C
Andreea,18,from Romania, sent a photograph of the view from her window and included a brief apology, “Sorry, this picture is plain and boring. No one would like it.”
At home in New Jersey, US, Coreen Burke,16, clicked on the same image on the internet. She saw a village with its rooftops and walls painted in reds and yellows, a distant chimney(煙囪) giving off smoke. “Isn’t this amazingly different from my country?” She thought to herself.
Burke, a teenager with a skill for computers, saw beauty in that photo. She posted it to her blog, Outside My Window, which features a daily snapshot(快照) of someone’s window view around the world.
The concept is simple: We can all relate to the act of staring through a piece of glass, onto the scene on the other side. “Maybe if we understood the way people from all over the world live,” she explained, “we would all get along better than we have been lately.”
With a click of a mouse, you can see Frederic’s window in the south of France, looking out on sailboats anchored (拋錨) in a peaceful harbor. Or Virginia’s view in Canada, a winter scene with trees laced in white.
Like most high school students, Burke has traveled the world. But she says someday she hopes to collect stamps in her passport, starting with Greece and India. Her recent break was devoted to launching the site with a blogger account and recruiting(招募) contributors from deviant ART, an online art community. She posted the first window view from Switzerland, a sunset photographed by an 18-year-old. Then others came flowing in by email, up to seven a day, from as far as Kazakhstan and Indonesia.
Contributors are marked on maps pinned on her bedroom wall: a blue dot indicates their country and a pink dot shows their city, if they provide it. The most responses have come from Europe – Estonia, Poland, Italy, Germany and Sweden, to name a few. She is crossing her fingers, thinking that she’ll receive a photo from Africa or Antarctica, which are unrepresented so far.
While she’s become a cyber crusader(網絡革新者) for appreciating the beauty outside our own windows, get this: She has no windows in her bedroom. She has a nice skylight（天窗）, though.
51. What does Burke think of the picture she received from Andreea?
A. Boring      B. Charming    C. Strange    D. Plain
52. Outside My Window is a blog intended to show_______.
A. the view from Burke’s window
B. pictures of rural New Jersey
C. photos of window views taken by people all over the world
D. beautiful scenes of famous places of interest
53. We can conclude from the article that Burke _______.
A. believes we should reach out to people of different cultures
B. has traveled around the world and taken many pictures
C. is a member of an online art community
D. has made a lot of money by selling beautiful pictures
54. Which of the following is not true?
A. Burke is likely to receive a photo from Africa or Antarctica.
B. Burke is a junior middle school student.
C. Burke has photos from many countries in the world, including Kazakhstan.
D. Burke wants a photo of window view from Africa or Antarctica.
55．What is the best title of this passage?
A. World Windows
B. Beautiful Pictures
C. Pictures on the Internet
D. Windows in Bedrooms

A few weeks after my first wife, Georgia, was called to heaven, I was cooking dinner for my son and myself. For a 　31 , I had decided on frozen peas. As I was cutting open the bag, it 32 from my hand and crashed to the floor. The peas, like marbles (彈珠), 　33 everywhere. I tried to use a broom (掃帚), 　34 with each swipe they just rolled across the kitchen.

For the next week, every time I was in the 　35 , I found a pea — in a corner, or behind a table leg. They kept 　36 . Eight months later I pulled out the refrigerator to clean behind it, and 37 twelve frozen peas hidden underneath (在底下)．

At the time I found those few remaining 　38 , I was in a new relationship with a wonderful 　39 I’d met in a support group. After we married, I was reminded of those peas 40 the refrigerator, and realized that my 　41 had been like that bag of frozen peas. It had shattered (破碎). My wife had died; I was in a new city with a busy job, and with a son having trouble 　42 his new surroundings and the 　43 of his mother. I was a bag of spilled frozen peas; my life had come apart and scattered (散開)．

When life gets you 　44 , when everything you know comes apart, and when you think you’ll never make it, 　45 that it’s just a bag of scattered frozen peas. The peas can be 46 , and life will move on. You’ll find all the peas eventually, including the ones that are hardest to 　47 . And when you’ve got them 　48 , you’ll start to feel whole again.

