When middle-aged Alex gave up his job and made up his mind to become a self-employed writer, no one could tell surely whether he would succeed or not．He found a cold storage room in a building, set up a used typewriter and settled down to work．
After a year or so, however, Alex began to doubt himself．He found it was difficult to earn his living by selling what he wrote．But Alex determined to put his dream to the test-even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure．This is the shadow land （虛幻世界） of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there．
One day Alex got a call, "We need an assistant, and we're paying $ 6,000 a year．" $ 6,000 was real money in 1960．It would enable Alex to get a nice apartment, a used car and more．Besides, he could write in his spare time．As the dollars were dancing in Alex's head, something cleared his senses．He had dreamed of being a fulltime writer．"Thanks, but no," Alex said firmly and swiftly.
After Alex got off the phone, he pulled out everything he had: two cans of vegetables and 18 cents．Alex put the cans and cents into a paper bag, saying to himself," There's everything you've made of yourself so far．I'm not sure I ever felt so low．"
Finally his work was published in 1970．Instantly he had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever experience．The shadows had turned into focus of attention．
Then one day, Alex found a box filled with things he had owned years before．Inside was a paper bag with two cans and 18 cents．Suddenly he pictured himself working in that cold storage room．It reminds Alex, and anyone with a dream, of the courage and persistence （堅毅） it takes to stay the course (堅持到底)in the shadow land．
小題1:Why did Alex give up his job?
A．Because he didn't like the working conditions．
B．Because he couldn't earn enough to make a living．
C．Because he felt he had no potential in his job．
D．Because he wanted to be a full-time writer．
小題2:What did Alex express when he answered the call?
A．He refused the job offer．
B．He was willing to give them a hand．
C．He expected them to pay him more money．
D．He would write in his spare time．
小題3:What kind of person is Alex?
A．Determined．B．Modest．C．Shy．D．Brave．
小題4:Which of the following can be the best title of the passage ?
A．Look before you leap．B．Two heads are better, than one．
C．Hold on to your dream, and it will come true．D．A bird in hand is worth two in the bush．

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

The Winter Olympics proved no match for television's gold-medal winner, "American Idol". Fox's unbelievable successful contest crashed the Olympics in head-to-head competition on Tuesday night, 27 million viewers to 16.1 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The Olympics recovered a bit after "Idol" went off the air, but its overall audience of 18.6 million was the least-watched winter Olympics telecast since Nagano's closing ceremonies in 1998, Nielsen said.
Since its opening on Friday, the Turin games have been running well below the 2002 Salt Lake City games in viewership interest. Much of that was expected, but Tuesday's rating was the first alarming sign for NBC that increased TV competition has taken a toll.
"The competition from 'Idol' is heavier than the Olympics has ever seen," said NBC Sports spokeswoman Alana Russo.
It doesn't figure to get any easier, with "Idol" and ABC's "Lost" on the air Wednesday. CBS' "Survivor" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" offer more competition on Thursday.
Even figure skating, the most popular winter Olympics sport for viewers, didn't help much on Tuesday. NBC filled about two-thirds of the hour during which it competed with "American Idol" with tape of the men's figure-skating competition.
Through five nights of Olympics coverage, NBC's average prime time rating is 12.7 ( a rating point represents 1,102, 000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 110.2 million TV homes). NBC said before the games started that it had promised its advertisers a rating of between 12 and 14. If it slips below that, NBC will have to make it up to advertisers with free commercial time.
" ‘American Idol' is clearly a phenomenon," said Randy Falco, president of the NBC Universal Television Group. "But we expected it and are tracking fight where we planned to be at this point." Between NBC and its networks, about 65 percent of the nation's television homes have tuned in at least some of the games.
小題1:How many viewers watched the Winter Olympics on Tuesday night?
A．110.2 millionB．12.7 million
C．27millionD．16.1million
小題2:What did NBC do on Tuesday night to attract more viewers?
A．To ask the "idol" to go off the air.
B．To play the tapes of men's figure skating.
C．To add "Survivor" to its program.
D．To do more advertising.
小題3:If the rating slips below 12, NBC will          .
A．do more advertising for nothing
B．stop running normally
C．never cover the Olympics
D．pay extra money for advertisers
小題4:What does the underlined word "taken a toll" mean?
A．paid off.B．caused loss.C．broken out.D．picked up.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


“Eat local.” It’s one way to reduce human effect on the planet. Eating local means to try to buy and consume foods that are grown in places close to home. However, most of the food sold at supermarkets is not locally grown or produced. Trucks and planes deliver these foods from hundreds or thousands of miles away. During the transportation, greenhouse(溫室)gases are produced, causing global warming. So the shorter the distance your foods must travel, the less the harm is done to the environment.
But how do you get local food if you live in a large city, hundreds of miles away from farms？Environmental health scientist Dickson Despommier and his students came up with the idea of a “vertical(垂直的)farm”.

