Throughout the centuries, various writers have contributed greatly to the literary treasure of books lining the shelves of today’s libraries. In addition to writing interesting material, many famous writers, such as Edgar Allan Poe, were larger-than-life characters with personal histories that are as interesting to read as the stories they wrote. Poe’s rocky life included being driven off from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1831 and an ongoing battle with alcohol. Yet, despite heavy gambling debts, poor health, and terrible unemployment, Poe managed to produce a body of popular works, including" The Raven" and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue．”
Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick, once lived among the man-eaters in the Marquesas
Islands and wrote unusual tales inspired by his years of service in the U.S. Navy. Dublin-born Oscar Wilde was noted for his charming personality, his outrageous lifestyle, and creating witty phrases such as, "Nothing succeeds like excess." D.H. Lawrence wrote shameful novels that were often cut, and Anne Rice led a double life writing bestselling horrible novels under her real name and using "A.N. Roquelaure" for the lowbrow(文化低)unhealthy novels she penned on the side. Nonconformist不墨守成规的)author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau once fled to the woods and generated enough interesting material to fill his noted book Walden. Thoreau wrote on
the issue of passive resistance protest in his essay "Civil Disobedience”and served time in jail for refusing tax payments in protest of the United States government’s policy towards slavery. American short story writer O. Henry’s colorful life was ruined by tragic events, such as being accused and sentenced for stealing money from an Austin, Texas bank. Despite his success selling his short stories, O. Henry struggled financially and was nearly bankrupt when he died.
As diverse as these famous authors’backgrounds were，th即all led unconventional lives while writing great literary works that will endure throughout the ages. The next time you read an interesting book, consider learning more about the author by reading his or her biograp卜y so you can learn about the unique life experiences that shaped his or her writing.Which of the following is NOT TRUE about Edgar Allan Poe?
| A．He had his own interesting personal history as other famous writers. |
| B．He graduated from United States Military Academy at West Point in 1831． |
| C．He once had heavy gambling debts and fell down with illness. |
| D．He managed to produce popular works no matter how rocky his life was. |
What can you infer from Para. 2?
A. D.H. lawrence and Anne Rice once wrote similar type of novels.
B. Anne Rice used a pen name because her novels were quite popular.
C. Anne Rice used different names when she wrote bestselling novels.
D. Henry David Thoreau enriched his books by living in the forests.Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Henry David Thoreau was passionately opposed to horrible events. |
| B．Anne Rice always used a pen name to hide her true identity. |
| C．Herman Melville stayed with man-eaters during his naval service. |
| D．O. Henry’s life was colorful though he had lots of difficulties. |
The passage mainly tells us that＿＿．
| A．many famous writers lived nontraditional lives |
| B．most famous writers were usually troublemakers |
| C．writers had to lead interesting lives to generate materials |
| D．the biographies of famous writers are always inspirational |
In America , driver’s education is part of the regular high school curriculum. Every student in his or her second year of high school is required to take a class in driver’s education. However, unlike other courses, it is not given during the regular school year. Instead it is a summer course.
The course is divided up into two parts: class time for learning laws and regulations and driving time to practice driving. Class time is not unlike any other class. The students have a text from which they study the basic laws they must know to pass the written driving test that is given to anyone wanting to get a driver’s license.
Driving time is a chance for the students to get behind the wheel(steering wheel) and practice starting steering, backing up, parking, switching lanes, turning corners, and all the other maneuvers （操作） required to drive a car. Each student is required to drive a total of six hours. The students are divided up into groups of four. The students and the instructor go out driving for two hour blocks of time. Thus, each student gets half an hour driving time per outing. The instructor and “driver” sit in the front seats and the other three students sit in the back.
Drivers ED cars are unlike other cars in which they have two sets of brakes, one on the driver’s side and one on the other side where the instructor sits. Thus , if the student driver should run into difficulties the instructor can take over. The car also has another special feature. On the top of the car is a sign that reads: STUDENT DRIVER. That lets nearby drivers know that they should use extra caution because the student driver is a beginning driver, not very experienced and prone to driving slowly.
