APPENDIX A-the Expository Texts
Expository text 1
ptarmigans 雷鳥（一種松雞）
The town of Chicken, Alaska, got its name in a strange way. You might think that there are lots of chicken raised in the town, but you would be wrong. The town got its name because the area around it was once filled with a large number of ptarmigans.
Ptarmigans are birds with fat bodies and reddish-brown feathers. People in the town had trouble spelling the name, so they started calling the birds chickens. That’s how the town name was chosen.
( ) 1. The name “Chicken” was chosen for this town in Alaska because (A) people there raised a lot of chickens
(B) a lot of chickens grew wild near there (C) a lot of ptarmigan used to live nearby (D) ptarmigans moved in after the people did ( ) 2. The word “ptarmigan”
(A) is hard to spell for the townspeople (B) is never heard of by the townspeople (C) means a kind of small, dull-colored bird (D) means the kind of chicken raised by people ( ) 3. The main purpose of this passage is to tell us
(A) who gave the town its name (B) how the town got its name
(C) where the ptarmigans were raised (D) why ptarmigans were called chickens
Expository text 2
shallow 淺的 temperature 溫度 shore 岸邊
Seahorses live in warm, shallow water where there is lots of sea grass. They can change their color to match the colors of the grass, so it is very hard to see them. Their coloring protects them. This is called protective coloring. In warm weather, they spend their time mostly about a meter below the surface of the water. When it gets cold, they go down to about seven meter below the surfaces. At this depth, the temperature of the water does not change very much. When there is a storm, the seahorse holds onto a piece of grass with its tail. Then it cannot be carried to the shore.
( ) 1. It is not easy to see seahorses because
(A) they can hide themselves in the depths of water.
(B) they are too small for human eyes to see.
(C) they live in the water where there is lots of see grass.
(D) their color may become very much like those of the grass.
( ) 2. Which of the following sentences best states the main idea of the above passage?
(A) Seahorses like to stay in warm, shallow water.
(B) Seahorses have their ways of protecting themselves.
(C) In cold weather, seahorses do not live in shallow water.
(D) Seahorses can change their color to match those of the grass.
( ) 3. When the weather becomes cold, what do the seahorses do to protect themselves?
(A) They stay about a meter below the surface of the water.
(B) They go down to about seven meters below the water surface.
(C) They hold onto a piece of grass with their tails.
(D) They change their color to match those of the grass.
Expository text 3
What can one boy or girl do to preserve the world’s rain forests? Ask Jiro
Nakayama. He’s the twelve-year-old leader of a band of school-children in Nagano, Japan, who have already saved 40 acres of forest land in Costa Rica. On their way to and from school, they collect old newspapers and empty aluminum cans for sale to a recycling plant at 63 per kilogram. The money they have made, together with
donations from parents and neighbors, is sent to the International Children’s
Rainforest Program, which buys and preserves virgin rain forests at the rate of $50 an acre. So far, Jiro and his friends have raised more than $5,000.
( ) 1. The children collect old newspapers and empty aluminum cans because (A) they like to play with them.
(B) they want to save forest land.
(C) they work for a recycling plant.
(D) they can make money for their parents.
( ) 2. Which is the best title for the passage?
(A) The importance of the environmental protection (B) A Japanese boy’s effort to preserve the rain forest
(C) The introduction of the International Children’s Rainforest Program (D) How to use old newspapers and empty aluminum cans to earn money
Expository text 4
inevitably 不可避免地；必然發生地
Cars in the future will inevitably become very smart. Who knows? Maybe people in the twenty-five century will drive flying cars, which can control their own speed and avoid hitting the cars in front of them. Furthermore, cars in the future are bound to run by themselves. All you have to do is just tell your car where you are going. As a result, it is very likely that there will be no more drivers and only passengers in the future.
( ) 1. According to the author, which statement is NOT true?
(A) Perhaps people in 25 century will drive smart flying cars.
(B) Cars in the future will be controlled by the computer.
(C) In the future a driver will be needed to control the car.
