Do you ever wonder how some things came about? For instance, who figured out that there was something worth eating inside a banana peel? Or how astonishing do you have to be to discover that an artichoke has edible parts? Well, we may not know how either of those foods was discovered, but we do know how potato chips were invented.
Potato chips originated in New England as one man’s variation on the French-fried potatoes, and their production was the result not of a sudden inspiration of cooking invention but of a fit of annoyance.
It was the summer of 1853 and Commodore Vanderbilt, a wealthy railroad magnate, was vacationing at a hotel named Moon Lake Lodge in New York. On the restaurant menu were French-fried potatoes, prepared in the thick-cut French style that was popularized in France in the 1700s and enjoyed by Thomas Jefferson as ambassador to that country.
At dinner one night, Vanderbilt complained that his French-fried potatoes were cut too thick and sent them back to the kitchen. Offended by his snobbyguest, chef George Crum decided he would give Mr. Vanderbilt exactly what he asked for! He decided to annoy the guest by producing French fries too thin and crisp. The chef angrily gathered up some potatoes and sliced them paper-thin. He threw the slices into hot oil to fry, drained and salted them and then personally served the new dish to Mr. Vanderbilt.
Surprised to see the chef in the dining room, the other diners fell into silence and everyone held their breath, waiting for Vanderbilt’s reaction.
Vanderbilt immediately popped a crisp potato slice into his mouth and the loud “Crunch” broke the silence. He continued to crunch away, delighted with his new dish. The plan backfired. Vanderbilt was interested in the browned, paper-thin potatoes. Clapping a surprised Chef Crum on the back, Vanderbilt praised him on the impressive potatoes. And other diners requested Crum’s potato chips, which began to appear on the menu as “Saratoga Chips”, a house specialty. Soon they were packaged and sold, first locally, then throughout the New England area. Crum eventually opened his own restaurant, featuring chips. At that time, potatoes were peeled and sliced by hand. It was the invention of the mechanical potato peeler in the 1920s that paved the way for potato chips to rise quickly from a small specialty item to a top-selling snack food.
小題1:.
The author wrote the first paragraph to         .
A．tell us how potato chips were invented
B．introduce the topic dealt with in the passage
C．give examples of how some things came about
D．explain why we do know how those foods were discovered
小題2:.
. According to the passage, chef George Crum         .
A．invented potato chips by accident
B．opened his own restaurant, featuring potatoes
C．served the new dish to Mr. Vanderbilt in private
D．helped promote potato chips to a top-selling snack
小題3:.
. The production of potato chips was the result of         .
A．Mr. Vanderbilt’s praise for the new dish
B．Thomas Jefferson’s appreciation of the French Fries
C．George Crum’s anger at Mr. Vanderbilt
D．the invention of the mechanical potato peeler
小題4:.
The underlined word “backfired” in the 6th paragraph probably means           .
A．developed in a successful wayB．made a big difference
C．happened in a particular wayD．had an opposite result

小題1:.B
小題1:.A
小題1:.C
小題1:.D
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. In fact, she 16  everyone, except her loving boyfriend who was  17 there for her. She used to tell her boyfriend, “If I could only see the   18  , I would marry you.”
One day, someone donated (捐贈) a pair of   19   to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything,   20   her boyfriend for the first time. He asked her, “   21    you can see the world, will you  22   me?” The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was  23 . The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn’t  24  that. The thought of looking at them for the rest of her life led her to   25  to marry him.
Her boyfriend left   26  and a few days later wrote a note to her,   27 : “Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for   28  they are yours, they were mine.”
This is how the human brain often  29  when our status (地位) changes. Only a very few remember what   30  was like before. Life is a gift. Today before you say a(n)   31  word, think of someone who can’t speak. Before you complain about the   32   of your food, think of someone who has 33  to eat. Before you complain about life, think of someone who went to heaven too early. Before you complain about your old house, think of the people who are   34   in the streets. And when you are tired and complain about your job, think of the   35 . So enjoy what you have and don’t forget your past.
小題1:
A．likedB．respectedC．dislikedD．thanked
小題2:
A．a(chǎn)lwaysB．sometimesC．seldomD．never
小題3:
A．sightB．worldC．earthD．people
小題4:
A．shoesB．glassesC．trousersD．eyes
小題5:
A．includingB．containingC．wishingD．joining
小題6:
A．Even ifB．Now thatC．As ifD．In case
小題7:
A．followB．loveC．marryD．see
小題8:
A．uglyB．sickC．shortD．blind
小題9:
A．expectedB．hopedC．a(chǎn)skedD．noticed
小題10:
A．decideB．a(chǎn)greeC．refuseD．hate
小題11:
A．in a hurryB．without delayC．with doubtD．in tears
小題12:
A．explainingB．sayingC．replyingD．a(chǎn)nnouncing
小題13:
A．beforeB．a(chǎn)fterC．onceD．since
小題14:
A．stopsB．improvesC．staysD．works
小題15:
A．mindB．happinessC．positionD．life
小題16:
A．importantB．unkindC．wiseD．ridiculous
小題17:
A．tasteB．priceC．nutritionD．fat
小題18:
A．somethingB．everythingC．nothingD．a(chǎn)nything
小題19:
A．wanderingB．livingC．walkingD．working
小題20:
A．a(chǎn)dmiredB．interviewedC．unemployedD．satisfied

