閱讀理解

　　A “dark horse” is one that shows unexpected racing speed and comes in first, even though the experts said he had little chance of winning.

　　In politics, an unknown candidate(候選人)for office who wins a nomination(提名)or election is called a “dark horse”.British Prime Minister Benjamin Disrael is believed to have been the first to use the phrase. In his novel, “The Young Duke”, published in 1831. Disrael described a horse race and told how the two top choices fell behind, while “a dark horse” which had never been thought of rushing past the grandstand (看臺(tái))in a sweeping triumph. From racing to politics was a short step. As a political phrase, "dark horse" appeared for the first time in the national Democratic Party congress of 1844. The. “dark horse” was James Knox Polk who be－e the 11th President of the United States.

　　Polk had been the leader of the House of Representatives from 1835 to 1839．He had also been Governor of the state of Tennessee. But as a national leader, he was considered a political nobody. Nevertheless, he surprisingly won the Democratic nomination and was elected President.

　　Martin Van Buren of New York, a former President, seemed sure of getting the nomination. But he opposed making the territory of Texas part of the United States as another state. He was against it because there was slavery in Texas. Van Buren did not want another slave state in the Union. As a result, he lost support among those Democrats who supported slavery.

　　At the 1884 congress, Van Buren could not get enough votes to win the nomination. The congress got into trouble. Therefore, the Democratic leaders decided that the only wise thing would be to run a “dark horse”, a man who could unite the party.

　　And so, one of the party leaders, George Bancroft, proposed the name of James Knox Polk. He won, and the party united behind him. And he defeated his opponent, Henry Clay of the Whig Party. After the 1844 congress, the “dark horse” candidates became an established fact of national political life.

　　One historian said, “The invention of the dark horse was in itself a remarkable product of our professional politics.” This made it possible for party leaders to choose candidates who were not tied to certain ideas. Therefore, they represented nothing and had developed few enemies.

1．The term “dark horse” is often used to refer to ________.

[　　]

A．a(chǎn) horse that can be in the lead all the time

B．a(chǎn) horse that can attracts attention for its dark color

C．a(chǎn) person that people think the first to succeed

D．a(chǎn) person who achieves some goal unexpectedly

2．The author introduced the novel “The young Duke” with the intention that ________.

[　　]

A．he would come to tell us about a "dark horse" in politics

B．he would point out how the nobleman appreciated horse racing

C．he would tell us how the dark horse rushed past the two top horses

D．he would describe the fierce competition in the party

3．The failure of Martin Van Buren in the nomination lay in the fact that ________.

[　　]

A．he opposed the territory of Texas becoming a part of the United States

B．he had already been president of the United States for four years

C．he couldn't get support from the Democrats who would keep slavery

D．he had made few achievements during his presidency

4．According to the author, Polk's being nominated and elected President is considered entirely ________.

[　　]

A．a(chǎn) good choice
B．a(chǎn) lucky chance
C．a(chǎn) difficult process
D．a(chǎn)n expected result

5．Nominating a candidate sometimes needs the invention of the dark horse. But it's only when ________.

[　　]

A．everyone in one party wouldn't make any enemies

B．there is quite a different point between groups of party members

C．each one in one party sticks to his idea

D．a(chǎn)ll the party members were not tied to certain ideas

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科目：高中英語 來源：名師伴讀高中英語二年級(jí)上 題型：050

閱讀理解

　　New York , May 25?　　 Millions of volunteers (志愿者)joined in a long chain spreading 4 125 miles across the world's richest nation Sunday and burst into songs , reaching the highest development in the Hands Across America road to raise 50 million for the nation's homeless and hungry.

　　

　　The chain began with a 6-year-old homeless girl named Amy in New York's Buttery Park. It spread across 16 states and Washington, D.C. where it crossed the White House　　 to the Queen Mary's port in California. The last people in the line were Bill and Mary Jones and their five small children, who lived in a family shelter (收容所) for the homeless in Venice, California.

　　

　　The chain was not unbroken some gaps were planned for safety, others opened where there were not enough people to cover the ground. But along most of the route, the healthy joined the sick, beautiful film stars , homeless beggars , wealthy artists , poor children and President and Mrs Regan all took places in the long line.

