If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles. The study also found the effect is greater the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density（密度）in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,”said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and math skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible（靈活的），” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.
小題1: Which part will change more when a person studies a second language?
A． grey matter densityB． the brain
C． mental systemD． musles
小題2: Who can study a second language easier?.
A． The adultsB．The teenagers
C． The childrenD．The old
小題3:The underlined word “bilingual” probably means      .
A． a researcher on language learning
B． a second language learner
C． a person who can speak two languages
D． an active language learner
小題4:  How do you understand the underlined sentence ( in paragraph 4 ) in the passage?
A． It means that we can practise our brain by studying a second language
B． It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn
C． It means that learning a second language makes you more flexable
D． It means that learners will better understand the difficult ideas.

小題1:A
小題2:C
小題3:A
小題4:B

小題1:細(xì)節(jié)理解題。第三段“Scans showed that grey matter desity in the brain …”得出A為正確答案。
小題2:綜合歸納題。從第二段“The study also found the effect is greater the younger people learn a second language.”和最后一段“The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better.“Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world”的信息知C正確。
小題3:詞義理解題。第二段“…learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power.”和第三段“…h(huán)ad learnt a second language befire the age of five , as well as a number of later learners”可歸納A正確。
小題4:綜合歸納題。第四段“ A professor has researched the link …understanding of different ideas.”得出正確答案是B。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


If you walk slowly through downtown Helsinki（赫爾辛基）during the day, taking in the splendid 19th century buildings, white boats and noise of passing trams（有軌電車）, you will start to understand why it is called a city of two colors: white and blue.
The sea is always present in Helsinki. When you take a walk over the great open space of the central square, you will hear seabirds screaming. When you take the tram, suddenly and unexpectedly, you are faced with a calm, shining blue sea. You may notice that people in Helsinki do not rush about as in other cities. Instead, they walk along the roads, politely letting other people by.
A usual way to see Helsinki for the first time is to start out by the boats. You will walk by the elderly women selling fish and vegetables in the market square and find yourself in front of a beautiful park. You may enjoy a pleasant walk in the park for a few hours and then take the tram. Trams are the perfect way to get around in Helsinki. Watching the old houses, parks, theatres, churches, shops, restaurants and people in the streets, you may have a slightly sad film feeling to it.
The pale summer nights are another wonder in the city. Following the waterfront（濱水區(qū)）of the city after sunset, you couldn’t help stopping and listening to the sweet silence, interrupted only by the screaming seabirds and leaving fishing boats.
However, in some way, Helsinki is also the most modern city in northern Europe. You will surely want to visit the white Glass Palace, the modern art museum, and all those extremely popular cafes and design stores.
68．Helsinki is called a city of two colors mainly because of the colors of its ________.
A．19th century buildings, boats and parks
B．19th century buildings, boats and seabirds
C．old houses, parks and trams
D．old buildings, boats and the sea
69．The best way to see most of Helsinki is to go ________.
A．by boat     B．by bus      C．by tram    D．on foot
70．The 19th century buildings, the White Glass Palace, popular cafes and design shops in Helsinki all show that Helsinki is _________.
A．both splendid and traditional   B．both quiet and noisy
C．both historical and modern     D．both old and new
71．This passage is most likely to be found in _________.
A．a(chǎn) story-book           B．a(chǎn) geography textbook
C．a(chǎn) research report             D．a(chǎn) travel magazine

