Parents are often amazed at how fast their child grows and develops. New research has determined that the ability to quantify may develop much sooner than most parents realize.
Kristy vanMarle, professor of the University of Missouri, has determined that contrary to what previous studies have shown, infants（嬰兒）are able to quantify substances（物質(zhì)）—like sand or water—as early as 10 months. As long as the difference between the two substances is large enough, infants will choose the larger amount, especially when it comes to food.
With the assistance of her team researchers, vanMarle tested the quantifying skills of babies by presenting them with two cups: one containing a small amount of food, and one containing a larger amount. Consistently, the babies chose the larger amount.
“Several studies throughout the last 15 years have shown that infants are very good at telling how many objects they see; however, infants don’t seem to count things like water or sand,” vanMarle said. “What we’re saying is that they can quantify substances; it’s just much harder. The infants can see how much food goes into each cup and compare that in their memories. They decide which amount is larger, and they almost always select the larger one.”
This information further refutes（駁斥）the long-held idea that babies “know nothing of the world,” vanMarle said.
“Since psychologists have begun studying infants with sensitive measures, we’ve discovered a lot of early abilities. I think for parents, it should be exciting to know that there’s somebody in there that has some fundamental and basic knowledge of the world, and that knowledge is guiding their development,” vanMarle said.
In the future, vanMarle says this kind of study could be linked to a child’s progress in math-related skills, although programs marketed to increase those abilities, such as “Baby Einstein,” still have mixed reviews when it comes to academic study.
小題1:The quantifying ability refers to the ability to     .
A．choose between different substances
B．get much knowledge of the world
C．describe the quantity of something
D．obtain math-related skills
小題2: What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 4?
A．The process of doing research.
B．The scientific findings.
C．The final choice of infants.]
D．The observation of infants’ behavior.
小題3:Babies choose the larger amount of food     .
A．by saying numbersB．with the help of parents
C．on personal preferenceD．through their natural abilities
小題4:We can learn from the text that     .
A．some parents don’t care about their kids
B．people used to think the world is known to babies
C．little research has been done on infants
D．scholars disagree on baby-training programs
小題5: What’s the best title of the text?
A．Breakthrough in Baby Studies
B．Amazing Baby-training Ideas
C．Early Human Abilities
D．Unique Quantifying Methods
小題1:C小題1:B小題1:D小題1:D小題1:A    
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Did you know that there are gifts that will multiply your happiness when you give them away? Here are five of those gifts． Giving these gifts will allow you to share with others your most unique treasure: your real self． Each gift will return to you many times．
1． Share appreciation
Tell someone how much you appreciate the faith they've shown in you． Thank them sincerely for being part of your life． Tell them how much they are needed．
Feeling appreciated is one of the most important needs that people have． When you share with someone your appreciation and gratitude, they will not forget you． Appreciation will return to you many times．
2． Share time
Balance your time expenditures （耗費）so you can spend time with the people that you love． Support local organizations by sharing your special talents． Volunteer time for projects that benefit others in your community, country, and world．
When we slow down and observe our thoughts closely, we will sometimes uncover gifts and talents we didn't know we had． Sharing time and talents can result in discoveries that bring happiness beyond measure．
3． Share knowledge and ideas
Tell someone about a great book that you read so they can benefit from it too． Teach a new concept or idea that you've learned．
One of the best ways to strengthen new concepts in your mind is to share them with others． The more often you share what you've learned, the stronger that information will become in your memory． Sharing knowledge also provides solutions to problems． The more knowledge we share, the more knowledge we receive in return．
4． Share friendship
Acknowledge someone's strengths． Let them know that you are willing to be there when they need you． Visit someone you haven't seen for a long time． Telephone friends or relatives who live far away． Introduce two friends who don't know each other．
Bringing one individual into another's life can result in tremendous changes for both people, and for you． We succeed with the help of others． People grow by growing together． If you'd like to have many friends, then share friendship with others generously．
5． Share kindness
Perform a random act of kindness for someone: a smile, compliment, or a favor just for fun． These will multiply and spread very rapidly．
There is a powerful quote by Stephen Jay Gould who said, “The center of human nature is rooted in ten thousand ordinary acts of kindness that define our days．” Kindness is priceless． The love, kindnesses, and value we have given authentically to others will be our remaining treasures at the end of life．
Think about this statement by Norman MacEwan: “Happiness is not so much in having as sharing． We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give．”
小題1: What is the best title of this passage？
A．We want to share．B．Give your presents away．
C．We make a life by giving．D．Don’t be mean to give．
小題2: What can we learn from Stephen Jay Gould’s words？
A．We all come from a world which is in a harmonious atmosphere．
B．Everybody’s deep heart is filled with kindness at first, which decides our present life．
C．Kindness is the most important thing in our daily life．
D．We need kindness all the time．
小題3: For those who are living a life on the go, what suggestion will the writer probably give to them?
A．Tell the people around you how much you love them．
B．No one is an isolated island． We succeed with the help of others
C．The more knowledge we share, the more knowledge we receive in return．
D．Slow down and enjoy the life, which may bring you a brand new world with happiness．
小題4:Where can you probably find this passage?
A．MagazinesB．Newspapers C．Guide books D．Scientific reports

