Tony Buzan’s grades were going down at university. Disappointed with his low marks, he went to the library to find a book on how to use his brain. He was directed to the medical section. Confused, he said to the librarian, “I don’t want to take my brain out, I just want to learn how to use it.” Her reply was simple: “There’s no book on that.”
“I thought to myself,” says Buzan, “if I buy a little radio, I get an instruction manual (說明書). If I buy a microwave, I get an instruction manual. But for the most important machine in the world, no instruction manual?”
Fifty years later, Buzan has become the world’s leading speaker on the brain and learning. In the late 1960s, he invented the mind map, a visual representation of thought processes.
This kind of thinking has become a popular tool for planning, organizing, problem solving, and communicating across the world. He has since authored and co-authored over 100 books that have appeared in more than 30 languages.
“I think in most cases, people use less than 1 percent of their brains,” he says.
But how do you expand this 1 percent? How do you become the best student you can be?
According to Buzan, the answer is simple. You take a section of whatever it is that you are trying to learn, he says, and you read it for its essence (精髓、要素). Then you make a mind map of all the important details. For a truly effective mind map, you start with a colored image in the center of your page. Draw the first image that comes to mind on the topic you are mind mapping. Branch off from your central image and create one of your main ideas. From your main branches draw some sub-branches and from those sub-branches you can draw even more branches. He emphasizes that you should use plenty of images and colors as these help with memory recall and encourage creativity.
By using this visual format (形式), according to Buzan, your mind will begin to make associations that will help you remember more information for longer periods of time.
Buzan believes that traditional note-taking methods, such as lists and summaries, do not stimulate the brain’s recall capacity or ability in the same way. Because of this, students will often find themselves locked away in their rooms for hours, trying hard to memorize separate details. Buzan believes that for a more effective and lasting way of studying, you must first understand how your brain works.
“Everyone is born smart,” he says. “You just have to learn how to learn.”

1. 1.

   What is the main purpose of the first two paragraphs?

   1. A.
      To show that Tony Buzan was worried about his study
   2. B.
      To invite us to think about the importance of manuals
   3. C.
      To prove that the mind map is a useful tool for the brain
   4. D.
      To show why Tony Buzan studies the brain and learning
2. 2.

   What does the word “stimulate” mean in the passage?

   1. A.
      Excite
   2. B.
      Improve
   3. C.
      Encourage
   4. D.
      Affect
3. 3.

   What can we infer from the passage?

   1. A.
      If we learn the mind map, we will become the best student
   2. B.
      The mind map will help your brain connect separate details
   3. C.
      The mind map will be more effective if we put more details in it
   4. D.
      We will solve the problem if we make connections between ideas
4. 4.

   What is the best title for the passage?

   1. A.
      How to make the mind map?
   2. B.
      Is the mind map widely used?
   3. C.
      Can your memory be mapped?
   4. D.
      Is the mind map helpful in thinking?

Tony Buzan’s grades were going down　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 at university. Disappointed with his low marks, he went to the library to find a book on how to use his brain. He was directed to the medical section. Confused, he said to the librarian, “I don’t want to take my brain out, I just want to learn how to use it.” Her reply was simple: “There’s no book on that.”　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

“I thought to myself,” says Buzan, “if I buy a little radio, I get an instruction manual (說明書). If I buy a microwave, I get an instruction manual. But for the most important machine in the world, no instruction manual?”

Fifty years later, Buzan has become the world’s leading speaker on the brain and learning. In the late 1960s, he invented the mind map, a visual representation of thought processes.
　 This kind of thinking has become a popular tool for planning, organizing, problem solving, and communicating across the world. He has since authored and co-authored over 100 books that have appeared in more than 30 languages.

“I think in most cases, people use less than 1 percent of their brains,” he says.
　 But how do you expand this 1 percent? How do you become the best student you can be?
　 According to Buzan, the answer is simple. You take a section of whatever it is that you are trying to learn, he says, and you read it for its essence (精髓、要素). Then you make a mind map of all the important details. For a truly effective mind map, you start with a colored image in the center of your page. Draw the first image that comes to mind on the topic you are mind mapping. Branch off from your central image and create one of your main ideas. From your main branches draw some sub-branches and from those sub-branches you can draw even more branches. He emphasizes that you should use plenty of images and colors as these help with memory recall and encourage creativity.

By using this visual format (形式), according to Buzan, your mind will begin to make associations that will help you remember more information for longer periods of time.

Buzan believes that traditional note-taking methods, such as lists and summaries, do not stimulate the brain’s recall capacity or ability in the same way. Because of this, students will often find themselves locked away in their rooms for hours, trying hard to memorize separate details. Buzan believes that for a more effective and lasting way of studying, you must first understand how your brain works.

“Everyone is born smart,” he says. “You just have to learn how to learn.”

