“Seven out of ten people have tried to learn a language at some point in their life and most wish they could speak one more fluently,” a survey found. “And nine out of ten people want their children to learn foreign languages at primary school,” said the poll for the OCR Examing Board (牛津劍橋皇家考試委員會).Languages are no longer compulsory(義務(wù)的)for pupils aged 14 and over. But the government wants all primary school pupils in England to learn a language by the end of the decade.
A survey of 1000 people was carried out, which is organised by the National Centre of Language .The study suggested people in London were the most likely(78%) to have studied another language, Scots were next at 74%, followed by the northeast of England (71%).In the west of England, more than six in ten have knowledge of another language.
Barrie Hunt from OCR said, “People are often very negative about Britain,s grasp of foreign languages but in reality the number of people who can speak a second language is impressive. The great joke is that many of these people will have no formal qualification to show their family, friends and employers what they can do. Whether they are fluent or just able to hold a short conversation in another language is unknown.”
He said OCR had set a new language scheme called Asset Languages to encourage people of all ages to learn languages in bite-sized amounts and get a qualification.
The scheme also provides assessment for community languages spoken at home, such as Chinese, Urdu and Punjabi.
Isabella Moore from the National Centre of Languages said, “Employers want evidence of good communication skills, confidence and outward-looking attitudes, so a language qualification is an important addition to anyone,s resume.”
小題1:It can be inferred that___________________________ .
A.foreign language study is popular in UK
B.foreign language study is a must for people of all ages
C.it is especially easy for British people to study foreign languages
D.students of over 14 no longer study foreign languages
小題2:Which of the following has the most to have studied a foreign language?
A.People from Scotland.B.People from the northeast of England.
C.People in London.D.People from the west of England.
小題3: Which statement is true according to the text?
A.A language qualification is the only evidence of a high-quality employee.
B.Speaking foreign languages is the most important skill required in employment among all.
C.A language qualification is very difficult to get in UK.
D.Many people in UK don,t have a qualification although they can speak foreign languages.
小題4: What’s the best title for the text?
A.An Interesting SurveyB.UK Loves After All
C.Language Teaching in UKD.Better to Get a Language Qualification

小題1:A
小題2:C
小題3:D
小題4:B

小題1:推斷題。根據(jù)短文第一段所表述的內(nèi)容:70%的英國人在一生中都曾經(jīng)嘗試過學(xué)習(xí)某種外語,90%的英國人希望他們的孩子從小學(xué)開始就學(xué)習(xí)外語。由此推斷可得知答案。
小題2:事實細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第二段內(nèi)容可知:一項調(diào)查顯示,倫敦人學(xué)習(xí)一門外語的人數(shù)最多(78%),其次為蘇格蘭人(74%),再次為英國東部(71%)。而在英國本部,則有60%以上的人選擇懂得一門外語。
小題3:事實細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第三段內(nèi)容“最滑稽的是,很多人都無法拿出正式的資格證明來向他們的家人、朋友和用人單位證明自己的外語水平,他們到底是能夠非常流利地運用一門外語還是只能用外語進(jìn)行簡單的對話無人可知”可得知答案。短文的最后講到外語資格證“可以為簡歷專門增色不少”,但并不是求職時惟一的證據(jù)和技能,因此可排除A、B項;C項文中沒有提及。
小題4:主旨題。透視全文可知,英國人學(xué)外語的熱情很高,外語再也不只是14歲和14歲以上學(xué)生的必修課了。綜上所述,根據(jù)標(biāo)題概括性、針對性和醒目性原則可得答案。
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

