When friends come to visit us in the evening, they spend their time telling us they are in a hurry and
looking at their watches. It isn't that our friends are all very busy, it is just that we haven't got a television.
People think that we are very strange. "But what do you do in the evening?", they are always asking. The
answer is very simple. Both my wife and I have hobbies. We certainly don’t spend our evenings staring at
the walls. My wife enjoys cooking and painting and often attends evening classes in foreign languages.
This is particularly useful as we often go abroad for our holidays. I collect stamps and I'm always busy
with my collection. Both of us enjoy listening to the music and playing chess together. 
     Sometimes there are power cuts and we have no electricity in the house. This does not worry us, we
just light candles and carry on with what we were doing before. Our friends, however, are lost—no
television! —So they don't know what to do. On such evenings our house is very full—they all come to
us. They all have a good time. Instead of sitting in silence in front of the television, everybody talks and
plays games.

1. The couple have not got a television, because     .

A. they are not rich enough          
B. they are strange people
C. they enjoy spending evenings in their own ways
D. they don't know what to do when there are power cuts

2. Both of them are interested in     .

A. learning languages  
B. traveling  
C. staying home alone              
D. watching people play games

3.  At night when there is no electricity, the couple       .

A. have to stare at the walls  
B. can do nothing but sit in silence
C. will have many visitors    
D. have to go out for candles

4. The best title for this passage is _____.

A. Why Do We Need a Television?
B. Candle! But No Electricity!
C. Different Friends, Different Hobbies.
D. We Go Without Televisions!

1. The underlined word "shaping" (in Paragraph 1) means "________".

A. forming      
B. changing        
C. catching        
D. losing

2. In order to develop the friendship, the most important thing is that we should _______.

A. give gifts to each other often        
B. meet each other every day
C. care for each other            
D. help each other to live a happy life

3. Which one of the following is true according to this passage?

A. It is no use learning what a true friend is.
B. It is very important to understand each other.
C. It is a duty for you to meet your friends' need all the time.
D. We had better keep silent when staying with our friends.

4. If you want to make friends with someone, you can ________.

A. show your interest with a smile to him or her
B. make him or her feel more important than you
C. never expect him or her to support you
D. have your own ways of seeing things

     Children are a secret weapon for making investment decisions. In a nod to the wisdom of
youth, many wealthy and well-educated technology investors are seeking advice and investment
tips from their children, summer interns(实习生) and twenty something receptionists.
     Unlike the formal consumer tests that focus groups at large companies, these inquiries are taking
place closer to home, with friends and family. But their impact can be broad, because investors not
only help promote the development of new ideas but also invest billions of dollars in those ideas on
behalf of investment groups and wealthy individuals.
     These investors say there is a good reason to ask young people to help them assess new technology:
as the investors themselves are aging, the technology ----including social networking websites and
mobile gadgets- is designed for, used by and sometimes built by people half their age.
     And the trend may indicate the rise of something new in the venture capital industry itself. The
investors said asking the younger people for advice would have been unheard of in the dot-boom of
the 1990s. Then, investors were engaged themselves in the very technology they were financing, ordering
books on Amazon, downloading music from Napster and buying and selling on eBay. But now, in the
so-called Web 2.0 era, investors' personal interests have strayed away from new innovation: websites
like Myspace intended to connect people, free Internet calling tools like Skype or software for mobile
phones.
     And people now in junior school and high school have spent their lives with technology. " This is the
first generation for whom the computer is a native language," said Jim Gauer, managing director of
Palomar Ventures, a Los Angeles firm. " We are all going to have to get re-educated and learn that
language."
     Or they can do what Palomar have done: hire a native speaker . Last summer, the firm had an
intern, Adam Gottesfeld, 21, who was heading into his senior year at Princeton. Mr Gottesfeld so
impressed the firm with his technological knowledge that it has offered him a job as an associate when
he graduates.                     

1. What is the passage mainly about?                                          

A. Investors have difficulty in making wise decisions to make money.          
B. The young will perform better than today's investors in terms of making dec
C. Investors have turned to the young to generate new ideas and test their deci
D. Children with impressive technology knowledge can become investors themselve

2. About those technology investors, which of the following statements might    

A. They are falling behind present technology compared with the younger generat
B. They often conduct some consumer test in large corporations and companies.  
C. They were once the pioneers of new technology in the 1990s.                
D. They have realized the importance and potentiality of the younger generation

3. We can learn from the passage that         .                              

A. the younger generation has long been regarded as investment consultant.    
B. the young today are speaking a different kind of language today.          
C. the young equipped with advanced technological knowledge may find promising
D. many investors will learn from the young advanced computer technology.    