After the student has passed the driver’s education course and reached the appropriate age to drive(this age differs in every state but in most cases the person must be 16 years old),they can go to a designated state office to take their driver’s test, which is made up of an eye examination, a written test, and a road test. The person must pass all three tests in order to be given a driver’s license. If the person did well in his or her driver’s education class, he or she will pass the test with flying colors and get a driver’s license. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?_______.
| A．Driving classes | B．Driving Learning | C．Driving Course | D．Driving Experience |
In America, the driver’s course mentioned above_____.
| A．is considered as part of the advanced education. |
| B．is given to any student wanting to get a driver’s license. |
| C．is carried on at the same time as other courses |
| D．is offered to all the students of Grade 2 in high schools |
To prevent accidents, a drivers Ed car_____.
| A．has a sign inside it | B．has two sets of brakes |
| C．is big enough to hold five persons | D．can’t run very fast. |
In the last sentence, with “ flying colors” means_____
| A．happily | B．successfully | C．colorfully | D．quickly |
When Frank began his story, we all listened. “I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids that were still at home.” He looked at us and said, “I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was robust from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him, he smelled the ocean.”
Frank’s voice dropped a bit. “When the weather was bad, he would drive me to school. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me good-bye!”
He paused and then went on, “I remember the day I thought I was too old for a good-bye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, ‘No, Dad.’ It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face. I said, ‘ Dad, I’m too old for a good-bye kiss. I’m too old for any kind of kiss.’ My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him cry. He turned and looked our the windshield. ‘ You‘re right,’ he said. ‘ You are a big boy… a man. I won’t kiss you anymore..’”
For the moment, Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes. “It wasn’t long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back.”
I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again. “ Guys, you don’t know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek… to feel his rough old face… to smell the ocean on him… to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a good-bye kiss.” Which word can replace the underline word in the first paragraph?
| A．heavy | B．strong | C．brave | D．bad-tempered |
According to the passage, which statement is not accurate?
| A．A good-bye kiss from Dad in public made Frank so embarrassing that he refused to have one more kiss, any kind. |
| B．Dad was so hurt that he left home and never came back. |
| C．It was not easy to make a living on the sea especially when Dad had to support his parents as well. |
| D．Frank was twelve years old when he lost his Dad. |
What would Frank most like to do if he should have his father back?
| A．He would have his Dad kiss him on the cheek. |
| B．He would tell his Dad he loved him. |
| C．He would smell the ocean on Dad. |
| D．He would put his arm around Dad’s neck. |
Which can be served as the best title?
| A．A Life-long Regret |
| B．An Embarrassing Story |
| C．Dad’s Good-bye Kiss |
| D．I Want You Back |
CITY SIGHTSEEING TOUR
This tour consists of touring the City, Bay and Surrounds Area of the CBD. Toorak(affluent), CliftonHill(reto), Carlton(little Italy), Fitzroy(bohemian), Kew(Studley Park Boat house), The Yarra River...etc
Picture yourself in a Classic Chevrolet Convertible travelling the streets of Melbourne with the wind blowing in your hair and everyone wondering who you are and wishing it was them.
Stopping to view The Bay and have your champagne（香槟酒） and French pastry（点心） on the pier.（码头）
This is a feeling of luxury, this is unique!
Spend a few hours seeing Melbourne and its surrounds from the perspective of a Classic Convertible Chevrolet Impala (either 1965 or 1968).This unique chauffeured tour lasts 2 hours transports you and up to three friends.
Choose your own route, or let us choose for you and go to places such as Kew Boulevard along the Yarra - a lovely lush area or maybe the Country area of Warrandyte or the Bay area of St Kilda. You might want to have fish'n'chips at Station Pier or coffee and cake at Brunetti's in Carlton!
