In every British town, large and small, you will find shops that sell second-hand goods. Sometimes such shops deal mostly in furniture, sometimes in books, sometimes in ornaments and household goods, sometimes even in clothes.
The furniture may often be “antique”, and it may well have changed hands many times. It may also be very valuable, although the most valuable piece will usually go to the London salerooms, where one piece might well be sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds. As you look around these shops and see the polished wood of chests and tables, you cannot help thinking of those long-dead hands which polished that wood, of those now-closed eyes which once looked at these pieces with love.
The books, too, may be antique and  very precious; some may be rare first printings. Often when someone dies or has to move house, his books may all be sold, so that sometimes you may find whole libraries in one shop. On the border between England and Wales, there is a town which has become a huge bookshop as well.Even the cinema and castle have been taken over, and now books have replaced sheep as the town’s main trsde.
There are also much more humble shops, sometimes simply called “junk shops”, where you can buy small household pieces very cheaply. Sometimes the profits from these shops go to charity. Even these pieces, though, can make you feel sad; you think of those people who once treasured them, but who have moved on, to another country or to death.
Although the British do not worship their ancestors, they do treasure the past and the things of the past. This is true of houses as well. These days no one knocks them down; they are restored until they are often better than new. In Britain, people do not buy something just because it is new. Old things are treasured for their proven worth; new things have to prove themselves before they are accepted.
【小題1】Books found in second-hand book shops may _____.

A．be copies of the earliest printing	B．be on sale for the first time
C．never be worth very much	D．never be rare

【小題2】Second-hand goods sometimes fill you with sadness because_____.

A．they are too expensive for average buyers

B．they remind you of the original owner

C．they are now neglected

D．they are sold for charity

【小題3】Which of the following word can best take the place of the word “antique” in the second paragraph?

A．invention

B．possession

C．material

D．relic

【小題4】According to the passage, the British people_____.

A．do not respect old things because they are not fashionable

B．like to build new houses simply because it is fashionable to do so

C．like to buy new things because they are fashionable

D．do not like to buy things simply because they are fashionable

“A very disruptive(調(diào)皮搗蛋的) six-year-old child kicked my legs and clawed at my hand,” said one teacher. “ I broke up a fight and was kicked between my legs,” said another. Many people have heard stories like this. But the situation is more worrying still and it involves parents.
Every child, regardless of the circumstances into which they are born, has the right to achieve their potential, regardless of their parents’ wealth and class. And we recognize that, as a nation, it is a long way to achieve this goal. But with rights come responsibilities and what worries people is that we are in danger of ignoring the latter.
Far too many children are behaving badly at school, even to the point of being violent to staff. This is terrible enough, but it is hard to be surprised since many children are just mirroring the behaviour of their parents.
My members tell me that parents also come into school often and threaten staff and some staff have been attacked by a pupil’s parents. One father encouraged his child to start a fight on the playground before school started. A primary teacher reported that a parent shouted at him. We need to have a serious and sensible debate about the roles and responsibilities of parents and the support that they can reasonably expect of schools and teachers.
Children will not learn how to behave as social beings if they are stuck in front of the TV for hours every day. They need their parents to show an interest in them and to spend time with them, helping them to play with their peers(同齡人) and to learn the rules of social behavior.
Children are now arriving at school socially undeveloped, increasingly unable to dress themselves, unable to use the toilet properly, unable to hold a knife and fork and unused to eating at a table, Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, writes in today’s Observer. Instead of taking responsibility themselves, too many parents expect teachers to control their children’s behavior and wellbeing, she adds. Bousted says one mother blamed staff when she discovered that her 16-year-old son was smoking.
We are in danger of becoming a nation of families living separate lives under one roof. The bedroom, once a place to sleep, has become the living space for the young. Spending hours in front of computer screens, on social networking sites or being immersed(沉迷于) in computer games, children and young people spend little time with their parents. Parents are unable to monitor just what their children are watching.
Schools cannot right the wrongs of society and teachers cannot become substitute parents. Both parties need to work together. Parents must be helped and given confidence to take bake control. They are responsible for setting boundaries for their children’s behaviour and sticking to those boundaries. They are responsible for setting a good example to their children and for devoting that most precious of resource------time------- so that children come to school ready and willing to learn.
【小題1】In the opinion of the writer, what problem do people ignore?

A．The violence in the school.

B．The study pressure of students.

C．The responsibilities of the students.

D．The right to achieve students’ potential.

【小題2】The underlined part in Paragraph 7 means _____.

A．parents care little about children’s life at home

B．parents and children live in their separate rooms

C．children don’t live with their parents in the same house

D．children live a different life from that of parents at home

【小題3】The author’s attitude to the behaviour of parents may be ______.

