Next Hot Language to Study: Chinese
The fourth-graders at Chicago’s McCormick Primary School are unaware of the difficulty in learning Chinese. For most, who speak Spanish at home, it’s becoming their third language. They’ve been learning and using Chinese words since kindergarten, and it’s now second nature to give a hearty “ni hao” when strangers enter the classroom.
The classroom scene at McCormick is unusual, but it may soon be a common fixture(固定物) in American schools, where Chinese is rapidly becoming the hot new language. Government officials have long wanted more focus on security—useful languages like Chinese, and pressure from them—as well as from business leaders, politicians, and parents—has driven a quick growth in the number of programs.
Chicago itself is home to the largest effort to include Chinese in US public schools. The program here has grown to include 3,000 students in 20 schools, with more schools on a waiting list. Programs have also spread to places like Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and North Carolina. It’s true that the number of students learning Chinese is tiny compared with how many study Spanish or French.
Advocates (提倡者，擁護(hù)者) see knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as a help in a global economy where China is growing in importance. “This is an interesting way to begin to engage with the world’s next superpower,” says Michael Levine, director of education at the Asia Society, which has started five new public high schools that offer Chinese. “Globalization（全球化) has already changed the arrangements in terms of how children today are going to need to think about their careers… The question is, when not whether, the schools are going to adjust.”
In Chicago, the trend extends beyond schools with high numbers of Asian students. “The fact that my students are 98% low income and 99% Latino(拉丁美洲人) and they are succeeding in this, tells me everyone should have a try at learning languages,” says Virginia Rivera, principal at McCormick.“We want to give our young people opportunities to advance… and Chinese is a great opportunity to survive in today’s economy,” says Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago.
小題1:The first paragraph is mainly written to _______.
A．show the importance of Chinese learning
B．introduce the topic to be followed
C．a(chǎn)dvise primary schools to teach Chinese
D．prove it’s easy for children to learn language
小題2: How many languages are mentioned in this passage?
A．Six.B．Two.
C．Three.D．Four.
小題3: In the last paragraph, the underlined word “this ”probably refers to _____.
A．the competition between Latino and Asian students
B．the global economy
C．the interesting way to engage with China
D．the Chinese learning
小題4: What CANNOT be learned from this passage?
A．Most students at McCormick can speak three languages.
B．Chinese is gaining its popularity in all schools in Chicago.
C．French has far more speakers than Chinese does in Chicago.
D．Globalization in a way makes it necessary to learn Chinese.
小題5: Which of the following is mainly about in this passage?
A．The Chinese learning in Chicago.
B．The ways to learn Chinese.
C．McCormick Primary School.
D．Globalization and Chinese learning.
小題1:B小題1:C小題1:D小題1:B小題1:A
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

American cities are similar to other cities around the world: American cities are changing, just as American society is changing. After World War Two, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increase. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts (轉(zhuǎn)移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents became wealthier. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs.
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.
小題1:What does the author think of cities all over the world?
A．They are alive.B．They are hopeless.
C．They are similar.D．They are different.
小題2: Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Two?
A．Because older American cities were dying.
B．Because they were richer and needed more space.
C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society.
D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city.
小題3:According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities             .
A．a(chǎn)re faced with housing problemsB．a(chǎn)re forced to move to the suburbs
C．want to sell their buildingsD．need more money for daily expenses
小題4:We can conclude from the text that            .
A．American cities are changing for the worse
B．people have different views on American cities
C．many people are now moving from American cities
D．the population is decreasing in older American cities

