How many people have I met who have told me about the book they have been planning to write but have never yet found the time ? Far too many.
This is Life, all right, but we do treat it like a rehearsal (排演) and, unhappily, we do miss so many of its best moments.
We take jobs to stay alive and provide homes for our families always making ourselves believe that this style of life is merely a temporary state of affairs along the road to what we really want to do. Then, at 60 or 65, we are suddenly presented with a clock and several grandchildren and we look back and realize that all those years waiting for Real Life to come along were in fact real life.
In  America they have a saying much laughed at by the English：“Have a nice day” they speak slowly and seriously in their shops, hotels and sandwich bars. I think it is a wonderful phrase, reminding us, in effect, to enjoy the moment: to value this very day.
How often do we say to ourselves, "I'll take up horse-riding (or golf, or sailing) as soon as I get a higher position," only to do none of those things when I do get the higher position.
When I first became a reporter I knew a man who gave up a very well paid respectable job at the Daily Telegraph to go and edit a small weekly newspaper. At the time I was astonished by what appeared to me to be his completely abnormal (反常的) mental state. How could anyone turn his back on Fleet Street in central London for a small local area？I wanted to know.
Now I am a little older and possibly wiser, I see the sense in it. In Fleet Street the man was under continual pressure. He lived in an unattractive London suburb and he spent much of his life sitting on Southern Region trains.
小題1:
The first paragraph of the passage tells us that          .
A．we always try to find some time to write a book
B．we always make plans but seldom fulfill them
C．we always enjoy many of life's best moments
D．we always do what we really want to do
小題2:
The underlined phrase "turn his back on" (paragraph 6) most probably means         .
A．leave forB．return toC．give upD．rely on
小題3:
The man ( paragraph 6) left his first job partly because he was           .
A．in an abnormal mental stateB．under too much pressure
C．not well paidD．not respected
小題4:
What is probably the best title for the passage?
A．Provide Homes For Our FamilyB．Take Up Horse-riding
C．Value This Very DayD．Stay Alive

小題1:B
小題1:C
小題1:B
小題1:C
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

We may look at the world around us, but somehow we manage not to see it until whatever we’ve become used to suddenly disappears.  36 , for example, the neatly-dressed woman I  37  to see—or look at—on my way to work each morning.
For three years, no matter  38  the weather was like, she was always waiting at the bus stop around 8:00 am. On  39  days, she wore heavy clothes and a pair of woolen gloves. Summertime  40  out neat, belted cotton dresses and a hat pulled low over her sunglasses. 41 , she was an ordinary working woman. Of course, I  42  all this only after she was seen no more. It was then that I realized how  43  I expected to see her each morning. You might say I  44 her.
“Did she have an accident? Something  45 ?” I thought to myself about her  46 . Now that she was gone, I felt I had  47  her. I began to realize that part of our  48  life probably includes such chance meetings with familiar  49 : the milkman you see at dawn, the woman who 50  walks her dog along the street every morning, the twin brothers you see at the library. Such people are  51  markers in our lives. They add weight to our  52  of place and belonging.
Think about it.  53 , while walking to work, we mark where we are by  54  a certain building, why should we not mark where we are when we pass a familiar, though  55 , person?
小題1:
A．MakeB．TakeC．GiveD．Have
小題2:
A．happened B．wantedC．usedD．tried
小題3:
A．whatB．howC．which D．when
小題4:
A．sunnyB．rainyC．cloudyD．snowy
小題5:
A．tookB．brought C．carriedD．turned
小題6:
A．ClearlyB．ParticularlyC．Luckily D．Especially
小題7:
A．believedB．expressedC．remembered D．wondered
小題8:
A．longB．oftenC．soonD．much
小題9:
A．respected B．missedC．praisedD．a(chǎn)dmired
小題10:
A．betterB．worseC．moreD．less
小題11:
A．disappearance B．a(chǎn)ppearanceC．misfortuneD．fortune
小題12:
A．forgotten B．lostC．knownD．hurt
小題13:
A．happyB．enjoyableC．frequentD．daily
小題14:
A．friendsB．strangersC．touristsD．guests
小題15:
A．regularly B．a(chǎn)ctuallyC．hardlyD．probably
小題16:
A．commonB．pleasantC．importantD．faithful
小題17:
A．choiceB．knowledgeC．decisionD．sense
小題18:
A．BecauseB．IfC．AlthoughD．However
小題19:
A．keepingB．changingC．passingD．mentioning
小題20:A unnamed        B. unforgettable    C. unbelievable     D. unreal