4. According to the passage, we could do all the things today EXCEPT        

A. communicating and connecting with people regardless of border on the Intern
B. downloading music and copyrighted books on the websites.                  
C. buying and selling goods on the Internet.                                  
D. Installing software on the mobile phones.   

     A lot of us lose life's tough battles by starting a frontal attack-when a touch of humor might well enable
us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who hit a traffic jam on his way to work shortly
after receiving an ultimatum (最后通牒) about being late on the job. Although there was a good reason for
Sam's being late-serious illness at home-he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn't work any
longer. His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech.
     Yes, the boss was. Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room; everyone
was hard at work. Sam's supervisor came up to him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and stretched out his
hand. "How do you do!" he said. "I'm Sam Maynard. I'm applying for a job, which, I understand, became
available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?"
     The room exploded in laughter. The supervisor clamped off a smile and walked back to his office. Sam
Maynard had saved his job-with the only tool that could win, a laugh.
     Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives.
It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying "no", criticizing, getting the other fellow to
do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it's the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to
discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians
on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum.

1. Why was Sam late for his job?

A. Because he was ill.
B. Because he got up late.
C. Because he was caught in a traffic jam.
D. He was busy applying for a new job.

2. The main idea of this passage is ____.

A. Sam Maynard saved his job with humor
B. humor is important in our lives
C. early bird gets the worm
D. humor can solve racial discriminations

3. The phrase "clamped off" in Paragraph 3 means ____.

A. tried to hold back
B. tried to set
C. charged
D. gave out

4. Which of the following statements can we infer from the passage?

A. Many lose life's battles for they are lacking in a sense of humor.
B. It wasn't the first time that Sam came late for his work.
C. Sam was supposed to come to his office at 8:30.
D. Humor is the most effective way of solving problems.

     Jeffery Deaver looks more like a brainy villain (反派人物) in a James Bond movie than a "00" agent
in Her Majesty's secret service.Best known for his thrillers starring criminalist (刑事专家) Lincoln Rhyme, Jeffery Deaver  has a new mission: Bring Bond into the 21st century in a new 007 novel.
     The yet-to-be-named book is cryptically (隐秘地) referred to as "Project X" by Ian Fleming
Publications Ltd., which owns the rights to Fleming's work.Most of the details surrounding Project X, to
be published in May, are being kept under wraps, but under gentle coaxing (用好话劝诱) Deaver begins
to spill his guts."The novel," he says, "is set in the present day, in 2011.Bond is a young agent for the
British secret service.He's 29 or 30 years old, and he's an Afghan war vet." That in itself is big news.
After all, if Bond were aging in real time - he first appeared on the screen in 1953 - the now doddering
(老态龙钟的) 007 would be nearly 90.
     But first up: a new stand-alone Deaver novel, Edge (Simon & Schuster, $26.99), to be published
Tuesday.It's about a federal agent who risks his life to protect a Washington police detective from a man
hired to extract information from him using any means at his disposal (任由个人支配的).
     Sipping coffee while seated on a leather chair in a sitting room decorated with portraits of his dogs
and show ribbons, the mild-mannered author who writes about murderers and serial killers talks about
his career and the solid fan base that has allowed him to pursue writing full time since 1990."I may not
sell as many books as John Grisham  (although he has sold a cool 20 million), but I have a very loyal fan
base," says Deaver, 60, who wrote some of his novels while working as a Wall Street lawyer.Deaver's
initiation into the Bond family - more than 100 million 007 novels have sold worldwide - could
significantly raise his profile (知名度).
     Other novelists have written Bond novels since Ian Fleming's death in 1964 - including Kingsley Amis,
John Gardner and, most recently, Sebastian Faulks - but they all took place in the original era.Deaver is
taking a new approach."There's no more Cold War to fight," says Deaver, so his new Bond, of the
Fleming estate, will fight "post-9/11 evil." "I want to stay true to the original James Bond, who many
people don't know much about," he says, referring to the secret agent Fleming portrayed in 14 novels,
and not the movie Bond."People know Daniel Craig, they know Pierce Brosnan , they know Roger
Moore and Sean Connery , all of whom brought a great deal to the stories of 007.But the original Bond
was a very dark, edgy (另类的) character."