(D) Cars in the future will be the products of high technology.
( ) 2. What is the best title of the article?
(A) traffic accidents will be on the increase (B) the automation age is approaching (C) don’t dream about something impossible (D) future cars will be smarter than men
Expository text 5
dispose of 處理掉 campus 校園 bulb 燈泡 refrigerator 冰箱 conventional fuel 傳統燃料
Every human being, no matter what he is doing, gives off body heat. The usual problem is how to dispose of it. But the designers of the Johnstown campus of the University of Pittsburgh set themselves the opposite problem – how to collect body heat. They have designed a collection system which uses not only body heat, but the heat given off by such objects as light bulbs and refrigerators as well. The system works so well that no conventional fuel is needed to make the six building at the campus comfortable.
( ) 1. Body heat has become a problem because it (A) is hard to collect
(B) takes time to study (C) is difficult to remove (D) destroys the campus order
( ) 2. How many buildings at the Johnstown campus make use of the heat collection system?
(A) Three.
(B) Four.
(C) Five.
(D) Six.
( ) 3. The passage mainly talks about
(A) how to remove human beings’ body heat (B) how to recycle bulbs and refrigerators
(C) how to use heat given off by men and objects (D) how to make good use of conventional fuel
Expository text 6
primitive 原始的 lightning 閃電 experiment 實驗
determine 確定 demon 惡魔 phenomena 現象 spear 矛
Human beings wouldn’t be human if they didn’t wonder about the world around them. Many thousands of years ago, when mankind was still primitive, men must have looked out of caves and wondered about what they saw. What made the lightning flash? Where did the wind come from? Why would winter start soon and why would all the green things die? And then why did they all come back to life the next spring?
Man wondered about himself, too. Why did men get sick sometimes? Why did all men get old and die eventually? Who first taught men how to use fire and how to weave cloth?
There were any number of questions but there were no scientific answers. These were the days before science; before men had learned to experiment in order to determine the hows and whys of the universe.
What early man had to do was to invent what seemed to be the most logical answers. And the concepts of “god” and “demon” were created to account for the various phenomena in the world. For example, the lightning seemed, perhaps, the huge deadly spear of a god, and disease could be the result of invisible arrows fired by demon.
( ) 1. Primitive men asked many questions about the world because (A) they were curious.
(B) they were frightened.
(C) they were rather dumb.
(D) they were uneducated.
( ) 2. Primitive men before the scientific age
(A) couldn’t find answers to their questions about man and the world.
(B) were able to find scientific answers based upon logic.
(C) were not inventive enough in giving answers to their questions.
(D) managed to answer their questions in their own logical way.
( ) 3. The best title for the above passage is (A) Disease and Lightning
(B) Man and Natural Environment (C) Primitive Society and the World (D) The World Views of Primitive Men
Expository text 7
Sending and receiving E-mail, electronic mail, has become one of the most popular uses for personal computers. It’s fun, fast and easy. E-mail messages are less formal than traditional letters and are written in a more conversational style.
However, E-mail has its own rules, or “netiquette.” For instance, your messages should be brief because most people don’t want to read long letters on a computer screen. It should be clear, so that the recipient doesn’t misunderstand your meaning.
What is more, because underlining and boldface can’t be sent through e-mail, some writers use capital letters for emphasis. Don’t overdo capitals, though. That’s called SHOUTING, and it’s considered rude. Another sign of bad manners is “flaming,” or using insulting language. Always be polite, no matter whom you are writing to!
( ) 1.What is the theme of this passage?
(A) Introduction to E-mail writing (B)Guidelines for E-mail writing
(C)The convenience of E-mail writing (D)How an E-mail message is sent
( ) 2. How is e-mail writing different from traditional letters?
(A)It’s often much longer. (B)It should be short and clear.
(C)It’s full of dialogues. (D)It requires more netiquette.
( ) 3. In writing an e-mail message, one should . (A) do it with good manners all the time.
(B) lay stress on choice of insulting words.
(C) use capital letters to overdo the message.
(D) make good use of boldfaced expressions.