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

Dorothy Brown was very happy as she sat in the theatre listening to the music. Today her little daughter Lauren was giving her  36  concert. She had been waiting for this  37  for years and years. “Now it is here at last,” she thought. “How beautiful her 38  is.
The song made her  39  to the days when she was Lauren’s  40 . As a young  41 , Dorothy wanted to be a concert singer. She studied 42  in France, Italy and in the United States, “You can become a fine  43 in the future, ” her teachers told her. “But you must be  44 to study hard and work for many years. There will be 45  time for anything but music in your life.” Dorothy was  46 at that time and she was  47  that music was all she wanted or needed to  48 her life. For almost a year Dorothy  49 of nothing else. Then she  50  David, a young engineer travelling in Europe. They soon fell in  51 .
David asked her to be his  52 . Dorothy also wanted to marry David. But she loved  53 , too. She didn’t know what to do. David was against her being a singer. He said, “If you want to be a singer, you must forget about getting married. You can’t 54 do both.” Thus her days were gone and would never return. Now Lauren became a singer instead of her, which was her 55 .
小題1:
A．sorryB．successfulC．firstD．wonderful
小題2:
A．danceB．momentC．showD．party
小題3:
A．voiceB．faceC．dressD．life
小題4:
A．think ofB．bring backC．go backD．come back
小題5:
A．a(chǎn)geB．friendC．motherD．teacher
小題6:
A．musicianB．pop starC．ladyD．girl
小題7:
A．FrenchB．musicC．pianoD．dance
小題8:
A．a(chǎn)ctressB．studentC．singerD．dancer
小題9:
A．preparedB．learningC．drivenD．waiting
小題10:
A．someB．a(chǎn)nyC．noD．enough
小題11:
A．eightB．eighteenC．eightyD．eighty-eight
小題12:
A．luckyB．sureC．a(chǎn)fraidD．fond
小題13:
A．fillB．liveC．leadD．take
小題14:
A．heardB．knewC．talkedD．thought
小題15:
A．saw offB．learned fromC．heard ofD．met with
小題16:
A．loveB．feelingC．musicD．touch
小題17:
A．a(chǎn)ssistantB．teacherC．wifeD．student
小題18:
A．himB．engineeringC．herselfD．music
小題19:
A．certainlyB．possiblyC．onlyD．mainly
小題20:
A．thoughtB．hopeC．purposeD．will

