The young man arrived on the Massachusetts beach early carrying a radio, a shovel(鐵鍬), and a strange set of tools: a brick layer’s trowel, a palette knife, spatulas, spoons, and a spray bottle.
He walked down near the water — the tide(潮水) was out — and switched on the radio to listen to soft rock. Then he shoveled wet sand into a pile nearly four feet high and as many feet across. Then he created a square shape.
After that, he set to work with palette knife, spatulas, and spoons. He shaped a splendid tower, topped walls, fashioned beautiful bay windows, and carved (雕刻)out a big front gate.
The man knew his sand. He smoothly finished some surfaces and carved artistic designs on others. As the shapes began to dry, he gently kept them slightly wet with water from the spray bottle, in case they might break in the wind.
All this took hours. People gathered. At last he stood back, obviously satisfied with a castle worthy of the Austrian countryside or Disneyland.
Then he gathered his tools and radio and moved them up to drier sand. He had known for a while what many in the crowd still ignored: the tide was coming in. Not only had he practiced his art with confidence and style, he also had done so against a powerful, irresistible(不可抵抗的) deadline.
As the crowd looked on, water came at the base of the castle. In minutes it was surrounded. Then the rising flood began to eat into the base, walls fell, the tower fell, and finally the gate fell. More minutes passed, and small waves erased bay windows — soon no more than a small part was left.
Many in the crowd looked terribly sad; some voiced fear and discouragement. But the man remained calm. He had, after all, had a wonderful day, making beauty out of nothing, and watching it return to nothing as time and tide moved on.
小題1:In this passage, why did the young man start early in the day?
A．He needed the sun to help dry the sand.
B．It gave plenty of time for the crowd to gather.
C．He knew the tide was out on this particular morning.
D．It was easier to begin his work with only a few people around.
小題2:In this passage, what does the incoming tide signal?
A．It is time to begin working.
B．It is the end of a day’s work.
C．It is the busiest time of the day.
D．It is time for lookers-on to leave.
小題3:How did the lookers-on react when the tide began to come in?
A．They were disappointed to see the art ruined.
B．They tried their best to save the sand castle.
C．They were nervous about their own belongings.
D．They helped the artist finish the castle.
小題4:We can tell that the young man’s reward for his work is ___________.
A．payment for his work
B．personal satisfaction
C．popularity as an artist
D．a(chǎn)ttention from the crowd

小題1:C
小題2:B
小題3:A
小題4:B
試題分析：文章大意：一位年輕人來到沙灘上做沙雕，潮水襲來，美麗的沙雕被沖吞噬。人們感嘆沙雕就這樣沒了，但年輕人并不悲觀，因?yàn)樗娮C了沙雕從無到有，從有到無的過程。
小題1:C 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段句子… the tide(潮水) was out — and switched on the radio…Then he shoveled wet sand into…可知，年輕人等到潮水退去才開始聽著輕音樂干起活來。所以答案選C、年輕人早來的原因是他知道這天早上潮水會(huì)退去。
小題2:B 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)倒數(shù)第三段句子He had known for a while… the tide was coming in…h(huán)e also had done so against a powerful, irresistible(不可抵抗的) deadline.可知，雖然眾人不知道但年輕人很清楚潮水正在襲來，所以他不僅用他的藝術(shù)作品體現(xiàn)了自己的自信與風(fēng)格，而且戰(zhàn)勝了潮水襲來之前的有限時(shí)間。所以答案選B、年輕人創(chuàng)作完沙雕，結(jié)束了一天的工作，潮水也正在襲來。
小題3:A 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章最后一段開頭句子Many in the crowd looked terribly sad…可知，旁觀者在看到潮水吞噬沙雕的時(shí)候都很傷心，失望。所以答案選A。
小題4:B 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)最后一段句子But the man remained calm… had a wonderful day, making beauty out of nothing, and watching it return to nothing …可知，年輕人很鎮(zhèn)靜，很滿足，因?yàn)樗娮C了沙雕從無到有，從有到無的整個(gè)過程。所以他從自己的作品中得到的回報(bào)就是自我滿足感。因此答案選B。
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has opened up about being a parent，stating that 13 is an appropriate age for a child’s first cell phone.
The 57­year­old，father­of­three，revealed on The Today Show that his children Jennifer and Rory were not allowed phones until their 13th birthday and his youngest daughter Phoebe is still waiting for one.
“We’ve chosen in our family that it’s 13 where you get a phone，” the self­made billionaire explained.
He said as a result his children often return home from school complaining，“All the other kids have one.I’m the only one without one.It’s so embarrassing.”
Asked if he keeps passwords to his son and daughters’ email and Facebook accounts，Mr Gates said that he doesn’t for Jennifer,16，who he describes as “independent”．He admitted that monitoring online activity is “a very tricky issue for parents now”．
Despite their vast wealth Mr and Mrs Gates，who live in Lake Medina，have  said  they  want  to give  their children  as  normal an upbringing as possible.
It was previously reported that their youngsters have to complete household chores and are given a modest amount of pocket money.
And in 2010 Mr Gates said that he intends to give most of his $61 billion fortune away rather than hand it down.“That wouldn’t be good either for my kids or society，” he said.
Also during the Today interview with host Matt Lauer，Mr Gates，who stepped down from Microsoft in 2008 to concentrate on philanthropy，said that helping others gives him the same excitement as creating software.
“What you really feel is what you’ve achieved.If a piece of software gets out there and lots of people love it—it lets them get their work done in better ways—that’s exciting，” he explained.
小題1:Bill Gates will not let his children own a cell phone________.
A．until they reach the age of 13
B．if they don’t really need one
C．unless they do some housework
D．before they become independent
小題2:Which of the following is true about Bill Gates’ children?
A．All his children now have cell phones.
B．Phoebe has her own cell phone.
C．They are not given any pocket money.
D．Jennifer can use the Internet freely.
小題3:What does the underlined word “That” refer to in the text?
A．Being a parent as a billionaire.
B．Handing all his money down to his children.
C．Allowing his children to have their phones.
D．Giving away all his money to good causes.
小題4:What can we learn about Bill Gates from the text?
A．He is a warm­hearted father to his children.
B．He has created a lot of software since 2008.
C．He now devotes himself to helping others
D．He cares more about money than anything else.
小題5:What is the text mainly about?
A．How Bill Gates made himself a billionaire.
B．How Bill Gates deals with his money.
C．How Bill Gates managed his business.
D．How Bill Gates brings up his children.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