Expository text 8
Magellan 麥哲倫(1480-1521 葡萄牙航海家)
Our world is getting smaller and smaller. You can fly around the world in less than fifty hours. The newest planes go six hundred miles an hour, and we are now
developing planes that are even faster.
But it used to take a lot longer to travel around the world. Magellan’s men were the first to make a trip around our earth, which took them more than two years in ships.
Magellan was from Portugal, but he made the trip for the king of Spain. On September the twentieth, 1519, he left Spain with five ships and two hundred and forty men. Unfortunately he was killed in the Philippine Islands. More than two years later, on December the twenty-first, 1521, one of the five ships with only thirty-one men returned to Spain.
Magellan’s voyage proved that men were able to travel around the world, and that our earth was round.
( ) 1. Why is the world getting smaller and smaller?
(A) Because human beings are getting wiser and wiser.
(B) Because we are developing bigger and bigger planes.
(C) Because we can fly around the world in fewer and fewer hours.
(D) Because it takes longer and longer for us to go around the world.
( ) 2. Who was the first to travel around the world?
(A) The Portuguese. (B) The Spanish.
(C) Magellan and his men. (D) The Filipinos.
( ) 3. What did Magellan’s journey prove?
(A) That the earth was round.
(B) That man could conquer nature.
(C) That man could go where he wanted to.
(D) That it took long to go around the world.
( ) 4. Which of the following is NOT true about Magellan?
(A) He set off with five ships but back with only one.
(B) He traveled around the world in more than one year.
(C) He left Spain with two hundred and forty men in 1519.
(D) He was provided with ships and men by the king of Spain.
( ) 5. The passage deals mainly with
(A) a small world. (B) Portugal and Spain.
(C) a trip round the world. (D) Magellan’s voyage.
Expository text 9
hacker 駭客 Mafia 黑手黨 explosives 炸藥
Breaking into the computer codes (known as “hacking”) of banks, large companies or even government departments is the latest game for super-intelligent teenagers.
One young hacker said, “hacking is just intellectual. It’s your brain against the
computer. It’s like climbing Mount Everest – it’s something you have to do. You don’t even need a very expensive computer – but you must understand everything about all kinds of computers.”
At the moment most of these games are just fun for young people. But how long will it be before criminal gangs, like the Mafia, start to use computer experts to help them in their crimes? Future bank robbers will not need explosives to blow open bank safes—all they will need is someone who can break into computer codes. Already in Britain people say that computer crimes are costing companies between 500 million pounds and 2.5 billion pounds a year.
( ) 1. In the above passage, one hacker states that hacking is like (A) climbing Mount Everest.
(B) a game for young individuals.
(C) breaking into computer codes.
(D) blowing open bank safes.
( ) 2. According to the passage, breaking into computer codes of banks, large companies, and government departments is
(A) a widespread criminal practice.
(B) a game for computer literate individuals.
(C) being studied by the Mafia for fun.
(D) soon to replace coding bank safes.
( ) 3. On the basis of the passage, one needs which of the following to break into computer codes?
(A) An elaborate and expensive multi-media computer.
(B) A group of computer science students.
(C) The help and financial support from the Mafia.
(D) A thorough understanding of a variety of computers.
Expository text 10
intimate / intimacy 親密 reserve 保留 frequency 頻率 embrace 擁抱
In some cultures, the act of touching another person is considered very intimate and is therefore reserve for people who know each other very well. In the United States, for example, young children are taught that it is rude to stand too close to people. By the time they are adults, Americans have learned to feel most comfortable when standing at about arm’s length away from people to whom they are talking. And many Americans do not touch each other with great frequency while talking (this is particularly true of men). In contrast, other cultures have more relaxed rules regarding touching. For example, it is usual for friends – both men and women – to embrace each other when they meet. When they talk, they generally stand closer than
Americans do, and they touch each other more often. They are as much at ease doing this as Americans are with more space between them.
( ) 1. Two persons touching each other may be viewed to be (A) in close relationship in American culture.
(B) impolite in all different cultures.
