The practice of burning paper money or paper model offerings at funerals in Chinese society can be traced back to the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD). Chinese people believe that when someone passes away, there is a death of the body, but the  21  continues to live in the next world. This “next world” is a mirror of the human world, where the “residents” need places to live, money to spend, daily necessities, and entertainment just like when they were  22  . Some of these necessities are buried with the deceased, while most others are “shipped” to them by burning paper models. As the ashes fly high, the offerings are  23  by the residents in the next world. Relatives of the deceased want to see their beloved family members live comfortably in the next world, so the paper houses are big and the cars are very  24  , mostly Mercedes-Benzes. A complete package of paper offerings may include a couple of servants, cash, and credit cards so that the deceased will have all their  25  satisfied. 

        These traditional paper offerings were sold only at specialty stores in the past. The style and variety of the products were  26  . For example, “houses” looked all the same and were built by pasting paper around a bamboo frame, with  27  of a door, windows, and a roof printed on it. There were no trendy, modern supplies to choose from. Now, the  28  can be made on the Internet. And with the incorporation of new materials and designs, paper offerings come in many more varieties. The old one-style-fits-all houses have been  29  by buildings that are fully equipped with decorations, furniture, and household appliances. Digital cameras, iPhones, and even skin care products are also  30  . It seems that, with the help of a simple click, this old Chinese tradition has been given a face-lift. 

(AB) replaced (AC) mortal (AD) spirit (AE) available (BC) journey (BD) luxurious (BE) collected (CD) purchase (CE) alive (DE) needs (ABC) limited (ABD) images

 The puppet performance is typically __22__ by a small orchestra. The backstage music is directed by the drum player. The drummer needs to pay attention to what is going on in the plot and follow the rhythm of the characters. He also uses the drum to __23__ the other musicians. There are generally around four to five musicians who perform the backstage music. The form of music used is often associated with various performance __24__ , including acrobatics and skills like window-jumping, stage movement, and fighting. Sometimes unusual animal puppets also appear on stage for extra __25__ , especially for children in the audience. 

        In general, a show needs two performers. The main performer is generally the chief or __26__ of the troupe. He is the one in charge of the whole show, manipulating the main puppets, singing, and narrating. The __27__ performer manipulates the puppets to coordinate with the main performer. He also changes the costumes of the puppets, and takes care of the stage. The relationship between the main performer and his partner is one of master and apprentice. Frequently, the master trains his sons to eventually 28 him as puppet masters. 

        Budaixi troupes are often hired to perform at processions and festivals held in honor of local gods, and on happy __29__    such as weddings, births, and promotions. The main purpose of Budaixi is to __30__ and offer thanks to the deities. The shows also serve as a popular means of folk entertainment.
(AB) attracted (AC) appeal (AD) accompanied (AE) conduct (BC) director (BD) figures (BE) occasions (CD) succeed (CE) transparent (DE) supporting (ABC) techniques (ABD) worship

第 31 至 40 題為題組 

   My father started to suffer from memory loss right after his marriage. Or so my mother told us. She said they were married on May 26, while my dad’s memory told him it was June 25. This often 31 their anniversary celebration, for his rose bouquet always came one month late. Mom seldom asked Dad to go shopping in the traditional market for her. But whenever Dad 32 on going, she made sure that he brought a shopping list. Dad certainly had the list 33 when he left for the market, but he would somehow forget it, and then would find it again only after he returned home. Of course, the 34 that he made were based mainly on his memory of the list. Unfortunately, the items were usually different from Mom’s 35 .

   My father’s poor memory gave him certain advantages, though. For instance, he was 36 with many secrets in my family and our community. Because of his poor memory, he had the 37 of hearing everyone’s private matters. The reason was 38 : Dad would not remember any of it, we thought. As for our neighbors, they liked to invite my father to dinner so that they could tell him stories about their children, parents, friends, and pets. They also believed the secrets in their families would never be 39 . They were quite right, for my father cared 40 about who did what to whom. But there is one thing he would never forget: showing up for dinner on time.

(AB) little (AC) purchases (AD) trusted (AE) requests (BC) insisted (BD) ready (BE) ruined (CD) privilege ( CE ) revealed (DE) obvious

        While Dr. Weinstein, a surgeon at Dartmouth College, was trying to lift a heavy box, he twisted his back. The pain was agonizing. The surgeon could not sit, and when he lay down he could barely get up. So he decided to go out for a run. He took an aspirin, iced the injured area, and off he went. When he returned, he felt “pretty good.” 

       __31__ When people have sprained a muscle or tendon, they are usually advised not to go right back to exercising until the pain goes away. But Dr. Weinstein says that approach is outdated and counterproductive. In fact, when active people consult him, he usually tells them to just keep exercising.        Dr. Weinstein is not alone in his treatment of sports injury, but the specific advice can differ from specialist to specialist. __32__ They nevertheless caution that a cutback may be necessary, such as running shorter distances or going more slowly. Others say the patients may need to engage in sports outside of their usual, main sport (that is, to cross-train), at least some of the time. Still others say the safest thing to do is cross-train all the time until the pain is gone. __33__ Their consensus, however, is that unless the injury involves something as serious as a broken bone or a ripped muscle, moderate exercise can actually speed healing. 

       __34__ Thus, more and more patients are now advised to keep moving despite the pain. The rule of thumb, however, is to see a doctor first and get an accurate diagnosis. If a serious injury is ruled out and the pain is not getting worse after exercising, then the exercise “makes a lot of sense.” 

