WHAT happens to a teenage kid when the world he thought he knew suddenly changes? Find out in Little Brother by American author Cory Doctorow． It is a fascinating book for a new generation of sci-fi readers．
Marcus Yallow, 17, from San Francisco is much more comfortable in front of a computer than obeying the rules of society． Smart, fast and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting （骗过） his high school's monitoring system． This way he and his friends get to head off to play a popular online game in real life．
While they are playing, a bomb explodes on the Bay Bridge． Marcus stops a military vehicle to get help for his injured friend, but this simple act throws him into a Department of Homeland Security （DHS） secret prison． There he is treated as a possible terrorist． He is eventually let go after four days, but his injured friend disappears．
When he returns, Marcus discovers that there are many "security measures" in place and that now all citizens are treated like potential terrorists． While some consider this government action necessary for public safety, Marcus sees this as a complete destruction of the rights he is supposed to have as a citizen．
He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him with only one thing to do: to take down the DHS himself． He helps organize a large network called Xnet to spread the truth, anonymously （匿名地）．
The book presents a young man who is irresponsible, but learns about himself, and grows, in the course of the story． As part of this learning and growing he becomes aware of very serious issues about his society．
【小题1】 What kind of article does this passage belong to?     

The Man of Many Secrets
Harry Houdini was one of the greatest American entertainers in the theater this century．He was a man famous for his escapes—from prison cells，from wooden boxes floating in rivers，from locked tanks full of water．He appeared in theaters all over Europe and America．Crowds came to see the great Houdini and his “magic”tricks．
0f course，his secret was not magic，or supernatural powers．It was simply strength．He had ability to move his toes as well as to move his fingers．He could move his body into almost any position he wanted．
Houdini started working in the entertainment world when he was 17，in 1891．He and his brother Theo performed card tricks in a New York club．They called themselves the Houdini brothers．When Harry married in 1894，he and his wife Bess worked together as magician and assistant，but for a long time they were not successful．Then Harty performed his first prison escape，in Chicago in 1898．Harry persuaded a detective to let him try to escape from the prison，and he invited the local newspaperman to watch．It was the publicity(名声)that came from this that started Harry Houdini’s success．
Harry had fingers trained to escape from handcuffs(手铐)and toes trained to escape from ankle chains，but his biggest secret was how he unlocked the prison doors．Every time he went into the prison cell，Bess gave him a kiss for good luck—and a small skeleton key，which is a key that fits many locks passed quickly from her mouth to his．
Harry used these prison escapes to build his fame．He arranged to escape from the local jail of every town he visited．In the afternoon the people of the town would read about it in their local newspapers．and in the evening every seat in the local theater would be full．What was the result? Worldwide fame，and a name remembered today．
【小题1】According to the passage，Houdini’s success in prison escapes depends on   ．

One day I visited an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting. I was expecting a quiet  36  of the splendid artwork.

A young  37  viewing the paintings ahead of me  38  nonstop between themselves. I watched them a moment and decided the lady was doing all the talking. I admired the man's  39  for putting up with her  40  stream of words.  41  by their noise, I moved on.

I met them several times as I moved  42  the various rooms of art. Each time I heard her continuous flow of words, I moved away  43   .

I was standing at the counter of the museum gift shop making a  44  when the couple approached the    45   .Before they left, the man  46  into his pocket and pulled out a white object. He  47  it into a long stick and then  48  his way into the coatroom to get his wife's jacket.

“He's a  49  man.” the clerk at the counter said. “Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age. During his recovery, he made a promise his life wouldn't change. So, as before, he and his wife come in  50  there is a new art show.”

“But what does he get out of the art?” I asked. “He can't see.”

“Can't see! You're  51  . He sees a lot. More than you and I do,” the clerk said. “His wife 52  each painting so he can see it in his head.”

I learned something about patience,   53  and love that day. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without  54  and the courage of a husband who would not  55  blindness to change his life. And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away, their arms intertwined.