(C) common friends in American culture.
(D) very unfriendly in many cultures.
( ) 2. The polite space between two persons talking to each other (A) is not very important in American culture.
(B) is necessary for friends to show intimacy.
(C) is about arm’s length in all cultures.
(D) is different from culture to culture.
Expository text 11
barrier 障礙 stingy 吝嗇 generosity 慷慨
A number of tourists visiting the U.S. face more than the language barrier when they visit New York or other large American cities. How to tip is quite a problem to them.
France, as well as many other European countries, has a ‘tip included” policy which means the service is included in the bill. But if a customer is especially satisfied with the service, he or she might leave an extra franc or two on the table.
A tourism official told the story of a French visitor who felt insulted when an American waiter followed him to the door, handed him the dollar he had left on the table as a tip and told him, “I think you need this dollar more than I do. Take it.” The
French visitor had assumed of course that the tip had already been included in the bill.
Just how much should a person tip? “In America, fifteen percent is acceptable and twenty percent is preferable,” said John Turchiano, spokesman for the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union.
( ) 1. The American waiter gave back the dollar to the French tourist because (A) he took pity on the poor French visitor.
(B) he was insulted while serving the French visitor.
(C) he thought the French tourist was too stingy.
(D) he never received any tip from foreign tourists.
( ) 2. The French tourist left one dollar on the table because (A) he tried to show generosity to Americans.
(B) he spent too much on the trip to afford more.
(C) he wanted to insult the waiter for his impoliteness.
(D) he was very satisfied with the service of the waiter.
Expository text 12
inadequate 不充足的 illegible 字跡模糊難辨的 staff 職員 bins 箱；櫃 bidder 出價人
Sometimes it is impossible to deliver all the mail that arrives at the post office.
Perhaps there is an inadequate or illegible address and there is no return address. The post office cannot just throw the mail away, so it becomes “deal mail.” Dead mail is sent to one of the U.S. Postal Service’s dead mail offices in Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, St. Paul, and San Francisco. Seventy-five million pieces of mail can end up in these offices in one year.
The staff of the dead mail offices has a variety of ways to deal with all of these pieces of dead mail. First of all, they look for clues that can help them deliver the mail;
they open packages in the hope that something inside will show where the package come from or is going to. Dead mail will also be listed on a computer so that people can call in and check to see if a missing item is there.
However, all of this mail cannot simply be stored forever; there is just too much of it. Every three months, the public is invited to the offices and bins containing items found in dead mail packages are sold to the highest bidder.
( ) 1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to deal with dead mail?
(A) To search for clues.
(B) To open dead mail.
(C) To throw dead mail away.
(D) To list dead mail on a computer.
( ) 2. The staff in a dead mail office may open a package in order to find _______.
(A) some money (B) missing objects
(C) an address (D) a computer
( ) 3. Which is the best title for the passage?
(A) Dead Mail (B) Mail Auction
(C) Unknown Mail (D) The Dead Mail Office
APPENDIX B-the Narrative Texts
Narrative text 1
agent 房屋經紀人 prospective buyers 可能的買主
When our house was up for sale, I insisted that my sons make their beds each morning before they left for school. I wanted to be sure the house looked clean and tidy when the agent showed it to prospective buyers.
I was surprised and impressed that my 15-year-old son’s bed was made perfectly each day. One evening I went into his room after he was asleep and discovered his secret－he was sleeping on the floor on his sleeping bag.
( ) 1.The best title for the text is . (A) A Secret
(B)Making Beds (C) Selling a House (D)Asleep on the Job
( ) 2. The bedclothes on the 15-year-old boy’s bed looked tidy each day because he __.
(A) didn’t sleep in bed (B) was a careful boy (C) made his bed perfectly
(D) knew the secret of making a bed
Narrative text 2
I was in a shop waiting for my wife to try on a dress, and I talked with a
middle-aged man standing nearby. Just then, his wife came up, shiny-eyed, obviously pleased with the dress she was wearing, but her husband shook his head, saying he didn’t like it. She was disappointed, but she didn’t want to buy it if he didn’t approve.
