I wondered if anyone had experienced such an unexpected trip as I had.

    The day of my holiday arrived, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. I had little money and had only been able to afford to stay with my Aunt Rosa in Spain. So, I wasn’t really excited as I knew exactly what it was going to be like: lots of noisy cousins, and Aunt Rosa begging me to take her for a ride.

    After I had checked in, I made my way slowly to the departure gate. As I was waiting to board the plane, I kept thinking about my ideal holiday destination: JamaSica, with its long, sandy beaches and crystal clear water.

    As soon as the plane took off, I fell fast asleep and only woke to the sound of the announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts, as we will shortly be landing in Kingston.” I froze in my seat. Was I dreaming? Kingston? Jamaica? I had boarded the wrong plane! 

    Immediately after the plane landed, I explained the situation to the authorities. It seems there were also three other passengers heading for Spain. Apparently it had been the airline’s fault, since the flight numbers for Spain and Jamaica were exactly the same! Therefore, with no flight back to London for a week, the airline had no choice but to pay for our stay.

    So there I was,lying on the beach, enjoying the music and the marvelous food of Jamaica! As for Aunt Rosa, I suppose she just had to live without me!

21. Why did the writer choose to spend her holiday with her aunt in Spain?

A. She missed her cousins very much.             

B. She could hardly afford any better trip.

C. Her aunt begged her to go there.  

D. Spain was her ideal destination.

22. In the text, the writer ended up _________.

A. flying to London immediately               

B. heading for Spain from Jamaica

C. enjoying a free beach holiday         

D. complaining to the authorities 

23. Which of the following might be the best title of the text?

A. A Well-Planned Trip                             B. A Terrible Adventure

C. A Nice Dream                                             D. A Lucky Mistake   

A LITTLE PRINCESS by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Price: $7.10 （Paperback  Dec. 9, 1998)

The novel tells of the story of a wealthy young girl, Sara Crewe, who is sent to a boarding school during her father’s campaign in India. Thanks to Capt. Crewe’s money, Sara is treated as a little princess until, one day, word comes of her father’s tragic death. Miss Minchin, the school’s greedy headmistress, wastes no time in putting the now-penniless Sara to work for her room and board. It is only through the friendship of two other girls and some astonishing luck that Sara eventually finds her way back to happiness.

THE SECRET GARDEN  by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Price:$3.95  (Paperback  July 1, 2003)

Frances Hodgson Burnett was the highest paid and most widely read woman writer of her time, publishing more than fifty novels and thirteen plays. The Secret Garden is a beautiful tale of friendship, secrets and human spirits. A spoiled orphan named Mary returns to England from India when her parents die. She is sent to live in Yorkshire with her uncle. Miserable and lonely, she begins to explore the house’s gardens and discovers a key to a secret garden that the uncle sealed off when his wife died. There she discovered a secret so important, so enchanting, that it will change her life forever.

 PETER PAN by J. M. Barrie and Scott Gustafson

Price: $16.95  （Hardcover Oct. 1, 1991)

  It is a children’s story full of imagination and adventures. A boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Indians, fairies and pirates, and from time to time meeting ordinary children from the world outside.

Order online and you can now save 20% off your total purchase on orders over $25!

24. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the three books?

   A. The little princess refers to a girl named Sara Crewe.

   B. The secret garden mentioned in the passage is located in India. 

   C. Peter Pan is a boy with magic powers who never grows up.         

   D. A Little Princess was written by a famous female writer.

25. How much does it cost to order these three books online?

     A. $5.60               B. $25.00                         C. $22.40                  D. $ 28.00

26. What do these three books have in common?

   A. They were published in the same year.   

   B. They all have a hard cover.

   C. They are all stories with tragic endings. 

   D. They have children as their main characters.

27. In which part of a magazine can we read the text?

   A. Family              B. Literature                    C. Technology            D. Entertainment

Buckingham Palace is where the Queen lives. It is the Queen’s official and main royal London home.

Buckingham Palace was originally a splendid house built by the Duke(公爵) of Buckingham for his wife. George IV began changing it into a palace in 1826. It has been the official London home of Britain’s royal family since 1837. Buckingham Palace is also an office and used for the administrative work of the royal family.

When the Queen is at home you can see her royal flag (the Royal Standard) flying from the flag pole on top of Buckingham Palace. The flag is divided into four equal parts. The first and fourth parts represent England and contain three gold lions waking on a red field; the second part represents Scotland and contains a red lion standing on a gold field; the third part represents Ireland and contains the gold coat of arms of Ireland on a blue field.

In flag protocol (礼仪), the Royal Standard which must only be flown from buildings where the Queen is present is supreme (至高无上的). It flies above the British Union Flag ( the Union Jack ), and other British flags. It never flies at half mast.

