The Winter Olympics proved no match for television's gold-medal winner, "American Idol". Fox's unbelievable successful contest crashed the Olympics in head-to-head competition on Tuesday night, 27 million viewers to 16.1 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The Olympics recovered a bit after "Idol" went off the air, but its overall audience of 18.6 million was the least-watched winter Olympics telecast since Nagano's closing ceremonies in 1998, Nielsen said.
Since its opening on Friday, the Turin games have been running well below the 2002 Salt Lake City games in viewership interest. Much of that was expected, but Tuesday's rating was the first alarming sign for NBC that increased TV competition has taken a toll.
"The competition from 'Idol' is heavier than the Olympics has ever seen," said NBC Sports spokeswoman Alana Russo.
It doesn't figure to get any easier, with "Idol" and ABC's "Lost" on the air Wednesday. CBS' "Survivor" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" offer more competition on Thursday.
Even figure skating, the most popular winter Olympics sport for viewers, didn't help much on Tuesday. NBC filled about two-thirds of the hour during which it competed with "American Idol" with tape of the men's figure-skating competition.
Through five nights of Olympics coverage, NBC's average prime time rating is 12.7 ( a rating point represents 1,102, 000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 110.2 million TV homes). NBC said before the games started that it had promised its advertisers a rating of between 12 and 14. If it slips below that, NBC will have to make it up to advertisers with free commercial time.
" ‘American Idol' is clearly a phenomenon," said Randy Falco, president of the NBC Universal Television Group. "But we expected it and are tracking fight where we planned to be at this point." Between NBC and its networks, about 65 percent of the nation's television homes have tuned in at least some of the games.
小題1:How many viewers watched the Winter Olympics on Tuesday night?
A．110.2 millionB．12.7 million
C．27millionD．16.1million
小題2:What did NBC do on Tuesday night to attract more viewers?
A．To ask the "idol" to go off the air.
B．To play the tapes of men's figure skating.
C．To add "Survivor" to its program.
D．To do more advertising.
小題3:If the rating slips below 12, NBC will          .
A．do more advertising for nothing
B．stop running normally
C．never cover the Olympics
D．pay extra money for advertisers
小題4:What does the underlined word "taken a toll" mean?
A．paid off.B．caused loss.C．broken out.D．picked up.

小題1:D
小題2:B
小題3:A
小題4:B

小題1:細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第一段第三行head-to-head competition on Tuesday night, 27 million viewers to 16.1 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.可知答案為D。
小題2:細(xì)節(jié)題。第六段第2,3行NBC filled about two-thirds of the hour during which it competed with "American Idol" with tape of the men's figure-skating competition.可知B正確。
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)倒數(shù)第二段最后兩行If it slips below that, NBC will have to make it up to advertisers with free commercial time.可知A正確。
小題4:猜測詞義題。根據(jù)上下文可知星期二的收視率給NBC敲響了警鐘。越來越多的競爭導(dǎo)致了損失。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Holidays are really important. Many of us will have childhood memories of summer holidays where we were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.
But holidays are expensive and, for those on low wages or living on benefits, they are often unobtainable. Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for many families to meet.
For working parents, the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare. When an annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks, there is a need to spread this across the year. Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday. For some ’ this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.
The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a caring and inspiring learning environment. The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large in Nottingham and many schools have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the day. Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support. Schools also have an important role in sofeguaiding children's welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils. During the long summer holidays, much of this is missed.
While teachers are holidaying in the UK, many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live. The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure on a family budget and an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.
In setting out its plans for a five-term year, Nottingham City Council (委員會)is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down lo four and a half weeks, with a more balanced five terms of roughly eight weeks, each followed by a two-week break. We believe this will give real “down time" for school staff and pupils alike but will be short enough not to cause a real break in learning.
We acknowledge that this change may be difficult for some school staff, particularly whose own children are educated in other authorities. However, this must be weighed against the benefits for city children for whom we all have the greatest duty of care.
小題1: The passage is probably written by   .
A．a(chǎn)n experienced teacherB．a(chǎn) working parent
C．a(chǎn)n inspired studentD．a(chǎn) city council member
小題2:The underlined word "they" in the second paragraph refers to "  ’.
A．environmentsB．holidaysC．wagesD．benefits
小題3:It is suggested in the passage that the summer break be reduced to.
A．2 weeksB．4.5 weeksC．5 weeksD．6 weeks
小題4:The plans for a shorter summer holiday will help students_____ .
A．obtain the cheapest holidays without additional costs
B．get a chance to spend six weeks a term with teachers in school
C．benefit more from the caring and inspiring learning environment
D．have more school days to receive free school meals
小題5:It can be inferred from the passage that   _______.
A．working parents can enjoy a five-week break to care for their children
B．the suggested plans for a five-term school year can hardly be carried out
C．the long summer holiday gives teachers and students real "down time"
D．some school staff will say “ No" to the plans for a shorter summer holiday

