Jerry was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?” Jerry replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, ‘Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live life.” I reflected on what Jerry said. Later, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life.
Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, he forgot the password, nervous. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local hospital. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments（碎片） of the bullets still in his body.
I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Jerry replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.” “Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked. Jerry continued, “The doctors and nurses were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. I knew I needed to take action.”
“What did you do?” I asked. “Well, there was a big, strong nurse shouting questions at me,” said Jerry. “She asked if I was allergic (過敏的)to anything. “Yes,” I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, “Bullets!” Over their laughter, I told them. “I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
【小題1】The author left Jerry’s restaurant because he___________.

A．wanted to start business on his own

B．was afraid of another robbery later

C．was not equal to the job any longer

D．didn’t get along well with others

【小題2】Why was Jerry shot?

A．Because he left the back door open.

B．Because he opened the safe too slowly.

C．Because he pretended to forget the password.

D．Because he didn’t open the safe in time.

【小題3】What was Jerry really afraid in the emergency room?

A．The doctors and nurses gave him up.

B．He decided to take action to live again.

C．He saw the expressions of the doctors and nurses.

D．He might not be saved by doctors and nurses.

【小題4】From the passage we can learn that Jerry was _________.

A．no longer positive to his life after the operation

B．optimistic even when things were at their worst

C．Jerry influenced all his colleges in many ways

D．badly injured and stayed in hospital for six months

【小題5】Which of the following is conveyed in this article?

A．Where there is life, there is hope.

B．Everything comes to him who waits.

C．Humor is the best medicine that creates miracle.

D．Attitude determines everything.

Twelve years ago, when I was 50,I wondered what 60 or 70 would be like? I looked around and saw only one style of living. It’s not fair, I thought. Young people have so many styles to choose from, but older people have just one choice. So I decide to do something about it , something practical.
I worked on my fitness by joining exercise classes in town. A few years later, my husband and I moved to a retirement community, and I wanted to teach aerobic（有氧運(yùn)動(dòng)的）classes. The community center wouldn’t give me a room to teach in, so I had to walk around and find any available empty room.
One day, the community center staff came to me and asked if I would help with the entertainment for a Hawaiian luau（夏威夷式宴會(huì)）they were putting on. I said yes. Then I talked five other ladies into dancing with me. We performed the hula（呼啦舞）and a war chant and brought the house down. Someone had a camera and took pictures, and then sent them to our local paper. We got requests for more engagements, which in turn led to more publicity and yet more engagements. Soon we had invitations from all over the country. The Dancing Grannies were born!
I think the real secret of the Dancing Grannies is out attitude. I was raised extremely poor ---no-food poor. If we wanted toys we had to make things up to play with ,so I learned early to be very creative. And you know,I think being poor was one of the best things that ever happened to me because I learned to look for treasures.
That’s what I’m still doing today—looking for the treasure in growing old. I’m getting better and better.
It’s true that antiques have to be treated a bit differently, with a little care, but they still have a beauty of their own. 
【小題1】What did the writer think of the living style of the older people when she was 50?

A．Unsatisfying

B．Favorable

C．Pleasant

D．Practical

【小題2】Why did the writer have to walk around and find an empty room?

A．Because she couldn’t offer an expensive room.

B．Because she wasn’t given a room to teach in by the community center.

C．Because she wanted to find a better one.

D．Because she wanted to keep fit by walking.

【小題3】What can we infer from the writer’s performance?  

A．It was just so-so.	B．It was a failure.
C．It was average.	D．It was a success.

【小題4】What made the writer learn to look for treasures?

A．Being active	B．Being creative
C．Being rich	D．Being poor

【小題5】What does the underlined word “antiques” (in the last paragraph) refer to?  

