While success is surely sweeter than failure, it seems failure is a far better teacher, and organizations that fail miserably often flourish (繁榮) more in the long run, according to a new study by Vinit Desai, assistant professor of management at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. Researchers have found that people missing their goals perform much better in the long run. That is because they gain more knowledge from their failures than their successes and the lessons are more likely to stay longer in their minds.
“We found that the knowledge gained from success was often fleeting while knowledge from failure stuck around for years,” said professor Desai, who led the study. “But companies often ignore failure. Managers may fire people or turn over the whole workforce while they should treat the failure as a learning opportunity.”
Prof Desai compared the flights of the space shuttle Atlantis and the Challenger. During the Atlantis flight last year, a piece of insulation (絕緣體) broke off and damaged the left solid rocket booster (助推火箭) but didn’t influence the program. There was little investigation. The Challenger was launched next and another piece of insulation broke off. This time the shuttle and its seven–person crew were destroyed. The disaster led to a major investigation resulting in 29 changes to prevent future disasters.
The difference in response in the two cases came down to this: Atlantis was considered a success and the Challenger a failure.
“Despite crowded skies, airlines are extremely reliable,” he said. “The number of failures is extremely small. And past researches have shown that older airlines, those with more experience in failure, have a lower number of accidents.”
Prof Desai doesn’t recommend finding out failure in order to learn. Instead, he advises organizations to analyze small failures to collect useful information rather than wait for major failures.
小題1: Why did experts pay little attention to the problem of Atlantis?
A．Because it worked perfectly.
B．Because the right booster was still OK.
C．Because nothing serious happened then.
D．Because fewer people died in the flight.
小題2:Fewer accidents happen to older airlines in that ________.
A．their planes couldn’t fly high in the sky
B．they gained much from experience in failure
C．their planes were often checked by the experts
D．they were unpopular among passengers
小題3:The passage is written mainly to ________.
A．show failure is a better teacher than success
B．explain why Challenger failed
C．introduce something about Prof Desai
D．tell managers how to achieve success
小題4: Which writing strategy is NOT used in developing the passage?
A．Giving definitions.
B．Making comparisons.
C．Analyzing causes.
D．Providing different examples.

小題1:C
小題2:B
小題3:A
小題4:A

試題分析:本文是一篇說明文，說明了盡管成功比失敗甜美，但是失敗更像一個(gè)好老師，從失敗中得到教訓(xùn)比較多，對成功和失敗進(jìn)行比較、分析原因，舉例說明
小題1:細(xì)節(jié)題，由第三段第二行a piece of insulation (絕緣體) broke off and damaged the left solid rocket booster (助推火箭) but didn’t influence the program可以知道答案，故選C。
小題2:細(xì)節(jié)題。由最后一段第三行those with more experience in failure,可以知道答案，所以選B。
小題3:推理題，由本文的主要意思“失敗是個(gè)很好的老師”，所以選A
小題4:推理題，本文對成功和失敗進(jìn)行比較、分析原因，舉例說明，沒有下定義，所以選A
點(diǎn)評：做細(xì)節(jié)題的關(guān)鍵是找出原文的根據(jù)，認(rèn)真核查題支和原文的異同，常犯錯(cuò)誤有：絕對化語言，范圍擴(kuò)大或縮小，以偏概全，張冠李戴等。推斷題測試考生在閱讀基礎(chǔ)上的邏輯推理能力，要求考生根據(jù)文章所述事件的邏輯關(guān)系，對未說明的趨勢或結(jié)局作出合理的推斷；或根據(jù)作者所闡述的觀點(diǎn)理論，對文章未涉及的現(xiàn)象、事例給以解釋�？忌紫纫屑�(xì)閱讀短文，完整了解信息，準(zhǔn)確把握作者觀點(diǎn)。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In the computer age, most of us take a broadband（寬帶）Internet connection for granted. Whether cable or mobile broadband, today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.
There’s a catch, of course: You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t, it’s slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out, there may be no Internet access at all.
Technology experts often talk about the “l(fā)ast mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs, it’s relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in developing countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely (稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere.
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables (光纖電纜) promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.
Still, the “l(fā)ast mile” problem remains hard to deal with. There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication (跡象), it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.
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A．a(chǎn) rare challengeB．a(chǎn) desirable planC．a(chǎn)n efficient deviceD．a(chǎn) hidden problem
小題2:What can we know from the third paragraph?
A．Internet connection has not been popular in most cities.
B．Internet service providers care about rural（農(nóng)村的）customers.
C．Computer is popular in developing countries.
D．It is hard to bring Internet access to users in remote areas.
小題3:Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements _____.
A．make TV and telephone available everywhere
B．bring great change to people’s everyday life
C．make it possible for more people to use the Internet
D．bring faster Internet connections to users
小題4:What may eventually settle the “l(fā)ast mile” problem?
A．The broadband connection’s getting faster.
B．More and more Internet users.
C．more and more Internet connections.
D．The rapid progress in cell phone technology.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

