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Homeownership has let us down. For generations, Americans believed that owning a home was undoubtedly good. Our political leaders hammered home the point. Franklin Roosevelt held that a country of homeowners was “unconquerable.” Homeownership could even save babies, save children, save families and save America. A house with a lawn and a fence wasn’t just a nice place to live in or a risk-free investment; it was a way to shape a nation. No wonder leaders of all political types wanted to spend more than $100 billion a year on subsidies（補助）and tax breaks to encourage people to buy.
But the dark side of homeownership is now all too apparent: Indeed, easy lending stimulated（刺激）by the cult of homeownership may have triggered（引起）the financial crisis. Housing remains a drag on the economy. Existing-home sales in April dropped 27% from the previous month, worsening fears of a double-dip. And all that is just the obvious tale of a housing bubble and what happened when it popped. The real story is deeper and darker still.
For the better part of a century, politics, industry and culture lined up to create a fetish of the idea of buying a house. Homeownership has done plenty of good over the decades; it has provided stability to tens of millions of families. Yet by idealizing the act of buying a home, we have ignored the downsides. In the bubble years, lending standards slipped dramatically, allowing many Americans to put far too much of their income into paying for their housing. And we ignored longer-term phenomena too. Homeownership contributed to the hollowing out of cities and kept renters out of the best neighborhoods. It fed America’s overuse of energy and oil. It made it more difficult for those who had lost a job to find another. Perhaps worst of all, it helped us become casually self-deceiving: By telling ourselves that homeownership was a pathway to wealth and stable communities and better test scores, we avoided dealing with these frightening issues head-on.
Now, as the U.S. recovers from the biggest housing bust（破產）since the Great Depression, it is time to rethink how realistic our expectations of homeownership are—and how much money we want to spend chasing them. Many argue that homeownership should not be a goal pursued at all costs.
小題1:Political leaders wanted to spend money encouraging people to buy houses because______.

A．owning a home was undoubtedly good

B．homeownership could shape a country

C．houses could save families and America

D．homeownership was unconquerable

小題2:The underlined sentence in Para. 2 means ______.

A．homeownership has quite a lot of bad effects

B．there might be another housing breakdown in the U.S.

C．the existing-home sales will keep decreasing in the U.S.

D．the result of homeownership is much worse than it appears

小題3:It can be inferred from Para. 3 that ______.

A．Americans choose to live out of urban areas

B．it is the way to wealth to have one’s own house

C．it is hard for Americans to get a home loan

D．homeownership has made many people out of work

小題4:What is the author’s attitude towards homeownership?

A．Cautious.

B．Ambiguous.

C．Favorable.

D．Optimistic.

Few people realize that there is a big difference between formal English and informal English. Formal English is used for most writing, and often in public speaking and formal meetings. It pays close attention to grammar rules, because if we use proper grammar, our meaning is often more precise. Also, on important occasions, we do not want to appear uneducated or to offend (冒犯) others, so we are very careful about how we speak. Informal English is used in speaking or writing to our friends and family. It often does not pay such close attention to grammar rules, because when we speak or write to them, we want our words to flow quickly. Also, with our friends and family, we are usually not so worried about appearing uneducated or about offending them by how we write or speak.
A big difference between formal and informal English is the use of contractions. A contraction is where we make a word shorter or where we put two words together and take away some of the letters. For example, instead of saying “do not”, many people say “don’t”. Using contractions in our speech is fine because it sounds natural, especially when we speak to our friends. In formal writing, however, contractions are usually avoided because people might think that you have made a mistake, or that you do not know proper grammar.
In the same way we might make words shorter, in informal English we often make sentences shorter as well. For example, if someone asks you your name, you will likely answer with one word: your first name. However, in formal English we usually use complete sentences. For example, we might write “My name is John”. In most speaking, we may not need to use every word in a sentence because the person we are speaking to will probably still understand us. In most writing, however, every word in a sentence must be written out in order to make sure that we can be understood.
小題1:When we use formal English, _______.

A．we will offend others

B．we will appear educated on important occasions

C．we needn’t pay more attention to grammar rules

D．we can express ourselves more directly and more quickly

小題2:What’s the meaning of the underlined word “precise”?

A．clear

B．direct

C．puzzling

D．simple

小題3:Contractions are best used when we are _______.