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It tastes just like chicken
Away from home, eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full．It is a language all its own, and no words can say, "Glad to meet you ．．．glad to be doing business with you ．．．" quite like sharing a meal offered by your host．
Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say, "Thanks, but no thanks．" Acceptance of the food on your plate means acceptance of host, country, and company．So, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, swallow．Or, as one experienced traveler says, "Travel with a cast-iron stomach and eat everything everywhere．"
Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country’s eating culture．What would Ataiericans think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie or sirloin? Our discomfort comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our umamiliarity with it．After all, an oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep’s eye; and a first look at a lobster would remind almost anybody of a creature from a science fiction movie, not something you dip in butter and eat．By the way, in Saudi Arabia sheep’s eyes are a famous dish and in parts of China it’s bear’s paw soup．
Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites．It helps, though, to slice any item very thin．This way, you minimize the taste and the reminder of where it came from．Or, " Swallow it quickly, " as one traveler recommends．"I still can’t tell you what sheep’s eyeballs taste like．" As for dealing with taste, the old line that "it tastes just like chicken" is often thankfully true．Even when the "it" is really rat or snake．
Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating．What’s for dinner? Don’t ask． Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus．Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is chicken in that soup．
小題1:The purpose of the article is to ____．
A．introduce unfamiliar food
B．share the writer’s personal experiences
C．suggest ways to overcome a cultural barrier
D．a(chǎn)dvise on how to politely refuse to eat foreign food
小題2:According to the writer, people hesitate at strange food mainly due to ____．
A．the way it looksB．safety worries
C．lack of information about itD．the unfamiliar atmosphere
小題3:From the article we can infer that ____．
A．a(chǎn)n American may feel comfortable with sirloin
B．one should refuse strange food after a few bites
C．English-language menus are not always dependable
D．one needs a cast-iron stomach to travel in other cultures
小題4:One may say "It tastes just like chicken．" when ____．
A．showing respect for chicken-loving nations
B．greeting people with different dieting habits
C．evaluating chefs at an international food festival
D．getting someone to try a visually unpleasant meal