　　

　　

1．What is the main idea of the passage?

　　

[　　]

　　 　　

A．Millions of volunteers support the poor.

　　 　　

B．The longest line is waiting for support.

　　 　　

C．The homeless and poor need help.

　　 　　

D．The richest nation faces the problem.　　 　　 　　

2．The underlined word “raise” in the first paragraph means _______.

　　

[　　]

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　
　　

A．try to lift

　　

B．manage to collect

　　

C．bring up

　　

D．join up

　　 　　 　　

3．From the article, we know that the volunteers were made up of ________.

　　

[　　]

　　 　　 　　

A．both the homeless and the poor

　　

B．the government officials, including President Regan

　　

C．people in every field

　　

D．people of 16 states except Amy

　　 　　 　　

4．What do you think of the people in the chain spreading 4 125 miles?

　　

[　　]

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　
　　

A．They were hand in hand.

　　

B．They were in good order.

　　

C．They were troublesome.

　　

D．They were planned for safety.

　　 　　 　　

5．Although the United States is a developed country, ________.

　　

[　　]

　　 　　 　　

A．there is still a rebellion sometimes.

　　

B．there is still many people waiting for jobs

　　

C．there are still some family shelters

　　 　　 　　 　　

D．there are still many social problems to be solved.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：053

閱讀理解

　　New York , May 25?　　 Millions of volunteers (志愿者)joined in a long chain spreading 4 125 miles across the world's richest nation Sunday and burst into songs , reaching the highest development in the Hands Across America road to raise 50 million for the nation's homeless and hungry.

　　

　　The chain began with a 6-year-old homeless girl named Amy in New York's Buttery Park. It spread across 16 states and Washington, D.C. where it crossed the White House　　 to the Queen Mary's port in California. The last people in the line were Bill and Mary Jones and their five small children, who lived in a family shelter (收容所) for the homeless in Venice, California.

　　

　　The chain was not unbroken some gaps were planned for safety, others opened where there were not enough people to cover the ground. But along most of the route, the healthy joined the sick, beautiful film stars , homeless beggars , wealthy artists , poor children and President and Mrs Regan all took places in the long line.

　　

　　

1．What is the main idea of the passage?

　　

[　　]

　　 　　

A．Millions of volunteers support the poor.

　　 　　

B．The longest line is waiting for support.

　　 　　

C．The homeless and poor need help.

　　 　　

D．The richest nation faces the problem.　　 　　 　　

2．The underlined word “raise” in the first paragraph means _______.

　　

[　　]

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　
　　

A．try to lift

　　

B．manage to collect

　　

C．bring up

　　

D．join up

　　 　　 　　

3．From the article, we know that the volunteers were made up of ________.

　　

[　　]

　　 　　 　　

A．both the homeless and the poor

　　

B．the government officials, including President Regan

　　

C．people in every field

　　

D．people of 16 states except Amy

　　 　　 　　

4．What do you think of the people in the chain spreading 4 125 miles?

　　

[　　]

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　
　　

A．They were hand in hand.

　　

B．They were in good order.

　　

C．They were troublesome.

　　

D．They were planned for safety.

　　 　　 　　

5．Although the United States is a developed country, ________.

　　

[　　]

　　 　　 　　

A．there is still a rebellion sometimes.

　　

B．there is still many people waiting for jobs

　　

C．there are still some family shelters

　　 　　 　　 　　

D．there are still many social problems to be solved.

