Growing up, I remember my father as a silent, serious man not the sort of person around whom one could laugh. As a teenager arriving in America, knowing nothing, I wanted a father who could explain the human journey. In college, when friends called home for advice, 1 would sink into deep depression for what I did not have.
Today. at twenty-seven, I have come to rediscover them in ways that my teenage mind would not allow — as adults and as friends with their own faults and weaknesses.
One night after my move back home, I overheard my father on the telephone. There was some trouble. Later, Dad shared the problem with me. Apparently my legal training had earned me some privileges in his eyes. I talked through the problem with Dad. analyzing the purposes of the people involved and offering several negotiation strategies. He listened patiently before finally admitting, “I can’t think like that. I am a simple man.”
Dad is a brilliant scientist who can deconstruct (解構(gòu)) the building blocks of nature. Yet human nature is a mystery to him. That night I realized that he was simply not skilled at dealing with people, much less the trouble of a conflicted teenager. It’s not in his nature to understand human desires.
And so, there it was — it was no one’s fault that my father held no interest in human lives while 1 placed great importance in them. We are at times born more sensitive, wide-eyed, and dreamy than our parents and become more curious and idealistic than them. Dad perhaps never expected me for a child. And I, who knew Dad as an intelligent man, had never understood that his intelligence did not cover all of my feelings.
It has saved me years of questioning and confusion. I now see my parents as people who have other relationships than just Father and Mother. I now overlook their many faults and weaknesses, which once annoyed me.
I now know my parents as friends: people who ask me for advice; people who need my support and understanding. And I’ve come to see my past clearly.
【小題1】What was the author’s impression of her father when she was a teenager?

A．Friendly but irresponsible.

B．Intelligent but severe.

C．Cold and aggressive.

D．Caring and communicative.

【小題2】Why did the author feel depressed when her friends called home?

A．She did not have a phone to a1l home.

B．Her father did not care about her human journey.

C．Her father was too busy to answer her phone.

D．Her father couldn’t give her appropriate advice.

【小題3】After the author overheard her father on the telephone.

A．he blamed her for impoliteness

B．he rediscovered human nature

C．he consulted with her about his problem

D．he changed his attitude towards the author

【小題4】The author realized that ______.

A．her father had too many faults and weaknesses

B．her father was not as intelligent as she had thought

C．her father was not good at interpersonal relationships

D．her father placed too much importance in social activities[來源:Z+xx+k.Com]

【小題5】Which of the following is the best title of this passage?

A．My Parents as Friends

B．My Parents as Advisors

C．My Father — a Serious Man

D．My Father — an Intelligent Scientist

My eighth grade consisted of 28 classmates. We knew each other so well that most of us could distinguish each other's handwriting at a glance. Although we grew up together, we still had class outcasts．From second grade on, a small group started harassing （騷擾） two or three of the others．I was one of those two or three, though I didn't know why．In most cases when children get picked on, they aren't good at sports or they read too much or they wear the wrong clothes or they are of a different race．But in my class, we all read too much and didn't know how to play sports．We had also been brought up to carefully respect each other's race．This is what was so strange about my situation．Usually, people are made outcasts because they are in some way different from the larger group．But in my class, large differences did not exist．It was as if the outcasts were invented by the group out of a need for them．
The harassment came in the form of laughter when I talked, and rolled eyes when I turned around．If I was out on the playground and approached a group of people, they often fell silent．Sometimes, someone would not see me coming and I would catch the tail end of a joke at my expense．
There was another girl in our class who was perhaps even more rejected than I．She provided the group with a lot of material for jokes．One day one popular girl came up to me to show me something she said I wouldn't want to miss．We walked to a comer of the playground．Three or four girls there were reading aloud from a small book, which I was told was the girl's diary．
I sat down and, laughing till my sides hurt, heard my voice finally mixed with the others．Often being accepted by others is more satisfying than being accepted by oneself, even though the satisfaction does not last．Looking back, I wonder how I could have participated in making fun of this girl when I knew perfectly well how it felt．If I were in that situation today I would react differently, but I can't honestly be sure．
【小題1】The author was made an outcast because ____．

A．she couldn't play sports as well as others

B．her classmates needed to find an outcast her

C．her classmates found her clothes funny

D．family belonged to a minority group

【小題2】How was the author treated as an outcast?

