Most people consider skydiving (高空跳傘) a product of the 20th century, but its history actually goes further back than that. The Chinese attempted to parachute (跳傘) in the 10th century, a thousand years before we did. The Chinese did what we would today call base diving; that is, they jumped off a place that would allow them to float from a height to the ground.
The first person to attempt to parachute was a Frenchman named Jacques Garnerin. He jumped from his hot-air balloon at the end of the 18th century and did tricks on the way down and stupefied the crowds by landing safely on the ground. At the end of the 19th century, Kathie Paulus, a brave German woman, became famous for her skydiving skills.
Once the airplane was invented, skydiving took on a whole new form. The airplane made it possible to dive from greater heights at greater speeds, allowing for more range in the movements in the air. A woman named Tiny Broadwick became the first woman to jump from a plane in 1913 and dive free fall in 1914.
Skydiving was not called skydiving until the middle of the 1950s, when Ronald Young invented the word. It had been called parachuting before this and was mainly used by the military (軍事) to land troops in inland locations, or for pilots to jump out of their planes when necessary. Once World War I was over, parachuting became a sport, which we now call skydiving.
After World War II, this activity became more a hobby than a military action. Soldiers were trained in parachuting and enjoyed the thrill so much that they continued on for fun. From this, teams and competitions were formed. Skydiving schools appeared in the late 1950s and now it is a recognized extreme sport enjoyed by many.
小題1:The underlined word “stupefied” in paragraph 2 probably means “_______”.
A．disappointedB．encouragedC．surprisedD．a(chǎn)ttacked
小題2:Who was the first woman to jump from a plane?
A．Jacques Garnerin.B．Kathie Paulus.C．Tiny Broadwick.D．Ronald Young.
小題3:Which of the following is TRUE?
A．The Chinese attempted different skydiving skills in the 10th century.
B．Skydiving became popular after the airplane was invented.
C．The word skydiving was first used in a military action.
D．There were no skydiving schools until the late 1950s.
小題4:What can we infer from the passage?
A．Skydiving is not a military action any more.
B．Kathie Paulus is famous for her skydiving skills.
C．The first person who parachuted was from Germany.
D．The history of skydiving is longer than that of parachuting.
小題5:What would be the best title for this text?
A．The history of skydivingB．The popularity of skydiving
C．What is skydiving?D．Why is skydiving an extreme sport?

小題1:C
小題2:C
小題3:D
小題4:B
小題5:A
文章介紹了高空跳傘的發(fā)展過程。
小題1:猜測(cè)詞義題。根據(jù)上文可知他在從高空下跳的時(shí)候還做出了很多的花樣，最終安全降落，這讓地上的人群非常驚訝。
小題2:細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第三段第3行A woman named Tiny Broadwick became the first woman to jump from a plane。
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章第4段第一行Skydiving was not called skydiving until the middle of the 1950s。
小題4:細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章第2段最后一行Kathie Paulus, a brave German woman, became famous for her skydiving skills.
小題5:主旨大意題。文章介紹了高空跳傘的發(fā)展過程。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Say you are a 17th century construction worker who’s worked hard to build a splendid tower for the dead wife of your emperor.
Now say that the emperor orders your fingertips cut off so you can never build another one. Yes, this story is about the Taj Mahal, one of the most famous buildings in the world. And the tale behind the construction is just as impressive (令人贊嘆的) as the building itself.
First, there’s the emperor of northern India, Shah Jehan, also called the King of the World. In 1612, Shah Jehan married Mumtaz Mahal. Mad in love, they had 14 children over the next 20 years. But then sadness came. As Mumtaz was about to give birth to child number 14, she said she heard her unborn baby cry out. It was a sign of death. And as Mumtaz lay dying, she asked Jehan to build a lasting memorial (紀(jì)念物) to celebrate their love.
The heartbroken Jehan ordered his wife’s dying wish carried out, and more than 20,000 workers worked nearly 22 years to complete the construction. In 1653, Jehan placed Mumtaz’s remains under the center of the building.
