Ants have a reputation for strength,organization and teamwork.But researchers have now discovered that a key secret to the success of ants is their ability to identify the importance of age in the work place.
A study of Gentral American leaf-cutter ants has shown that the younger and stronger members are give the toughest job of cutting therough the leaves they harvest.Their sharp youn teeth do this job effectively,but as they get older their teeth become relatively worn and blunt.
But rather than being retired or abandoned by the group,the ageing ants are given a new role more suyted to their physical abilities.They become carriers and teansport the leaves back to the kingdom where they are harvested for food.
The findings by researchers from the University of Oregon and the Oregong State University support previous research showin the survival of a leaf-cutter kingdom depends on the efficiency(效率）of is workers.
“Cuting leaves is hard work,”said Dr.Robert Schofield,who led the research team.“Much of the cutting is done with a V-shaped blade(刀片）between teeth on their jaws.This blade starts out as sharp as the sharpest razor blade that humans have developed.”But over rime the teeth become blunter and the cutting job slows down.The team estimated that,because of this age-related wear,a colony(蟻群)spent twice the energy cutting leaves than it would if all the ants had sharp blades.Its findings support the idea that wear and break can be significant problems for insects as well as largre animals.
Like humans,leaf-cuttre ant recognize that older members of the group can still make a worhwhile contribution to society.“This study shows an advantage of social living that we are familiar with,”said Dr.Schofield.
小題1:The younger and stronger ants do the toughest job because      .
A．they can teansport the leaves effectively
B．they have a sharp blade to cut leaves
C．other members are busy with other work
D．they can finish the job in a better organized way
小題2:The undrelined word“blunt”in the second paragraph can be replaced by      .
A．quite looseB．less sharp
C．quite fragileD．more dirty
小題3:What happens to the ants when they become old?
A．They no longer hve work to do.
B．They keep doing the same work.
C．They have to leave and live on themselves.
D．They are given a new worthwhile job.
小題4:It can be learned from the passage that       .
A．Dr.Schofield is the first to research leaf-cuttre ants
B．older ants are more powerful in carrying leaves
C．large animals can also suffer from some kind of wear
D．leaf-cutter ants are the most lever ants in the world
小題5:What can be the best title for the passage?
A．The key secret to the success of ants
B．The developed structure of ant colony
C．The most challenging job for leaf-cutter ants
D．No V-shaped blade,no success of ants

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

Any observant person has noticed that a wild animal will allow a man or other potential enemy to approach only up to a given distance before it flees. “Flight distance” is the term used for this interspecies spacing. As a general rule, there is a positive relationship between the size of an animal and its flight distance—the larger the animal, the greater the distance it must keep between itself and the enemy. An antelope will flee when the enemy is as much as five hundred yards away. The wall lizard’s(壁虎) flight distance, on the other hand, is about six feet. Flight is the basic means of survival for mobile creatures.
　 Critical distance apparently is present wherever and whenever there is a flight reaction. “Critical distance” includes the narrow zone separating flight distance from attack distance. A lion in a zoo will flee from an approaching man until it meets a barrier that it cannot overcome. If the man continues the approach, he soon penetrates(進入) the lion’s critical distance, at which point the cornered lion turns back and begins slowly to stalk (逼近) the man.
　 Social animals need to stay in touch with each other. Loss of contact with the group can be fatal(致命的) for a variety of reasons including exposure to enemies. Social distance is not simply the distance at which an animal will lose contact with his group—that is, the distance at which it can no longer see, hear, or smell the group—it is rather a psychological distance, one at which the animal apparently begins to feel anxious when it goes beyond its limits.
Social distance is not always rigidly(刻板的) fixed but is determined in part by the situation. When the young of apes and humans are mobile but not yet under control of the mother’s voice, social distance may be the length of her reach. When added control is needed because of danger, social distance shortens. To show this in man, one has only to watch a family with a number of small children holding hands as they cross a busy street.
小題1:.
Which of the following is the correct explanation of “Flight Distance” in paragraph 1?
A．Distance between animals of the same species before fleeing.
B．Distance between large and small animals before fleeing.
C．Distance between an animal and its enemy before fleeing.
D．Distance between certain animal species before fleeing.
小題2:.
If a lion’s critical distance is penetrated, it will __________.
A．begin to attack.
B．try to hide.
C．begin to jump.
D．run away.
小題3:.
. The example of “children holding hands when crossing the street” in the last paragraph shows that ________.
A．social distance is not always needed.
B．there is no social distance among small children.
C．humans are different from animals in social distance.
D．social distance is sometimes determined by outside factors.
小題4:.
. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A．Critical Distance
B．Social Distance
C．Relationship Between Animals
D．Spacing in Animals