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Vans, Keds, Dollies—they sound like the names of rock bands, but if you have teenagers, you'll know they're actually the latest in teenage footwear.
But experts are now warning that the current shoe fashions will be causing teenagers discomfort in the short term and storing up years of foot, knee and back pain in the future.
Here, the experts identify the problems caused by teenagers' shoe choice.
KEDS/VANS
Slip-on shoes with elastic (彈性的）sides are particularly popular among teenage boys - with Keds and Vans the most sought-after brands.
The main problem is that they are just too flat—so flat that the heel, which strikes the ground first, also becomes damaged and painful.
BALLET PUMPS
The worst shoes of all are such light and thin dolly shoes. The problem is partly their flatness, as with Keds and Vans. However ballet pumps, which have no string or heel, have other specific problems.
“As the shoe has no fastening device, it relies on the toes to keep the shoe on, causing an awkward gait（步法）, this leads to short- and long-term problems such as calluses（繭子）, heel and knee pain.”
WEDGES AND STILETTOS
These shoes can also cause problems with gait. They may look good, but the heels on these are so high they can force the wearer's body weight forward, making them very unstable.
Teens who wear these shoes regularly are also in danger of joining those millions of women with constant back pain.
SCHOOL SHOES
So what do podiatrists（足科醫(yī)生）have on their wish list, especially for everyday wear?
Something in a natural, breathable fabric, with a string to hold it on, with a small heel and a deep toe-box that does not press the toes, such as Clark's, Marks & Spencer or Rhino.
If your teen insists on wearing 'bad' shoes, get them some simple foot orthotics(矯形器) in the shoes. These support and correct the movement of the foot and, properly fitted by a podiatrist, can often transform their walk and halt the damage.
小題1: Of all the shoes mentioned in the passage, which can cause the worst problems?
A．Marks & Spencer.B．Wedges & Stilettos.
C．Keds and Vans.D．Ballet Pumps.
小題2: Which pair of shoes may not be found on the podiatrists’ wish list?

小題3: The underlined word “halt” in the last paragraph probably means _______.
A．increaseB．worsenC．stopD．cure
小題4: From this passage we can infer _______.
A．trendy shoes may ruin teenagers’ health
B．fashionable shoes all have orthotics in them
C．experts are strongly against wearing popular shoes
D．podiatrists are expert at producing branded shoes
小題5: In which column of Mail Online can you find this passage?
A．Sports.B．Science.C．Health.D．Shopping.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Detectives often look for footprints when they try to solve crimes. Scientists use footprints, too—dinosaur footprints when they try to figure out how dinosaurs lived and moved.
Dinosaurs died out about 65 million years ago. Today scientists work to solve the mysteries of these ancient animals.
Footprints, or tracks(腳印), are an important way to learn about dinosaurs. Christian Meyer of the Natural History Museum in Basel, Switzerland, calls dinosaur tracks “the closest thing to a movie” of dinosaurs.
“They tell us something about the size of the animal, the way they were walking…they tell us something about their speed,” Meyer said.
Tracks also show that dinosaurs sometimes traveled in groups. Traveling in groups probably helped dinosaurs protect themselves from enemies. Plus, some meat-eating dinosaurs may have hunted in groups, much like wolves do today. Being in a group could help dinosaurs work together to kill large animals.
Dinosaur footprints can be as small as a few inches across, but they can also be as big as a few feet across. Dinosaur footprints have been found throughout the world at over 1,500 sites, including a T. Rex footprint in New Mexico. “Trackways” are groups of footprints.
And scientists aren’t the only ones finding dinosaur tracks—kids can, too! Eleven-year-old Mark Turner and nine-year-old Daniel Helm discovered dinosaur tracks in British Columbia, anada. Soon scientists began studying the tracks.
Scientists and other people interested in studying dinosaurs are working to save the trackways from activities like construction and mining.
小題1:The passage mainly tells us that_______.
A. there were really dinosaurs on the earth millions of years ago
B. dinosaurs were the most frightening animals in the past
C. dinosaur footprints are important in learning about dinosaurs
C. why dinosaurs died out millions of years ago
小題2:By studying footprints scientists can know the following EXCEPT _______.
A．how big the dinosaur wasB．what color the dinosaur was
C．how fast the dinosaur could runD．how the dinosaur walked
小題3: By working in groups, some meat-eating dinosaurs_______.
A．made the hunting of large animals easily
B．could travel a long way without being lost
C．could protect themselves from being hunted by wolves
D．could get to a place faster
小題4: From the last paragraph we can infer that some human activities like mining_______.
A．a(chǎn)re helpful to the study of dinosaurs
B．can help scientists solve many mysteries
C．can lead to the discovery of the footprints
D．can destroy the footprints of the dinosaur

