I prefer Lynne Truss’s phraseology: I am a grammar “sticker”. And, like Truss – author of Eats, shoots & Leaves – I have a “zero tolerance” approach to grammar mistakes that make people look stupid.
Now, Truss and I disagree on what it means to have “zero tolerance”. She thinks that people who mix up basic grammar “deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked (砍) up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave”, while I just think they deserve to be passed over for a job – even if they are otherwise qualified for the position.
Everyone who applies for a position at either of my companies, iFixit or Dozuki, takes a compulsory grammar test. If job hopefuls can’t distinguish between “to” and “too”, their applications go into the bin.
Of course, we write for a living. iFixit.com is the world’s largest online repair manual (指南), and Dozuki helps companies write their own technical documentation, like paperless work instructions and step-by-step user manuals. So, it makes sense that we’ve made a strong strike against grammar errors.
But grammar is relevant for all companies. Yes, language is constantly changing, but that doesn’t make grammar unimportant. Good grammar is credibility, especially on the Internet. And, for better or worse, people judge you if you can’t tell the difference between “their” “there” and “they’re”.
Good grammar makes good business sense – and not just when it comes to hiring writers. Writing isn’t in the official job description of most people in our office. Still, we give our grammar test to everybody, including our salespeople, our operations staff, and our programmers.
Grammar signifies more than just a person’s ability to remember high school English. I’ve found that people who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing – like stocking shelves or labeling parts. It is the same with programmers. Applicants who don’t think writing is important are likely to think lots of other things also aren’t important.
小題1:The author agrees with Lynne Truss in that ________.
A．grammar mistakes can’t be tolerated
B．books on grammar make people stupid
C．people need to learn basic grammar
D．grammar mistakes are absolutely unavoidable
小題2:What’s the author’s “zero tolerance” approach to these job seekers who mix up basic grammar?
A．They should be left out for a job.
B．They have to correct their mistakes.
C．They aren’t qualified for their jobs.
D．They must be severely punished.
小題3:Which of the following is TRUE of iFixit and Dozuki?
A．Only one of them has a compulsory grammar test.
B．They are companies where one learns grammar.
C．Grammar is quite important for their existence.
D．They depend on grammar correction for a living.
小題4:What can we learn from the text?
A．Companies giving grammar tests may have no good business sense.
B．Grammar becomes unimportant as language is constantly changing.
C．A “zero tolerance” approach to grammar errors might seem a little unfair.
D．People who pay attention to writing may pay attention to other things.

小題1:A
小題2:A
小題3:C
小題4:D

試題分析：文章強(qiáng)調(diào)了基礎(chǔ)語法知識(shí)的重要性。作者的公司以寫作為生，作者非�？粗厍舐氄叩恼Z法基礎(chǔ)，他不會(huì)給不懂語法的人工作的機(jī)會(huì)。
小題1:根據(jù)第一段“And, like Truss... I have a “zero tolerance” approach to grammar mistakes”可知，作者不能容忍語法錯(cuò)誤，故選A。
小題2:根據(jù)第二段“while I just think they deserve to be passed over for a job – even if they are otherwise qualified for the position.”可知，作者認(rèn)為，不應(yīng)該給那些犯基礎(chǔ)語法錯(cuò)誤的人工作機(jī)會(huì)，即使他們?cè)谄渌矫婺軌騽偃喂ぷ�，pass over不考慮（給某人工作機(jī)會(huì)），故選A。
小題3:根據(jù)第三段“If job hopefuls can’t distinguish between “to” and “too”, their applications go into the bin.”和第四段“Of course, we write for a living. ...So, it makes sense that we’ve made a strong strike against grammar errors.”可知，這兩個(gè)公司都是靠寫東西為生的，因此，對(duì)語法知識(shí)要求格外嚴(yán)格，故選C。
小題4:根據(jù)最后一段“Grammar signifies more than just a person’s ability to remember high school English. I’ve found that people who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing... Applicants who don’t think writing is important are likely to think lots of other things also aren’t important.”可知，語法知識(shí)也能反映出一個(gè)人其它方面的能力，認(rèn)為語法知識(shí)不重要的人，也會(huì)認(rèn)為其它事情不重要。故選D。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine.They are at the center of much of the world's attention.Paparazzi (狗仔隊(duì)) camp outside their homes, cameras ready.Tabloids (小報(bào)) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives.Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!