Later, son number five, Aurangzeb, murdered his brothers and took over the power from his aging father. Jehan lived the rest of his days, eight years, imprisoned not far from the Taj Mahal. Jehan was only allowed to climb onto the top of his prison to see the timeless treasure from a distance. But never again would he be allowed to visit it until he was buried next to his wife.
Today 25,000 people visit the Taj Mahal each day. Though the reason for building the tower was a strange and sad story, people who see its breath-taking beauty are reminded of the happiness that inspired its construction.
小題1:The first two paragraphs were written mainly to show that ______.
A．the Taj Mahal is an unusual historic building
B．India has some of the most famous buildings in the world
C．a(chǎn)ncient Indian emperors were cruel
D．construction workers led a hard life in ancient India
小題2:The Taj Mahal was first built as ______.
A．a(chǎn) memorial buildingB．a(chǎn) tourist attraction
C．a(chǎn) prisonD．a(chǎn) gift to Mumtaz
小題3:From the passage we can learn that Mumtaz probably died in ______.
A．1626 B．1653C．1632D．1634
小題4:The underlined word “happiness” in the last paragraph refers to “______”.
A．the happiness Jehan felt on completing the Taj Mahal
B．the pleasure tourists experience when visiting the Taj Mahal
C．the married happiness of the emperor and his wife
D．the great pleasure Jehan once found in exercising his power

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The engineer Camilla Olivetti was 40 years old when he started the company in 1908. At his factory in Ivrea, he designed and produced the first Italian typewriter. Today the company’s head office is still in Ivrea, near Turin, but the company is much larger than it was in those days and there are offices all around the world,
By 1930 there was a staff of 700 and the company turned out 13.000 machines a year. Some went to customers in Italy, but Olivetti exported more typewriters to other countries.
Camillo’s son, Adriano, started working for the company in 1924 and later he became the boss. He introduced a standard speed for the production line and he employed technology and design specialist. The company developed new and better typewriters and then calculators(計(jì)算器). In 1959 it produced the ELEA computer system. This was the first mainframe(主機(jī)) computer designed and made in Italy.
After Adriano died in 1960, the company had a period of financial problem. Other companies, especially the Japanese, made faster progress in electronic technology than the Italian company.
In 1978, Carlo de Benedetti became the new boss. Olivetti increased its marketing and service networks and made agreements with other companies to design and produce more advanced office equipment. Soon it became one of the world’s leading companies in information technology and communications. There are now five independent companies in the Olivetti group—one for personal computers, one for other office equipment, one for systems and service, and two for telecommunications.
小題1:From the text we learn that            
A．by 1930 Olivetti produced 13.000 typewriters a year
B．Olivetti earned more in the 1960s than in the 1950s
C．some of Olivetti’s 700 staff regularly visited customers in Italy
D．Olivetti set up offices in other countries from the very beginning
小題2:What was probably the direct result of Olivetti’s falling behind in electronic technology
A．Adriano’s deathB．A period of financial problems
C．Its faster progressD．Its agreements with other companies.
小題3:What do we know about Olivetti?
A．It produced the best typewriter in the world.
B．It designed the world’s first mainframe computer.
C．It exported more typewriters than other companies.
D．It has five independent companies with its head office in Ivrea.
小題4:The best title for the text would be            
A．The Origin of Olivetti.B．The Success of Olivetti.
C．The History of OlivettiD．The Production of Olivetti.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Seventeenth-century houses in colonial North American were simple structures that were primarily functional, carrying over traditional designs that went back to the Middle Ages.  During the first half of the eighteen century, however, houses began to show a new elegance.  As wealth increased, more and more colonist built fine houses.
Since architecture was not yet a specialized profession in the colonies, the design of buildings was left either to amateur (業(yè)余) designers or to carpenters who were engaged in translating architectural handbooks imported from England.  Inventories of libraries shows an astonishing number of these handbooks for builders, and the houses built during the eighteenth century show their influence.  Nevertheless, most household architecture of the first-quarters of the eighteenth century displays a wide divergence of taste and freedom of application of the rules laid down in these books.