You might notice something new in the next few years as you watch Disney programs: Starting in 2015, there won’t be any candy, sugary cereal or fast-food commercials aimed at kids.

The Walt Disney Company has become the first major media company to ban ads for junk food on its TV channels, radio stations and websites. It hopes this will stop kids from making poor food choices.
First Lady Michelle Obama called it a “game changer” that is sure to send a message to the rest of the children’s entertainment industry. “Just a few years ago, if you had told me or any other mom or dad in America that our kids wouldn’t see a single ad for junk food while they watched their favorite cartoons on a major TV network, we wouldn’t have believed you, ”said the First Lady, who heads a campaign to help stop child obesity.
The ban would apply to Disney-owned ABC stations as well as Radio Disney and Disney-owned websites aimed at families with young children. In addition, Disney plans to make changes to its kids’ menus at theme parks and resorts(度假勝地). Fast-food options will be replaced with healthier choices, such as smoothies(果汁), apples, vegetables and yogurt.
In addition to candy bars and fast-food meals, other foods that don’t meet Disney’s nutritional standards will be banned from the company’s kid-targeted media. Any cereal with 10 grams or more of sugar per serving will be off the air. There will be no ads for full meals of more than 600 calories. Juices with high levels of sugar and foods with too much salt will also be pulled.
Leslie Goodman, Disney’s senior vice-president of Corporate Citizenship, said a company that wants to advertise will need to show that it offers a range of healthy options.
Disney isn’t the only one pushing away unhealthy foods. Last week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested a ban on drinks over 16 ounces sold in movie theaters, restaurants and convenience stores in the Big Apple. He says large, sugary drinks are partly to blame for obesity.
小題1: What will the Walt Disney Company do from 2015?
A．Produce more and better cartoons for young kids.
B．Stop broadcasting advertisements for junk food on TV.
C．Help kids develop healthy lifestyle in the program.
D．Provide healthier food for kids while they are watching programs.
小題2: What Michelle Obama said suggests that while watching cartoons　　　.
A．kids didn’t believe what the commercials said
B．kids don’t enjoy eating candy, sugary cereal or junk food
C．kids would see a lot of fast-food commercials on TV
D．kids find pleasure in watching fast-food commercials
小題3: The underlined phrase “be off the air” in Paragraph 5 probably means“　　　”.
A．not be broadcast　　　B．be in need
C．become popularD．be praised
小題4: According to Michael Bloomberg, to fight child obesity, kids should　　　.
A．watch fewer cartoons
B．drink less sugary drinks
C．not go to movie theaters
D．take more physical exercise