According to pyschologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly about their public appearance.Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names.“Over time，” Villarreal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages.In the 4th century B．C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers.When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold－out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy.Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film－stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be.Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras.When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it.Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities.They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice.Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are.They are tired of being famous already.
小題1:It can be learned from the passage that stars today________.
A．a(chǎn)re often misunderstood by the public
B．can no longer have their privacy protected
C．spend too much on their public appearance
D．care little about how they have come into fame
小題2:What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired.
B．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.
C．Well－known actors are usually targets of tabloids.
D．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.
小題3:What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
A．Availability of modern media.
B．Inadequate social recognition.
C．Lack of favorable chances.
D．Huge population of fans.
小題4:What is the author's attitude toward modern celebrity?
A．Sincere.B．Sceptical.
C．Disapproving.D．Sympathetic.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Most city parks are places where you can escape from big，ugly structures of metal and stone．The Manhattan High Line is different．Raised 25 feet above the ground，this massive metal structure once supported a rail line．The line opened in 1934 but it was hardly used after the 1960s，and much of it was torn down．However，one stretch remained in a region of Manhattan．The railway structure was ugly and everyone knew that at some time，it would have to be removed．
But the High Line was not destroyed．In fact．now the old rail line serves as one of the most peaceful places in the city．The idea to change the rail line into a park came from Joshua David and Robert Hammond．In 1999，they attended a community meeting to decide the fate of the High Line．David and Hammond were the only people at the meeting interested in saving the historical structure. Later on，when they asked railway officials to take them up to look at the High Line，they saw a mile and a half of wild flowers growing in the middle of the city，and they realized that the High Line had potential to become a park．There was growing interest in improving urban centers，and so the project quickly gathered funds for construction．
The first section of the High Line opened in 2009 and immediately became popular with tourists and locals alike．Each part of the park has a different atmosphere．Some areas are like balconies with wonderful city views．Other sections have wide lawns and walkways planted with wild flowers．Only the final section remains the way it has been for the last fifty years—a railway line overgrown with weeds．
小題1:What is the text mainly about?
A．A park．B．A train line．
C．City transport．D．A historical monument．
小題2:Which of the following is NOT true about the High Line?
A．It is above ground level．B．Only part of the line remains.
C．It is now a popular park．D．Trains still use the line.
小題3:Why did David and Hammond want to save the High Line at first?
A．They thought it would make a good park．
B．They wanted to reopen the train line．
C．They thought it had historical value．
D．They were interested in improving the city.
小題4:Why were people easily persuaded by David and Hammond’s idea?
A．They wanted to make cities nicer places．
B．They wanted to see the wild flowers too.
C．They realized the High Line was important.
D．They knew that funds were available．
小題5:We can infer from the last paragraph that the park is ______________.
A．popular with touristsB．similar to what it used to be
C．various in its design D．1ike natural countryside

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for family, health, and life in general. However, Black Friday has turned it into a business.
Traditionally, the true value of Thanksgiving lies at home not the shopping centers. However, Black Friday has nowadays allowed society to ignore this as individuals long for something that they do not need or even truly want. Shopping on Black Friday becomes a sign of a shift into a culture that values material wealth over spending time with loved ones. People are willing to force their way through the crowds in their desperate search for marked-down sweaters and necklaces.
In recent years, Thanksgiving has become a pre-Black Friday holiday for many families. They are devoted to mapping out shopping routes and making organized schedules for which stores to hit first. By drawing individuals out to shopping centers with "matchless savings", businesses encourage this behavior of ignoring Thanksgiving. Many families take their home-cooked meals while camping out at the door of shopping centers. With each new year, Thanksgiving is becoming victim to over-commercialization—switching from a meaningful time of thanks and family to a day dedicated to products and profit.