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

  Drawings of human colonies on other planets often picture the entire community under a glass or plastic bubble. The bubble is intended to create an atmosphere with adequate oxygen and other essential elements. But similar bubble-like structures have also been constructed on earth. One of the most famous, and controversial, is a site in the Arizona desert.
Biosphere 2, as it is called, was built not far from Tucson in 1984 and is now run by Columbia University. This huge（7,200,000-cubic-foot）glass and steel construction contains several separate ecosystems, including a desert, a rain forest, and a 900,000-gallon “ocean.” The climatic conditions-humidity, temperature, air quality-are regulated by sensors and can be adjusted as needed or desired. For example, a rainstorm can be created to increase the humidity. The adjustable features of Biosphere 2 make it an ideal location to perform experiments to help determine the effects of such climatic changes as global warming.
The current conditions at Biosphere 2 are vastly different from those in 1993, when eight people who had moved into the environment with great fanfare two years earlier moved out in failure. Though promising to be self-sufficient（自足的）, these “colonists” had so much trouble regulating the environment that they reportedly had food smuggled into them. Oxygen levels became dangerously low; most plants and animals died. In taking over the unsuccessful site, Columbia hopes to erase its notorious past by focusing on small research projects that gradually answer some of Biosphere 1’s — that is, Earth’s most basic environment questions.
小題1:This passage primarily deals with _________.
A．conditions of life in Biosphere 2
B．building controlled environments on other planets
C．why Biosphere 2 failed in the past
D．what makes a good biosphere colonist
小題2:Biosphere 2 is now run by _________.
A．a(chǎn) group of eight colonists
B．Columbia University
C．the city of Tucson
D．scientists who hope to establish Biosphere 3
小題3:The passage suggests that earlier colonists of Biosphere 2 _________.
A．did not like living in a controlled environment
B．found it very difficult to live in a controlled environment
C．still are involved with Biosphere 2
D．have now left the country in disgrace
小題4:The writer helps you understand what Biosphere 2 is like by _________.
A．comparing its features with those of an outer space biosphere
B．explaining the process by which it was constructed
C．referring to an interview with one of former inhabitants
D．describing its appearance and conditions
小題5:In paragraph 3 the word “notorious” means _________.
A．well known for something goodB．well known for something bad
C．very dangerousD．quite interesting

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Who’s in control of your life? Who’s pulling your strings? For the majority of us，it’s other people—society，colleagues，friends，family or our religious community．We learned this way of operating when we were very young，of course．We were brainwashed．We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us．As Oscar Wilde puts it，“Most people are other people．Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions，their lives a mimicry，their passions a quotation．”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are，it makes us feel good．We long for this good feeling like a drug—we are addicted to it and seek it out wherever we can．Therefore，we are so eager for the approval(贊同)of others that we live unhappy and limited lives，failing to do the things we really want to．Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix(一劑毒品)，we worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval．
But，just as with any drug，there is a price to pay．The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think．People have their own agenda，and they come with their own baggage and，in the end，they’re more
interested in themselves than in you．Furthermore，if we try to live by the opinions of others，we will build our life on sinking sand．Everyone has a different way of thinking，and people change
their opinions all the time．The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process．
So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way—make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think．We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values—not values imposed from the outside by others，but innate values which come from within．If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others，we will live a more authentic，effective，purposeful and happy life．
小題1:．What Oscar Wilde says implies that        ．
A．we have thoughts similar to those of others
B．most people have a variety of thoughts
C．other people’s thoughts are more important
D．most people’s thoughts are controlled by others
小題2:．What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph?
A．Changing opinions may cost us our freedom．
B．We may lose ourselves to please others．
C．We need to pay for what we want to get．
D．The price of taking the drug is freedom．
小題3:．It can be concluded from the passage that         ．
A． it’s better to do what we like
B．we shouldn’t care what others think
C．we shouldn’t change our own opinions
D．it’s important to accept others’ opinions
小題4:．The author tries to persuade the readers to accept his arguments mainly by      
A．a(chǎn)nalyzing causes and effectsB．providing examples and facts
C．discussing questionsD．making suggestions

