A new study done by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario （HEQCO） shows that it doesn't make much of a difference that parents reward their children with cash for their better marks.
Many parents have offered cash to their children in the hope that it would improve marks and possibly raise their children's interest in achieving higher marks．
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Toronto （UT） and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology （MIT） to learn more about the potential for financial encouragement as motivation for improved marks, involved first and second year students receiving financial aid in 2008-2009 at the University of Toronto Scarborough．
The top students participating in the study who said they were "very concerned" about having enough money to complete their degrees were to receive $100 for getting a grade of 70 per cent for each one-semester course, plus $20 for every percentage point beyond that．It was imaginable that a student could earn as much as $700 for achieving 100 percent in a course．
Harvey Weingarten, president and CEO of HEQCO said, "In its efforts to help disadvantaged students by exploring the idea of paying them to attend school, the Toronto District School Board （TDSB） is asking the same question many other districts are asking about how to improve student participation and performance．Our study and others to date indicate that this practice has little effect if any in those situations where it has been tested．"
The authors of the study suggest that ineffective study habits may be a barrier to academic achievement and that the real problem may be more a lack of academic preparation than a lack of effort or motivation．They note that the availability of peer （同伴） advising does not appear to have helped greatly．They conclude that other potential avenues to improving performance, or other approaches of teaching, are needed at the high school and postsecondary levels．
小題1:If a student gets a grade of 85% in a course, he will get _____．
A．$100B．$300C．$400D．$700
小題2:The underlined words "this practice" in Paragraph 5 refer to _____．
A．improving student participation
B．seeking help from different districts
C．paying disadvantaged students to attend school
D．testing student performance in the same district
小題3:The real problem with student participation and performance is most probably a lack of____．
A．a(chǎn)cademic preparationB．effort or motivation
C．teaching methodsD．peer advising
小題4:What is mainly discussed in the passage?
A．Many parents have offered cash to their children．
B．Many first and second year students receive financial aid．
C．Ineffective study habits lead to poor academic achievement．
D．Rewarding students with cash for good grades has little effect

小題1:C
小題2:C
小題3:A
小題4:D
文章講述的是獎勵學(xué)生錢對學(xué)生的成績影響不大。
小題1:計(jì)算題。根據(jù)第三段第三行plus $20 for every percentage point可知超過70分多一分多20元，那么85分比70多了15分，獎勵300元再加上用來的100元，一共是400元。
小題2:推理題。這一段就是指付錢給那些成績不是很好的學(xué)生以激勵他們提高成績。
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)最后一段第二行may be more a lack of academic preparation than a lack of effort or motivation可知A正確。
小題4:主旨大意題。根據(jù)主題段第一段內(nèi)容可知文章涉及的是獎勵學(xué)生錢對學(xué)生的成績影響不大。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Do you often play with your pet dog or cat? Do you like touching wild animals such as squirrels? They are cute. But be careful. If they bite you, you may get a terrible disease——rabies.
Believe it or not, in the last five months, rabies killed more people in China than any other disease. 2,254 people got rabies in the first nine months of this year. In September, 318 people died of rabies. That is 37 per cent more than last September.
Animals like dogs, cats, squirrels and bats can have rabies. If they bite or scratch（抓）someone, rabies could infect（感染）the person’s nervous system（神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)）. The person could even die. It’s important to get the right treatment as soon as possible.
Every year, more than 50,000 people around the world die of rabies. Most of them are from developing countries. India has the most deaths. China is second.
小題1:Rabies is the name of _____.
A．a(chǎn) bookB．a(chǎn) manC．a(chǎn) dogD．a(chǎn) disease
小題2:Paragraphs two and three _____.
A．teach people how to deal with rabies.
B．explain the situation in China.
C．order people not to keep pets.
D．show what rabies is really like.
小題3:Which of the following animals might NOT have rabies?
A．Squirrels.B．Ducks.C．Cats.D．Bats.
小題4:The Chinese for the underlined word “treatment” probably is _____.
A．醫(yī)生B．請客C．治療D．待遇
小題5:What the best title for the passage?
A．Don’t keep petsB．How to keep pets
C．Watch out for rabiesD．Pets with rabies