Black Friday has shown that with current common standards, people cannot even set aside a single day to appreciate what they already have without immediately buying more. Families have lost sight of what is truly important in life, and have found reasons in debating between a low cost HD television and an appreciation for what they already have. Remember, Thanksgiving should be a day in which people are grateful for all that they have.
小題1:The underlined word "this" in paragraph 2 probably refers to ______.
A．the sign of a shiftB．the material wealth
C．the shopping crowdD．the true value of Thanksgiving
小題2:In recent years, what will many families do when thanksgiving comes?
A．Make full preparations for the Black Friday shopping.
B．Visit some newly-opened shopping centers in advance.
C．Find it difficult to choose a store for their first visit.
D．Go camping at the gate of shopping center for a good deal.
小題3:In the last paragraph, the author mainly intends to tell us that we should ______.
A．set aside a single day to buy more
B．try to spend less to get low cost products
C．stay with our families as long as we can
D．a(chǎn)ppreciate what we've possessed with our families
小題4:What's the author’s attitude towards the present ways people celebrate Thanksgiving?
A．Annoyed. B．Worried. C．Supportive. D．Unconcerned.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

If you see a group of people dancing and singing on the street or in the railway station, you don't need to feel surprised. They are a flash mob(暴民). Who are they? Are they mobs? Don't be confused by their name. Actually, a flash mob is a group of people who gather suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a brief period of time, and then quickly disappear.
They are usually organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communications networks. The messages may be sent to friends, who send to more people. At a predetermined time, they gather and perform some activities such as exchanging books, coming together to look at the sky, waving their hands and yelling something at the top of their voice for 30 seconds. Then, they quickly disappear before the police can arrive. Using mobile phones, the flash mob can change its place if the first one has been cancelled for any reason.
Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper's Magazine, organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob gathered on June 3,2003. Wasik claimed that he created the flash mob as a social experiment designed to laugh at fashion seekers and stress the cultural atmosphere of wanting to be an insider or part of “the next big thing”．
Flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock people. Such an activity might seem amusing and magical, but it also might frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place. Undoubtedly, flash mob can serve as good political tools and have great potential, such as using to advertise a product.
The flash mob is now becoming more and more popular. People use it to do many things. Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory.
小題1:What is NOT the feature of the flash mob?
A．It can get together quickly.
B．It can change its place freely.
C．It can do activities suddenly.
D．It can injure people seriously.
小題2:How do flash mobs inform one another?
①By using the Internet.②By writing letters.③By yelling.④By waving hands.⑤By using mobile phones.
⑥By holding a meeting.
A．③④B．①⑤C．②⑥D．⑤⑥
小題3:Why did Bill Wasik create the flash mob?
A．To advertise some products.
B．To help people make friends.
C．To laugh at fashion seekers.
D．To create some memories.
小題4:What can we learn about the flash mob from the passage?
A．Bill Wasik organized the first successful flash mob in May, 2003.
B．People are encouraged to take a more active part in an activity.
C．Flash mobs tend to do something illegal for a short time.
D．Flash mob gathering can frighten all the people present.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

7 ways a government shutdown will affect your daily life
(CNN) -- Democrats and Republicans were unable to resolve (解決) their differences over Obamacare (奧巴馬醫(yī)改計(jì)劃）and now the government is shut down. The two previous shutdowns — 1995 and early 1996 — cost the country $1.4 billion. But what will the shutdown mean for you? Here are 7 ways the government shutdown will affect you.
7. Vacation all I ever wanted: Need to get away? Well, you can’t. At least not to national parks. Or to national zoos. Or to national museums. They'll be closed. Were you thinking more along the lines of a trip to France? If you don’t already have a passport, you might not get your blue book in time. The last time the government shut down, 200,000 applications for passports went unprocessed.
6. If you drive a car, I'll tax the street: You may be thinking, “No functioning government, no need to pay taxes.” Think again. The Man would continue to collect taxes. U.S. bonds would still be issued. And other essential banking functions will go on.
5. Wait a minute, Mr. Postman: You know that whole “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night” thing? Apparently, the U.S. Postal Service works through shutdowns as well. Sorry, you won’t catch a break from the junk mail.