閱讀下面短文并回答問題（請注意問題后的詞數(shù)要求）。
When your toothbrush is at the end of its days, don’t just throw it away, as a survey has revealed many other uses for an old toothbrush.
The survey was carried out by the Dental Health Foundation to promote National Smile Month and more than 1, 000 people participated in the survey. It found that more than four in every five people re-use their toothbrush for another purpose.
Four in ten people use an old toothbrush to brush bathroom tiles (瓷磚), and almost a third use it to clean kitchen appliances. More than a quarter of those questioned use old toothbrushes to clean jewellery, and roughly one in every five use them for shining shoes. Some other uses for toothbrushes include cleaning bikes, computer keyboards, toilet seats, fish tanks and finger nails.
The survey also found that the age of the owner can determine what happens to a toothbrush after it is not suitable to be used to brush teeth any more. People over 75 are three times more likely to re-use their toothbrush for a different purpose than those between the ages of 16 and 34 and twice more likely than those between 35 and 44.
Additionally,           to reuse their toothbrush for chores (日�，嵤�) and other uses than their male counterparts. Some women admitted to using their toothbrush to apply hair dye (染料)while some men said they used an old toothbrush to clean their dog’s teeth.
Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said, “We all should get through around four toothbrushes every year if we are to keep our oral health in great condition. Generally people don’t change their toothbrushes often enough, but there are still plenty of toothbrushes
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小題1:What would be the best title for the passage? (no more than 10 words)
                                                                                    
小題2:What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 2 probably refer to? (no more than 2 words)
                                                                                  
小題3:What percentage of people use old toothbrushes to shine their shoes? (no more than 4 words)
                                                                                   
小題4:Complete the following statement with proper words. (no more than 3 words)
The results of the survey also showed that whether a toothbrush is reused after it’s replaced can be determined by       the owner is.
小題5:Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)
                                                                              

