I credit my typing skill to so many hours of chatting online. Unfortunately, as my typing speed
increased on the Internet, all grammatical rules went out of the window. You see instant messages
have their own shorthand language and grammar isn't important, of which even a newbie (新手) is
aware. They can leave out articles, subjects (主语), pronouns, etc. They can misspell or "respell"
almost any word. They often ask "A/S/L" when they first chat. Abbreviations (缩写) and capitalizations (大写) are particularly important. English-speaking instant messengers also refuse to burden themselves
with punctuation and capitalization.
     After I came back China, I discovered not one but two instant messaging crazes. The first, which
brought back memories of my previous addiction to the computer, was QQ. I can see evidence tha
t the Chinese have the same kind of separate instant messaging language, even when they chat in English. My first word in this language, for example, was "ft". This abbreviation for "faint" is used whenever
there is a need to express surprise. I also discovered that Chinese use the same kind of abbreviation
for a laugh. And there is an extraordinary number of smileys (表情符) to the "vomit" and "army soldier"
smileys. There is even a SARA smiley.
     After QQ, there is another, perhaps more widespread messaging trend. You guessed it-cell phone
text messaging. I now understand how useful text messaging is and why it is so common. I admit that
I have been guilty of sending text messages while walking outside or sitting on the subway. Who hasn't ?
No matter where I go, I see people on their cell phones, messaging. In fact, it's rare to see someone
actually talking on their phone!
     So it looks as if there is no escape from the instant messaging crazes, no matter where in the world
I go. And that's plainly not going to change. In the end, though, I can't complain: instant messaging is
quick, it's cheap, it's easy and it's extremely fun too. And after all, everyone's doing it.    

1. The underlined phrase "went out of the window" in Paragraph 1 probably means        .

A. increased  
B. occurred  
C. disappeared  
D. changed

2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Grammar and correct spelling are very important while chatting online. 
B. There are enough smileys and icons to express yourselves while chatting on line.
C. The writer is skilled at typing and once was addicted to online games.
D. It is impolite to leave out some unimportant words or letters while chatting online.

3. The writer believes that instant messaging is          .

A. full of fun but time-consuming  
B. widespread but unnecessary
C. quick but difficult to do  
D. common, used and cheap

4. Which might be the main idea of the passage?

A. Who can escape QQ and cell phone text messaging?  
B. Why is instant messaging so popular?
C. Chatting online is good for your typing skill.
D. Chatting on QQ is natural for people.

      For 170 years,members of a tiny American native tribe have lived and celebrated their traditions on a
small piece of land off the Louisiana coast called Isle de Jean Charles.They fished and they farmed,making
livings by hard work amid the bays and marshes(沼泽)．But now the waters that have supported them
are threatening to overwhelm them.
      "I don't think we're going to have to have any other choice except to leave because we're getting
washed away by every storm that comes by," said Albert Naquin,chief of the BiloxiChitimacha tribe."We
have lost more and more land,and it keeps happening."
      Surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the marsh on the other,Isle de Jean Charles sits at
the southern tip of Louisiana's rapidly disappearing wetlands,an area that is 3 to 4 miles long and about a
mile wide.The tribe has been living here since 1840.But about a football field worth of land in the region is
lost every half hour because of erosion(侵蚀),storms and rising sea water-a constant process that is
expected to worsen with climate change.
      Isle de Jean Charles has been flooded five times in the last six years,being transformed from a once
lush(繁茂的) landscape into a barren disaster zone.The floodwaters have spread large amounts of salt
across the tiny island,making it nearly impossible for much to grow any more.
      The road to their village has been flooded so often,and now only one narrow road is usable,
which is often covered by water.The fire station was closed a few years ago,and the island's church was
relocated.Now,only 25 families are left,with a "few dozen" people.A controversial $900 million system of
sea walls to save endangered communities along the Louisiana coast raised hopes here.But the final
design did not include Isle de Jean Charles because officials concluded it simply would cost too much to
protect the relatively few families that were left..

1．What would be the best title of the passage?

A. Climate change threatens an American native tribe.
B. Decreasing population of an American native tribe.
C. The survival of an American native tribe.
D. The harmful effect of climate change

2．We learn from the third paragraph that ________.

A. only a football field worth of land remains for the tribe
B. the southern tip of the wetlands is now in water
C. the tribe is losing its land at a fast speed
D. the tribe has lived here for 300 years

3．What do we know about the remaining land of Isle de Jean Charles?