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

Dick was born in a small town. He was a very clever boy, but his  36 was very poor, so he had to work in his  37 time, and during his holidays too, to pay for his  38 . In spite of this, he  39 to get to the university. But it was so  40 to study there that during the holidays he had to get two jobs at the  41 time so as to earn  42 money for his studies.
One summer he managed to get a job in a butcher’s shop during the daytime and  43 in a hospital at night, In the shop, he learned to cut meat up quite nicely and the butcher liked him very much and often  44 him do all the serving.
In the hospital, on the other hand, he was,  45 , allowed to do the  46 jobs, like helping to lift  47 and to carry them from one part of the hospital to another.
One evening at the hospital, Dick had to help to carry a woman from her bed to the  48 room. The woman  49 to be one of his  50 who used to buy meat at the butcher’s shop. She was already feeling  51 at the thought of the operation  52 he came to get her. And when she  53 Dick, it seemed to her  54 that nearly finished her.
“ No, no!” she cried. “Not the butcher! I won’t be operated on by the butcher!” And she  55 her eyes painfully.
小題1:
A．homeB．houseC．familyD．village
小題2:
A．spareB．restC．a(chǎn)ctiveD．lunch
小題3:.
A．toysB．educationC．schoolD．clothes
小題4:
A．managedB．triedC．failedD．wasn’t able
小題5:
A．freeB．hardC．easyD．expensive
小題6:.
A．otherB．lastC．differentD．same
小題7:
A．enoughB．muchC．a(chǎn) littleD．most
小題8:
A．the othersB．a(chǎn)notherC．othersD．other
小題9:
A．didn’t haveB．helpedC．letD．begged
小題10:
A．in allB．a(chǎn)ctuallyC．of courseD．sometimes
小題11:.
A．lightB．simplestC．difficultD．different
小題12:
A．doctorsB．knivesC． toolsD．people
小題13:
A．livingB．sitting C．operatingD．waiting
小題14:
A．happenedB．hatedC．seemedD．remembered
小題15:.
A．neighboursB．teachersC．friendsD．customers
小題16:
A．unhappyB．sadC．surprisedD．frightened
小題17:
A．beforeB．a(chǎn)fterC．untilD．for
小題18:
A．spoke toB．toldC．sawD．refused
小題19:
A．a(chǎn)s ifB．even ifC．what ifD．if only
小題20:.
A．startedB．glaredC．openedD．shut

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

As darkness fell, hundreds of people in the Swiss village left their houses. They were staring      36  at the mountain top in the distance. It was covered with  37 , beautiful and dangerous.
The huge mountain is called Matterhorn. Mountain climbers had   38  the top, using the southern route. But no one had ever dared to try a winter climbing up the   39  side. But now one man was daring to try the   40  route. He was Walter Bonatti, a great mountain climber from Italy.
For two days he had climbed. The village people had watched him   41 . Now they were waiting to see his   42 . If he planned to   43  the next day, he would light a green signal. A red light would mean that he was   44 .
A tiny green light   45 high on the mountain side. Bonatti was not giving up! The people      46 .
The next day he   47  his way upward. He was so lonely and so tired! But he would not give up. Again that night he lit the   48 light.
In the morning, Bonatti looked up. He could not see the top, but he knew he was   49  there.   50  the climb was painful, he moved up.
Bonatti had spent months   51  for the climb. Was the training enough? Did he have the strength and   52  to climb to the top?
He was finally at the top! News about his   53 was radioed to the world.
The trip down the southern  54 was easy. He was warmly welcomed in the village. He had done the "  55 ", and would be well remembered as a climber of all time.
小題1:..
A．upB．down C．back D．forward
小題2:..
A．green treesB．flowersC．rocksD．ice and snow
小題3:. 
A．passedB．reachedC．climbedD．watched
小題4:. 
A．easternB．westernC．northernD．southern
小題5:. 
A．differentB．difficultC．easyD．same
小題6:. 
A．a(chǎn)nxiously B．carefully C．patientlyD．eagerly
小題7:. 
A．signalB．flagC．faceD．figure
小題8:. 
A．go downB．come backC．go onD．give up
小題9:. 
A．turning around B．turning back C．moving upD．in danger
小題10:. 
A．raisedB．roseC．disappearedD．a(chǎn)ppeared
小題11:. 
A．cheered B．shouted C．laughedD．jumped
小題12:. 
A．stopped B．a(chǎn)bandoned C．continued D．ended
小題13:. 
A．greenB．yellowC．blueD．red
小題14:. 
A．a(chǎn)lreadyB．surelyC．a(chǎn)lmostD．no longer
小題15:. 
A．BecauseB．ThoughC．SinceD．When
小題16:. 
A．a(chǎn)skingB．planningC．preparingD．training
小題17:..
A．moneyB．wish C．effort D．skill
小題18:.
A．victoryB．climb C．courageD．thing
小題19:..
A．paceB．routeC．pathD．passage
小題20:..
A．necessary B．greatC．importantD．impossible