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

完形填空（共20小題；每小題1.5分, 滿分30分）
It was a rainy day and I was riding on a bus downtown to go to work. I was_36_next to a man in a business suit and J paid little attention_37_ we both got off at the same stop and walked to the same news-stand to get a morning_38_.
The man running the stand was obviously having a_39_day. He was rude and unsmil­ing as we bought our papers，which only_40_ more gloom (郁悶) to my day. The business­man_41_my gloomy feeling and smiled brightly，_42_the news-stand owner for the paper and for being open on such a( n) _43_to make sure we were able to get our papers.
As we_44_away，I asked this man why he was so_45_to the newsman when he didn't _46_his expression of thanks and friendliness. The businessman smiled at me and said,"Why would I let someone else _47_what I say and what I feel?"
We then_48_to go to our own work places. To this day，I still don't know who that businessman was，or_49_he worked. He appeared briefly in my life and disappeared just as_50_. But I've never forgotten the words he said and his_51_which seemed like a ray of light on a gloomy day.
That was a good 25 years_52_，but the effect this had on my life has lasted. I_53_had a chance to thank him personally，but the way I look at life has changed _54_those words. I have learnt that we cannot control people and_55_that come to us， but we can always control our response to them. 
小題1:
A．whispering B．sitting C．driving D．weeping
小題2:
A．since B．a(chǎn)fter C．unless D．until
小題3:
A．paper B．suit C．call D．coffee
小題4:
A．good B．nervous C．bad D．long
小題5:
A．providedB．offered C．a(chǎn)dded D．returned
小題6:
A．breathedB．called C．noticed D．took
小題7:
A．thankingB．envying C．a(chǎn)sking D．blaming
小題8:
A．evening B．a(chǎn)fternoon C．morning D．midnight
小題9:
A．turned B．passed C．drove D．ran
小題10:
A．cruel B．serious C．pleasant D．rude
小題11:
A．stick to B．refer to C．get used to D．respond to
小題12:
A．explain B．understand C．control D．correct
小題13:
A．a(chǎn)ttempted B．sought C．continuedD．separated
小題14:
A．where B．why C．whether D．how
小題15:
A．gently B．quickly C．regularly D．strangely
小題16:
A．humor B．smile C．business D．help
小題17:
A．a(chǎn)go B．before C．later D．a(chǎn)fter
小題18:
A．often B．seldom C．once D．never
小題19:
A．in search of B．in memoryof C．for the purpose ofD．a(chǎn)s a result of
小題20:
A．situations B．statements C．possibilities D．positions

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There is an English saying that “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter can really improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works on several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effects of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated（忍耐）the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
小題1:According to the passage, the following statements are true except       .
A．Laughter is good for health
B．Laughter can make you become old quickly
C．Laughter helps to reduce pain.
D．Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body.
小題2:The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “     ”.
A．delaysB．preventsC．increasesD．reduces
小題3:Some doctors hold laughter clinics because         .
A．they want to earn more money.
B．they think they will help the patients recover from illnesses.
C．they want to improve their patients’ condition.
D．they want their patients to practice how to laugh
小題4:According to the author, we should         .
A．laugh as much as possibleB．watch more funny films
C．smile all the timeD．spend more time in laughter clinics
小題5:The best title for this passage may be         .
A．Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health
B．Laughter clinics help patients improve their condition
C．Laughter can reduce the effects of pain
D．Laughter is the best medicine.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia, I saw a small pool of water ahead on the path．I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn't covered by water or mud．As I reached the pool, I was suddenly attacked! Yet I did nothing for the attack．It was so unpredictable and from somewhere totally unexpected．I was surprised as well as unhurt though I had been struck four or five times．I backed up a foot and my attacker stopped attacking me．Had I been hurt I wouldn't have found it amusing．And I was laughing．After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly!
Having stopped, laughing, I took a step forward．My attacker rushed me again．He charged towards me at full speed, attempting to hurt me but in vain．For a second time, I took a step backwards while my attacker paused．I wasn't sure what to do．After all, it's just not everyday that one is attacked by a butterfly．I stepped back to look the situation over．My attacker moved back to land on the ground．That's when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments earlier．He had a mate and she was dying．
Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her．I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate．He had taken it up on himself to attack me for his mate's sake （緣故）, even though she was clearly dying and I was so large．He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life, should I have been careless enough to step on her．His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate's safety seemed admirable．I couldn't do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the pool．He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed．    
Since then, I've always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I see huge barriers facing me.
小題1:.
Why did the writer change his direction while walking down a path?
A．To get close to a butterfly.B．To look over the bad situation.
C．To escape a sudden attack.D．To avoid getting his shoes dirty.
小題2:.
What made the man feel funny?
A．Making the attacker pause.B．Being attacked by a butterfly.
C．Being stepped on by his mate.D．Discovering the energetic butterfly.
小題3:.
From this experience the man learned       .
A．what he should do when faced with trouble
B．people should show sympathy to the weak
C．how he should deal with attacks
D．people should protect butterflies
小題4:.
Which of the following words can best describe the butterfly?
A．Careless．B．Amusing．C．Courageous．D．Aggressive.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

