Misery and setbacks are not always as terrible as one imagines. Hard times can offer new ways of looking at life that would otherwise never be known. And, if you are a writer, this can be the source of much of your success.
Popular British author, Charles Dickens' （1812-1870）family could hardly make ends meet. They could only afford to send one of their six children to school. Dickens was not that child. His parents chose to send a daughter, who had a talent for music, to an academy. Then at the age of 12, Dickens' life took another turn for the worse.
His father, a clerk, was placed in prison for unpaid debts. And, being the oldest male left at home, Dickens took up work at a factory. His horrible experience there became the fuel for his future writing. His father was freed three months later and inherited a small amount of money. Dickens was then sent to school.
From 1836 to 1837, he wrote a monthly series of stories. Thus the Pickwick Papers, came into being, which brought fame to the 23-year-old man.
Throughout his career, Dickens covers various situations in his novels. He wrote about the miserable lives of the poor in Oliver Twist, the French Revolution in Tale of Two Cities, and social reform in Hard Times. He also wrote David Copperfield, a book thought to be modeled on his own life.
“I do not write bitterly or angrily: for I know all these things have worked together to make me what I am,” he once said. His difficult childhood did indeed shape the person he became, as well as his writing career. There are shades of young Dickens in many of his most beloved characters, including David Copperfield and Oliver Twist.
Like the author, all these characters come from poor beginnings and are able to rise above their setbacks and achieve success. “Minds, like bodies, will often fall into an ill-conditioned state from too much comfort,” he once wrote. On June 9th, 1870, aged 58, Dickens died, leaving one unfinished work．The words on his tombstone read: “He was a sympathizer to the poor, the suffering and the oppressed, and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world.”
小題1:The book that first called public attention to Dickens was ______.
A．the Pickwick PapersB．Oliver Twist
C．Tale of Two CitiesD．David Copperfield
小題2:The phrase “shades of” in bold means “_____”.
A．various shapes ofB．situations of
C．different experiences ofD．reminders of
小題3:How did Dickens see his childhood?
A．He felt grateful for it．
B．He felt it a pity that things weren’t in his favor．
C．He loved writing about it．
D．He chose to forget the bitterness about it．
小題4:From the story, we can see Dickens’ attitude towards an easy life is ______．
A．to enjoy itB．to hate it
C．not to abandon yourself to itD．to work hard for it

小題1:A
小題1:D
小題1:A
小題1:C
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Thomas Edison was one of ten said to be the greatest genius of his age. There are only a few men in all of the history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius.“ There is no such thing as genius,” Edison said. He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work.
But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature. Nature, he often said, is full of secrets. He tried to understand them; then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.
Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure.
Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years old, someone asked him what ideas he had about life. “ Work,” he answered. “Discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier.” He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.
小題1: Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A．Edison invented the electric light.
B．Many other people have changed Edison’s life.
C．Edison has changed the life of many other people.
D．Few men in history can change other people’s life.
小題2: Edison thought              .
A．he could be happy if he was a genius
B．genius plays the most important part in one’s success
C．hard work could do better than genius
D．genius could do better than hard work
小題3: Edison was              .
A．very much interested in nature
B．interested in discovering the secrets of nature
C．interested in changing people’s ideas
D．uninterested in making people happier by discovering the secrets of nature
小題4:In Edison’s opinion,            .
A．thinking can supply people with enjoyment and pleasure as well as help
B．people’s success lies mostly in genius
C．hard work is the second important thing in making people successful
D．there are few secrets for him to discover later

