NASA is moving ahead with plans to put a long-armed lander on Mars’ icy north pole to search for cluesfor water and possible signs of life.
The $386 million Phoenix Mars is planned to touch down in the Martian arctic in 2008. The stationary probe will use its robotic arm to dig into the icy land and pick up soil samplesto analyze. In 2002, the Mars Odyssey orbiter spotted evidence of ice-rich soil near the arctic surface.
Scientists hope the Phoenix mission will find clues to the geologic history of water on the Red Planet and determine whether microbesexisted in the ice.
Phoenix will be the first mission of the Mars Scout program, a renewed, low-cost effort to study the Red Planet. “The Phoenix mission explores new territory in the northern plains of Mars analogous to the permafrost regions on Earth,” Peter Smith said.
True to its name, Phoenix rose from the ashes of previousmissions. The lander for Phoenix was built to fly as part of the 2001 Mars Surveyor program. But the program broke down after the well-known disappearance of the Mars Polar Lander in 1999. The Polar Lander lost contact during a landing attempt near the planet’s south pole after its rocket engine shut off prematurely, causing the spacecraft to fall about 130 feet to almost certain destruction.
The Phoenix probe had been in storage at a Lockheed Martin clean room in Denver before it was reused for its present mission. It will carry science instruments that were designed for the Mars Surveyor program including an improved panoramic camera and a trench-digging robotic arm. Phoenix will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in August 2007 and land on the planet nine months later.
Notes:
①    clue  n. 線索
②    sample  n. 標(biāo)本,樣品
③    microbe  n. 微生物
④    previous  adj. 先前的
小題1:The passage mainly tells readers that _________.
A.clues of water will be found in Phoenix
B.Phoenix will be sent to find clues of water on Mars
C.August 2007 will see Phoenix lift off
D.the Mars Scout program will be carried out
小題2: The underlined word “prematurely” (paragraph 5) means _________.
A.on timeB.behind the timeC.out of workD.a(chǎn)head of time
小題3: According to the passage, we know Phoenix will land on Mars _________.
A.in May 2008B.in August 2007
C.in August 2008D.in September 2008
小題4: According to the passage, the name “Phoenix” is after the meaning of _________.
A.rebirthB.deathC.energyD.hope
小題5:After Phoenix lands on Mars, we can infer it will firstly _________.
A.find soil samples and send them to the earth
B.look for the icy land to dig for the soil samples
C.take photos and send them to the earth
D.find the remains of the Mars Polar Lander

小題1:B
小題2:D
小題3:A
小題4:A
小題5:B

小題1:主旨大意題。文章的第一段就是該文章的主題句,由此可知文章要講述的主要內(nèi)容。
小題2:詞義猜測題。由后面的句子可知Phoenix是在空中離地面120英尺處墜向地面,因此可以推測rocket engine提前結(jié)束工作。
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)計(jì)算題。由文章最后一段最后一句可以計(jì)算出。
小題4:推理判斷題。由第五段的第一句可知。
小題5:推理判斷題。由文章的第二段可知,Phoenix的目的就是要通過挖掘冰地,取出樣本進(jìn)行研究。因此,它首先要尋找冰地。
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Indians Refuse Higher Education
On June 17,1744, the officials from Maryland and Virginia held a talk with the Indians of the Six Nations. The Indians were invited to send boys to William and Mary College. In letter the next day they refused the offer as follows:
We know that you have a high opinion of the kind of learning taught in your colleges, and that the costs of living of our young men, while with you, would be very expensive to you. We are certain that you mean to do us good by your suggestion; and we thank you heartily. But you must know that different nations have different ways of looking at things, and you will therefore not be displeased if our ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the same as yours. We have had some experience of it. Several of our young people were formerly brought up at the colleges of the northern provinces:
They were taught all your sciences; but, when they came back to us, they were bad manners, and they knew little of every means of living in the woods... they were totally good for nothing.
We are, however, not the less obliged for your kind offer, though we refuse to accept it; and, to show our grateful sense of it, if the gentlemen of Virginia will send us a dozen of their sons, we will take care of their education, teach them in all we know, and make men of them.
59.The passage is about _______.
A.the talk between the Indians and the officials
B.the colleges of the northern provinces
C.the educational values of the Indians
D.the problems of the Americans in the mid-eighteenth century
60.The Indians’ chief purpose in writing the letter seems to be to______.
