Good Genes Mean Long Life
Scientists have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes you have.
For the lucky carriers of “Methuselah” genes, worries over smoking, eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern (組合).
The “Methuselah” genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death, scientists say. However, the genes are very rare.
The genes include ADIPOQ, which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes, which are found in 10 percent of young people, but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.
Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old, and their children.
The studies show that tiny mutations (變異) in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person’s lifespan (壽命). Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases, allow people to live longer and stay healthy.
David Gems, a researcher at University College London, believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.
“If we know which genes control longevity (長壽) then we can … target them with drugs. That makes it possible to slow down ageing,” he told The Times.
“Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that, then we are obliged (義不容辭的) to take it.”
小題1:According to the article, which of the following is the most important if a person is to live to the age of 100?
A．Eating healthy food every day.B．Having the right types of genes.
C．Having a healthy lifestyle.D．Taking drugs that prevent ageing.
小題2:According to the article, the ApoC3 gene is found in ________ of people over 100 years old.
A．10% B．20%C．30% D．50%
小題3:Which of the following statements is TRUE of the research led by Professor Nir Barzilai?
A．The team studied the genes of over 100 people over 100 years of age.
B．The researchers found that mutations in certain genes lead to longer life.
C．The researchers found ways to develop drugs that could cure age-related diseases.
D．The study suggested that most people have genes that could lengthen their lives.
小題4: According to David Gems, ________.
A．drugs to slow ageing will be very expensive
B．modern science will be able to find more longevity genes
C．it is the duty of medical scientists to fight the problems of ageing
D．scientists can make new genes that will allow longer life

小題1:B
小題1:B
小題1:B
小題1:C
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Some kids start to drink alcohol （酒精） at a young age． They think it is part of becoming an adult．They also think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it．They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs （毒品）． It is easy for kids to get liquor（酒精飲料）by using fake identification （偽造證件）．
Parents may start to notice a change in their child’s behavior if the child starts drinking． Kids who drink sometimes stop doing things they normally liked to do．They may keep telephone calls and meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things．They act moody（喜怒無常） and do not have the same eating and sleeping habits．
Parents need to stay involved （牽涉） in their kids’ lives． They should talk to their children about their problems to be aware of any changes．
Parents can be the best protection． Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves． It helps them resist（抵抗） doing bad things even when other kids are doing them． Parents can also help set a good example by not drinking and driving． They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows．
Give the children good ideas on how to say “no” to drinking, even when they are at a party． Try not to overreact or panic （驚慌） if the child tries alcohol． How you handle it can affect their attitude． It may be helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews （宵禁令） and rules about parties or other events．
小題1:Which of the following is NOT the reason why some kids have an early start of drinking?
A．They want to show their maturity （成熟） by drinking alcohol．
B．Drinking alcohol is much cooler than taking drugs．
C．They are affected by many other people around them．
D．They can get liquor easily．
小題2:According to the passage, what changes may happen to the kids who start drinking?
A．Nothing serious will happen to them．
B．They keep the same eating and sleeping habits．
C．They can control their moods quite well．
D．Sometimes they act secretly．
小題3:According to the writer, if parents find their children try alcohol, they had better ________．
A．punish them at once
B．a(chǎn)sk the police for help
C．a(chǎn)sk their children’s friends for help
D．set up curfews and rules about parties or other events with other parents
小題4:Which is the main subject discussed in the passage?
A．Teen health．B．Teen education．
C．Teen drinkingD．Parents’ worries．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The Internet has got into all the fields of our life. We can study and work on it. We can find a job on it. We can communicate on it. We can treat friends on it. We can buy and sell on it. We can do almost everything on the Internet, and almost anywhere, anytime.