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In December 2008, Caroline Kennedy — daughter of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy—sat down, as a frontrunner for the Senate seat in New York, for a televised interview that helped decide the future of her campaign. The result was a disaster.
Her performance wasn’t well received, in part because her speech was full of filler words—“ums,” “ahs” and “you knows.” One listener counted 27 “ums” and 38 “you knows” in the space of five minutes. A few weeks after the interview, Kennedy ended her Senate campaign.
Filler words may seem natural in everyday speech, but they can be deadly in formal presentations. “Using excessive fillers is the most annoying speech habit,” said Susan Ward, a speech specialist. “They take your listener’s attention away often to the point that he doesn’t hear anything you say. Your message is entirely lost.”
Many speakers are afraid of pause. They believe their audience will think they are inarticulate (不善于表達(dá)) if they pause to think of what to say next, so they use filler words to avoid the silence. However, a pause is actually more impressive than a filler word. Listeners know that the speaker is thinking, trying to find the right word. Sometimes a pause can actually improve a speech, as when an actor uses a dramatic pause to hold the attention of his audience. A speaker shouldn’t be afraid to pause occasionally during a speech; it shows self-confidence.
It takes some work to cut out filler words. You can begin by taking a few seconds to think about what you want to say the next time you are asked a question. This pause will help you begin powerfully, and it will help you avoid using a filler word.
The same public speaking technique applies when you are shifting from one idea to another. While you may be tempted to fill the silence between ideas with a filler word, remember to allow yourself to pause and think about what you want to say next.
If you need help overcoming your “um” problem, consider asking a family member or a friend to point out when you use filler words. You also could record an upcoming presentation and then watch yourself in action. You may be amazed at how often you say “um” or “uh”!
Although we live in a fast-paced society that seemingly demands instant answers, we must use the pause to our advantage. Finally, we should only speak when we are ready.
小題1:In the first two paragraphs of the article the writer intends to ______.
A．introduce Caroline Kennedy to readers
B．illustrate how deadly filler words can be in the public speech
C．explain what filler words are
D．remind readers that they should count filler words used in public speeches
小題2:The reason why filler words are considered annoying by speech specialist is that   ______.
A．they prevent the listener from focusing on what the speaker is saying.
B．they convey the speaker’s superiority to the listener.
C．they mean the speaker is not articulate at all.
D．they make the speaker appear self-confident.
小題3:When used properly, pauses in speeches can actually ______.
A．give the speaker more credibility
B．hold the attention of the audience
C．show the speaker’s deep insight
D．help the audience relax
小題4:Which of the following is NOT suggested as a way to get rid of filler words?
A．To have mental training in order to think faster.
B．To ask someone else to point out when you use filler words.
C．To watch a recording of your own speech.
D．To practice thinking for a moment before answering a question.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Many people believe the glare from snow causes snow-blindness. Yet, dark glasses or not , they find themselves suffering from headaches and watering eyes, and even snow-blindness, when exposed to several hours of “snow light”. The United States Army has now determined that glare from snow does not cause snow-blindness in troops in a snow-covered country. Rather, a man's eyes frequently find nothing to focus on in a broad expanse of barren (少植被的) snow-covered terrain (地形). So his gaze continually shifts and jumps back and forth over the entire landscape in search of something to look at. Finding nothing, hour after hour, the eyes never stop searching and the eyeballs become sore and the eye muscles ache. Nature eases this irritation by producing more fluid which covers the eyeball. The fluid covers the eyeball in increasing quantity until vision blurs (模糊), then is obscured (遮蔽), and the result is total, even though temporary, snow-blindness.
Experiments led the Army to a simple method of overcoming this problem. Scouts ahead of a main body of troops are trained to shake snow from evergreen bushes, creating a dotted line as they cross completely snow-covered landscape. Even the scouts themselves throw lightweight, dark colored objects ahead on which they too can focus. The men following can then see something. Their gaze is arrested. Their eyes focus on a bush and having found something to see, stop scouring the snow-blanketed landscape. By focusing their attention on one object at a time, the men can cross the snow without becoming hopelessly snow-blind or lost. In this way the problem of crossing a solid white terrain is overcome.
小題1:To prevent headaches, watering eyes and blindness caused by the glare from snow, dark
glasses are _________.
A．indispensable and essentialB．usefulC．ineffectiveD．a(chǎn)vailable
小題2:When the eyes are sore tears are produced to _________.
A．balance the pain B．treat snow-blindness
C．clear the visionD．loosen the muscles
小題3:Snow-blindness may be avoided by _________.
A．concentrating on the solid white terrain
B．searching for something to look at in snow-covered terrain
C．providing the eyes with something to focus on
D．covering the eyeballs with more fluid
小題4:The scouts shake snow from evergreen bushes in order to _________.
A．prevent the men behind losing their way
B．beautify the landscape of the terrain
C．warm themselves in the severe cold
D．give the men behind something to see
小題5:A suitable title for this passage would be _________.
A．nature's cure for snow-blindness
B．snow-blindness and how to overcome it
C．soldiers marching in the snow
D．snow vision and its effect on eyesight

