A

Short and shy， Ben Saunders was the last kid in his class picked for any sports team. “Football， tennis—anything with a round ball， I was useless，” he says now with a laugh. But back then he was the object of jokes in school gym classes in Englands rural Devonshire.

It was a mountain bike he received for his 15th birthday that changed him. At first the teen went biking alone in a nearby forest. Then he began to cycle along with a runner friend. Gradually， Saunders set his mind building up his body， increasing his speed， strength and endurance （忍耐力）. At the age of 18， he ran his first marathon.

The following year， he met John Ridgway， who became famous in the 1960s for rowing an open boat across the Atlantic Ocean. Saunders was hired as an instructor at Ridgways School of Adventure in Scotland， where he learned about the older mans cold-water exploits. Intrigued， Saunders read all he could about Arctic explorers and North Pole expeditions （遠征）， then decided that this would be his future.

Journeys to the Pole arent the usual holidays for British country boys， and many people considered his dream as fantasy. “John Ridgway was one of the few who didnt say， ‘You are completely crazy，” Saunders said.

In 2001， after becoming a skilled skier， Saunders started his first long-distance expedition toward the North Pole. He suffered from frostbite （凍傷）， had a closer encounter with a polar bear and pushed his body to the limit.

Saunders has since then become the youngest person to ski alone to the North Pole， and hes skied more of the Arctic by himself than any other British. His old playmates would not believe his change.

This October， Saunders， 27， heads south to explore from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back， an 1800-mile journey that has never been completed on skis.

1. What was the turning point in Saunders life？

A. His starting to play ball games.

B. His getting a mountain bike at the age of 15.

C. His starting to receive Ridgways training.

D. His running his first marathon at the age of 18.

2. What do we know about Saunders？

A. He once worked at a school in Scotland.

B. He followed Ridgway to explore the North Pole.

C. He was chosen for the school sports team as a kid.

D. He was the first British to ski alone to the North Pole.

3. What does the underlined word “Intrigued” probably mean？

A. Excited. B. Attracted.

C. Delighted. D. Convinced.

4. It may be inferred that Saunders journey to the North Pole ___ .

A. made him well-known in the 1960s

B. was accompanied by his old playmates

C. was supported by other Arctic explorers

D. set a record in the North Pole expedition

B

Why do people buy art？ To answer this question， ask yourself what your reasons are for thinking of getting a piece of art. An artwork can cost a large amount of money， but if it meets your needs， its worth every penny.

People buy art for many reasons. Many people buy an artwork simply because they like it， even if it is by an unknown artist. Art， as long as you enjoy it， is never a waste of money.

Art is for enjoyment. Art is meant to be shown. Dont ever feel pressured into buying something you wont enjoy looking at day after day， no matter what other people may say. Dont buy something that doesnt attract you just because it is trendy， or because the artist is famous， or because you have been advised that the artwork will make a good investment. If you dont like the artwork at all， dont buy it！

Art improves your environment. Have you ever noticed that all beautiful homes have art as an integral （必需的） part of the decoration？ Art lends life and color to otherwise simple and ordinary walls. A well thought-out art collection will help create a unique atmosphere in your home and make it more attractive.

Art makes a statement. The kind of art you surround yourself with says much about your personality， tastes and values. Art truly is a mirror of the soul.

Art enriches your life. Love—even the love of a work of art—contributes to healthier living and a longer lifespan （壽命）. Art should enrich your life. Otherwise， why do you spend precious time and resources on it？

Just remember to select something which will appeal to your tastes， and keep to a sensible budget （預算）. Good art neednt cost an arm or a leg.

Happy art collecting！

5. According to the author， what should you consider when buying a piece of art？

A. Whether it brings pleasure to you.

B. Whether it is fashionable at present.

C. Whether it is created by a famous artist.

D. Whether you can profit from it in the end.

6. Talking about buying an artwork， the write thinks it should be____ .

A. valuable B. beautiful

C. unique D. practical

7. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 mean？

A. Art is an expression of yourself.

B. Art can show what you look like.

C. A mirror can be a piece of true art.

D. A mirror has a feature similar to art.

8. Whats the purpose of the passage？

A. To explain the benefit of art to people.

B. To teach us how to choose works of art.

C. To advise us to buy an expensive artwork.

D. To remind us to be sensible when buying an artwork.＼

A young student was one day taking a walk with a professor. As they went along， they saw 1 in the path a pair of old shoes， which they 2 belonged to a poor man who was employed in a field close by.