A．Ancient treasures	B．Poor children
C．Old people	D．The Dancing Grannies

Davey wanted to play baseball. But fifty years ago, in his small town, he couldn’t find enough players for two full teams or an empty lot big enough for a field. And when he played ball in his back yard, he just broke windows and got into trouble. So Davey began playing with a plastic golf ball and a broom handle for a bat.
When his dad, David Mullaney, a former semi-pro baseball pitcher(投手), realized his son was hurting his arm trying to throw curves with the little plastic ball, he decided to find a better solution. Mullaney got a bunch of hollow plastic spheres from a local factory, sat down at his kitchen table and began cutting different size holes in the balls with a razor knife. He thought maybe the holes would alter the ball’s flight and help his son throw curves and sliders without hurting his arm.
All the balls failed—except the one with the eight oblong(長(zhǎng)橢圓形的) holes cut into one of the hemispheres. This ball curved naturally and sharply without a violent snap of the wrist. In fact, Davey was now striking out so many batters; he called his new ball a “wiffle ball”. A year later, Mullaney borrowed $20,000 from family and friends and started producing Wiffle Balls in his little suburban town of Shelton, Connecticut.
“I didn’t want investors.” He said, “I wanted to control my own company.” This was the beginning of one of the hottest fads(時(shí)尚) of the fifties and a perennial(長(zhǎng)久的) best seller well known all around the world. Since then millions of boys and girls have enjoyed countless hours of safe, wholesome fun playing with a Wiffle ball and bat. Esquire Magazine has even called the Wiffle Ball “a national treasure”. By producing a high quality product at an affordable price, three generations of Mullany’s have enjoyed the satisfaction and benefits of running a successful and profitable family business.
Over the years, they’ve had plenty of offers to buy them out, but they’re still working out of a small factory in Shelton, making a new Wiffle Ball every couple of seconds. Creativity and persistence are two of the important sources for wealth. If he gave up his attempts at trying new things, Mullany would not have invented the wiffle ball, nor would he have made such a big fortune.
【小題1】From the passage we can know that           .          

A．Mullaney made the invention of Wiffle ball with the help of his son

B．fifty years ago people didn’t like playing baseball very much

C．Mullaney’s attempts to help Davey better enjoy ball-playing led to the invention of Wiffle ball

D．playing balls would hurt one’s arm before the Wiffle ball’s appearance

【小題2】All the following are true EXCEPT         .

A．Davey was a good ballplayer after the Wiffle ball came into existence

B．David Mullaney wanted to run the family business on his own

C．Mullaney’s family made a big fortune through the production of Wiffle balls

D．Mullaney’s business was nearly bought out but they worked hard to keep it

【小題3】The underlined word “spheres” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to         .

A．balls

B．bottles

C．bags

D．boxes

【小題4】The two important factors for Mullaney’s successful family business are         .

A．time and fortune	B．persistence and creativity
C．quality and fame	D．cooperation and efforts

【小題5】The passage mainly tells us something about         .

A．Davey, a famous baseball player	B．a(chǎn) popular ball game in the 1950’s
C．the birth of Wiffle ball	D．the success of a family business

Steve Nash enjoys team success far more than personal success, and always wants to share the glory and the joy with teammates.
He is a self-effacing (不愛出風(fēng)頭的) Canadian, who grew up in hockey country. Today Steve Nash has to stand alone even if he doesn’t enjoy it. The Phoenix Sun’s point guard has to take ownership of a set of skills that sets him apart from every bigger, faster basketball player. He is considered the best basketball player in the game.
31-year old Nash was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA on May 8, 2005. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. “It’s been a long road for me and I really enjoy playing as a team, just trying to be a good teammate. That is the only way for me to highlight what I do as a basketball player.”
It is the first time a Canadian has won any individual NBA honor. Of the 50 winners of the MVP award, only six have been guards: Steve Nash, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, and Bob Cousy. “I’m happy for him getting the MVP, which makes us feel like we all got the MVP,” said Phoenix forward Shawn Marion.
He may be the only one who truly believes he can reach this level. “I always try to set goals for myself and have my own time frame to accomplish them and I never give up on anything,” he said. It is not as if Nash arrived at this point without countless hours of hard work.
His interests go far beyond sports and the NBA. His social conscience is such that he wore a T-shirt bearing an anti-war slogan at the NBA all-star weekend festivities in Philadelphia in 2002.
“A lot of great moments are when you win games with your teammates. There’s nothing like sharing something with someone else,” he said. “There is a pinnacle (頂點(diǎn)) of a player’s career individually. In many ways, the pinnacle of a player’s career really is defined by team wins.”
【小題1】What does Steve Nash mean by saying the last two sentences?

