I received a call today asking if I would be willing to bring food to a family in need. The mother was having a major operation and would be lying down for several weeks. Of course, I responded with an immediate “Yes！”. As I planned the meal in my head, I reflected on how many times over the years I had been asked to prepare food. I have done so countless times with a very open heart.
But the truly amazing thing is that I have received double over the course of my life. When my mother passed away, our house was filled with fresh dinners for weeks. A woman from the church of our community stopped by each evening with some food. The gift of food was her small way of trying to ease our pain.
Later in my life, when I was on bed rest during my pregnancy with twins, women of the church again stepped in to help. They arranged babysitting for my two­year­old daughter, and brought lovely dinners to our house. Even when I was put in the hospital, my husband would bring cooked meals to my hospital room. How we relied on these dinners to feed my tired husband and young daughter.
Food is all about comfort. It feeds our bodies, but it can also feed our souls. When you hear people talking about their favourite holidays, it usually includes their feelings connected with sharing food. I know that I will have many more opportunities in my lifetime to prepare food for others. It is truly a gift I want to prepare and deliver to someone in need.
【小題1】The author has given lots of food to others because________．

A．she is poor at cooking

B．she is a church member

C．she is friendly to others

D．she has received others' food

【小題2】We can learn from the first paragraph that the author________．

A．had to stay in bed for several weeks

B．knew the family in need very well

C．was glad to be able to lend a hand

D．was tired of preparing food

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE about the author?

A．Her mother died when she was in hospital.

B．She didn't get enough food during her pregnancy.

C．She received food as well as comfort in her hard times.

D．She thinks offering food is the best way to show love.

【小題4】What do we know about the author's family?

A．Her family is too poor to buy enough food.

B．Her family lives not far from a church.

C．Her husband is not good at cooking.

D．She has a babysitter taking care of her twins.

【小題5】According to the passage, which of the following conclusions can we get?

A．A good beginning makes a good ending.

B．One good turn deserves another.

C．Actions speak louder than words.

D．Every man has his faults.

It has taken 90 years since she was born in a poor house in County Limerick for a woman considered America’s oldest illegal immigrant to get her Irish passport.It will be a few more months before Josephine Stout will finally be declared a US citizen, entitling(賦于…權(quán)力) her to a pension and other benefits.
Despite having lived in America for most of her life since she arrived in 1923, the great-grandmother was declared an undocumented alien(華僑)in 1999, when she tried to claim state aid to help raise her seven grandchildren, who were left orphaned when her daughter was killed by a robber over$20.
Even though she has never considered herself Irish, noting “I don’t even have an accent,” she didn’t officially exist as an American when officials in Chicago insisted that she prove her citizenship in order to qualify for benefits. But she had no birth certificate or passport when she arrived on an immigrant ship from Ireland from Ireland with her parents, who had 12 other children.
She never gave the matter much thought until 1999, when she was in her late 70s and needed assistance to raise her grandchildren. For 12 years, Mrs. Stout managed to support the family by doing various jobs. But her life was hard and marked by tragedy. Her husband died in 1996, and her son Thomas died in a car accident with his girlfriend in 1985. Her only surviving child, Rosemary, died of cancer in 2009.
A Catholic charity referred her case to Chicago Irish Immigrant Support(CIIS), which alerted the Irish Consulate(領(lǐng)事館). Through them, they tracked down her birth certificate, the website irishcentral.com reported. The document, in turn, allowed her to receive her Irish passport, and eventually her American green card in September 2011, which was dated back to November 1, 1923.
【小題1】What will happen to a person if he has no green card in the US?

A．he cannot get any chance to get education

B．he can’t have a pension and other benefits

C．his citizenship will be taken away

D．he has to take illegal part-time job

【小題2】Josephine couldn’t be a legal immigrant because ______.

A．she was named an undocumented alien

B．she arrived in American in a secret way

C．She couldn’t find her proper certificates

D．She has too many brothers and sisters

【小題3】We can imply from the 4^th paragraph that ______.