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. It is responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide (about 5 million deaths each year). If current smoking patterns continue, it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020. Half the people that smoke today, that is about 650 million people, will eventually be killed by tobacco.
Tobacco is the fourth most common risk factor for disease worldwide. The economic costs of tobacco use are equally devastating (破壞性的). In addition to the high public health costs of treating tobacco-caused diseases, tobacco kills people at the height of their productivity, depriving (剝奪) families of breadwinners(養(yǎng)家糊口的人) and nations of a healthy workforce. Tobacco users are also less productive while they are alive due to increased sickness. A 1994 report estimated that the use of tobacco resulted in an annual global net loss of 200 thousand million US dollars, a third of this loss being in developing countries.
Tobacco and poverty are closely linked. Many studies have shown that in the poorest households in some low-income countries as much as 10% of total household expenditure is on tobacco. This means that these families have less money to spend on basic items such as food, education and health care. It contributes to a higher illiteracy rate, since money that could have been used for education is spent on tobacco instead.
小題1:
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the first paragraph?
A．Smoking causes 10 percent of the deaths worldwide.
B．About 10 million people will die from smoking each year by 2020.
C．Half the people in the world will be killed by smoking.
D．Roughly there are 1,300 million smokers nowadays.
小題2:
According to the passage, tobacco affects a family in the following aspects EXCEPT _______.
A．relationshipB．education
C．healthD．economy
小題3:
The text uses a lot of figures to _____.
A．show we shouldn’t smoke too much
B．tell people exactly the number
C．warn people of the harm of smoking
D．indicate the writer had a careful investigation
小題4:
The underlined word “illiteracy” in the last paragraph means ____.
A．great intelligenceB．good education
C．bad behaviorsD．inability to read or write
小題5:
What is the best title of the passage?
A．Tobacco Should Be Banned.
B．Why Is Tobacco a Major Threat to Public Health.
C．Tobacco and Poverty Go Hand in Hand.
D．Tobacco May Cause Death.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


You wake up in the morning, the day is beautiful and the plans for the day are what you have been looking forward to for a long time. Then the telephone rings, you say hello, and the drama starts. The person on tbe other end has a depressing tone in his voice as he starts to tell you how terrible his morning is and that there is nothing to look forward to. Are you still in a wonderful mood? Impossible!
Communieating with negative people can wash out your happiness. It may not change what you think, but communicating long enough with them will make you feel depressed for a moment or a long time.
Life brings ups and downs, but some people are stuck in the wrong idea that life has no happiness to offer. They only feel glad when they make others feel bad. No wonder they can hardly win others' pity or respect.
When you communicate with positive people, your spirit stays happy and therefore more positive things are attracted. When the knife of a negative person is put in you, you have the heavy feeling that, all in all, brings you down.
Sometimes we have no choice but to communicate with negative people. This could be a co-worker, or a relative. In this case, say what needs to be said as little as possible. Sometimes it feels good to let out your anger back to the negative person, but this is to lower you to that same negative level and they won't feel ashamed of themselves about that.
Negativity often affects happiness without even being realized. The negative words of others at the start of the day can be attached to you throughout the rest of your day, which makes you feel bad and steals your happiness. Life is too short to feel negative. Stay positive and avoid negativity as much as possible.
小題1:Which of the following shows the position where the miners were trapped? (E: entrance P: position where the miners were trapped)

