Local businessmen are increasingly facing competition from online retailers. Larry Pollock, owner of Camera Co/Op on South Congress, said he has been dealing with this kind of problem for years, even before the Internet. The struggle began with mail-order catalogues(目錄), which are similar to online retailers in that they have few employees to pay, no sales tax fees and no business venue to lease and manage.
“Their overhead is lower, but they don’t offer a service like we do,” Pollock said.
Pollock, however, said providing a valuable service to customers does not always guarantee continued sales.
“We spend 30 minutes to an hour with somebody and they go home and buy it on line,” he said.
According to the state comptroller’s office, online shopping is developing at a more rapid rate than traditional businesses.
In spite of how fair or unfair online shopping may be to the local businessmen, consumers will continue to turn to the Internet for its variety and accessibility, said Mitch Wilson, an online shopper. “You have a larger selection and it's easier to compare prices.”
Wilson said he built his personal computer and paid a third of the price by shopping on line.
“Before the Internet, I would have had to go and buy an assembled computer from somebody like Dell,” he said. “Before I started shopping on line I could never find all the pieces I wanted. No single store had everything needed, so shopping on line saved me from having to buy from Dell.”
Janny Brazeal, a psychology freshman, said online shopping is too impersonal.
“’d rather see it in person, touch it, know that I’m getting it,” she said.
Brazeal also said she would not give out her credit card number or other personal information on line no matter how safe the site claims it is.
小題1:Larry Pollock has been facing the problem _____.
A．before long
B．a(chǎn)fter the Internet
C．since there were mail-order catalogues
D．since he worked as a businessman
小題2:According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?
A．Traditional business can provide valuable ser- vices to customers.
B．People can get cheaper goods from traditional business.
C．More and more people will turn to the Internet for their needs.
D．There are still many people who don’t like on- line shopping.
小題3: Mitch Wilson prefers to build his personal compu- ter by shopping on line because _____.
A．he can easily get what he needs at a lower price
B．he can not get the price at traditional businessman
C．he is not satisfied with the service of local busi- nessman
D．the quality of Dell is not satisfying

小題1:C
小題2:B
小題3:D

小題1: C 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由文章第一段第二、三句可知，Larry Pollock在mail-order catalogues出現(xiàn)后就開始面臨著激烈的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)了。
小題2:B 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由文中Their overhead is lower可知，網(wǎng)店的運(yùn)營(yíng)費(fèi)用(overhead)比傳統(tǒng)商店要低，即成本較低。再根據(jù)…paid a third of the price by shopping online.可知，網(wǎng)上購(gòu)物要便宜些，即傳統(tǒng)商店購(gòu)物要貴些。
小題3: D 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。結(jié)合上下文可知網(wǎng)上購(gòu)物的三個(gè)優(yōu)勢(shì)：商品樣式多，便宜而又便利。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Moving to a new neighborhood，town，state，or even country can be a pretty scary  experience.All you know is that things will be different and chances are you won’t know the kids  at your new school.
The experiences that go with moving make many kids feel nervous and worried.This is perfectly normal but don’t let these emotions overrun your thoughts！You will soon get used to your surroundings and find new friends at your new school.
Leaving old friends and familiar places behind can be difficult.However，as you begin the moving process，keep in mind that saying goodbye to your old house，school，and friends does not mean that you have to forget them or that your farewell is permanent！If you’re moving to a new state or even a different country and won’t see your friends for a long nme，don’t despair.Make sure to ask everyone for their address so you can write them letters.Also，thanks to the  Internet，it is very easy to stay in touch through email or instant messaging technologies.With  your parent’s permission，you can even create a blog or web page to chronicle all of your new  experiences.Include your thoughts，tales of your new adventures，even pictures of new friends，your new house，and new town.Your old friends will love seeing what you are busy with.
Many schools have an orientation program where a student already established at the school shows a new student around for their first week.This can help you to find your way around the school and to make new friends faster.
While moving is tough on kids of any age，high school counselor Karen Turner says moves can be particularly difficult for teens.“I think moving during adolescents is an extremely stressful experience，especially if you are into your junior high or senior year.Students tend to have established a very strong peer network during that period in their lives.Often this has more influence on them even than their families in some cases，and when they are torn from that there’s often resentment (怨氣)．” However，Turner adds that while moving isn’t easy，there are things that your parents and the school can do to help you cope with the change.
小題1:Who are the intended readers of the passage?
A．Education experts.B．School teachers.
C．Parents.　D．Students.
小題2:Which of the following is mainly suggested in Paragraph 3?
A．Staying in contact with old friends.
B．Expressing yourself when it is possible.
C．Forming good habits at school.
D．Keeping positive about your new school.
小題3:According to the passage，an orientation program________.
A．helps local students in many ways
B．is organized by new students
C．offers help to new students
D．focuses on all the students at school
小題4:According to the passage，Karen Turner may agree that________.
A．many parents seem to care little about their children
B．teens can easily be attached to their friends
C．parents should communicate with the school teachers
D．teens tend to behave rudely in a new school
小題5:If this passage continues，what would the author further discuss?
A．What a new school is like.
B．why parents move with their children.
C．How parents and the school can help the children.
D．How children can express their anxiety.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The clock struck（敲）eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff they call “books”. I was going to have my examination the next day. “When can I go to bed?” I asked myself. I didn’t answer. In fact I dared not(不敢).
The clock struck twelve. “Oh, dear!” I cried. “Ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We students are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.
The clock struck one. I was quite desperate now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.
小題1: The underlined word “wretched” in Paragraph 3 probably means ____________.
A．happyB．disappointed
C．unhappyD．hopeful
小題2: Reviewing his lessons that night didn’t help him because ____________.
A．it was too late at night
B．he was very tired
C．his eyelids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open
D．he hadn’t studied hard before the examination
小題3: What do you suppose probably happened to the author the next day?
A．He went to a church to pray again.B．He passed the exam all by luck.
C．He failed in the exam.D．He was punished by his teacher.
小題4: The best title for the passage would be ____________.
A．The Night Before the ExaminationB．Working Far into the Night
C．A Slow StudentD．Going Over My Lessons