A．speaking at a formal meeting	B．speaking in public
C．speaking to our friends	D．writing an application (申請) letter

小題4:In speaking, we do not always use complete sentences because ______.

A．we do not care about grammar	B．we do not want to sound stupid
C．we can still be understood	D．we don’t want to waste time

The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies like computers and smartphones, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic (懷舊的)skill. However, while today’s educators are using more and more technology in their teaching, many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful---both in school and in life.
Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it’s important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand.
Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks---both on a computer and by hand. The study, published in 2009, found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete sentences and had a faster word production rate.
In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student’s writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to how well they can write. “Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active which helps us access our vocabulary, word meaning and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas.” Berninger said.
Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe(轉換) “those words in the mind written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen,” the study said. Seeing the words in the “mind’s eye” helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, says Berninger, but also to spot(發(fā)現(xiàn)) spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct then over time.
“In our computer age, some people believe that we don’t have to teach spelling because we have spell checks,” she said. “But until a child has a functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won’t have the knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer.”
小題1:What makes writing by hand a thing of the past?

A．The absence of blackboard in classroom.

B．The use of new technologies in teaching.

C．The lack of practice in handwriting.

D．The popular use of smartphones.

小題2:Berninger’s study published in 2009 ___________.

A．focused on the difference between writing by hand and on a computer

B．indicated that students prefer to write with a pen and paper

C．found that good essays are made up of long sentences

D．discussed the importance of writing speed

小題3:Which of the following best shows the role of spelling?

A．Spelling improves one’s memory of words.

B．Spelling ability is closely related to writing ability.

C．Spelling benefits the translation from words into ideas.

D．Spelling slows down finding exact words to express ideas.

小題4:What does “mind’s eye” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Window.

B．Soul

C．Picture

D．Imagination.

小題5:What conclusion could be drawn from the passage?

A．Computers can help people with their choice of words.

B．Spell checks can take the place of spelling teaching.

C．Handwriting still has a place in today’s classrooms.

D．Functional spelling ability develops fast in the fifth grade.

Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. They don’t want anyone to go shopping on that day.
Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving Day and often the first day of Christmas shopping. At this time, we see ads in Newspapers and on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up in costumes(統(tǒng)一服裝) to tell people that we buy too much.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate（捐贈） the food. They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high schools liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day!
小題1:Which of the following is NOT the day for people to celebrate Buy Nothing Day?

A．November 29.	B．25 days before Christmas.
C．After Thanksgiving.	D．The first day after Christmas.

小題2:People usually buy many gifts_______.

A．before Thanksgiving	B．on Christmas
C．before Christmas	D．anytime

小題3:How do people celebrate Buy Nothing Day?

A．In California, parents and children get together to play games.

B．In England, people celebrate by performing plays.

C．In Mexico, high school students dress up.

D．They buy nothing and persuade others not to buy things.

小題4:What did the students do in New Mexico for the day?

A．They donated the food of their own.

B．They talked to others about it.

C．They made some slogans（標語口號） for it.

D．They organized a luxurious（奢華的） dinner.

Community theatre is a theatre that is run by a local district with the efforts of volunteers. They offer many different kinds of productions, such as musical theatre, dance theatre and children’s theatre. Usually, performers are amateurs who receive no pay, but at other times professionals get involved, and they are paid. Community theatres of today are a little different from the old “l(fā)ittle theatres”, as most simply run by colleges and their theatre Community theatres are a great way to get involved with local actors. Now, most theatres that put on shows that will entertain or benefit the community.
In the 1880s, “l(fā)ittle theatre’’ was started in Europe so that poor people could see theatrical productions without having to travel far or pay a lot. In 1910, this idea traveled to the United States. In the early years, community theatres were even funded by the government, but when shows became too political, government funding was stopped.
Community theatres of today are a little different from the old “l(fā)ittle theatres”, as mist simply want to infuse(注入)little culture into the lives of the local citizens. In many cases, these theatres are run by colleges and their theatre departments. These productions are often free of charge, or charge very little money to pay for costumes and other incidental expenses. Many also encourage the participation of children and other young people to let them develop theatrical skills, as well as to keep them busy so that they do not do choose to get into trouble. Additionally, for those who desire strongly to become professional actors and to one day get a chance to act in a national theatre production, it is an exciting place to learn and develop theatrical skills.
小題1:Why was “l(fā)ittle theatre” started in Europe?