The dams① aimed at saving Venice from the waves have been backed greatly. After eight years of argument, it plans to build 79 gates across three channels connecting the lagoon around Venice with the Adriatic Sea. The gates would be open most of the time but would be closed if there is a danger to the city.
The project, though, has run into fears that it could worsen Venice’s problems. The city throws waste into the lagoon, and environmentalists fear the dams will cause this pollution to become worse if there is no tide to wash it out regularly. But if there is a tide, the flow can wash away about 550 million cubic meters of the lagoon in a single day, which means that by leaving the dam open for only a few hours, the waste should be cleaned out.
Another piece of good news is that British scientists are confident that the dams will be able to face an expected rise in sea levels caused by global warming. The gates are designed to stand a 22-centimetre rise in sea levels, but many scientists expect a global rise in sea levels of 31cm by 2100.
However, Trevor Davies and Isabel Trigo from University of East Anglia believe the dams are unlikely to broken. Climate change will weaken the local storms in the Adriatic that are the main cause of flood risk. Floodwaters are also a seasonal danger in Venice, usually because of a combination of spring tides and strong winds.
Venice, which rests on wooden piles driven into boggy③ ground, has been sinking for centuries, worsening the encroachment by the sea.
Notes:
① dam  n. 大壩
② lagoon  n. 瀉湖
③ boggy  adj. 泥濘的
④ encroachment  n. 蠶食
Choose the best answers according to the above:
1. Which of the following is the main idea of the text?
A. Venice will not disappear into the sea.
B. Dams are designed to protect Venice.
C. Venice are facing dangers from the tides.
D. Global warming makes Venice worse and worse.
2. If the project comes into use, the waste in the lagoon ______.
A. will be washed away by the tides               B. will be sent to the higher places
C. will be carried away by workers                D. will have to be reused by humans
3. According to the idea of Trevor Davies, the dams won’t be broken because ______.
A. the dams are higher than the buildings in Venice
B. there will be no tides or floods in the future
C. the climate all over the world will soon be cold
D. the storms in the Adriatic will be weaker in the future
4. According to the text, we can infer that Venice ______.
A. has been sinking for hundreds of years
B. may suffer from spring tides and strong winds
C. will be under the sea sooner or later
D. will be a city with dams around except 78 gates

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Why did humans evolve to walk upright? Perhaps because it’s just plain easier. Make that “energetically less costly”, scientifically speaking.
Bipedalism—walking on two feet, is one of the defining characteristics of being humans, and scientists have debated for years how it came about. In the latest attempt to find an explanation, researchers trained five chimps(黑猩猩)to walk on a treadmill(跑步機)while wearing masks that allowed measurement of their oxygen consumption. The chimps were measured both while walking upright and while moving on their legs and knuckles(膝關(guān)節(jié)).That measurement of the energy needed to move around was compared with similar tests on humans and the results are published in this week’s online edition of “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”.
It turns out that humans walking on two legs use only one-quarter of the energy that chimps use while knucklewalking on four limbs(肢).And the chimps, on average, use as much energy using two legs as they did when they used all four limbs.
However, there were differences among chimps in how much energy they used, and this difference corresponded to their different manner of walking and anatomy(解剖構(gòu)造).One of the chimps used less energy on two legs, one used about the same and the others used more, said David Raichlen, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona.
“What we were surprised at was the variation(變異) ”, he said in a telephone interview. Interview. “That was pretty exciting, because when you talk about how evolution works, variation is the bottom line, without variation there is no evolution.”
Walking on two legs freed our arms, opening the door to drive the world, said Raichlen. “We think about the evolution of bipedalism as one of first events that led hominids(原始人)down the path to being humans.”
The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the L.S.B.Leakey Foundation.
小題1: The underlined word “Bipedalism” in Paragraph 2 probably means____.
A.moving sidewaysB.walking upright
C.walking on four legsD.running fast
小題2:We can infer from the passage that____.
A.scientists have no idea on how humans’ walking on two legs came about
B.scientists have had different views on why chimps walk on four legs
C.scientists have had different views on how humans’ walking on two legs vame about
D.scientists have had similar views on how humans’ walking on two legs came about
小題3:What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A.How chimps saved energy.
B.Why chimps didn't walk on two legs.
C.David Raichlen studied chimps.
D.Different chimps consumed different energy.
小題4: According to the passage, humans walk upright in order to____.
A.conserve energyB.differ from other animals
C.free their brainsD.strengthen their legs