1.A. view                              B. touch                                C. wander                   D. scenery

2.A. lady                               B. man                                   C. couple                              D. clerk

3.A. yelled                            B. argued                              C. screamed                         D. chatted

4.A. attempt                         B. patience                           C. wisdom                   D. independence

5.A. vivid                              B. constant                          C. casual                     D. exciting

6.A. Adopted                       B. Adapted                           C. Conducted                       D. Disturbed

7.A. towards                        B. to                                       C. through                            D. from

8.A. anxiously                      B. slowly                               C. quickly                    D. sensibly

9.A. comment                      B. decision                           C. purchase                          D. profit

10.A. entrance                    B. queue                               C. front                                 D. exit

11.A. plugged                      B. reached                           C. held                                  D. bent

12.A. lengthened                B. made                                C. brought                            D. broadened

13.A. led                               B. found                                C. forced                              D. tapped

14.A. brave                                   B. rough                                C. smart                                D. generous

15.A. wherever                            B. whatever                         C. whenever                        D. whichever

16.A. wrong                         B. silly                                    C. equal                                D. unique

17.A. describes                            B. draws                                C. shows                               D. decorates

18.A. kindness                     B. courage                            C. enthusiasm                      D. pride

19.A. support                      B. expectation                     C. sight                                  D. confidence

20.A. allow                                    B. hope                                 C. get                                     D. cause

In a growing number of English classes, teachers are leaving the classic novels on the shelf and letting students select the books they read. Supporters say that the new approach, called reader’s workshop, helps develop a love for reading in students who are bored by classic literature. They argue that the best way to motivate students to read more is to offer them more choices.
Not all educators are on the same page, however. They worry that students who choose trendy, less challenging titles over the classics won’t be exposed to the great writing and key themes of important works of literature.
Student reporters Donald and Sarah express their ideas about this new approach.
Donald thinks that we should turn the page. Students should be allowed to select the books they read in English class. He says he and his classmates are allowed to pick their own books in class. That makes them more focused, and they look forward to class time. Tristin, a classmate of his at Clinton Middle School agrees. “I’m reading books that I want to read, which makes class more fun and interesting,” he says. Offering students a choice may also improve test scores. Studies by Professor John Guthrie of the University of Maryland found that students in grades 4 through 6 who had some choices in the books they read showed improved reading comprehension skills during testing. Giving students the chance to decide what they read helps build a lifelong love for reading. Isn’t that what we want for our students?
Sarah holds a different view. She thinks teachers know more about books than students do. When an English teacher assigns a book, he or she keeps in mind the reading level of most students in the class. Students who choose their own books might be cheating themselves by picking books that are not up to their reading level or that are too difficult. Furthermore, a whole class can discuss a book it reads together. That makes it easier for some kids to understand what they are reading. “The students wouldn’t be able to hold a meaningful conversation if they were all reading different books,” says Kristin, an English teacher at Fleetwood Area Middle School. “If they read the same book, their conversations would be more in-depth.”
【小题1】What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence “Not all educators are on the same page”?

Even people who don’t understand English can enjoy Chaplin’s films because they are mostly silent. It isn’t what he says that makes us laugh. It depends upon actions which mean the same thing to people all over the world. He is master of the art – a kind of world language.
As a young man, he and his brother traveled to America in a small company of actors. Chaplin was then invited to join a new company that was making film comedies. Very soon he had made dozens of short films for this company. And it was in his second film that he wore the clothes which made his reputation – black hat, tight coat, baggy trousers, huge shoes, moustache and walking stick. He intended simply to make people laugh. But the odd make-up made him look both comic and sad.
By the time he was thirty, Chaplin was the greatest, best known and best loved comedian in the world. He received thousands of dollars for each film he made. He had formed his own manner of acting. He was welcomed by excited crowds wherever he went. But he worked very hard and had few close friends. Perhaps that is why the sad side of the little tramp began to show more clearly in the films he made. The little man began to want more than food and a roof over his head. He began to want love.
In one of his most famous films “The Gold Rush” a girl plays tricks on the little man. Then she begins to feel sorry for him and treats him kindly. He mistakes her pity for love. The girl in “City Lights” is blind. She thinks he is the most wonderful man she has ever met. But then she recovers her sight and sees what a foolish figure he is. This sadness gives Chaplin’s films a depth of human experience which few comedians can equal.
After living in America for forty years he moved to Switzerland. There he died on Christmas Day 1977. He once described himself as a citizen of famous pictures that were made during the 1920s and 1930s, the time of the silent films. But, to many people all over the world Chaplin will always be the king of comedy.
【小题1】What’s the meaning of the underlined word in the first paragraph?