Can you remember a morning when you’ve woken up to the ring of your alarm clock and wished you could stay in bed? You haven’t slept well, your hair is a mess. Worse, you can’t stop yawning. Yawning is universal to humans and many animals. Cats, dogs and fish yawn just like humans do! Yawning is an involuntary(無意識的,不自覺的) action during which you open your mouth and breathe deeply. The average duration of a yawn is about 6 seconds.
The purpose and cause of yawning are still a mystery. Scientists are not sure what causes a yawn. People yawn when they are tired or bored, but they also yawn when they aren’t. There are many ideas explaining why we yawn.
One idea is that yawning is a way for the body to become more alert by taking in more oxygen. A yawn increases the heart rate, forces carbon dioxide out of the lungs and blood stream, and brings oxygen to the brain. But one study showed that volunteers given a lot of oxygen did not yawn any less than before, while those given a lot of carbon dioxide did not yawn more.
Another idea is that early humans used yawning as a form of communication. If one decided it was time to sleep, they would tell the others by yawning and they would do it in return to show they agreed.
A third explanation comes from psychology professor Gordon Gallup of University at Albany in New York. He said that as people yawn, they cool off their brains. “Brains are like computers.” he said. “They only operate efficiently and effectively when they’re cool. Many things connected to yawning, like being tired, make the brain hot, and yawning can reduce the heat.”
Scientists have sent people into space, and created terrible nuclear weapons, but there are lots of seemingly simple things, such as why we yawn, or hiccup（打嗝）, that they can’t figure out. Next time you are in class in the morning, let out a big yawn and watch to see how many of your classmates yawn in response!
小題1:What’s the purpose of the description of how bad you may feel when you’re woken up in the morning?
A．To explain why humans yawn.
B．To explain how humans start yawning.
C．To lead into the topic of yawning.
D．To complain about being woken up by the clock.
小題2:Which is not among the possible reasons for yawning mentioned in the passage?
A．A way to show that you feel hot.
B．A way to get rid of carbon dioxide.
C．A way to cool off your brain.
D．A way to communicate.
小題3:In which situation are you likely to yawn?
A．When you feel frustrated.
B．The weather is hot.
C．Someone else yawns near you.
D．When you breathe in a lot of carbon dioxide.
小題4:What can we learn from the passage?
A．The real reason why humans and most animals yawn.
B．Hiccups are an involuntary human action similar to yawns.
C．The more an action can be studied, the easier it is to research.
D．Finding out why humans yawn should be easier than sending people into space.

小題1:C
小題2:A
小題3:C
小題4:B
試題分析:
小題1:這是一道作者意圖題。文章主要是為什么人們會打哈欠，從幾個方面進(jìn)行了闡述。所以文章開篇是為了引出這一討論的話題。故選C。
小題2:細(xì)節(jié)考察題。從第三段的A yawn increases the heart rate, forces carbon dioxide out of the lungs and blood stream可知B是打哈欠的原因之一。從第五段的He said that as people yawn, they cool off their brains.可知C是打哈欠的原因之一。從第四段的Another idea is that early humans used yawning as a form of communication.可知D是打哈欠的原因之一。故選A。
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)題。由文章的第二，三，四段可知其他三項的表述不正確，故選C。
小題4:推理判斷題。由文章的最后一段可知科學(xué)家們對于打哈欠，打嗝的原因還沒有明確的研究結(jié)果。故選B。
點評：文章主要講述了人們對于打哈欠的不同認(rèn)識。分別從身體，交流和心態(tài)方面進(jìn)行了闡述。最后作者又說明了打哈欠，打嗝這樣的現(xiàn)象，科學(xué)家都沒有準(zhǔn)確的研究結(jié)果。文章相對來說比較簡單，帶著問題，再讀全文，找出答題所需要的依據(jù)，完成閱讀。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Old Computers Make for Unhappy Workers --- Survey
LONDON  (Reuters) ----- Dealing with the dissatisfaction of aging and unreliable office computers leads to workers' unhappiness and more sick leave, a survey showed on Wednesday.
A survey carried out by caro4free.net of over 2,700 European office workers from the UK, France and Germany found that workplace dissatisfaction increased greatly with the age of the computer equipment.
"We do know that job satisfaction is falling in Britain and most advanced nations," said Stephen White, a researcher from the Work Foundation. "The actual reasons for this are the subject of very heated discussion. It's certainly one interesting theory that technology may be the cause of this in some way," White added.