A．dissatisfied

B．indifferent

C．understanding

D．tolerant

【小題4】From the last paragraph, we can infer that ______.

A．teachers have no responsibility for playing the role of parents

B．schools can’t correct the wrongs that society does to teachers

C．students are responsible for making themselves known in society

D．parents should spend time with children to make them ready to learn

Winning the lottery (彩票) is not the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for many past winners. Sad stories do exist in large numbers for the past lottery winners and that's why some financial experts say "70 percent of lottery winners will squander away (亂花) winning within a few years." Some end up losing all within two years, family relationships destroyed or even worse.
Wayne Schenk was an old soldier diagnosed with lung cancer. When he won a million dollars in a lottery he thought his troubles were over and he would get the advanced medical treatment that might save his life. But Lottery officials refused to pay him the total sum in a single payment and they said they could not make an exception to the regulations. When Schenk died in 2007, he'd only received one payment of $34,000.
Another lottery winner, Billy Bob Harrell, Jr. killed himself two years after winning 31 million dollars in the Texas lottery in 1997.He'd spent large amounts of money and given large amounts away, but he didn't end me expected peace that should have come with the freedom of money.
Other lottery winners have ended up in prison for crimes. Many suffer bankruptcy (破產(chǎn)) after the big jackpot (頭獎(jiǎng)) is spent and given away, including some of the eight people who won the 365 million Powerball in 2006.
The examples given paint a sad picture of what can happen if you win a big lottery jackpot, but fortunately, these examples don't tell the stories of all jackpot winners.
【小題1】What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．Most lottery winners use up money quickly.

B．Most lottery winners don't really end up well.

C．Winning lottery means relationships destroyed.

D．Financial experts are against the lottery industry.

【小題2】Why did lottery officials refuse to give Wayne Schenk the million dollars in one payment?

A．He was diagnosed with lung cancer.

B．He was unwilling to give away his money.

C．They had to observe the official rules.

D．They didn't want to disturb his peace.

【小題3】 The author supports his main idea by ____.

A．giving examples	B．making comparisons
C．listing numbers	D．listing reasons

【小題4】 In the following paragraph, the author will probably talk about_____.

A．a(chǎn)dvice given by financial experts

B．happy stories of the lottery winners

C．conclusion drawn by the author

D．regulations about lottery winning

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic(流行病) sweeping across Americas farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices and crop-eating insects. The country’s farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. National agricultural census(普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of fanners is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of .America’s farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No.1 on a list of “useless” college degrees. Top federal(聯(lián)邦的) agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
“There couldn’t be anything that’s more incorrect.” Merrigan said. “We know that there aren’t enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture.”
“In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food production by 2050,” she said.
“I truly believe we're at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows,” said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm Bureau. “Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the opportunity to be involved in agriculture.”
The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers’ Coalition has also been pushing for state and federal policy changes to make it easier for new farmers.
Ryan Best, president of Future Farmers of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the country and visiting with high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21 -year-old Best hopes his message-that this is a new time in agriculture-will motivate the next generation to turn around the statistics. “Never before have we had the innovations(創(chuàng)新) in technology which have led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been,” he said. “There’s really a place for everybody to fit in.”
【小題1】What is the new challenge to American agriculture?

A．Fewer and older farmers.	B．Higher fuel prices.
C．More natural disasters.	D．Lower agricultural output.

【小題2】Why is Merrigan visiting universities across the country?

A．To draw federal agriculture officials’ attention.

B．To select qualified agriculture graduates.

C．To clarify a recent blog posting.

D．To talk more students into farming careers.

【小題3】According to Matt Rush, American agriculture will provide opportunities for younger people because              .

A．the government will cover production costs

B．global food supplies will be even lower

C．investment in agriculture will be profitable

D．America will increase its food export

【小題4】What do the underlined words “to turn around the statistics” in the last paragraph mean?

A．To re-analyze the result of the national census.

B．To increase agricultural production.

C．To bring down the average age of farmers.

D．To invest more in agriculture.