A．Josephine lived a lonely life for many years

B．Thomas was always driving carelessly

C．Josephine was a strong-willed woman

D．Mrs. Stout, Josephine’s friend, helped her a lot.

【小題4】Please arrange the following events in the correct order according to the text.
a. Josephine’s birth certificate was found.
b. Josephine received her green card.
c. The Catholic charity contacted CIIS.
d. The birth certificate was shown on a website.
e. Josephine was offered her Irish passport.

A．a(chǎn)-b-c-d-e

B．c-d-e-a-b

C．a(chǎn)-d-c-b-e

D．c-a-d-e-b

A tall figure appeared from the dark door of the tent. It was a smoking young man about twenty three or four. He had an almost black face, though smooth. His moustache was black with curled points. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes. cef
　　Rebecca still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward.
"Hi, my beauty, what can I do for you?" said he, approaching. Realizing that she was quite at a loss, the man spoke in a gentle voice, "Never mind. I am Mr. Thackeray. Have you come to see me or my mother?"
　　This scene differed greatly from what Rebecca had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified(威嚴(yán)的) face. She told herself to be calm and answered "I came to see your mother, sir."
　　"I am afraid you cannot see her-she is ill in bed," replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alee Thackeray, the only son of the noble family. "What is the business you wish to see her about?"
　　"It isn't business-it is-I can hardly say what!"
　　"Pleasure?"
　　"Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem..."
　　Rebecca's sense of a certain ridicule(奚落，譏笑) was now so obvious and strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved(彎曲) towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.
　　"It is so foolish", she murmured. "I fear I can't tell you!"
　　"Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear," said he kindly.
　　"Mother told me to come," Rebecca continued; "and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not expect it would turn out like this. I came…sir, I came to tell you that we are of the same family as you."
　　"Ho Ho! Poor relations?"
　　"Yes."
　　"Rossetti?"
　　"No. Thackeray."
　　"Ay, ay; I mean Thackeray."
　　"Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are Thackeray. The local scholars hold the view that we are, and...and we have an old seal and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we've lost our horse by a bad accident. We can hardly make a living."
"It’s very kind of your mother, I'm sure." Alec looked at Rebecca as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. "And so, my pretty girl, you've come on a friendly visit to us, as relations?"
　　"I suppose I have," looking less confident and uncomfortable again.
"Well, there's no harm in it. I mean it doesn’t hurt to come and make yourself known to me. Where do you live? What are you?" …
【小題1】While meeting with Alec, Rebecca feels _______during the whole course.

A．nervous and uneasy

B．excited and hopeful

C．a(chǎn)mazed and comfortable

D．pleased but embarrassed.

【小題2】Which of the following is suitable to describe Rebecca’s impression of Alec?

A．unfriendly and ta lkative

B．forceful and daring

C．gentle and reliable

D．older than expected

【小題3】What is Rebecca’s real purpose of making this visit?

A．To see Alec himself.

B．To see Alec's mother.

C．To confirm that they are of the same family.

D．To make known their relationship and seek help.

【小題4】From the passage, we can conclude that Alec appears quite friendly to Rebecca largely because __________.

A．Rebecca is his distant relation

B．Rebecca looks polite to him

C．Rebecca is a pretty girl

D．Rebecca looks ridiculous

That year, in the local school, there was a new math teacher, as well as some new pupils. One of the new kids was the stupidest child that anyone had ever seen. It made no difference how quickly or how slowly they tried explaining numbers to him; he would always end up saying something enormously stupid. Like two plus two was five, seven times three was twenty-seven, or a triangle had thirty corners...
Before this boy arrived, math lessons had been the most boring of all. Now they were great fun. Encouraged by the new teacher, the children would listen to the pieces of nonsense spouted by the new kid, and they would have to correct his mistakes.
Whenever the new teacher asked questions, the stupid kid would stand up but made the wrong answers, the other students all wanted to be the first to find his mistakes, and then think up the most original ways to explain them. To do this they used all kinds of stuff: sweets, playing cards, oranges, paper planes, etc. It didn't seem like any of this bothered the new kid.
However，little Lewis was sure that it was bound to make him feel sad inside. Lewis was sure he would see him crying. So，one day, he decided to follow the new kid home after school. On leaving school, the new kid walked a few minutes to a local park, and there he waited for a while, until someone came along to meet him...
It was the new teacher!
The teacher gave the new kid a hug, and off they went, hand in hand. Following from a distance, Lewis could hear they were talking about math.
【小題1】The math lessons became interesting because of the new teacher's ______.