1.Which of the following is NOT true about Jeffery Deaver ?

A. Jeffery Deaver  is a "00" agent in Her Majesty's secret service in a James Bond movie.
B. Jeffery Deaver was working as a lawyer while he wrote some novels about murderers and serial killers.
C. It is the loyal fan base that has allowed Jeffery Deaver  to keep on writing since 1990.
D. Jeffery Deaver  is best known for his thrillers rather than for 007 novels.

2. Which statement best explains the meaning of "spill his guts" in Paragraph 2?

A. Tell others what he knows about the yet-to-be-named 007 novel.
B. Tell others everything he knows about Ian Fleming  Publications Ltd..
C. Have the courage to talk about the 007 agent James Bond.
D. Have the determination to talk about "Project X".

3.Who was the author of 007 novels?

A. Jeffery Deaver  
B. Ian Fleming
C. John Grisham 
D. Kingsley Amis

4.What do you know about the new 007 novel from the passage?

A.The book to be published in May is named "Project X" by Ian Fleming  Publications Ltd..
B.The book is about a federal agent risking his life to protect a Washington police detective.
C.The book features a young James Bond, an Afghan war vet working for the British secret service.
D.The book features a young James Bond who fights Cold War.

     The very wealthy English Baron Fitzgerald had only one child, a son, who understandably was the
apple of his eye. His wife died when the child was in his early teens. So Fitzgerald devoted himself to
fathering the kid. Unfortunately the son died in his late teens.
     Meanwhile, Fitzgerald's wealth greatly increased. He spent a lot on art works of the masters. Later
Fitzgerald himself became seriously ill. Before his death, he had carefully prepared his will as to how his
wealth would be settled-to sell his entire collection at an auction(拍卖).
     Because of the large quantity and high quality of his collection, a huge crowd of possible buyers
gathered for the auction. Many of them were museum directors and private collectors eager to bid(出
价). Before the auction, the art works were shown, among which was a painting of Fitzgerald's son by
an unknown artist. Because of its poor quality, it received little attention.
     When it was time for the auction, the auctioneer gaveled(敲槌)the crowd to attention. First the
lawyer read from Fitzgerald's will that the first art work to be auctioned was the painting of his son.
     The poor-quality painting didn't receive any bidders. . . except one-the old servant who had served
the son and loved him, and who for emotional reasons offered the only bid.
     As soon as the servant bought the painting for less than one English pound, the auctioneer stopped
the bidding and asked the lawyer to read again from the will. The crowd became quiet, and the lawyer
read from the will: "Whoever buys the painting of my son gets all my collection. "Then the auction was
over.

1. The English Baron Fitzgerald was __________.

A. a museum director  
B. a master of art    
C. an art collector
D. an art dealer

2. Why did the old servant bid for the painting of Fitzgerald's son?

A. He was devoted to the family.
B. He saw that no one bid for it.
C. He knew the content of the will.
D. He found it cheap for him to buy.

3. Fitzgerald's will showed __________.

A. his desire to fool the bidders        
B. his invaluable love for his son
C. his sadness at the death of his son
D. his regret of having no children to take over his wealth

     Have you ever heard your own voice? "Of course," you say.  
     Has anyone else ever heard your voice? Again you say, "Of course."
     But that's not quite true.  Nobody else has ever heard your voice-the way you hear it.  When you
talk,  you set up sound waves.  The air outside your head carries the sound waves to your outer ears.
  But,  of course,  the sound of your voice begins inside your head.  The bones of your head pick up
the sound waves,  too.  They carry the sound waves straight to your inner ears.  You get the sound
from the outside and the inside too.  Other people get just the sound waves from the outside.  That is
why they don't hear your voice the way you do.  

1.You ________ hear your voice the same way others hear it.  

A. can't            
B. seldom        
C. sometimes    
D. always

2.Sound travels in the form of __________.   

A. bones              
B. air              
C. waves          
D. voice

3.When you talk,  sound waves are set up inside _________. 