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In the last years of the Warring States period, the State of Qin attacked the State of Wei on a large scale repeatedly and occupied large areas of land, for the State of Wei was too weak to defend itself. In 273 B.C., the Qin army launched a more serious attack upon the State of Wei than ever. The king of the State of Wei gathered his officials, and asked with a worried look if anyone could propose a way to defeat the Qin army. After years of chaos caused by the wars, the officials trembled when fighting was mentioned, and no one dared to speak of resistance.
At the critical moment when a large enemy force was bearing down upon the border, most of the officials persuaded the king to sue for peace, at the cost of giving away to the State of Qin the large area of land north of the Huanghe River and south of the Taihang Mountain. However Su Dai, a counselor, did not agree. He hurried up to the king and said: "Your Majesty, they don't think about the interests of the country at all. It is just because they are afraid of death that they ask you to sue for peace by betraying the country. Of course you can temporarily satisfy the ambition of Qin, but it will never stop attacking us until our land is totally given away."
He added,“Once there was a man whose house was on fire. People told him to put out the fire with water, but he would not listen. Instead, he carried a faggot to put out the fire, only to make the fire fiercer. Isn't it similar to carrying faggots to put out a fire if you agree to sue for peace at the cost of the land of the State of Wei?”
Though Su Dai's argument was very convincing, the king accepted the suggestion of those officials and gave away to the State of Qin a large area of the land of the State of Wei. As might be expected, the Qin army attacked the State of Wei in 225 B.C. again, surrounding the capital city Daliang and flooding it by digging open the dykes (堤防) of the Huanghe River. The State of Wei was finally destroyed.
小題1: When asked how to defeat the Qin army, most officials _______.
A．were scared and at a loss what to do
B．looked worried and turned to Su Dai for help
C．a(chǎn)sked a large enemy force to bear down upon the border
D．were extremely frightened and decided to give up fighting back
小題2:The underlined phrase“sue for”in Paragraph 2 probably means _______.
A．demand B．beg for C．search forD．negotiate for
小題3:Su Dai used the example of“carrying faggots to put out a fire”to show _______.
A．the ambition of the State of Qin
B．the serious results of giving in
C．the loss of the land of the State of Wei
D．the trembling consequences of defense
小題4: The story is mainly developed by _______.
A．timeB．logicC．making comparisonD．cause and effect
小題5: The attitude of the writer towards Su Dai is _______.
A．a(chǎn)pprovalB．praiseC．neutralD．disapproval

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

New York is one of the last large American cities to have some of its policemen on horseback. The New York police have 170 horses that they use in certain parts of the city. The horses are expensive to feed, but it is even more expensive to take care of them. Because the horses must walk on the streets, they need special horseshoes. In fact, they need more than 8,000 of them each year. Every police horse in New York gets new shoes every month. Keeping these shoes in good repair is the job of six blacksmiths. There are only about thirty-five of these blacksmiths in the whole Unite States.
The cost of shoeing a horse is between twenty dollars and thirty--five dollars, and it takes a good blacksmith two to three hours to do the job.  
A blacksmith’s job is not an easy one. He must be able to shape a shoe from a piece of metal and then fit it to the horse’s foot. The blacksmith must bend over all the time when he is fitting the shoe and must hold the weight of the horse’s leg while he works. But even more important, he must be able to deal with horses ------ for before the blacksmith can begin his work, he has to get the horse to lift its leg.
One of the blacksmiths in New York is James Corbin. He came to the country form Ireland in 1948.He not only makes horseshoes for the police but also works for a group of horse owners near the city. Corbin became interested in blacksmithing because his father did it, and, as he puts it, “It’s a good way to make a living.”
小題1:According to the reading passage, a blacksmith must be likely a         man.
A．cleverB．richC．strongD．tall
小題2: James Corbin became a blacksmith because he        .
A．was interested in horses.B．was needed by the policemen
C．drew a picture of the horses D．had to make a living
小題3: In the reading passage “to shape a shoe” is to       .
A．fit it on the horse’s footB．use it for two or three hours
C．make the form of a horseshoe from a piece of metal D．draw a picture of the shoe
小題4:The best title for the passage is          .
A．Policemen on HorsebackB．Blacksmiths and Horseshoeing
C．James Corbin, a BlacksmithD．Horseshoeing Is a Good Way to Make a Living
小題5: Which of the following is true?
A．Only a few large American cities have some policemen on horseback.
B．New York is the only city in America to have some policemen on horseback.
C．Policemen on horseback enjoy traveling around the United States.
D．Policemen on horseback are less expensive than those in cars.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Animals are natural resources that people have wasted all through our history.
Animals have been killed for their fur and feathers, for food, for sport, and simply because they were in the way. Thousands of kinds of animals have disappeared from the world forever. Hundreds more are on the danger list today. About 170 kinds in the United States alone are considered in danger.
Why should people care? Because we need animals. And because once they are gone, there will never be any more.
Animals are more than just beautiful and interesting. They are more than just a source of food. Every animal has its place in the balance of nature. Destroying one kind of animal can create many problems.
For example, when farmers killed large numbers of hawks(老鷹), the farmers stores of corn and grain were destroyed by rats and mice. Why? Because hawks eat rats and mice. With no hawks to keep down their numbers, the rats and mice multiplied(繁殖) quickly.
Luckily, some people are working to help save the animals. Some groups raise money to let people know about the problem. And they try to get the governments to pass laws protecting animals in danger.
Quite a few countries have passed laws. These laws forbid the killing of any animals or plants on the danger list. Slowly, the number of some animals in danger is growing.
小題1:Animals are important to us mainly because____.
A．they give us a source of foodB．they are beautiful and lovely
C．they keep the balance of natureD．they give us a lot of pleasure
小題2:What has happened to the animals on the earth?
A．Hundreds of kinds of animals have disappeared forever.
B．Many kinds of animals have died out.
C．About 170 kinds of animals have disappeared forever.
D．All kinds of animals are in danger.
小題3:Which of the following is NOT true?
A．People care much about animals because they need them.
B．Once a certain kind of animals is gone forever, there will never be any more.
C．Killing all rats and mice may cause some problems.
D．People must not kill any animals.
小題4:What can we infer from the fact that quite a few countries have passed laws protecting animals in danger?
A．Every person will know the importance of protecting wild animals.
B．Animals in danger will not be killed any more.
C．The number of some animals in danger will increase.
D．Animals in danger will be kept away from people.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Ted doesn’t like cars. He wants people to stop driving because cars make the air dirty. Ted had an idea. He said,“I’m going to cycle around North America. I want to show everyone that cycling is a fun way to get around. If more people ride bikes, the air will be cleaner.”
He left his hometown with $160 in his pocket. When he got to San Diego, he met another cyclist. The cyclist invited Ted to speak at a big meeting about the environment. He said,“We’ll pay your airfare to Texas and we’ll pay you to talk about your cycling trip.”Two hours later, Ted was on a plane to the environmental conference and to a big surprise!
While he was at the conference, he met Deanna. It was love at first sight! They talked for six hours straight.
The next day, Ted called Deanna and asked her to finish the trip with him. Deanna said yes, sold everything in her apartment, gave her notice at work, and was on the road with Ted 20 days later!
“It was difficult at first,”said Deanna. “Ted got up every morning at 6:00 a.m., but I wanted to sleep until noon.”After a few days, they started having fun. As they cycled from Florida to Montreal and then back to Vancouver, every day was an adventure. People paid for their food in restaurants and gave them extra money. Some people gave them $50 or $100. They slept in people’s backyards and drank beer with motorcycle gangs.
On their way back to Vancouver, they stopped in Edmonton to visit Ted’s relatives. During the stopover, they got married. People tied a “Just Married”sign and tin cans to the backs of their bikes. They now want to write a book about their trip. “We want people to know that you can be an environmentalist and still have fun, ”Ted said.
小題1: Ted got paid for ______.
A．giving a talk about his cycling tripB．cycling throughout North America
C．traveling around North America by airD．a(chǎn)ttending conferences on cycling
小題2: The “big surprise” he had at the conference was that _______ .
A．he met another cyclist who wanted to join himB．he fell in love with a girl there
C．he gave a long talk lasting 6 hours D．he had a lot of fun talking about his cycling trip
小題3: The underlined part “gave her notice at work” probably means __________ .
A．Deanna was fired by her boss for not going to work
B．Deanna asked for a long leave from work to join Ted in his trip
C．Deanna told people beforehand that she would leave her job
D．Deanna handed in the notice that she were asked to finish before
小題4:During the trip, Ted and Deanne ___________.
A．found it hard to get up early B．were attacked by motorcycle gangs
C．never pay for their meals in restaurants D．got married