4. I want a new drug: Oh, the irony (諷刺的). Republicans still want to defund, delay or otherwise withdraw gradually at Obamacare in exchange for funding the government. But the health care act at the center of this storm would continue its process during a shutdown. That is because its funds aren’t dependent on the congressional budget (預(yù)算) process.
3. Pass the ammunition (軍火): Not so fast. A shutdown would affect the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Translation: That gun permit you wanted processed won’t happen anytime soon if this goes on for a while.
2. Money (that's what I want): Well, if you owned a small business and needed a loan from the government, you would have to wait, depending on how long this lasts. If you were planning to buy a house and needed a federal loan, you would have to wait.
1. I'm proud to be an American: Perhaps the biggest hit would be to the collective psyche (下意識(shí)心理). America is the largest economy in the world and a beacon for how democracy ought to work. A recent CNN Research Corporation found that 51% would blame Republicans for the shutdown. The United States has operated without a budget since 2009 and has avoided a government shutdown with last-minute deals. Not only did the government run out of money on Tuesday, but the nation is set to hit its borrowing limit and potentially default on its debt in mid-October. Together, they serve as a double whammy (打擊）.
小題1:Which is the most probably meaning of the underlined word?
A．Raise some money.B．Take the money back.
C．Borrow some money.D．went on a strike.
小題2:When the government’s shut down, what can the Americans do?
A．Apply for a gun permit.B．Apply for a new passport.
C．Apply for a loan.D．Pay taxes.
小題3:How many times has the American government ever shut down so far?
A．Once.B．Twice.C．Three times.D．Not mentioned.
小題4: According to the essay, what led to the shutdown of the American government?
A．The government of America ran out of money.
B．The government of America is on debts.
C．America is set to hit the borrowing limit of its debts.
D．The American government ran out of money and may fail in repaying its debts.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Recently, an almost literal case of lifeboat ethics(倫理) occurred. On Aug. 4, Graham and Sheryl Anley, while boating off the coast of South Africa, hit a rock. As the boat threatened to sink the husband got off, but his wife was trapped in the boat. Instead of freeing his wife and getting her to shore, Graham grabbed Rosie, their pet dog. With Rosie safe and sound, Graham returned for Sheryl. All are doing fine.
It's a great story, but it doesn't strike me as especially newsworthy. News is supposed to be about something fairly unique, and recent research suggests that, in the right circumstances, lots of people also would have grabbed their Rosie first.
We have strange relationships with our pets. We lavish our pets with adoration and better health care than billions of people receive. We speak to pets with the same high-pitched voices that we use for babies. As an extreme example of our feelings about pets, the Nazis had strict laws that guaranteed the humane treatment of the pets of Jews being shipped to death camps.
A recent paper by George Regents University demonstrates this human involvement with pets to an astonishing extent. Participants in the study were told a situation in which a bus is out of control, bearing down on a dog and a human. Which do you save? With responses from more than 500 people, the answer was that it depended: What kind of human and what kind of dog?
Everyone would save a brother, grandparent or close friend rather than a strange dog. But when people considered their own dog versus people less connected with them—a distant cousin or a hometown stranger—votes in favor of saving the dog came rolling in. And an astonishing 40% of respondents, including 46% of women, voted to save their dog over a foreign tourist.
What does a finding like this mean? First, that your odds aren't so good if you find yourself in another country with a bus bearing down on you and a cute dog. But it also points to something deeper: our unprecedented(史無前例的) attitude toward animals, which got its start with the birth of humane societies in the 19th century.
We prison people who abuse animals, put ourselves in harm's way in boats between whales and whalers and show sympathy to Bambi and his mother. We can extend empathy to an animal and feel its pain like no other species. But let's not be too proud of ourselves. As this study and too much of our history show, we're pretty selective about how we extend our humaneness to other human beings.
小題1:What is the function of the first paragraph?
A．To create a relaxing mood for readers.
B．To present the theme of this essay straightly.
C．To lead in the main topic of this essay.
D．To raise problems that will be solved later.
小題2:The author mentions Nazi laws in the third paragraph _______________.
A．to show how cruel the Nazis were to the Jews
B．a(chǎn)s an example to persuade people not to love pets
C．to illustrate the strange relationship between human and pets
D．a(chǎn)s an example to display the humaneness of the Nazis
小題3:Which of the following is true according to the article?