Nobody Benefits
NEW YORK—America has been experiencing the longest economic increase in its history．Incomes have risen, unemployment has fallen, and cities such as New York are bursting with new office buildings．
But just a short walk from Manhattan's skyscrapers, George Brown sits on the side-walk, cooking a lunch of rice and bits of fish over a can of cooking fuel．
Brown is homeless — one of the 2.3 million people in the US who end up on the street．
During the day, Brown collects aluminium cans and sells them for five cents a piece．At night, he sleeps on the street．
"I have been on the street about eight or nine years, something like that," said the 62-year-old former construction worker．
Brown admits he's had problems with alcohol and has smoked cocaine．But he said he still wants a more stable housing arrangement．He could afford it just with the money he earns by collecting cans and small pieces of metal, if only truly low-income housing were available．
However, he sees no hope of finding affordable housing in New York．
With the strong economy and unemployment down, beautiful housing is being built to meet demand．
A US report shows rents in New York city rose more than 27 percent between 1984 and 1999, from US $549 to US $700 a month．
One of the side effects of the strong economy is that rents have been going up．
The majority of people who experience homelessness really just need some affordable housing help．
But few housing companies have been built for the poor．Many small apartments in the city now rent for US $1,500 a month or more．
Brown, the homeless New Yorker, said he has a daughter who lives in the city but he rarely sees her．She is angry about his drinking and won't allow it in her house．
Smiling, he said he also has seven grandchildren whom he'd like to see more often．
"All I've got to do is clean up my act," he said．
【小題1】What kind of life does George Brown lead?

A．Homeless and dangerous．

B．Homeless and childish．

C．Homeless and miserable （痛苦的）．

D．Homeless and sleepless．

【小題2】From George Brown's life we can find that ______.

A．old Americans lead a hard life

B．old Americans want to live alone

C．American cities are crowded with poor people

D．bad habits play a role in some poor people's Life

【小題3】It can be inferred from this passage that ______.

A．America is short of housing companies

B．the poor can't benefit from the increasing economy

C．poor people in America will become rich

D．housing companies will build more houses for the poor

【小題4】If this passage comes from a paper, on which page would it be?

A．Society．

B．Science．

C．Economy．

D．Business．

It may be one of Britain’s most successful exports – Miss World. This 53-year-old event took place in China last week and attracted over 120 women worldwide with knockout looks in a mad struggle for the crown.
Traditional values have long kept the Chinese, especially women, from displaying beauty. But Chinese people have now changed their attitude toward beauty contest, although some men will still be shouting that the winner is no more beautiful than his wife or his former girl friend or even his mother in a sour tone. But such men are not shouting for the right reason. The question to be asked is : Why isn’t there a Mr. World Beauty Contest?
And a further question to be asked is: Does taking part in a beauty contest show a woman’s  courage, wisdom and liberation or rather the opposite – a forced choice and a revolting act made under conditions of long-term discrimination?
Organizers of such beauty contests claim that the contestants are judged on qualities other than just their physical appearance. But still no answer is given to why there isn’t a Mr. Beauty or a Mr. World Contest? Or at least, why isn’t that kind of contest popular? Why is it that only women’s “qualities” need to be recognized but not men’s?
Think about who is always standing beside a fancy car on show? Is it a boy or a girl? And this is how “qualities” are judged: if the girl looks good, there is little reason why the car beside her is not of high quality.
The beauty contests go on year after year, with winners enjoying fame which quickly disappears. While such events go on and on, what never changes is the routine practice that in every fancy car show, a girl stands beside a fancy car. What never changes is the need to hold a women’s conference every year to appeal for the promotion of respect for and improvement of women. What never changes is the fate of women as a class. So let’s put more time and resources into trying to change all this rather than holding beauty contests.
【小題1】Miss World Beauty Contest in Britain has a history of ______.

A．120 years	B．a(chǎn)bout half a century
C．100 years	D．a(chǎn)bout half a year

【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE to the passage?

A．Miss World Beauty Contest first began in China.

B．Women were not allowed to show their beauty in China.

C．120 women took part in Beauty Contest last week.

D．Miss World was 54 years old.

【小題3】 According to the writer,        .

A．Chinese women are not allowed to display beauty

B．the winner of Miss World is not as beautiful as his wife

C．some men are not shouting for the right person

D．people can accept a beauty contest in China now

【小題4】From the passage we can know the writer thinks that _____________.

A．contestants’ qualities are more important than their physical appearance

B．a(chǎn) Mr. World Contest should be held instead of a Miss World Contest

C．a(chǎn) boy should stand by a fancy car

D．women’s social status is still low

【小題5】The best title for this passage is ____________.

A．What about a Mr. World Contest?

B．History of Miss World Contest.

C．Quality or Appearance?

D．A Boy Standing beside a Fancy Car.