A．She was refused to approach others．

B．No one responded to her talking．

C．She was often the target of teasing．

D．Her diary was often made public．

【小題3】What did the author do to the girl mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A．She showed great sympathy with the girl．

B．She found more materials about the girl for jokes．

C．She stopped the others from hurting the girl．

D．She joined others in making fun of the girl．

【小題4】What does the passage intend to tell us?

A．Everyone is likely to become an outcast．

B．We shouldn't hit a person when he is down．

C．Everyone has a desire to be accepted by others．

D．One should pay somebody back in his own way．

“All I could see was two sets of red eyes below me,” said Dave Gatty, an Australian farmer who spent seven days up a tree in remote bush land to escape crocodiles. Gatty, 52, said he was forced to take such drastic action after he accidentally went into a crocodile-infested area of Queensland. He only had two meat sandwiches to keep him going, as crocodiles moved beneath his tree each night until his rescue. Gatty said he decided it was safer to hold out for a rescue team than try to make a run for it. His problems began after he fell off his horse while out in the northern Australia outback. Dazed and bleeding, he climbed back on his horse and hoped it would lead him home. It was only when he regained his senses he realized that he had been taken into crocodile-infested area. “I had to get off the horse and I fell straight into a crocodile nest,” he told reporters. 
“That frightened me. I couldn’t go back, it was too far and too dangerous, so I headed to the nearest high ground and stayed there, hoping someone would come and find me before the crocs did.”
Gatty explained how each night two crocodiles would sit at the bottom of the tree staring at him. Although Gatty’s two sandwiches ran out after three days, he was able to get running water during the day and knew rescuers were looking for him as he could see helicopters in the air above his tree.
“If I hadn’t seen the crocs circling me, and if I hadn’t fallen into the croc nest, I would have made a push for it. But I knew the safest thing was for me to sit and wait,” he said. A chocolate bar, given to him by rescuers after being moved to safety by using a winch(卷揚機), “was like a gourmet (delicious)meal,” he said.
【小題1】Gaddy felt _______ when he found himself trapped in the crocodile- infested area.

A．panicked but optimistic	B．nervous and hopeless
C．upset and regretful	D．frightened but calm

【小題2】Which of the following did not help Gatty survive the accident?

A．Sandwiches	B．Running water
C．Chocolates	D．Staying up in a tree

【小題3】What’s the right order of the events related to the accident?
a. Gaddy climbed up onto his horse unconscious.
b. Gaddy climbed up a tree and stayed there.
c. Gaddy was moved by a winch to safety.
d. Gaddy fell off his horse accidentally.
e. Gaddy found himself in a crocodile-infested area.

A．a(chǎn) d e c b

B． d a e b c

C．a(chǎn) d e b c

D．d e a b c

【小題4】The article can be classified as _________.

A．a(chǎn) news story	B．a(chǎn) scientific fiction
C．a(chǎn) personal essay	D．a(chǎn) literary report

