The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological disaster area. Nauru’s heartbreaking story could have one good consequence — other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru’s real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate (磷酸鹽)on the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which a very important fertilizer for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine. When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Strip mining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem — their phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen.
小題1:What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A．To seek help for Nauru’s problems.
B．To give a warning to other countries
C．To show the importance of money
D．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war.
小題2:What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?
A．Rich and powerful B．Modern and open
C．Peaceful and attractive D．Greedy and aggressive
小題3:The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from _______.
A．soil pollutionB．phosphate overmining
C．farming activity D．whale hunting
小題4:Which of the following was a cause of Nauru’s financial problem?
A．Its leaders misused the money
B．It spent too much repairing the island
C．Its phosphate mining cost much money
D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war.
小題5:What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?
A．The ecological damage is difficult to repair.
B．The leaders will take the experts’ words seriously.
C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans
D．The phosphate mines were destroyed

小題1:B
小題2:C
小題3:B
小題4:A
小題5:A
本文是一篇記敘文。太平洋島國瑙魯曾經(jīng)是一個美麗富饒的海島，但是，由于內(nèi)戰(zhàn)和島上磷酸鹽礦的過度開采，很快使之成為一個生態(tài)災(zāi)難的貧瘠的海島。作者寫這一駭人聽聞的故事，旨在提醒其他國家要引以為戒。
小題1:考查作者寫作意圖。根據(jù)第一段Nauru’s heartbreak story could have one good consequence—other countries might learn from its mistakes.可知，作者認(rèn)為瑙魯?shù)墓适驴梢宰屍渌麌覐乃麄兊腻e誤中學(xué)到一些東西，作者的目的是警示其他國家。
小題2:考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。根據(jù)第二段中的…lived on the remote island of Nauru和第五段最后一句中的Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon可知，瑙魯以前是一個平靜美麗的小島。
小題3:考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。瑙魯島上的生態(tài)災(zāi)難是因為對磷酸鹽的過度開采。由第五段中的Strip-mining totally destroy the island和Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon可知B正確。
小題4:考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。由第七段中的Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollar可知，領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人投資的不明智，加上還要把更多的錢用在個人消費上，所以導(dǎo)致了財政問題。
小題5:考查判斷推理。根據(jù)文中最后一段的“Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen. ”可知，瑙魯?shù)纳鷳B(tài)災(zāi)難幾乎很難恢復(fù)。所以A正確。
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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

Americans love dogs, all types of dogs: small dogs, big dogs, lapdogs (供玩賞的小狗). Each year, people spend billions of dollars on their four-legged pals, making sure the lovable dogs have enough food to eat and lots of toys to play with.
Dogs love people, too. They lick their faces, protect their homes. Where did these four-legged companions come from? Some scientists believe that they have found the answer.
Scientists have long known that dogs evolved from（演化） wolves. Exactly when the transformation from wolf to dog actually took place, however, remains a mystery.
Some said dogs evolved as a separate species 135,000 years ago in two parts of the world. One group of dogs developed in Europe and Asia from Asian wolves. The other group evolved in North, Central, and South America from American wolves.
Now researchers say those theories are wrong. New studies suggest that domesticated dogs first appeared 15,000 years ago in eastern Asia. Scientists also say that every modern dog descended from approximately five female Asian wolves, the mother of all modern dogs.
Scientists suspect dogs first set paws in North America by following settlers across a land bridge that once linked northern Asia and North America.
小題1:According to recent studies, all modern dogs came from female wolves in ______.
A．AsiaB．Africa
C．EuropeD．South America
小題2:From this story, we can conclude that _______.
A．dogs are scientists’ best friends
B．dogs are more like wolves than they are like any other animal
C．most dogs are from Africa
D．scientists have no idea how dogs evolved
小題3:The underlined word “domesticated” means “_______”.
A．tamedB．indoorC．intelligentD．friendly
小題4:The best title for this story might be ______.
A．Why Cats Don’t Like Dogs
B．Barking up the Wrong Tree
C．Love Me, Love My Dog
D．Going from Wolf to Dog

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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

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


If you feel at present that you don’t have enough friends in your life, one reason may be that you have let yourself become too busy to make time for the relationships you already have. Starting and keeping friendship require effort and commitment(責(zé)任，義務(wù)，承諾).
Many of us let our lives become so busy with work and other commitments that we don’t get around to scheduling time for pleasure and renewal (敘舊) with the friends, relatives and acquaintances we already have.
Making the effort to call your friends more regularly and to accept more of the invitations you receive from others can improve your social life in a hurry!
Are there any people you could call right now and be assured of a pleasant welcome? Are there people that you could depend on to help you in time of difficulty? Can you have close talks with them? Do you have fun when you are together? Are you happy to have them in your life?
If you haven’t seen much of them lately, is it because you have become too busy? Have you grown apart? Was there an argument?
If the main reason you haven’t been getting together with the people you already know is that you have gotten too busy, take a good look at how you spend your time. Compare it with your real values and priorities(優(yōu)先考慮的事) in life. Is your busy lifestyle really bringing you the quality of life that you want?
If you have become too busy for friends, why has this happened? Are you seeking material joys in your life at the expense of relationships with other human beings? Have you allowed your time to be over-committed because you never say ‘‘No” to anyone? Do you insist on doing things yourself that could be delegated to others? If so, why? Do you believe that everything depends on you?
Examine whether the way you are now spending your time exactly reflects your deepest values and priorities. Make sure that you schedule enough time for the things that are truly most important to you.
If you really want to keep friends in your life, make a space in your schedule, and a space in your heart for them.
小題1:In this passage the author mainly discusses ______.
A．how to balance friendship and work
B．how to spend our spare time
C．whether we should keep friendship
D．whether we should invite friends to dinner
小題2:What does the underlined word “delegated” probably mean?
A．a(chǎn)ppointed (分派)B．replacedC．reducedD．handled
小題3:The reason why you have become too busy for friends may be the following except that ______.
A．you spend too much time seeking material joys in your life
B．you feel it difficult to keep friendship
C．you stick to doing everything all by yourself
D．you never refuse whatever other people ask you to do
小題4:Which would be the best title for the text?
A．Too busy for Friendship?B．Too busy with work?
C．How to Spend Your TimeD．How to Make New Friends