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Hobbs was an orphan. He worked in a factory and every day he got a little money. Hard work changed him thin and weak. He wanted to borrow a lot of money to learn to paint pictures, but he did not think he could pay off the debts.
One day the lawyer said to him, “One thousand dollars, and here is the money.” As Hobbs took the package of notes, he was very dumbfounded. He didn’t know where the money came from and how to spend it. He said to himself, “I could go to find a hotel and live like a rich man for a few days; or I give up my work in the factory and do what I’d like to do: painting pictures I could do that for a few weeks, but what would I do after that? I should have lost my place of the factory and have no money to live on. If it were a little less money, I would buy a new coat, or a radio, or give a dinner to my friends. If it were more, I could give up the work and pay for painting pictures. But it’s too much for one and too little for the other.”
“Here is the reading of your uncle’s will,” said the lawyer, “telling what is to be done with this money after his death. I must ask you to remember one point. Your uncle has said you must bring me a paper showing exactly what you did with his money, as soon as you have spent it.”
“Yes, I see. I’ll do that.” said the young man.
小題1:He wanted to borrow money because he wanted to      .
A．study abroadB．work abroad
C．pay for the debtsD．learn to paint pictures
小題2:Hobbs was dumbfounded on receiving the money because he thought      .
A．the money was too much
B．the money was too little
C．he would be dismissed
D．the lawyer meant to punish him
小題3:With the money he got, first Hobbs      .
A．planned to have a happy life for a few days
B．decided to give up his work in the office
C．was to give a dinner to his friends
D．had no idea what to do
小題4:What Hobbs was asked to do was      .
A．to tell the lawyer what he did with the money after spending it
B．to read his uncle’s will
C．to tell the lawyer what was to be done with the money
D．nothing but to buy some pictures
小題5:What Hobbs really loved to do was      .
A．working in the factory
B．living in a fine hotel
C．painting pictures
D．saving the money

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A brand is a name, word, sign, symbol, design, or a combination of these, intended to identify the goods or services of a company or a group of companies. Another purpose of a brand is to contrast one company from another. The most important skill of professional marketers is the ability to create, maintain, protect, and enhance the brands of their products and services. Branding has become so important that today hardly any company or product is without one. Therefore, brand management is an increasingly important element in marketing.
Brand power refers to the relative strength of a company’s brand in the minds of consumers, and can influence consumers’ choice of products. Brands are powerful to the extent that they give high brand loyalty and strong brand associations, name recognition, perceived quality and other assets to a company. A strong brand can be one of a company’s most important assets.
High brand power provides a company with many competitive advantages. A powerful brand enjoys a high level of consumer brand awareness and loyalty. Because consumers expect stores to carry the brand, the company has more bargaining power when negotiating with retailers (零售商). And because the brand name brings high credibility, a company with a strong brand can more easily launch new products with the same brand name.
Many companies use the advantage of a strong brand power strategically to expand their business. When a company introduces an additional item with a new flavour, form, colour or package size in a given product category and under the same brand name, it is called a line extension. Another strategy is called brand extension. This involves the use of a successful brand name to launch new or modified products in a new category, thereby employing brand recognition in order to increase sales of new products.
Brand recognition is certainly important. Because consumers often hold long-standing perceptions about brands, high brand power ensure a company continued sales of its products.
小題1:What does the word “assets” in the 2nd paragraph mean?
A．points B．a(chǎn)dvantagesC．a(chǎn)spectsD．elements
小題2:All of the following statements are the advantages of a high brand power EXCEPT that______.
A．a(chǎn) high brand wins the loyalty of consumers
B．a(chǎn) high brand usually sets a much higher price
C．it’s easy for a high brand company to launch new products
D．a(chǎn) high brand company is more competitive when doing business with retailers
小題3:A brand extension ______.
A．happens when the company is developing a new product
B．means the expansion of a company’s business in its established field
C．takes place when the company introduces a similar item but with a new colour
D．refers to the use of an established brand name to promote a new product in a new category
小題4:What might be the best title of this passage?
A．Brand PowerB．Famous Brands
C．Company BrandsD．Brand Products