Something that has always interested me about Abraham Lincoln is，not surprisingly，his sense of humor. As far as I can tell，he's the first American President to have one．
That's because the term“sense of humor” really wasn't in common usage until the eighteen-sixties and seventies．In the eighteen-forties and fifties，it was called“the sense of the ridiculous," and didn't have the positive connotations（隱含意義）that“sense of humor" has today. Back then，what was ridiculous was what invited ridicule（譏笑）．Funniness and cruelty went hand in hand．Of course，they still do a lot of arm-in-arm walking in our day as well．
Lincoln’s humor was very different because，for one thing，it was actually "humor＂as what the word meant in his time. We don't make the distinction between "wit（風(fēng)趣）”and "humor”anymore; but in the nineteenth century people did．Wit was unpleasant and offensive while humor was pleasant and sympathetic．It’s the difference we note now when we distinguish between "laughing with”and“l(fā)aughing at．”Lincoln was much more about "laughing with”than "laughing at．”And when“l(fā)aughing at，”it was often himself he was teasing.
In the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates，when Douglas accused Lincoln of being two-faced，Lincoln replied，referencing his plain looking，“Honestly，if I were two-faced，would I be showing you this one？”And，in a way，Lincoln's face itself tells us much about his sense of humor．
You can comb through thousands of photographs of politicians，soldiers，and the like from Lincoln's time and not find a single smile．
True, the long exposures（曝光）required for photographs of that time made smiling difficult．Yet Lincoln alone，as far as I can tell，overcame that difficulty.
Interestingly, while having a sense of humor，or at least the appearance of one provided by comedy writers has become a necessary characteristic for an American President in our time，in the nineteenth century，too much humor was considered problem.  And that was the case for Lincoln．A journalist covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates commented that“I could not take a real personal liking to the man，owing to an inborn weakness. . .that he was extremely, fond of jokes，anecdotes，and stories．”
【小題1】We can infer from Paragraph 2 that＿＿

A．the American President could influence the use of English

B．the term "sense of humor”wasn't invented until the 1860s

C．what is funny to someone might be offensive to someone else

D．the concept of humor remains the same despite the passing of time

【小題2】The underlined words“this one”in Paragraph 4 refer to＿＿．

A．Lincoln's unattractive face

B．Lincoln's sense of humor

C．the debate they were having

D．cruelty that went with funniness

【小題3】We rarely see people from Lincoln's time wear smile in their photos because＿．

A．being humorous was considered inappropriate

B．they found it quite funny to smile before camera

C．not smiling for photographs was the fashion

D．photography technology then was not advanced

【小題4】What might the writer think of the journalist covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates？

A．His comment accurately reflected his time

B．He created a false picture of Lincoln

C．He was prejudiced and self-centered

D．He was brave to point out Lincoln's weakness

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her three-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sings to his sister in Mommy's tummy.
The pregnancy progresses normally for Karen. But complications arise during delivery. Finally, Michael's little sister is born. But she is in serious condition. With siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant to the intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital.
The little girl gets worse. The doctor tells the parents, "There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst." Karen and her husband have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby — now they plan a funeral.
Michael, keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he says. But kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. However, Karen makes up her mind. She will take Michael whether they like it or not.  “If he doesn't see his sister now, he may never see her alive.” She dresses him in an oversized scrub suit and marches him into ICU. The head nurse recognizes him as a child and bellows, "Get that kid out of here now! " The mother, the usually mild-mannered lady glares steel-eyed into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!" Karen tows Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he begins to sing.       
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray”  
Instantly the baby girl responds. The pulse rate becomes calm and steady.     
"You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away "
The ragged, strained breathing becomes as smooth as a kitten's purr.     
Keep on singing, Michael. Tears conquer the face of the bossy head nurse as well as Karen.    
Funeral plans are scrapped. The next, day — the very next day — the little girl is well enough to go home!     
NEVER GIVE UP THE ONE WE LOVE!
【小題1】How did Michal’s feel when he knew that he was going to have a sister?

A．indifferent.

B．worried.

C．expectant.

D．disappointed.

【小題2】The doctor recommended the family ___________.

A．get ready for the worst result.

B．wait for the hope in the near future.

C．prepare much more money for the infant.

D．prepare for another chance in other hospitals.

【小題3】Which word can best replace the underlined word in Paragraph 4?

A．pointed.

B．yelled.

C．whispered.

D．ignored.

【小題4】What happened when Michael sang to his little sister?