A．creativity

B．imagination

C．responsibility

D．curiosity

【小題2】The passage implies that the stupidest child ______.

A．was in great need of the math teacher's help after class

B．was by no means slow in math

C．had no gift for math and was slow to learn it

D．disliked both the new math teacher and his lessons

【小題3】According to the passage, Lewis followed the stupid kid in order to ______.

A．learn about where he lived	B．find out if he felt upset
C．say something to comfort him	D．make friends with him

【小題4】What does the underlined word “this” in the third paragraph refer to?

A．To find the new kid's mistakes.

B．To think up the most original ways to explain.

C．To use all kinds of stuff.

D．To follow him home after school.

When a first-time father saw his newborn son, he immediately noticed the baby's ears obviously standing out from his head. He expressed his concern to the nurse that some children might tease his child. A doctor examined the baby and reassured the new dad that his son was healthy- the ears presented only a minor problem with its appearance.
But the nervous father persisted. He wondered if the child might suffer psychological effects of ridicule（嘲笑）, or if they should consider plastic surgery（整形手術(shù)）. The nurse assured him that it was really no problem, and he should just wait to see if the boy grows into his ears.
The father finally felt more optimistic about his child, but now he worried about his wife's reaction to those large ears. She had been delivered by operation, and had not yet seen the child.
“She doesn't take things as easily as I do,” he said to the nurse.
By this time, the new mother was settled in the recovery room and ready to meet her new baby. The nurse went along with the dad to lend some support in case this inexperienced mother became upset about her baby's large ears.
The baby was in a receiving blanket with his head covered for the short trip through the cold air-conditioned corridor(走廊）. The baby was placed in his mother's arms, who eased the blanket back so that she could look at her child for the first time.
She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped(喘氣說(shuō)）, “Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!”
No problem with Mom. She married those ears...and she loves the man to whom they are attached.
The poet Kahlil Gibran said, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” It's hard to see the ears when you're looking into the light.
【小題1】When the father first saw his baby, he was worried that________.

A．the baby might not grow up healthily.

B．the baby might be laughed at by others.

C．the baby might disappoint its mother.

D．the baby might have mental problems.

【小題2】 According to the doctor and nurse, the baby’s ears________.

A．could not function well.

B．looked the same as others.

C．only caused a small problem.

D．needed to have plastic surgery.

【小題3】What is true about the baby’s mother?

A．She blamed her husband for the baby’s big ears.

B．She was the first to discover the baby’s large ears.

C．She suggested having an operation on the baby immediately.

D．She found something similar between the baby and its father.

【小題4】What does the underlined word they refer to?
A. The ears.    B The parents.   C. The doctor and nurse.   D. The problems
【小題5】What’s the function of the last paragraph?

A．To advise readers to listen carefully.

B．To draw a conclusion from the story.

C．To criticize the wrong attitude to physical beauty.

D．To stress the importance of doctor-patient relationship.