56. What is the main purpose of the first two paragraphs?

　 A. To show that Tony Buzan was worried about his study.

　 B. To invite us to think about the importance of manuals.

　 C. To prove that the mind map is a useful tool for the brain.

D. To show why Tony Buzan studies the brain and learning.

57. What does the word “stimulate” mean in the passage?

A. Excite.　　　 B. Improve.　　　 C. Encourage. 　　　D. Affect.

58. What can we infer from the passage?

　 A. If we learn the mind map, we will become the best student.

　 B. The mind map will help your brain connect separate details.

　 C. The mind map will be more effective if we put more details in it.

D. We will solve the problem if we make connections between ideas.

59. What is the best title for the passage?

A. How to make the mind map?　　　　　　　　 B. Is the mind map widely used?　

　 C. Can your memory be mapped?　　　　　　　 D. Is the mind map helpful in thinking?　

  根據短文內容，從A、B、C、D四個選項中選出一個能填入相應空白處的最佳答案,并把機讀卡上對應題目的答案標號涂黑。

    Jim, a successful businessman, told the experience of his childhood.

When he was 12, his parents   41   . He was alone and didn’t get on well with others. People always laughed   42    him. No one showed kindness to him. His only friend was a dog named Tige.

One day as he walked down the street, a young lady was walking in front of him. Suddenly one of her bags dropped from her arms. As she stopped   43   , she dropped other bags. He came to help her.“Thank you, dear! You are a nice little boy!”She said kindly, smiling.

A special feeling came to him. These were   44    kind words he had ever heard. He watched her   45    she went far away, and he whistled（吹口哨）to his dog and went directly to the river nearby.

“Thank you, dear! You are a nice little boy!”he repeated the woman’s words. Then in a low

  46    he said to his dog,“You are a nice little dog!”Tige raised   47    ears as if（似乎）it understood.

“Uh! Even a dog likes it!”he said,“Well, Tige, I won’t say unkind words to you any more.”Tige waved its tail happily.

The boy thought and thought. Finally he looked at himself in the river. He saw   48    but a dirty boy. He washed his face   49  . Again he looked. He saw a clean nice boy. He was amazed (震驚). From then on, he had a new life.

After telling this, the businessman stopped for a while, and then he said,“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the very place where that kind woman planted in me the first seed (種子) of kindness. All of us should learn about kindness.   50   a great power it has!” If you show kindness to others, you will be an able man.

(   ) 41.A.dead                   B.dying                 C.died                   D.die

(   ) 42.A.at                       B.to                      C./                        D.of

(   ) 43.A.picking it up        B.picking up it        C.to pick up it        D.to pick it up

(   ) 44.A.the first               B.first                   C.the last               D.the first time

(   ) 45.A.until                    B.before                C.when                 D.while

(   ) 46.A.sound                 B.noise                  C.noisy                 D.voice

(   ) 47.A.it                        B.it’s                     C.one’s                 D.its

(   ) 48.A.something           B.nothing               C.anything             D.somebody

(   ) 49.A.carefully             B.careful               C.careless              D.carelessly

(   ) 50.A.What                  B.How                  C.It                       D.It seemed

More than seven hundred years ago, the Prince of Wales had a very big and brave dog called Gelert.

One day the Prince wanted to go hunting with his men. He told his dog to stay at home and look after his baby son. The baby was in a wooden cradle, which was like a small bed.

When the Prince came back from hunting, Gelert ran out to meet his master. He wagged his tail and jumped up to put his paws on the Prince’s chest. Then the Prince saw the blood on Gelert’s jaws and head.

 “What have you done?” the Prince said. He rushed into his house and looked for his baby son. The cradle was lying on its side on the floor. The clothes were torn and there was blood on them.

“So you have killed my son?” the Prince said angrily. “You unfaithful dog!” He took out his sword and killed the dog. Just as Gelert was dying, he managed to bark. Then the Prince heard a baby call to the dog.

The Prince ran out of the house and saw his son lying on the ground unhurt. Near him was a dead wolf. Then the Prince knew that Gelert had defended the baby and killed the wolf.

The Prince ran back into the house but he was too late. Gelert was dead. The Prince was very sad indeed. Tears ran down his face when he realized he had killed his faithful friend. The Prince carried the body of his brave dog to the top of a mountain and buried him there. After this, the Prince never smiled again. Every morning at dawn（黎明、拂曉）, he walked up the mountain and stood by the dog’s grave for a few minutes.

If you go to Mount Snowdon in Wales, people will show you where Gelert is buried. There is a sign by his grave. It reminds people of a brave and faithful dog.

1. Gelert was the dog of the Prince of ___________.

A. Scotland            B. England          C. Ireland         D. Wales

2. The Prince told the dog to ___________ when he was leaving.

A. watch the door                  B. take care of his baby at home

C. welcome his friends              D. stop the strangers

3. The dog was very __________ when his master came back from hunting.

A. glad               B. fearful            C. afraid          D. tired

4. The Prince was surprised to see blood on Gelert’s _________.

A. jaws           B. paws            C. head           D. Both A and C.

5. The Prince never smiled again because _________.

A. the wolf was killed by Gelert

B. he had buried the dog on the top of mountain

C. he had killed his faithful friend Gelert

D. Gelert had killed his baby son