However, although the Internet provides services for us, it is silently getting our privacy(隱私) to some degree. The services on most websites require our personal information. If we want to enjoy these services, we have to provide much of our information, including our names, sex, addresses, telephone numbers and sometimes bank accounts(帳戶). Because weak network sometimes is unsafe, our information might be open, stolen or sold. Even sometimes it will be used freely by others.
Considering（考慮到...） the above mentioned, you must pay attention to the safety when using the Internet. First, when you need Internet service, you should always look through those big legal(合法的) websites. Second, if the service requires important personal information, you should think twice before you type it in. Third, store your own important card key(電子鑰匙) and don’t tell others easily.
小題1:According to the passage, we shouldn’t ______by using the Internet.
A．learn EnglishB．give our friends’ information to others
C．chat with friendsD．look for jobs
小題2:The underlined word “it” refers to ______.
A．the telephone numberB．the name C．the information D．the bank account
小題3:Which of the following ways is correct to protect our information on the Internet?
a. Surf the safe Web       .    b. Think over and over before typing it in.
c. Don’t chat with friends on line  d. Don’t use your key easily. 
A．a(chǎn),b,c. B．b,c,d.C．a(chǎn),b,d. D．a(chǎn),c,d.
小題4:What can we learn from the passage?
A．Don’t believe others if you don’t know them.
B．Remember never use the ID card on the Internet.
C．Never use the Internet in the future.
D．From now on, we must pay attention to the safety of the information on line.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Playing with toy blocks (積木) may lead to improved language development in young children, a new study reported.
Early childhood is an important period in the development of young minds. The newborn brain grows three times in size between birth and age 2. Scientists have said that certain activities during this important period may promote (促進(jìn)) healthy development while others may hold it back, and development of memory and language may especially be helped by imaginative play.
After six months, language scores among half of the 175 children aged 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 who were sent plastic blocks were 15 percent higher than a matched group that did not receive the free blocks, according to the study by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Parents were given ideas about how to help their children play with the blocks, then were told to keep diaries of their children’s activities over four days. Finally, all the parents filled out questionnaires that judged their children’s vocabulary, grammar, and other language abilities. Study author Dimitri Christakis said unstructured play with blocks motivated children’s thinking, memory and physical skills at a time when a child’s brain is growing rapidly. “They are the foundation of thought and language,” he wrote of the skills learned from building blocks. “Older children begin to make up stories for these objects .”
Such play may also take the place of less helpful activities such as watching TV, he said, adding parents ought to have doubts about some toy-makers’ words. “An increasing number of media-based products are making ungrounded (無根據(jù)的) claims that they can make children smarter, more literate, and more musical,” Christakis said.
小題1:What can we learn from the second paragraph?
A．Parents should allow their children to play as long as they want.
B．The brains of kids develop very quickly before they are two years old.
C．Playing blocks can help children do well in sports at school.
D．Activities, like imaginative play, may delay the development of the brain.
小題2:According to the study, about ________ children’s language scores were 15 percent higher than those of children who didn’t play with blocks.
A．87B．55C．23D．157
小題3:Building blocks helps kids gain language skills because _________.
A．young children always talk to themselves while building blocks
B．their parents can teach them when they are playing with blocks
C．their parents are given ideas on how to develop their brains
D．it can help them improve thinking, memory and physical skills
小題4:The aim of the passage is probably to _______.
A．raise the present level of children’s language ability
B．encourage parents to let their babies play with blocks
C．improve parents’ knowledge of raising children
D．encourage makers of blocks to develop more toys
小題5:We can infer from what Mr Christakis said that _____.
A．television will be definitely replaced by blocks
B．the market will be full of media-based toys
C．we can’t always believe what toy makers say
D．toy makers care about kids’ development very much

