"Mister D'Arcy is not a policeman. He is however, very wise. He knew the police would search his
apartment. He also knew how police think. So, he did not hide the letter where he knew they would look
for it.
     "Do you remember how Germont laughed when I said the mystery was difficult for him to work out
because it was so simple?"
     Dupin filled his pipe with tobacco and lit it. "Well, the more I thought about it, the more I realized the
police could not find the letter because D'Arcy had not hidden it at all.
     "So I went to visit D'Arcy in his apartment. I took a pair of dark green eyeglasses with me. I explained
to him that I was having trouble with my eyes and needed to wear the dark glasses at all times. He
believed me. The glasses permitted me to look around the apartment while I seemed only to be talking to
him.
     "I paid special attention to a large desk where there were a lot of papers and books. However, I saw
nothing suspicious there. After a few minutes, however, I noticed a small shelf over the fireplace. A few
postcards and a letter were lying on the shelf. The letter looked very old and dirty.
     "As soon as I saw this letter, I decided it must be the one I was looking for. It must be, even though it was completely different from the one Germont had described.
     "This letter had a large green stamp on it. The address was written in small letters in blue ink. I
memorized every detail of the letter while I talked to D'Arcy. Then when he was not looking, I dropped
one of my gloves on the floor under my chair.
     "The next morning, I stopped at his apartment to look for my glove. While we were talking, we heard
people shouting in the street. D'Arcy went to the window and looked out. Quickly, I stepped to the shelf
and put the letter in my pocket. Then I replaced it with a letter that looked exactly like it, which I had
taken with me. I had made it the night before.
     "The trouble in the street was caused by a man who had almost been run over by a horse and carriage.He was not hurt. And soon the crowd of people went away. When it was over, D'Arcy came away from
the window. I said goodbye and left.
     "The man who almost had an accident was one of my servants(雇员). I had paid him to create the
incident."
     Dupin stopped talking to light his pipe. I did not understand. "But, Dupin," I said, "why did you go to
the trouble of replacing the letter? Why not just take it and leave"
     Dupin smiled. "D'Arcy is a dangerous man," he said. "And he has many loyal servants. If I had taken
the letter, I might never have left his apartment alive."

1. What is Dupin probably?

A. A captain.            
B. A detective.    
C. An official.          
D. A professor.

2. Why was Dupin wearing a pair of dark green eyeglasses while calling at D'Arcy's ? 

A. Because he wanted to be look more handsome.
B. Because there was something wrong with his eyes.
C. Because he could see more clearly wearing the eyeglasses .
D. Because the glasses enabled him to look around without being noticed .

3. Dupin dropped one of his gloves to ___ . 

A. pay a visit to D'Arcy again.        
B. leave some evidence
C. send it to D'Arcy as a gift.    
D. imply something to D'Arcy

4. According to the text, we can infer_______. 

A. D'Arcy asked his loyal servants to kill Dupin 
B. Mr. D'Arcy and Dupin were good friends.
C. the incident in the street was directed by Dupin.
D. Dupin should have taken the letter away directly.

5. Which would be the best title for the text? 

A. The stolen letter      
B. An unexpected accident
C. A dangerous man      
D. The unbelievable apartment

     The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what's important.
                                                                                                                                    -Anonymous
     Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened.
I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all
of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his
brakes, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!
     The driver of the other car, who almost caused a big accident, started yelling bad words at us. My taxi
driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that?
This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what
I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck."
     Many people are like garbage (rubbish) trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full
of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let
them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile,
wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.
     I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their
garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not
going to do anymore".
     Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to
welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have
to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about. The bottom line is that successful people
do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting
today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? Here's my bet. You'll be happier. Life's too short to wake
up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't.

1. How did the taxi driver respond to the behaviour of the driver of the black car?

A. He yelled back at the driver.
B. He sent the driver to the hospital.
C. He was friendly towards the driver.
D. He dumped some garbage in front of his car.

2. What does the taxi driver think of people according to Paragraph 3?

A. Many people like to drive garbage trucks.
B. Many people dump garbage wherever they like.
C. Many people are warm-hearted to make others happy.
D. Many people tend to be very much depressed.

3. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?

A. The author used to have a lot of garbage trucks.
B. The author used to complain a lot.
C. The author used to have a lot of money.
D. The author used to be a good manager.

4. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?

A. The author used to have a lot of garbage trucks.
B. The author used to complain a lot.
C. The author used to have a lot of money.
D. The author used to be a good manager.

     In my dual profession as an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children
infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The relationships that I have had with these special kids have
been gifts in my life. I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages. Let me tell you about Tyler.
     Tyler was born infected with HIV; his mother was also infected. From the very beginning of his life,
he was dependent on medication to enable him to survive. When he was five, he had a tube surgically
inserted in a vein in his chest. This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack
on his back. Medications were fastened to this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to
his bloodstream. At times, he also needed supplemented oxygen to support his breathing.
     Tyler wasn't willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this deadly disease. It was not
unusual to find him playing and racing around his backyard, wearing his medicine-laden backpack and
dragging his tank of oxygen behind him in his little wagon. All of us who knew Tyler marveled at (大为
惊讶) his pure joy in being alive and the energy it gave him. Tyler's mom often teased him by telling him
that he moved so fast she needed to dress him in red. That way, when she peered through the window to
check on him playing in the yard, she could quickly spot him.
     This deadly disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little of a dynamo like Tyler. He grew
quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his HIV-infected mother. When it became comforted him by telling
Tyler that she was dying too, and that's he would be with him soon in heaven.
     A few days before his death, Tyler beckoned me over to his hospital bed and whispered, "I might die
soon. I'm not scared. When I die, please dress me in red. Mom promised she's coming to heaven, too.
I'll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me."