STOPPING FOR COFFEE AND SNACKS AT CUSTOMERS EXPENSE
MORNINGTON PENINSULA TOUR
When you think Mornington Peninsula you think of rolling hills and rugged coastline, and a beach on every cove.
This tour takes you to an area so diverse of soil, sunshine and rainfall. It has a micro- climate all itself. Its wine and food are unique. There are more than 150 Wineries in the Peninsula. Surrounded by 25 hectares of National Parks it has a mix of rugged coastline, serene wetlands and wild bushland.
We start our tour from Melbourne journey to Frankston, Mornington then Red Hill. We travel to a variety of vineyards.
Followed by lunch at Montalto Vineyard and Restaurant awarded both a Chef's Hat Rating in the 2009 Age Good Food Guide & 5 red stars in the 2009 Halliday Australian Wine Companion. (5 red stars stand for an outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity!)
From here we travel along the picturesque coast line of natural beauty dotted throughout this land of striking contrast.
At your leisure we travel back to Melbourne.
PHILIP ISLAND TOUR
This is our Phillip Island Tour bringing you in touch with wildlife: seals, koalas, penguins not to mention the Island's surfing beaches. Panoramic views of Bass Straight and Cowes. This tour is a very personalized one because there is so much to see and do on this beautiful Island.
THE DANDENONGS/YARRA RANGES DELUX TOUR
With this Tour we take you to Olinda and Sherbrook Forest which is in the Dandenong Ranges, here we travel the winding Mt Dandenong Tourist Road, which has large lush fern gullies and greenery forest, towering Majestic Mountain Ash and beautiful colourful Rosellas．
We stop and visit "The Sky High Observatory" with spectacular views of Mt Dandenong and Surrounds have a cake or a cup of coffee while nestled under the canopy of Australian eucalypts forest and see wildlife in abundance．
We continue our journey travelling across to Coldsteam Hills and Yarra Glen, here we have, "The Yarra Valley Wineries"．We stop for lunch at either, ‘Sweet Water Cafe' or Yering Station After lunch we take in some wine tastings, all at your pleasure before traveling back home via Christmas Hills．If you are interested in animals, which place would you rather visit?
| A．City sighteseeing tour． | B．Momington Peninsula tour． |
| C．Philip Island tour． | D．The Dandenongs Delux tour． |
In which of the following places do the visitors have to have coffee and snacks at their own expense?
| A．City Sightseeing tour． |
| B．Momingcon Peninsula tour． |
| C．Philip Island tour． |
| D．The Dandenongs Delux tour． |
What are the similarities between the Mornington Peninsula tour and the Dandenongs Dclux tour?
| A．You may play with animals there． |
| B．You can travel with up to three friends． |
| C．You can travel to an area diverse of soil, sunshine and rainfall． |
| D．You can taste some wine． |
Have you heard of the movie Benji off the Leashf This Benji story7 begins when his mother, a pretty black furry dog, escapes from the puppy mill with Colby, a boy who loves her．He tries to hide her in an abandoned house．The boy' s father discovers her there and takes mother and pups back home to the puppy mill, but leaves Benji behind because he doesn't look purebred （纯血统的） enough to be sold for money．Colby comes back later to rescue the tiny puppy and keeps Benji in his wooden clubhouse, bringing Mom to come to visit him in secret．
As Benji grows bigger, it becomes harder to keep him in the clubhouse, and eventually the boy' s father discovers him and Benji is forced to flee to the streets．But despite his fear of Colby' s father, Benji cannot forget about his mother, who is growing steadily weaker and sicker．He continues to sneak back to the puppy mill yard to spy on the goings-on there and plan a way to rescue her．
Benji's doggie pal, Scrappy enters the story when he is pushed out of a car into a country lane．Once his paws hit the ground, Scrappy wags his tail once helplessly after the car as it drives away, and then is immediately up to his neck in hapless mischief （顽皮）. Scrappy is a lovably stupid little dog who barely manages to escape the animal control officers who are determined to catch him．
One of the wonderful things about this movie is that the two stars are not highly trained purebred dogs．Both Benji and Scrappy were rescued mixed breed dogs found at local animal shelters．Adorable Benji and his stupid pal, Scrappy, demonstrate that mixed-breed rescue dogs are just as intelligent and trainable as any purebred dog．