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The largest-ever chariot pit (戰(zhàn)車坑) of relics with carts and horse bones has been discovered in Henan Province. It may lead to the uncovering of chariot pit groups that could be a key to understanding Chinese civilizations that existed more than 2,000 years ago.
Experts said the relics are dated more than 300 years earlier than the famous warriors (武士) in Shaanxi Province. What excited the experts were two other projects that located two huge pits with similar features.
“It is absolutely a miracle. These relics indicate that there could be a tomb group in this area, which is likely to be important for China’s archaeological (考古學(xué)的) studies,” said Ma Juncai, a leading relic researcher in the province.
In ancient China, carts, sheep, spoons and so on were buried to ensure that dead people had a happy afterlife. The number and quality of the sacrifices indicated the social status of the dead. The custom was carried into the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qinshihuang’s tomb, located near Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, is accompanied by thousands of wood or clay figures of warriors and horses. The tomb is probably the most well-known.
The discovered pit measures 10.4 meters long, 8.4 meters wide and 5 meters deep. It holds 20 carts in different sizes. The smallest one is 1.05 meters long and 1.3 meters wide.
Experts think that 40 horses are likely to be found as well. Careful plans need to be made to deal with the demanding uncovering. “The clay is very weak and a small misstep can destroy the whole project. That’s why we need to take every step very carefully to protect these cherished cultural relics,” Ma said.
小題1: What’s the passage mainly about?
A．The dead people’s sacrifices in ancient China.
B．China’s archaeological studies.
C．The discovery of a large chariot pit in Henan.
D．The history of Chinese civilizations.
小題2:According to Ma Juncai, the uncovering of the three pits is a miracle because _______.
A．it shows there may be a tomb group there
B．it’s helpful in discovering Emperor Qinshihuang’s tomb
C．the relics are dated such a long time ago
D．the relics are more than 300 years older than the ones in Shaanxi
小題3:It can be inferred from Paragraph 4 that ______.
A．a(chǎn)ll dead people had sacrifices in ancient China
B．the discovered pit is the most well-known in the world
C．the discovered pit dates back to the Qin Dynasty
D．Emperor Qinshihuang wanted to maintain his power after death
小題4:Careful plans for the uncovering are needed because ______.
A．a(chǎn)nother 40 horses are likely to be found as well
B．the whole uncovering could be destroyed easily
C．experts are too busy to spare time for it
D．the government hasn’t agreed to it
小題5:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A．The discovery has drawn the leading experts’ attention.
B．A lot of cultural relics have been discovered in Henan.
C．40 horses have been discovered together with the chariot pit.
D．The discovered carts in the chariot pit are similar in size.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The Neutrality of American in the Early World War II
The establishment of the Third Reich influenced events in American history by starting a chain of events which culminated in war between Germany and the United States. The compete destruction of democracy, the persecution of Jews, the war on religion, the cruelty and barbarism of the Nazis, and especially the plans of Germany and her allies, Italy and Japan, for world conquest caused great indignation in this country and brought on fear of another world war. While speaking out against Hitler’s atrocities, the American people generally favored isolationist policies and neutrality. The Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1936 prohibited trade with any belligerents or loans to them. In 1937 the President was empowered to declare an arms embargo in wars between nations at his discretion.
American opinion began to change somewhat after President Roosevelt’s “quarantine the aggressor” speech at Chicago (1937) in which he severely criticized Hitler’s policies. Germany’s seizure of Austria and the Munich Pact for the partition of Czechoslovakia (1938) also aroused the American people. The conquest of Czechoslovakia in March, 1939 was another rude awakening to the menace of the Third Reich. In August, 1939 came the shock of the Nazi-soviet Pact and in September the attack on Poland and the outbreak of European war. The United States attempted to maintain neutrality in spite of sympathy for the democracies arrayed against the Third Reich. The Neutrality Act of 1939 repealed the arms embargo and permitted “cash and carry” exports of arms to belligerent nations. A strong national defense program was begun. A draft act was passed (1940) to strengthen the military services. A Lend Act (1941) authorized the President to sell, exchange, or lend materials to any country deemed necessary by him for the defense of the United States. Help was given to Britain by exchanging certain overage destroyers for the right to establish American bases in British territory in the Western Hemisphere. In August, 1940 President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill met and issued the Atlantic Charter which proclaimed the kind of a world which should be established after the war. In December, 1941, Japan launched the unprovoked attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor. Immediately thereafter, Germany declared war on the United States.
小題1:One item occurring before 1937 that the author does not mention in his list of actions that alienated the American public was
A the burning of the Reichstag.   B German plans for conquest.
C Nazi barbarism.             D the persecution of religious groups.
小題2:The Lend-Lease Act was designed to
A help the British.
B strengthen the national defense of the United States.
C promote the Atlantic Charter.
D avenge Pearl Harbor.
小題3:American Policy during the years 1935-1936 may be described as being
A watchful.  B isolationist.  C peaceful.   D indifferent.
小題4:The Neutrality Act of 1939
A permitted the selling of arms to belligerent nations.
B antagonized Japan.
C permitted the British to trade only with the Allies.
D led to Lend-Lease Act.
小題5:We entered the war against Germany