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The Future of Education
David Kelly, founder of the Design School Stanford, said, “In the classroom of the future, education will be custom-made for each student. Every child will have a laptop programmed for his or her learning style and speed. At the same time, more students will go out into the community to learn from business owners. And you’ll see more retirees in the schools as teachers.”
A New Way to Pay
Turn your cell phone into a “mobile wallet” and speed through the checkout line. With a smart phone that uses the same technology as “tap and go” cards, you’ll be able to access your financial data fast. You can select a credit or debit card（借記卡）from the screen, and then tap the phone on the checkout console（操縱臺；控制臺）.
High-Tech Guitar
A 26-year-old Australian designer has invented a brand-new way to be a rock star. The Misa Digital Guitar’s fret board looks like a traditional six-string’s but with no strings attached. There’s a touch pad （墊）where the sound hole normally is, and instead of plucking strings,（彈弦） you tap, drag, or brush the pad to “play” the instrument electronically.
The Future of Phones
Jason Chen, editor of the website gizmodo.com, makes his prediction. “Data connections will get even faster, and you’ll be linked to your environment by cell phone. Fcr example, when you go on vacation, you can point your phone at a monument（紀念碑） and it will give you information about what you’re looking at.’
Needle-Free Vaccines（無針接種）
Boston University researchers are working on a new method of inoculation（接種）—no injection necessary. A mild electrical charge from a small device, shaped like a gun, is used to drive the particles（粒子） into the body. The new idea beats the old needle method.
小題1:The passage mentions the following EXPECT        .
A．paymentB．medicineC．educationD．music instrument
小題2:What can we learn from the text?
A．Even a man with no music knowledge can be a rock star in the future.
B．Students should go out into the community to learn from business owners instead of staying at school to learn from books.
C．We can carry no cash while shopping in the future.
D．We can feel more pain with the method of inoculation.
小題3:In which column can we read the passage?
A．Entertainment.B．Production.
C．Technology. D．Work.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

You know that pearls grow inside oysters(牡蠣), but would you ever think to look for diamonds inside an ostrich(鴕鳥)? Well, a hunter once shot an ostrich and discovered, to his great surprise, that the big bird had swallowed a bunch of diamonds. How could such a strange thing happen?
Like many other birds, the ostrich swallows small stones that stay inside its “gizzard”. The gizzard is a bird’s second stomach. It is where the food is ground up. The small stones help to grind up the food so it can be digested. The small stones do the chewing because birds don’t have teeth. In that case of the ostrich with the diamonds, the bird simply had expensive taste in rocks. It used the diamonds to digest its dinner.
Diamonds and stones aren’t all that an ostrich will swallow. If there are no stones around, it will eat just about anything. Sadly for ostriches in zoos, this can be a fatal habit. The tendency to swallow anything it sees has caused the death of many an ostrich. Cruel or careless people often throw things into the bird’s living space. They throw keys, coins, and even large objects such as horseshoes. The ostrich swallows them without hesitation. Coins can be the worst. Inside the ostrich they wear down to a razor-sharp edge. They will cut open the bird’s gizzard from the inside. When one young zoo ostrich died, 484 coins weighing more than eight pounds were found in its gizzard.
小題1:
Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A．Birds often eat strange and funny things.
B．Ostriches will swallow anything to help them digest food.
C．One ostrich died with 484 coins in its gizzard.
D．Ostriches are often hurt by cruel or careless people.
小題2:
The ostrich is not smart enough to ______.
A．digest its own foodB．eat only diamonds
C．a(chǎn)void eating harmful objectsD．escape from the zoo
小題3:
The sentence “the small stones do the chewing” makes rocks seem as though they were ______.
A．importantB．a(chǎn)live
C．dangerousD．uncomfortable
小題4:
he word “fatal” in the third paragraph is another word for “______”.
A．foolishB．carelessC．deadlyD．cruel