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A Simple Lesson
“Another bad day at school？” my father asked as I came into the room.
“How could you tell? I didn't shut the door heavily or anything，” I replied. Over the past two months I had either done this or thrown my backpack across the room every time I came home from school. Papa thinks it has something to do with moving to a new house.
“I know this move has been hard on you. Leaving your friends and cousins behind is tough，” Papa said, as he put his arm around my shoulder. “What you must remember is that, with a lot of hard work and some time, you will make new friends.”
“You don't know how hard it is. This year my baseball team would have won the championship. They won't even give me a chance to pitch (投球) here. All I get to play is right field, and that's the worst！”
Papa turned toward me. “Things will get better, I promise you. Let me ask you, do you know why you were named David Lorenzo？”
“Yes, your name is David and grandfather's name is Lorenzo.”
“Very good, and what makes your grandfather so important？”
“He was the first in the family to come to this country and all that，” I answered.
“That is only partly correct. Your grandfather was a very great man. In Mexico, he had been a teacher. When he came to America he could only get low­paid labor jobs because he didn't speak the language. It took him two years before he spoke English well enough to be allowed to teach here, but he did it. He never complained because he knew change could be difficult. Did he ever tell you that？” my father asked.
I looked down at my feet, ashamed at my behavior. “No. That must have been hard，” I said sheepishly.
“Your grandfather taught me that if you let people see your talent, they will accept you for who you are. I want you to always remember what my father taught me, even if it takes a few years for people to see who you are，” said Papa.
All I could say was, “Okay.” Then I asked, “What should I do now？”
Laughing, Papa said, “How about you pitch a few to me? You need some work.”
小題1:Why was the author unhappy that day?
A．Because he moved to a new country.
B．Because his baseball team lost the game.
C．Because he wasn't offered a chance to pitch.
D．Because he quarreled with his friends at school.
小題2:The father successfully changed his son's mood by ________.
A．a(chǎn)sking him to train harder
B．playing baseball with him
C．telling his grandfather's story
D．introducing him some new friends
小題3:The underlined word “sheepishly” probably means ________.
A．shyly　　　　　　　　B．patiently
C．clumsilyD．cautiously
小題4:What can we infer about the author?
A．He thinks his father lives in the past.
B．He'd rather live with his grandfather.
C．He will continue to dislike school and everything.
D．He will try his best to adapt to the new environment.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

