Thousands of dead red-winged blackbirds fell from the sky in an Arkansas town on New Year’s Eve after massive injuries, tests by Arkansas officials concluded on Monday. Some 5,000 birds mysteriously fell from the sky in Beebe, Arkansas after dark on New Year’s Eve. “The birds suffered from acute physical injuries leading to internal hemorrhage（大量出血） and death. There was no sign of infectious disease,” the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said in a statement. The birds were otherwise healthy, it said.
One theory is that birds were frightened by New Year's fireworks and flew into buildings or other objects. “Loud noises were reported shortly before the birds began to fall from the sky,” the statement said, adding that blackbirds have poor night vision and seldom fly at night.
　　Another theory was that severe weather such as lightning accounted for the loud noises but this was discounted because the violent weather had already left the area. “We’re leaning more toward a stress event," said Arkansas Game and Fish Commission spokesman Keith Stephens.
The commission also is trying to determine what caused the deaths of up to 100,000 fish over a 20-mile stretch of the Arkansas River near a dam in Ozark, 125 miles west of Beebe. The fish were discovered on December 30. Stephens said the commission expected results on the fish tests in probably a month. Since almost all the fish were one species -- bottom-feeding drum, Stephens said, the test was very important. Stephens also said: “The events do not appear related.” Both that section of the river and the air at the site of the bird deaths were tested for toxins(毒素). Beebe is a town of about 4,500 people located 30 miles northeast of the state capital.
小題1:What is NOT the probable reason why the dead red-winged blackbirds fell from the sky?
A．Internal hemorrhageB．Fireworks
C．Lightning weatherD．Murder
小題2:In the third paragraph, the underlined word discounted probably mean________.
A．not to reduce costB．not to believe
C．to make up a part D．to explain mystery
小題3:According to Stephens, we can infer the probable cause of the dead fish is _________.
A．cold weatherB．poor management
C．diseaseD．lack of food
小題4:The passage is mainly developed by __________.
A．a(chǎn)nalyzing causesB．making comparisons
C．examining differences D．following the time order

小題1:D
小題1:B
小題1:C
小題1:A
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There is no doubt that much of the profit of a business—sometimes the whole of its success—depends upon the use of the odds and ends．The odds and ends are various small things，which are left over when the main things are produced．But they possess a real value of their own．
If a business，big or small，looked down upon these odds and ends，it would mean a big difference in the amount of the benefit of the business．Take a meat factory for instance， there are countless odds and ends—bones and hair，which can be made into glue and rope to increase its profit greatly．
Then，if we are college students，what about our odds and ends—the odd moments？ Take time for example．Every one of us has the exact same amount of it．Everyone’s success or failure depends on the use of their time．But everyone uses the time more or less in the same way．However，why many great men in science or art have made huge successes for themselves in the world？Because they have made best use of their odd moments．Take Thomas A．Edison， he never allowed his odd moments to slip by．He thought，planned，and tried his inventions．He always worked twenty hours out of each twenty-four．His inventions made him famous all over the world，and provided valuable wealth for the human beings．
So, remember this axiom：very busy people always find time for everything．However，people with great spare time find time for nothing．Is it very strange？Not at all！The question is how to gather up fragments of time and make full use of them．As many big businesses have found，that the real profit is in using the odds and ends．We also must do in this way to make best use of our odd moments and manage to be successful in something that we do．
小題1: What are odds and ends？
A．They are nothing useful．
B．They are various small，but valuable things．
C．They are the main things that factories produce．
D．They are odd moments students deny to gather up．
小題2: Why should the odds and ends be made full use of ？Because  ____   ．
A．lots of factors in success or in failure depend on the best use of odds and ends
B．they control to possess a value of their own
C．they are various small things people don’t want
D．they are useless things left over when the main things are produced
小題3:What does the word “Axiom” in the fourth paragraph mean?
A．clear and evident without proof
B．statement accepted as true without proof of argument
C．statement that can be argued
D．regulation accepted in scientific usage
小題4: “Fragments of time” equals  “____   ”in the above passage．
A．the odds and endsB．immense leisure
C．the main thingsD．the odd moments