A quarter of these using outdated computers in Britain said they were "quite" or "very dissatisfied" with their everyday job compared to the percent of those who had enjoyed an advantage from up-to-date technology.
The survey also said that among workers dealing with outdated equipment, there was a 35 percent greater probability they would take six or more days of sick leave per year compared with the average worker. In France, where more workers use old computers, the probability jumped to 55 percent.
Results also showed that women in the three countries were more likely to be using outdated equipment. In the UK, where more workers have up-to-date computers than in the other countries surveyed, the number of women using old equipment doubled that of men.
White pointed out that there were two sides to this problem, saying that continuously having to deal with new technology and equipment can also be a source of worry. "Old and faulty equipment is a major cause of office dissatisfaction. There is no question about it; but you also have to say that the frequent change of equipment is also, or could be, a main cause of dissatisfaction."
小題1:The underlined word "this" (paragraph 3) refers to ______.
A．workplace dissatisfactionB．computer use in most jobs
C．the aging off office computersD．the survey by care4@ free. net
小題2:How many office workers use old computers in Britain expressed their dissatisfaction?
A．16%B．25%C． 35%D．55%
小題3:According to White, why were the women surveyed more likely to use old computers?
A．Most office workers use old computers.
B．They do some of their work with computers.
C．Dealing with new equipment can cause anxiety.
D．They are easier to be satisfied with new technology.
小題4:What is the subject of the news story?
A．Poor working conditions in offices
B．Research work of the Work Foundation
C．Influence of technology in the workplace.
D．Different attitudes to old computers.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley.
The air temperature during the summer has been as high as fifty- seven degrees Celsius. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as seventy -four degrees Celsius.
Death Valley contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide. In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black.
The area was named by a woman in 1849. Thousands of people from other parts of the ountry traveled to the gold mining areas in California. They were in a hurry to get there before other people did. One group trying to reach California decided to take a path called the Old Spanish Trail. By December they had reached Death Valley.  They did not have to survive the terrible heat of summer, but there was still an extreme lack of water. There were few plants for their work animals to eat.
The people could not find a pass through the tall mountains to the west of the Valley, Slowly, they began co suffer from a lack of food. To survive, they killed their work animals for food and began to walk out of the Valley. As they left, one woman looked back and said, "Good -bye, death valley. ” The name has never been changed.
Almost everyone who visits Death Valley visits a huge house called Scotty' s Castle. The building design is Spanish, with high thick walls to provide protection from the fierce heat.
The castle is named for Walter Scott , called Scotty. by his friends. He was a gold miner. He told everyone that he built the house with money he made from his gold mine. Many people believed him. But it was not really the truth.
小題1: The first two paragraphs discuss Death Valley' s ________.
A．geography B．climate C．location D．size
小題2:The volcanoes mentioned in the third paragraph proved ________.
A．a(chǎn) valley that is formed by explosions B．a(chǎn) place where volcanoes are still active
C．a(chǎn) good example of the violence of nature D．a(chǎn) symbol of rock formations in history
小題3:The woman who named Death Valley intended to ________.
A．explore the mystery of the valley B．find an area with plants for animals
C．experience the terrible heat of summer D．look for gold in California
小題4:If the passage continues, it will be about ________.
A．the truth about Scotty's Castle B．why Spanish built the castle
C．when the castle was built D．where the castle lies in
小題5:The main idea of the passage is about ________.
A．the interesting place in Death Valley B．the facts about Death Valley
C．the origin of Death Valley D．the route to visit Death Valley

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led by Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.
The report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster, population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising the global death rates from illnesses including malnutrition (營養(yǎng)不良) and heat-related health problems.
But even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk, who questioned its methods and conclusions.
Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poor countries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number would double by 2030.
Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studies disaster trends, said the Forum’s report was “a methodological embarrassment” because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid the much larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development in vulnerable (易受傷害的) regions. Dr. Pielke said that “climate change is an important problem requiring our utmost (極度的) attention.” But the report, he said, “will harm the cause for action on both climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed (有瑕疵的).”
However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners who supervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers were rough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a new international climate treaty.
In a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations to focus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerability(弱點) to climate hazards(危害)while still curbing (限制) the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% of the human and economic losses from climate change are occurring in poor countries, according to the report.
小題1:What is the finding of the Global Humanitarian Forum?
A．Global temperatures affect the rate of economic development.