On a freezing-cold February morning in Indiana, Jhaqueil Reagan,18, left home to walk to a job interview—ten miles away, over snow-covered roads.
Reagan had been looking for work for months. His mother had died two years earlier, and he was the only caretaker of his younger brother, Cole, 16, and sister, Jazzlyn, seven. He was desperate for a regular salary after cutting lawns(草坪) and doing other temporaryjobs.
Three hours into his hard trip, Reagan had covered only three miles. He paused outside a Cajun restaurant called Papa Roux to ask for directions from owner Art Bouvier, who was clearing ice and snow from the parking lot. “I told him to get on the bus,” says Bouvier. “He thanked me and went on his way.”
Fifteen minutes later, Bouvier pulled up in his car beside Reagan as he walked along. “You’ve really got to be on the bus,” he told Reagan. “I don’t have money for the bus,” Reagan replied. Bouvier offered him a lift. On the way, he asked the boy about his job search.
“I thought, This is the kind of kid I want working for me,” says Bouvier. He got the teen’s phone number and dropped him off for his interview.
Later that day, Bouvier wrote about Reagan on Facebook. “He doesn’t know it yet, but he starts on Monday,” Bouvier wrote. “It’s been a while since I’ve met someone so young with a work ethic(倫理) like that!” A few hours later, Bouvier called to offer Reagan a job. Shocked, the teen accepted on the spot. A television reporter caught wind of the story and interviewed the pair on camera that night.
Today, Reagan is washing dishes, filling orders, and greeting Papa Roux customers for $8.50 an hour. The publicity(宣傳) has brought in so many new customers that Bouvier plans to open a second restaurant by the end of the year.
【小題1】Why did Jhaqueil Reagan have to find a job ?

A．Because he had to make enough money to support his family.

B．Because his parents had died two years earlier.

C．Because he wanted to change his job.

D．Because he was desperate for a good job.

【小題2】Which of the following can be used to replace the underlined part in the sixth paragraph ?

A．reported

B．delivered

C．heard

D．told

【小題3】Which of the following words best describes Bouvier?

A．honest

B．warm-hearted

C．modest

D．independent

【小題4】What’s the best title of the passage ?

A．A Young Man Who Had an Interview	B．A Young Man Who Found a Job
C．A Boss Who Offered a Job	D．A Boss Who Took a Chance

This parable（寓言）is told of a farmer who owned an old mule（騾子）. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule praying for whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing（評(píng)估）the situation, the farmer sympathized（同情）with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together , told them what had happened, and asked them to help pour dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out his misery.
At the beginning, the old mule was crazy! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shovelling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, he would shake it off and step up!
This he did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up!” He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up!
It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly（勝利地）over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually helped him… all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity（逆境）.
That’s life! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity.
The adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the very real potential to benefit us! Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that amateurs（生手）built the boat. Professionals built the Titanic.
【小題1】Why did the farmer decide to bury the mule in the well?

A．Because he thought the mule was of little use.

B．Because he didn’t like the praying made by the mule.

C．Because he thought the well couldn’t be used any longer after the accident.

D．Because he didn’t want to see the mule suffer more in the well.

【小題2】What does the underlined sentence in the second paragraph mean?

A．The mule became calm	B．The mule became quiet.
C．The mule suddenly had an idea	D．The mule lost heart.

【小題3】Who saved the mule at last?

A．The farmer	B．The farmer’s neighbors
C．The farmer and his neighbors	D．The mule himself

【小題4】What lesson can we learn from the passage?
a. One should give up something of little use.
b. One should depend oneself when in trouble.
c. One should show mercy to others who are in trouble.
d. There must be something that one can do well no matter what he is.
e. Be self-determined and never give up, and one can succeed in the end.

A．a(chǎn), b, e

B．b, d, e

C．a(chǎn), c, e

D．b, c, e

Lynn is the publisher of Indiana Living Green magazine, a local Indiana-based publication focusing on all issues related to leading a sustainable lifestyle. Her knowledge, passion and unwavering dedication to this cause are both inspiring and admirable and are the reasons I recommend her for the Heart of Green Local Hero.
Lynn's interest in sustainable living has expanded over the years from simple recycling and wildlife gardening to encouraging others to appreciate nature and do what each can to care for the environment.
Lynn has been instrumental in bringing her green consciousness to Indiana by way of Indiana Living Green magazine over the past two years. Indiana Living Green is the only local publication solely focused on green living and sustainability.
In addition to her role as publisher of Indiana Living Green magazine, Lynn is also a Habitat Steward Host for National Wildlife Federation, editor of Hoosier Organic Gardener, the newsletter of the Indiana Organic Gardeners Association, and a member of Garden Writers Association.
Lynn Jenkins deserves to be publicly recognized for all that she is and all that she has done and continues to do to educate and empower each of us to improve our individual lives, communities and our Earth.
【小題1】Which of the following is NOT true of Lynn Jenkins?