A because Germany declared war.
B because Japan was an ally of Germany.
C after Germany had signed the Nazi-soviet Pact.
D after peaceful efforts had failed.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Treasure hunts have excited people’s imagination for hundreds of years both in real life and in books such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Is-land. Kit Williams, a modern writer, had the idea of combining the real excitement of a treasure hunt with clues found in a book when he wrote a children’s story, Masquerade, in 1979. The book was about a hare, and a month before it came out Williams buried a gold hare in a park in Bedfordshire. The book contained a large number of clues to help readers find the hare, but Williams put in a lot of “red herrings”, or false clues, to mislead them.
Ken Roberts, the man who found the hare, had been looking for it for nearly two years. Although he had been searching in the wrong area most of the time, he found it by logic，not by luck. His success came from the fact that he had gaine4d an important clue at the start. He had realized that the words: “One of Six to Eight” under the first picture in the book connected the hare in some way to Katherine of Aragon, the first of Henry VIII’s six wives. Even here, however, Williams had succeeded in misleading him. Ken knew that Katherine of Aragon had died at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire in 1536 and thought that Williams had buried the hare there. He had been digging there for over a year before a new idea occurred to him. He found out that Kit Williams had spent his childhood near Ampthill, in Bedfordshire, and thought that he must have buried the hare in a place he knew well, but he still could not see the connection with Katherine of Aragon, until one day he came across two stone crosses in Ampthill Park and learnt that they had been built in her honor in 1773.
Even then his search had not come to an end. It was only after he had spent several nights digging around the cross that he decided to write to Kit Williams to find out if he was wasting his time there. Williams encouraged him to continue, and on February 24th 1982, he found the treasure. It was worth 3000 in the beginning, but the excitement it had caused since its burial made it much more valuable.
小題1:Which of the following describes Roberts’ logic in searching for the hare?
A．Henry VIII’s six wives
B．Katherine’s burial place at Kimbolton
C．Williams’ childhood in Ampthill
D．Katherine of Argon
小題2:What is the subject discussed in the text?
A．An exciting historical event.
B．A modern treasure hunt.
C．The attraction of Masquerade.
D．The importance of logical thinking.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Greece declared a national state of emergency on Saturday as scores of forest fires that have killed at least 46 people continued to burn out of control, leaving some villages trapped within walls of flames, cut off from firefighters.
Although most of the fires have been on the Peloponnesian Peninsula, some broke out on the outskirts of Athens on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of homes and closing a major road linking the capital to the main airport for several hours. The national fire brigade said that by evening it had brought those blazes under control, including one that came within about six miles of the city.
The country has been vulnerable to fire this summer because of drought and three consecutive heat waves that sent temperatures soaring over 100 degrees. More than 3,000 forest fires have destroyed thousands of acres of wooded areas since June; the earlier fires killed nine people. The latest spate of fires on the peninsula started Friday. Strong, hot winds have spread the flames.
Firefighters expect the death toll to rise, because they have not yet been able to search some areas that had been overrun by flames.
Hardest hit by the fires were a dozen small villages t around the town of Zaharo in the western peninsula, where at least 12 people, including some who may have been trying to flee by car, were killed. Scores of other residents, including elderly and disabled people, remained trapped in their homes, phoning in to local television and radio stations, crying for help.
Late Saturday, Mr. Karamanlis, Prime Minister of Greece appeared on national television and declared that he was mobilizing all of the country’s resources to control the fire. Mr. Karamanlis also suggested that the recent fires might have been purposely set. “So many fires sparked simultaneously in so many regions is no coincidence,” he said, “We will get to the bottom of this and punish those responsible.”
The overstretched national fire services are being helped by an estimated 6,000 soldiers mobilized for the operation. A fleet of water-dumping aircraft was expected from France, Germany and Norway, after Greece appealed to the European Union for “urgent assistance.”
51.The writer mainly wants to tell us that ______ in the passage.
A. firefighters battles fearlessly in Greece to control the fire
B. constant fires in Greece have caused great life and wealth lose
C. Greece is facing great danger as forest fires continue to break out
D. Greek government is investigating the cause of recent forest fires
52. We can know from the passage that ______.
A. Athens, capital of Greece was not threatened in the fire
B. Greek government did not take effective measures to control the fire
C. many people had to leave their homes to avoid fire
D. all people endangered by the fire have already got immediate and proper help
53. According to the passage, which of the following might not contribute to the recent forest fires in Greek?
A. Storm thunders in summer
B. Lack of rainfall
C. Extremely hot weather this summer
D. Hot and strong wind
54. We can learn from the passage that ______.
A. now the fire crisis in Greece has come to an end
B. assistance from EU members is expected to come to help Greece
C. firefighters in Greece so far can still manage the situation
D. the number of people who die in the fire is expected not to rise any more
55. Mr. Karamanlis believes the forest fires in Greece _______.
A. is a happening by chance                             B. is a natural disaster
C. might be caused by human       on purpose             D. is a punishment of nature