B．Rates of death from illnesses have risen due to global warming.
C．Malnutrition has caused serious health problems in poor countries.
D．Economic trends have to do with population and natural disasters.
小題2:  What do we learn about the Forum’s report from the passage?
A．It was challenged by some climate and risk experts.
B．It aroused a lot of interest in the scientific circles.
C．It was warmly received by environmentalists.
D．It caused a big stir in developing countries.
小題3: What does Dr. Pielke say about the Forum’s report?
A．Its statistics look embarrassing.
B．It is invalid in terms of methodology.
C．It deserves our closest attention.
D．Its conclusion is purposely exaggerated.
小題4:  What is Soren Andreasen’s view of the report?
A．Its conclusions are based on carefully collected data.
B．It is vulnerable to criticism if the statistics are closely examined.
C．It will give rise to heated discussions at the Copenhagen conference.
D．Its rough estimates are meant to draw the attention of world leaders.
小題5:  What does Kofi Annan say should be the focus of the Copenhagen conference?
A．How rich and poor regions can share responsibility in curbing global warming.
B．How human and economic losses from climate change can be reduced.
C．How emissions of heat-trapping gases can be reduced on a global scale.
D．How rich countries can better help poor regions reduce climate hazards.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


This morning, a Virgin Atantin 747 Jumbo Jet became the first commercial airplane to fly on biofuel. The short flight from London to Amsterdam used a blend of 20% babassu(棕櫚) oil mixed with 80% conventional jet fuel.
What was really exciting about the flight was the fact that the engine did not have to be altered in any way for the biofuel to work While this is a great initial step in trying to reduce CO2(carbon-dioxide)emissions(排放)from airplanes. there are a lot of hurdles (障礙)that still need to be overcome.
First and foremost, unlike the normal fuel used to run airplanes (known as Jet A),biofuel freezes at high altitudes. Also, Jet‘A’fuel burns consistently (at the same pace),which means it provides a safe and reliable fuel for long flights--engineers are not sure if biofuel will be able to do the same.
The biggest hurdle to a full biofuel switch is our ability to be able to grow enough crops that can be converted to biofuel. There are two concerns that scientists have in this matter – the first is that the land to grow the extra crops will come from clearing more of our forests and the second is that since it competes with what we eat, the price of food will go up.
However, Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines, envisions that if biofuel starts to replace oil on a greater basis, it will be manufactured from algae（藻類）produced in sewage treatment plants, not from food sources.
Birgin Airlines is not the only one trying to look for alternative fuel sources. Earlier this year, an Airbus A380 used another alternative fuel－a man-made mix of gas-to-liquid, in one of its four engines. The flight was tested by Rolls Royce (manufacturer of jet engines), in partnership with Shell (an oil company). Rolls Royce is also working with Air New Zealand on a similar project.
While a complete switch to alternative fuel may take years, it is very encouraging to see airlines, oil companies and airplane manufacturers all coming together to try to make it happen!
小題1:．Why does Virgin Airlines try to replace normal fuel with biofuel?
A．To cut down the flight cost of the company.
B．To remove some hurdles for the biofuel to work.
C．To reduce CO2 emissions from airplanes.
D．To test plane engines on biofuel.
小題2:．Which is NOT true for a full biofuel switch of airplanes?
A Biofuel cannot run for long flights.                  
B．Biofuel cannot work at high altitudes.
C．Man has not enough land to grow extra crops for biofuel. 
D．It’s not easy for sewage treatment plants to manufacture biofuel.
小題3:．One of the hurdles to be overcome for a full biofuel switch is to          .
A．a(chǎn)lter the engine for airplanes
B．make biofuel burn consistently
C．open more land to grow more crops
D．develop sewage treatment plants
小題4:．We can infer from the last paragraph that          .
A．there is a long way to go for a complete switch to alternative fuel
B．it won’t be long before alternative fuel comes into use
C．a(chǎn)irlines, oil companies and airplane manufacturers are reliable
D．a(chǎn)lternative fuel has a bright future
小題5:．Which of the following can best serves as the title of this passage?
A．Biofuel-Alternative Fuel Sources.
B．The First Commercial Flight Powered by Biofuel.
C．How to Reduce CO2 Emissions from Airplanes.
D．Vigin Airlines Trying to Alter Fuel Sources.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Many children use the Internet to get useful knowledge and information, and to relax in their free time. But some of them are not using it in a good way. Here are some rules to make sure you are safe and have fun on the Internet.