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

“NOW I just don’t believe that.” Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It’s simply badly researched, or, the makers must think we’re idiots (白癡). Recently, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on unconvincing tech moments from some top movies. Let’s see what all the fuss is about.
Telegraph writer Tom Chiver’s first example is from the end-of-the-world movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus capable of destroying Windows, the computer system the alien spacecraft uses. “It’s a good thing they didn’t have Norton Antivirus (諾頓防火墻)”, jokes Chivers.
It’s just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science. Another one Chivers mentions is from Star Wars, where glowing beams of light traveling through space look very impressive. The problem is that in space there are no air particles for the light to reflect off. In reality, they’d be invisible, which wouldn’t look so cool on the big screen.
Chiver’s second piece of Star Wars nonsense is the sound the fighters make in the movies: “the bellow (咆哮) of an elephant mixed with a car driving on a wet road”. But sound needs a medium to travel through, like air. In space, there wouldn’t actually be any sound at all.
Few people would deny that the mind-bending Matrix films make for great viewing, but for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little silly. He comments “…the film is based on the idea that humans are kept alive as electricity generator. This is not just unlikely – it’s fundamentally impossible. They would need more energy to stay alive than they would produce. It’s like saying you’ll power your car with batteries, and keep the batteries charged by running a dynamo (發(fā)電機(jī)) from the wheels.”
And finally, as Chivers points out, DNA is not replaceable. But this bit of elementary genetics passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day by. In the film the bad guy has “gene therapy” to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible.
小題1:What does the underlined sentence mean?  
A．The virus created by the character is capable of destroying spacecrafts.
B．Aliens’ using Windows system is totally unconvincing plot.
C．The spacecraft should have Norton Antivirus.
D．Norton Antivirus can stop a virus.
小題2: We can learn from the example of the Star Wars that       .
A．in space, you can not hear anything
B．light beams travel via air particle in space
C．Chiver thinks the sound of the fighters is vivid
D．the invisible light beams are impressive in the movies
小題3:Chiver uses the example of car batteries in Matrix to imply that       .
A．the basic idea of the film is rather ridiculous
B．the science in the movies is very convincing
C．the idea that humans can be kept alive as electricity generator is right
D．humans would stay alive as long as they would produce enough energy
小題4:We can learn from the movie Die Another Day that       .
A．the idea of gene therapy is creative
B．the element of DNA should not be used
C．the makers of the 2002 Bond use the genetic technology
D．DNA can be replaced but in the real world it is impossible
小題5:Why did Chiver write this passage?
A．To prove all these films are making mistakes.
B．To show his great concern for the movie industry.
C．To joke about some movies in the movie industry.
D．To call for the audience to find out mistakes from the movies.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Forty-two of the fifty American states offered some kind of public online learning this past school year．One state，Michigan，now requires all students to have an online learning experience before they finish high school．Even the idea of a school has changed since the rise ofthe Internet in the 1990s．
A new report from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University says eighteen states have full-time virtual schools．There are no buildings．All classes are online．
Florida started the first statewide public virtual school in the United States in 1997．Today，the Florida Virtual School offers more man ninety courses．56,000 students were enrolled as of December．Almost sixty percent were female．The school's website says each student was enrolled in an average of two classes．
Florida Virtual School has now opened the Florida Virtual Global School．Students in other countries pay for classes．Janet Heiking teaches an English class．She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana．Her students live as far away as Africa and Japan．She says they are taking her Advanced Placement class to prepare for attending an American college．They can earn college credits by passing the AP test．
So how good are virtual schools? Studies have shown mixed results, as a new report from Indiana University notes．For example, students at Florida Virtual School earned higher grades than those taking the same courses the traditional way．And they scored higher on a statewide
test．But virtual school students in Kansas and Colorado had lower test scores or performed at a lower level than traditional learners．Studies also find that virtual schools may not save much in operating costs．
Education experts say the mixed results suggest the need for more research to find the best ways to teach in virtual schools．A1so, they say schools of education need to train more teachers to work in both real and virtual classrooms．
小題1:A virtual school is one that___________．
A．is set up after the rise of the Internet
B．uses textbooks as a main teaching resource
C．uses computer-based resources and has no teachers
D．has online classes and no real classrooms
小題2:The first statewide public virtual school in the USA was started in ________ ．
A．FloridaB．IndianaC．MichiganD．Colorado
小題3:Florida Virtual School is open to ________．
A．students in Indiana
B．students only around the USA
C．students across the world
D．only foreign students
小題4:Foreign students take Advanced Placement classes for the eventual purpose of __________ ．
A．earning college credits
B．entering an American college
C．learning advanced science
D．passing the AP test
小題5:From the passage we learn that________．
A．the majority of virtual school students in Florida are male
B．a(chǎn)ll senior students m Michigan have an online learning experience
C．virtual schools are better than traditional schools
D．both real and virtual classrooms need more trained teachers

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The Internet will open up new vistas (前景), create the global village——you can make new friends all around the world. That, at least, is what it promised us. The difficulty is that it did not take the human mind into account. The reality is that we cannot keep relationships with more than a limited number of people. No matter how hard the Internet tries to put you in communication, its best efforts will be defeated by your mind.
The problem is twofold（雙重的）. First, there is a limit on the number of people we can hold in mind and have a meaningful relationship with. That number is about 150 and is set by the size of our brain. Second, the quality of your relationships depends on the amount of time you invest in then. We invest a lot in a small number of people and then distribute what’s left among as many others as we can. The problem is that if we invest little time in a person, our engagement with that person will decline until eventually it dies into “someone I once knew”.
This is not, of course, to say that the Internet doesn’t serve a socially valuable function. Of course it does. But the question is not that it allows you to increase the size of your social circle to include the rest of the world, but that you can keep your relationships with your existing friends going even though you have to move to the other side of the world.
In one sense, that’s a good thing. But it also has a disadvantage. If you continue to invest in your old friends even though you can no longer see them, then certainly you aren’t using your time to make new friends where you now live. And I suspect that probably isn’t the best use of your time. Meaningful relationships are about being able to communicate with each other, face to face. The Internet will slow down the rate with which relationships end, but it won’t stop that happening eventually.
小題1:The number of friends we can keep relationships with is decided by__________.
A．the InternetB．the time we haveC．the place we liveD．the mind
小題2:The underlined word “engagement” in the second paragraph probably means “__________”.
A．a(chǎn)ppointmentB．connectionC．interviewD．a(chǎn)greement
小題3:The author holds the view that___________.
A．the Internet helps to keep in touch with friends far away
B．the Internet determines the quality of social relationships
C．the Internet greatly increases the size of social circles
D．the Internet is of no value in social communication
小題4:What will the author encourage us to do?
A．To keep in touch with old friends when we have moved away.
B．To chat with friends often on the Internet.
C．To make more new friends face to face.
D．To stop using the Internet to make new friends.
小題5:What is the author’s attitude towards the use of the Internet to strengthen relationships?
A．He thinks it uselessB．He is hopeful of it.
C．He approves of it.D．He doubts it.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