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Attempt a guess at the following question: In the English-speaking world, which country has the least affordable homes? You are wrong if you guessed the US, even with the housing bubble (氣泡) and main sadness. Nor is it the UK, where prices have risen because demand is far from supply. According to a recent survey of 227 cities around the globe, you must go south of the equator (赤道) to Australia to find the priciest homes.
The report measured a city’s housing market along the following guidelines. An “affordable” home required three times or less of the average family’s income to purchase. At four times earnings, a home fell into the “unaffordable” category. And a “seriously unaffordable” home needed five times a family’s income. In Australia, homes in the least affordable city cost just about 9.5 times the average income. Sydney, Perth, and Melbourne were only a little under this figure.
Australian officials offered little comment, apart from a general statement on the dismal findings. These prices make the possibility that many Australians will one day own a home largely unbelievable. Land rationing (配給制) and excessive development charges have raised prices, and the problem will only be solved through urgent action by the Rudd government.
Some American cities were also included on the least affordable list, four of which were in California. America is still involved in a mortgage（抵押）crisis, though, affecting the affordability of homes. Yet a number of US cities garnered “affordable” status, namely Dallas and Kansas. Australia had no cities listed in the top fifty places with affordable homes.
The survey suggests that you can find affordable homes in most places, just not if you’re Australian and choose to live down under.
小題1:To buy an affordable house, you should pay _____.
A．3 times or less of the average family’s income
B．4 times or less of the average family’s income
C．5 times or less of the average family’s income
D．9.5 times or less of the average family’s income
小題2:What caused the prices of houses to increase in Australia?
A．The rising family’s income.
B．The demand over supply.
C．The excessive development charges.
D．The decrease of land.
小題3:The underlined word “dismal” in Paragraph 3 may mean _____.
A．cheerfulB．satisfactoryC．difficultD．gloomy
小題4:What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A．Affordable Houses
B．A House is a Dream First
C．Housing Bubble
D．Homes Too Expensive