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Most recently, it's very common in students who need a parent present for job interviews. Naturally, it's easy to blame the students in these situations, but the bigger problem is us. We—as parents—are so eager to shelter our kids that we fail to realize that this in itself is harming them. As the mother of two young sons, I have to remind myself constantly that the biggest responsibility I have as a parent is to help them develop the skills needed to live in, to live without me. So, I'll let them fail．
I'll let them fail because as long as they are safe and warm inside their comfort zones, they will never grow. And failure along with loss, heartbreak, disappointment, etc.—will be part of growth for them. Call me the anti-tiger mom, but leaving them alone is, my way of helping them become equipped to fit in this world as we know it today. From terrorism and seemingly endless natural disasters, to our national debt and beyond, if we expect the next generation to stand up to the very real problems of our time, we need to stop feeding them and start teaching them how to fish.
My children now are becoming little masters of compromise, but they try to negotiate everything now. It's a small price to help them learn a skill they'll use for the rest of their lives, including when I don't accompany them on job interviews.
小題1:Why do parents accompany their kids on job interviews?
A．Because they want to protect their kids from difficulties．
B．Because they think they can help them on the questions．
C．Because their kids are too shy to attend interviews．
D．Because their kids strongly request them to do so．
小題2:According to the author, what is beneficial to kids' development?
A．Sheltering them．B．Keeping them safe．
C．Leaving them alone．D．Blaming them．
小題3:Why does the author stress failure in kids' life?
A．To make them stronger than other kids．
B．To help them grow in this tough world．
C．To help them develop all social skills．
D．To make them learn to compromise．
小題4:Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A．Never Shelter Your Kids
B．Let Your Kids Fail
C．Be Eager to Grow Up
D．Live Without Parents