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition of each new skill-the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing．It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child: This might happen at any stage．A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads．On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself．
Patents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children．Some may be especially strict in money matters．Others are severe over times of coming home at night or punctuality for meals．In general, the controls imposed represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child’s own happiness．
As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching．To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality．Also, parents should realize that “example is better than precept”．If they are not sincere and do not practice what they teach, their children may grow confused, and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled．
A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment．
小題1:Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills _________．
A．should be avoided
B．is universal among parents
C．sets up dangerous states of worry in the child
D．will make him lose interest in learning new things
小題2:In the process of children’s learning new skills, parents ______．
A．should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read
B．should not expect too much of them
C．should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own
D．should create as many learning opportunities as possible
小題3:The second paragraph mainly tells us that __________．
A．parents should be strict with their children
B．parental controls reflect only the needs of the parents and the values of the community
C．parental restrictions vary, and are not always intended for the benefit of the children alone
D．parents vary in their strictness towards their children according to the situation
小題4:In moral matters, parents should __________．
A．observe the rules themselves
B．be aware of the marked difference between adults and children
C．forbid things which have no foundation in morality
D．consistently ensure the security of their children

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

You might think that “global warming” means nothing more than a rise in the world’s temperature. But rising sea levels caused by it have resulted in the first evacuation of an island nation. The citizens of Tuvalu will have to leave their homeland.
During the 20th century, sea level rose 8~12 inches. As a result, Tuvalu has experienced lowland flooding of salt water that has polluted the country’s drinking water.
Paani Laupepa, a Tuvaluan government official, reported to the Earth Policy Institute that the nation suffered an unusually high number of fierce storms in the past ten years. Many scientists connect higher surface water temperatures resulting from global warming to greater and more damaging storms.
Laupepa expressed dissatisfaction with the United States for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement calling for industrialized nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions（導(dǎo)致溫室效應(yīng)的氣體排放）,which are a main cause of global warming. “By refusing to sign the agreement, the US has effectively taken away the freedom of future generations of Tuvaluans to live where their forefathers have lived for thousands of years.” Laupepa told the BBC.
Tuvalu has asked Australia and New Zealand to allow the gradual move of its people to both countries.
Tuvalu is not the only country that is vulnerable （易受影響的）to rising sea levels. Maumoon Gayoon, president of the Maldives, told the United Nations that global warming has made his country of 311,000 an “endangered nation”.
小題1:. The text is mainly about_________.
A．rapid changes in earth’s temperature
B．bad effects of global warming
C．moving of a country to a new place
D．reasons for lowland flooding
小題2:.. What is the probable meaning of the underlined word in the first paragraph?
A．撤離B．危險C．淹沒D．消失
小題3:. According to scientists, the DIRECT cause of more and fiercer storms is_________.
A．greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized nations
B．continuous global warming
C．higher surface water temperatures of the sea
D．rising sea levels
小題4:. Laupepa was not satisfied with the United States because it did not_________.
A．believe the problems facing Tuvalu were real
B．sign an agreement with Tuvalu
C．a(chǎn)llow Tuvaluans to move to the US
D．a(chǎn)gree to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions
小題5:. The country whose situation is similar to that of Tuvalu is_________.
A．Australia
B．New Zealand
C．the United States
D．the Maldives

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

WHAT happens to a teenage kid when the world he thought he knew suddenly changes? Find out in Little Brother by American author Cory Doctorow． It is a fascinating book for a new generation of sci-fi readers．
Marcus Yallow, 17, from San Francisco is much more comfortable in front of a computer than obeying the rules of society． Smart, fast and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting （騙過） his high school's monitoring system． This way he and his friends get to head off to play a popular online game in real life．
While they are playing, a bomb explodes on the Bay Bridge． Marcus stops a military vehicle to get help for his injured friend, but this simple act throws him into a Department of Homeland Security （DHS） secret prison． There he is treated as a possible terrorist． He is eventually let go after four days, but his injured friend disappears．
When he returns, Marcus discovers that there are many "security measures" in place and that now all citizens are treated like potential terrorists． While some consider this government action necessary for public safety, Marcus sees this as a complete destruction of the rights he is supposed to have as a citizen．
He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him with only one thing to do: to take down the DHS himself． He helps organize a large network called Xnet to spread the truth, anonymously （匿名地）．
The book presents a young man who is irresponsible, but learns about himself, and grows, in the course of the story． As part of this learning and growing he becomes aware of very serious issues about his society．
小題1: What kind of article does this passage belong to?     
A．A fascinating story．B．A book review．
C．News reportD．A TV programme
小題2: The underlined word destruction in the passage means         ．     
A．damageB．rewardC．ruinD．protection
小題3: Marcus Yallow was sent to prison because         ．        
A．he killed his friend
B．he bombed a military vehicle
C．he did something that a possible terrorist could do
D．his injured friend disappeared
小題4: From the second paragraph we can infer that         ．     
A．Marcus Yallow is much more comfortable obeying the rules of society
B．Marcus Yallow is smart, fast and wise in real life
C．Marcus Yallow always plays online games in real life
D．Marcus Yallow is expert at the network world
小題5: In the end of the book, Marcus Yallow         ．      
A．is supposed to be more irresponsible
B．becomes aware of very serious issues about his society
C．presents a young man who is irresponsible
D．plays a popular online game in real life