A．The story of the Anleys and their dog was too unique to be newsworthy.
B．Most people surveyed choose to save their own dog rather than a human.
C．It was in the 19th century that human beings started to love their pets.
D．Human beings are more and more concerned with animals nowadays.
小題4:What does the author mainly argue for?
A．Pets are of great significance to us human beings.
B．We should rethink about our attitude towards animals and mankind.
C．It is kind of human beings to extend humaneness to animals.
D．We should be selective when showing attitude toward other human beings.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are trained to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery（外科手術(shù)）”, one replied. I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job. One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows. You can get at least 5 cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short. I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of pain just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm（標(biāo)準(zhǔn)）. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.
小題1:We can know from the passage that the author works as ________.
A．a(chǎn) professorB．a(chǎn) modelC．a(chǎn) teacherD．a(chǎn) reporter
小題2:Many graduates today turn to cosmetic surgery to ________.
A．marry a better man/woman
B．become a model
C．get an advantage over others in job-hunting
D．a(chǎn)ttract more admirers
小題3:What was the author’s reaction towards the girl’s decision?
A．Excited.B．Surprised.C．Happy.D．Angry.
小題4:According to the passage, the author believes that ________.
A．everyone should pursue perfection, whatever the cost
B．it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs
C．media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery
D．it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career
小題5:What does the author think of his height?
A．He hates to be called a short man.
B．He tries to increase his height through surgery.
C．He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact.
D．He just accepts it as it is.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In the Netherlands，cycling isn't seen as eccrfriendly exercise; it's part of everyday life, as it's people's top choice to school and work. There are more bicycles than residents in the Netherlands. In cities like Amsterdam and The Hague, up to 70 percent of all journeys are made by bike.
So how did cycling become such a popular means of transportation in the European country?
In the 1970s, the Dutch government began to improve its cycling infrastructure（基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施）due to both a social movement demanding safer cycling condition for children and the oil crisis in the Middle East, when oil producing countries stopped their exports to Western Europe.
To make cycling safer and more appealing, the Dutch have built the widest cycling net- work in the world. The country has over 40，000 kilometers of bicycle lanes and paths，which are clearly marked. They have smooth surfaces，separate signs and lights for those on two wheels. The lanes are wide enough to allow side-by-side cycling and passing.
In many cities the bike lanes are completely segregated（隔離的）from motorized traffic. And in many traffic situations cyclists are given priority（優(yōu)先權(quán)）over drivers. Sometimes， where space is limited and both must share, you can see signs showing an image of a cyclist with a car behind accompanied by the words "Bike Street：Cars are guests".
As young people aren't allowed to drive alone until they are 18，cycling offers Dutch teen- agers an alternative form of freedom. The government also makes cycling training lessons a compulsory part of the Dutch school curriculum（課程）．
Bike parking facilities are ubiquitous in the country. Cyclists are accommodated in the way motorists are elsewhere. Take Groningen, a city in the northeastern part of the Netherlands，for example. The city's central train station has underground parking for 10，000 bikes.
小題1:We can conclude that in the Netherlands cycling is____．
A．regarded as eco-friendly exercise
B．thought of as part of people's life
C．looked on as a way to lose weight
D．considered as a way to entertain
小題2:What can we learn about the Netherlands from the first paragraph?
A．Most vehicles the Dutch use are buses.
B．The native people cycle the best in the world.
C．Everyone has one bike on average in the Netherlands.
D．The number of bikes is larger than the population there.
小題3:Which of the following made the government improve the cycling infrastructure?
A．A large number of bikes.
B．Hope for healthy life style.
C．People's preference to bikes.
D．Children's safety demand and lack of oil.
小題4:The underlined word "ubiquitous" in the last paragraph means“＿，，．
A．high qualityB．uniqueC．very commonD．special
小題5:What does the Dutch government do about teenagers cycling?
A．It makes cycling covered by school education.
B．It encourages teenagers to cycle alone.
C．It will watch over teenagers who ride bikes.
D．It suggests teenagers cycling before driving.

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