A.politely refuse a friendly offer
B.express their opinions on equal treatment
C.show their pride
D.describe Indian customs
61.Different from the officials’ view of education, the Indians thought______.
A.young women should also be educated
B.they had different objects of education
C.they taught different branches of science
D.they should teach the sons of the officials first
62.The mood of the letter as a whole is best described as ______.
A.a(chǎn)ngry      B.polite     C.pleasant       D.inquiring

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

No one can believe that the over 6 300-kilometer long Great Wall might disappear some day.Believe it or not,the Great Wall is being destroyed by people.Less than 20 percent of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty is still perfect,but about 80 percent is in danger.The Great Wall can be called “great” mostly because of its amazing length.But we should realize that the length was made up of one brick at a time.If we do nothing to save the Great Wall,it will become a series of separate wasteland rather than a historic site.
The Great Wall is actually a series of walls built and rebuilt by different dynasties over the past 2 000 years.It began in the rule of China’s first emperor,Qin Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC~206 BC),and lasted into the Ming Dynasty.The parts built before the Ming Dynasty have nearly disappeared.People are familiar with sections such as Badaling in Beijing and Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu because they have been open to tourists for many years.But those sections far away from the public eyes have been almost forgotten.
Few local people knew the 3-meter-high walls made of earth and stones beside them are part of the Great Wall.The lack of knowledge is considered as one of the main reasons behind human.
The bricks on the Great Wall are carried off by countryside people to build their houses,sheep corral(畜欄) and pigsties(豬圈).Some were taken away to build roads.Bricks carved with people’s names are put away as remembrance.Rubbish is spread over the battlements(城垛).The bricks can be sold for 15 yuan per tractor load.Those who destroyed and are destroying the Great Wall know its name,but are not clear about its cultural meaning.It will take a long time to let them know this.The local farmers not only carried off the body of the Wall but dug out the entire base.
It is necessary to protect the Great Wall.First of all,the officials should be aware of theimportance of the Great Wall.Young Chinese should know more about the nation’s great civilization (文明)and learn to love it.
小題1:The main reason for which the Great Wall can be called“great”is__________.
A.it was made by brickB.it was very wide
C.it was very longD.it had a long history
小題2:Why does the author say the Great Wall might disappear?
A.It is useless from now on.B.It will be replaced by a new one.
C.Some parts of it are being destroyed.D.It’s too old to be used again.
小題3:The underlined part “those sections far away from the public eyes” refers to the parts of the Great Wall__________.
A.that are too difficult to understandB.nobody can watch
C.that are too far to been seenD.that are not well known to the public
小題4:What’s the main reason of the Great Wall’s being destroyed?
A.The local people are short of culture knowledge.
B.The local people need bricks and stones to build houses.
C.The local people think that the Great Wall is not important.
D.The local people are against the government.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Dropouts for Ph. D. s
Educators are seriously concerned about the high rate of dropouts among the doctor of philosophy candidates and the consequent loss of talent to a nation in need of Ph. D. s. Some have placed the dropouts loss as high as 50 percent. The extent of the loss was, however, largely a matter of expert guessing. Last week a well-rounded study was published. It was published. It was based on 22,000 questionnaires sent to former graduate students who were enrolled in 24 universities and it seemed to show many past fears to be groundless.
The dropouts rate was found to be 31 per cent, and in most cases the dropouts, while not completing the Ph. D. requirement, went on to productive work. They are not only doing well financially, but, according to the report, are not far below the income levels of those who went on to complete their doctorates.
Discussing the study last week, Dr. Tucker said the project was initiated 'because of the concern frequently expressed by graduate faculties and administrators that some of the individuals who dropped out of Ph. D. programs were capable of competing the requirement for the degree. Attrition at the Ph. D. level is also thought to be a waste of precious faculty time and a drain on university resources already being used to capacity. Some people expressed the opinion that the shortage of highly trained specialists and college teachers could be reduced by persuading the dropouts to return to graduate schools to complete the Ph. D.’
"The results of our research" Dr. Tucker concluded, "did not support these opinions."
1.    Lack of motivation was the principal reason for dropping out.
2.    Most dropouts went as far in their doctoral program as was consistent with their levels of ability or their specialties.