A．A player’s success is decided by his / her individual efforts.

B．A player won’t succeed without a team’s support.

C．A player will succeed sooner or later.

D．A team always decides a player’s success.

【小題2】Steve Nash feels happiest _______.

A．when he is named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA

B．when he is 30 years old

C．when he plays at the NBA all-star weekend festivities

D．when his team wins a game

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

A．Nash is an American basketball player.

B．Nash is better at basketball than Magic Johnson.

C．Nash is the first Canadian winner of the MVP award.

D．Michael Jordan is the best of the six guards.

【小題4】 Which of the following is the main message that the passage wants to express?
A. Nash prefers team honor to personal honor.
B. Hard work will lead to the honor of the MVP of the NBA.
C. A Canadian can be an MVP of the NBA.
D. Setting goals is of importance to success.

It was 9:00 am already! Richard had to leave for work! Before leaving he hurriedly looked at the newspaper and stood still! Is he seeing it right? He rubbed his eyes and saw again… Yes, it was his name in the obituary(訃告)! He threw the paper in the bin and screamed.
Richard started to recollect. He remembered that last night when he went to bed he had a chest pain and he was rushed to hospital. Then he went into a sound sleep. But what happened after that?
He could suddenly see his living room filled with people… all in tears; his mom, his wife and his children. He also saw his best friend, the one he had a serious misunderstanding a few days back. He wanted to say “Sorry” to him… but now no one could hear his voice.
He wondered how he could tell his mom that he felt so thankful to have her in his life! He wanted to tell his children how much he loved them. He wanted to tell his wife how much he loved her; he felt sorry to have hurt her sometimes.
Richard started crying and pleading to God for one LAST chance! “God, one last chance, please”, shouted Richard and opened his eyes.
Oh, this was a dream!
He woke up; looked around everywhere. He was on his bed; his wife lay beside him, deep in sleep. Richard whispered in her ears, “You are the best thing to have ever happened to me!”
He went up to the window, looking outside. Yes, everything was just the way he has been knowing so long. He decided to meet up his friends and clear all misunderstandings; he also decided to tell everyone who mattered to him all that has remained unsaid so far!
【小題1】When Richard saw his name in the newspaper, he felt _________.

A．sad

B．shocked

C．regretful

D．worried

【小題2】Richard felt sorry to his wife because _________.

A．they had a quarrel the other day	B．he misunderstood her
C．he hurt her sometimes	D．he didn’t love her

【小題3】After the dream, Richard would probably _________.

A．be on good terms with his friend again

B．express appreciation and thanks to his friend

C．demand an apology from his friend

D．break up with his friend

【小題4】The writer of the story mainly tells us that _________.

A．misunderstanding between friends is common

B．we need to see a doctor when having a chest pain

C．getting along well with friends is important

D．we should tell our family how much we love them

One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods from door to door found that he had only one dime left. He was hungry so he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.
However, he became nervous when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”
“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied, “Mother has taught me never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As Haward Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but it also increased his faith in God and the human race. He was about to give up and quit before this point.
Years later, the young woman became seriously ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists could be called in to study her rare disease. Dr. Haward Kelly, now famous was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately, he rose and went down through the hospital hall into her room.
Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room and determined to do his best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to her case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she was positive that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words,
“Paid in full with one glass of milk.”
(Signed) Dr. Haward Kelly
Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she prayed silently, “Thank You, God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”
【小題1】After finishing the milk, the boy ______________.

A．felt angry because what he was really hungry

B．regretted that he didn’t ask for any food

C．felt more hungry than ever before

D．had a stronger faith in God and the human race

【小題2】The underlined word “baffled” in Para. 4 probably means_______.  

