Test: B5 L3

I. 文意字彙

1. We all reguard the general as a n____ and courageous leader.


2. People are disappointed at the government's t____ on social reform.


3. The company received great f____ for its excellent products. It is well-known for its manufacturing quality.


4. What annoys me is that the boys keep s____ trash all over our classroom.


5. A lot of our silverware is in s____.


6. We couldn't but m____ at the view from the mountain top.


7. The thief made a d____ attempt in escaping but failed. He was surronded by hundreds of police.


8. B____ is in the eye of the beholder.


9. A good friend can broaden our h____ and lift us above ourselves.


10. People are worried about the p____ of sex and violence on TV shows.

II. 翻譯

1. 閱讀之於心靈，猶如運動之於身體。


2. 我會幫你，但你必須先向Ruby道歉。(on condition that)


3. 我寧可親一隻青蛙也不願和他見面。


4. 貨物需要送到機場。(transport)


5. Linda對於各式音樂有極大的喜好。(appetite)


6. 方便的話，請回電至我的辦公室。(convenience)


7. 不管你喜歡中式餐點還是日本料理，今天晚餐吃中華料理。


8. 他沒有心情寫書。

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Test: B5 L3+4 vocabulary

1. Many scientists think the Stonehenge was built for a_____ purposes.
2. Creators of the giant stone statues on Easter Island were wiped out in battles with another t_____.
3. In his b_____, George wrote about how his childhood affected his ideas and career choices.
4. Ancient Chinese based their activities on l_____ calendar. It is still practiced by many farmers today.
5. Billy and Bob are i_____ twins. They look exactly the same.
6. It is a wonder that the ancient Egyptians built the Pyramids with such p_____ tools.
7. I was suddenly struck by a v_____ of emotions and began crying.
8. After her parents died, she was in a state of d_____. She lost all her hope in life.
9. I don’t have the a_____ for beef tonight. I just ate pounds of meet yesterday at the barbeque.
10. Many airplane crashes have shown that f____ may have affected pilots’ ability in making correct decisions.
11. Mary never throws anything away. She just a_____. She even has newspapers dated back to 1985!
12. My parents’ belief in me made me un_____ about my future.
13. Maybe one day, future mankind will look at the buildings we e____ today and wonder why we build them.
14. During earthquake, you should shelter beside a strong c_____. Sheltering underneath a table is not a good idea.
15. Every year on April 5, Taiwanese people visit tombs of their a_____ to pay respect to them.
16. The thought of her children is her only i_____ to work in the States. She works day and night so that her kids back home can go to school and have a comfortable life.
17. Summer in Taiwan is fun in general. I just don’t like the v_____ mosquitoes.
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Test: What is the Story behind the Bed?

People spend about 1/3 (in written English: __1__) of their lives a__2__. We can s__3__ longer without food than without sleep. Sleeping is very important, so the bed is important.

For most of human history, people slept on layers of cloth, palm leaves, or f__4__. They laid these on the floor. In ancient Egypt, over three thousands years ago, the pharaohs were the first to raise their beds off/ down/ up the floor. They slept on light beds made of wood. You could f__6__ the bed and carry it. A__7__ found beds like this in Tutankhamen's tomb. People back then did not think soft p__8__ were necessary. The Egyptians put their heads on headrests made of wood and the Chinese had c__9__ headrests.

After the year 100, only the rich had beds. Poor people still slept on the floor. The bed became a symbol of w__10__. One e__11__ of Rome had a silver bed. Beds were also a person's most valuable p__12__. When Shakespeare died, he gave his second best bed to his wife. Beds were so special that in England, when a rich person traveled to another person's home, he took his bed with him.

After 1820, people slept on cotton m__13__ with m__14__ springs inside them. These beds are better for your health than beds made of wood because they have fewer i__15__ in them.

People didn't always wear clothes in bed. It was only after 1890 that men started to wear p__16__.

17-19. Name three types of beds.