On May 23rd the United States Department of Agriculture will meet to discuss the pressing topic of wild pigs. These beasts, which number 6 million or so, are an increasing bother. At their worst, they can damage crops, spread diseases, attack humans and kill farm animals. And things are getting worse: a study show that they are likely to double in number over the next 3 years. Why is it so hard to control wild pigs?
Introduced to America in the 16th century, and related to the wild pigs found in Europe, wild pigs can be found in 75% of all states. No single law exists to control them and regulations differ between states: while in Missouri they can only be shot if met by chance, in Texas hunting is actively encouraged. A “pork chopper” law allows Texan hunters to shoot wild pigs from helicopters, and some people in Louisiana have even built their own pig­hunting drone(無人機(jī)). As well as being popular with hunters, wild pigs are cheaper for game raisers to breed(飼養(yǎng))than deer. In Michigan and Pennsylvania suggested bans on the private breeding of pigs for hunting have caused quarrels between game raisers and wildlife officials. 
Wild pigs' double nature——considered pests by farmers, but valued by hunters——makes it hard to pass laws  to control them. Two other factors also contribute. Nearly 70% of land in America is privately owned. And it is difficult for lawmakers to impose(強(qiáng)加)breeding and hunting laws on private landowners. Secondly, it is hard to define a wild pig.
In some states, laws are being introduced to redefine the term “wild animal” to keep out wild pigs. This is good news for those raising pigs for hunting, but less are to those who consider them pests whose number should be limited. Meanwhile, discussions continue over how to deal with this problem.
小題1:People are not permitted to hunt wild pigs freely in ________.
A．TexasB．Michigan
C．MissouriD．Louisiana
小題2:Why do the game raisers prefer raising wild pigs to deer?
A．It's difficult to raise deer.
B．Wild pigs are in large numbers.
C．Deer are not popular with hunters.
D．They can benefit more from wild pigs.
小題3:Which is NOT the reason for the difficulty in controlling wild pigs?
A．The difficulty of passing effective laws.
B．The high percentage of land owned privately.
C．The farmers' unwillingness to shoot wild pigs.
D．The popularity of raising wild pigs in many states.
小題4:What is the best title of the text?
A．Why are wild pigs so hard to control?
B．Are wild pigs pests or wild animals?
C．Wild pigs——an increasing danger in the US.
D．How to deal with the problem of wild pigs?

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

I was an extremely verbal child, and growing up with my dad was an experiment in linguistics(語言學(xué)). My father was a man of few words. Whenever I wanted his permission for a certain activity, I planned a speech that included who would be there, where it would take place, how long it would last, and why it was an incredibly wonderful opportunity for me. He would listen and then say either “Yes” or “No.” There were never any qualifiers; not “Yes, but be home by dinner” or “No, unless you can convince me otherwise.” It was yes or no, plain and simple.
My father’s phone messages were also lessons in patience and long-suffering to a teenage girl. I was quite active in high school. Not only did I enjoy being involved in many areas, but I came into contact with many a great teenage guy. I can recall one busy day when I had met two great guys and had given each of them my phone number. The first words out of my mouth when I walked through the front door were, “Dad! Did anyone call?” His answer, of course, was simply “Yes”.I required for a more accurate description of the caller. His answer: “A boy.” Since I had met two guys that day, this did not help me. I ran to my room in tears.
Knowing my dad’s dislike of language in general and his fondness for briefness, it surprised me to hear that he was going to teach the eleven-year-old boys’ Sunday school class. He did so for not one, but many years. I always wondered if he actually said anything, or if they all just sat in their chairs and stared at each other. I was sure that if people were waiting on my father to break the ice with brilliant conversation or a springboard comment, they’d be badly disappointed. Still, September after September, my father hung his sign outside the Sunday school room: Mr. Ernst—Eleven-Year-Old Boys.
小題1: In order to get Dad to agree to the author’s outing, the author had to make up the following EXCEPT _____.
A．the friends I shall meet in the activity
B．the activity is a chance for anyone
C．the place where the activity is to be held
D．the time that I shall spend in the activity
小題2: When the author says “My father’s phone messages were also lessons in patience and long-suffering to a teenage girl.”, it means that when she was young _____.
A．her father once gave her a lesson about patience and long-lasting pain
B．her father’s brief phone messages angered her a lot but made her patient
C．she was trained to be patient and brave because of her father’s brief phone messages
D．she suffered and had to be patient because of her father’s brief phone messages
小題3: What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “break the ice” in Paragraph 3?
A．Make the ice crack.B．Stop talking.
C．Start a talk.D．Interrupt a talk.
小題4: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．My father would answer me with “Yes, but be home by dinner” sometimes.
B．I came into contact with just a few great teenage guys because I was active in high school.
C．That my father would teach the eleven-year-old boys’ Weekday school class surprised me.
D．I always wanted to know how my father, who talked so little, taught the boys.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