3.    Most dropouts are now engaged in work consistent with their education and motivation.
Nearly 75 per cent of the dropouts said there was no academic reason for their decision, but those who mentioned academic reason cited failure to pass the qualifying examination, uncompleted research and failure to pass language exams. Among the single most important personal reasons identified by dropouts for non-completion of their Ph. D. program, lack of finances was marked by 19 per cent.
As an indication of how well the dropouts were doing, a chart showed 2% in humanities were receiving $ 20,000 and more annually while none of the Ph. D. 's with that background reached this figure. The Ph. D. 's shone in the $ 7,500 to $ 15,000 bracket with 78% at that level against 50% for the dropouts. This may also be an indication of the fact that top salaries in the academic fields, where Ph. D. 's tend to rise to the highest salaries, are still lagging behind other fields.
As to the possibility of getting dropouts back on campus, the outlook was glum. The main condition which would have to prevail for at least 25 % of the dropouts who might consider returning to graduate school would be to guarantee that they would retain their present level of income and in some cases their present job.
小題1: The author states that many educators feel that            
[A] steps should be taken to get the dropouts back to campus.
[B] the dropouts should return to a lower quality school to continue their study.
[C] the Ph. D. holder is generally a better adjusted person than the dropout.
[D] The high dropouts rate is largely attributable to the lack of stimulation on the part of faculty members.
小題2:  Research has shown that          
[A] Dropouts are substantially below Ph. D. 's in financial attainment.
[B] the incentive factor is a minor one in regard to pursuing Ph. D. studies.
[C] The Ph. D. candidate is likely to change his field of specialization if he drops out.
[D] about one-third of those who start Ph. D. work do not complete the work to earn the degree.
小題3:  Meeting foreign language requirements for the Ph. D.
[A] is the most frequent reason for dropping out.
[B] is more difficult for the science candidate than for the humanities candidate.
[C] is an essential part of many Ph. D. programs.
[D] does not vary in difficulty among universities.
小題4:  After reading the article, one would refrain from concluding that          
[A] optimism reigns in regard to getting Ph. D. dropouts to return to their pursuit of the degree.
[B] a Ph. D. dropout, by and large, does not have what it takes to learn the degree.
[C] colleges and universities employ a substantial number of Ph. D. dropouts.
[D] Ph. D. 's are not earning what they deserve in nonacademic positions.
小題5:  It can be inferred that the high rate of dropouts lies in            
[A] salary for Ph. D. too low.
[B] academic requirement too high.
[C] salary for dropouts too high.
[D] 1000 positions.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Right is right. Right? Of course. But is left wrong? Well, the Romans used to think so. They thought left-handed people were mistakes of nature. Latin, the language of the Romans, had many words that expressed this view. Some words we use today still have this meaning. The Latin word “dexter” means “right”. The English word “dexterous” comes from this word. It means “handy” (clever with hands). So, right is handy. But the Latin word for left is “sinister”. The English word “sinister” comes from this word. Sinister means “evil” (very bad). Is it fair to call right-handed people handy and left-handed people evil? Well, fair or not, many languages have words that express such beliefs. In old English, the word for left means “weak”. That isn’t much of an improvement over “evil”.
Not very long ago, children were often forced to write with their right hands. Doctors have since found that this can be very harmful. You should use the hand you were born to use.
People who use their left hands are just starting to get better treatment. But why they get all these bad names in the first place? One reason may be that there are not as many left-handed people as there are right-handed people. There is one left-handed person for every five right-handed ones. People who are different are often thought to be wrong. But attitudes do seem to be changing. Fair-minded right-handed people are finally starting to give left-handed people a hand.
小題1:What does the passage lead us to believe when one writes?
A.He can only use his right hand.
B.He can only use his left hand.
C.He can use either his left hand or his right hand.
D.He can use both his left hand and his right hand.
小題2:The last sentence of this article means ________.
A.Fair-minded right-handed people want to change the habit of the left-handed people
B.Fair-minded right-handed people are starting to help the left-handed people
C.Fair-minded right-handed people are starting to use left hand to write and so on
D.Fair-minded right-handed people are starting to give up using their left hands
小題3: After we read the article we can certainly know that _______.