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

My wife and I spent two weeks in London last year. We went there in the autumn. We think it is the best season to visit England. The weather is usually good and there aren’t too many tourists in October.
We stayed in a small hotel in the West End. It was convenient as we did most of our sightseeing on foot. Taxis were too expensive, we couldn’t understand the bus routes, and my wife didn’t like traveling under the ground. She said it made her feel sick.
We went to look at the places which all tourists visit. We saw Buckingham Palace. We went shopping in Oxford Street and spent too much money. What we liked most, though, was going to the theatre. We didn’t have the chance to see such wonderful plays at home. A lot of people say English food is bad. We didn’t think so. It is true that most of the restaurants are French or Italian or Chinese, but we had some very good meals.
In fact, we enjoyed our holiday so much that we have already booked again for this year. We are going to take our umbrellas, though. I’m sure we’ll need them sometimes.
小題1:The couple chose a small hotel in the West End to stay in because _________.
A．taxis were too expensiveB．they could go sightseeing on foot
C．the underground made the wife feel sickD．a(chǎn)ll the above
小題2:The couple had some difficulty in ________.
A．booking in the hotelB．finding the bus routes
C．going sightseeing on footD．having meals
小題3:Generally speaking, the couple _________the trip to London.
A．were satisfied withB．disliked
C．were a bit unhappy aboutD．regretted
小題4:What did the couple think of English food?
A．terribleB．not badC．greatD．comfort
小題5:Which of the following is NOT true about the couple?
A．They thought English food was bad.B．They will visit London again.
C．They visited London last October.D．They didn’t take their umbrella last year.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(臨終醫(yī)院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(計(jì)價(jià)器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said,” I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked.
“Nothing.” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
小題1: The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.
A．show she was familiar with the cityB．see some places for the last time
C．let the driver earn more moneyD．reach the destination on time
小題2:The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.
A．wanted to do her a favor
B．shut off the meter by mistake
C．had received her payment in advance
D．was in a hurry to take other passengers
小題3:What can we learn from the story?
A．Giving is always a pleasure.
B．People should respect each other.
C．An act of kindness can bring people great joy.
D．People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

One of Britain's bravest women told yesterday how she helped to catch suspected （可疑的） police killer David Bieber -- and was thanked with flowers by the police. It was also said that she could be in line for a share of up to ￡30,000 reward money.
Vicki Brown, 30, played a very important role in ending the nationwide manhunt. Vicki, who has worked at the Royal Hotel for four years, told of her terrible experience when she had to steal into Bieber's bedroom and to watch him secretly. Then she waited alone for three hours while armed police prepared to storm the building.
She said: "I was very nervous. But when I opened the hotel door and saw 20 armed policemen lined up in the car park I was so glad they were there.”
The alarm had been raised because Vicki became suspicious of the guest who checked in at 3 pm the day before New Year's Eve with little luggage and wearing sunglasses and a hat pulled down over his face. She said: "He didn't seem to want to talk too much and make any eye contact （接觸）." Vicki, the only employee on duty, called her bosses Margaret, 64, and husband Stan McKale, 65, who phoned the police at 11 pm.
Officers from Northumbria Police called Vicki at the hotel in Dunston, Gateshead, at about 11:30 pm to make sure that this was the wanted man. Then they kept in touch by phoning Vicki every 15 minutes.
"It was about ten past two in the morning when the phone went again and a policeman said ‘Would you go and make yourself known to the armed officers outside?'. My heart missed a beat."
Vicki quietly showed eight armed officers through passages and staircases to the top floor room and handed over the key.
"I realized that my bedroom window overlooks that part of the hotel, so I went to watch. I could not see into the man's room, but I could see the passage. The police kept shouting at the man to come out with his hands showing. Then suddenly he must have come out because they shouted for him to lie down while he was handcuffed （帶上手銬）。
小題1:The underlined phrase "be in line for" （ paragraph 1 ） means _____.
A．getB．payC．a(chǎn)sk forD．own
小題2:Vicki became suspicious of David Bieber because __________.
A．the police called her
B．he looked very strange
C．he came to the hotel with little luggage
D．he came to the hotel the day before New Year's Eve
小題3: Vicki’s heart missed a beat because _________.
A．the phone went againB．she would be famous
C．the policemen had already arrived D．she saw 20 policemen in the car park
小題4: The whole event probably lasted about _______ hours from the moment Bieber came to the hotel to the arrival of some armed officers.
A．6B．8 C．11D．14