I was working with a client who was completely burned out on her career and life and then ready for a career change. As we were talking, she said, “I just wish I had meaningful work. I don’t feel like I am making a difference. I am just wasting my life.” This is the theme I hear most often from clients who have been in the workforce awhile.All of us want to feel like we are making a difference. We want to believe our work means something. The problem comes in defining “meaningful work”. What is it? That answer is different for everyone. For some meaningful work might be helping others organize their office. For others it may mean making a million dollars.
What really matters is how you see it. What is meaningful work to you? Take out a piece of paper and answer these questions. How do you define meaningful work? When do you feel like you are really making a difference? What work have you done so far that feels the most meaningful? Write down whatever comes to mind.
What you want to do is meaningful. It is very easy to start judging yourself as being selfish. Stop! Allow yourself to be honest. The fact is when Picasso painted; he was doing it because he liked to paint. He was not thinking, “Oh, I hope this brings joy to others’ lives.” He painted because he wanted to. When Beethoven composed, he did it because he loved music. Even scientists searching for a cure for cancer are immersed in their work because it fascinates them.
Don’t look down on your work. It is easy to downplay the importance of work that feels meaningful. I remember Tony Robbins told a story of talking with the owner of a major company. The man said to Tony, “I wish I could do what you do because it makes such adifference in people’s lives”. Tony said, “You have got to be kidding! Look at what adifference you make. You provide work, health insurance and security for thousands ofpeople!” Don’t underestimate the value you provide.
Take a look at what you have written about meaningful work. Do you see any themes? How do you wish to contribute to this world? Whatever you choose, remember that the greatest gift you can give is to find work that makes you feel fulfilled and delighted. Respect your preference because giving your gifts to the world, whatever they look like, is the most meaningful action you can ever take.
小題1:. What does the writer mean by mentioning the famous people?
A．Famous people are selfish to start work for themselves.
B．Doing meaningful work requires our interest in it.
C．Interest is the best teacher in learning.
D．Honesty makes for the greatest people.
小題2:. When you downplay the value of your work, you tend to think it is ______.
A．quite differentB．very successfulC．not meaningfulD．less important
小題3:.According to the passage, what meaningful job does the writer advise us to take?
A．The one which is popular in society.
B．The one which brings you profits.
C．The one which wins you fame.
D．The one which interests you.
小題4:. The article is intended to ________.
A．explain what is the most important in changing one’s job
B．a(chǎn)dvise taking an immediate action to find meaningful work
C．suggest we should show confidence and talent in work
D．tell us the problem that the author’s client met