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

If you, a man, are looking through this, congratulations: you are a survivor (幸存者). According to a survey, you are more than twice likely to die of skin cancer than a woman, and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. If you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you will die on average five years before a woman.
There are many reasons for this. Men take more risks than woman and are more likely to drink and smoke—but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor.
“Men aren’t seeing doctors as often as they should.” says Dr. Gullotta,“This is particularly so for the over 40s, when diseases tend to strike.”Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45, it should be at least once a year. Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed(延遲) doing anything about his smoker’s cough for a year. “When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer.”he says.“Earlier finding and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have made him live longer.”
According to a recent survey, 95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.
“A lot of men think they are strong enough. While some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know. Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies.” Dr. Gullotta says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be found out by check-ups. Regular check-ups for men would place strain on the public purse, Gullotta says. “But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to cure the diseases. Besides, the final/highest cost is far greater: it is called premature death(過早死亡).”

小題1: From the first paragraph, we can know that _________.
A．women are more likely to die of skin cancer
B．men are more likely to get some deadly diseases
C．men can live five years longer than women
D．men who live long are very lucky
小題2:What is a more important reason for man’s death?
A．Men take more risks than women.
B．Diseases tend to strike men easily
C．Men don’t go to doctors for check-ups.
D．Men like drinking and smoking.
小題3:Why does the author take a 50-old-man as an example?
A．To realize the importance of disease prevention.
B．To show he could have avoided death.
C．To prove smoking leads to lung cancer.
D．To think highly of the doctor’s work.
小題4:What can be drawn from the last paragraph?
A．Treatment would cost a lot of money.
B．Cars are more valuable than health.
C．Men are brave to accept the reality.
D．Check-ups are necessary and worthwhile.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

