Although April did not bring us the rains we all hoped for, and although the Central Valley doesn’t generally experience the sound and lightning that can go with those rains, it’s still important for parents to be able to answer the youthful questions about thunder and lightning.
The reason these two wonders of nature are so difficult for many adults to explain to children is that they are not very well understood by adults themselves. For example, did you know that the lightning we see flashing down to the earth from a cloud is actually flashing up to a cloud from the earth? Our eyes trick us into thinking we see a downward motion when it’s actually the other way around. But then, if we believed only what we think and we see, we’d still insist that the sun rises in the morning and sets at night.
Most lightning flashes take place inside a cloud, and only a relative few can be seen jumping between two clouds or between earth and a cloud. But, with about 2,000 thunderstorms taking place above the earth every minute of the day and night, there’s enough activity to produce about 100 lightning strikes on earth every second.
Parents can use thunder and lightning to help their children learn more about the world around them. When children understand that the light of the lightning flashing reaches their eyes almost at the same moment, but the sound of the thunder takes about 5 seconds to travel just one mile, they can begin to time the interval (間隔) between the flash and the crash to learn how lose they were to the actual spark (閃光).
小題1:According to the author, in the area of the Central Valley____.
A．rains usually come without thunder and lightning.
B．it is usually dry in April
C．children pay no attention to the two natural wonders.
D．parents are not interested in thunder and lightning.
小題2:We believe that lightning is a downward motion because_______.
A．we were taught so by our parents from our childhood.
B．we are taken in by our sense of vision.
C．it is a common natural sight.
D．it is a truth proved by science.
小題3:What is TRUE about lightning according to the passage?
A．Only a small number of lightning flashes occur on earth.
B．Lightning flashes usually jump from one cloud to another.
C．Lightning travels 5 times faster than thunder.
D．There are far more lightning strikes occurring on earth than we can imagine.
小題4:The underlined word “activity”  is most closely related to the word (s) _____.
A．cloudB．lightning strikesC．lightning flashesD．thunderstorms
小題5:It can be concluded from the passage that _______.
A．we should not believe what we see or hear.
B．things moving downward are more noticeable.
C．people sometimes may have wrong ideas about ordinary phenomena.
D．a(chǎn)dults are not as good as children in observing certain natural phenomena.

小題1:A
小題2:B
小題3:D
小題4:D
小題5:C

小題1:推理判斷題。 第二段中說(shuō)：盡管the Central Valley一般不會(huì)經(jīng)歷下雨時(shí)伴隨雷電(的情況），但是……由此可知在Central Valley下雨時(shí)通常沒(méi)有雷電。
小題2:細(xì)節(jié)理解題。結(jié)合第二段Our eyes trick us into thinking we see a downward motion when it’s actually the other way around可知答案。
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)理解題。第三段第二句：由于地球上每天每分鐘發(fā)生2 000次雷雨，它們足夠造成地球上每秒100次的閃電。這說(shuō)明閃電的次數(shù)要比我們想象的多。
小題4:猜測(cè)詞意題。第三段第二句說(shuō)明有了雷雨才產(chǎn)生了閃電。
小題5:推理判斷題。第二段第三句：我們的眼睛使我們錯(cuò)誤地認(rèn)為閃電是由上而下，而事實(shí)上卻相反。
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：完形填空

閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從1 -15各題所給的A、B、C和D項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
" You probably don't remember me," she said. Then she pulled out a piece of paper from her ___1___ and gave it to me. It was my handwriting.
As the assistant of the Honors Programs at the university, one of my __2___ was to review student transcripts(成績(jī)單) to make sure they could ___3___ in Honors. It was common for students to have a(n) ___4___ start and they could no longer continue in Honors after their first term. However, sometimes their ___5___ term report cards would still be sent to us even though the students were no longer in the program.
The note she handed me ___6___, " Congratulations on your excellent second term. You may have been ___7___ with your grades, but you should feel ___8___ of how you've made some progress. Best of luck in keeping up the good work, and you'll be able to succeed."
The student went on and said, " You can't know what this ___9___ to me. I've carried it in my purse for three years and pulled it out anytime I didn't want to do my ___10___. For three years I've been ___11___ to enter your office and giving you this note and this ___12____. " she handed me her latest transcript with good marks.
We were both ___13____. She cried and I ___14____ to. Writing the note seemed like nothing to me, but it meant so ___15___ to her. I really had no idea that my actions had such meaning.
小題1:
A．bag B．pocketC．purseD．box
小題2:
A．a(chǎn)imsB．wishesC．plansD．jobs
小題3:
A．continueB．keepC．carryD．go
小題4:
A．pleasantB．unluckyC．easyD．different
小題5:
A．secondB．firstC．lastD．final
小題6:
A．readB．wroteC．voicedD．a(chǎn)nnounced
小題7:
A．surprisedB．disappointedC．a(chǎn)shamedD．pleased
小題8:
A．carefulB．a(chǎn)fraidC．tiredD．proud
小題9:
A．broughtB．meantC．designedD．suggested
小題10:
A．work B．dutyC．homeworkD．responsibility
小題11:
A．regrettingB．refusingC．planningD．promising
小題12:
A．transcriptB．bookC．penD．gift
小題13:
A．worriedB．excitedC．happyD．sad
小題14:
A．failedB．wantedC．decidedD．hated
小題15:
A．bitB．manyC．muchD．little