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科目：高中英語 來源：福建省泉州五中2007－2008年高考模擬考試　英語試題 題型：050

閱讀理解

ISC(HS)Reference No．S006864　　　　　　　　　　　　New South Wales

Student Date of Birth：19/08/1988　　　Department of Education and Training

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　International Students Centre

Hong Xue　　　　　　　　　　　　　　827-839 George Street PO Box 707

60 Waratah Street　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Broadway NSW 21007

Croydon Park NSW 2133　　　　　　　Phone：(612)9217 4801 1300 302 456

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fax：(612)9212 6721

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　http：//www.tafensw.edu.au/international/

WARNING LETTER

Dear Hong Xue,

　　As you are aware, your student visa regulations set out a number of conditions applying to your visa．It has come to our attention that you are failing to meet the following conditions：You must maintain accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements that have been approved by your education provider if you：

　　●have not turned 18; and

　　●are not staying in Australia with：

　�。璦 parent

　�。璦 custodian(監(jiān)護(hù)人); or

　�。璦 relative who has been nominated(指定)by your parent or a custodian, is aged at least 21 and is of good character．

　　Note：You must not change those arrangements without the written approval of your education provider．

　　You must obey the following rules：

　　1．During term time you must：

　　a)remain in your homestay during the school term;

　　b)come home every night; and

　　c)inform your guardian at all times of your whereabouts．

　　2．On weekends you must：

　　a)have your guardian's permission to stay with friends; and

　　b)inform your guardian of the name, address and phone numbers of people you are visiting．

　　3．You must return your guardian's telephone calls．

　　This will be your only warning．If you continue to breach(違反)your student visa regulations we will report you to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs．Such action may lead to the cancellation(取消)of your student visa．Please contact me on(612)9217 4801 or fax(612)9212 6721 if you have questions about your enrolment．

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yours sincerely

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Tracey Carlon

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Student Advisor

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　International Students Centre

NSW Department of Education and Training

(1)

What's the purpose of writing this letter?

[　　]

A．

To remind the recipient of the conditions for applying for a student visa．

B．

To warn the recipient not to do anything against his student visa regulations again．

C．

To tell the recipient how to contact his student advisor．

D．

To inform the recipient of the student visa regulations．

(2)

What can be learned about the recipient from this letter?

[　　]

A．

He is under 18 and studies in Australia with his parents．

B．

He is required to come home every night according to the rules．

C．

He can stay with his friends on weekends if permitted．

D．

His student Visa has been cancelled．

(3)

To which address should the recipient reply if he feels like answering the letter?

[　　]

A．

Hong Xue at 60 Waratah Street, Croydon Park NSW 2133．

B．

Tracey Carlon at the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs．

C．

Hong Xue at NSW Department of Education and Training．

D．

Tracey Carlon at 827-839 George Street, PO Box 707, Broadway NSW 21007．

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科目：高中英語 來源：廣東省普寧市城東中學(xué)2010屆高三第二次月考英語試題 題型：050

閱讀理解

　　So far, scientists have named about 1.8 million living species(物種), and that’s just a small part of what probably exists on Earth．With so many plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms covering the planet, it can be tough to figure out what type of spider is crawling up your leg or what kind of bird just flew by．

　　A soon-to-be-launched Website might help．An international team of researchers has announced the creation of a Web－based Encyclopedia of Life(EOL)．The project aims to catalogue every species on Earth in a single, easy-to-use reference guide．

　　To get the encyclopedia started, the creators will use information from scientific databases that already exist．And eventually, in special sections of the site, nonscientists with specialized knowledge will join．Gardeners, for example, will be able to record the dates that their flowers first bloom each year．Bird-watchers will be able to input which birds they’ve seen and where．The technology for this kind of tool has only recently become available．

　　As the EOL develops, you might find it useful for school projects．The site will have special pages for kids who are studying ecosystems in their neighborhoods．To make sure the encyclopedia is accurate, scientists will review much of the information added to it．People who visit the site will be able to choose to skip pages that haven’t been reviewed．

　　Another convenient characteristic of the EOL is that you’ll be able to pick the level of detail you see to match your interests, age, and current knowledge．If you wanted to learn about polar bears for a science class report, for example, you could use the“novice”setting to get basic information about the animals．On the“expert”setting, on the other hand．you could get much more detailed information about the history, literature, and exploration of polar bears．

　　It now takes years for scientists to collect all the data they need to describe and analyze species．The creators of the Encyclopedia of Life hope that their new tool will speed that process．

　　Keep an eye on www.eol.org．Pages will begin to go up sometime next year, and you might find them useful for your school reports．The EOL team might have the basics for all 1.8 million entries online as early as 2017．Someday, you might add your own notes．

(1)

What is implied in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?