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

One afternoon I toured an art museum while waiting for my husband to finish a business meeting. I was looking forward to a quiet view of the wonderful works..
A young couple viewing the paintings ahead of me chatted nonstop between themselves. I watched them a moment and decided she was doing all the talking. I admired his patience for tolerating her constant words. Disturbed by their noise, I moved on.
I encountered them several times as I moved through the various rooms of art. Each time I heard her constant talking, I moved away quickly.
I was standing at the counter of the museum gift store doing some shopping when the couple approached the exit. Before they left, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a white object. He turned it into a long cane (手杖) and then tapped his way into the coatroom to get his wife’s jacket.
“He’s a brave man,” the clerk at the counter said, “Most of us would give up if we were blinded at such a young age. During his recovery, he made a promise his life wouldn’t change. So, as before, he and his wife come in whenever there’s a new art show.”
“But what does he get out of the art?” I asked, “He can’t see.”
“Can’t see! You’re wrong. He sees a lot. More than you or I do,” the clerk said, “His wife describes each painting so he can see it in his head.”
I learned something about patience, courage and love that day. I saw the patience of a young wife describing paintings to a person without sight and the courage of a husband who would not allow blindness to change his life.
And I saw the love shared by two people as I watched this couple walk away arm in arm.
小題1:Which of the following statements is true?
A．The husband was doing all the talking when the couple viewed the works.
B．The husband tapped his way to the coatroom to get his jacket.
C．The husband was considered a brave man by the clerk at the store.
D．The husband allowed blindness to change his life.
小題2:The underlined word “encountered” in the passage means “________”.
A．saw B．metC．talked D．a(chǎn)rgued
小題3:At first the author’s attitude towards the wife of the couple was _________.
A．positive B．neutralC．boredD．a(chǎn)dmiring
小題4:What can be inferred from the passage is ___________. 
A．the man had his eyes blinded in a fight
B．the man must be a painter before
C．the woman was very devoted to his husband
D．the man often killed time by visiting exhibitions

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Doris Lessing was born in 1919 in Persia, moving as a child with her family to southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, where she stayed in school only to the age of 14.
A year after moving to London, she published her first novel in 1950. The Grass is Singing examines unbridgeable racial conflict in colonial Africa through the eyes of a white farmer's wife and her black servant.
Her literary breakthrough came in 1962 with publication of The Golden Notebook, seen by many, though not necessarily Lessing, as a pioneering work of modern feminism（女權(quán)運(yùn)動(dòng)）. A disjointed study of the mind of the main character, Anna Wulf, the novel explores her thoughts about Africa, politics, relationships with men and sex, and Jungian analysis and dream interpretation.
Lessing's themes changed to psychology in her works from the 1960s, and by the 1970s she was interested in the Islamic mystic tradition of Sufism（蘇菲教派）. Her turn toward science fiction with the Canopus series in the early 1980s was not warmly received by traditional critics, but she has continued to be popular with new readers and numerous literary awards, including the David Cohen British Literary Prize and the Companion of Honour from the Royal Society of Literature, both in 2001.
Following the announcement, the Horace Engdahl told VOA why he was personally so pleased with Lessing's selection.
“She is one of the truly great writers -- of novels, short stories, fiction and non-fiction,” Engdahl said. “She is one of the few writers who have had the courage to uphold the principle of equality between the male and female experience, and she has given the impulse to numbers of other women writers. And she is really the mother of a school that is one of the most important in our contemporary literature.”
At 87, Doris Lessing is the oldest Nobel Literature winner since the first prizes were awarded in 1901.
小題1: What would be the best title of the passage?
A．Doris Lessing’s Great Writings.
B．Doris Lessing’s Concern about Africa.
C．A Great Writer of Novel and a Pioneer of Modern Feminism.
D．A Nobel Prize Winner for Literature.
小題2:It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A．there are only two characters in The Grass is Singing
B．The Golden Notebook is regarded as Lessing’s masterpiece by herself
C．life in Africa in her early age lays solid foundation for her writing
D．Doris Lessing is strongly against traditional culture in Africa
小題3:According to the fourth paragraph, _______.
A．Lessing began to believe in Christ in the 1970s
B．Lessing’s science fiction won readers
C．Lessing had won two literary medals for her writings
D．Lessing changed her themes to meet the needs of traditional critics
小題4:The underlined word “impulse” in the 6th passage is closest in meaning to _______.
A．pressureB．inspirationC．energyD．desire