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The saying that children don’t like reading any more has been proved untrue. A new study finds that 75 percent of kids between five and 17 say that although they love technology, they still want to read books．
The Kids & Family Reading Report also says that 62 percent of kids prefer reading printed books rather than those on a computer．At the same time, those who search an author’s website or use the Internet to find books by a particular author, are more likely to read books for fun every day．
The study also once again proves that the time kids spend reading books for fun decreases after the age of eight and continues to drop through the teen years．The report is a follow-up to a 2006 study．But this time the focus is on the role of technology and when kids’ interest in reading starts to drop．
“Despite the fact that after the age of eight more children go online daily than read for fun daily, high frequency Internet users are more likely to read books for fun every day,” says Heather Carter, a writer of the report．
One in four kids between five and 17 say they read books for fun every day and more than half of kids say they read books for fun at least two to three times a week．One of the key reasons kids say they don’t read more often is that they have trouble finding books they like - a requirement that parents underestimate(低估)．
The study also finds that parents have a strong influence on kids’ reading, but only about half of all parents begin reading to their kids before their first birthday．The percent of children who are read to every day drops from 38 percent among five-to eight-year-olds to 23 percent among nine-to 11-year-olds - exactly the same time that kids’ daily reading for fun starts to drop．
“Parents’ engagement in their child’s reading from birth all the way through the teen years can have a great influence on how often their children read and how much they enjoy reading,” adds Carter．
小題1:What can we learn from the text?
A．Children don’t like reading any more after the age of 8.
B．Most children like reading as well as going online.
C．All kids like reading e – books instead of printed ones.
D．Most children like going online instead of reading.
小題2:It can be inferred from the passage that        .
A．the study of kids’ reading has been made before
B．most parents begin reading to their kids from their birth
C．a(chǎn)ll kids like to get information using the Internet
D．nowadays all children still like to read books
小題3:Which of the following is true according to the text?
A．The kids who often go online don’t like reading books.
B．Parents should teach their kids reading from an early age.
C．Sometimes it is difficult for kids to get the books they like.
D．When kids get older, parents spend more time with them.
小題4:According to the text,        contributes a lot to children’s interest in reading.
A．the InternetB．parents’ engagement
C．short supply of booksD．new technology
小題5:What’s the best title of the passage?
A．Do kids still like reading?B．Kids’ interest in reading drops
C．New technology on kids’ readingD．Parents’ influence on kids’ reading

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A new study warns that about thirty percent of the world's people may not have enough water by the year 2025.
A private American organization called Population Action International did the new study. It says more than three-hundred-thirty-five-million people lack enough water now. The people live in twenty-eight countries. Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East.
P-A-I researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025, about three-thousand-million people may lack water. At least 18 more countries are expected to have severe water problems. The demand for water keeps increasing. Yet the amount of water on Earth stays the same.
Mr. Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than in other parts of the world. He says population growth in these countries will continue to increase.
The report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking waters are not safe. Mr. Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases, such as cholera, which are carried in water. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. This is true of Egypt, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. And the report says lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies. This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning.
The Population Action International study gives several solutions to the water problem. One way, it says, is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose. Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water. A third way is to use less water of agriculture.
The report also says long-term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth. It says countries cannot provide clean water unless they slow population growth by limiting the number of children people have.
小題1:           are expected to have severe water problems by the year 2025.
A．18 countriesB．No countries
C．46 countriesD．28 countries
小題2:All the following are true except            .
A．New industries need a lot of water
B．There are solutions to the water problem
C．Egypt now has enough fresh water
D．Lack of water may cause conflict between countries
小題3:It can be learned that          .
A. The ability of developing has nothing to do with lack of water.
B. . It is not known whether diseases have something to do with lack of water
C. Lack of water may also result from international conflict
D There is connection between providing clean water and slowing population growth
小題4:The best title of the passage would be         .
A．World Water ShortageB．Population and Water
C．World ConflictD．Diseases and Water