A．puzzled

B．excited

C．a(chǎn)mazed

D．encouraged

【小題3】What did the local doctors finally do when the young woman became seriously ill?

A．They looked on indifferently.

B．They asked for Dr. Howard Kelly’s help.

C．They sent her to a hospital with specialists.

D．They believed that his faith in God would cure her.

【小題4】Which of the following statement is RIGHT according to the passage?

A．The young woman knew that Dr. Howard Kelly would help her and save her life.

B．The doctor walked away the moment he heard the name of the town she came from.

C．The doctor saved the woman’s life and paid off the bill.

D．We shouldn’t ask for help because one day we will pay a lot for it.

A year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan. His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but work for Dave was scarce, and the price of everything was rising. The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years. Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift--＄7,000, a legacy  (遺產(chǎn))  from their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch who died in an accident. “It really made a difference when we were going under financially,” says Dave.
But the Fusses weren’t the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches. Dozens of other families were touched by the Hatches’ generosity. In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars; in others, it was more than ＄100,000.
It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than ＄3 million--they were an elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm.
Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving. They liked comparison shopping and would routinely go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase.
Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their parents couldn’t afford it. “Ish and Arlene never asked if you needed anything.” says their friend Sandy Van Weelden. “They could see things they could do to make you happier, and they would do them.”
Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed. It was the Hatches’ wish that their legacy, a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cents, should enrich the whole community and last for generations to come.
Neighbors helping neighbors -- that was Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story.
【小題1】According to the text, the Fusses_________.

A．were employed by a truck company

B．were in financial difficulty

C．worked in a school cafeteria

D．lost their home

【小題2】Which of the following is true of the Hatches?

A．They had their children during the Great Depression.

B．They left the family farm to live in an old house.

C．They gave away their possessions to their neighbors.

D．They helped their neighbors to find jobs

【小題3】Why would the Hatches routinely go from store to store?

A．They decided to open a store. ks5u

B．They wanted to save money.

C．They couldn’t afford expensive things.

D．They wanted to buy gifts for local kids.

【小題4】According to Sandy Van Weelden, the Hatches were ________.

A．understanding

B．optimistic

C．childlike

D．curious

【小題5】What can we learn from the text?

A．The community of Alto was poor.

B．The summer camp was attractive to the parents.

C．Sandy Van Weelden got a legacy from the Hatches

D．The Hatches would like the neighbors to follow their example.

Not too long ago, our teacher, being a “tree-hugger”(as the kids call her), had us write an essay on an environmental issue. I was eager to start, but something made me stop.
“What is an environmental issue?” one kid asked. “What if we don’t care about the environment?” another complained. “It’s not like it affects me.”
These comments astounded me. I have always cared about the environment and assumed that others did too. From the surprised look on my teacher’s face, I could tell she felt the same way.
In no time, I finished my essay. In my essay I wrote about logging(伐木), which is an important industry, but if we continue to cut down trees without replacing, it will damage the environment.
There are so many things that we can do to save our world. Recycling, of course, is always a good thing, but not everyone has a recycling plant nearby (I don’t). There are other ways to help the environment. Plant a tree. Don’t waste water.
I can’t stand it when a person’s excuse for not caring is “Nothing is going to happen in my lifetime, so why should I care?” Sure, the chances of something terrible happening are slim, but I want people to realize that if we don’t deal with it, someone will have to eventually. Do you want that to be your children? Or your children’s children?
When my teacher told me to read my essay to my class, I was a little embarrassed because I didn’t want everyone to call me “tree-hugger”. I realize now that if being a tree-hugger means you care about the environment, I’m a tree-hugger 100 percent. I just wish more people were.
【小題1】Why do the students call their teacher “tree-hugger”?

A．She likes hugging trees.

B．She knows a lot about trees.

C．She grew up in the countryside.

D．She cares a lot about the environment.

【小題2】At the beginning, the author stopped writing _____ .

A．to ask some questions

B．because of other kids’ comments

C．to listen to the teacher’s instructions

D．because he had no idea about the topic

【小題3】The underlined word “astounded” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by “_____” .