She returned to the fitting room. He quickly asked the clerk the price of the dress, paid for it, asked that it be gift-wrapped and said he would pick it up later that afternoon.
Turning to me, he explained, “Tomorrow is her birthday, and this is the only way I can surprise her with a new dress that she really likes.”
( ) 1. Who was trying to buy a new dress?
(A) The speaker.
(B) The speaker’s wife.
(C) The middle-aged man’s wife.
(D) Both (B) and (C).
( ) 2. Why didn’t the middle-aged man’s wife want to buy the dress she tried on?
(A) Because it didn’t fit her.
(B) Because it was too expensive.
(C) Because her husband disagreed.
(D) Because she didn’t like the color.
( ) 3. What is the main idea of this passage?
(A) Women always love beautiful clothes.
(B) Men do not know how to please their wives.
(C) A man gave his wife a birthday present in a smart way.
(D) A woman was disappointed because her husband did not love her.
Narrative text 3
Nobody likes to stay home on a public holiday – especially when the weather is fine. Last August, the Joneses decided to spend the day in the country. The only difficulty was that millions of other people had exactly the same idea. They moved out of the city slowly behind a long line of cars, but at last they came to a quiet country road and, after some time, stopped at a lonely farm. They had brought plenty of food with them and they got it out of the car. Now everything’s ready, so they sat down near a path at the foot of a hill. It was very peaceful in the cool grass – until they heard bells ringing at the top of the hill. What they saw made them pick up their things and run back to the car as quickly as possible. There were about two hundred sheep coming towards them down the path!
( ) 1. On a public holiday many people like to __________.
(A) stay home and rest (B) have fine weather
(C) go out into the country (D) have exactly the same idea ( ) 2. They could not move fast because ___________.
(A) the weather was bad (B) they did not have a good car
(C) they brought too much food (D) there were too many cars on the road ( ) 3. They went to the farm to ________.
(A) have a picnic (B) take a rest (C) play a game (D) watch animals ( ) 4. The reason why they ran back to the car was that _______.
(A) it suddenly started to rain (B) the farm was too crowded
(C) they wanted to get food out of the car (D) many sheep were coming toward them
Narrative text 4
A young man had a new girlfriend, whom he wanted to impress, so he invited her to go to a world-famous restaurant with him one evening. They dined wonderfully and had numerous drinks; they danced till midnight, and there was a polished musical entertainment. The girl really enjoyed the whole evening, and suitably impressed by everything she saw, including several movie stars.
Then the waiter brought the bill and when the young man saw how much he had to pay, he was so shocked that he turned as white as a sheet.
The helpful waiter, seeing his face, thought he might be going to pass out, so he quickly poured out a glass of ice water and emptied it over the head of the young man.
Immediately, he took back the bill and added “ice water: $10.”
( ) 1.The young man invited his girlfriend to such an expensive restaurant for (A) he was very rich. (B) he wanted to marry her.
(C) he liked the restaurant. (D) he wanted to impress her.
( ) 2.The young man was (A) rich enough to pay the bill.
(B) clever, handsome and strong.
(C) unsuccessful in what he wanted to do.
(D) successful in impressing his girlfriend.
( ) 3.When the young man saw the bill, (A) he went pale. (B) he paid it at once.
(C) he added $10 service charge to his bill.
(D) he was so shocked that he passed out.
( ) 4.The waiter poured water over his head because he was afraid (A) the young man was going to hit him.
(B) the young man was going to faint.
(C) the young man was going to run out.
(D) the young man was going to get burned.
( ) 5. Which of the following statements is false ?
(A) The young man had a luncheon with his girlfriend.
(B) The young man’s girlfriend enjoyed herself a lot.
(C) They listened to excellent music and saw a few movie stars.
(D) The ice water was worth $10, which was very expensive.
Narrative text 5
Sally went to a junior high school not too far from her house. One day, Sally sat by herself in her room, thinking about a way of earning some pocket money during the long summer vacation, which lasted for more than 80 days. All of a sudden, she got a wonderful idea. Her parents paid her to walk their dog every day. Maybe other people would pay her to walk their dogs.