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Starting a new school term is always exciting. It is a chance to see all of your friends again. But most exciting of all, the new term is an opportunity to take up new hobbies. As you know, it is common in Britain for students to take up new hobbies after the Christmas holidays. Promising to begin something new is a common New Year resolution for many school teenagers.
Most schools offer different kinds of hobby classes. Students take them in their free periods or after school. Some classes you have to pay for and others are free of charge. For example, I once took a free Wednesday evening gymnastics class that my school offered. But when I learnt how to play the drum my parents had to pay for the lesson, and they did so, like most parents, without any complaint.
The most popular extra classes at my school were piano lessons and drama club:  Both classes offered exams students could take. Because the extra classes may take up much time of the students, students with many hobbies sometimes felt more stressed than those without any. But they could enjoy their life better than those who didn't foster (培養(yǎng)) any hobbies at school. For example, they could build up good friendship with the persons who shared the common interest with them. Most important of all, the students with hobbies left school with many extra skills.
Frankly speaking, I haven't continued any of the hobbies I began at school. But I have never regretted taking them. After all, my best friend today is someone whom I met in my gymnastics class. The reason why we are still keeping in close touch with each other is that we have much in common.
小題1:The first paragraph suggests that it's children's nature          .
A．to value friendship
B．to make a promise easily
C．to copy others' behavior
D．to be curious about the new
小題2:The author's parents' attitude to hobby classes might be that of         .
A．a(chǎn)pprovalB．doubtC．unconcernD．disapproval
小題3:What is the biggest benefit children can get from taking up a new hobby?
A．They can enjoy a good time.
B．They can learn extra skills.
C．They can make more friends.
D．They will have things to share.
小題4:From the author's experience, we can learn that          .
A．free hobby classes are very popular
B．hobbies are a way of making friends
C．we must be careful when choosing a hobby
D．hobby classes may not last a long time
小題5:What is the purpose of the passage?
A．To introduce some hobby classes at school.
B．To tell readers how to choose hobby classes.
C．To encourage readers to take up new hobbies.
D．To report a trend among British school children.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

At first sight, you would think the collection of hundreds of colored shards（碎片）could be a work of abstract art. But the objects are the contents of the stomach of a sea turtle that lost its battle with plastic pollution.
Environmentalists examined the stomach of the turtle found off the coast of Argentina. What they found is the symptom of the increasing threat to sea turtles from a human addiction to plastic.
Sea turtles often mistake plastic items for jellyfish or other food. Ingesting（攝�。﹐cean pollution can cause a digestive blockage and internal cuts. The result can be dangerous, followed by death.
Humans produce 260 million tons of plastic a year. When those products are pulled into the sea’s currents, the plastics are just broken into smaller pieces which are consumed by marine life at the bottom of the food chain. An examination of a green turtle found off Florida discovered that, over the course of a month, the animal’s faeces（糞便）had contained 74 foreign objects, including “four types of balloons, different types of hard plastic, a piece of carpet--like material and two 2--4 mm tar balls.”
“The oceans have become a giant refuse bin for all manner of plastics. All sea turtle species may be seriously harmed, “according to the biologists Colette Wabnitz, from the University of British Columbia. ”The symptom of this growing crisis can be seen inside and on sea turtles as well as their oceanic and terrestrial habitats. It is urgently necessary to directly confront the source of plastic pollution, redesign packaging and rethink the very idea of ‘throwaway culture’.”
Almost all marine species, from plankton to whales, have ingested plastic. But, even in small quantities, plastic can kill sea turtles, the biologists said.
Fifty out of 92 turtles found dead, stranded on the shorelines of Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil, had ingested a “considerable amount of man-made debris”.
小題1:What’s tile passage mainly about?
A．How to prevent the sea turtle from plastic.
B．Why plastic is dangerous to the sea turtle.
C．Protecting the sea turtle from being polluted.
D．Sea turtles suffering from plastic pollution.
小題2:The author mentions the “throwaway culture” probably in a（n） _________ tone.
A．praisingB．positiveC．ironicD．comedic
小題3:The underlined word in the last paragraph probably means _________.
A．a(chǎn) kind of foodB．a(chǎn) kind of fish
C．pieces of clothD．pieces of rubbish
小題4:The paragraph following the last one will probably talk about ________.
A．the way the biologists examined the sea turtle
B．some tips on how to make sea turtles avoid plastic
C．how to prevent plastic pollution
D．the reason why we should protect the sea turtle

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