.

California is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by land area, after Alaska and Texas. California is located on the West Coast of the United States, bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the northeast, Arizona to the southeast, the Mexican state of Baja California to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Its four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. The state is home to the nation’s second and sixth largest census statistical areas as well as eight of the nation’s fifty most populous cities. California has a varied climate and geography, and a diverse population.

California’s geography ranges from the Pacific coast to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east, to Mojave desert areas in the southeast and the Redwood — Douglas fir forests of the northwest. The center of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. California is the most geographically diverse state in the nation, and contains the highest (Mount Whitney) and lowest (Death Valley) points in the contiguous United States. Almost 40% of California is forested, a high amount for a relatively arid state.

Beginning in the late 18th century, the area known as Alta California was colonized by the Spanish Empire. In 1821, Mexico, including Alta California, became the First Mexican Empire, beginning as a monarchy, before shifting to a republic. In 1846 a group of American settlers in Sonoma declared the independence of a California Republic. As a result of the Mexican-American War, Mexico ceded California to the United States. It became the 31st state admitted to the union on September 9, 1850.

In the 19th century, the California Gold Rush brought about dramatic social, economic, and demographic change in California, with a large influx of people and an economic boom that caused San Francisco to grow from a hamlet of tents to a world-renowned boomtown. Key developments in the early 20th century included the emergence of Los Angeles as center of the American entertainment industry, and the growth of a large, state-wide tourism sector. In addition to California’s prosperous agricultural industry, other important contributors to the economy include aerospace, petroleum, and information technology. If California were a country, it would rank among the ten largest economies in the world, with a GDP similar to that of Italy. It would be the 35th most populous country.

46. Which of the following is TRUE about California?

A. The population in California is larger than that in any other state in the US.

B. A state of Mexico lies to the southeast of California.

C. Eight biggest cities in California are among the most developed ones in North America.

D. Few races of people live in California except the white and black people.

47. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A. California’s culture                                   B. California’s history

C. California’s location                                  D. California’s geography

48. How did the United States admit California as its 31st state?

A. By occupying the land.                       B. By colonizing the land.

C. By winning a war against Mexico.              D. By offering aids to Mexico.

49. Why did San Francisco grow from a hamlet of tents to a world-famous boomtown?

A. Because it became the center of the American entertainment industry.

B. Because it had the best growth of a large, state-wide tourism.

C. Because a large number of people rushed there in search of gold.

D. Because it developed many such important contributors to economy as IT.

50. What if California were a country?

A. It would be richer than Italy, a European country.

B. It would be one of the ten richest countries.

C. Its population would be larger than that of 34 countries.

D. It would have a better economy than it has now.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2012-2013學(xué)年安徽泗縣二中高二下學(xué)期期末考試英語(yǔ)卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解



London, Dec.17 (Xinhua) “Drivers on London Underground trains have started reading out sayings from great thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi , Frindrich Engels, and Albert Einstein in a bid to cheer up passengers ,” officials said. As well as the usual announcements urging passengers to “mind the steps” and warning of delays, the sayings such as “ an ounce ( 盎司) of action is worth a ton of theory” have taken the place of commercial ad in the underground carriages .

New York, Oct.8 (Xinhua) Once as a famous actor, now the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to abandon textbooks in favor of digital ones. He plans to launch this program in August next year when California’s high-school pupils will have access to online math and science text. But some teachers wonder whether his idea of getting rid of textbooks might end up costing more not less, with digital textbook going for $300.

Amsterdam, Nov.30 (Xinhua) A few cups of coffee a day may not only help to put off the disease—dementia(癡呆) but also can treat it, according to Dr. Arendash, who led the research. After giving mice with memory damage water containing caffeine, he found the mice developed better memories and quick thinking. The reason is that caffeine is a safe drug for most people. It easily enters the brain and directly affects the disease process. He suggested people should drink five eight–ounce cups of ordinary coffee, two cups of strong ‘coffee shop’ coffee, 14 cups of tea, or 20 cola drinks to get the same amount of 500 milligrams of caffeine.
【小題1】What’s the purpose of putting up sayings on the underground carriages in London?