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules… planning your next move…acting as a team member… these are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating.
Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination (協(xié)調(diào)) needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it — some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.
小題1:Through playing hide-and-seek, children are expected to learn to ________.
A．be a team leader
B．obey the basic rules
C．a(chǎn)ct as a grown-up
D．predict possible danger
小題2:The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can ________.
A．describe life in an exciting way
B．turn real-life experiences into a movie
C．make learning life skills more interesting
D．change people’s views of sporting events
小題3:According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?
A．It inspires people’s deep love for the country.
B．It proves the exceptional skills of the winners.
C．It helps the country out of natural disasters.
D．It earns the winners fame and fortune.
小題4:Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to ________.
A．bring fun to poor kids
B．provide soccer balls for children
C．give poor kids a chance for a better life
D．a(chǎn)ppeal to soccer players to help poor kids

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Why don’t birds get lost on their long migratory (遷居的) flights? Scientists have puzzled over this question for many years. Now they’re beginning to fill in the blanks.
Not long ago, experiments showed that birds rely on the sun to guide them during daylight hours. But what about birds that fly mainly by night? Tests with artificial stars have proved conclusively that certain night-flying birds are able to follow the stars in their long-distance flights.
One such bird, a warbler(鳴禽) , had spent its lifetime in a cage and had never flown under a natural sky. Yet it showed an inborn ability to use the stars for guidance. The bird’s cage was placed under an artificial star-filled sky at migration time. The bird tried to fly in the same direction as that taken by his outdoor cousins. Any change in the direction of the make-be-live stars caused a change in the direction of his flight. Scientists think that warblers, when flying in daylight, use the sun for guidance. But the stars are apparently their main means of navigation (導(dǎo)航). What do they do when the stars are hidden by clouds? Apparently, they find their way by such landmarks as mountain ranges, coast lines, and river courses. But when it’s too dark to see these, the warblers circle helplessly, unable to get their direction.
小題1:The reasons why birds don’t get lost on migratory flights__________.
A．have been known to scientists for many years
B．a(chǎn)re known by everyone
C．have only recently been discovered
D．will probably remain a mystery
小題2:Warblers migrate__________.
A．from North America to South America
B．using what is apparently an inborn navigational ability
C．only once during their lifetime
D．when they are freed from their cages
小題3:When the stars are hidden by clouds, warblers find their way by__________ .
A．a(chǎn)n artificial starB．some landmarks
C．their inborn abilityD．A and B
小題4:This article is a good example of the way scientists__________ .
A．discover workable answers to universal questions by studying particular cases(特別案例)
B．jump to conclusions
C．find a law and then investigate（調(diào)查）
D．a(chǎn)re disappointed by the habits of animals