A vertical farm is a glass-walled structure that could be built as tall as a skyscraper(摩天大樓). Since the garden is built upwards, rather than outwards, it requires much less space than an ordinary farm. The world is quickly running out of room for ordinary farming. Vertical farms could be a key to this situation. Despommier imagines a 30-story building with a greenhouse on every floor. The walls of the building would be clear, to allow crops to get as much sunlight as possible. Depending on a city’s water resources, Despommier thinks hydroponic(水培的) farming is another method for the vertical farm which needs no soil to grow plants.
Despommier says the hydroponic greenhouses would use a system that would use a city’s waste water and fill it with nutritions to make the crops grow. If this method works, it would provide food to a city and save millions of tons of water.
The idea of a vertical farm has attracted the attention of government officials around the world. Scott Stringer, a government official from New York City, thinks the city is suitable for the vertical farming. “Obviously we don’t have much land left for us,” Stringer said. “But the sky is the limit in Manhattan. ”
Despommier admits that there is still a lot of work to do to make vertical farms a reality. “But I think vertical farming is an idea that can work in a big way,” he says.
小題1:Why are people advised to eat local?
A．Because it means convenience(方便) to people.
B．Because it can help people save a lot of money.
C．Because local food has more nutrition.
D．Because it is environmentally friendly.
小題2:Which is one of the vertical farm’s benefits when compared with ordinary farming?
A．It produces healthier food.
B．It does less harm to the cities.
C．It needs less space of the city.
D．It requires less transport costs.
小題3:By saying “the sky is the limit in Manhattan”, Stringer means _____.
A．people can make full use of vertical space of Manhattan
B．there is a limit for using empty land in Manhattan
C．the height of buildings in Manhattan is limited
D．Manhattan can spread as far as possible
小題4:What can we learn about the vertical farming in the passage?
A．No soil is needed to grow plants in a vertical farm.
B．It has solved the problem of the food shortage in a big way.
C．It is a 30-story building with a greenhouse on every floor.
D．Crops are mainly grown in the rainwater in a vertical farm.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy, the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
　　People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things. The pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine, the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend(or hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
　　Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.
小題1:The phrase“sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means__________.
A．have a good taste with social life　　B．make others unhappy
C．tend to scold others openly　　D．enjoy the pleasure of life
小題2:We can conclude from the passage that__________.
A．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness
B．such unhappy people are dangerous to social life
C．we should pity all such unhappy people
D．unhappy people can not understand happy persons
小題3:If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should ______.
A．prevent any communication with them
B．show no respect and politeness to them
C．persuade them to recognize the bad effects
D．quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes
小題4:In this passage, the writer mainly________.
A．describes two types of people　　B．laughs at the unhappy people
C．suggests ways to help them unhappyD．tells people how to be happy in life

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

“Everybody loves a bargain.” Is a well-known saying. One person’s useless, ugly, or broken object can be another person’s bargain. That is why so many Americans do not throw things away.  They put them outside their house.  They put on a "For Sale" sign.  And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale.
The sellers put a paid announcement in a local newspaper.  It tells when and where the yard sale will take place. These sales are very popular during weekends in spring, summer, and autumn.
Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house. Then they sit all day in the sunlight -- like tired guests at a party -- waiting for someone to take them home.
Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale. Sometimes, there are more clothes than anything else. Cooking equipment is also popular. So are old toys, tools, books, tables, and chairs. Then there are objects called "white elephants."  A white elephant is something you think is extremely ugly or useless. It may be an electric light shaped like a fish. You feel a sharp pain whenever you look at it. To someone else, however, it might be a thing of beauty and joy.
Some people go to yard sales to find a special thing that they collect. It may be old toy trains, for example, or paintings of dogs. Experts say more Americans are collecting old things now than ever before. Most people who go to yard sales, however, are not looking for anything special.  They might buy an object simply because it costs so little.  They enjoy negotiating over prices, even if they really do not need the object.  Later, they may hold their own yard sale to sell all the things they have bought.
小題1:What kind of things will go to a yard sale?
A．Cheap and ugly things．B．Things people no longer use．
C．Things out of season．D．Things of great value．
小題2:A white elephant refers to ______ ．
A．something that can cause n feeling of pain
B．something disliked by the owners while appreciated by others
C．something sold at the lowest price
D．a(chǎn) toy shaped like a fish
小題3:Most people go to yard sales to ______ ．
A．find Valuable paintingsB．look for something special
C．find a bargainD．kill their time
小題4:Which of the following is NOT true about a yard sale?
A．It may not be held when the weather is very cold．
B．It can last for a whole day．
C．It is usually held with a party．
D．It is held outdoors．
小題5:We can infer from the last paragraph that ______ ．
A．people may find something of great value on a yard sale
B．yard sales only attract those who have a low income
C．things on a yard sale can cost people a lot
D．most people who go to yard sales want to make money

