Once upon a time, a man was walking on a mountain when he found an incredible cave with all kinds of treasure inside it. So he gave up his job, his home, and his friends, and spent all his time guarding the cave.
He was so dedicated to it that he hardly ate or drank, and before long he fell ill. One day, when he could hardly move at all, he decided to share the treasure.
He crawled（爬）into the cave to get a handful of jewels, but discovered, to his horror, that it was empty except for a small emerald（绿宝石）. The man took it, and gave it to the first person he came by, a woman.
Then an old man came by. “What bad luck!” the man said. “Just a moment ago I gave a woman the last of the treasure I was guarding.”
“Are you sure there is nothing left?” the old man asked.
The man took him into the cave, where they found a chest with jewels and some bags of gold. The man was shocked, and the old man explained to him, “At last! At last someone has broken the spell（咒语）of this cave. This is the Cave of Treasure, and you’re the first to have passed its great test. Many have dedicated their lives to this cave, only to end up realizing there was nothing here…”
“And why does this happen?” the man asked.
“This magic cave has only as many riches as your own heart. When someone discovers it, the cave is filled with treasure, but later, when they have devoted themselves to guarding the treasure, their hearts empty, as does the cave. The only way to fill it is by filling your heart with all that is good, as you did by giving the woman that last jewel.”
From that day on, the man understood that it was better to share than to keep. Thanks to the cave and the old man, he became noble and generous.Why did the man give up his job, home and friends?
| A．Because he possessed a variety of treasure. |
| B．Because he had to guard the treasure cave. |
| C．Because he wanted to find the treasure cave. |
| D．Because he devoted himself to a great test. |
What did the man find when he showed his cave to the old man?
| A．A small emerald. | B．A handful of jewels. |
| C．All kinds of treasure. | D．A chest filled with jewels and some gold. |
What do we know about the people who dedicated their lives to the cave before?
| A．They all found the cave empty at last. |
| B．The old man freed them from its spell. |
| C．They all filled the cave with the treasure they had. |
| D．They thought it was better to share than to enjoy the treasure alone. |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
| A．The old man had devoted himself to it before. |
| B．The old man was the first to break the spell. |
| C．Only the old man could free people from its spell. |
| D．The cave and the old man helped the man become noble and generous. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Purely material things cannot make us truly wealthy. |
| B．Different people have different views. |
| C．Treasure only belongs to those who possess it. |
| D．Some people never learn what is really valuable. |
Fun day
To celebrate the Year of the Snake
Organized by Lam Tin Youth Centre and Kwun Tong High school
Date：2 February 2013
Time：10 am – 5 pm
Place：Kwn Tong Playground
Fee: $ 20 (buy three get one free)
Programmes：drama, lion dance, magic show and ballet performance
Highlights: 1) enter the lucky draw to win a digital camer
2) learn to make festival food
John us on the Fun day! 
All are welcome!
Note:
★Ticket are available at the General Office of Lam Tin Youth Centre.
★For those who would like to be a volunteer, please contact Miss Olivia Wong one week before
the activity.What you have just read is a .
| A．note | B．report | C．schedule | D．poster |
What is going to take place on 2 February, 2013?
| A．A big event to welcome a Chinese new year. |
| B．A social gathering to raise money for wildlife. |
| C．A party for close friends to meet and have fun. |
| D．A meeting of Kwun Tong High School students. |
How much do you have to pay in total if four of you go together?
| A．$ 20. | B．$ 40 | C．$ 60. | D．$ 80 |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Tickets are sold in Kwun Tong High School. |
| B．It’s unnecessary to take soft drinks with you. |
| C．Free digital cameras are provided for everybody. |
| D．Festival food will be served without extra charge. |
According to sociologists, every modern industrial society has some form of social stratification（阶层）. Class, power and status are important in deciding people’s rank in society.
Class means a person’s economic position in society. A commonly used classification is lower class, middle class and upper class. While sociologists disagree on how these terms should be exactly defined, they do describe societies like the United States quite well. One study shows that 53% of Americans belong to the lower class, 46% the middle class, and 1% the upper class. Interestingly, a surgeon earning ＄500,000 a year and a bus driver earning ＄50,000 a year both regard themselves as the middle class!
Power refers to the amount of control a person has over other people. Obviously, people in positions of great power (such as governors) exercise（行使）big power, but people who take orders from others have less power. Power and class do not always go hand in hand, however. For example, the governor of a state has great power, but he or she may not belong to a corresponding （相应的）economic class. Generally, however, there is a relationship between power and class.
To our knowledge, there aren’t too many people who aren’t millionaires in the U.S. Senate!
Status is the honor or respect attached to a person’s position in society. It can also be affected by power and class, but not necessarily so. For example, a university professor may have a high status but not belong to a high social class or have a lot of power over others.What can we learn about “the middle class” from Paragraph 2?
| A．People earning ＄50,000 a year belong to the middle class. |
| B．Nearly half Americans belong to the middle class. |
| C．People generally consider bus drivers as the middle class. |
| D．Sociologists have a clear definition of the middle class. |
According to the text, we know that _____.
| A．power and class do not always correspond with each other |
| B．status refers to a person’s economic position in society |
| C．people with high status have a lot of control over others |
| D．class is less important in deciding a person’s social rank |
Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text?