A. It still remains rich and beautiful.
B. It has become unsuitable for cross to grow.
C. Most of it has become wetlands.
D. All of them has been covered by water.

4．The sea walls will fail to protect the tribe because officials think ________.

A. sea walls will be dangerous for the people living there
B. sea walls will affect the living of the creatures in the sea
C. building sea walls would cost the people living there too much money
D. it's not worthwhile building sea walls to protect the few families

     In 1993,I had my first opportunity to visit Russia as a representative of the University of California.I
was there to provide some technical assistance in the area of agricultural labor management."The Russians
are very polite people," I had been tutored before my arrival.One of my interpreters,once I was there,
explained that a gentleman will pour the juice for the ladies and show other courtesies(礼节)．
     Toward the end of my threeweek trip I was invited by my young Russian host and friend Nicolai Vasile
vich and his lovely wife Yulya out to dinner.At the end of a wonderful meal Yulya asked if I would like a
banana.I politely declined and thanked her,and explained I was most satisfied with the meal.My mind was
racing,"What do I do? Do I offer her a banana even though they are as close to her as they are to me?
What is the polite thing to do?"
     "Would you like a banana?" I asked Yulya.
     "Yes," she smiled,but made no attempt to take any of the three bananas in the fruit basket."What now?"
I thought.
     "Which one would you like?" I asked.
     "That one," she pointed at one of the bananas.So all the while thinking about Russian politeness,I
picked the banana Yulya had pointed at and peeled it half way and handed it to her.Smiles in Yulya and
Nicoli's faces told me I had done the right thing.After this experience I spent much time letting the world
know that in Russia,the polite thing is to peel the bananas for the ladies.Sometime during my third trip I was
politely disabused(纠正)．
     "Oh no,Grigorii Davidovich," a Russian graciously corrected me."In Russia,when a man peels a banana
for a lady,it means he has a romantic interest in her." How embarrassed I felt!

1．The main purpose of the writer is probably to tell us ________.

A. what good manners are in Russia
B. the different ways to eat bananas in Russia
C. his interesting working experience in Russia
D. the cultural difference he has experienced in Russia

2．The author first went to Russia to ________.

A. teach agricultural labor management
B. work as an assistant in a Russian university
C. offer help in a certain area
D. meet some old friends there

3．Why most probably did Yulya and Nicolai smile when the author handed the peeled banana?

A. They wanted to hide their anger.
B. They were secretly laughing at the author.
C. They were very happy with what the author did.
D. They showed their understanding of the author.

4．After his experience with Yulya,the author probably thought ________.

A. he knew how to be polite to a lady in Russia
B. he had made a funny mistake
C. one should be careful when peeling bananas for ladies
D. one should not peel bananas for ladies

     I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car．I had just come from the car wash and was
waiting for my wife to get out of work．
     Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum．From the
looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money．There are times when you
feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered．This was one of thos
e "don't want to be bothered times"．
     " I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought．
     He didn't．He came and sat on the edge of the pavement in front of the bus stop but he didn't look
like he could have enough money to even ride the bus．After a few minutes he spoke．
     "That's a very pretty car," he said．
     He was in rags but he had an air of dignity around him．His badly-grown blond beard kept more
than his face warm．
     I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car．He sat there quietly as I worked．The expected
plea(乞求) for money never came．As the silence between us widened, something inside said, "ask him
if he needs any help．" I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice．
     "Do you need any help?" I asked．
      He answered in three simple words that I shall never forget．We often look for wisdom in great
men and women．We expect it from those of higher learning and achievements．I expected nothing
but an outstretched dirty hand．He spoke the three words that shook me．
     "Don't we all?" he said．

1. Why did the writer parked his car before the mall?

A. Because he wanted to pick up his wife．
B. Because he wanted to show off his car．
C. Because he wanted to wipe off his car．
D. Because he wanted to do some shopping．