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Like a scene out of a reality show or a Disney movie, Southgate, Mich., teenager Ashley Qualls' moment has arrived.
She may not have an MBA, a high-school diploma, or even a driver’s license yet, but Asheley Qualls already has an influential website (www. Whateverlife.Com). The 17-year-old girl hass been building her online business for two years.
In December 2004, Qualls borrowed $8 from her mother to buy the Whateverlife.com. domain name (域名). She intended to use the website as a way to share her design for My Space pages woth her friends.
But in the incontrollable, fast-moving world of cyberspace, others began noticing Qualls’ site even though she never has spent a penny on advertising.
When it comes to web traffic, Whateverlife.com .currently ranks No. 825 out of 20.3 million websites, drawing 2.4 million visitors worldwide during the last 30 days. Qualls said that on average, 72% of her site's audience made a return visit.
Whateverlife.com earned a million dollars in revenue last year and is on track to do the same this year.
"I'm stubborn and I'm independent," she said from her office in the basement of her house. "I like the feeling that it's my company, and I want to have the say-so (主張)in everything."
But don’t mistake Qualls for another smart but spoiled teenager. She is growing up fast but owns talent for life and business that elude many girls of her age.
The task of running a million-dollar company isn’t without its sacrifices( 犧牲) and challenges for a teenager. Qualls dropped out of Lincoln Park High School after her sophomore year to work fulltime on Whateverlife.com, a decision that she said shocked her family, friends and teachers . She now is studying to get her degree in graphic design.
小題1:Many people noticed Qualls’ site because_____________________.
A.it was set up by a 17-year-old girl
B.Qualls shares her design with her friends
C.Qualls has been building her online business
D.the world cyberspace develops fast and uncontrollable
小題2: Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?
A.Qualls’ Website Whateverlife .com. No. 825 in 20.3 million websites.
B.About 2.4 million visitors worldwide visit her website every month.
C.Most of her audience have visited her website at least twice.
D.Qualls has the right to decide everything in her company.
小題3:The underlined word “elude” in the 8th paragraph means_______________.
A.a(chǎn)voidB.embarrassC.exceedD.encourage

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

When your pet meets your infant(嬰兒),it might not be love at first sniff. When Jennifer brought her baby home from the hospital, her cherished dogs had very different reactions. Her Boxer, Sonya, was immediately gentle and protective. But Tiger, the Pomeranian, was less welcoming. “If any diapers(尿布)or toys were on the floor, he peed on them,” says the Greenbrier, mom. In the eyes of a pet, there’s a new star in home who’s stealing his spotlight. Even the gentlest animal will probably act up if he doesn’t get his usual attention. These simple steps will help your pet adjust and keep your baby safe.
Introduce Them with Care
Your newborn and per’s first encounter can set the tone for their relationship. To make it as smooth as possible, try this trick from Caryn Ruiz:“Before we left the hospital, my husband took blankets home to our dog, Daisy, so she’d know our newborn Devon’s smell.” When you get home, have your husband carry the baby so you can greet your pet without worrying about her jumping on you. A cat will likely walk away at first, while a dog probably wants to investigate right away.
To introduce your baby, get down on your pet’s level and let her have a hello sniff. Don’t panic and pull your baby away unless your pet is barking or hissing, because it’ll send the message that the baby is a threat.
Learn the Safety Basics
No matter how smoothly the introduction goes, there are certain safety rules you should follow. Never leave your baby alone with the pet. Even the gentlest animal can react unpredictably. Your baby’s crying could frighten your cat, or your dog could suddenly become territorial. Consider setting up baby gates to limit your pet’s access. To keep your cat from jumping into the bassinet(有篷蓋的搖籃), try putting mosquito netting over the top. Cats hate sticky paws, so keep the crib(有欄桿的嬰兒床)and changing table off-limits by lining the edges with sticky strips made for furniture. You can also train your dog to sleep in a crate(大木箱).
小題1:At the beginning of the passage, the author uses the stories to_____.
A.illustrate possible reactions when pets meet a newborn baby
B.show that pets don’t like a newborn baby
C.prove how friendly a pet is when it meets a newborn baby
D.introduce how terrible the pets are when a mother gets a baby home
小題2:Who is Sonya mentioned in the 1 st paragraph?
A.Jennifer’s dog.B.Jennifer’s baby.
C.Jennifer’s husband.D.A pet expert.
小題3:What can we infer from the passage?
A.Cats are more welcoming than dogs when they meet a newborn baby.
B.You must show your baby to your pet dog when it is barking.
C.You should never keep a baby together with your pet.
D.The first introduction of your newborn baby to your pet is important.
小題4: According to the passage, to keep your baby safe, you should do the following things EXCEPT_____.
A.introducing your baby to your pet with care
B.leaving your baby alone with your pet at the first day when they meet
C.setting up baby gates to limit your baby
D.keeping your pet away from your baby