A．helped

B．changed

C．shocked

D．interested

【小題4】Paragraph 5 is mainly about _____ .

A．what we can recycle

B．how we can save the earth

C．why we should protect the earth

D．what damage we are doing to the earth

【小題5】We can infer from the passage that _____ .

A．the students don’t like the teacher

B．the teacher liked the author’s essay

C．the author is ashamed of being a tree-hugger

D．the author should have written a better essay

The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff（東西） they call “books”.
I was going to have my examination the next day.  “When can I go to bed？” I asked myself. I didn’t answer. In fact I dared not.
The clock struck twelve. “Oh，dear！” I cried. “Ten more books to read before I can go to bed！” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.
The clock struck one. I was quite desperate（絕望的） now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed， “Oh, God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards，Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.
【小題1】When the author was going over his lessons, all the others in the house were  ________ .

A．a(chǎn)sleep

B．outside

C．working in bed

D．quietly laughing at him

【小題2】He underlined word “wretched” in Paragraph 3 probably means _______ .

A．very happy

B．disappointed

C．very unhappy

D．hopeful

【小題3】Reviewing his lessons didn’t help him because     .

A．it was too late at night

B．he was very tired

C．his eyes lids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open

D．he hadn’t studied hard before the examination

【小題4】What do you suppose happened to the author later？

A．He went to a church to pray again

B．He passed the exam by sheer luck

C．He failed in the exam

D．He was punished by his teacher

【小題5】The best title for the passage would be __________ .

A．The Night Before the Examination

B．Working Far into the Night

C．A Slow Student

D．Going Over My Lessons

Louis Pasteur, the famous French chemist and bacteriologist(微生物學(xué)家), invented “pasteurization”. In 1854 Pasteur was made head of the department of science at the University of Lille, and it was there that he made one of his most famous discoveries. Lille was a major center for wine and beer-making, and some of the local wine-makers asked Pasteur if he could help solve the problem of keeping wine fresh. At that time, it was believed that food and drinks go “bad” due to a purely chemical process. But during a series of experiments Pasteur proved that tiny living organisms(微生物)caused food and drinks to go bad. In the case of wine and beer the organisms are already present in the form of the various yeasts (酵母) that caused the fermentation(發(fā)酵) process. Pasteur discovered that heating the wine gently for a few minutes after it had fermented would kill off the yeast that was left in the wine, with the result that the wine would remain fresh for much longer. He also proved that food and drinks could be turned bad by other organisms that were present in the air, and that they too would keep fresh much longer if they were kept in airtight containers.
The heating process was so successful that it made Pasteur famous. It was named “pasteurization” in his honour, and by about 1900 it had been widely used for processing and bottling cows’ milk. The result was a huge drop in the number of bottle-fed babies dying from infant diarrhea(嬰兒腹瀉)and from that time on it has been a standard treatment for milk and many other food products. This simple process has saved thousands, possibly millions, of lives worldwide.
【小題1】Pasteur became ___________ in 1854.

A．the chairperson of the science department at the University of Lille

B．the director of a chemical laboratory at the University of Lille

C．the general manager of a large beer-making company

D．the president of the University of Lille

【小題2】According to the passage, Lille was a major center for ___________ in the mid-19th century.

A．growing grain crops	B．making beer and wine
C．doing chemical research	D．producing various kinds of yeasts

【小題3】In the last sentence of Paragraph 1, the underlined word “they” refers to ___________.

A．wine and beer

B．food and drinks

C．the various yeasts

D．other organisms

【小題4】We can infer from the passage that Pasteur’s discovery __________.

A．is no longer widely used for treating milk and other food products

B．did not bring much profit to the wine makers in Lille

C．has done a lot of good to children in the world

D．has greatly reduced the number of wars in the world

【小題5】According to the passage, we know it is        that causes food and drinks to go bad.

A．a(chǎn) purely chemical process.	B．tiny living organisms(微生物)
C．keeping them in airtight containers.	D．the heating process