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

“If you talk to the plants, they will grow faster and the effect is even better if you’re a woman.” Researchers at Royal Horticultural Society carried out an experiment to find that the voice of a woman gardener makes plants grow faster.
The experiment lasted a month and by the end of the study scientists managed to discover that tomato plants grew up two inches taller when women gardeners talked to them instead of male.
Sarah Darwin was the one making the plants the best growth. Her voice was the most “inspiring” for plants than those of nine other gardeners when reading a passage from The Origin of Species. The great-great-granddaughter of the famous botanist （植物學(xué)家）Charles Darwin found that her plant grew about two inches taller than the plant of the best male gardener.
Colin Crosbie, Garden Superintendent at RHS, said that the finding cannot yet be explained.He says that women have a greater range of pitch and tone（音高和音色）which might have a certain effect on the sound waves that reach the plant. “Sound waves are an environmental effect just like rain or light ,”said Mr Grosbie.
The study began in April at RHS Garden Wisley in Survey. Scientists started with open auditions(聽(tīng)力) for the people who were asked to record passages from John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer's Night Dream and Darwin's The Origin of Species.
Afterwards researchers selected a number of different voices and played them to 10 tomato plants during a period of a month. Each plant had headphones connected to it. Through the headphones the sound waves could hit the plants. It was discovered that plants that “l(fā)istened” to female voices grew taller by an inch in comparison to plants that heard male voices.
小題1:What does the passage talk about?
A．Plants enjoy men’s voices than women’s.
B．A science experiment in a museum.
C．Voice’s influence on plant growing.
D．Strange findings at Royal Horticultural Society.
小題2:What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 4 mean?
A．Plants need sound as well as rain and light.
B．Sound is basic for the plant to grow.
C．Sound has a good effect as rain or light does.
D．Plants can’t live without sound, rain or light.
小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A．The experiment ended in May.
B．Scientist can explain the findings clearly.
C．Plants enjoy listening to the passages from famous works.
D．The findings are of great importance to human beings.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.
“And you’ll be sorry that you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll surely be the best lawyer in our town!”
After graduation, George never became a lawyer and Richard was anybody but a millionaire …. Instead, it happened that both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street, while it was hard to make much money from books then, which made the competition between them worse. Eventually, Richard closed down his, dreaming of making a fortune elsewhere. 
Now, with only one bookshop in the town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his former rival (競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手)。Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries, and he had recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was quite delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished — the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading: “Bookends Company has bought ten bookstores from its competitors. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in this country.”
小題1:George and Richard were        at school.
A．roommatesB．good friends C．competitorsD．booksellers
小題2:How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?
A．He envied Richard’s good fortune very much.
B．He thought about Richard from time to time.
C．He felt unlucky with no more rival in the town.
D．He was unhappy of Richard’s disappearance.
小題3:George got information about Richard from       .
A．a(chǎn) dictionary collector in Australia
B．one of Richard’s competitors
C．some rare edition of a dictionary
D．the wrapping paper of a book
小題4:What happened to George and Richard in the end?
A．Both George and Richard became millionaires by selling books.
B．Both of them realized their original ambitions, which were the same.
C．George established a successful business while Richard was missing.
D．Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There are two methods by which hydrogen (氫) can be used to power cars. The first way is to use hydrogen to drive the engine, in much the same way as many cars use gas. The second method is to use the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen in a battery, making the car a kind of electric one.
The dream of producing hydrogen in the car while driving along by electrolyzing（電解）water is a long way off, so we are still at the period of batteries and filling the tank with hydrogen gas. This is the difficulty for potential car users and producers. There are only sixteen hydrogen filling stations in Los Angeles and none in 99% of other cities worldwide.
Indeed, some of the big name automobile producers have pulled out of the race to put the first practical hydrogen car on the streets. Ford and GM have announced that they are pulling out in America and so has Renault in France.
However, the Japanese companies are pressing on. In fact, Honda introduced its first hydrogen fuel cell car in 1999. They are now producing second generation hydrogen car known as the FCX Clarity. Guess where they are available for sale? In only one city because of its filling stations.
Honda thinks that they could go into full-scale production of the FCX Clarity by 2020 if the world is prepared for them by then.
Then there are hydrogen-powered buses in several European cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg and Madrid. Lotus, the makers of London taxis, have announced that they propose to manufacture hydrogen-powered taxis in time for the London Olympics.
So, the hydrogen vehicle is out there and the numbers will be growing fairly soon. The buses go back to their bus station, where an electrolyzing machine changes water into fuel for them to fill up on and the same will be the case for many of London’s taxis.
Unfortunately, getting fuel is not the only difficulty for the average motorist, a number of these vehicles cost about $300,000 each.
小題1:According to the text, hydrogen-powered buses ________.
A．can easily be filled up with gas.
B．a(chǎn)re likely to sell well in the future.
C．a(chǎn)re mainly used in the United States
D．won’t be used in the London Olympics
小題2:What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 5 refer to?
A．Japanese companiesB．Hydrogen buses
C．The FCX ClarityD．Filling stations
小題3:Where are hydrogen cars currently available for sale?
A．In BarcelonaB．In HamburgC．In LondonD．In Los Angeles
小題4:We can learn from the text that ________.
A．there are sixty hydrogen filling stations all over the world
B．hydrogen vehicles fueled by water will be very expensive
C．Honda will mass-produce the FCX Clarity by 2012
D．Honda produced its first hydrogen car in 1989