A．She is the publisher of the magazine Indiana Living Green.

B．She won the award the Heart of Green Local Hero.

C．She is a member of Garden Writers Association.

D．She encourages people to love and protect nature.

【小題2】 The underlined word in the third paragraph probably means ________.

A．mainly

B．simply

C．earnestly

D．seriously

【小題3】What is the purpose of the writing?

A．To recommend Lynn Jenkins for the Heart of Green Local Hero.

B．To call on readers to protect the environment and live green.

C．To introduce the readers to the Heart of Green Local Hero.

D．To advertise for Indiana Living Green and its publisher.

Three Boys and a Dad
Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favourite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park,” he’d told his wife. “I’ll look after the kids, and you can go visit your mom.”
Things started well, but just after eight o’clock, his three little “good kids”—Mike, Randy, and Alex—came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast, daddy.” Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.
Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their very eyes. Someone named “Not Me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.
By ten o’clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the jar refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating the kitchen wall with his colour pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the family room, but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad realized that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.
At exactly11:17, Brad called the daycare centre (日托所). “I suddenly have to go into work and my wife’s away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes? ” The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.
【小題1】When his wife left home, Brad expected to __________.

A．go out for a walk in the park

B．watch TV talk show with his children

C．read the newspaper to his children

D．enjoy his first day off work

【小題2】Which of the following did Randy do?

A．Drew on the wall.

B．Read in a room .

C．Fed the fish.

D．Ate apple jam.

【小題3】Who is “Not Me”(underlined in Para.3)?

A．One of the family’s neighbor

B．One of the three kids

C．The father

D．The text doesn’t mention

【小題4】This text is developed _________.

A．by space

B．by comparison

C．by time

D．by process

On a stormy day last August, Tim heard some shouting. Looking out to the sea carefully, he saw a couple of kids in a rowboat w ere being pulled out to sea.
Two 12-year-old boys, Christian and Jack, rowed out a boat to search a football. Once they’d rowed beyond the calm waters, a beach umbrella tied to the boat caught the wind and pulled the boat into open water. The pair panicked and tried to row back to shore. But they were no match for it and the boat was out of control.
Tim knew it would soon be swallowed by the waves.
“Everything went quiet in my head,” Tim recalls（回憶）. “I’m trying to fi gure out how to swim to the boys in a straight line.”
Tim took off his clothes and jumped into the water. Every 500 yards or so, he raised his head to judge his progress. “At one point, I considered turning back,” he says. “I wondered if I was putting my life at risk.” After 30 minutes of struggling, he was close enough to yell to the boys, “Take down the umbrella!”
Christian made much effort to take down the umbrella. Then Tim was able to catch up and climb aboard the boat. He took over rowing, but the waves were almost too strong for him.
“Let’s aim for the pier（碼頭）,” Jack said. Tim turned the boat toward it.  Soon afterward, waves crashed over the boat, and it began to sink. “Can you guys swim?” he cried. “A little bit,” the boys said.Once they were in the water, Tim decided it would be safer and faster for him to pull the boys toward the pier. Christian and Jack were wearing life jackets and floated on their backs. Tim swam toward land as water washed over the boys’ faces.
“Are we almost there?” they asked again and again. “Yes,” Tim told them each time.
After 30 minutes, they reached the pier.
【小題1】Why did the two boys go to the sea?

A．To go boat rowing.

B．To get back their football.

C．To swim in the open water.

D．To test the umbrella as a sail.

【小題2】Why did Tim raise his head regularly?

A．To take in enough fresh air.

B．To consider turning back or not.

C．To check his distance from the boys.

D．To ask the boys to take down the umbrella.

【小題3】How can the two boys finally reach the pier?

A．They were dragged to the pier by Tim.

B．They swam to the pier all by themselves.

C．They were washed to the pier by the waves.

D．They were carried to the pier by Tim on his back.