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

More Americans are Googling themselves ------ and many are checking out their friends, co-workers and romantic interests, too.
In a report Sunday, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said 47 percent of U.S. adult Internet users have looked for information about themselves through Google or another search engine.
That is more than twice the 22 percent of users who did in 2002, but Pew senior research specialist Mary Madden was surprised the growth wasn't higher.
"Yes it's doubled, but many Internet users have never done this simple act of plugging their name with search engines," she said.
Americans under 50 and those with more education and income were more likely to self-Google because their jobs demand a certain online persona.
Meanwhile, Pew found that 53 percent of adult Internet users admit looking up information about someone else, not including celebrities.
Often, it's to find someone they have lost touch with. But looking up information about friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbors also was common.
Although men and women equally searched for online information about themselves, women were slightly more likely to look up information about someone they are dating.
In many cases, the search is done to find someone's contact information. But a third of those who have conducted searches on others have looked for public records, such as bankruptcies(破產(chǎn)) and divorce （離婚）proceedings. A similar number have searched for someone else's photo.
Few Internet users say they Google themselves regularly —— about three-quarters of self-searchers say they have done so only once or twice. And most who have done so consider what they find accurate.
Pew also found that teens were more likely than adults to restrict who can see their information at an online hangout(常去之處) like Facebook or News Corp's MySpace.
小題1:The number of American adult Internet users______ Mary Madden.
A．frightenedB．pleasedC．disappointedD．a(chǎn)nnoyed
小題2:What does “ they” refer to in the seventh paragraph?
A．common people B．scientists
C．a(chǎn)dults D．53 percent adult Internet users
小題3:How many people have checked others’ photos?
A．One- fifthB．One-fourthC．One- thirdD．A half
小題4:What is the best title of the passage?
A．Learn to Google YourselfB．Googling Oneself Is Popular
C．New Performance OnlineD．Don’t Google Yourself Online

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

"We do look very different; we're older. Leo's 38, I'm 37. We were 21 and 22 when we made that film. You know, he's fatter now -- I'm thinner.". So says Kate Winslet, who is thrilled at the 3-D re-release of Titanic to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the ship's demise. “ It happens every time I get on any boat of any kind." She recalls. There are all the people who want her to walk to the front of the ship and re-create her famous pose, arms flung wide. Most people remember the tragedy: The British passenger ship -- said to be unsinkable -- hit an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912, during its maiden voyage from England to New York City. More than 1,500 people died. But little known is what the world learned from the sinking to prevent future incidents.
Probably the greatest deficiency （不足）of the Titanic was that she was built 40 years before the widespread use of the wonderful invention radar(雷達(dá)). Her only defense against icebergs and hidden obstacles was to rely on manned lookouts. On that fateful night the eyesight of trained lookouts only provided 37 seconds of warning before the collision.
Traveling at nearly 30 miles an hour the Titanic was moving far too fast to avoid the huge iceberg. The warning did prevent a head-on collision as the officer on the bridge managed to turn the ship slightly.
The last ship to send a warning was the California. She was within ten miles of the Titanic during the disaster, but her radio operator went to bed at midnight and never received any of the SOS messages from the Titanic. That was one of the important lessons learned from the catastrophe, the need for 24-hour radio operators on all passenger liners.
Another lesson learned was the need for more lifeboats. The Titanic remained afloat(漂浮) for almost three hours and most of the passengers could have been saved with enough lifeboats.
1,500 passengers and workers died in the 28 degree waters of the Atlantic. Out of the tragedy, the sinking did produce some important maritime reforms. The winter travel routes were changed to the south and the Coast Guard began to keep an eye on the location of all icebergs. The new rules for lifeboats were obvious to all. There must be enough lifeboats for everybody on board.
The most important lesson learned was that no one would ever again consider a ship unsinkable- no matter how large or how well constructed. Never again would sailors place their faith in a ship above the power of the sea.
小題1:The text mainly tells us ______.
A．the reason why the Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean
B．how the unsinkable ship of Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean
C．the lessons that we could learn from the accident of theTitanic
D．the things we should do to protect the lives on the ship
小題2:According to the passage, which of the following could we infer?
A．If the captain had been more careful, he could have had the chance to save the Titanic.
B．If radar had existed 40 years ago, the Titanic would have never disappeared from the world.
C．If the lookout had had much more experience, he could have had the time to save the Titanic.
D．If there had been enough lifeboats on the Titanic, the Titanic would not have sunk in the Atlantic.
小題3:What would be the best title for the passage?
A．Lessons from the TitanicB．Technology is Important
C．Demands of PassengersD．Power of Sea
小題4:What’s the sailors’ attitude towards the ships after the tragedy?
A．They think there really exists the unsinkable ship.
B．They think ships could eventually defeat the sea.
C．They think there is no power that could control the sea.
D．They think the bigger the ship is, the safer it is.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