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It was a cold evening and my daughter and I were walking up Broadway. I didn’t notice a guy sitting inside a cardboard box. But Nora did. She wasn’t even four, but she  36  at my coat and said, “That man’s cold. Daddy,  37  we take him home?”
I don’t remember my reply. But I do remember a sudden  38  feeling inside me. I had always been delighted at how much my daughter noticed in her  39 , whether it was  40  in flight or children playing. But now she was noticing  41  and beggary.
A few days later, I saw an article in the newspaper about volunteers who picked up a food package from a nearby school on a Sunday morning and  42  it to an elderly person. It was quick and easy. I  43  us up. Nora was  44  about it. She could understand the importance of food, so she could easily see how  45  our job was. When Sunday came, she was ready, but I had to  46  myself to leave the house. On the way to the school, I fought an urge to turn  47 . The Sunday paper and coffee were waiting at home. Why do this?  48 , we phoned the elderly person we’d been appointed. She  49  us right over.
The building was in a sad state. Facing us was a silver-haired woman in an old dress. She took the package and asked us to come in. Nora ran inside. I unwillingly followed. 50  inside, I saw that the department belonged to someone poor. Our hostess showed us some photos. Nora played and when it came time to say goodbye, we three hugged, I walked home in tears.
Professionals call such a(n)  51  “a volunteer opportunity”. They are opportunities, I’ve come to see. Where else but as volunteers do you have opportunity to do something  52  that’s good for others as well as for yourself? Nora and I regularly serve to needy people and  53  clothes for the homeless. Yet, as I’ve  54  her grow over these past four years, I still wonder—which of us has  55  more?
小題1:
A．pulledB．glancedC．wavedD．a(chǎn)imed
小題2:
A．would B．canC．needD．must
小題3:
A．general B．trueC．heavyD．curious
小題4:
A．a(chǎn)reaB．partC．eyesightD．world
小題5:
A．insects B．dogsC．a(chǎn)nimalsD．birds
小題6:
A．coldness B．illnessC．sufferingD．ignorance
小題7:
A．delivered B．returnedC．devotedD．posted
小題8:
A．held B．hurriedC．signedD．lined
小題9:
A．casual B．sorryC．a(chǎn)stonishedD．excited
小題10:
A．creativeB．valuableC．shockingD．simple
小題11:
A．warn B．stopC．a(chǎn)llowD．push
小題12:
A．backB．a(chǎn)wayC．upD．out
小題13:
A．ThereforeB．ObviouslyC．StillD．Also
小題14:
A．called B．promisedC．invitedD．helped
小題15:
A．AsB．OnceC．BecauseD．Though
小題16:
A．stayB．visitC．a(chǎn)dventureD．challenge
小題17:
A．fairB．famous C．difficultD．enjoyable
小題18:
A．collectB．make C．orderD．wear
小題19:
A．letB．madeC．watchedD．noticed
小題20:
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

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While it’s well known that our bones need calcium, some studies suggest that high calcium intake doesn’t necessarily lower a person’s risk for fractures（骨折）. A Harvard study found that people who drank two or more glasses of milk had no greater protection from breaking a bone than those who drank a glass or less a week.
There is no doubt that we need calcium. Some anti-dairy supporters claim dairy products can lead to heart disease. Much of this claim is based on high-fat dairy products, like cheese and cream, which may indeed lead to some health problems. Some studies have linked high milk intakes with a risk of prostate cancer; this seems also to be caused by high-fat dairy products, but not by dairy products in general.
Although milk has always been regarded as the most important thing we need for our bones, one of the most important things in strengthening bones and reducing the risk of osteoporosis（骨質(zhì)疏松）is weight-bearing exercise, such as jogging, walking, and weight lifting.
Perhaps we should think of dairy products as less like a nutrient and more like a food. If you like it, eat it. If not, find something else to eat. Some claims may not be completely true. When I eat cream, I’m not thinking about calcium, protein, or any such thing. I’m thinking it is delicious.
小題1:What is the best title for this passage?
A．Milk: is it really necessary for children?B．The disadvantages of drinking milk.
C．Milk causes health problems.D．Milk: is it really good for the body?
小題2:For people who want to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, we can infer that the writer may suggest that they ________.
A．a(chǎn)void milk with Vitamin D and Vitamin A added
B．spend some time exercising
C．take in as much calcium as possible
D．drink more than two glasses of milk every day
小題3:Based on the passage, we learn the writer may agree that ________.
A．milk is the most important thing that we need for our bones
B．children should not be permitted to eat cream
C．milk should be considered more like a food than a nutrient
D．children should drink milk whether they like it or not
小題4:What can we learn from the passage?
A．Some dairy products may harm our health.
B．Milk has the highest level of protein of any food.
C．The writer seldom drank milk when he was young
D．People who drink milk every day are at a high risk of getting a heart disease.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In most developed countries the government provides free education for children because it realizes that educated citizens are useful to the country in their later life. Most countries also have private (私立的)education. This means that parents can pay to send their children to certain schools. People who agree with this system say that it gives parents a larger choice of schools. Other people think that private schools give the children who go to them an unfair advantage over other children.
At the age of three, many children go to nursery school. Two or three years later, they enter a primary school. At the age of 11 they go to a secondary school. Then they may have a chance .of continuing their studies at a university or college.
Universities and colleges are places where some young people go to continue their education after leaving school. Most university students study one main subject, though they may also study a number of others. Teaching is usually by lectures, or by discussions between a lecturer and students.
Most students stay at university for three or four years. At the end of that, they take an examination. If they pass, they receive their Bachelor’s degree, usually a BA, which is short for Bachelor of Arts, or a BS for Bachelor of Science. Some students study for several more years in order to get higher degree, such as a MA or a PhD
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小題1:The passage mainly tells us_______.
A Something about the private schools in developed countries
B. How developed countries pay attention to education
C. Some general information about education in developed countries
Why education is important
小題2: Why do most developed countries provide free education to children?
A．Because the children don’t have money to go to school.
B．Because the government want their citizens to be useful to the country.
C．Because education doesn’t cost the country too much money.
D．Because there are not enough private schools.
小題3:In the first paragraph the underlined word “citizen” refer to________.
A．the citiesB．members of a country
C．the childrenD．people who lives in cities
小題4:Which of the following statement is true according to the passage?
All the university students study one subject.
After studying at the university for three or four years, all the students can get a Bachelor’s degree.
C. Students usually receive a master’s degree before receiving a Bachelor’s degree.
D. Unlike university, colleges usually teach students some useful skills for a career