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Special trees that grow faster, fight pollution, produce better wood, and even sense chemical attacks are being planted by scientists in the US.
When 40 per cent of Hawaii's US$14 million-a-year papaya (木瓜)industry was destroyed by a virus five years ago, work began on creating genetically engineered(轉(zhuǎn)基因的) trees.
Researchers successfully introduced seeds that were designed to resist the virus. Since then, more and more people have been testing genetically engineered trees.
Some researchers put special bacteria into trees to help them grow faster and produce better wood. Others are trying to create trees that can clean polluted soil.
Meanwhile fruit farmers are looking for trees that are strong enough to resist worms, and paper companies want trees that produce more wood and therefore more paper.
The Pentagon (五角大樓) even gave the researchers US$500,000 this year after they developed a pine tree that changes its colours if it senses a chemical attack..
So far, the poplar, eucalyptus (楊樹與桉樹), apple and coffee trees are among those being engineered. All this can be done today because we have a better understanding of tree genomes(基因組).
However, some people fear that the genetically engineered trees will cause dangerous results. They are worried that the new trees will breed with natural species and change the balance of the forest environment.
"It could be destructive," said Jim Diamond, an environmentalist. "Trees are what is left of our natural environment and home to many endangered species."
But researchers insist that science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers.
They hope to answer the critics by stopping the new trees from breeding, so their effect on the environment can be controlled.
小題1:What trees are NOT the ones that scientists are planting in the US?
A.Trees that worms can't hurt.
B.Trees that can protect themselves at a chemical attack.
C.Trees that can resist wind better.
D.Trees that can improve soil conditions.
小題2:What caused the American scientists to work on special trees?
A.They think science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers.
B.Great numbers of trees have been lost due to attacks by viruses.
C.Researchers successfully introduced seeds designed to resist the virus.
D.Tree genomes are mapped out so scientists know how to improve trees.
小題3:Which of the following was probably the first kind of trees being engineered?
A.Papaya.B.Pine.C.Apple. D.Poplar.
小題4:The best title of the passage is         .
A.The improvement of environment
B.The side-effects of special trees
C.The development of special trees
D.the program of genetically engineered trees

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

An allowance is an important tool for teaching kids how to budget, save and make their own decisions. Children remem­ber and learn from mistakes when their own dollars are lost or spent foolishly.
How large an allowance is appropriate? Experts say there is not right amount. Actual amounts differ from region to re­gion, and from family to family.
To set an appropriate allowance for your child, work up a weekly budget. Allow for entertainment expenditures such as movies and snacks. Next, include everyday expenses such as lunch money, bus fare, school supplies. "If you make the child responsible for these ‘ ills’," says Josephine Swanson, a consumer specialist, " he or she will learn to budget for nec­essary expenditures."
Finally, add some extra money to make saving possible. If you can, keep your child’s allowance in line with that of his friends. A child whose purchasing power falls away below his peers’ can feel left out.
It can be tough, but avoid excusing your children when they make a mistake with their allowance. When Brooke Ste­phens was ten and growing up in Jacksonville, her mother gave her $5 a week, $1.75 of which was for bus fare and lunch." If you lose your money," Brooke’s mother told her, "you walk home."
One week the girl spent all her allowance in a candy store, then she called home for a ride. " Mom made me walk home," recalls Stephens, now a financial planner in Brook­lyn. " At first I was angry. But I finally realized that she was trying to teach me an important lesson. "
Experts advise that an allowance should not be tied di­rectly to a child’s daily chores. Kids should help around the house not because they get paid for it but because they share responsibilities as members of a family. You might, however, pay a child for doing extra jobs at home, which can develop his or her initiative.
小題1: Which of the following is the possible title of the passage?
A.How to develop a child’s initiative.
B.How to work up an amount of pocket money.
C.How to teach a child to save money.
D.How to teach a child about money.
小題2: It can be inferred from the passage that if a child is given an allowance, he or she may ________.
A.spend all the money very soon
B.be spoiled and finally ruined
C.feel responsible and careful about money
D.lost the money and can not return home
小題3: In Paragraph 4, the words “his peers” refer to ________.
A.his parents B.his teachersC.his financial expertsD.his friends
小題4:The author implies in the passage that ________.
A.paying children for their housework is no good
B.a(chǎn) child’s initiative can be developed if he or she is paid for all the housework
C.children may feel lost and lonely if they have no pocket money
D.children may learn to put aside some money if they are given a great amount of pocket money