“Why not try the neighbors to see if they want such service?” Sally went to many houses and asked the people if she could exercise their pets. Some of the people didn’t have a dog. Others wanted to walk their own pets, but six people did hire Sally. She was delighted, feeling fortunate to have the chance to earn extra money for her new dress.
Every morning that summer Sally walked the dogs. By the end of the vacation, she saved up to one hundred fifty dollars. Sally felt so happy when counting the money she earned by herself first time in her life.
( ) 1.What is the best title?
(A)A Boring Summer Vacation (B) A New Idea of Making Money (C) Every Dog Has Its Day (D)Taking a Walk Improves Your Health ( ) 2. Who gave Sally the idea to make money?
(A)her parents (B)her dogs (C)her neighbors (D)Sally herself ( ) 3. What did Sally earn the money for?
(A)She wanted a happy vacation in Europe.
(B)She had to pay for her school by herself.
(C)She wanted to buy a new dress of her own.
(D)She wanted to enjoy a wonderful party.
( ) 4. During the vacation, Sally saved . (A)more than two hundred dollars
(B)nearly one hundred fifty dollars (C)up to one hundred dollars (D)as much as three hundred dollars ( ) 5. Which is true?
(A)Sally walked her neighbors’ dogs because she loved them very much.
(B)People who hired Sally were perhaps too busy to walk their own dogs.
(C)Sally’s neighbors hired Sally for they thought the price was reasonable.
(D)Some people hired Sally to wash their dogs and then gave her money.
Narrative text 6
As a young fellow, I was in a hurry to hit the top. Like the horse wearing blinders, I raced ahead seeing nothing but the finish line. The years flew by, I had fame, riches, and a loving family. I raced on. I needed more success.
Then one day it occurred to me how much I had missed! I thought of friends collected and then neglected; of my library, full of books with uncut pages; of the first steps of my little girls; of their tears I had not the chance to wipe away; of their bright sayings heard only from their mother over the phone; of the vacations promised to my wife and children.
All this resulted from my mad pursuit of success! Ever since I realized this, I have made it a point to stop now and again to enjoy the scenery. I have come to realize that by going too fast I have missed too much. How lucky I am to have become aware of this precious truth in time to enjoy it!
( ) 1. The best title of the above passage could be __________.
(A) The Way to Success (B) Life is More Than Success (C) Hard Work and Success (D) Enjoyment of Success
( ) 2. The main point of the passage is ________.
(A) success can be won only at the cost of enjoyment of life (B) one had better not to look back at what he had lost in life (C) only when one loses something does he know the value of it (D) life shouldn’t be neglected only because of pursuing success ( ) 3. The author ____________.
(A) didn’t see his daughters take their first steps (B) spent lot of time reading books in his library (C) heard bright sayings from his little girls himself (D) always keeps his promises to his wife and children
( ) 4. How did the author become aware that he was wrong in his way of life?
(A) His wife complained to him on the telephone.
(B) His daughters cried over the telephone.
(C) One day it came to him when he was alone.
(D) It is not mentioned in the passage.
Narrative text 7
handicap 殘疾 row 划船 lobsterpots 龍蝦籠 splendid deed 偉大的行為 onlooker 旁觀者
George, aged 11, lived in a small fishing village on the Massachusetts coast.
When he was a very little boy, a careless accident blinded him for life. But in spite of this great handicap, he learned to do well most of the things other boys loved to do.
He could swim and row and help his father with the lobsterpots.
One summer as he was playing on the beach, he heard a cry of fear, a call for help. Instantly he jumped into his own little skiff and fearlessly rowed out toward the open sea until he came to the spot where a woman, while swimming, had gone
beyond her depth. She was sinking when George, guided by her cries, reached her and pulled her into his little boat. Then guided again by the cheers of those on the shore, he brought her safely to the land.