China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true. There are millions of cars. However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors---silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It’s fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks(人行道). Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide.
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather accompanied my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn’t want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?
| A．Because they are traditional and safe. |
| B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive. |
| C．Because they are colorful and available. |
| D．Because they are fast and environment friendly. |
The author decided to buy a bicycle because he intended __________.
| A．to ride it for fun | B．to use it for transport |
| C．to experience local skills | D．to improve his riding skills |
How did the author feel about his street crossing?
| A．It was boring. | B．It was difficult. |
| C．It was lively. | D．It was wonderful. |
Which of the following best describes the author’s biking experience?
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills. |
| B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding. |
| C．The author was praised by the other bikers. |
| D．The author took great pleasure in biking. |
Sometime early in the next century, human beings will move to Mars. They will live there for about a year, and then will be replaced with another group of pioneers. Building the base on Mars will advance our knowledge of the solar system and aid in our understanding of the earth.
We already know that Mars resembles the earth in many aspects: general size, presence of water, length of day, range of temperatures. These resemblances have caused many people to consider a centuries-long project: to terraform Mars. Terraforming means altering a planet’s surface so that Earth’s life forms can survive there. This concept, previously found only in science fiction is now being seriously considered by scientists.
Terraforming Mars is theoretically simple: add nitrogen and oxygen to the atmosphere; pump water to the surface; and add the earth’s plants and animals in the order in which they developed on Earth. But it will take at least 300 years.
Some people think that such a project is too huge for humans to undertake, but there are very good reasons to make the attempt. The earth now contains some 6 billion people, and no one has any idea of how many humans the earth can support. Our very existence and numbers are threatening many other species. We also have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: altering the landscape, the atmosphere and the climate. Currently terraforming earth has become a wiser activity as we try to control global warming, air and water pollution, and preserve some natural living places.
While the possibility of such a project is small, it is not impossible .Even if earth –bound societies come and go in the next 300 years, the project can continue through the work of the Mars settlers without the need for constant backing from the earth.
The future existence of all the people in our world may very well depend upon our ability to terraform Mars.What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Terraforming Mars. | B．Saving the Earth |
| C．Travelling to Mars. | D．A Newly-found Place |
What does the underlined word “altering” mean in the second paragraph?
| A．Warming. | B．Changing. | C．Planting. | D．Building |
According to the passage the main purpose of terraforming Mars is to ________.
| A．do some scientific research work |
| B．find out its similarity to earth |
| C．avoid the dying away of many other species |
| D．find on Mars living place for the increasing human beings |
The main reason for causing many people to consider terraforming Mars is that _______.
| A．there are some resemblances between Earth and Mars. |
| B．terraforming Mars is theoretically simple |
| C．we have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: Earth |
| D．the development of science and technology is very rapid |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the project?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Negative |
| C．Sceptical（怀疑的） | D．Objective. |
Education has an important effect on the mind or physical ability of an individual. It is the process by which society passes its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.
Various non-traditional education options are now available and continue to flourish（繁荣）. One of the most important uses in education is the use of technology. Teachers are encouraged to use new technological devices in order to strengthen learning among students and meet the needs of various types of learners.
The right to education has been created and recognized by jurisdiction（司法）. Education is the most important concern of the government of India. Recently India has gained world recognition because many students from foreign countries come here to gain higher qualifications.
One has to be educated in order to speed up the growth process in order to influence the economy. Education is indeed a powerful weapon to stop the cut- throat competition that man faces at every period of life. The importance of education in India is progressing with time. Although India has been a great foundation of learning for many years, it still needs to improve not just on the quality of education but also on the number of people being educated.
Education is not just for academic success but also to make a person become a better human being and a better performer in life. Education makes the students able enough, so that they can compete nationally and internationally. To make a student a successful survivor in life, the responsibility lies equally with the schools and the parents too. Selecting a good school is as important as choosing a suitable career option for a child. The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth, it is education that gives us all the power and necessities of making a difference in any field.
People who are not educated have few opportunities to do what they want to do. Educated people become more responsible and informed citizens, and have a voice in politics and society. It allows people to be more productive by encouraging them to play responsible roles in terms of contributing to society.Nowadays teachers are encouraged to ______.
| A．study modern science and technology |
| B．pass all knowledge to their students |
| C．use non-traditional devices in class |
| D．meet the needs of intelligent student first |
The author uses the example of Indian education to show that____.
| A．Indian education is among the best in the world now |
| B．Indian is becoming more and more powerful now |
| C．the right to education should be valued all over the world |
| D．a lot of students in India are from other countries |
The underlined word “dissemination” in Paragraph 5 probably means “______”.
| A．spread | B．ignorance | C．argument | D．question |
What do we know about education from the passage?
| A．It has nothing to do with society |
| B．It helps people to achieve what they want |
| C．It has little effect on people’s physical ability |
| D．It makes a poor man become rich |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The importance of education | B．The responsibility of education |
| C．The development of education | D．The purpose of education |