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Daniel stays home on workdays. He starts his personal computer in order to connect with the office which is about three hundred miles away in another city. After work, he puts on his headphones, watches a movie on his home video recorder, or plays baseball on the computer. On many days, Daniel doesn’t talk to any other human beings, and he doesn’t see any people except the ones on television. Daniel is imaginary, but his lifestyle is very possible. The inventions of modern technology seem to be cutting us off from contact with our fellow human beings.
The world of business is one area in which technology is separating us. Experts say, for example, that many people will soon be able to work at home. With access to a large central computer, employees such as office clerks, insurance agents, and accountants could do their jobs at display terminals (終端) in their own homes. They would never have to actually see the people they’re dealing with. In addition, the way employees are paid will change. Workers’ salaries will be automatically paid into their bank accounts, making paper checks unnecessary. No workers will stand in line to receive their pay or cash their checks. Personal banking will change, too. Customers will deal with machines to put in or take out money from their accounts. Many companies and consumers have already changed the way they sell or buy products. E-commerce, or business done on the Internet, is becoming more and more popular. This, therefore, makes it possible for people to do shopping without going out of their homes.
Another area that technology is changing is entertainment. Music, for example, was once a group experience. People listened to music at concert halls or in small social gatherings. For many people now, however, music is an individual experience. Walking along the street or sitting in their living-rooms, they wear headphones to build a wall of music around them. Movie entertainment is changing as well. Movies used to be social events. Now, fewer people are going out to see a movie. Many more are choosing to wait for a film to appear on television or are borrowing videotapes to watch at home. Instead of laughing with others, viewers watch movies in their own living-rooms.
小題1:After work, Daniel likes to ______.
A．listen to music at the concert hallB．watch a movie in his living-room
C．chat with his friends on the net D．play baseball with his workmates
小題2:The underlined sentence “Daniel is imaginary, but his lifestyle is very possible” means ______.
A．Daniel is a person full of imagination and he can make his life colorful.
B．Daniel is not a real person but the lifestyle of his kind does exist.
C．Daniel is only an ordinary person but he has his own way of living.
D．Daniel is a model who makes full use of modern technology in life.
小題3: What will the writer most probably discuss after the last paragraph?
A．Games and sportsB．Personal banking
C．Music and filmsD．International business
小題4:What is the main idea of the passage?
A．We may no longer need to communicate with other human beings.
B．Modern technology seems to be separating human beings.
C．We may no longer need to work in the office.
D．Modern technology makes it possible for us to work and entertain ourselves at home.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

“A child in the street is a child that has been exposed（暴露）to a lot of bad things. And this child has no love at all. This child has no respect（尊重）for himself or herself. He sees everybody as an enemy, and he can’t trust anyone.”
Who is Moses Zulu talking about? Are there even people who live like that? Sadly, in truth, there are. They happen to be the Zambian children that Moses Zulu helps to improve their lives. Zulu does his best to give many children the hope to live even though they might have AIDS. Without his continuous work through his organization called Children’s Town, many Zambian children would have been forced to survive（生存）in an African city by getting a job as a street vendor（街頭小販）, or hurting other people.
In 1990, Moses Zulu founded Children’s Town in Zambia, where one million children have no parents, largely because of AIDS. Children’s Town teaches children the basic life skills needed for their future. Each child goes through a five-year training program where they’re taught responsibility（責(zé)任）, values, and self-care. Zulu’s Children’s Town provides hope for less fortunate children.
As we all know, a hero is any person who is respected for their qualities and achievements. There are not many people who are willing to help others in need. Zulu’s contribution to today’s modern society teaches us to lend a helping hand to others who are not as lucky as we are. He teaches us to make a difference in the world by helping others.
And from now on, if ever you throw away your banana just because it looks bad, well, remember that a group of people suffering from AIDS, homelessness, or other causes, would fight each other just to get their hands on a single bad banana.
68. 小題1: Which of the following CANNOT describe Moses Zulu according to the passage?
A．DevotedB．Easy-going
C．DeterminedD．Kind-hearted
69. 小題2:In Children’s Town, children will learn ______.
A．how to fight against AIDS
B．how to get a job as a street vendor
C．how to survive by themselves
D．how to avoid fighting in the street
70. 小題3:In the opinion of the author, he considers Moses Zulu ______.
A．a(chǎn) teacherB．a(chǎn) doctorC．a(chǎn) heroD．a(chǎn) fighter
71. 小題4: In the last paragraph, the author advises us to ______.
A．plant more bananasB．make use of bad food
C．invent medicine for AIDSD．help poor people

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