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The hole in the Earth’s ozone layer(臭氧層) has until now protected Antarctic from the worst effects of global warming, but scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3℃ on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 meters.
In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, paradoxically, been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctic, making much of the continent surface colder than usual.
But now that the gases that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3℃ and a reduction in sea ice by around a third.
The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctic ice sheets, said, “The ice sheets in Antarctic are hundreds of meters thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly.” Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctic has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades.
Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. “Everything is connected——Antarctic may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth’s system,” said Johnson. “It contains 90% of the world’s ice, 70% of the world’s fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 meters.”
Even in a worse-case situation scientists don’t expect the ice to entirely disappear, but predict that, because of the melting ice sheets, average sea level rise will be around 1.4 meters higher by the end of the century.
小題1:
The underlined word “paradoxically” (in paragraph 2) most probably means “     ”.
A．rapidlyB．generallyC．contradictorilyD．a(chǎn)pparently
小題2:
What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctic?
A．It is causing the ice to melt faster.
B．It is making much of the continent colder.
C．It is making the effects of global warming in the region worse.
D．It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctic.
小題3:
What do scientists think is the biggest danger facing Antarctic?
A．Rising sea levels.B．Warming sea water temperature.
C．Water pollution.D．Growing ice sheets.
小題4:
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．Antarctic is currently experiencing the full effects of global warming.
B．The average temperature has increased by 3℃ in recent decades.
C．Antarctic contains most of the world’s fresh water.
D．Ten percent of Antarctic’s ice has already been lost.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A  rainfores（雨林）is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below 16℃.Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in（吸收） heat from the sun and adjust （調(diào)節(jié)）the climate. Without the forest cover, these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere，warming the rest of the world .Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns, potentially causing certain natural disasters（災害） all over the world.
In the past hundred years, humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources (資源): land for crops, wood for paper and other products, land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example，a lot of carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit（受益）.
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, when people cut down trees, generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly, cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now, but in the long run （長遠看）it actually reduces the world’ s wood supply.
Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However, fewer than 1% of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in （在于）the world’s shrinking rainforests.
小題1:.．Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they________.
A．reflect（反射） more heat into the atmosphere
B．bring about high rainfall throughout the world
C．rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than 16℃
D．reduce the effect of heat from the sun on the earth
小題2:.．What does the word “this” underlined in the third paragraph refer to?
A．We will lose much more than we can gain.
B．Humans have begun destroying rainforests.
C．People have a strong desire for resources.
D．Much carbon dioxide comes from burning rainforests.
小題3:.What might be the best title for the text?
A．How to Save RainforestsB．How to Protect Nature
C．Rainforests and the EnvironmentD．Rainforests and Medical Development

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

US bees operation keeping groups have been attacked seriously by so called Colony Collapse Disorder (蜂群衰竭失調(diào))．Almost 1/2 of their worker bees have vanished during the past season．This disorder has also been reported in Israel, Europe and South America．Bees fly away from the hive and never return．Sometimes they are found dead; other times they are never found．Many crops and trees depend on pollination--- by bees to help them grow． 
A new report says a virus may be at least partly responsible for the disorder in honey bee colonies in the United States．This virus is called Israeli acute paralysis virus．It was first found in Israel in 2004．Lan Lipkin at Columbia University in New York and a team reported the new findings in Science Magazine．Doctor Lipkin says the virus may not be the only cause．He says it may work with other causes to produce the collapse disorder．
The team found the virus in colonies with the help of a map of honey bee genes that was published last year．They examined thirty colonies affected by the disorder．They found evidence of the virus in twenty-five of them, and in one healthy colony．The next step is further testing of healthy hives．
The researchers suggested that the United States may have imported the disorder in bees from Australia．They say the bees may carry the virus but not be affected．
The idea is that unlike many American bees, the ability of Australian bees to fight disease has not been hurt by the varroasis mite．This insect attacks honey bees, which could make the disorder more likely to affect a hive．Australian bee producers object to these suspicions．
And some researchers suspect that bee production in the United States is down mainly because of the weather．Honey bees gather nectar from flowers and trees．The sweet liquid gives them food and material to make honey．But cold weather this spring in the Midwest reduced the flow of nectar in many flowers．Many bees may have starved．Dry weather in areas of the country could also be playing apart．
Wayne Esaias is a NASA space agency scientist who keeps bees in his free time．He lives in central Maryland, where he has found that flowers are blooming a month earlier than they did in 1970, which may be partly responsible for the disorder. Wayne Esaias is organizing a group of beekeepers to document nectar flow around the country.
小題1:What is the author’s attitude toward the cause of this disorder?
A．DoubtfulB．NeutralC．SupportiveD．Negative
小題2:The passage is mainly developed by            .
A．presenting the effect and analyzing its causes
B．making comparisons between two countries
C．providing data and examples
D．following the time order
小題3:How many possibilities may be involved in the bee disorder according to the passage?
A．ThreeB．FourC．FiveD．Six
小題4:From the passage we can infer that           .
A．American bees are more likely to defend themselves against hurt from other insects than Australian ones
B．A collection of plants production in the U.S may be influenced by the bee disorder
C．Israeli acute paralysis virus should be responsible for the disorder
D．The solution to the disorder will be found eventually

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