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Some years ago industries had more freedom than they have now, and they did not need to be as careful as they must today. They did not need to worry a lot about the safety of the new products that they developed. They did not have to pay much attention to the health and safety of the people who worked for them. Often new products were dangerous for the people who used them; often conditions in the work place had very bad effects on the health of the workers.
Of course sometimes there were real disasters which attracted the attention of governments and which showed the need for changes. Also scientists who were doing research into the health of workers sometimes produced information which governments could not ignore. At such times, they inquire into the causes of the disasters or the problems. New safety rules were often introduced as a result of these inquiries; however. the new rules came too late to protect the people who died or who became seriously ill.
Today many governments have special departments which protect customers and workers．In the U.S, for example, there is a department which tests new airplanes and gives warnings about possible problems. It also makes the rules that aircraft producers must follow. Another department controls the foods and drugs that companies sell. A third department looks at the places where people work. and then reports any companies that are breaking the laws which protect the health and safety of workers. Of course, new government departments and new laws cannot prevent every accident or illness. but they are having some good results. Our work places are safer and cleaner than before. The planes and cars which we use for travel are better. Producers are thinking more about the safety and health of the people who buy and use their products.
小題1:The main topic of the passage is ___________________________________________.
A．conditions in the work placeB．the freedom of industries in the past
C．changes in industrial productionD．the safety and health of workers and customers
小題2:It can be inferred from the passage that in the past __________________________.
A．workers often got ill because of the poor working conditions
B．companies were free to put out any products they wanted to
C．many people were killed by dangerous products
D．industries were as careful in management as they are today
小題3:It is implied (暗示) in the passage that ________________________________________.
A．governments and companies had different opinions about the safety of products
B．governments paid little attention to the safety of products
C．government officials often did not listen to scientists
D．in the past no safety laws were introduced by governments