[　　]

A．

No one can become an expert on spiders and birds．

B．

So many spiders have crawled up your leg

C．

There are far more than 1.8 million living species．

D．

Scientists have named a lot of living species

(2)

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

[　　]

A．

You can find information of all living species online in 2017．

B．

Nonscientists will be able to add their own notes to the website．

C．

The kids preparing school reports can not have access to the informat’0 n’

D．

You are not free to choose the amount of detailed information．

(3)

What does the underlined word“novice”probably mean in Paragraph 5?

[　　]

A．

Beginner．

B．

Specialist．

C．

Scientist．

D．

Pupil．

(4)

Who are the intended readers of this passage?

[　　]

A．

Students．

B．

Researchers．

C．

Bird watchers or Gardeners．

D．

People in general

(5)

What is the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．

Exploring Polar Bears

B．

Visit Our Website Now

C．

How to Do School Projects

D．

E-book of Life．

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科目：高中英語 來源：浙江省嘉興一中2010－2011學(xué)年高二10月月考英語試題 題型：054

閱讀理解

　　Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel．Green said,“Clearly I am the most important．I am the sign of life and hope．I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves．Without me, all animals would 　　1　　．”

　　Blue interrupted,“You only think about the 　　2　　, but consider the sky and the sea．　　3　　 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 　　4　　．”

　　Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious．I bring laughter, fun, and 　　5　　 into the world．”

　　Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength．I may be 　　6　　, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life．When I fill the sky 　　7　　, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 　　8　　 to any of you．”

　　Red could stand it 　　9　　 and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you．I am the color of danger and of bravery．I am willing to 　　10　　 truth．I am also the color of passion and of love．”

　　Then came Purple and Indigo(深藍(lán))…．

　　The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 　　11　　．Their quarreling became louder and louder．Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder．Rain started to pour down 　　12　　．The colors crouched(蜷縮)down 　　13　　, drawing close to one another for comfort．

　　In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting 　　14　　yourselves, each trying to dominate　　15　　．Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 　　16　　?Join hands with 　　17　　 and come to me．”

　　Doing as they were told, the colors 　　18　　 and joined hands．They formed a colorful rainbow．From then on, whenever a good rain 　　19　　 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky．They remember to 　　20　　 one another．

(1)
[　　]

A．

stay

B．

leave

C．

go out

D．

die

(2)
[　　]

A．

earth

B．

moon

C．

star

D．

sun

(3)
[　　]

A．

That is

B．

I am

C．

It is

D．

This is

(4)
[　　]

A．

anything

B．

nothing

C．

something

D．

everything

(5)
[　　]

A．

warmth

B．

sadness

C．

depression

D．

anxiety

(6)
[　　]

A．

usual

B．

normal

C．

common

D．

scarce

(7)
[　　]

A．

at midnight

B．

at noon or at night

C．

at sunrise or sunset

D．

during the day

(8)
[　　]

A．

gift

B．

honor

C．

thought

D．

respect

(9)
[　　]

A．

for more

B．

any more

C．

very much

D．

no longer

(10)
[　　]

A．

turn to

B．

fight for

C．

struggle with

D．

bend over

(11)
[　　]

A．

superiority

B．

disadvantages

C．

inferiority

D．

weakness

(12)
[　　]

A．

gently

B．

quietly

C．

violently

D．

peacefully

(13)
[　　]

A．

with care

B．

in fear

C．

by chance

D．

on purpose

(14)
[　　]

A．

amongst

B．

by

C．

for

D．

against

(15)
[　　]

A．

others

B．

themselves

C．

the other

D．

the rest

(16)
[　　]

A．

equal and simple

B．

ordinary and similar

C．

more or less

D．

unique and different

(17)
[　　]

A．

each other

B．

me

C．

one another

D．

them

(18)
[　　]

A．

combined

B．

separated

C．

united

D．

divided

(19)
[　　]

A．

cleans

B．

washes

C．

brightens

D．

dampens

(20)
[　　]

A．

appreciate

B．

quarrel with

C．

ignore

D．

praise

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