The life you know can break apart at any time. But you’ll have to 　49 , and how fast you collect your peas depends on you. Will you keep scattering them around with a broom, 50 will you pick them up one by one and put your life back together?

31. A. vegetable　　　　　 B. fruit　　　　　　　　 C. drink　　　　　　　　 D. meat

32. A. moved　　　　　　　 B. walked　　　　　　 C. ran　　　　　　　　　 D. slipped

33. A. rubbed　　　　　　　 B. rolled　　　　　　　 C. grew　　　　　　　　 D. existed

34. A. but　　　　　　　　　　 B. and　　　　　　　　　 C. although　　　　　 D. so

35. A. bedroom　　　　　　 B. living room　　　 C. kitchen　　　　　　 D. storeroom

36. A. getting up　　　　　 B. turning up　　　　 C. taking up　　　　　 D. using up

37. A. found　　　　　　　　 B. ate　　　　　　　　　 C. left　　　　　　　　　 D. planted

38. A. presents　　　　　　　　　　 B. cans　　　　　　　　 C. vegetables　　　　 D. peas

39. A. man　　　　　　　　　 B. child　　　　　　　　 C. woman　　　　　　 D. boy

40. A. under　　　　　　　　 B. above　　　　　　　 C. for　　　　　　　　　 D. beside

41. A. wife　　 　　　　　 B. life　　　　　　　　　 C. son　　　　　　　　　 D. friend

42. A. turning to　　　　　 B. leading to　　　　　 C. getting used to　 D. adding to

43. A. thank　　　　　　　　 B. love　　　　　　　　 C. help　　　　　　　　 D. loss

44. A. down　　　　　　　　 B. near　　　　　　　　 C. close 　　　　　　 D. wide

45. A. realize　　　　　　　　 B. remember　　　　 C. regret　　　　　　　 D. hope

46. A. grew　　　　　　　　 B. bought　　　　　　　　　　 C. collected　　　　　 D. frozen

47. A. find　　　　　　　　　 B. eat　　　　　　　　　 C. cook　　　　　　　　 D. get

48. A. both　　　　　　　　　 B. all　　　　　　　　　　 C. either 　　　　　　 D. each

49. A. call on　　　　　　　 B. move on　　　　　 C. bring on　　　　　 D. put on

50. A. while　　　　　　　　 B. because　　　　　　 C. since　　　　　　　　 D. or

A Chinese couple tried to name their baby“@”，saying the character best represents their love for the child, according to an official trying to whip the national language into shape. The unusual name stands out especially in Mandarin（普通話），which has no alphabet and instead uses tens of thousands of multi-stroke（多筆畫的）characters to represent words. “The whole world uses it to write emails, and translated into Chinese it meanshe A. None               ‘love him’”, the father explained, according to the deputy chief of the

State Language Commission Li Yuming.

While the @ symbol is familiar to Chinese email users,they often use the English word “at” to sound it out. With a drawn-out “t”, this sounds something like “ai ta”, or “l(fā)ove him”, to Mandarin speakers. Li says the name is an extreme example of people's increasingly adventurous approach to Mandarin, as commercialization and the Internet break down conventions（習俗）.

Another couple tried to give their child a name that in English sounds like “King Osrina”.

Li did not say if officials accepted the“＠”name. But earlier this year the government announced a ban on names using Arabic numerals and foreign languages. Sixty million Chinese face the problem that their names use ancient characters so uncommon that computers cannot recognize them and even fluent speakers are left scratching their heads, said Li, according to a transcript on the government website. One of them is the former Premier Zhu Rongji, whose name has a rare “rong” character that gives newspaper editors headaches.

