When a first-time father saw his newborn son, he immediately noticed the baby's ears obviously standing out from his head. He expressed his concern to the nurse that some children might be made fun of his child. A doctor examined the baby and reassured the new dad that his son was healthy---- the ears presented only a small problem with its appearance.
But the nervous father continued. He wondered if the child might suffer psychological effects of ridicule, or if they should consider plastic surgery(整形手术). The nurse assured him that it was really no problem, and he should just wait to see if the boy grows into his ears.
The father finally felt more optimistic about his child, but now he worried about his wife's reaction to those large ears. She had been delivered by operation, and had not yet seen the child.
“She doesn't take things as easily as I do,” he said to the nurse.
By this time, the new mother was settled in the recovery room and ready to meet her new baby. The nurse went along with the dad to lend some support in case this inexperienced mother became upset about her baby's large ears.
The baby was in a blanket(毛毯) with his head covered for the short trip through the cold air-conditioned corridor. The baby was placed in his mother's arms, who eased the blanket back so that she could look at her child for the first time.
She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped, “Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!”
No problem with Mom. She married those ears...and she loves the man to whom they are attached.
The poet Kahlil Gibran said, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” It's hard to see the ears when you're looking into the light.
【小题1】When the father first saw his baby, he was worried that________.

A．The baby might not grow up healthily.

B．The baby might be laughed at by others.

C．The baby might disappoint its mother.

D．the baby might have mental problems.

【小题2】According to the doctor and nurse, the baby’s ears________.

A．could not function well.

B．looked the same as others.

C．only caused a small problem.

D．needed to have plastic surgery.

【小题3】What is true about the baby’s mother?

A．She blamed her husband for the baby’s big ears.

B．She was the first to discover the baby’s large ears.

C．She suggested having an operation on the baby immediately.

D．She found something similar between the baby and its father.

【小题4】What does the underlined word they refer to in the last but on paragraph(倒数第2段)?

A．The ears.

B．The parents.

C．The doctor and nurse.

D．The problems

【小题5】What’s the function of the last paragraph?

A．To advise readers to listen carefully.

B．To draw a conclusion from the story.

C．To criticize the wrong attitude to physical beauty.

D．To stress the importance of doctor-patient relationship.

Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet. Basically, Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile(简介) which can include your hobbies, hopes for the future, and so on. A photograph is optional, but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile.  Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You can even narrow the search down to your area by zip code. Another advantage is that you can communicate by email before you meet in person. Thousands of people have met, fallen in love, and married through Internet dating. It is an excellent way for shy people to meet. It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others, and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in conventional dating and love, there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating. The person you have been talking to on the net may not be who they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details, such as marital status, income, and so on, for their own reasons. It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time. Nevertheless, taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.
【小题1】Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?

A．A photo.	B．A profile.
C．Registration fee.	D．Business experience.

【小题2】One advantage of Internet dating is that _______.

A．you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning

B．you're sure to find a partner with the same interests

C．you'll find absolutely reliable information of others

D．you'll gain fame and money overnight

【小题3】The underlined word "pitfalls" in Paragraph 4 most probably means________.

A．rules

B．trends

C．problems

D．skills

【小题4】What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?

A．Conventional dating.	B．Hidden advantages.
C．Safety measures.	D．Romantic love.

Consult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 53-56.
Important words to learn: E Essential I Improver A Advanced
shoot [?u:t]
▲verb (shot, shot) WEAPON→1 E to fire a bullet or an arrow, or to hit, injure or kill a person or animal by firing a bullet or arrow at them: If he’s not armed, don’t shoot. ⊙The kids were shooting arrows at a target.⊙She was shot three times in the head.⊙He has a license to shoot pheasants on the farmer’s land. ⊙A policeman was shot dead in the city centre last night. ⊙ The troops were told to shoot to kill. SPORT→2 A to try to score points for yourself or your team, in sports involving a ball, by kicking, hitting or throwing the ball towards the goal: He shot from the middle of the field and still managed to score. MOVE QUICKLY→3 A to move in a particular direction very quickly and directly: She shot past me several meters before the finishing line. ⊙ He shot out of the office a minute ago ─ I think he was late for a meeting.⊙They were just shooting off to town so we didn’t stop to speak.
shooter ['?u:t?] noun[C]He’s thought to be the best shooter in the league.
▲idioms have shot your bolt UK INFORMAL to have already achieved all that you have the power, ability or strength to do and to be unable to do more: He started off the game well but seemed to have shot his bolt by half-time.
? shoot yourself in the foot to do something without intending to which spoils a situation for yourself
? shoot your mouth off INFORMAL to talk too much in a loud and uncontrolled way: It’s just like Richard to go shooting his mouth off about other people’s affairs.
? shoot for the moon US to ask for the best or the most you could hope for: You might as well shoot for the moon and ask for a promotion as well as a raise.
? shoot questions at sb to ask someone a lot of questions very quickly, one after the other: He shot questions at me so quickly that I didn’t even have time to answer.
? shoot the breeze US INFORMAL to talk with someone or a group of people about things which are not important: We sat out on the porch, just shooting the breeze.
▲ phrasal verbs shoot sth down to destroy an aircraft or make an aircraft, bird, etc. fall to the ground by shooting at it: He was killed during the war when his plane was shot down.
shoot sb down to shoot and usually kill someone, showing no sympathy: I saw Tom shoot him down like a dog in the street.
shoot for/at sth US to try to do something: It’s worth taking chances when you’re shooting at a chance of fame and wealth.
shoot out If opposing groups or people armed with guns shoot it out, they shoot at each other until one of the groups or people is dead or defeated.
shoot through AUSTRALIAN INFORMAL to leave a place very quickly, especially in order to avoid having to do something
shoot up INCREASE→INFORMAL to grow in size, or increase in number or level, very quickly: David has really shot up since I saw him last. ⊙Prices shot up by 25%.
▲ noun PLANT→1[C]the first part of a plant to appear above the ground as it develops from a seed, or any new growth on an already existing plant: Two weeks after we’d planted the seeds, little green shoots started to appear. ⊙FIGURATIVE The first green shoots (="hopeful" signs) of economic recovery have started to appear.
FILM→2[C USUALLY SINGULAR] when photographer take a series of photographs, usually of the same person or people in the same place: We did a fashion shoot on the beach, with the girls modeling swimwear. WEAPON→3[C]an occasion on which a group of people go to an area of the countryside to shoot animals
shooting ['?u:ti?] noun 1 A [U]when bullets are shot from guns or other weapons: We heard some shooting in the night. 2 A [C]when someone is injured or killed by a bullet shot from a gun: There have been a number of shootings in the capital this week. 3[U]the sport of shooting animals or birds: pleasant/grouse shooting ⊙ He goes shooting most weekends.
【小题1】What does the phrase “green shoots” mean in “You will be bound to see that the green shoots of your English level start to grow.”?