2. Which has the closest meaning to the underlined word "bum" in Paragraph 2?

A. dustman    
B. driver       
C. beggar        
D. robber

3. Which is the best title for this text?

A. A good husband              
B. Didn't he need help?  
C. Don't we all?              
D. One should be generous

     Perhaps you have never heard of Katherine Lawes．Katherine was the wife of Lewis Lawes, warden （监狱长） at Sing Sing Prison from 1920 to 1941．In these 21 years he made many reforms --- and
an important part of his success was due to his wife Katherine．
     Katherine took seriously the idea that the prisoners are human beings ,worthy of attention and respect ．She regularly visited inside the walls of Sing Sing．She encouraged the prisoners, took things to them
and spent time listening to them．Most importantly, she cared about them．And as a result, they cared
deeply about her．
     Then one night in October of  1937,  news was "telegraphed" between the prison cells that Katherine
had been killed in an accident．The prisoners asked the warden to allow them to attend her funeral.He
agreed  to their strange  request and a few days later the south  gate of Sing  Sing swung slowly open．
Hundreds of men who had committed almost every crime imaginable marched slowly out of the prison,
later gathered again at the gate and returned to their cells．There were so many that they proceeded
unguarded．But no one tried to escape．If he had, the others might have killed him immediately．So
devoted were they to Katherine Lawes, the woman who daily walked into Hell to show the men a piece
of Heaven．
     Katherine' s strength was to see the men less as prisoners and more as individuals．Thomas Moore
once said, "We can only treat badly those things or people whose souls we show no respect for．"

1．When Katherine's husband was the warden at Sing Sing Prison, she did the following things EXCEPT_______________．

A．encouraging the prisoners      
B．visiting the prison houses
C．doing some writing for the prisoner  
D．spending time in listening to the prisoners

2．Why did the prisoners ask the warden to allow them to attend Katherine’s funeral?

A．Because Katherine didn't look down upon them and cared about them．
B．Because Katherine was the wife of the warden．
C．Because Katherine made reforms in the prison．
D．Because Katherine had been killed by one of them．

3．Whom does the underlined part “the others” refer to?

A．The policemen at the funeral．  
B．The other prisoners．
C．The guards．            
D．The policemen from other prisons．

4．The best title of this passage is_________．

A．Katherine Lawes' s Life
B．Reforms at Sing Sing Prison
C．To Honor Their Souls
D．To Meet Their Requirement

     Thirteen, for me, was a challenging year. My parents divorced and I moved to a new town with my
father, far from my old family and friends. I was terribly lonely and would cry myself to sleep each night.
To ease my sadness, my father purchased an old horse for me at a local auction. I named him Cowboy.
     Cowboy was without a doubt the ugliest horse in the world. But I didn’t care. I loved him beyond all
reason. I joined a riding club and suffered rude comments and mean snickers about Cowboy’s looks. I
never let on about how I felt, but deep inside, my heart was breaking. The other members rode beautiful,
registered horses.
     When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse is judged on appearance, we were quickly
shown the gate. No amount of preparation and love would turn Cowboy into a beauty. My only chance
to compete would be in the speed events. I chose the jumping race.?
     One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons.  
Needless to say, she didn’t feel threatened when I competed against her at the next show. She didn’t
need to. I came in next to last.
     The stinging memory of Becky’s smirks made me determined to beat her. For the whole next month I woke up early every day and rode Cowboy five miles to the arena (赛马场). We practiced running and
jumping for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home totally exhausted. All of our hard
work didn’t make me feel confident by the time the show came. I sat at the gate and sweated it out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the course and finish in first place.
     My turn finally came. I put on my hat,  rubbed Cowboy’s neck and entered the arena. At  the signal,
we dashed toward the first fence, jumped  it  without trouble and raced on to the next one. Cowboy then
flew over the second, third and fourth fences like a bird and I turned him  toward  the  finish  line. As we
crossed the line the crowd was shocked into silence. Cowboy and I had  beaten  Becky and her fancy
horse by two seconds!
     I gained much more than a blue ribbon that day. At thirteen, I realized that no matter what the odds,
I’d always come out a winner if I wanted something badly enough to work for it.

1. The underlined expression "shown the gate" (paragraph 3) most probably means ______.

A. told how to enter the arena
B. shown how to make the horse beautiful
C. removed from the competition early
D. told to enter the timed-speed events

2. When the final race finished, nobody cheered because        .

A. the audience didn’t like Cowboy
B. people envied the writer
C. the win was unexpected?            
D. the writer bad run out of time

3. Why was the writer not confident of victory?

A. He was an inexperienced rider.
B. He had not practiced enough.
C. He believed he was unpopular with the crowd.
D. He thought his horse wasn’t so good as the others.

4. What did the writer learn from his experience?

A. Life can sometimes be unfair.
B. Anything is possible if one tries hard enough.
C. A positive attitude will bring success.
D. One should not make judgments based on appearance.