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Photos that you might have found down the back of your sofa are now big business!
In 2005, the American artist Richard Prince’s photograph of a photograph, entitled (Cowboy), was sold for $ 1, 248, 000.
Prince is certainly not the only contemporary artist to have worked with so-called “found photographs”—a loose term given to everything from discarded(丟棄的) prints discovered in a junk shop to old advertisements or amateur photographs from a stranger’s family album. The German artist Joachim Schmid, who believes “basically everything is worth looking at”, has gathered discarded photographs, postcards and newspaper images since 1982. In his on-going project, Archiv, he groups photographs of family life according to themes: people with dogs; teams; new cars; dinner with the family; and so on.
Like Schmid, the editors of several self-published art magazines also champion (捍衛(wèi)) found photographs. One of them, called simply Found, was born one snowy night in Chicago, when Davy Rothbard returned to his car to find under his wiper(雨刷) an angry note intended for someone else: “Why’s your car HERE at HER place?” The note became the starting point for Rothbard’s addictive publication, which features found photographs sent in by readers, such as a poster discovered in your drawer.
The whole found-photograph phenomenon has raised some questions. Perhaps one of the most difficult is: can these images really be considered as art? And if so, whose art? Yet found photographs produced by artists, such as Richard Prince, may raise endless possibilities. What was the cowboy in Prince’s Untitled doing? Was he riding his horse hurriedly to meet someone? Or how did Prince create this photograph? It’s anyone’s guess. In addition, as we imagine the back-story to the people in the found photographs artists, like Schmid, have collated (整理), we also turn toward our own photographic albums. Why is memory so important to us? Why do we all seek to freeze in time the faces of our children, our parents, our lovers, and ourselves? Will they mean anything to anyone after we’ve gone?
In the absence of established facts, the vast collections of found photographs give our minds an opportunity to wander freely. That, above all, is why they are so fascinating.
小題1:The first paragraph of the passage is used to _________.
A．remind readers of found photographs
B．a(chǎn)dvise reader to start a new kind of business
C．a(chǎn)sk readers to find photographs behind sofa
D．show readers the value of found photographs
小題2:The underlined word “them” in Para 4 refers to __________.
A．the readersB．the editors
C．the found photographsD．the self-published magazines
小題3:By asking a series of questions in Para 5, the author mainly intends to indicate that ________.
A．memory of the past is very important to people
B．found photographs allow people to think freely
C．the back-story of found photographs is puzzling
D．the real value of found photographs is questionable
小題4:The author’s attitude towards found photographs can be described as _________.
A．criticalB．doubtfulC．optimisticD．satisfied