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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

They like using the Internet. They have lots of pocket money to spend. And they spend a higher proportion of it online than the rest of us. Teenagers are just the sort of people an online seller is interested in, and the things they want to buy－games, CDs and clothing－are easily sold on the Web.
But paying online is a tricky business for consumers who are too young to own credit cards. Most have to use a parent’s card. They want a facility that allows them to spend money.
That may come sooner than they think: new ways to take pocket money into cyber (網(wǎng)絡(luò)的) space are coming out rapidly on both sides of the Atlantic. If successful, these products can stimulate online sales.
In general, teenagers spend huge amounts: $153bn (billion) in the US last year and ￡20bn annually in the UK. Most teenagers have access to the Internet at home or at school－88 percent in the US, 69 percent in the UK. According to the Jupiter Research, one in eight of those with Internet access has bought something online－mainly CDs and books.
In most cases, parents pay for these purchases with credit cards, an arrangement that is often unsatisfactory for them and their children. Pressing parents to spend online is less productive than pressing on the high street. They are more likely to ask “Why?” if you ask to spend some money online.
One way to help teenagers change notes and coins into cybercash is through prepaid cards such as InternetCash in the US and Smart cards in the UK. Similar to those for pay-as-you-go mobile telephones, they are sold in amounts such as￡20 or $50 with a concealed 14-digit number that can be used to load the cash into an online account.
小題1: What does the word “They” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A．Sellers.B．Buyers.C．Teenagers.D．Parents.
小題2:According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．More than half of the teenagers in the US and the UK have Internet access.
B．Teenagers pay for goods online with their own credit cards.
C．Most teenagers in the US and the UK have bought something online.
D．Teenagers found it easier to persuade parents to buy online than in a shop.
小題3:New way to help teenagers shop online is to use ______.
A．a(chǎn) new machineB．special coins and notes
C．prepaid cardsD．pay-as-you-go mobile phones
小題4:What is the passage mainly about?
A．Online shopping traps.B．Internet users in the US and the UK.
C．New credit cards for parents.D．The arrival of cyber pocket money.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There are many older people in the world and there will be many more. A little-known fact is that over 60 percent of the older people live in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, by 2020 there will be 1 billion, with over 700 million living in developing countries.
　It is a surprising fact that the population aging is particularly rapid in developing countries. For example, it took France 115 years for the rate of older people to double from 7 percent to 14 percent. It is estimated to take China a mere 27 years to achieve this same increase.
　What are the implications of these increased numbers of older folk? One of the biggest worries for governments is that the longer people live, the more likelihood there is for diseases and for disability. Attention is being paid to the need to keep people as healthy as possible, including during old age, to lessen the financial burden on the state.
　Another significant problem is the need for the younger generations to understand and value the older people in their society. In some African countries, certainly in Asia, older people are respected and regarded as the ones with special knowledge. Yet traditions are fading away daily, which does not make sure the continued high regard of older people. As society changes, attitudes will change.
　Much needs to be done to get rid of age discrimination in employment. Life-long learning programs need to be provided to enable older people to be active members in a country’s development.
　Social security policies need to be established to provide adequate income protection for older people. Both public and private schemes are vital in order to build a suitable safety net.
小題1:The rate of older people________.
A. is bigger in developed countries than in developing countries
B. B. is one-seventh of the population in developing countries
C. C. will increase much faster in China than in France
D. D. will be sixty percent in developing countries by 2020
2.According to passage, which of the following are governments most worried 
About______.
A. The diseases and disability of older people. 
B. The longer life and good health of people. 
C. The loss of taxes on older people. 
D. The increasing respect for older people.
小題2: It is stated directly in the passage that older people should ________.
A．be treated differently in different cultures
B．enjoy a similar lifestyle
C．be ignored as society changes
D．be valued by the younger generations
小題3:Which of the following measure is NOT mentioned to solve the population aging problem?
A．Getting rid of age discrimination in employment.
B．Supplying life-long learning programs to older people.
C．Making sure adequate income protection for older people.
D．Providing free health care for sick older people.
小題4:The author concludes in the last paragraph that ________.
A．governments have spent lots of time in solving the aging problem
B．population aging is a hard problem, but it needs to be solved urgently
C．people are too busy to solve the population aging problem
D．much time and effort will be lost in solving the aging problem

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