A．The little baby responded to his song and woke up immediately.

B．The baby heard the song and burst into tears.

C．The baby’s physical signs disappeared eventually.

D．The baby recovered from the dangerous state of coma gradually.

【小題5】What could be the best title of the article?

A．An unexpected gift.	B．A miracle of love.
C．A iron-mother.	D．A medical success.

Until a few months ago, he was a butler(管家) in one of the more expensive residential buildings in Manhattan. But now, Nepal-born Indra Tamang is the owner of two multi-million dollar apartments in the same building.
The former owner - his former employer, Ruth Ford - died last year and left the apartments  to Mr Tamang in her will.
Mr Tamang is happy but quickly points out that his good fortune did not come easily. "I am happy and have been touched by the generosity of the Ford family," he says. "I never expected that I will be given the ownership of these apartments. But I have been working for the family for the last 36 years, devotedly, with honesty and dedication(奉獻(xiàn)). So my hard work has been rewarded."
Mr Tamang was 21 when he was brought from Nepal by Charles Ford, a writer and a photographer. Mr Ford died in 2002; his sister, actress Ruth Ford, then took charge and told Mr Tamang that he was like a brother to her after Charles's death.
Mrs Ford died aged 98. During the last five years of her life, she lost her eyesight and also developed speech problems. Mr Tamang looked after her most of the time and took care of her medicines and food.
He also worked with Charles Ford on various photography projects, which he now wants to keep as the photographer's legacy(遺產(chǎn)). He hopes to organize exhibitions of Mr Ford's photographs and edit a book of his works.
Mr Tamang plans to sell the bigger, three-bedroom apartment to pay the taxes he owes to the government on his legacy. He says: "The rules of the building might be a problem, as they require a minimum monthly income to qualify to live as owner of apartments. I have my small house here but I am happy with it,"
Mr Tamang has learnt his lesson from the life of his employers and plans to use his money with great caution. "I think one should save money for old age. That's when you need it the most to get care," he says. 
【小題1】Mr Tamang treated the legacy as __________.

A．a(chǎn) reward

B．a(chǎn) punishment

C．business

D．a(chǎn) gift

【小題2】What DIDN’T Mr Tamang do in the Ford family?

A．Show Mr Ford's works in the exhibition.

B．Look after Ruth Ford when she was ill.

C．Work on kinds of photography projects

D．Experience deaths of Charles Ford and Ruth Ford

【小題3】Mr Tamang wants to sell one apartment to _______. 

A．buy the small house

B．pay the government the tax of the apartments

C．edit a book of Charles Ford's photographs

D．move into the expensive apartments as soon as possible

【小題4】What lesson does Mr Tamang learn from the Ford family? 

A．To find a good butler.

B．To spend money thoughtfully.

C．To save money for children.

D．To get good care when people get old.

【小題5】What can we know from the passage?

A．Charles Ford gave the apartments to Mr Tamang.

B．Charles Ford couldn't see or speak before his death.

C．Mr Tamang treated Ruth Ford much better than her brother.

D．Mr Tamang will still live in his small house in the near future.