A．To put on shows for children.

B．To collect money for poor people.

C．To entertain poor people.

D．To get people interested in theatrical productions.

小題2:From the passage we know that community theatres can _____.

A．help young people ,make more money

B．prevent young people getting into trouble

C．help young people enter the colleges

D．encourage young people to become more responsible

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE about community theatre?

A．It is usually funded by the government.

B．It is intended to train professional actors.

C．It benefits the community in many ways.

D．It is quite different from the old “l(fā)ittle theatres”.

小題4:We can infer from the last paragraph that _____.

A．some professional actors may come from the community theatres

B．community theatres only charge for incidental expenses

C．community theatres have lost their attraction today

D．people can live by acting in the community theatres

When Steve Maxwell graduated from college, he had an engineering degree and a high tech job — but he couldn’t balance his checkbook. “I took one finance class in college but dropped it to go on a ski trip,” says the 45-year-old father of three, who lives in Windsor, Colorado. “I actually had to go to my bank and ask them to teach me how to read my statement.”
One of the biggest obstacles to making money is not understanding it: Thousands of us avoid investing because we just don’t get it. But to make money, you must be financially literate. “It bothered me that I didn’t understand this stuff,” says Steve, “so I read books and magazines about money management and investing, and I asked every financial whiz (能手) I knew to explain things to me.”
He and his wife started applying the lessons: They made a point to live below their means. They never bought on impulse, always negotiated better deals (on their cars，cable bills, furniture) and stayed in their home long after they went for an expensive vacation. They also put 20 percent of their annual salary into investments.
Within ten years, they were millionaires, and people were coming to Steve for advice. “Someone would say, ‘I need to refinance my house — what should I do? ‘A lot of times, I wouldn’t know the answer, but I’d go to find it and learn something in the process,” he says.
In 2003, Steve quit his job to become part owner of a company that holds personal finance seminars for employees of corporations like Wal Mart. He also started going to real estate investment seminars, and it’s paid off: He now owns $ 30 million worth of investment properties, including apartment complexes, a shopping mall and a quarry.
“I was an engineer who never thought this life was possible, but all it truly takes is a little self education,” says Steve. “You can do anything once you understand the basics.”
小題1:The underlined part “l(fā)ive below their means” (in Paragraph 3) probably means “______”.

A．take effective measures	B．live a miserable life
C．spend more money than they had	D．spend less money than they had

小題2:Since Steve Maxwell became a millionaire, he ______.

A．has been unwilling to help others

B．hasn’t stopped learning from practice

C．has been willing to follow others’ advice

D．has stopped to invest in houses

小題3:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A self made engineer

B．How to balance your checkbook

C．Don’t avoid investing

D．Educate yourself to become a millionaire

小題4:It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A．self education is very important to one’s life

B．everyone should learn how to invest in their life

C．Steve Maxwell was quite interested in finance classes in college

D．Steve became rich because he saved every penny he had earned

One important variable affecting communication across cultures is destiny (命運) and personal responsibility. This refers to the degree to which we feel ourselves the masters of our lives, contrary to the degree to which we see ourselves as subject to things outside our control. Another way to look at this is to ask how much we see ourselves able to change and act, to choose the course of our lives and relationships. Some have drawn a parallel between the personal responsibility in North American settings and the view itself. The North American view is vast, with large spaces of unpopulated land. The frontier attitude of “King” of the wilderness, and the expansiveness of the land reaching huge distances, may relate to generally high levels of confidence in the ability to shape and choose our destinies.
In this expansive land, many children grow up with a heroic sense of life, where ideas are big, and hope springs forever. When they experience temporary failures, they are encouraged to redouble their efforts, to “Try, try again.” Action, efficiency, and achievement are valued and expected. Free will is respected in laws and enforced by courts.
Now consider places in the world with much smaller land, whose history reflects wars and tough struggles: Northern Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Palestine. In these places, destiny’s role is more important in human life. In Mexico, there is a history of hard life, fighting over land, and loss of homes. Mexicans are more likely to see struggles as part of their life and unavoidable. Their passive attitude is expressed in their way of responding to failure or an accident by saying “ni modo” (“no way” or “tough lick”), meaning that the failure was destined.
This variable is important to understanding cultural conflicts. If someone believing in free will crosses paths with someone more passive, miscommunication is likely. The first person may expect action and responsibility. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the second is lazy, not cooperative, or dishonest. The second person will expect respect for the natural order of things. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the first is forcible, rude, or big headed in his ideas of what can be accomplished or changed.
小題1:The author thinks that one’s character is partly determined by ________.