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend. But some women show great interest in colorful beads（珠子）from Uganda made of recycled paper. The beads are sold by a nonprofit organization called BeadforLife.
BeadforLife began as a chance meeting between three American women on a trip to Uganda and a local jewelry maker. Millie Grace Akena was rolling paper beads near her home. She made paper beads as a hobby. But there was no real market in her country.
Torkin Wakefield says she and her daughters Devin and Ginny brought some of the beads back home. Immediately people started admiring the beads. The three Americans started BeadforLife in 2004. Nearly 700 women have taken part.
The group says its beaders earn an average of more than 2,000 dollars a year in the program. This is five times what they earned before. The beads are sold across Uganda and in Boulder, Colorado. They are also sold online and at jewelry shows called bead parties. “Because they have meaning, because these are gifts that help people, when folks in America and beyond buy our beads, they feel a sense of generosity. They feel a direct connection, like they can really take part in getting rid of poverty.” Torkin said.
The jewelry costs between five and thirty dollars. BeadforLife reported sales in its last budget year of more that 3.5 million dollars. It says for every ten-dollar necklace sold, the beader gets two dollars and forty-three cents in money or materials. It says more than 90% of earnings are reinvested in community development projects in Uganda. Torkin Wakefield estimates that BeadforLife has helped more than 8,000 people this way.
So what about Millie Grace Akena, the jewelry maker? Mrs Wakefield says she has gone on to organize a small group of women who work with her, and they sell their beads to a religious group.
小題1:According to the passage, BeadforLife is an organization that ______.
A．provides poor people worldwide with free education
B．mainly encourages people to learn to earn a living on their own
C．has attracted many businessmen to invest in beading
D．supports community development projects in Uganda
小題2:When Torkin Wakefield brought the beads to America, ______.
A．she didn’t know people would like them
B．she wanted to make a fortune out of them
C．people showed great interest in them at once
D．she was thinking of how to find investors
小題3:According to Paragraph 4, the beads are popular because ______.
A．people think buying them is a good way to help the poor
B．they are of good quality and can be kept for a long time
C．they symbolize the most important thing in people’s life
D．they look even more beautiful than diamonds
小題4:Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
A．Mrs Wakefield makes a great contribution to developing countries.
B．BeadforLife makes beads out of recycled paper.
C．BeadforLife uses paper beads to improve people’s lives.
D．Mrs Wakefield’s career takes off thanks to paper beads.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Some people believe that international sports create goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: that international competitions encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourage international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused mainly by minor national competitions.
　One country received its second-place medals with visible indignation（憤慨）after a hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the loser’s objection to the final decision. They were sure that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents’ victory was unfair. Their manager was very angry and he said, “This wasn’t hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished.” The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension（停賽）of the team for at least three years.
　The American basketball team announced that they would not give up the first place to Russia, after a disputable end to their competition. The game had ended in disturbance. It was thought at first that the United States had won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player popped the ball into the basket. It was the first time the USA had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury discussed the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
　Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sports are played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism（愛國主義）.
小題1:According to the author, recent Olympic Games have ________.
A．caused national pride for athletes
B．created goodwill between the nations
C．hardly showed any international friendship
D．led to less misunderstanding between countries
小題2:What did the manager mean by saying “Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished”?
A．His team would no longer take part in international games.
B．There should be no hockey matches organized by the Federation.
C．Hockey and the Federation are both ruined by the unfair decisions.
D．The International Hockey Federation should be dismissed forever.
小題3:By taking the basketball game for example, the author wants to prove that ________.
A．too much patriotism was displayed in the games
B．the announcement to prolong the match was wrong
C．the appeal jury was too hesitant in making the decision
D．the team was right in refusing to accept the silver medals
小題4:What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
A．Sports should be played for the love of one’s nation.
B．Unfair decisions are common in the Olympic Games.
C．International competitions will lead to misunderstanding.
D．The organization for the Olympic Games must be reformed.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Ideal for anyone who wants a good time, the Gold Coast is packed with enough fun for everyone in Australia．It's impossible to be bored on the Gold Coast．Below are the attractions;
Dream World
This is a fun place for everyone, whether you are a family with young kids, older kids, or out with your mates．This theme park is actually a series of parks, made up of such places as preschooler heaven Wiggles World and such attractions as Big Brother for inner reality TV fans．Dream World also owns the theme park White Water World．It is possible to buy tickets from Dream World that covers several different parks．
Sea World
Get up close and personal with dolphins, sharks and polar bears．This theme park also offers the right mixture of shows, exhibits, animal fights and thrill rides such as roller coaster．This is a must-see for your Gold Coast adventure．
Warner Bros Movie World
This theme park has the best combination of fast-paced entertainment．Visitors can have fun living as though they're in the movies．Kids will see all their cartoon favourites on parade and in shows．Bigger kids and grown-ups can pretend they're on real movie sets with their favourite action heroes, and then put themselves into some serious action．
How to get there梇ou can easily travel to the Gold Coast by plane．Fly straight into Gold Coast International Airport, or to Brisbane and then catch the '"airtrain" service to the Gold Coast．All of the major airlines have daily flights, some with several per day depending on your departure city．If you want to save money, you can get there by train．
Accommodation—Want something truly unusual? Consider staying in the world's largest residential tower （塔式住宅） and enjoy beautiful views．The accommodation choices on the Gold Coast are just as varied and interesting as the activities, so whether you are a single, couple, family, friends, a large or small group, you will find options perfect for you at TakeABreak．corn．a(chǎn)n．
小題1:From the passage, we know _____．
A．visitors can go t．o the Gold Goast only by air
B．the Gold Coast is famous for its golden beach
C．it is difficult for a family to find a right place to stay
D．the theme park "Sea World" will attract animal lovers
小題2:Which is NOT included in the theme parks?
A．Children can see their favorite cartoons．
B．Visitors have opportunities to take roller coasters．
C．Some famous movie actors often act with visitors．
D．Visitors can share the joy from animals．
小題3:This passage is mainly ______．
A．to describe the theme parks in Australia
B．to draw more visitors to go to the Gold Goast
C．to tell some exciting shows, adventures, etc．
D．to introduce how to get to the Gold Coast

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