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Combining families with kids can be tough and offers even more unexpected problems. You just don’t know how things will shake out until everyone is under one roof, trying on new roles with name that start with “step”. This is what happened to Sheila and Will, and Sheila’s 8-year-old daughter Ashley. After the couple got married, and Will became the member of the new family, things got worse than expected. How did they make it work? Read the full version of the story here.
Shelia’s Turn: When Shelia and Will were dating, he seemed like kids, especially Ashley. He’d bring her presents, play games with her. But after the wedding, things took a turn. Will suddenly became a super strict stepfather, scolding Ashley for watching too much cartoons, constantly picking fights and punishing her for offenses as small as spilling milk. Shelia’s thought about leaving Will, but soon after they married, they had a son, Billy. Will adores his well-behaved boy, but Ashley hates him. Shelia doesn’t know what to do--- her daughter is miserable, but leaving her husband might mean losing her son.
Will’s turn: Will was so excited to be a male role model in Ashley’s life. He didn’t just want to be a guy living in her house; he wanted to treat her like his own daughter, which, to Will, meant giving Ashley more rules and help her learn responsibility. He’d always felt that Shelia let Ashley loose on everything. But after the wedding, Will was surprised that Shelia didn’t want him to do that. If Will takes away Ashley’s TV privileges or tells her to clean up her room, Shelia just lets Ashley do what she likes and does it herself. Will was tired of this and he’d rather take his son and go.
The advisor’s turn: The counselor(顧問) quickly recognized their conflict as a classic case of unspoken, hidden expectations. Before the wedding, when it was just Shelia and Will, everything was easy. But now, everyone in their big family is competing for attention, and the couple never sat down and discussed the biggest issue---their child-upbringing philosophies(育兒經(jīng)). The counselor suggested Shelia allow Will to give some rules on Ashley but Will’s punishments couldn’t be extreme. Once Ashley saw that her mom and stepdad had become a united front, she cooperated more.
小題1:The text is most likely to be found in a book about______.
A．popular scienceB．historical events
C．social problemsD．political systems
小題2:The reasons for Ashley’s dislike of Will are as follows except_____?
A．Will often picked fights with Ashley.
B．Ashley often spilled milk on the floor.
C．Will always punished her for bad behaviors.
D．Ashley was stopped watching too many cartoons.
小題3:What can we know about Will?
A．Will has a good intention.
B．Will does not love children
C．Will does not love Shelia any more
D．Will’s way of parenting is very perfect.
小題4:It can be inferred from the passage that the advisor’s attitude to their problem?
A．NegativeB．ObjectiveC．CriticalD．. Subjective

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Famous centenarians (百歲老人) still active in arts, science are in no mood to retire. "Those who stand still, die," is one of Oliveira's favorite phrases. He knows from experience what it means, as the Portuguese film director has reached the age of 102 and is still active in his profession. Every year, Oliveira shoots a film and is currently working on his next project. "You have to work, work, work in order to forget that death is not far away," he said. When asked about his age, Oliveira said with some humility: "It's down to mother nature. It gave to me what it took from others."
Being both mentally and physically fit in old age is partly a matter of luck, but it also has something to do with character. Not every white-haired person is wise and social skills, openness and the ability to train the brain are essential for senior citizens.
Along with the architect Oscar Niemeyer (103), Nobel laureate Montalcini (101) and director Kurt Maetzig (100), Oliveira is one of those people of whom it would be very wrong to think as members of a listless elderly generation.
Another master in his profession is the architect Oscar Niemeyer. The 103-year-old Brazilian is best known for his futuristic-looking buildings in Brasilia, but he also speaks out on behalf of the poor. "The role of the architect is to struggle for a better world where we can develop a form of architecture that serves everyone and not just a privileged few," said Niemeyer recently. He spends almost every day working in his office in Copacabana, and even when he falls ill he keeps working on ideas: After a gallbladder (膽囊) operation he composed a samba tune (桑巴舞曲) in the clinic.
Another man who could sing a song about age is 107-year-old Heesters. The Dutch-born opera singer spent most of his life performing in Germany, where he still works. Recently Heesters said: "I want to be at least 108-years-old." He also plans to keep performing. "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?" Heesters has not given up trying to add to his tally of awards and is looking for a "good stage role".
Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who is 101-year-old and is still active in medical science, has described the force that keeps driving her on: "Progress is created through imperfection." In 1986 she and her lab colleague were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work on nerve growth factor. She's convinced that humans grow on challenges.
With so many brilliant examples given, we can see clearly that age is no barrier to some high achievers.
小題1:From the first two paragraphs, we can see ______.
A．being active at 102 is achievable for everybody
B．Oliveira owes his long life to his mother’s help
C．being fit in old age is a matter of luck and character
D．social skills and wisdom are difficult for the senior
小題2:How many centenarians are mentioned in this passage?
A．4B．5C．6D．7
小題3:By saying "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?” in Paragraph 5, Heesters shows us he ________.
A．wants to sit or lie in comfort
B．is waiting for people to pick him up
C．is willing to work till he dies
D．prefers to give performance at home
小題4:In the passage so many examples were given to show ________.
A．old age is a big problem if you want to succeed
B．a(chǎn)s a senior citizen, you have to be open-minded and optimistic
C．old people should never think of themselves as old
D．old age cannot prevent a great person from achieving a lot
小題5:In the writer’s opinion, the architect Oscar Niemeyer is not ________.
A．intelligentB．pessimisticC．positiveD．diligent