You may think that sailing is a difficult sport, but it is really not hard to learn it. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind.
First, you must ask yourself, “Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?” You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail.
Let’s start with the wind blowing from the behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90° angle (角度) to the boat. Then it will catch the wind best.
If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat. In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45° angle to the boat. It needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn’t flap (擺動). It shouldn’t look like on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down.
Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can’t go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking. When you are tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat.
小題1:What should you consider first while sailing?
A．Sailors’ strength.B．Wave levels.
C．Wind directions.D．Size of sails.
小題2:What does the word “It” underlined in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A．The boat.B．The wind.C．The sail.D．The angle.
小題3:What do you have to do when sailing against the wind?
A．Move in a straight line.B．Allow the sail to flap.
C．Lower the sail.D．Tack the boat.
小題4:Where can you probably find the text?
A．In a popular magazine.B．In a tourist guidebook.
C．In a physics textbook.D．In an official report.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Ever since they were first put on the market in the early 1990s, genetically modified (GM, 轉(zhuǎn)基因) foods have been increasingly developed and marketed in many countries in the world, mainly on the basis of their promise to end the worldwide food crisis. But can GM technology solve world hunger problems? Even if it would, is it the best solution?
Despite what it promises, GM technology actually has not increased the production potential of any crop. In fact, studies show that the most widely grown GM crop, GM soybeans, has suffered reduced productivity. For instance, a report that analysed nearly two decades of research on major GM food crops shows that GM engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop production.
Something else, however, has been on the rise, While GM seeds are expensive, GM companies tell farmers that they will make good profits by saving money on pesticides（殺蟲劑）. On the contrary, US government data show that GM crops in the US have produced an overall increase in pesticide use compared to traditional crops. “The promise was that you could use less chemicals and boost production. But neither is true,” said Bill Christison, President of the US National Farm Coalition.
At the same time, the authors of the book World Hunger: Twelve Myths argue that there actually is more than enough food in the world and that the hunger crisis is not caused by production, but by problems in food distribution and politics. These indeed deserve our efforts and money. Meanwhile, the rise in food prices results from the increased use of crops for fuel rather than food, according to a 2008 World Bank report.
As a matter of fact, scientists see better ways to feed the world. Another World Bank report concluded that GM crops have little to offer to the challenges of worldwide poverty and hunger, because better ways out are available, among which “green” farming is supposed to be the first choice.
小題1:The author develops the second paragraph mainly      .
A．by classificationB．by comparison
C．by exampleD．by process
小題2:What does the underlined word “boost” in the third paragraph probably mean?
A．Control.B．EvaluateC．Obtain.D．Increase.
小題3:GM companies promise farmers that they will benefit from ______________.
A．practicing “green” farming
B．use of less chemicals
C．fair distribution of their crops
D．using more crops for fuel
小題4:Which of the following best describes the attitude of the author towards GM technology?
A．OptimisticB．DefensiveC．DisapprovingD．Casual