20. The color black has often been used to ____(symbol) evil in children's books.
21. Your opinions are of great ____(valuable) to me.
22. Surely doing exercise is ____(prefer) to going on a diet to lose weight.
23. 有些遊客步行到山頂，有些搭火車。
24. 她既聰明又漂亮。最重要的是，她有經驗。
25. 會議進行到一半時，我的手機響了。

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Test: Earthships

In the middle of the d__1__ near Taos, New Mexico, visitors will find a number of very o__-l__2__ houses. Some are e__3__ structures, covered on one side with a long row of s__4__ glass p__5__. Others are topped with d__6__ that are topped with flat windows like the e__7__ to a flying s__8__ from out/ outer/ outside space. But no! They are not spaceships. They are Eearthships.

An Earthship is a relatively/ relate/ related new type of house that is e__-f__11__ and s__-s__12__. It is build with many recycle/ recycling/ recyclable materials both inside and out, p__14__ used tires and a__15__ cans. The s__16__ allow light into the house without allowing too much heat. E__17__ for lights comes from wind or s__18__ power. Its own water system recycles waste water and s__19__ for gardening. The home only needs to be h__20__ up to a phone line.

Earthships were first created in the 1970s by a man named Michael Reynolds. Reynolds also runs w__21__ so that owners can be involved in building their own Earthships. The building process is relatively simple, though it does require a lot of p__22__ work.

Finished Earthship homes are often very beautiful. They are built in many unusual and creative designs. The people who live in Earthships seem to be very happy with their lifestyle. They pay hardly any u__23__ bills. Many also get a great sense of s__24__ from using their own hands to help build the house. Many owners add special touches to the i__25__, such as carved doors, stone floors and even handmade furniture.

26. 我父母不允許我們晚上在外遊蕩(hang out)到太晚。
27. 老師說他不允許班上有作弊行為。
28. 從去年聖誕節起，我們就一直在進行這個計畫。
29. 我好久沒見到妳了。
30. 紙是由木材做的。



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Earthships: A New Way of Building and Living

originally published in The English Reader for Senior High School: Book Three by The Far East Books Co., Ltd. 原文引自遠東高中英文第四冊課文。



In the middle of the desert near Taos, New Mexico, visitors will find a number of very odd-looking houses. Some are elongated structures, covered on one side with a long row of slanted glass panels. Others are topped with domes and the domes are topped with flat windows. The windows look almost like the entrance to a flying saucer. Indeed, when you see these houses, you might think for a moment that they are ships from outer space. But no! They are not spaceships. They are Eearthships.

An Earthship is a relatively new type of house that is eco-friendly and self-sufficient. It is build with many recyclable materials both inside and out, primarily used tires and aluminum cans, and it is heated and cooled using solar power. The glass panels help to collect heat, and the flat windows are called skylights. They allow light into the house without allowing too much heat. Electricity for lights also comes from wind or solar power. An Earthship has its own water system as well. The system collects rainwater for household use, and recycles waste water and sewage for gardening. The home does not need to be hooked up to any electricity, water, or sewage systems. It only needs a phone line.

Earthships were first created in the 1970s by a man named Michael Reynolds. Reynolds built the first such homes in Taos, but since then his designs have been used in many other locations, including Mexico, Europe and Japan. Reynolds also runs workshops so that owners can be involved in building their own Earthships. The building process is relatively simple, though it does require a lot of physical work. The outside walls are made by lining and piling up old tires and then packing them with earth. The earth must be pounded until it is very hard in order to make the walls stable. The tires are then covered with cement or adobe. The walls inside the house are made in the similar way with aluminum cans. The result of this design is that the house has extra thick walls, and this helps to control the temperature indoors. Even without air-conditioning, an Earthship will stay cool during the day. At night, as heat transfers from the walls, the house warms up, so that everyone can sleep comfortably.

Finished Earthship homes are often very beautiful. They are built in many unusual and creative designs. The sloping roofs and glass skylights give them a natural but elegant look. Inside, sunlight streams in throughout the day, creating a bright and cheerful atmosphere. Many owners add special touches to the interior, such as carved doors, stone floors and even handmade furniture. In one design, pieces of recycled glass bottles add colorful decorations to the walls and doorways.

The people who live in Earthships seem to be very happy with their lifestyle. Their homes are not only much cheaper to build but also cheaper to live in than ordinary houses. They pay hardly any utility bills. Many also get a great sense of satisfaction from using their own hands to help build the house. Most important of all, they know that their homes do little damage to the environment. They can feel that they are no longer part of the problem, but part of the solution.

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