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

During the summer holidays there will be a revised schedule of services for the students. Changes for dining-room and library service hours and for bus schedules will be posted on the wall outside of the dining-hall. Weekly film and concert schedules, which are being arranged, will be posted each Wednesday outside of the student club.
In the summer holidays, buses going to the town center will leave the main hall every hour on the half hour during the day. The dining-room will serve three meals a day from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm during the week and two meals from noon to 7:00 pm on weekends. The library will continue its usual hours during the week, but have shorter hours on Saturdays and Sundays. The weekend hours are from noon to 5:00 pm.
All students who want to use the library borrowing services must have a new summer card. This announcement will also appear in the next week’s student newspaper.
小題1:The main purpose of this announcement is to ________.
A．tell students of important schedule changes
B．show the excellent services for students
C．tell students of new bus and library services
D．a(chǎn)sk students to renew their library cards
小題2:At which of the following times will the bus leave the main hall?
A．8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00B．8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30
C．8:30, 9:00, 9:30, 10:00D．8:00, 9:30, 11:00, 12:30
小題3:Times for films and concerts are not listed in this announcement because ________.
A．they are not to be announcedB．the full list is not ready
C．they are hard to arrangeD．the full list is too long
小題4: In the summer holidays, the library will have __________.
A．no special hours
B．special hours on weekdays
C．special hours on weekends
D．special hours both on weekdays and weekends
小題5:We may infer that during the summer holidays ________.
A．The library will continue its usual hours on weekdays
B．students will stay in the university
C．there will be a concert or film once a week
D．no breakfast will be served on weekends

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

If cars had wings, they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2012. The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its car-plane, the Transition, to customers by the end of 2012.
“It’s next ‘wow’ vehicle,” said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh. “Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don’t fly.”
The car-plane has wings that unfold for flying-a process the company says takes one minute-and fold back up for driving. A runway is still required to take off and land.
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both. The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.
The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly. They say it saves you the trouble from trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you’re good to go. When you land, you hold up the wings and hit the road. There are no expensive parking fees because you don’t have to store it at an airport-you park it in the garage at home.
The car-plane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers. Thrrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under the bad weather instead of flying into marginal(臨界的) conditions.
The Transition’s price tag: $194,000. But there may be additional charges for options like a radio, , a transponder or a GPS. Another option is a full-plane parachute.
“If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option.” Gersh said.
So far, the company has more than 70 orders with deposits. “We’re working very closely with them, but there are still some remaining steps,” Brown said.
小題1:We can learn from the first two paragraphs that _________.
A．car-planes will be popular in 2012-4-6
B．people might drive a car-plane in 2012
C．both the Transition and Ferrari can take off and land
D．Richard Gersh is the vice president of Massachusetts
小題2:It takes the car-plane one minute to _________.
A．fold and unfold its wingsB．unfold wings for flying
C．land in the airportD．meet flying safety regulations
小題3:According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. The car-plane needs a runway to take off and land.
B. To meet aircraft regulations, the company has been working with FAA.
C. The car-plane may fly as high as normal planes.
D. People can park the car-plane in the garage at their home.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Thousands of people began pouring into Pennsylvania from other states. They wanted to buy lottery tickets. The tickets cost only $0.9 each. But that small spending could bring them a reward of $90 million. That was the second largest lottery jackpot(積累獎(jiǎng)金)in history.
More than 87 million tickets were bought for the Pennsylvania lottery drawing. Those who bought tickets had to choose seven numbers from 1 to 80. The chance of winning was one in 9.6 million. But that little chance certainly didn’t affect ticket sales. In the last few days before the drawing, tickets were selling at the unbelievable rate of 500 per second.
Experts say many people buy lottery tickets because they just want to have a piece of the action. Others say the lottery is a stock market for poor people. It allows them to dream about wealth they’ll probably never have.
But many people believe lotteries are no better than legalized (合法化的)gambling. Some critics note that most people who play are poor and may not be able to afford the tickets. There are also many addicts who take the game seriously. They may pour their life savings into lottery tickets. Some clubs have been formed to help them kick the habit.
Politicians like lotteries because they provide money that would otherwise have to come from new taxes. The profits from lotteries are usually used to pay for education or programs for senior citizens. But critics say this arrangement just allows states to legalize vice(惡習(xí)), under the name of social progress.
No matter whether you regard state lotteries right or not, you cannot refuse to accept their extreme popularity with many Americans.
小題1:The main idea of the passage is that __________.
A．lotteries are of great benefit to everyone who buys them
B．playing a lottery is just like investing in the stock market
C．a(chǎn) lot of people buy lottery tickets, but lotteries cause disagreement
D．lotteries are just legalized vice
小題2:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Politicians like lotteries because they don’t have to pay extra tax.
B．The popularity of lotteries in America actually is social progress.
C．Some critics don’t like lotteries because many poor people waste their money on them.
D．People love the lottery because it is a stock market.
小題3:In just one hour in the last few days, the Pennsylvania lottery sold tickets totaling_______.
A．$1.62 millionB．$90 millionC．$9.6 millionD．$87 million
小題4:People who are addicted to playing lotteries should _________.
A．join a clubB．kick the habit
C．win the PennsylvaniaD．save every cent