It was January 25th, 2008: Nisha and Akshaye's   ____  anniversary. But things had changed since their marriage. The couple   ____   about small things. Yet they still loved each other.
Nisha thought her husband might have   ___   about their anniversary. When door bell rang, Nisha was   ____   happy that Akshaye had finally remembered. She ran to open the door. Indeed, Akshaye was standing outside and   ____   a bunch of flowers. They started to have a(n)  ____   night. But then the phone started ringing. Nisha went to   ____  it up. There was a man on the other   ____   of the phone. “Hello, madam. I am calling from the   ____  station. Is this Mr. Akshaye Malhotra's number？”
“Yes, it is.”
“There was an   ___  , and a man died. We got your number from the man's   ____. We need you to come here and   ____   the body.”
Nisha's heart   ____. “Whhhaat? B．..but my husband is here with me.”
“Sorry, madam, the accident took place at 3：00 pm.”
She had heard that the soul of the dead person would come to meet you before it   ____. She ran to the sitting room. Akshaye was not there. Had something bad really happened? If she had been given ____  chance, she would have mended all her   ____. She was about to lose her senses.   ____ Akshaye came out of the bathroom, saying, “Dear, my wallet was   ____   while I was   ____   my way home this afternoon.”
Life might not give you a   ____   chance. So never waste a moment when you have the chance to make up for your deeds.
小題1:
A．marriageB．engagement
C．divorceD．birth
小題2:
A．talkedB．a(chǎn)rgued
C．quarreledD．a(chǎn)greed
小題3:
A．rememberedB．memorized
C．remindedD．forgotten
小題4:
A．friendlyB．luckily
C．surprisinglyD．fortunately
小題5:
A．givingB．holding
C．carryingD．delivering
小題6:
A．gentleB．romantic
C．extraordinaryD．normal
小題7:
A．pickB．put
C．getD．give
小題8:
A．beginningB．end
C．lineD．call
小題9:
A．postB．bus
C．policeD．railway
小題10:
A．incidentB．a(chǎn)ffair
C．eventD．a(chǎn)ccident
小題11:
A．ID cardB．passport
C．licenseD．wallet
小題12:
A．realize B．know
C．a(chǎn)chieveD．identify
小題13:
A．sankB．drowned
C．shockedD．beat
小題14:
A．departedB．a(chǎn)rrived
C．a(chǎn)ppearedD．recovered
小題15:
A．the otherB．other
C．a(chǎn)notherD．one
小題16:
A．mistakesB．failure
C．faultsD．disadvantages
小題17:
A．SuddenlyB．Luckily
C．UnfortunatelyD．Sadly
小題18:
A．thrownB．stolen
C．droppedD．a(chǎn)ttached
小題19:
A．inB．on
C．a(chǎn)boveD．over
小題20:
A．niceB．third
C．satisfiedD．second

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


IV. Reading(30)
A
Mathematical ability and musical ability may not seem on the surface to be connected, but people who have researched the subject -- and studied the brain—say that they are. Three quarters of the bright but speech-delayed children in the group I studied had a close relative who was an engineer, mathematician or scientist, and four fifths had a close relative who played a musical instrument. The children themselves usually took readily to math and other analytical subjects and to music.
Black, white and Asian children in this group show the same patterns. However, it is clear that blacks have been greatly overrepresented in the development of American popular music and greatly underrepresented in such fields as mathematics, science and engineering.
If the abilities required in analytical fields and in music are so closely related, how can there be this great discrepancy? One reason is that the development of mathematical and other such abilities requires years of formal schooling, while certain musical talents can be developed with little or no formal training, as has happened with a number of well-known black musicians.
It is precisely in those kinds of music where one can acquire great skill without formal training that blacks have excelled popular music rather than classical music, piano rather than violin, blues rather than opera. This is readily understandable, given that most blacks, for most of American history, have not had either the money or the leisure for long years of formal study in music.
Blacks have not merely held their own in American popular music. They have played a large role in the development of jazz, both traditional and modern. A long string of names comes to mind—W.C. Handy, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker…and so on.
None of this presupposes(假設(shè)，意味著) any special innate（先天的）ability of blacks in music. On the contrary, it is perfectly consistent with blacks having no more such inborn ability than anyone else, but being limited to being able to express such ability in narrower channels than others who have had the money, the time and the formal education to spread out over a wider range of music, as well as into mathematics, science and engineering.
36. what is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A.    Mathematical ability and musical ability are connected.
B.    Mathematical ability has more to do with the brain than musical ability.
C.    More people are good at music than math.
D.    More research should be done into the relationship between mathematical ability and math ability.
37. The word “discrepancy” (Para. 3) most probably means ____.
A. difference  B. excellence  C. inborn ability     D. inability
(38. What can be inferred about opera?
A.    It requires formal training.
B.    It is often enjoyed by those with strong analytical ability.
C.    It is disliked by blacks.
D.    It is more difficult to learn than classical music.
39. Which of the following statements is true according to the last paragraph?
A.    Blacks have special innate ability in music.
B.    Unlike others, blacks do not have innate ability in music.
C.    Jazz is one of the narrow channels through which blacks express their ability in music.
D.    Those who have money and time choose mathematics over music.
40. which of the following questions does the passage mainly concern?
A.    Are musical ability and mathematical ability connected?
B.    Why have blacks been greatly over represented in the development of American popular misic?
C.    What kinds of music require formal training?
D.    What are the contributions made by black musicians?

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