小題2:The purpose of Paragraph 1 is to  .
A．make a comparisonB．introduce a topic
C．offer an instructive storyD．tell a true story
小題3:How can negative people have effect on us?
A．By influencing our emotion.
B．By telling us the nature of life.
C．By changing our way of thinking
D．By comparing their attitude to life with ours.
小題4:Some negative people base their happiness on   —.
A．their pity for other peopleB．their respect for others
C．building up a positive attitudeD．making other people unhappy
小題5:According to the passage, to reduce negative people's influence on us, we are advised.
A．to change negative people's attitude to life
B．to show our dissatisfaction to negative people
C．to make negative people feel as hamed of themselves
D．to communicate with negative people as little as possible

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator (美洲鱷) was swimming toward the shore.
His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.
Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U – turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug – of – war (拔河) between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, took aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father’s fingernails dug into his fresh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.
The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy asked if he would show his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my dad wouldn’t let go.”
You and I can identify with that boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because someone has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, someone has been there holding on to you.
If you have the scars of someone’s love on your arms, be very, very grateful. Someone in your life did not and will not ever let you go.
Never judge another person’s scars, because you don’t know how they got them.
小題1: Which of the following is the most closely related to the underlined word “passionate”?
A．determinedB．a(chǎn)nxiousC．frightenedD．courageous
小題2:When the boy told the newspaper reporter about the scars on his arms, he felt     .
A．painful and fearfulB．regretful and panic
C．proud and gratefulD．excited and thankful
小題3:In the story the writer intends to tell us that     .
A．scars always remind people of their past experiences
B．wounds in the mind are more painful than those in the body
C．a(chǎn) painful past always leaves scars on a person’s mind
D．scars do not necessarily mean pain at all times
小題4:Which of the following viewpoints will the writer most probably agree with?
A．Be grateful to a painful past, for you can always learn something from it.
B．Other people’s criticism or blame may hurt you, but if it is for your own good, you should take it thankfully.
C．The swimming hole of life is filled with danger, but you don’t need to be too serious about it as someone will never let you go.
D．If someone hurts you, be grateful to them, for they mean no harm

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Have you ever thought about what determines the way we are when we grow up? Remember the TV program Seven Up? It started following the lives of a group of children in 1973. We first meet them as wide-eyed seven-year-olds and catch up with them at seven-year intervals: nervous 14-year-olds, serious 21-year-olds and then grown-ups.
Some of the stories are inspiring, others sad, but what is interesting in almost all the cases is the way in which the children’s early hopes and dreams are shown in their future lives. For example, at seven, Tony is a lively child who says he wants to become a sportsman or a taxi driver. When he grows up, he goes on to do both. How about Niki? She says, “I would like to find out about the moon.” And she goes on to become a space scientist. As a child, soft-spoken Bruce says he wants to help “poor children” and ends up teaching in India.
But if the lives of all the children had followed this pattern, the program would be far less interesting than it actually was. It was the children whose childhood did not prepare them for what was to come that made the program so interesting. Where did their ideas come from about what they wanted to do when they grew up? Are children influenced by what their parents do, by what they see on television or by what their teachers say? How great is the effect of a single important event? Many film directors, including Steven Spielberg, say that an early visit to the cinema was the turning point in their lives. Dr. Margaret McAllister, who has done a lot of research in this area, thinks that the major factors are parents, friends and their wider society.
小題1:What does the text mainly discuss?
A．New ways to make a TV program interesting.
B．The importance of TV programs to children.
C．Different ways to make childhood dreams come true.
D．The influence of childhood experience on future lives.
小題2: What does the underlined word “influenced” mean in the last paragraph?
A．Impressed.B．Improved.C．Affected.D．Attracted.
小題3: What are the examples in Paragraph 2 meant to show?
A．Many people’s childhood hopes are related to their future jobs.
B．There are many poor children in India who need help.
C．Children have different dreams about their future.
D．A lot of people are very sad in their childhood.
小題4:Spielberg’s story is meant to show that _______.
A．going to a movie at an early age helps a child learn about society
B．a(chǎn) single childhood event may decide what one does as a grown-up
C．parents and friends can help a child grow up properly
D．films have more influence on a child than teachers do

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