How Many Lies Do the Children Tell You?
Mothers who feel their children don' t appreciate them can add another grievance to the list: half the time, their children are lying to them. A study designed to expose the truth about lying shows that undergraduates lie to their mothers in 46% of their conversations. Still, mums should feel better than total strangers, who are told lies an astonishing 77 % of the time.
Bella Depaulo and a team of psychologists from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, asked 77 undergraduates to keep a record of all their conversations for a week, and write down whether they lied at any time. DePaulo named lying broadly, as "when you intentionally try to mislead someone", so she would catch the smallest of lies.
The students told an average of two lies a day. They said they had been studying when they had been out drinking. One told his parents that a textbook cost $50 rather than $20 so that they would send him extra money. Female students constantly told their plain-looking roommates that they were pretty. "They are everyday lies," says DePaulo.
DePaulo and her colleagues conclude that people tend to tell fewer lies to those they feel closest to. College students lied to their best friends 28% of the time but lied to acquaintances 48% of the time. In close relationships, people were more likely to tell "kind-hearted" lies, designed to protect feelings, rather than self-serving lies.
Romantic（浪漫的）partners lie somewhere between close friends and acquaintances. Students lied to romantic partners about a third of the time. DePaulo thinks that unmarried lovers can expect less honesty than best friends because of the insecurity that comes with romance.
Mothers can take heart from one other finding. They may have been lied to, but at least their children talked to them. The students were recorded telling few lies to their fathers because they had little interaction with them.
【小題1】What is the meaning of the underlined word "grievance" in Paragraph 1?

A．opinion.

B．complaint.

C．belief.

D．difficulty.

【小題2】 According to the passage, college students felt closest to ______ .

A．mothers	B．best friends
C．a(chǎn)cquaintances	D．romantic partners

【小題3】Female students lied to their roommates to          .

A．get money from them	B．offer them the services
C．gain more security	D．make them happy

【小題4】What is the purpose of this article?

A．To present a fact.	B．To argue an idea.
C．To tell a story.	D．To explain a theory.

The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people. We meet them every day. A few days ago, my car was not running well. I pulled it into a garage and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine. I was amazed. The sad truth is, great talent is not enough.
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100,000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade told me how many doctors and dentists struggled financially. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, “They are one skill away from great wealth.”
There is an old saying that goes, “Job means ‘just over broke（破產(chǎn)）’.” And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people. Because school does not think financial intelligence is intelligence, and most workers live within their means. They work and they pay the bills. Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn.
When I ask the classes I teach, “How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald’s?”， almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, “So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald’s makes more money than you?” The answer is obvious:　McDonald’s is excellent at business systems. The reason why so many talented people are poor is that they focus on making a better hamburger but know little or nothing about business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.
【小題1】The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that     .

A．he is just one of the talented people

B．he is ready to help others

C．he has a sharp sense of hearing

D．he knows little about car repairing

【小題2】The underlined part in the third paragraph can be best replaced by“       ”.

A．spend more than they can afford

B．do in their own way

C．live in their own circle

D．live within what they earn

【小題3】Why do talented people earn so little according to the author?        

A．They don’t work hard enough.

B．They lack financial intelligence.

C．They don’t make full use of their talents.

D．They have no specialized skills.

【小題4】The success of McDonald’s lies in its         .

A．skills at making hamburgers

B．good business systems

C．talented workers

D．excellent service

【小題5】The main purpose of the author is to tell us         .

A．how young people can find a satisfactory job

B．what schools should teach students

C．why so many talented people are poor

D．how McDonald’s makes much money

If your mother wants to tell you something, she uses words. Birds cannot talk as we do. But some birds can make sounds to warn their young of danger.
The jackdaw is a kind of blackbirds that lives in Europe. Jackdaws live together. Young jackdaws do not know their enemies. When an older jackdaw sees a dog, it makes a loud rattling sound. The younger birds know this sound means danger is nearby. The sound warns them to know their enemies.
If a young jackdaw is in a dangerous place, a jackdaw parent flies over him from behind. The parent bird flies low over the young bird’s back. The parent’s tail feathers move quickly from side to side, trying to express, “Follow me.” At the same time, the parent calls out, “Key-aw, key-aw. ”The parent mean, “Fly home with me.” The young bird then follows the older one home. Young jackdaws do not have to learn what certain sounds mean. They know the meaning of these sounds from the time they hatch（孵出）.
【小題1】The jackdaw lives in    .

A．Europe

B．Australia

C．America

D．Africa

【小題2】Which of the following does this story lead you to believe?

A．All animal parents can talk to their young.

B．Dogs are the most dangerous enemies for jackdaws.

C．Young jackdaws know the meaning of their parents’ sound when they grow older.

D．Some birds can give information to one another.

【小題3】Parent jackdaw can use their tail feathers to    .

A．a(chǎn)sk their young to follow them

B．play a game with the young

C．tell the meal time

D．give a warning of a fire