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A green house is a building made of glass which is used for keeping warm when the outside temperature is low. In a similar way there are several gases in the atmosphere (mixture of gases that surround the earth) which trap the heat produced by the sun and prevent it from escaping. These gases are known as “greenhouse gases”. and the way in which they trap heat in the atmosphere is called the “greenhouse effect”. This is not simply air pollution. Most of the main greenhouse gases exist naturally in small amounts in our atmosphere, and without them the earth would be 30 degrees colder and human life would not exist. In other words, the greenhouse effect is a natural course which is to some degree helpful to us.
The problem is that in the last century and a half, we have been putting too many of these gases into the earth’s atmosphere by burning large quantities of coal and oil and by cutting down forest. The rapid increase in greenhouse gases is making the world warmer. The world’s temperature has already gone up by half a degree this century, and the sea level has risen by 10 centimetres. If the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere doubles, there will probably be a rise in the earth’s temperature of between I and 4℃;. This may seem a small increase, but it would be enough to cause major changes in geography and agriculture. Large areas of the world would be flooded, and some areas would become dry and unable to produce crops. It is important, too, to consider that there may be a delay of about 30 years in the greenhouse effect. This means that we are probably experiencing only now the effect of the gases put into the atmosphere before the 1960s. Since then, our use of these gases has greatly increased.
小題1: According to the passage, we can know “greenhouse effect” means_______.  
A．the way in which gases are used for keeping plants warm
B．a(chǎn) natural course that is to a certain degree useful to us
C．the way “greenhouse gases” trap heat on the earth
D．the whole course in which greenhouse gases prevent heat
小題2: If there were no greenhouse effect,_______.
A．a(chǎn)ll plants would not grow on our planetB．soil would reduce the temperature by 30 degrees
C．man would breathe the cleaner airD．people couldn’t live in the earth
小題3: Which of the following is not true?
A．Burning too much coal and oil produces lots of greenhouse gases.
B．It has become warm on the earth now than in the past.
C．Gases put into the atmosphere now will affect the earth years later.
D．The temperature in a greenhouse is as high as that in the atmosphere.
小題4: Suppose the earth’s temperature rose by 3 degrees, _______. 
A．great harm will be done to mankindB．the sea level would go up by 10 centimeters
C．a(chǎn)ll the land in the world would be floodedD．crops would be unable to grow on the earth
小題5: This passage mainly deals with ________.
A．the concept (概念) and the harm of the greenhouseB．the relation between greenhouse gases and man
C．the concept and change of greenhouse effectD．the effect of the rise of the earth’s temperature

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When you are curious about something, and want to know more about it, you can use the way of asking questions. Asking questions is the first step to make discoveries and find interesting answers. The steps below can guide you during the research.

Step 1 On a note card or piece of paper, write down the subject that you are interested in. Just get the main idea down. For example, you might write:

Discover more about dinosaurs.

Step 2 Next, stop and think for a moment about what you already know about your subject. List what you already know like the sentences below:

1. Dinosaurs lived long before human beings appeared.
2. Dinosaurs lived on the earth for more than 150 million years.
3. Some dinosaurs fed on plants, some on meat.

Step 3 What can you do with what you want to learn? By asking questions. On your paper, start writing down questions about the dinosaurs as you think of them:

1. What’s the best weather for dinosaurs to live in?
2. How many kinds of dinosaurs are there?
3. Have dinosaurs really disappeared?

Step 4 Armed with your list of questions, you can now go to the nearest library or computer to begin your research. As you learn more about your subject, you’ll probably discover some new questions.

For example, you might discover that dinosaurs disappeared about 65 million years ago. Why? What happened? Asking new questions can help you research your subject more widely.
The next time you find something interesting to research, take time to organize your thinking by asking good questions. And remember—learning more always bring more questions.
小題1:When you do some research, you should take the following steps:                .
①list what you want to know      ②choose a research subject
③list what you already know      ④discover new problems
A．①④③②B．②③①④C．③②④①D．④③①②
小題2:What does the underlined sentence “Armed with your list of questions” mean?
A．Putting your list of questions under your arm.
B．Discussing your questions with your classmates.
C．Writing down your list of questions.
D．Taking your list of questions with you.
小題3:According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A．You can find all the answers online.
B．Learn more, and you’ll have no questions.
C．During the research, you may keep finding new questions.
D．Asking questions is the only way for research.
小題4:. The best title for this passage is              .
A．Discovering DinosaursB．Asking Good Questions
C．Finding SubjectsD．Having Interesting Answers

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