1. What happened to him in his early age?

A. He was independent on medication to survive.
B. He got a tube in his chest.
C. His mother was infected with HIV.
D. He had inserted a pump on his back.

2. Tyler wore a backpack is _______.

A. because he thought it was cool and fashionable.
B. because there was a pump in it, which could help with his disease.
C. because the doctor and his mom asked him to wear it
D. because he had no right to choose but to wear it.

3. After reading Para. 4, we can know_______.   

A. The relationship between Tyler and his mom is not good.
B. Tyler's mom loved him and was unwilling to tell him about the disease
C. Tyler's mom is as weak as him because of the disease.
D. Tyler loved his mom very much.

4. Why did Tyler ask the doctor to dress him in red?

A. Because he likes dressing in red  
B. Because his mother wanted him to dress in red.
C. Because he wanted his mother to be happy.  
D. Because his mother can spot him at once.

5. What does the author want to tell us by writing this passage?

A. People who was infected with HIV will die soon.
B. Having a positive attitude will keep you from the deadly disease.
C. Even a child can teach us a lot and be respected.
D. Everyone should have great courage to face the problems.

     "Soon, you're going to have to move out!" cried my neighbor upon seeing the largest tomato plant
known to mankind, or at least known in my neighborhood.
     One tiny 9-inch plant, bought for $1.25 in the spring, has already taken over much of my rose bed,
covering much of other plants, and is well on its way to the front door.
     Roses require a good deal of care, and if it weren't for the pleasure they give, it wouldn't be worth
the work. As it is, I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year. Bushes must be
pruned(剪枝) in early spring, leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks
later. It was the space available in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant. A big
mistake.
     Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out to be even more perfect for tomatoes. The daily
watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing have turned the little plant into a tall bush. The cage
I placed around it as the plant grew has long disappeared under the thick leaves.
     Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold: First, I have to stand on my head, and once
found I have to reach down and under, pick the tomatoes and withdraw (缩回) my full fist without
dropping the prize so dearly won. I found tow full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked
tomatoes in June. But they were weak and the leaves already turned yellow for lack of light.
     Here I am faced with a painful small decision. To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant
that offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several
expensive and treasured roses. Like Scarlet in Gone with the Wind, I'll think about that tomorrow.

1. The writer decided to plant the tomato just because ____.  

A. it cost little  
B. the soil conditions were proper 
C. the space left could be used 
D. the roses were growing too fast

2. What are the requirements for the healthy growth of rose? 

A. Enough care and right soil conditions. 
B. Frequent pruning and fertilizing. 
C. Tomato plants grown alongside. 
D. Cage placed around the roots.

3. By saying "the prize so dearly won" in Para.5, the writer wants to ____.   

A. show the difficulty in picking the tomatoes 
B. show the hardship of growing the roses 
C. express her liking for the roses. 
D. express her care for the tomatoes

     Just as adults have a hard time putting down their iPhones, so the device is now the toy of choice for
many 1- 3 years old children. It's a phenomenon that is attracting the attention of some childhood
development specialists.
     Natasha Sykes, a mother of two in Atlanta, remembers the first time her daughter, Kelsey, then
barely 2 years old, held her husband's iPhone. "She pressed the button and it lit up. I just remember her
eyes. It was like 'Whoa!' "The parents were charmed by their daughter's fascination. But then, said Ms.
Sykes, "She got serious about the phone."Kelsey would ask for it. Then she'd cry for it. "It was like she'd
always want the phone," Ms. Sykes said.
     Apple, the iPhone's designer and manufacturer, has built its success on machines so simple and
intuitive(直观的) that even technologically confused adults can figure out how to work them, so it makes
sense that expert children would follow. Tap a picture on the screen and something happens. What could
be more fun?
     Many iPhone on the market are aimed directly at preschoolers, many of them labeled "educational,"
such as Toddler Teasers: Shapes, which asks the child to tap a circle or square or triangle; and Pocket
Zoo, which broadcasts live video of animals at zoos around the world.
     There are "flash cards" aimed at teaching children to read and spell, and a "Wheels on the Bus"
program that sings the popular song in multiple languages. Then there's the new iGo Potty program, with
automated phone calls reminding toddlers that it's time to "go ".
     Along with fears about dropping and damage, however, many parents sharing iPhones with their
young ones feel guilty. They wonder whether it is indeed an educational tool, or a passive amusement like
television. The American Academy of Pediatrics has long advised parents not to let their children watch
any TV until they are past their second birthday.
     Jane M. Healy, an educational psychologist in Vail, Colo. said: "Any parent who thinks a spelling
program is educational for that age is missing the whole idea of how the preschool brain grows. What
children need at that age is whole body movement, the skills of playing lots of objects and not some
difficult technology. You're not learning to read by lining up the letters in the word 'cat.' You're learning to
read by understanding language, by listening."

1. The main purpose of Kelsey referred to in the passage is to ____. 

A. not only adults but children are crazy about iPhones 
B. encourage people to buy this toy for their children 
C. advertise for the toy
D. show Kelsey likes the toy very much

2. The underlined words "it's time to 'go' "in Paragraph 3 mean ______. 

A. it's time to stop playing the toy 
B. it's time to go to sleep
C. it's tie to go to the washroom 
D. it's time to go home

3. The parents asking their young children to play iPhones feel guilty because _____. 

A. they know the toy has a negative effect on them 
B. the children damage the toy 
C. they are not sure of the real effect of the toy 
D. they ask their children to watch live video of animals

4. In Jane's mind, in educating preschoolers parents should _____. 

A. buy this toy for their children. 
B. ask their children to play as many toys as possible 
C. ask their children to learn a spelling program
D. know how the preschool brain grows