So simply and so fearlessly had he done this splendid deed that he found it hard to understand why the onlookers crowded about him with words of praise or why a few days later a great daily newspaper should give him a thousand dollars as a reward.
( ) 1. The best title for this passage is
(A) A Brave Deed (B) A Drowning Woman (C) A Cheering Crowd (D) A Boy on the Beach ( ) 2. The woman called for help because she
(A) had a cramp while swimming.
(B) fell into water from her boat.
(C) was in water deeper than her height.
(D) couldn’t row her boat back to the shore.
( ) 3. The boy reached the drowning woman (A) too late to save her.
(B) by swimming.
(C) with other people’ help.
(D) by following her cries.
( ) 4. Which of the following is true about George?
(A) He was blind at birth.
(B) He was unable to swim.
(C) He was hopeless and unhappy.
(D) He was surprised to get a reward.
Narrative text 8
rescued 被救出的 corridor 走廊 residents 居民 panicked 驚慌
Thinking that he smelled smoke, six-year-old Michael glanced up at the kitchen window. To his horror, he saw black smoke blowing past. Just then, four-year-old Lisa rushed into Michael’s apartment and screamed, “My house is on fire. Help!”
Displaying courage far beyond his years, Michael ran into his neighbor’s burning house and dragged a young child from the smoke-filled room. The rescued boy, 21-month-old Red, had been crying, too shocked by the fire to move. Lisa’s sister, five-year-old Cathy, was watching the fire from the corridor when Michael rushed in.
He also hurried Cathy and her baby brother North form the corridor and led them all to safety. Michael began dressing for school soon after the rescue. It was a little late for the first class.
The fire started by the children playing with matches. Some of the block’s
residents rushed to the apartment, but were driven back by the thick smoke. Residents and relatives of the children were unaware of Michael’s rescue. When fire fighters said they saw no one inside the apartment house, they were panicked.
( ) 1. The best title for this passage is (A) A Big Fire
(B) A Brave Boy
(C) A Boy and Firefighters (D) A Daring Rescue at a Fire
( ) 2. This passage suggests that the fire broke out (A) in the morning. (B) in the afternoon.
(C) in the evening. (D) before dark.
( ) 3. Who was left in the burning house when Michael ran in?
(A) Red (B) North (C) Cathy (D) Lisa
( ) 4. Why did some of the block’s residents hurry to the apartment?
(A) They were all driven back by the thick smoke.
(B) They wanted to help Michael save the children.
(C) They tried to save the children from the burning building.
(D) The firefighters did not allow them to come near the fire.
Narrative text 9
autograph 親筆簽名 violation 違反 sue 控訴 reevaluated 重新評估 conference 記者會
On May 26, 1977, George Willig traveled to the top of the 1,350-foot-tall World Trade Center in New York City. He did not take the elevator, however. Instead, like a human fly, George Willig climbed the outside of the huge 110-story building. His climb, which began at 6:30 a.m., took three and a half hours to finish.
At the top, Willig was greeted by both police and reporters. Some of the police officers asked him for his autograph. Then they wanted to put him in jail and charged him with violation of law for climbing the building without a permit. Furthermore, the city also planned to sue him for a quarter of a million dollars. The amount, the police department reported, would pay the costs of rushing special equipment and eighty police officers in order to save him.
By the next day, city officials had reevaluated the situation. At City Hall, Mayor Abraham Beame hosted a news conference that turned into a ceremony in George Willig’s honor. Beame announced that the city would not punish “The Human Fly.”
Instead, he would be fined a penny for each of the 110 floors he had climbed. Instead of punishing Willig, the city treated him as a hero who attempted the impossible and met the challenge.
( ) 1. This passage is a story about
(A) a man who enjoys dangers and risks.
(B) a human being who can fly like a fly.
(C) a man who has escaped from the jail.
(D) a fly which climbs like a human being.
( ) 2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
(A) Willig was fined $250, 000.
(B) Willig was sent to a prison for a year.
(C) Willig was honored in a party and fined only $1.10.
(D) Willig climbed the World Trade Center with permission.
