school class, and went on to earn graduate degrees in various subjects. Ms. Hunter saw us achieving and she touched us to make certain that we would.
I was not surprised that she came to my graduation ceremony at Edison High School in Stockton or that she talked to me about finishing college and earning a Ph. D. She expected that of me. She gave me a beautifully wrapped box. Inside was a gift, the beauty of which multiplies even as it touches me: a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life.
【小題1】According to the writer, what is a special ability many good teachers possess?

A．The ability to make all students behave well.

B．The ability to treat different students in the same way.

C．The ability to discover a student’s potential to succeed.

D．The ability to predict the near future of a poor student.

【小題2】When she saw Ms. Hunter walk past some students without touching their throats, the writer felt ______.

A．disturbed

B．puzzled

C．ashamed

D．annoyed

【小題3】What does the writer mean by “a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life” (paragraph 6)?

A．A gift which encourages me to do well on the journey of my life.

B．A gift which becomes more and more valuable as time goes by.

C．A necklace which I wear on all important occasions in my life.

D．A necklace which suits me and adds to my charm.

【小題4】Which of the following serves as the best title for the story?

A．Ms. Hunter’s Surprise	B．Ms. Hunter’s Challenge
C．A Teacher’s Touch	D．A Teacher’s Memory

A 16-year-old boy finds himself on a boat in the Pacific Ocean after escaping a shipwreck(海難). Even worse, he is left with a huge tiger for company. But he manages to survive after 227 days of fighting against all the hardships of the sea.
Pi, the lead character in Oscar-winning Ang Lee’s new movie Life of Pi, went through an inspiring journey of growth and self-discovery. So did 19-year-old Suraj Sharma, the Indian actor who plays him.
But it was a lucky chance that opened up the opportunity for the new star. Sharma was a regular student who lived with his mathematician parents in Delhi, India. As the director traveled to Mumbai to find his Pi, the teenager went along with his younger brother, who had acted in a couple of movies, to audition(試鏡). But little did Sharma know that he would end up winning the role from 3, 000 hopefuls.
Lee said he saw Pi in Sharma: “Not only does he have a compelling and wise look. He has this rare talent.” The director said that in the final round, Sharma gave one of the “most compelling readings we had. In the end, he was in tears.” Understandably, Sharma didn’t want to let Lee down. “He (Lee) had given me this opportunity. I had to give it my best,” Sharma told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Sharma swam for four or five hours a day until he was completely comfortable with the water. He also worked on his body because he had to first gain weight and then quickly lose weight as the story developed. He even had rats run all over him to prepare for his role. Lee was impressed by the teenager, especially his endurance and patience in staying in a water tank for many hours each day. Sharma was only 16 when Lee signed him. After three years of shooting, Sharma said he had matured with Pi’s journey.
【小題1】What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To introduce the topic of the passage.

B．To appeal to readers to watch a movie.

C．To attract readers to continue reading.

D．To suggest the theme of this passage.

【小題2】We can know from the passage that ________.

A．Sharma wanted to become a mathematician

B．Sharma had acted in a couple of movies

C．Sharma was sure to win in the audition

D．Many teenagers wanted to act the role Pi

【小題3】What does the phrase “to let somebody down” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．To make somebody disappointed.

B．To seat somebody down.

C．To reject somebody’s requirement.

D．To take down somebody’s information.

【小題4】Which of the following words can be used to describe Sharma?

A．Confident and passionate.

B．Talented and diligent.

C．Strong and courageous.

D．Endurable and easily-excited.

【小題5】The passage is intended to introduce ________.

A．the thrilling escape from a shipwreck

B．how an Oscar-winning movie attracts audience

C．a young actor became matured when acting in a movie

D．the difficulty in winning a role in a movie

Over thirty thousand years ago，people from northern Asia （亞洲北部） went to America．Today， we call these people Indians（印第安人）．
　　The Indians went to America because the weather began to change．Northern Asia became very cold. Everything froze. They had to move or die. How did the first Indians go to America? They walked！
　　Later Columbus found the New World in 1492．At first，only a few Europeans followed（跟隨）．They travelled to America in boats． For the next three hundred years， about 500，000 people went there． Then the number grew very quickly. From 1815 to 1915，over thirty－two million Europeans left their countries and went to the United States． The biggest groups were from Germany and Italy（意大利）．These Europeans spoke many different languages．Most of them took almost no money．They went to America so that they could find a better life．　
【小題1】__________ went to America first．

A．People from northern Asia	B．People from Europe
C．People from Germany	D．Columbus

【小題2】Why did the Indians go to America? Because __________．

A．northern Asia became very hot

B．northern Asia became very cold

C．they were interested in America

D．they liked travelling

【小題3】The New World was ___________．

A．Italy	B．northern Asia
C．Germany	D．America

【小題4】The first Europeans went to America _______________．

A．by ship

B．by bike

C．by boat

D．by train