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A Battery’s Worst Nightmare(噩夢)
Portable electronics that can be carried about easily are only as good as their batteries and, let’s face it, batteries aren’t very good, especially when compared with, say, petrol, which packs 100 times a battery’s energy into an equal space. That’s why a large group of mechanical engineers (centered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but with partners at other universities and companies) are hard at work in an effort to replace batteries with a tiny engine that runs on fuel. Imagine a battery-free life!When the fuel runs out in your laptop or mobile phone, you just fill up and go.
The engine, about the size of a ten-cent coin, starts with a combustion chamber (燃燒室) that burns hydrogen (氫). Its tiny parts are etched onto silicon wafers (硅片) in the same manner that computer parts are imprinted onto integrated circuits (集成電路). The first engine is made up of five wafers. And since these wafers could be produced in much the same way as computer chips, they could probably be produced quite cheaply.
But the devil in all this nice detail is efficiency(效率). Tiny engine parts don’t always behave like their scaled-up parts of the first engine. Something between the parts can slow down the work, according to Columbia University professor Luc Frechette, one of the engine’s designers. Extreme heat from the combustion chamber is also a problem, often leaking to other parts of the engine.
The scientists’ goal is to create an engine that will operate 10 times better than batteries do. Frechette says that a complete system, with all parts in place and working, will be set up in the next couple of years, but commercial models aren’t available until at least the end of the next ten years. 
小題1:.
. According to the passage, the title suggests that ________.
A．batteries should be greatly improvedB．petrol will be used instead of batteries
C．the time of batteries will be gone foreverD．pollution caused by batteries must be prevented
小題2:.
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “devil” (In Paragraph 3)?
A．Problem.　B．Advantage.　C．Invention.　D．Technique.
小題3:.
What can we infer from the passage?
A．The new invention doesn’t need any fuel.
B．The new engine has been produced in quantity.
C．The new invention is much cheaper than the battery.
D．The new engine needs to be improved before it’s on sale.
小題4:.
. What is the main purpose of this passage?
A．To introduce a new invention to readers.B．To persuade readers not to use batteries.
C．To show us how the new invention works.D．To declare when the engine will be on sale.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Hobbs was an orphan（孤兒）. He worked in a factory and every day he got a little money. Hard work made him thin and weak. He wanted to borrow a lot of money to learn to paint pictures, but he did not think he could pay off the debts.
One day a lawyer said to him, “One thousand dollars, and here is the money.” As Hobbs took the package of notes, he was very dumbfounded. He didn’t know where the money came from and how to spend it. He said to himself, “I could go to find a hotel and live like a rich man for a few days; or I give up my work in the factory and do what I’d like to do: painting pictures. I could do that for a few weeks, but what would I do after that? I should have lost my place in the factory and have no money to live on. If it were a little less money, I would buy a new coat, or a radio, or give a dinner to my friends. If it were more, I could give up the work and pay for painting pictures. But it’s too much for one and too little for the other.”
“Here is the reading of your uncle’s will（遺囑）,” said the lawyer, “telling what is to be done with this money after his death. I must ask you to remember one point. Your uncle has said you must bring me a paper showing exactly what you did with his money, as soon as you have spent it.”
“Yes, I see. I’ll do that,” said the young man.
小題1:.. Hobbs wanted to borrow money to _______.
A．study abroadB．work abroad
C．pay off the debtsD．learn to paint pictures
小題2:. What does the underlined word “dumbfounded” （in Paragraph 2） probably mean?
A．Surprised.B．Frightened.
C．Satisfied.D．Excited.
小題3:. With the money he got, at first Hobbs _______.
A．planned to have a happy life for a few days
B．decided to give up his work in the factory
C．was to give a dinner to his friends
D．had no idea what to do
小題4:.. Hobbs was asked to _______.
A．tell the lawyer what he did with the money after spending it
B．read his uncle’s will
C．tell the lawyer what was to be done with the money
D．buy some pictures