56. Why did the Chinese couple try to name their baby“@”？

  A. Because they wanted their baby to have a special narne．

  B. Because they wanted their baby to haw an international name.

  C. Because the @ symbol is familiar to email users all over the world.

  D. Because die＠symbol sounds something  like “ai ta”,which means “l(fā)ove him” in Chinese.

57. It can be inferred that       .

  A. Li Yuming is in favor of the baby's name

  B. many Chinese people use Arabic numerals in their names

  C. a majority of the Chinese people are having longer names

  D. there is little possibility for the“@”name to be officially accepted

58. The underlined part in the passage probably means“       ”.

  A. even native speakers find it hard to accept these strange names

  B. even native speakers can't find these characters in their computers

  C. even those who are expert at Chinese can't recognize these characters

  D. even those who are expert at Chinese find it hard to accept these names

三．完形填空�。ǎ玻胺郑�
How often do you change your hairstyle or ask for new dresses? You may be   31  to follow trends（潮流）in Western countries, but young people in the United States don’t care as much about
32  as you do.
A recent survey(調查) among high school   33  in China, Japan, South Korea and the US found that   34   teenagers care more about their appearance than young people in the US.
This survey was held in 156 high schools in the four countries. More than 7,000 teenagers were
35  about their views on life and the world. South Koreans, at 83 per cent, cared most about their looks. They were   36   by the Chinese and Japanese, while US students showed the least interest in fashion at only 33 per cent.
“The different results show  37   of cultural background（背景）,” said Sun Yunxiao from the China Youth and Children Research Centre. He explained that in the US there are many different 38  of beauty, so teens are more   39  to be confident about their appearance.
US teenagers’ high self-confidence is displayed（展示） in the   40 . About 85 per cent are happy with themselves. The percentage of self-confident Chinese students stands at only 30 per cent.
What’s   41 , US students showed more individuality（個性）, with 88 per cent   42   that “people should follow their own interests rather than   43  of others”. This is much   44  than South Korea’s 69 per cent, China’s 49 and Japan’s 48.
Japanese students, at 52 per cent, are most dissatisfied with modern society. Chinese and Koreans follow at second and  45  most dissatisfied.
“ 46  to the survey, Chinese students are happy and disciplined (有紀律的). They have a strong wish to make a difference.  47  Chinese students need to be more independent and learn how to relax,” said Sun.
The students have different  48   backgrounds. But home and places where friends gather are the favorite places all teens seek happiness.
Exams and worries about life after graduation cause much 49  among most of the teens
50  for the survey.
31. A. absorbed            B. willing                 C. careless            D. unhappy
32. A. hairstyle                  B. dresses                    C. fashion                 D. culture
33. A. teachers           B. students           C. citizens                 D. colleagues
34. A. Asian                      B. American           C. African            D. Western
35. A. answered            B. requested           C. persuaded          D. questioned
36. A. followed            B. decreased            C. reduced           D. compared
37. A. relations             B. barriers           C. customs          D. differences
38. A. awareness           B. Standards         C. Consciences         D. expenses
39. A. admirable           B. confused           C. likely             D. unbelievable
40. A. survey               B. setting             C. reference            D. paper
41. A. worse               B. better              C. less                       D. more
42. A. disagreeing          B. observing           C. agreeing          D. puzzling
43. A. those               B. that                C. it                D. One
44. A. lower              B. larger              C. smaller           D. higher
45. A. first                B. third               C. fourth                   D. last
46. A. leading              B. devoting            C. Appealing           D. According
47. A. But                 B. And               C. So               D. Or
48. A. political            B. cultural            C. Economical         D. commercial
49. A. expectation         B. hesitation          C. Concern           D. Ambition
50. A. interviewed         B. advised            C. Overlooked         D. invested

七．閱讀理解 (20分)
A
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
   On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
   But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
   Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
1. Which of the following is not a custom for a boy to do on Valentine’s Day?
   A. to take his girlfriend out to dinner
   B. to buy his girlfriend flowers and chocolates     
   C. to make Valentine’s cards for teachers and friends
   D. to spell out his girlfriend’s name with rose petals
2. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
   A. Because there were few women in his country at that time.
   B. Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.
   C. Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.
   D. Because he wanted to control the birth rate.
3. Valentine was put into prison because ______.
   A. he killed one of the soldiers 
   B. he stole a lot of food
   C. he didn’t obey the emperor’s order   
   D. he didn’t want to be a soldier
4. The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
   A. students in China send cards to their teachers
   B. it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
   C. it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
   D. Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now
5. The best title for this passage should be ______.
   A. Valentine’s Day                  B. A Brave Priest  
   C. Valentine’s Day in China          D. A Romantic Man