The guards of the Palace wear red jackets and tall, furry hats. When the first guards come on duty,there is a ceremony called the Changing of the Guard. A familiar sight at Buckingham Palace is the Changing of the Guard ceremony that takes place in the open space in front of it each morning.

The Palace has around 750 rooms, including 19 state rooms,52 royal and guest bedrooms, 78 bathrooms, 92 offices, a cinema and a swimming pool. It also has its own post office and police station. About 400 people work at the Palace, including servants, chefs, footmen, cleaners, gardeners, electricians, and so on. More than 50,000 people come to the Palace each year as guests to dinners, receptions and Royal Garden Parties.

28. For whom was the original Buckingham Palace built?

   A. The Duke of Buckingham.                B. George IV.   

   C. The Duke of Buckingham’s wife.           D. George IV’s wife.   

29. According to the text, the Royal Standard_________.

   A. is flown at Buckingham Palace every morning

   B. represents the four countries of the UK 

   C. flies at half mast only on a few occasions  

   D. flies higher than the British Union Flag

30. When can a visitor see the Changing of the Guard ceremony?

   A. Every morning and evening.                        B. Every morning.

   C. When the Queen’s flag is flying.                     D. When a flag is flying at the Palace.

31. What is the last paragraph about?

   A. What you can see inside Buckingham Palace.  

   B. The royal parties at Buckingham Palace.      

   C. The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.  

   D. People living and working at Buckingham Palace.

In 1990,22-year-old Christopher McCandless gave up his career plans，left behind everyone he knew，donated all his savings to charity，and went off on an adventure，hiking his way through America to Alaska．

    Of course,this is an unusual story most college graduates would not do so. However，studies show that in teenage years, people are more likely to try out new experiences.For example，instead of working his way up the same organization like his grandfather did，a 15-year-old may dream about becoming a traveller一only to find in his early 20s that this attraction of new places is fading and change is less attractive．

    The reason why people become less keen to change as they get older may be that people

generally have similar life patterns and demands．Most people aim to find a job and a partner. As they get older，they may have young children and elderly family members to look after. These responsibilities cannot be achieved without some degree of steadiness，which means that new experiences and ideas may not have a place in the person’s life．New experiences may bring excitement as well as insecurity,and so most people prefer to stay with the familiar.

    However，not every individual is the same. A child may want to play a different game every day and get fed up if nothing changes at the kindergarten．Another may play with the same children and toys on every visit. Young children who avoid new experiences will grow up to be more traditional than others. Psychologist argue that those who have more open personalities as children are more open than others might be when they are older and that young men have a greater interest in novelty than women，although as they age，this desire for new experiences fades more quickly than it does in women．

32. The first paragraph serves as a(n）      ．

   A . introduction                    B．explanation            C. comment                        D. background

33. What does the author think is the key factor that prevents people trying out new   

   experiences?

   A. Age                             B. Partner                 C. Responsibility       D. Education

34. The underlined phrase“interest in novelty”most probably means       ．

   A. independence               B. curiosity                C. security                       D.excitement

35. According to the passage, we can infer that_______.

   A . a child who likes different games may not like to change after growing up

   B . a teenager is not interested in a new start before graduation

   C . women are more likely to try new things than men of the same age

   D . as one gets older, he prefers the old patterns of life

                                                        Investing in yourself

Figuring out how to invest your money can be a difficult task. This is something that you will want to learn how to do.

 36  Things that will improve your knowledge, skills or health are all great investments. However, before you start, you need to be clear about what you will gain out of doing all of these things.

   You may think investing in yourself means investing in your education. 37 . There are some other things you can do as well as buying a gym membership or learning a new skill.

   So what are some specific things you can do?  38 . Reading books can really expand your mind and allow you to learn different skills and gain knowledge. I’m talking about the books where you will actually learn a new skill, not fiction books.

   You can also take courses and attend seminars. These programs are taught by people with a high level of knowledge or skill.  39 . Only in this way can you avoid being fooled by some sales presentation.

   Moreover, investing in yourself is a safe way to keep your money. Although a savings account is seen as the most secure investment, that isn’t 100% safe. Even if you never experience your bank closing down, the return is little when inflation(通货膨胀) is taken into consideration.  40 . But over time, they will show up in terms of your happiness level as well as your level of success.

A. This is just one way.

B. The benefits will stay with you.

C. If you aren’t a reader, you should start with that.

D. The more you do this, the more valuable you will be.

E. Of course, you need to do some research before investing.

F. The best way to invest your money is to invest it in yourself.

G. When you invest in yourself, you may not see gains right away.