　　They are the sort of friends who are so close that they trust each other with their lives. If one falls, the other is there to catch him.
They are Wellman, whose legs were permanently injured nine years ago in a rock-climbing accident, and Corbett, an experienced rock climber. Together, they climbed up Half Dome, the famous 2, 000-foot rock in the Yosemite National Park, through one of the most difficult routes(路線).
During the climb, Corbett took the lead, hit in the metal spikes(尖狀物)that guided the ropes, and climbed up. Then, after Wellman pulled himself up the rope, Corbett went down to remove the spikes and climbed up again. This process was repeated time and again, inch by inch, for 13 days.  Wellman’s job was not easy either. He got himself up the rope through upper body strength alone. In all, Wellman figured that he had done 5, 000 pull-ups up the rope on the climb.
However, when the two men first met, they never talked about climbing. “He knew that was how I got injured. ”Wellman said. Until one day Wellman decided that he wanted to climb again and they started training.
Their climb of Half Dome was not all smooth. At one point, pieces of rock gave way, and Corbett dropped down quickly. Wellman locked their rope in place, stopping the fall at 20 feet. His quick action probably saved his friend’s life.
“Your partner can save your life—you can save your partner’s life. ”Wellman said as the pair received congratulations from friends. “There are real close ties. ”
小題1: Which of the following was a challenge for Corbett in climbing Half Dome?
A．To climb up to remove the spikes.
B．To climb it twice.
C．To do 5, 000 pull-ups up the rope.
D．To lock the rope in place.
小題2: Why did the two men never talk about climbing when they first met?
A．Corbett was poorly trained.
B．Wellman had lost interest in climbing.
C．Corbett didn’t want to hurt Wellman.
D．Wellman hadn’t decided whether to climb again or not.
小題3: What do we know about Wellman?
A．He climbed Half Dome by himself.
B．He was disabled in a traffic accident.
C．He stopped rock-climbing for some time.
D．He was saved by Corbett during the climb.
小題4: The main idea of the text is that　　　.
A．two heads are better than one
B．friendship is precious in life
C．the disabled should never give up
D．a(chǎn) man can be destroyed but cannot be defeated