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Most people watching Jeremy Lin these past two months saw Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks star; but I, watching him, saw someone else. That was my elder brother, Bob, who is athletic and energetic. He could never sit still when he was in second grade; he had to get up every now and then and run around the room. And sure enough, he grew up to be a starting player for an N.C.A.A. championship lacrosse（長曲棍球）team. He was a Nike-endorsed marathoner, too, and reached the top of Mt. Everest, unguided, in his 50s.
And yet my family never watched his lacrosse games. We did watch some of his marathons, but that wasn’t until he was in his 20s. When Bob was in his glory days, our Shanghainese-born parents were bent on getting him into medical school. There was a loving aspect to it: I can remember my father working through math books with him, lesson by lesson, at the big blackboard in the attic. Bob never did become a doctor, though; and neither did I. It wasn’t until my younger sister came along that someone in the family finally wore a white coat.
Bob today could be the fittest 58-year-old on the planet. His doctor estimates his biological age at 35; he’s still climbing big mountains in the Himalayas. And, like Jeremy Lin, he’s charming. No one sees Bob without leaving with a laugh. He sometimes jokes he could be mayor of his building, and it’s true. To know him is to cheer for him.
And yet my parents did not cheer for him. What if my mother had sat on the sidelines with her statistics, like Jeremy Lin’s mother? What if my father had played videos of athletes for my brother to watch and imitate? It’s hard not to wonder.
And how did Jeremy Lin’s parents manage to do these remarkable things? Amy Chua, the tiger mother, recalls her immigrant father beating the kids whenever they mispronounced a Chinese word. How is it that Jeremy Lin’s immigrant father in particular, Gie-Ming Lin, encouraged his son to follow such an untraditional path?
小題1:Bob’s glory days were those ________.
A．when he was doing well in math
B．when he was in second grade
C．when he was made mayor of his building
D．when he showed his talents in sports
小題2:From the passage we can tell that Bob is ____________.
A．a(chǎn)ctive and optimistic
B．clever and determined
C．brave and helpful
D．considerate and independent
小題3:Which of the following statements is probably TRUE?
A．Bob was always ignored by his parents
B．Bob could also have been a sport star.
C．Bob’s parents often watched his games.
D．Nobody in the author’s family was a doctor.
小題4:From the last two paragraphs we can infer that ___________.
A．parents should always study together with their children
B．parents should know how to educate their children properly
C．children should be punished when they do anything wrong
D．children should try to live up to the hopes of their parents