A．physical senses	B．general attitude
C．financial background	D．geographic characteristics

小題2:According to the passage, Mexicans would think that Americans are ________.

A．impractical

B．dishonest

C．ambitious

D．hesitant

小題3:The underlined word “subject” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.

A．a topic of a discussion	B．a branch of knowledge
C．a person being experimented on	D．a person under the power of others

小題4:The author would probably agree that ________.

A．vast land may lead to a more controllable desire

B．heroic sense of life roots deeply in a small country

C．living in limited space contributes to an accepting attitude

D．fighting over land helps people gain high levels of confidence

Some novels simply entertain and others contain a powerful message in the story line and characters. In his first novel, A Wind In Montana, Mitch Davies tells a story about young adults and how they accept responsibility for their lives.
A Wind In Montana is a marvelous tale of two teenagers, Rory Coleman and Victoria Beach, high school students at the same school, who struggle to make the right decision for themselves. As each of them nears adulthood, they become more concerned with the future and setting goals that will bring them happiness and fulfillment.
Without any advice from his parents, Rory chooses to pursue a profession in chemistry, applies for a chemistry scholarship, and determines to do everything he can to achieve it. Along the path, Rory finds that even though he has a plan, there are obstacles that could prevent him from realizing his goals. Victoria’s struggles are different from Rory’s. Although her father has decided that she should become a professional musician, Victoria has other plans for her life. Together, Rory and Victoria attempt to follow their dreams, despite the obstacles in their paths. A Wind In Montana contains a lesson for all teens about to enter adulthood － that disappointment and setbacks (挫折) are going to occur no matter how determined they are and that they need to develop skills along the way that will help them deal with them effectively.
There are so many major decisions facing teens today －social, parents, other influencing adults and school work － and there’s no guarantee that their plans will succeed, even if they make the so-called “right” decisions. A Wind In Montana explores how two teenagers struggle with their own unique decisions and how the choices they make affect their lives.
Mitch Davies’ book stands out among today’s teen books that deal with imaginary situations. A Wind In Montana is a real story about real people facing real-life situations. It’s entertaining and also helps readers think about their own lives and offers various ways to handle situations that may arise.
小題1:According to the passage, both Rory and Victoria _____.

A．have a strong sense of self	B．work hard at their courses
C．go against their parents	D．get along well with others

小題2:The third paragraph is mainly about _____.

A．the value of A Wind In Montana

B．Mitch Davies’ achievements

C．Mitch Davies’ writing style

D．the content of A Wind In Montana

小題3:Unlike other teen books, A Wind In Montana ______.

A．involves some imaginary situations

B．is based on real-life experiences

C．focuses on responsibilities teens should take

D．discusses the future of young adults

小題4:What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To speak highly of an author.	B．To report a piece of news.
C．To review a book	D．To collect materials for a book.

Mo Yan's Nobel Prize in Literature soon aroused public curiosity of the 57-year-old Chinese writer: Why was it he that was favored by the Swedish Academy? Chinese media seemed to be 36 as some journalists were reported to be on their way overnight to Gaomi City, Shandong, Mo's 37  where he stayed with his family.
Born in 1955 into a rural family, Mo 38   out of school and became a farmer when he was a(n) 39. He joined the military and devoted himself to 40 after Chinese literary circles started rethinking deeply the Cultural Revolution. 
Mo's novel "Big Breasts & Wide Hips" tells a story of a mother who struggled and suffered 41  and tangled (纏結的) fates with Chinese people in the 20th century. His more recent work "Frog" more directly 42 China's one-child family policy, which helped 43 the country's population explosion 44 brought tragedies to farmers in the past 60 years.
"I think the reason why I could win  the  45   is that my works present lives with unique Chinese 46 , and they also tell stories from a viewpoint of  47  human beings, which goes beyond differences of nations and races," Mo said to Chinese journalists. Mo also said many 48 arts originated from his hometown, such as clay sculpture, paper cuts, traditional new-year paintings, have 49 and influenced his novels.
Mo's prize may give powerful encouragement to the country's writers as the more 50 of Chinese lives their works are, the more possible they 51 as a world literature.
As the world's fast-developing country with a long history, China will 52 meet conflicts with western civilizations.__53_, the country faces internally a wide gap between the rich and the poor, 54 environment pollution and an aging population. Paying more attention to such 55 , Chinese writers may create more works that record the nation's journey to rejuvenation(復興).With more Chinese writers like Mo, the world could learn a more real China. Perhaps, this is another reason for the Swedish Academy's choice. (words:338)