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When people hear that I’m the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, they all have the same question: How did a 22-year old woman row a 19-foot boat for 70 days through high winds and crashing waves? Well, the biggest  difficulty for me wasn’t physical. By the time I decided to do the ocean row, I had already biked 3,300 miles cross-country, run across the Mojave Desert, and swum the 325-mile length of the Allegheny River. No, the tough part would be mental: How would I handle the loneliness, the boredom of the vast sea?
I set off on January 3, 2010. I set my sights on getting past the quarter-way mark, which would take about 20 days.
Day 20, January 22, was gray and cloudy. I could have done something to celebrate, such as treating myself to a chocolate bar. But I didn’t.
I was suffering from terrible loneliness. I hadn’t seen landing over two weeks. Every day was beginning to feel the same. Eating, rowing, sleeping, watch the sky, watch the ocean.
Then, around sunset, I saw something move on the horizon. They were dolphins! They circled my boat. Suddenly I felt so grateful. They had come to help me celebrate, just when I needed them. I rowed at full strength for the next 20 minutes with the dolphins around. By the time we went our separate ways, I was no longer lonely. Better yet, I knew I would be okay.
I did make it, all 2,817 miles. I hit the coast of Guyana, South America, on March 14, after 70 days and five hours at sea. My ocean row raised $70,000 for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, which funds drinking water programs around the world. I know some athletes spend the entire journey imagining the end, and that helps them get through. But for me, the secret is to focus on the moment, where you experience the personal growth—those moments of awareness of being connected to the sun, the weather, and the waves. And, on the best day of my life, those dolphins, which freed myself from terrible loneliness.
小題1:
Which is the step taken as part of preparation for the tough row?
A．swimming the 325-mile length of the river
B．a(chǎn)nswering the same question raised by people
C．running 3,300 miles cross-country
D．biking across the Mojave Desert
小題2:
What does the underlined part mean?
A．I didn’t have any chocolate bar for energy.
B．I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate my first goal.
C．It’s a pity not to celebrate my passing the quarter of the way
D．It’s a pity not to treat myself to a chocolate bar on Day 20.
小題3:
What can be implied from the last two paragraphs?
A．Imagination was an effective way to help me get through.
B．The Blue Planet Run Foundation helped me a lot.
C．The dolphins accompanied me to reach my destination
D．The unexpected dolphins swept away my loneliness
小題4:
Which can be the best title of the passage?
A．The day I stopped being lonely
B．The only challenge for a 22-year old
C．How to overcome loneliness at sea.
D．How to row alone across the Atlantic

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own．My mom was one of those people．
My father died when I was nine months old，making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen．While I was growing up，we lived a very hard life．We had little money，but my mom gave me a lot of love．Each night，she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life，“Kemmons，you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it．”
At fourteen，I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day，my mother spoke to me in her gentle，loving voice，telling me that no matter what those doctors said. I could walk again if I wanted it badly enough．She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her．A year later，I returned to school--walking on my own．
When the Great Depression(大蕭條)hit，my mom lost her job．Then I left school to support the both of us．At that moment，I was determined never to be poor again．
Over the years, I experienced various levels of business Success．But the real turning point occurred on a vocation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951．I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra$2 for each child．That was too expensive for the average American family．I told my wife that I was going to open a motel(汽車旅館)for families that would never charge extra for children．There were plenty of doubters at that time．
Not surprisingly，mom was one of my strongest supporters．She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style．As in any business，we experienced a lot of challenges．But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul，I never doubted we could succeed．Fifteen years later，we had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn. In 1979，my company had 1759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $ 1 billion a year．
You may not have started out life in the best situations．But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself，nothing can stop you．
小題1:What Kemmons' mom often told him during his childhood was         ．
A．caringB．movingC．encouragingD．interesting
小題2:What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?
A．His terrible experience in the hotel．
B．His previous business success of various levels．
C．His mom’s support．
D．His wife’s suggestion．
小題3:．Which of the following best describes Kemmoms’ mother?   、
A．Modest，helpful，and hard-working．
B．Loving，supportive，and strong-willed．
C．Careful，helpful，and beautiful．
D．Strict，sensitive and supportive．
小題4:Which of the following led to Kemmons’ success according to the passage?
A．Self-confidence，hard work，clear goals and a poor family．
B．Mom's encouragement，clear goals，self-confidence，and hard work．
C．Clear goals，mom’s encouragement，a poor family，and higher education．
D．Mom's encouragement，a poor family，higher education and opportunities．

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