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Filmmakers Michele dive into an eerie (怪誕的) world. The usually colorful corals are a ghostly white. Most of the fish, crabs, and other animals have disappeared. The reef is sick and dying.
Coral reefs are often called “the rainforests of the sea” because of their abundance of life forms. A great diversity of animals finds food and shelter in every crack and crevice.
Today’s reefs are about 10,000 years old. Found in sunny, shallow water in warm seas all over the world, reefs are made up of the hard shells of millions of corals. As corals live and die, they create a giant, rocky honeycomb. Only a thin top layer is living coral.
A reef grows only about as fast as your fingernails—three-quarters of an inch a year. But coral reefs are huge, and in time a healthy reef can be thousands of miles long.
Millions of people around the world rely on reef fish and other animals for food. And reefs provide protection from storms at sea. Without thousands of miles of reefs surrounding coastal areas, many beaches and even whole islands could be destroyed by the pounding of powerful ocean waves.
“Let’s say a grazing animal like the parrot fish is overfished,” Michele explains. “Without them, the kind of algae (海藻) that the fish feed on could grow like weeds and take over the reef. The competition for space and sunlight could then starve the coral.”
Nearly 27 percent of the world’s coral reefs have been lost or damaged. But there is hope. Many reefs around the world—including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the reefs off the Florida Keys in the United States—are now protected areas where scientists study how to keep reefs healthy. They determine how many and which kinds of fish can be taken for food without hurting the reef’s delicate balance.
There is hope, too, that people will learn to be good partners to the reefs. “We want our film to inspire people to help coral reefs,” says Michele. “For me, even though I may not go back to the South Pacific, just knowing the reefs are there and thriving brings a sense of contentment (滿足) to my spirit.”
小題1:What is the main purpose of the author in writing the passage?
A．To describe what coral reefs are.
B．To tell people to protect coral reefs.
C．To introduce a film to people.
D．To ask people to visit coral reefs.
小題2:From the passage we can infer that          .
A．coral reefs grow very fast
B．there are few huge coral reefs
C．coral reefs appear mostly in deep water
D．it takes a long time to make a coral reef
小題3:By mentioning the parrot fish, Michel wants to tell us        .
A．coral reefs need sunlight to survive
B．the biggest enemies of reefs are weeds
C．the parrot fish feed on a kind of algae
D．it is easy to destroy coral reefs
小題4:What is the author’s attitude towards the protection of reefs?
A．OptimisticB．Disappointed.C．Uncertain.D．Pessimistic (悲觀的).

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Lawmakers in the United States have expanded an investigation into the use of location-tracking systems on mobile devices. The action follows recent reports about the storing of information on the Apple iPhone. Some people consider location tracking to be a threat to personal privacy and security.
Allan Friedman, the research director, says, “All wireless companies do some location tracking as part of their networks. This information is usually stored by the companies, not the devices, and there are laws to protect it. Law enforcement(執(zhí)法) agencies, for example, have to have a fairly high standard before it can access that data. And the phone company is also prohibited from selling that information.
Now, two researchers report that location tracking information is being stored directly on Apple devices. They said Apple’s newest operating systems gather global positioning system and timestamp information. The information is stored on the device in a file that is also uploaded (上傳) to any computer that the device is connected to. The researchers say the information is available to anyone who has access to the device or computer.
Allan Friedman says, “This raises additional concerns. There’s the idea that because it’s on my phone and on my computer, rogue applications(惡意程序) that I pay for or that I’m tricked into downloading may be able to access this data and somehow misuse it.”
Apple says it is “not tracking the location of your iPhone”. It is simply keeping a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell phone towers near the user’s location. This information is meant to help the iPhone quickly find its location when needed.
Letters have been sent to some of the leading mobile device developers, including Apple and Google. The letters asked for more information about their location tracking systems. Allan Friedman calls this an important start to strengthening privacy laws. He says, “There aren’t strong controls over things like location information, what they are doing with it, how long they are keeping it. And perhaps the most important question is, is my location data with other facts about me?”
小題1:Why did American lawmakers investigate the use of location-tracking systems on cell-phones?
A．Because the systems can store users’ information
B．Because many users have suffered loss after using them.
C．Because it is thought to threaten users’ privacy.
D．Because many reporters have shown the problem of the systems.
小題2:Allan Friedman believes that ________.
A．wireless companies focus on personal privacy.
B．people are forbidden to get access to private data at will
C．phone companies may sell private information secretly
D．customers may ask wireless companies to locate their tracking
小題3:What do we know from Paragraph 3?
A．Location tracking information is stored online.
B．Apple’s newest operating systems collect all kinds of information.
C．Location tracking information may be uploaded to any iPhone.
D．Apple’s newest operating systems may reveal the private information of users.
小題4:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Apple denies that it tracks the location of users.
B．The researchers may misunderstand the Apple’s systems.
C．The global positioning system is to blame for rogue applications.
D．The iPhone can quickly find its location by using its user’s information.

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