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

We all know that the normal human daily cycle of activity is of some 7-8 hours' sleep alternating(交替) with some 16-17 hours' wakefulness and that the sleep normally coincides with the hours of darkness. Our present concern is with how easily and to what extent this cycle can be modified.
　　The question is no mere academic one. The ease, for example, with which people can change from working in the day to working at night is a question of growing importance in industry where automation calls for round-the-clock working of machines. It normally takes from five days to one week for a person to adapt to a reversed（顛倒的） routine of sleep and wakefulness, sleeping during the day and working at night. Unfortunately, it is often the case in industry that shifts(輪班) are changed every week; a person may work from 12 midnight to 8 a.m. one week, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. the next, and 4 p.m. to 12 midnight the third and so on. This means that no sooner has he got used to one routine than he has to change to another, so that much of his time is spent neither working nor sleeping very efficiently.
　　The only real solution appears to be to hand over the night shift to a number of permanent night workers. An interesting study of the domestic life and health of night-shift workers was carried out by Brown in 1957. She found a high incidence (發(fā)生率) of disturbed sleep and other disorders among those on alternating day and night shifts, but no abnormal occurrence of these phenomena among those on permanent night work.
　　This latter system then appears to be the best long-term policy, but meanwhile something may be done to relieve the pressure of alternate day and night work by selecting those people who can adapt most quickly to the changes of routine. One way of knowing when a person has adapted is by measuring his body temperature. People occupied in normal daytime work will have a high temperature during the hours of wakefulness and a low one at night; when they change to night work the pattern will only gradually go back to match the new routine and the speed with which it does so parallels, broadly speaking, the adaptation of the body as a whole, particularly in terms of performance. Therefore, by taking body temperature at two-hour intervals(間隔時(shí)間) throughout the period of wakefulness, it can be seen how quickly a person can adapt to a reversed routine, and this could be used as a basis for selection. So far, however, such a form of selection does not seem to have been applied in practice.
小題1:The main problem of the round-the-clock working system lies in       .
A．the inconveniences brought about to the workers by the introduction of automation
B．the disturbance of the daily life cycle of workers who have to change shifts too frequently
C．the fact that people working at night are often less effective
D．the fact that it is difficult to find a number of good night workers
小題2:The best solution for implementing the 24-hour working system seems to be       .
A．to change shifts at longer intervals.
B．to have longer shifts
C．to arrange for some people to work on night shifts only
D．to create better living conditions for night workers
小題3:It is possible to find out if a person has adapted to the changes of routine by measuring his body temperature because       .
A．body temperature is higher when the cycle of sleep and wakefulness alternates
B．body temperature changes when he changes to night shift or back
C．the temperature reverses when the routine is changed
D．people have higher temperatures when they are working efficiently
小題4:Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A．Body temperature may serve as an indication of a worker's performance.
B．The selection of a number of permanent night shift workers has proved to be the best solution to problems of the round-the- clock working system.
C．Taking body temperature at regular intervals can show how a person adapts to the changes of routine.
D．Disturbed sleep occurs less frequently among those on permanent night or day shifts.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Robots industry is developing so rapidly that there is no denying that we may one day find ourselves surrounded by robots.
The humanoid (human like) robots with two legs such as Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO would likely have an easier time climbing up stairs inside homes than a robot that moves on wheels, developers say.
But it will be some time before such devices make their way into people’s homes.
“They may look smart, but they are still quite stupid,” Shimoyama said. “I don’t think they will ever be as smart as humans.”
While safety is an obvious concern, robots also need to be sensitive to people’s needs.
Researchers at Fujitsu Frontech Ltd and Fujitsu Laboratories responsible for developing “Enon”, a guide and patrol (巡邏) robot designed for use in shopping malls and corporate facilities (公共場(chǎng)所), are working on this.
Enon, which has a humanoid upper body but no legs, is equipped with a touch screen on its chest and space in its stomach to carry loads weighting up to 10 kg.
In guide mode, it will check a newcomer and approach the person with a nod and a greeting: “Are you a visitor? Hello.”
Visitors requiring directions can point to icons (圖標(biāo)) displayed on Enon’s chest screen. If the restroom icon is pressed, the screen will display a map that shows the way.
The robot will then face and point in the direction of the restroom, although it won’t actually walk the visitor there.
Enon is now in use at four locations in Japan, including a shopping mall near Tokyo. The main goal is to make it more helpful for the elderly.
“People who work in the transportation sector often ask whether we can build a robot that will find elderly people who look lost in train stations, and ask them if they are all right,” said Toshihido Marita, director of Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd’s autonomous system laboratory. “Actually that is hard to do, very hard,” he said.
小題1:The advantage of Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO is that _________.
A．it can do any housework for us
B．it can talk with patients or old people
C．it can climb up stairs as humans
D．it can walk smoothly with its wheels
小題2: According to Shimoyama, robots _________.
A．can be made to do everything humans do
B．will be made as smart as humans in the future
C．will remain as stupid as before
D．can never compete with humans in intelligence
小題3:Most important of all, a robot should be made _________ at present.
A．safe and elegantB．safe and functional
C．elegant and cheapD．sensitive and cheap
小題4:Which of the following statements about “Enon” is NOT true?
A．It can be used as a guide in hospitals.
B．It can help shoppers carry goods selected.
C．It can be used to welcome guests in restaurants.
D．It can be used to stop thieves in malls.
小題5:Enon is mainly designed to help _________.
A．old peopleB．mall ownersC．tourists or newcomersD．shoppers

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