Benji Off the Leash clearly demonstrates the connection between people who abuse animals and people who abuse people．Colby' s father takes out his anger on those who are weaker than him, namely by frightening his wife and the dogs．He attempts to frighten Colby, but the boy bravely refuses to let him．
Children who are used to fast-paced action films with catchy theme songs may not have the patience for the slower pace of this film．But for rescue volunteers, older children, and anyone who loves dogs, this is a heartwarming movie that shows how even in today' s world of deserted dogs and backyard puppy mills, there can still be happy endings for homeless dogs．What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Two dogs star the movie． |
| B．The boy' s mother is very disgusting． |
| C．The movie will be liked by all the children． |
| D．The movie is fast-paced． |
We can infer from the passage that _____．
| A．The movie is in praise of deserting homeless dogs． |
| B．We shouldn't have mercy on homeless dogs． |
| C．We human beings need to love animals because they are our friends． |
| D．mixed-breed rescued dogs are less intelligent and trainable than purebred dogs． |
What' s the passage mainly about?
| A．Reviewing a Him． |
| B．Giving a summary of a movie． |
| C．Thinking highly of the relationship between animals and humans． |
| D．Criticizing people deserting animals． |
What' s the purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To attract more people to see the movie． |
| B．To call on children to help homeless pets． |
| C．To show anger about abusing animals． |
| D．To urge people to care and love animals． |
When JetBlue captain Clayton Osbon became unpredictable, his co-pilot invented a reason for him to go back into the cabin．Once the captain was out of the cockpit （驾驶舱） , the co-pilot locked the door to keep the captain from returning．Passengers, some with law enforcement experience, calmed the captain．The flight changed course to Amarillo, Texas where the captain was hospitalized．
Incidents in which a pilot has had an in-flight psychological breakdown are rare．But how could it happen at all? Though pilots are required to have an examination at least once a year by a physician approved by the FAA, there are no formal procedures in place to test pilots for signs of psychological problems．
At most airlines, pilots are members of a union．A pilot who appears to have a psychological or an alcohol problem can be reported to a union member whose job it is to investigate．If there is a problem, the pilot is given the choice of getting treatment or being reported to management．But at airlines, such as Allegiant, JetBlue, and Virgin American where there is no union, pilots are – to say the least - unwilling to report a fellow pilot to management．
In most professions, a person experiencing emotional difficulties is free to consult a doctor．Rut an airline pilot in therapy is viewed with suspicion both by the airline and by the FAA．No pilot wants to be put under extra examination by an agency that has the power to revoke their license or end their employment．That being the case, pilots are less likely than people in other professions to seek help．
There may be no way to make sure this never happens again, but its possibility can be reduced． Tests such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory （ MMPI） can reliably detect depression, paranoia, schizophrenia, and other problems．The FAA could require pilots to take the MMPI or a similar test on a periodic basis．Whether such testing becomes required will depend upon the public's response to this incident and whether additional incidents take place．
Flying is remarkably safe．But incidents such as this cause concern．What does the underlined word "revoke" most probably mean?
| A．delay | B．cancel | C．interrupt | D．renew |
Why are some pilots unwilling to report a fellow pilot to management?
| A．Because they are tested for signs of psychological problems every year． |
| B．Because they are likely to be treated by physicians． |
| C．Because they are supported by the airlines． |
| D．Because they might be fired． |
What is the author' s attitude towards the incident?
| A．satisfied | B．indifferent | C．concerned | D．disapproving |
In which part of the newspaper can the passage be found?
| A．Entertainment | B．Sports | C．Business | D．Society |