Increasing wealth and growing sophistication (文化修養(yǎng)) throughout the colonies resulted in houses of improved design, whether the material was wood, stone, or brick.  New England still favored wood, though brick houses became common in Boston and other towns, where the danger of fire gave an impetus (推動(dòng)) to the use of more durable material.  A few houses in New England were built of stone, but only in Pennsylvania and areas nearby was stone widely used in buildings.  An increased use of brick in houses and outbuildings is noticeable in Virginia and Maryland, but wood remained the most popular material even in houses built by wealthy landowners.  In the Carolinas, even in closely packed Charleston, wooden houses were much common than brick houses.
Eighteenth-century houses showed great interior improvements over the former ones.  Windows were made larger and shutters removed.  Large, clear panes replaced the small leaded glass of the seventeenth century.  Doorways were larger and more decorative.
Fireplaces became decorative features of rooms.  Walls were made of plaster or wood.  White paint began to take the place of blues, yellows, greens, and lead colors, which had been popular for walls in the earlier years.  After about 1730, advertisements for wallpaper styles in scenic patterns began to appear in colonial newspapers.
小題1:What’s the passage mainly about?
A．The improved design of eighteenth-century colonial houses.
B．A comparison of eighteenth-century houses and modern houses.
C．The decorations used in eighteenth-century houses.
D．The role of carpenters in building eighteenth-century houses.
小題2:What was one of the main reasons for the change in architectural style in eighteenth-century
North America?
A．More architects arrived in the colonies.
B．The colonists developed an interest in classical architecture.
C．Bricks were more readily available
D．The colonists had more money to spend on housing.
小題3:According to the passage, who was responsible for designing houses in eighteenth-century
North America?
A．professional architectsB．customersC．interior decoratorsD．carpenters
小題4:The passage implies that the rules described in architectural handbooks were ____________.
A．generally ignoredB．broken by professional architects
C．not strictly stuck toD．only followed by older builders
小題5:The underlined word “divergence”歐 is closest in meaning to ________.
A．descriptionB．developingC．differenceD．interest

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Why does most of the world travel on the right side today? Theories differ, but there’s no doubt that Napoleon was a major influence. The French had used the right since at least the late 18th century. Some say that before the French Revolution, noblemen drove their carriages on the left, forcing the peasants to the right. Regardless of the origin, Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he conquered, including Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Hitler, in turn, ordered right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia and Austria in the 1930s. Nations that escaped right-hand control, like Great Britain, followed their left-hand tradition.
The U.S. has not always been a nation of right-hand rivers; earlier in its history, carriage and horse traffic traveled on the left, as it did in England. But by the late 1700s, people driving large wagons pulled by several pairs of horses began promoting a shift to the right. A driver would sit on the rear (后面的) left horse in order to wave his whip with his right hand; to see opposite traffic clearly, they traveled on the right.
One of the final moves to firmly standardize traffic directions in the U.S. occurred in the 20th century, when Henry Ford decided to mass-produce his cars with controls on the left (one reason, stated in 1908; the convenience for passengers exiting directly onto the edge, especially… if there is a lady to be considered). Once these rules were set, many countries eventually adjusted to the right-hand standard, including Canada in the 1920s, Sweden in 1967 and Burma in 1970. The U.K. and former colonies such as Australia and India are among the western world’s few remaining holdouts. Several Asian countries, including Japan, use the left as well — thought many places use both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive cars.
小題1:Why did people in Switzerland travel on the right?
A．They had used the right-hand since the 18th century.
B．Rich people enjoyed driving their carriages on the right.
C．Napoleon introduced the right-hand traffic to this country.
D．Hitler ordered them to go to against their left-hand tradition.
小題2:Of all the countries below, the one that travels on the right is ______.
A．AustriaB．EnglandC．JapanD．Australia
小題3:Henry Ford produced cars with controls on the left _______.
A．in order to change traffic directions in the U.S.