A．to help passengers to kill time.
B．to encourage passengers to learn.
C．to lift the spirits of passengers.
D．to make money as a commercial ad.
【小題2】What can we conclude from the second news?
A．digital textbooks will replace traditional textbooks.
B．online math is already available to high-school pupils .
C．digital textbooks are convenient to carry anywhere.
D．Not all the teachers support their governor’s idea.
【小題3】Which of the following statements is true from the third news?
A．The more coffee you drink, the less chance there will be for dementia.
B．Caffeine can make mice become more and more intelligent and energetic.
C．Caffeine can affect the process of the disease—dementia and treat it.
D．Caffeine is a safe drug for all the people for everyday use so enjoy it.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2013-2014學(xué)年山東省臨沂市高三3月教學(xué)質(zhì)量檢測(cè)英語(yǔ)試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

 

People in several American states may be surprised to see cars on city streets without a driver. Experimental driverless vehicles now are legal in Florida, Nevada and California. They are pointing the way to a future that is not far down the road. The high-tech company Google has a number of self-driving cars, which had covered 480,000 kilometers by August. Volvo is among the companies doing road tests and says it plans to sell driverless cars by 2020.

   In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an act to allow autonomous vehicles on the roads of his state. " Today we're looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality-the driverless car. " The technology for these cars includes cameras, radar and motion sensors. The systems have been improved through competitions sponsored by the U. S. government agency DARPA. Engineer Richard Mason of the Rand Corporation helped design driverless vehicles for DARPA challenge races.

   Cars have become much more fuel-efficient, and new electronic features are' making Hondas safer, said Angie Nucci of Honda America. " A camera on the passenger-side mirror actually engaged on your guiding screen so you can safely change lanes. " Other safety features include warning systems on the front and the sides of the cars. These systems help drivers , but don't replace them. Curator Leslie Kendall of the Petersen Automotive Museum said autonomous cars will make the high ways safer．

   "By taking out drivers, you also remove most risks of an accident," Kendall said. He said consumers, however, may be unwilling to lose control. "It may take them time to come to realize that the technology is indeed reliable, but it will have to prove itself first. "

   Mason said the technology already works and the biggest challenge now is getting down the cost for driverless vehicles from hundreds of thousands of dollars to something more affordable. He said this will happen as the technology is improved.

1.What can we learn from Paragraph l?

A. Driverless vehicles are now legal in the whole USA.

B. Volvo will be the first to sell driverless cars.

C. Driverless cars are pointing us' a faraway future.

D. Google's self-driving cars have covered a long distance.

2.We learn that Governor of California Jerry Brown_________.

A. helped design self-driving cars.

B. supports self-driving cars on roads.

C. considers self-driving cars science fiction.

D. improved the self-driving car systems.

3.What is the role of the systems mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A. They can help people drive more safely.

B. They can take the place of drivers now.

C. They can make cars run without fuel.

D. They can help cars run much faster.

4.According to Richard Mason, what is the biggest challenge for driverless cars?

A. They are not allowed to run on the road.

B. Their technical problems remain to be solved.

C. They are now too expensive for consumers.

D. They are more dangerous for people on the street.

5.What's the best title of the passage?

A. The benefits of the self-driving cars.

B. The biggest challenge of the self-driving cars.

C. Safer or more dangerous-self-driving cars.

D. Self-driving cars-science fiction future is near.

 

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2013-2014學(xué)年安徽省六校教育研究會(huì)高三2月聯(lián)考英語(yǔ)試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

All across California, honeybees are flying away from their hives(蜂箱) and dying. Empty hives are causing a lot of worry about some important food crops.

Bees give us a lot more than delicious honey. They are pollinators（授粉者）—they enable plants to produce the fruits and nuts we enjoy by carrying pollen from one plant or flower to the next. The wind pollinates oats, corn, and wheat, but many other plants (like apple and cherry trees and melon vines) depend on insects, bats, and birds. In the U.S., millions and millions of bees kept by human beekeepers fly around doing a lot of this important work for food crops. “Bees are worth protecting because their work adds so much to our diet,” says Dr. Jeff Pettis of the Bee Research Laboratory.

California’s almond (杏仁) crop alone depends on about half the bees in the country. But now the almond crop and many others could be in trouble with so many bees dying.

Researchers at government and university labs all over the country are trying to figure out why so many bees are dying. However, bees are hard to study. Most die away from the hive, so researchers don’t have dead bodies to examine. And when researchers return to a hive after two weeks, about half the bees they studied on their first visit will be dead, replaced by new ones in the natural life cycle of bees. “It isn’t like studying a large animal like a cow that doesn’t move around much and is easy to find out in the cow field,” says Pettis.

Researchers have some ideas about what could be affecting bee health. They could be sick from poisons widely used to kill insects, or they might not be getting enough good food to stay strong. Also, tiny insects called mites feed on bees. “A virus or bacteria could also be doing the killing.” explains Pettis.

1.What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A. The wind helps pollinate.

B. Bees are important in food crops.

C. Bees give us a lot of delicious honey.

D. Cherry trees are pollinated by bees.

2.Bees are hard to study because ____________.

A. they move around too much

B. new bees soon replace all the bees studied by researchers

C. they are too tiny

D. they never return to hives

3.What could cause so many bees to die?