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Suppose we built a robot to explore the planet Mars. We provide the robot with seeing detectors(探測器) to keep it away from danger. It is powered entirely by the sun. Should we program the robot to be equally active at all times? No, the robot would be using up energy at a time when it was not receiving any. So we would probably program it to stop its activity at night and to wake up at dawn the next morning.
According to evolutionary(進(jìn)化的) theory of sleep, evolution equipped us with a regular pattern of sleeping and waking for the same reason. The theory does not deny that sleep provides some important restorative functions. It merely says that evolution has programmed us to perform those functions at a time when activity would be inefficient and possibly dangerous. However, sleep protects us only from the sort of trouble we might walk into; it does not protect us from trouble that comes looking for us. So we sleep well when we are in a familiar, safe place, but we sleep lightly, if at all, when we fear that bears will nose into the tent.
The evolutionary theory explain the differences in sleep among creatures. Why do cats, for instance, sleep so much, while horses sleep so little? Surely cats do not need five times as much repair and restoration as horses do. But cats can afford to have long periods of inactivity because they spend little time eating and are unlikely to be attacked while they sleep. Horses must spend almost all their waking hours eating, because what they eat is very low in energy value. Moreover, they cannot afford to sleep too long or too deeply, because their survival depends on their ability to run away from attackers.
小題1:The author uses the example of the robot in space exploration to tell us _______.
A.the differences between robots and men
B.the reason why men need to sleep
C.a(chǎn)bout the need for robots to save power
D.a(chǎn)bout the danger of men working at night
小題2:Evolution has programmed man to sleep at night chiefly to help him ______.
A.keep up a regular pattern of life
B.prevent trouble that comes looking for him
C.a(chǎn)void danger and inefficient labor
D.restore his bodily functions
小題3:Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?
A.Evolution has equipped all creatures with a regular pattern of sleeping and waking.
B.The study of sleep is an important art of the evolutionary theory.
C.Sleeping patterns must be taken into consideration in the designing of robots.
D.The sleeping pattern of a living creature is determined by the food it eats.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
-- Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads, the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
"Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts," said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage.
Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!
小題1:The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that_________.
A.wild animals have become more dangerous
B.the driving conditions have improved greatly
C.the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work
D.a(chǎn)n increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents
小題2:From the news story, we know an ecopassage is_________.
A.a(chǎn)n underground path for cars B.a(chǎn) fence built for the safety of the area
C.a(chǎn) bridge for animals to get over a riverD.a(chǎn) pass for animals to cross the road
小題3:When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”, he means_________.
A.a(chǎn)nimals begin to realize the dangers on the road
B.a(chǎn)nimals begin to learn to use ecopassages
C.a(chǎn)nimals are crossing the road in groups
D.a(chǎn)nimals are increasing in number
小題4:The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because_________.
A.wild animals may attack carsB.wild animals may jam the road
C.they may see wild animals in the parkD.they may see wild animals on ecopassages

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