B．so that passengers could get off conveniently
C．because rules at that time weren’t perfect
D．though many countries were strongly against that
小題4:According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A．Before the French Revolution, all the French people used the right.
B．People in Britain and the U.S. travel on the same side nowadays.
C．The Burmese began to travel on the right in 1970.
D．All the Asian nations use the left at present.
小題5:What would be the best title for this passage?
A．Who made the great contributions to the shift of traffic directions?
B．How cars have become a popular means of transportation?
C．How Henry Ford produced his cars with controls on the left?
D．Why don’t people all drive on the same side of the road?

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Japanese sailor Kenichi Horie has finished a 110-day solo (單獨(dú)的) voyage across the Pacific Ocean in a boat pushed by sea waves to win another world first.
Weak waves and ocean water movements made his arrival late, which was going to be in late May.
“When waves were weak, the boat slowed down. That’s a problem that needs to be solved,” the adventure told reporters from his boat in western Japan. His 9.5-meter-long boat can move like a dolphin’s tail, and it rises or falls with the waves.
Horie reached his destination in the channel between the main Japanese islands just before midnight after covering about 7,000 kilometers from Hawaii.
Horie first made world record in 1962 when, at the age of 23, he became the first person to sail alone across the Pacific. He made the three-month voyage from his hometown in spite of breaking Japanese law, which did not allow his citizens to sail on their own out of the country, and without a passport or money.
He was arrested upon arrival in San Francisco but the city mayor freed him, gave him a 30-day visa and made him an honorary citizen. News of his achievement made him a hero back home in Japan and his book of the voyage In the Pacific was made into a film. Since then, he has completed many sailing trips across the Pacific and around the world.
After his latest adventure with an environmentally friendly theme, Horie planned to return to his hometown on Sunday. He said, “Throughout history, mankind has used wind for power, but no one has appeared to be serious about wave power.” Horie told the reporter, “I think I’m a lucky boy as this wave power system has remained untouched in fact.”
小題1:Horie’s boat was mainly powered by ________.
A．sea wavesB．sea windsC．his strengthD．petrol
小題2:From the passage we learn that ________.
A．Horie undertook the voyage with a partner this time
B．it took Horie about twenty days more to cross the Pacific this time than in 1962
C．Horie made his first voyage across the Pacific alone fifty years ago
D．Horie’s destination is 7,000 kilometers from San Francisco
小題3:Horie was arrested in San Francisco after his voyage in 1962 mainly because ________.
A．he had broken Japanese law
B．he had kept it a secret from others
C．his action had put people in danger
D．he had no passport to America
小題4:Which of the following statements best proves that Horie’s latest voyage was meaningful?
A．He was made an honorary citizen of San Francisco.
B．In Japan he was regarded as a hero.
C．His voyage had the theme of protecting the environment.
D．He wrote an exciting book after the voyage.
小題5: The author wrote the article mainly to ________.
A．start an ocean crossing movement
B．tell us a piece of interesting news
C．make Horie known to the world
D．encourage people to learn from Horie

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest(牧師) in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
小題1:Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
A．Because there were few women in his country at that time.
B．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.
C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.
D．Because he wanted to control the birth rate.
小題2:Valentine was put into prison because ______.
A．he killed one of the soldiers
B．he stole a lot of food
C．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order
D．he didn’t want to be a soldier
小題3: The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A．students in China send cards to their teachers
B．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
D．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now
小題4:What is the author’s feelings toward Valentine?.
A．Honor and respect.B．Love and joy.
C．Praise and disbelief.D．Sorrow and humor.
小題5:Which of the following can NOT be inferred from the passage?
A．Valentine’s Day is a Festival in honor of a person.
B．Valentine is a brave priest who died for what he believed in.
C．All the young people in the 3rd Century could not get married freely.
D．People at that time in Rome lived in a hard time under the control of the emperor.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

For hundreds of years, Japan has been hit, from time to time, by tsunamis（海嘯）, which are caused by earthquakes or underwater volcanoes. The story of the boy Yuuki is the story of such a disaster.