小題1:	A．astonished B．ashamed C．embarrassed D．disappointed

小題2:	A．business B．birthplace C．bookstore D．workplace

小題3:	A．escaped B．ran C．dropped D．moved

小題4:	A．adult B．citizen C．parent D．teenager

小題5:	A．training B．writing C．farming D．speaking

小題6:	A．hardship B．unemployment C．disease D．accident

小題7:	A．adapted B．supported C．criticized D．praised

小題8:	A．destroy B．cause C．increase D．control

小題9:	A．and B．but C．or D．so

小題10:

A．prize B．game C．respect D．profit

小題11:

A．customs B．institutions C．characteristics D．feelings

小題12:

A．particular B．usual C．strange D．common

小題13:

A．advanced B．elegant C．folk D．royal

小題14:

A．inspired B．interrupted C．prevented D．processed

小題15:

A．imaginative B．reflective C．appreciative D．productive

小題16:

A．admire B．arise C．fail D．lack

小題17:

A．uncertainly B．unbearably C．unavoidably D．unacceptably

小題18:

A．Otherwise B．Therefore C．However D．Meanwhile

小題19:

A．worsening B．softening C．deepening D．widening

小題20:

A．suggestions B．plans C．arguments D．problems

Every year many students went to the college bookstore to purchase the different textbooks that they need for their classes. Little do these students realize that, in doing so, they are throwing good money away. It may sound unbelievable but textbooks, in some cases, actually cost as much as, if not more than, college fees.
Many people think that college bookstores are the most convenient source for textbooks. Titles are usually kept and students may purchase new textbooks or choose to buy second-hand books and save money. But the money saved by purchasing second-hand textbooks from college bookstores is small compared to the amount they could save by shopping online.
More and more online booksellers have begun selling textbooks at heavily discounted prices. Online second-hand bookstores are another source for college books as they keep a large number of textbooks, which means sizable savings for students. Students should avoid purchasing their textbooks at the first store that they surf online since there are so many ‘unreal’ booksellers on the Net. Price isn't the only factor to consider when making an online purchase. Students should also consider shopping costs and delivery time when making their decision.
Online auctions(拍賣) are another option for students seeking a bargain. This option, however, has its pros and cons. A plus is that students can get incredibly cheap books. One problem is that while online bookstores have a system in place that ensure you receive your order within a reasonable amount of time, with an auction purchase, however, you  must depend on the auction seller's timetable.
One way that students can really save is by getting books for free. Project Gutenberg is one resource that English majors will find invaluable. Here students can legally download a huge collection of classic novels. In the past students needing help with their studies would often have to spend a lot of money buying expensive study guides. Today that is no longer the case. Cash-strapped students can now visit the website SparkNotes for free downloadable study guides as well as classics.
小題1:Which of the following is the best title of this passage?

A．Learning to Save on Textbooks	B．Why Buy Textbooks
C．Online Shopping	D．Tips for Buying Secondhand Textbooks

小題2:Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a source to obtain textbooks ?

A．College bookstores.	B．Online used bookstores.
C．Online auctions.	D．Second-hand bookstore centres.

小題3:The underlined expression “pros and cons” (paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to __________.

A．professionals and conservatives	B．joy and sadness
C．advantages and disadvantages	D．processes and conditions

小題4:According to the passage, Project Gutenberg is probably __________.

A．a government project aimed at helping English majors

B．a project to help poor students get free learning materials

C．a website for English majors to get the guides from language experts

D．a website for students to get free sources for English learning

小題5:From the passage, we can learn that__________.

A．the cost of textbooks in college is low compared to the amount spent on tuition

B．online auctions are perfect for students seeking text books

C．students should visit many websites before buying their books

D．students should consider shopping costs and delivery time above all else when making their buying decision