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

     Tired of Working in Your Country?
With over 500 teachers and 20 years of experience, we are the leader in the field of teaching foreign languages. We now have positions open in Osaka starting September/October 2004 for teachers of English, German, Spanish and French.
? Teach many different kinds of classes using the latest technology in small classes of up to 3 students.
?Accommodation (住宿), and other necessary documents will be ready before you leave.
? Applicants will teach their first language only.
? Excellent teacher training programs.
If you are young with a university degree and are willing to experience different cultures, apply (申請) now. Experience in teaching is an advantage but not specially required. Knowledge of the Japanese language is not necessary but good English skills and practical computer knowledge are basic requirements.
Apply with C. V. and send letters to:
NOVA France, Mr. Sampy (IHT3/2)
34, Bd. Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France
Fax: 33148014804
Or visit our website: www. teadyp. com
The manager expects to meet and talk with successful applicants in Paris in June and July.
小題1:What is the purpose of the text?
A．To introduce a language school in Japan.B．To hire language teachers to work in Japan.
C．To describe working conditions in Japan.D．To make clear the requirements for Japanese teachers.
小題2:We know from the text that those who are going to Japan will _______.
A．teach English only in OsakaB．receive a degree from a university
C．have free accommodationD．get trained for the job
小題3:Before going to Japan, you need _______.
A．to see the manager of NOVA FranceB．to take some computer courses
C．to write a letter to JapanD．to find a place to live
小題4:If you want to work in Japan you should _______.
A．have some working experienceB．know how to use computers
C．present good teaching plansD．speak several languages

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

You’re lost in the world of dreams and sleep. You roll over, smiling as you come across a swimming pool filled with chocolate. And then, your wonderful dream becomes a nightmare when someone is screaming, “Get up!” It’s just what every teenager goes through each morning!
Now, there seems to be one school that finally understands that requiring teens to show up at 9 am is not just cruel but also harmful to both the kids and the school.
The Monkseaton High School in North Tyneside, Britain, recently decided to experiment to see if there is any difference in student behavior if they just pushed back the start of their day by one hour, from 9 am to 10 am. And the results are surprising.
Since carrying out the later start, Monkseaton has seen a 28% drop in truancy, even hardly any lateness, and best of all, higher test scores. One of the reasons is that the teenagers are much happier to have the extra hour of sleep, but there is also a scientific reason behind why they need the extra sleep.
The school’s decision to push back the time was based on the research done by Oxford Professor Russell Foster, who pointed out that teenagers and adults have different sleep cycles, explaining why teenagers go to bed late and wake up late.
While adults are wide awake and ready at 8 am, teenagers are not fully awake until 10 am, sometimes even noon. Teachers may argue that their students perform better in the morning, but in fact, it is because they are in the zone while their students are still sleepy, making the students easier to control. Memory tests prove that the more difficult classes should be in the afternoon when teenagers are most wide awake.
The Monkseaton school officials are encouraged by the results and plan on voting to make it a permanent change.
小題1:What’s the best title of this passage?
A．Get up early, teenagers!
B．Finally, a school understands teenagers.
C．Why do teenagers stay up late?
D．Difference between teens and adults.
小題2:What’s the meaning of the underlined word “truancy”?
A．gradesB．subject sC．a(chǎn)bsenceD．classes
小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A．Teenagers and adults have the same sleep cycle.
B．Teenagers are fully awake at 10 am.
C．Teenagers are much happier to sleep than study.
D．Teenagers need the extra sleep also for a scientific reason.
小題4:Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A．The Monkseaton school is satisfied with the result of experiments.
B．It is cruel for the teenagers to show up at 9 am.
C．The Monkseaton school plans to change the school time forever.
D．Teenagers perform better in the morning than in the afternoon.

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