A. Poisons to kill birds.                                                               B. Eating too much.

C. Large insects.                                                                          D. Some virus.

4.What can we learn from the article?

A. A large number of bees have died in the hive.

B. Without bees, some foods would disappear from our diet.

C. Only researchers in California want to know what kills bees.

D. Large animals are easier to study than tiny insects.

 

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2014屆河北唐山高三年級(jí)摸底考試英語(yǔ)卷（解析版） 題型：信息匹配

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)，選項(xiàng)中有兩項(xiàng)為多 余選項(xiàng)。（如果所用的答題卡沒有E、F、G選項(xiàng)，則選E涂A、B，選F涂A、C，選G 涂A、D。）

Ryan Howes, a clinical psychologist from California, says "Forgiveness is a sensitive act that can feel like it opens us up to more pain． But we need to have a way to process and let go of the effects of injury, or we risk serious physical and emotional consequences．"

People who forgive tend to have better relationships, feel happier and more optimistic, and overall, enjoy better psychological well-being．   1.   It's a difficult process．

There's no single guidebook for forgiveness, though several experts sell their own methods．

Howes suggests focusing on four elements:

Express the emotion． Let yourself feel hurt and angry． Express it to the person who made you feel that way．   2.   Write a letter; you don't need to send it． Shout your emotions at the top of your lungs while you're in the car, alone, with the windows down．

__3.  We want explanations ?even if we don't agree with them． "Was it a misunderstanding? Were you mad at me? Some sort of cognitive framework （認(rèn)知框架） is necessary, even if you don't like the reason．"

Rebuild safety．4.   That might mean an apology, reassurance from the person in question, distance or stronger boundaries．

Let go． Perhaps it's the hardest part: making a conscious decision not to hold a grudge （怨恨）．

If you're in a relationship, this means not bringing up past wrongs． By letting go, you give up

your role as the victim and become equals again．   5.

A．Otherwise, talk to a friend or even an empty chair

B．Control your feelings

C．Understand why

D．Before you forgive, you need to feel reasonably sure that the act won't reoccur

E．Still, no one ever said forgiveness was easy

F．It's a promise to yourself to stop feeling hurt and to fully move on

G．You may feel helpless, or like life is meaningless

 

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2015屆遼寧省東北育才雙語(yǔ)學(xué)校高一下學(xué)期期中考試英語(yǔ)試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Marriages improve after children grow up and move out，according to an academic study, which suggests an “empty nest” is not always a bad thing.

Popular wisdom has it that parents’ relationships may suffer once their young fly the coop, because they feel they have lost their purpose in life.However, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that many couples actually feel happier when their children leave home because they are able to enjoy spending time together.

In total,123 American mothers born in the 1930s were tracked for 18 years and asked to rate their satisfaction levels shortly after marrying, when they were bringing up babies, once their children reached their teenage years and finally at age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”．

Although not all said they were happier in general, most claimed their marriages had improved since their children had left home. Researchers believe this is not just because the spouses were spending more time together, but because they were able to enjoy each other’s company more.

One of the participants in the study，which is published in the journal Psychological Science，said：“Once the kids grow up...there’s some of that stress removed...that responsibility removed，so things are a little more relaxed.”

Psychologist Sara Gorchoff，who carried out the investigation，said: “The take­home message for couples with young children is ‘hang in there’．” Her co­author Oliver John added：“Don’t wait until your kids leave home to schedule quality time with your partner.”

However, Dr Dorothy Rowe，from the British Psychological Society，said the effects of living in an “empty nest” will depend on the parents’ relationship with their children.“If you’re just waiting for them to leave home so you can get on with your life，then of course you’ll be pleased to see them go,” she said, “But if you’ve built your life around your children you’ll be terribly lonely.For some parents，their world falls apart when their children leave.”

1.It is commonly believed that___________.

A．marriages improve after children leave home

B．a(chǎn)n “empty nest” is always a happy thing

C．parents’ relationships may suffer once their young grow up and move out

D．parents will be pleased after their children leave home

2.When did many couples feel happier according to the study?

A．At age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”.

B．Shortly after marrying.

C．Once their children reached their teenage years.

D．When they were bringing up babies.

3.Marriages improve after children fly the coop not because___________.

A．many couples are able to spend time together

B．many couples are able to enjoy each other’s company

C．things are a little more relaxed

D．many couples needn’t work at all

4.The author of the passage tends to agree that____________.

A．parents should build their life around their kids

B．parents should schedule quality time with each other before kids leave home

C．parents’ relationship with their kids has no effect on marriages at all

D．parents should be pleased to see their kids leave home

 

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