The student turned to the professor， saying， “Let us play

a 3 on the man： we will hide his shoes and wait to see his 4

when he cannot find them.”

“My young friend，” answered the professor， “we should never amuse ourselves at the 5 of the poor. But you are rich， and may give yourself a much greater pleasure 6 the poor man. Put a coin into each shoe， and then we will hide ourselves and watch 7 the discovery affects him.”

The student did so， and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by.

The poor man soon finished his work， and came 8 the field to the path where he had left his shoes. While 9 his foot into one of his shoes， he 10 something hard in it， 11 he bent down and found the coin. Astonishment and 12 were seen upon his face. He then looked around himself on all sides， but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket， and went on to put on the other shoe； but his surprise was 13 on finding the other coin. His feelings 14 him； he fell upon his 15 ， looked up to heaven and thanked God aloud.

The student stood there 16 affected， and his eyes filled with tears. “Now，” said the professor， “are you not much more

17 than if you had played your 18 trick？” The youth replied， “You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the 19 of those words， which Ive never understood before： It is more blessed to 20 than to receive.”

1. A. sitting B. putting C. hiding D. laying

2. A. imagined B. expected C. supposed D. recognized

3. A. trick B. role C. part D. game

4. A. impatience B. puzzlement

C. pity D. disappointment

5. A. expense B. risk C. need D. poverty

6. A. in reply to B. in response to

C. by means of D. by way of

7. A. why B. when C. where D. how

8. A. across B. around C. through D. towards

9. A. rising B. rushing C. slipping D. sliding

10. A. found B. noticed C. kicked D. felt

11. A. but B. so C. as D. for

12. A. wonder B. admiration C. guilt D. anxiety

13. A. advanced B. improved C. progressed D. doubled

14. A. grasped B. overcame C. inspired D. sank

15. A. knees B. hands C. feet D. legs

16. A. generally B. fairly C. deeply D. naturally

17. A. excited B. satisfied C. touched D. pleased

18. A. intended B. required C. wanted D. interested

19. A. fact B. truth C. reality D. faith

20. A. reward B. win C give D. send

用方框里單詞的正確形式填空，使其句意完整。每空一詞。

constitution encourage mess quote retreat

shave strategy surrender unload yell

1. When I was graduating from college， my generation also found the world in a ____ .

2. There were many raised eyebrows when he ____ all his hair off.

3. The pressure on emotion is hard to ____ .

4. He drew back slowly， ____ step by step.

5. The singer felt ____ by the many letters of support.

6. After six hours on the roof， the gunman ____ to the police.

7. It would be better to use ____ than to attack by force.

8. The teacher ____ his students many examples on the blackboard.

9. Sometimes you have to ____ out in pain.

10. Britain has no written ____ .

下列各句每句有1個錯誤，請標出并改正在右邊橫線上。

1. I tried to warn him the danger， but he was determined to get his own way. ____

2. He often suffers in allergies due to foods that do not agree with him. ____

3. He took his courages in both hands in the face of danger.

____

4. If you are in the Department of State， wed be at war.

____

5. His words were so encourage that I decided to keep on.

____

1. 每次感到失望時，老師總是鼓勵我不要放棄。（give up）

2. 他站起身來作了一個簡短的演講。（arise）

3. 我倆唯一的共同點是我們都去過法國。（in common）

4. 我考試通過了，所以刻苦努力還是值得的。（worthwhile）

5.這場講座長達三小時。（occupy）

閱讀下面材料，在空白處填入適當?shù)膬热荩?個單詞）或括號內單詞的正確形式。

There were once a goat and a donkey， which lived on a farm. The donkey worked the hardest so the farmer fed it the 1 （much） food. Sometimes the donkey 2 （give） more food than it could eat. This made the goat so jealous 3 it began plotting against （謀劃對付） the donkey. “Hey， donkey，” the goat 4 （say） one day. “I think you do too much work on this farm. You carry such heavy things from morning to night. Why dont you pretend 5 （get） sick so you can take a day 6 ？ The donkey thought the goat had a great idea. So the next morning， the donkey lay in the stable （畜欄） on its side with its eyes 7 （close）. Right away， the farmer called the doctor.

8 looking at the donkey， the doctor said it needed a special medicine 9 （make） from the heart of a goat. So the farmer killed the goat and gave the donkey medicine made from 10 （it） heart.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.