Yuuki lived with his family in a seaside village, below a small mountain. One day, as he played on top of the mountain, Yuuki felt a small earthquake but it was not strong enough to frighten anybody. Soon after, however, Yuuki noticed the sea darken and begin running away from the shore very fast, leaving behind wide areas of beach that had never been seen before.
Yuuki remembered reading that just before a terrible tsunami, the sea suddenly and quickly rolls backward. He ran to the beach, warning the villagers who had gathered to admire the new beach land.
But no one listened. They laughed at him and continued playing in the new sand.
Desperate, Yuuki could think of only one thing to do. He lit a tree branch, raced to the rice fields and began burning the harvested rice. Then he called out, “Fire! Fire! Everyone run to the mountain! Now!”
When everyone reached the mountain top, a villager cried out, “Yuuki is mad! I saw him set the fire.” Yuuki hung his head in shame, but said nothing as the villagers screamed at him.
Just then, someone shouted, “Look!”
In the distance a huge dark wave of water was speeding towards the shore. When it hit the shore, it destroyed everything.
On the mountain everyone stared at the village ruins in terror.
“I'm sorry I burned the fields,” said Yuuki, his voice trembling.
“Yuuki,” the village chief answered. “You saved us all.”
The villagers cheered and raised Yuuki into the air. “We were going to celebrate our rice harvest tonight,” said one, “but now we’ll celebrate that we’re all still alive!”
小題1: Where was Yuuki when the earthquake struck?
A．On the beach.B．On the mountain.
C．In the rice fields.D．At home.
小題2:In what order did the following events take place?
a.Yuuki ran to the rice fields.
b.The villagers paid no attention to Yuuki’s word.
c.Yuuki went to warn the villagers.
d.The village was in ruins.
e.The people were screaming at Yuuki.
A．c, b, d, a, eB．a(chǎn), c, d, b, eC．c, b, a, e, dD．a(chǎn), c, d, e, b
小題3:How did Yuuki save the villagers from the disaster?
A．He told them about the earthquake.
B．He explained why the sea was flowing out.
C．He told the village chief to warn the people.
D．He set fire to the rice field.
小題4:What were the people planning to do before the tsunami struck their village?
A．Burn the rice crop.B．Play on the beach.
C．Climb the mountain.D．Celebrate the rice harvest.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

   Over a hundred years ago people in London were surprised to see a very unusual boat come sailing up the Thames River. The boat was eighty feet long, flat-bottomed, with big wooden eyes on both sides in the front and was colorfully painted at the back.
People came to know that it was a sailing boat from Fuzhou in distant China. The boat had sailed round the Cape of Good Hope(好望角), up the western coast of Africa, and finally to England. It had covered(航行) fifteen thousand miles — more than half of the distance round the world.
Although it was unexpected, the Chinese were warmly welcomed. The boat carried goods such as silk and tea as well as a number of gifts from the Emperor of China for the Queen of England.
People had always mistakenly thought of the Chinese as a people not used to the sea. However, from centuries of trading and sailing in dangerous seas, the Chinese had learned how to build good boats and sail them well. The coming of this sailing boat to London proved once again that the Chinese could sail to distant countries in the world.
小題1: The Chinese sailing boat arrived in London            .
A．before she sailed to AfricaB．in the nineteenth century
C．hundreds of years agoD．in the twentieth century
小題2:The boat was considered unusual because           .
A．it was a small wooden boatB．it carried Chinese silk and tea
C．it had travelled fifteen thousand milesD．it looked strange in several ways
小題3:According to this article, which of the following is true?
A．The distance round the earth measures less than thirty thousand miles.
B．The Chinese Emperor gave silk and tea to the English Queen as gifts.
C．The Chinese boat came to London by accident.
D．The Chinese people were not good at sailing in dangerous seas.
小題4:The writer wants to prove that a long time ago the Chinese              .
A．carried silk, tea and other goods to England
B．could reach many parts of the world by sea
C．could sail along the Thames River
D．surprised Londoners with an unusual boat

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