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

One hot night last July, when our new baby wouldn’t or couldn’t sleep, I tried everything I could think of : a warm bottle, songs gentle rocking. Nothing would settle him down. Guessing that I would have a long night ahead of me, I brought a portable (便攜式)TV into his room, figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours till dawn. To my surprise, as soon as the TV lit up, the baby quieted right now, his little eyes focused brightly on the tube. Not to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then walked out of the room, leaving him to watch the actors celebrate John Bellushi's forty-fifth birthday.
My wife and I heard no more of the baby that night, and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV himself. I found in my baby's a metaphor（啟示）for the new generation. My wife and I had given him some books to examine, but he merely spit upon them. When we read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don't read , that they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watching TV.
After this experience with the baby, however, I have reached a conclusion: “Let them watch it!” If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight it? Let them watch it all they want!
小題1:
Father brought a TV set into his son's room____.     
A．to stop his son crying B．to let him learn something
C．to make him frightenedD．to let his son spend a good night
小題2:
To the couple’s surprise the boy ___after they brought a TV set into his room.
A．soon fell asleepB．cried all that night
C．became quiet and silent D．slept quite well that night
小題3:
Form the last paragraph we know that the writer thinks it____.
A．terrible for children to watch so many TV programmes
B．useless for parents to blame their children
C．necessary for TV stations to improve their TV programmes
D．favorable for children to watch the programmes they like

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening near my parents’ tomb in the churchyard.
“Hold your noise!” came a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the tombs at the side of the church. “Keep still, you little devil(小鬼), or I’ll cut your throat!”
A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. He seized me by the chin(下巴).
“Tell us your name!” said the man. “Quick!”
“Pip, sir.”
“Show us where you live,” said the man. “Point out the place!”
I pointed to where our village lay, on the flat in-shore among the alder-trees and pollards, a mile or more from the church.
The man, after looking at me for a moment, turned me upside down, and emptied my pockets. There was nothing in them but a piece of bread.
“You young dog,” said the man, licking his lips, “what fat cheeks you ha’ got. Darn me if I couldn’t eat em, and if I han’t half a mind to’t!”
I earnestly expressed my hope that he wouldn’t, and held tighter to the tombstone on which he had put me; partly, to keep myself upon it; partly, to keep myself from crying.
“Now then lookee here!” said the man. “Where’s your mother?”
“There, sir!” said I.
He started, made a short run, and stopped and looked over his shoulder.
“There, sir!” I timidly explained, pointed to the tombstone. “That’s my mother.”
“Oh!” said he, coming back. “And is that your father alonger your mother?”
“Yes, sir,” said I; “him too; late of thisparish(教區(qū)).”
小題1: The “voice” in the second paragraph came from______.
A．the churchB．the manC．the bankD．the boy
小題2:The boy probably lived  _____.
A．in the parishB．in the valleyC．in the cityD．in the country
小題3:We can infer from the passage _____.
A．the boy was very calm and smart
B．the man hit the boy in the face
C．the boy would forever remember the raw afternoon
D．the man was very kind and considerate
小題4:The passage is most probably adapted from________.
A．a(chǎn) news reportB．a(chǎn) science fictionC．a(chǎn) novelD．a(chǎn) review

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It happened to me recently that I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams from My Father and how it had changed my views of the current US president. The person I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a wonderfully written book”. However, he then proceeded to talk about Mr. Obama in a way that suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.
And it seems that he is not the only one. Clearly two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In the World Book Day survey, Dreams from My Father is at number 9. The survey lists top ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading. As I’m not one to lie too often, I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire ten books. But I am pleased to say that I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984. I think it’s absolutely outstanding.
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to impress someone they were speaking to. This could be difficult if the conversation became more in depth!
The World Book Day survey also has some other interesting information in it. It shows that many people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens and so on. But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, they named J.K. Rowling, Jilly Cooper, and Stephen King (ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-one percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story.
So which books have you lied about reading — if any — and which is your favourite?
1．The main reason why people lie about reading is to _________.
A. make fun of the listener                 B. impress the listener
C. please the listener                      D. interest the listener
2．The underlined word “proceeded” in the passage probably means “_________”.
A. wanted           B. happened         C. continued            D. stopped
3．What does the World Book Day survey show?
A. Nearly half of the people surveyed didn’t read through a whole classical book.
B. People don’t like Dreams from My Father and George Orwell’s 1984.
C. Few people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen.
D. People usually enjoy reading books by Charles Dickens.
4．What is the best title for the passage?
A. Are You a Book Liar?                 B. Readers Are All Liars
C. World Book Day                       D. Dreams from My Father

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