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A new study says one part of the human brain may become smaller as the result of a condition known as jet lag. Jet lag results from flying long distances in an airplane. People with jet lag may feel extremely tired for several days. They may also have problems thinking clearly and remembering.
Recently a researcher at the University of Bristol in Britain reported the findings of his jet lag study, which involved twenty young women who worked for international airlines. They had served passengers on airplanes for five years. These flight attendants flew across many countries and at least seven time zones. In the study, the flight attendants had different amounts of time to recover from jet lag. Half the women spent five days or fewer in their home areas between long flights. The other half spent more than fourteen days in their home areas.
The researcher took some saliva from the women”s mouths to measure levels of a hormone(荷爾蒙) that increases during stress(緊張). He tested them to see if they could remember where black spots appeared on a computer screen. And he took pictures of their brains to measure the size of the brain”s temporal lobes(腦葉).
It was found that the women who had less time between flights had smaller right temporal lobes. This area of the brain deals with recognizing and remembering what is seen. The same group performed worse and had slower reaction times on the visual memory test. And their saliva samples showed higher levels of stress hormones.
The researcher believes the brain needs at least ten days to recover after a long trip. He says airline workers told him their ability to remember got worse after working on planes for about four years. Other studies have shown that increased feelings of stress can cause a loss of cells in the part of the brain that controls memory.
Scientists say more tests are needed to study the effects of jet lag on the brain. They want to find out if too much jet lag could permanently (永久性的) affect memory.
小題1:According to the text, jet lag .
  1. can cause difficulties in speaking
  2. can make people feel tired for a few weeks
  3. can be only found in flight attendants
  4. can be caused by flying over several time zones
小題2:It can be inferred from the text that .
  1. the conclusion is refused by many scientists
  2. scientists fear that this research is not done properly
  3. the scientific conclusion needs the support from many tests
  4. every women who were examined in the research were mot healthy
小題3:From the result of the research we can see that .
  1. the women who have longer rest at home show better memory
  2. the women who fly in short time have smaller right temporal lobes
  3. the women who have longer flights fail the memory test
  4. the women who rest more than 14 days produce less hormones
小題4:What is the subject discussed in the text?
  1. The cause of jet lag.
  2. A story of a group of flight attendants.
  3. The importance of having enough rest after flights.
  4. A research about the effects of jet lag on the brain.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Many of us don’t like what we see around us but the last thing we do is to change it. I think that is the beginning of failure and that is why what we hate remains around us. If you don’t want to see things around you, don’t just hope it’ll change.
We have such an amazing power of creativity inside us to change the way things work around us. Only lazy people go about and say that is the way things have been working. I’ve come to discover that things around us depend on our actions and inactions. What I mean is that the circumstances that we like depend only on the things we do and the things we don’t do.
Do you want your country to change? Start by changing the small things around you. Before you think too far about any small thing to change, your habit should be the first thing to change. Change what you think about and talk about. Can you remember how difficult it was for you to break a habit that you desired to break some years back? If so, then you must accept that things aren’t just going to change by a magic thought. If it isn’t so easy to change yourself when you want to, it isn’t going to be so easy to change the people around you.
I think the best way I’ve changed people around me is that I changed myself. When you change, they’ll change. Just change yourself and see how many people will tell you later that you are the one who changes them. That’s one simple way young people can change their nations.
小題1: According to the text, why do we fail to change what we don’t like? _______
A．Because we lack the power of creativity.
B．Because we never plan to change them.
C．Because they cannot be changed.
D．Because we don’t have the ability.
小題2:The author can change people around him because he has realized that 　　　　.
A．things around us decide what we do
B．the further you think, the better
C．his actions can affect things around him
D．he has to change the nation first
小題3:The third paragraph aims at 　　　　.
A．telling readers one of the author’s interesting experiences
B．giving an example to show how to change things around us
C．showing readers how to change a nation
D．a(chǎn)sking us to remember to change our nation
小題4:What can we learn from the text? ________
A．Circumstance creates a person.
B．It is never too late to change your habits.
C．A long journey begins with the first step.
D．Changing ourselves means changing others.

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