A．Great efforts.	B．Signs of improving.
C．Learning ability.	D．Change in method.

【小题2】Fill in the blank in the sentence “When it is achieved, there will be other plans to _________.”

A．shoot at

B．shoot up

C．shoot down

D．shoot through

【小题3】If you are suffering from the consequence of the plan without full consideration, we say you are __________.

A．shooting the breeze	B．shooting your mouth off
C．shooting yourself in the foot	D．shooting questions at somebody

【小题4】Choose a word to complete the sentence “__________ is one of the oldest sport events, which is popular with people both at home and abroad.”

A．Shooter

B．Shoot

C．Shot

D．Shooting

The personal computer has overtaken the family dog as man's best friend．according to a study．
Researchers found that just 6 per cent of us believe that“ most people rely more on their dog than they do on their PC”，while 67 per cent think the opposite to be true．
Even 38 per cent of dog owners admitted to relying more on their PC than on their dog, although 36 per cent disagreed.
And 71 per cent of 18 to 24-year-old dog owners said they relied more on their computer．
Paul Allen，editor of Computeractive magazine said：“These days you can even you’re your PC for fl walk，provided you have a laptop or tablet.”
“It's only a matter of time until the first PC that fetches your slippers．”
Researchers questioned 2，000 British adults to find out the change modern technology has brought to their home life．
They found that male dog owners are almost twice as likely as female owners to rely on their computer than a canine companion.
Mr．Allen said：“With broadband bringing them global news and newspaper sales falling，the family dog even misses out on the pleasure of taking the paper to his owner．”
But it's not all bad news for obedient dogs．
“The family PC has given dog owners access to a wealth of resources and information that can help with the long-term care that a dog needs，”Mr．Allen said．
【小题1】Who are most likely to rely on computers?

A．Teens．

B．People in their early twenties．

C．People in their early thirties．

D．People in their early forties．

【小题2】What is the general idea of the passage?

A．The personal computer has replaced the dog as man's best friends．

B．The computer and the dog as man's best friends．

C．Modern technology has brought changes to people's home life．

D．The dog as a pet will disappear completely from people's life．

【小题3】The advantage of dogs as pets over the personal computer now is that

A．the dog can go out for a walk with people

B．the dog can help people fetch something

C．the dog can bring people more pleasure

D．the dog is more likely to follow its owner's orders

【小题4】The underlined word“canine”in Paragraph 8 probably means

A．human

B．pet

C．family

D．dog

【小题5】According to Mr. Allen，the personal computer

A．won't have effect on newspaper sales

B．can't help people take better care of the dog

C．will drive the dog as a pet out completely

D．will be able to help people fetch something

Most American students go to traditional public schools. There are about 88,000 public schools all over the US. Some students attend about 3000 independent public schools called charter schools.
Charter schools are self-governing. Private companies operate some charter schools. They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools. They receive tax money just as other public schools do. Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning. These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate.
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools. Local, state or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach. Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them. Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools.
The Bush Administration strongly supports charter schools as a way to re-organize public schools that are failing to educate students. But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools. One teachers’ union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools.
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government’s delay in releasing the results of the study, which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse on math and reading tests than students in regular public schools.
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools. Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand improved student progress.
【小题1】If a private company wants to operate a charter school, it must                    .

A．try new methods of teaching	B．prove its management ability
C．obey the local and state laws	D．get the government’s permission

【小题2】Charter schools are independent because                       .

A．they make greater progress	B．their class size is smaller
C．they enjoy more freedom	D．they oppose traditional ways

【小题3】What’s the government’s attitude toward charter schools?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Subjective.

D．Optimistic.

【小题4】What can we learn from the text?

A．More students choose to attend charter schools.

B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools.

C．Students in charter schools are well educated.

D．People have different opinions about charter schools.

【小题5】It can be inferred from the text that                       .

A．charter schools are part of the education system

B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students

C．the number of charter schools will be limited

D．charter schools are all privately financed