(A) For example, an injured runner might end up cycling and swimming instead of running.
(B) Over time, researchers have come to realize the importance of exercising when injured.
(C) Many suggest that most patients can continue with the sport they love.
(D) This seems to run counter to the common practice.

Children normally have a distrust of new foods. But it’s the parents’ job to serve a variety of foods and expose their children to healthy dieting habits.

Some simple strategies can help even the pickiest eater learn to like a more varied diet. First of all, you don’t have to send children out of the kitchen. With hot stoves, boiling water and sharp knives at hand, it is understandable that parents don’t want children in the kitchen when they’re making dinner. But studies suggest that involving children in meal preparation is an important first step in getting them to try new foods. In one study, nearly 600 children from kindergarten to sixth grade took part in a nutrition curriculum intended to get them to eat more vegetables and whole grains. The researchers found that children who had cooked their own foods were more likely to eat those foods in the cafeteria than children who had not. Kids don’t usually like radishes, but if kids cut them up and put them in the salad, they will love the dish.

Another strategy is not to diet in front of your children. Kids are tuned into their parents’ eating preferences and are far more likely to try foods if they see their mother or father eating them. Given this powerful effect, parents who are trying to lose weight should be careful of how their dieting habits can influence a child’s perceptions about food and healthful eating. In one study of 5-year-old girls about dieting, one child noted that dieting involved drinking chocolate milkshakes, because her mother was using Slim-Fast drinks. Another child said dieting meant “you fix food but you don’t eat it.” By exposing young children to erratic dieting habits, parents may be putting them at risk for eating disorders.

 

 第 16 至 20 題為題組 

You begin to notice a bit of pain on your eyelid each time you blink. You 16 the mirror to find a tiny red spot on the base of your lower lashes. These 17 are probably the beginning of an eye stye. 

An eye stye is a small bump, resembling a pimple, that develops when an oil gland at the edge of an eyelid becomes infected by bacteria. These bacteria are found in the nose and are easily 18 to the eye when you rub your nose, then your eye. Pus will build up in the center of the stye, causing a yellowish spot. Usually a stye is accompanied by a swollen eye. 

 19 a stye can look unpleasant at times, it is usually harmless and doesn’t cause vision problems. Most styes heal on their own within a few days. You might speed up healing time by gently pressing a warm washcloth 20 your eyelid for 10 minutes, 3 or 4 times a day. Make sure you don’t squeeze or pop a stye like you would a pimple. Doing so may cause a severe eye infection.

Shoes are hugely important for protecting our feet, especially in places like Africa, where healthcare provision is limited. Unfortunately, shoes are not always readily available for people living in poverty, 21 shoes that are the right size. Almost as soon as a child receives shoes to wear, he/she is likely to have grown out of them. Then the child has to 22 with shoes that are too small. The Shoe That Grows, created by a charity called Because International, changes all this. It allows children to 23 their shoes’ size as their feet grow. 

The innovative footwear resembles a common sandal and is made of leather straps and rubber soles, a material similar to that used in tires. They come 24 two sizes, and can expand in three places. The straps on the heel and toe control the length of the shoe, 25 the two on either side allow for different widths. With this special design, the shoes can “grow” up to five sizes and last for at least five years.

 53-56為題組

      Joy Hirsch, a neuroscientist in New York, has recently found evidence that children and adults don’t use the same parts of the brain when learning a second language. He used an instrument called an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to study the brains of two groups of bilingual people. One group consisted of those who had learned a second language as children. The other consisted of people who learned their second language later in life. People from both groups were placed inside the MRI scanner. This allowed Hirsch to see which parts of the brain were getting more blood and were more active. He asked people from both groups to think about what they had done the day before, first in one language and then the other. They couldn’t speak out loud, because any movement would disrupt the scanning.

      Hirsch looked specifically at two language centers in the brain—Broca’s area, believed to control speech production, and Wernicke’s area, thought to process meaning. He found that both groups of people used the same part of Wernicke’s area no matter what language they were speaking. But how they used Broca’s area was different. 

      People who learned a second language as children used the same region in Broca’s area for both languages. People who learned a second language later in life used a special part of Broca’s area for their second language—near the one activated for their native tongue. 

      How does Hirsch explain this difference? He believes that, when language is first being programmed in young children, their brains may mix all languages into the same area. But once that programming is complete, a different part of the brain must take over a new language. Another possibility is simply that we may acquire languages differently as children than we do as adults. Hirsch thinks that mothers teach a baby to speak by using different methods such as touch, sound, and sight. And that’s very different from sitting in a high school class.

   The Consumer Protection Act in Taiwan was enacted on January 11, 1994. The Act demonstrated the government’s efforts to protect consumers’ rights and interests. The Consumer Protection Commission, the current Consumer Protection Committee, 11 the supervisor and coordinator for the various consumer protection organizations that put this law into practice. In order to improve the well-being of consumers in Taiwan, the Committee advocates fair trade and 12 pricing for goods and services. The Committee also organizes educational programs to raise consumer awareness, and is active in assisting consumers involved in 13 with businesses or manufacturers.

 Since its establishment, the Consumer Protection Committee has taken measures that emphasize product safety and sanitation. These measures also ensure that all labels and advertisements 14 to regulations. In addition, the Committee collaborates with various international consumer protection organizations to respond to problems involving cross-border trade and business. 15 its regulatory power and administrative resources, the Committee plays a crucial role in protecting consumers in Taiwan.