Bertie knew there was something in the wind．His mother had been sad in recent days, not sick, just strangely sad. The lion had just lain down beside him, his head warm on Bertie’s feet when Father cleared his throat and began, “You’ll soon be eight, Bertie. A boy needs a proper education. We’ve found the right place for you, a school near Salisbury in England.”
His heart filled with a terrible fear, all Bertie could think of was his white lion. “But the lion,” he cried, “What about the lion?”
“I’m afraid there’s something else I have to tell you,” his father said. Looking across at Bertie’s mother, he took a deep breath. Then he told Bertie he had met a circus owner from France, who was over in Africa looking for lions to buy. He would come to their farm in a few days.
“No! You can’t send him to a circus!” said Bertie. “People will come to see him. He’ll be shut up behind bars. I promised him he never would be. And they will laugh at him. He’d rather die. Any animal would!” But as he looked across the table at them, he knew their minds were quite made up.
Bertie felt completely betrayed. He waited until he heard his father’s deep breathing next door. With his white lion at his heels, he slipped downstairs, took down his father’s hunting rifle from the rack and stepped out into the night. He ran and ran till his legs could run no more. As the sun came up over the grassland, he climbed to the top of a hill and sat down, his arms round the lion’s neck. The time had come.
“Be wild now,” he whispered. “You’ve got to be wild. Don’t ever come home. All my life I’ll think of you. I promise I will.” He buried his head in the lion’s neck. Then, Bertie clambered down the hill and walked away.
When he looked back, the lion was still sitting there watching him; but then he stood up, yawned, stretched, and sprang down after him. Bertie shouted at him, but he kept coming. He threw sticks. He threw stones. Nothing worked.
There was only one thing left to do. With tears filling his eyes and his mouth, he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired over the lion’s head.
【小題1】Bertie’s mother was sad probably because she ______.

A．had been seriously ill recently

B．had decided to send Bertie to school

C．knew selling the lion would upset Bertie

D．knew Bertie would hate to go to England

【小題2】In the last paragraph, the boy lifted the rifle to ______.

A．kill the lion out of anger	B．show his anger towards his father
C．protect himself from the lion	D．threaten the lion back to the wild

【小題3】The passage intends to show that ______.

A．a(chǎn)nimal-hunting is popular in Africa

B．parents are sometimes cruel to their children

C．people and animals can be faithful to each other

D．a(chǎn)nimals usually lead a miserable life in circuses

My wife passed away a few years ago,and I went through the worst time in my life.I even wanted to kill myself.Just for kids,I had to continue to live and work as small-town doctor at my medical clinic in Hawaii.My kids had gone to live on the mainland,and I was alone.Then they asked me to have a family trip.On our trip, we turned on the TV at the motel and saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. Seeing it falling down, I said to my kids: “I’m going to Afghanistan”. And a few weeks later, international Medical Corps sent me to set up 20 clinics in provinces where people had no health care. In these field clinics surrounded by frightening shoots or deadly bombs, we were eventually serving 27,000 patients a month in a very busy schedule. Tired and nervous, I gradually had a sense of achievement, a sense of purpose, and my depression went away.
In the years to follow, I went to Indonesia after the tsunami, Pakistan after the earthquakes, Sudan after the civil war and Iraq after more and more bombs. Each time after disasters one after another, hundreds of people were killed, wounded and many more had to flee. We once set up movable clinics in an area with 19,000 refugees, and it was supposed to hold 13,000 originally. Flu broke out, one of the biggest killers of kids in refugee camps, and it spread like wildfire. Water and food were also serious problems. “Adventures or not?” I often asked myself.
When my wife passed away, I thought my life was done. But in reality, it was just getting started. At the end of her life, she went unconscious. I held her head in my hands and told her of all the places we would visit and the exciting adventures we would have.
I think about the moment many times during my “adventures”. I didn’t know how predictive those words would be. But I know that she is still with me.
【小題1】Where has the doctor been in the past few years?

A．Some countries where he could set up clinics.

B．Some African countries where flu broke out.

C．The places where the earthquakes happened.

D．The places that the horrible disasters struck.

【小題2】How would the doctor describe his life after he had worked in Afghanistan?

A．Tired and troublesome.	B．Busy and risky.
C．Meaningful and helpful	D．Frightening and depressing.

【小題3】The underlined word “refugees” means people_______________.

A．who are robbed, killed, or wounded

B．who suffer from flu in movable clinics

C．who like to take adventures

D．who have lost homes because of disasters.

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

A．the doctor’s wife encouraged him to work in foreign countries.

B．What the doctor said to his wife before her death became reality.

C．The doctor’s adventures made him understand the love of his wife.

D．With the true love of his wife, the doctor started to change his life.