WASHINGTON --- It’s a great achievement that inspires concepts of robots with consciousness and independent minds.
When people or animals get hurt, they can usually compensate for minor injuries and keep limping along, but for robots, even slight damage can make them stumble and fall. However, a recently made robot has demonstrated a new ability: it can heal its own damage.
The new robot, which looks like a splay-legged (弓形腿的), four-footed starfish, can sense injury to itself and adapt. That ability sets the new robot apart from earlier machines. Because the robot can recover from unfamiliar places.
“There is a need for planetary robotic rovers (行星機(jī)器探測車) to be able to fix things on their own,” says Josh Bongard, a professor in the University of Vermont, who is one of the device’s creator. “Robots on other planets must be able to continue their mission without human help if they are damaged and cannot communicate their problem back to Earth.”
A typical robot functions according to a computer program, but the new robot works differently. First, sensors in its four legs observe the robot’s movements and signals to its built-in computer. From the information it collects, the robot creates its own programs that allow it to adapt to different situations. For example, when the researchers shortened one of the robot’s legs, the smart machine simply adjusted its way of walking—it used three legs instead of four.
The researchers are looking for other places to put the resilient robot to work. One spot is the ocean floor. That dark and dangerous undersea area might be a good choice for a robot that the scientists call the Starfish. “We never officially named the robot, but we usually refer to it as the Starfish, even though a real starfish has five rather than four legs,” says Bongard. “Also, a real starfish is much better than our robot at recovering from injury, because it can actually grow its legs again.” Scientists have created robots that help humans in many ways: by exploring space, fighting fires, and even performing surgery.
小題1:The newly designed robot distinguishes itself from the former ones because it________.
A．can communicate with people on the earth about their problems
B．works according to a certain computer program
C．can find its problems and solve them automatically
D．can explore unfamiliar places
小題2:An example is given in the fourth paragraph in order to explain that the robot ________.
A．is used to create new programs
B．has typical robot functions
C．has sensors to observe its movements
D．can gather information and adapt to new conditions
小題3:Which of the following is TRUE about the robot “Starfish”?
A．It was spoken highly of by people for its special ability.
B．It will stumble and fall if damaged.
C．It can grow its legs again once they are broken.
D．It has started to work on the ocean floor.
小題4:What might be the best title of the passage?
A．How the Starfish Robot Works
B．Do-It-Yourself Robot Repair
C．Robots Designed to Work on Other Planets
D．New Robot Helping Us in Many Ways

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A Southampton University team found that people who were vegetarians by 30 had recorded five IQ points higher on average at the age of 10. Researchers said it could explain why people with a higher IQ were healthier as a vegetarian diet was connected to lower heart disease and obesity rates. The study of 8,179 people was reported in the BritishMedicalJournal.
Twenty years after the IQ tests were carried out in 1970, 366 of the participants said they were vegetarians — although more than 100 reported eating either fish or chicken.
Men who were vegetarians had an IQ score of 106, compared with 101 for non-vegetarians; while female vegetarians averaged 104, compared with 99 for non-vegetarians. There was no difference in the IQ scores, between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarians but reported eating fish or chicken.
Researchers said the findings were partly related to better education and higher class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.
Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher social class and to have higher academic or vocational qualifications than non-vegetarians. However, these differences were not reflected in their annual income, which was similar to that of non-vegetarians.
Lead researcher Catharine Gale said, “The findings that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarians as adults, together with the evidence on the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet on heart health, may help to explain why a higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life.
But Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association said，“It_ is_ like _the _chicken  _and _egg. Do people become vegetarians because they have a very high IQ or is it just that they are clever enough to be more aware of health issues？”
小題1: What’s the result of the research mentioned in the text?
A．Intelligent children are more likely to become vegetarians later in life.
B．Children with a higher IQ are less likely to have heart disease later in life.
C．Intelligent children tend to belong to higher social class later in life.
D．Children with a healthier heart tend to have a higher IQ later in life.
小題2:It was found in the research that________.
A．most of the participants became vegetarians 20 years after the IQ tests were carried out
B．vegetarians who ate fish or chicken were of similar intelligence with strict vegetarians
C．female vegetarians were more likely to have higher annual income than non-vegetarians
D．vegetarians were more likely to have higher annual income than non-vegetarians
小題3:What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?
A．Intelligence is linked to not just being a vegetarian but to many factors.
B．The rate of getting heart disease is linked to your lifestyle.
C．The link between a high IQ and being a vegetarian is still uncertain.
D．The link between a healthy heart and diet remains to be proved.
小題4:What’ s the best title for the text?
A．Get more IQ points!
B．Be a vegetarian, please!
C．Vegetarian diet cuts heart risk
D．A high IQ is linked to being a vegetarian

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