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Vending machines （投幣式自動(dòng)售貨機(jī)） are found in 16% of U．S．elementary schools, 52% of middle schools and 88% of high schools．About 22% of students in grades 1 through 12 buy food in vending machines each day—and those purchases added an average of 253 calories to their diets, according to a new study in the September issue of the Journal of School Health．
Just to be clear, those were not 253 calories' worth of tofu, yogurt or carrot．The most popular vending machine items included soft drinks, candy, chips, crackers, cookies, cakes and ice cream．On the plus side （好的方面）, kids also bought low-fat milk, fruit juice and even fruit, the study found．
But the eventual effect on kids' diets was not good．Those who bought from vending machines ate an average of 156 grams of sugar per day, compared with 146 grams for those who abstained （節(jié)制）．They also consumed less fiber, iron and vitamin B．
One silver lining: Vending machine customers ate 4% less sodium （鈉） than other students--an average of 3,287 milligrams per day compared with 3,436 mg for those who didn't buy from vending machines．That's probably because the extra snacks made kids too full to eat as much at mealtimes, when dishes are especially Salty．In any event, kids should eat no more than 1,200 to 1,500 mg of sodium each day, according to the Mayo Clinic．Even for adults, the government recommends a daily limit of 2,300 mg．
Overall, vending machines in school appear to be a threat to children's health．The researchers calculated that all that snacking adds up to about14 extra pounds per child per school year．For some students this might be a serious contributor to weight issues．The study was based on data collected from 2,309 children nationwide for the third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study, which was
conducted by the U．S．Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service．
小題1:The students using vending machines take in less of all the following EXCEPT ．
A．sugar B．fiber C．vitamin D．iron
小題2:The underlined words “One silver lining” mean “      ”．
A．a(chǎn) discouraging condition at present
B．a(chǎn) bright side of a difficult situation
C．a(chǎn)n urgent warning from health experts
D．a(chǎn)n increasing concern from the public
小題3:Why do kids buying food from vending machines take less salt probably?
A．They prefer less salty food．
B．They have formed healthy eating habits．
C．They eat less food at mealtimes．
D．They take less junk food as snacks．
小題4:What's the purpose of the text?
A．To teach children a balanced diet．
B．To introduce the finding of a new study．
C．To remind parents of children's health．
D．To tell the history of vending machines．

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Researchers in over 80 nations are taking part in a project to conduct a decade-long census(統(tǒng)計(jì)) of sea life. Scientists presented some of their findings at a recent conference as the project neared its completion.
In deep icy waters under Antarctica, scientists found bulbous tunicates, an underground animal, and many newly-discovered creatures believed to be related to starfish (海星) and other marine(海洋的）creatures.
Elsewhere in the world’s oceans, they have recently discovered many kinds of underwater life forms new to science. It is all part of a research effort called the Census of Marine Life.
“There are about 2,000 scientists worldwide involved,” said Bob Gagosian, President, CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Gagosian helps manage the project. “Everywhere they’ve gone they’ve found new things,” he says. “The ocean basically is unexplored from the point of view of marine living things.”
Researchers have placed small markers on hundreds of fish and marine animals to track by satellite their migration(遷移）routes and to discover places where sea life gathers.
According to Ron O’Dor, a senior scientist with the Census of Marine Life, knowledge of life on the ocean floor is especially limited. “90% of all the information we have is from the top hundred meters of the ocean,” O’Dor states.
And he says the sea floor is, on average, at a depth of 4, 000 meters. And so, as some machines dive far below what people have previously seen, scientists are discovering new species of plants, animals and living things.
Since the census project began, more than 5,300 new marine animals have been found. Ocean researchers say they hope to catalogue 230,000 species during the census —which some say is only a small part of all the creatures living in the sea.
小題1:Why do the researchers place small markers on many marine creatures?
A．To catch them.B．To research them.
C．To kill them.D．To protect them.
小題2:From what Ron O’Dor says, we can conclude that        .
A．human beings only know a little about marine life
B．the oceans don’t need to be further explored
C．he considers exploring the ocean a dangerous thing
D．the marine creatures mainly live on the top of the ocean
小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A．About 2,000 scientists from America are involved in the project.
B．The census of sea life will last for ten years.
C．230,000 new marine animals have been found.
D．The sea floor is at a depth of 400 meters.
小題4:Why does the author write the passage?
A．To tell the news that new marine creatures are being discovered
B．To encourage people to find new marine creatures
C．To prove the importance of marine creatures
D．To introduce the newly-discovered creatures.

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