A. your inner ears      
B. your outer ears  
C. your head    
D. your head bones

4.The underlined phrase "pick up" here means _________.   

A. to raise              
B. to gain        
C. to select      
D. to pull

5.The passage is mainly about __________.   

A. waves in the air              
B. the way you hear your own voice
C. voice spreading far and wide    
D. the different way people hear their voices

     Typhoons usually come to Taiwan in summer. They bring lots of rain. It gives us water to
use. But typhoons also bring us floods if it rains too much. After the floods, there may be
diseases such as dysentery or dengue fever. Typhoons also come with a lot of wind. The
wind damages houses, trees, crops and hurts people. So staying at home, preparing food
and water, and watching the news on TV are the safest things to do.
     The confirmed death toll (伤亡人数) in Taiwan caused by Typhoon Morakot, which
first hit the island on August 6th, causing the worst floods since 1959, is bad enough. By the
middle of this week, over 100 people were reported dead and more than 60 were missing.
But there had been fears that 500 people had been buried alive in Hsiao Lin, a village in the
wooded mountains of Taiwan's south, and even more in remote neighboring villages. These
made people feel a little comforted on August 12th, when almost 1,600 people were found
alive by a 25-helicopter search mission(任务). Survivors had not eaten for days and helicopters
dropped foods and drinks and began a slow evacuation(撤离), blocked by heavy rain. The
army says it does not know how many people may have died there. The government faced
criticism for not having arranged an evacuation as soon as it heard the typhoon was coming.
"We should brace ourselves(振作起来) against typhoons as if they are an invading enemy,"
said Chu Wen-sen, one of Taiwan's leading water-management experts.

1. Which of the following statements is true?______.

A. Typhoons usually do nothing good to Taiwan.
B. Typhoons definitely bring floods.
C. Taking a walk on the street is not safe when there is a typhoon.
D. Taiwan has typhoons in October generally.

2. The underlined word "remote" probably means _____.

A. poor
B. near
C. removed
D. distant

3. Typhoon Morakot is _____ any other typhoon since 1959 in Taiwan._____.

A. worse than
B. smaller than
C. as bad as
D. not so serious as

4. What the second part of the passage mainly tells about is _____.

A. common sense about typhoons
B. that people should brace themselves against typhoons.
C. what happened to Hsiao Lin Village.
D. that typhoon Morakot is bad enough.

     Do you want a bit of an adventure? Would you like to discover all the corners of the UK,
or travel abroad? Maybe you have never tried the motorhome (旅宿车) lifestyle before.
Well, read this article and you will know why a motorhome is a good choice.
     Nothing is better than a motorhome. It has so many uses that it is considered the most
versatile vehicle(交通工具) and it is also very comfortable. If you are thinking about hiring
a motorhome this summer, then the best choice is to book it early, especially if you are
considering the school holidays. The motorhome hire service is very seasonal and motorhome
hire companies will never have extra vehicles available in the summer months.
     There are a lot of companies throughout the UK, and some of the big ones have
motorhomes spread all over the country. At present, the largest network for motorhome hire
is provided by Motorholme which is based in Cambridge. If you are in the UK, you may
phone 0800612 8719 for detail of its motorhome hire information. Motorholme has a
network of over 500 vehicles all over England, Scotland and Wales.
     Most people wishing to hire a motorhome are families that are looking for an alternative
(替代品) to a European package holiday, especially as flying now has become more expensive,
and is considered to be environmentally unfriendly. There is no doubt that the idea of no-fly
holidays is going to become more popular as fewer people think it is safe to fly. This explains
why more and more people are choosing to hire a motorhome for their holidays.

1. This passage is written to explain why it is a good idea to _____.

A. take an adventure
B. travel to England
C. try a new lifestyle
D. hire a motorhome

2. What does the underlined word "versatile" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?_____

A. Large and comfortable
B. Fast and exciting
C. Having a lot of uses
D. Having a lot of fun.

3. Why should you book a motorhome early if you want to book one for this summer?_____

A. Because booking early is much cheaper.
B. Because summer is usually a very busy season.
C. Because you can arrange your time better this way.
D. Because students usually book them to earn money.

4.The last paragraph tells us the advantages of hiring a motorhome by _____.

A. telling us a story
B. giving detailed data
C. comparing it with flying
D. showing the results or a study