A.left-handed people have been treated poorly
B.the number of the left-handed people is larger than that of right-handed people
C.right-handed people are much cleverer than left-handed people
D.left-handed people are less smart but hardworking
小題4:Which of the following is NOT right, according to the article?
A.At one time, left-handed people were forced to use their right hands.
B.Left-handed people today are being treated better than those in the past.
C.There are not as many left-handed people as there are right-handed people today.
D.“Dexterous” comes from Latin, means “evil” and English “sinister” means “handy”.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Among the dead in South Asia’s tsunami were many tourists at Sri Lanka’s national wildlife park at Yala. But very few of the park’s animals — elephants, buffaloes, monkeys and wild cats — appear to have died. There are theories that animals can sense natural disasters and flee to safety.
First, it’s possible that the animals may have heard the quake before the tsunami hit. The underwater rupture likely produced sound waves known as infrasound or infrasonic sound. Humans can’t hear infrasound, but many animals including dogs, elephants, tigers and pigeons can.
A second early warning sign the animals might have sensed is ground vibration. The massive quake would have produced vibrational waves known as Rayleigh waves. These vibrations move through the ground like waves move on the surface of the ocean but faster. They travel at ten times the speed of sound. The Rayleigh waves would have reached SriLanka hours before the water hit. Mammals, birds, insects and spiders can sense Rayleigh waves. So the animals at Yale might have felt the Rayleigh waves and then run to higher ground.
But what about humans? While we can’t hear infrasound, we can feel it, although we don’t necessarily know we’re feeling it. We also experience Rayleigh waves by special sensors in our joints, which exist just for that purpose. Sadly, it seems we don’t pay attention to the information when we get it. Maybe we screen it out because there’s so much going on before our eyes and in our ears. Humans have a lot of things on our minds and usually that works out OK.
Notes:
①    tsunami  n. 海嘯
②    infrasound  n. 次聲
③    vibration  n. 振動,顫動
Choose the best answers according to the above:
小題1: Why did few animals at Yala die when the tsunamis that caused a huge number of human deaths hit?
A.Because the animals were staying at a higher place in the park.
B.Because the animals were able to run much faster than human beings.
C.Because human beings cannot hear the infrasonic sound.
D.Because the animals might have picked up the danger signals and ran away.
小題2:Which of the statements about “Ravleigh waves” is true?
A.Rayleigh waves are massive vibrational waves that usually cause quakes or tsunamis.
B.Rayleigh waves move on the ocean surface at a speed ten times that of sound waves.
C.Rayleigh waves can be felt both by animals and human beings.
D.Rayleigh waves, just like infrasonic sound, can only be felt by animals.
小題3:When a tsunami hits, it is possible that____.
A.we can’t feel the infrasound so we can’t be informed of the danger
B.we can feel Rayleigh waves as well as infrasound so we are able to escape the danger like animals
C.we were so busy with things on our minds that we feel neither infrasound nor Rayleigh waves
D.we think nothing of the information of its coming even though we can also get it
小題4: What does the underlined word “that” in the last sentence refer to?
A.Screening out the information.
B.There being so much going on before our eyes and in our ears.
C.Having a lot of things on our minds.
D.Paying attention to the information.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Every human being has a unique arrangement of the skin on his fingers and this arrangement is unchangeable. Scientists and experts have proved the uniqueness of finger-prints and discovered that no exactly similar pattern is passed on from parents to children, though nobody knows why this is the case.
The ridge structure on a person’s fingers does not change with growth and is not affected by surface injuries. Burns, cuts and other damage to the outer part of the skin will be replaced in time by new one, which bears a reproduction of the original pattern. It is only when the inner skin is injured that the arrangement will be destroyed. Some criminals make use of this fact to remove their own finger-prints but this is a dangerous and rare step to take.
Finger-prints can be made very easily with printer’s ink. They can by recorded easily. With special methods, identification can be achieved successfully within a short time. Because of the simplicity and economy of this system, finger-prints have often been used as a method of solving criminal case. A suspected man may deny a charge but this may be in vain. His finger-prints can prove who he is even if his appearance has been changed by age or accident.
When a suspect leaves finger-prints behind at the scene of a crime, they are difficult to detect with the naked eye. Special techniques are used to “develop” them. Some of the marks found are incomplete but identification is possible if a print of a quarter of an inch square can be obtained.