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When middle-aged Alex gave up his job and made up his mind to become a self-employed writer, no one could tell surely whether he would succeed or not．He found a cold storage room in a building, set up a used typewriter and settled down to work．
After a year or so, however, Alex began to doubt himself．He found it was difficult to earn his living by selling what he wrote．But Alex determined to put his dream to the test-even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure．This is the shadow land （虛幻世界） of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there．
One day Alex got a call, "We need an assistant, and we're paying $ 6,000 a year．" $ 6,000 was real money in 1960．It would enable Alex to get a nice apartment, a used car and more．Besides, he could write in his spare time．As the dollars were dancing in Alex's head, something cleared his senses．He had dreamed of being a fulltime writer．"Thanks, but no," Alex said firmly and swiftly.
After Alex got off the phone, he pulled out everything he had: two cans of vegetables and 18 cents．Alex put the cans and cents into a paper bag, saying to himself," There's everything you've made of yourself so far．I'm not sure I ever felt so low．"
Finally his work was published in 1970．Instantly he had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever experience．The shadows had turned into focus of attention．
Then one day, Alex found a box filled with things he had owned years before．Inside was a paper bag with two cans and 18 cents．Suddenly he pictured himself working in that cold storage room．It reminds Alex, and anyone with a dream, of the courage and persistence （堅(jiān)毅） it takes to stay the course (堅(jiān)持到底)in the shadow land．
小題1:Why did Alex give up his job?
A．Because he didn't like the working conditions．
B．Because he couldn't earn enough to make a living．
C．Because he felt he had no potential in his job．
D．Because he wanted to be a full-time writer．
小題2:What did Alex express when he answered the call?
A．He refused the job offer．
B．He was willing to give them a hand．
C．He expected them to pay him more money．
D．He would write in his spare time．
小題3:What kind of person is Alex?
A．Determined．B．Modest．C．Shy．D．Brave．
小題4:Which of the following can be the best title of the passage ?
A．Look before you leap．B．Two heads are better, than one．
C．Hold on to your dream, and it will come true．D．A bird in hand is worth two in the bush．

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