Notes:
①    unique  adj. 唯一的,獨(dú)特的
②    original  adj. 最初的,原始的
③    identification  n. 辯認(rèn),鑒定
小題1: Scientists and experts have proved that the pattern of a human being’s finger skin ________.
A.is similar to his mother’s
B.is valuable to himself only
C.is like that of others with the same type of blood
D.is different from that of all others
小題2: If your fingers are wounded by knife, fire or other means, the structure of skin will ________.
A.be changed partlyB.be replaced by a different one
C.be the same when the wound is recoveredD.become ugly
小題3: Some criminals remove their own finger-prints by ________.
A.using printer’s inkB.injuring the inner skin
C.damaging the outer skin D.damaging the colour
小題4: Finger-prints have often been used as a method of solving criminal case because it ________.
A.is complicated but reliableB.is simple and not expensive
C.is expensive but easy to doD.can bring a lot of money

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Thinking
·Some scientists claim that we humans are the only living things that are conscious(有意識的)—we alone are aware that we are thinking.
·No one knows how consciousness works—it is one of science’s last great mysteries.
·All your thoughts take place in the cerebrum(大腦皮質(zhì)),which is at the top of your brain,and different kinds of thought are linked to different areas,called association areas.
·Each half of the cerebrum has four rounded ends called lobes(腦葉)—two at the front(frontal and temporal lobes)and two at the back(occipital and parietal lobes).
·The frontal lobe is linked to your personality and it is where you have your bright ideas.
·The temporal lobe is where you hear and understand what people say to you.
·The occipital lobe is where you work out what your eyes see.
·The parietal lobe is where you record touch,heat and cold,and pain.
·The left half of the brain controls the right side of the body.The right half controls the left side.
·One half of the brain is always dominant(in charge).Usually,the left brain is dominant,which is why 90% of people are right-handed.
小題1:Which part of your cerebrum is most active when you are making a telephone call?
A.The frontal lobe.B.The temporal lobe.
C.The occipital lobe.D.The parietal lobe.
小題2:Which of the following statements is true?
A.One’s personality has something to do with the frontal lobe.
B.Bright ideas come from the parietal lobe.
C.The occipital and temperal lobes are at the back of the cerebrum.
D.The occipital lobe is in charge of sound.
小題3:From the passage,we know the reason why around 10% of people are left-handed is that_______.
A.their frontal lobe is usually dominant
B.their temporal lobe is usually dominant
C.their right brain is usually dominant
D.their left brain is usually dominant

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

As we know, it is very important that a firm should pay attention to the training of its staff as there exist many weak points in its various departments. Staff training must have a purpose, which is defined when a firm considers its training needs, which are in turn based on job descriptions and job specifications(規(guī)范).
A job description should give details of the performance that is required for a particular job, and a job specification should give information about the behaviour, knowledge and skills that are expected of an employee who works in the position. When all of this has been collected, it is possible to make a training specification. This specifies(詳細(xì)說明) that the training department must teach for the successful performance of the job, and also the best methods to use in the training period.
There are many different training methods, and there are advantages and disadvantages in all of them. Successful training performances depend on an understanding of the difference between learning about skills and training in using them. It is frequently said that learning about skills takes place “off the job” in classroom, but training in using these skills takes place “on the job,” by means of such activities as practice in the workshop.
It’s always difficult to evaluate the costs of a training programme. The success of such a programme depends not only on the methods used but also on the quality of the staff who do the training. A company can often check savings in time and cost by examining the work performed by the workers and technicians who have completed a training programme. The evaluation of management training is much more complex than that.
小題1:     The writer mainly wants to tell us_____by the passage.
A. Why firms should pay attention to staff training
B. Staff training must have a purpose
C. Purposes and methods are most important in staff training
D. How to evaluate a training programme
小題2:A training specification specifies_____
A. the training contents and methods
B. the cost and savings of the programme
C. the performance required for a certain job
D. the behaviour, knowledge and skills expected of an employee
小題3:To be successful in training programmes, we must understand the difference between_____
A. the purposes and the methods
B. job description and job specification
C. what is taught and how it is taught
D. learning about skills and training in using them
小題4:The underlined word “evaluate”means_____
A.find out the price ofB.judge the value of
C.deal withD.expect and believe

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