※Make rules for Internet use with your parents. For example, when you can go online, for how long and what activities you can do online.
※Don’t give your password（密碼）to anyone else, and never give out the following information: your real name, home address, age, school, phone number or other personal information.
※Check with your parents before giving out a credit（信用）card number.
※Never send a photo of yourself to someone in email unless your parents say it’s OK.
※Check with your parents before going into a chat（聊天）room. Different chat rooms have different rules and attract different kinds of people. You and your parents will want to make sure it’s a right place for you.
※Never agree to meet someone you met on the Internet without your parent’s permission（允許）. Never meet anyone you met online alone.
※Always remember that people online may not be who they say they are. Treat everyone online as if they were strangers.
※If something you see or read online makes you uncomfortable, leave the site. Tell a parent or teacher right away.
※Treat other people as you’d like to be treated. Never use bad language.
※Remember - not everything you read on the Internet is true.
小題1:The writer tells children to _________.
A．send their own photos to him
B．make rules for Internet use with parents
C．believe everything they read on the Internet
D．give out their personal information
小題2:It’s good for children to ______ on the Internet.
A．give password to others
B．get useful knowledge and information
C．give out a credit card number
D．go into a chat room as they’d like to
小題3:What shouldn’t be done when you are on line? _________
A．Using bad language
B．Sending messages and emails
C．Leaving the site if you feel uncomfortable
D．Treating everyone online as strangers
小題4:If your parents don’t agree, never ________.
A．read anything on the Internet
B．relax in your free time
C．have a face-to-face meeting with anyone you met online
D．treat other people as you’d like to be treated
小題5:The passage is mainly about _________ .
A．How to use computersB．Surfing on the Internet
C．Information on the InternetD．Internet safety rules

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It may help you to know that there is no such thing as a perfect speech．At some point in every speech, every speaker says something that is not understood exactly as he has planned．Fortunately, the moments are usually not obvious to the listeners. Why ? Because the listeners do not know what the speaker plans to say. They hear only what the speaker does say. If you lose your place for a moment, wrongly change the order of a couple of sentences, or forget to pause at a certain point, no one will be any the wiser．When such moments occur, don’t worry about them. Just continue as if nothing happened．
Even if you do make an obvious mistake during a speech, that don’t really matter. If you have ever listened to Martin Luther King’s famous speech – “ I have a dream”, you may notice that he stumble（結(jié)巴）his words twice during the speech．Most likely, however, you don’t remember．Why? Because you were fixing your attention on its message rather than on his way of speech-making. People care a lot about making mistakes in a speech because they regard speech-making as a kind of performance rather than as an act of communication. They feel the listeners are like judges in an ice-skating competition．But, in fact, the listeners are not looking for a perfect performer. They are looking for a well-thought-out speech that expresses the speaker’s ideas clearly and directly．Sometimes a mistake or two can actually increase a speaker’s attractiveness by making him more human．
As you work on your speech, don’t worry about being imperfect．Once you free your mind of this, you will find it much easier to give your speech freely．
小題1:The underlined part in the first paragraph means that no one will ___________．
A．be smarter than youB．notice your mistakes
C．do better than youD．know what you are talking about
小題2:You don’t remember obvious mistakes in a speech because ___________．
A．your attention is on the content
B．you don’t fully understand the speech
C．you don’t know what the speaker plans to say
D．you find the way of speech-making more important
小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that ___________．
A．giving a speech is like giving a performance
B．one to two mistakes in a speech may not be bad
C．the listeners should pay more attention to how a speech is made
D．the more mistakes a speaker makes, the more attractive he will be
小題4:What would be the best title of the passage? 
A．How to Be a Perfect Speaker
B．How to Make a Perfect Speech
C．Don’t Expect a Perfect Speech
D．Don’t Expect Mistakes in a Speech

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

It’s certain that the following tale is a nice example that can teach us a good lesson. One day, a young man  16 begged from door to door along the street.  17 an old wallet in hand, he was asking for a few coins to buy something to eat. He kept complaining about his bad  18  and kept wondering why those who had so much money were never   19  and were always desiring more.
“As for me, if I had only enough to eat and to wear, I would not want anything more."
Just at that moment Goddess Fortune  20 the beggar among the crowd and approached him, greeting, “Hi, young man, I have wished to   21  you for a long time. If you open your wallet, I will pour my gold into it. But keep in mind that I will do that only on this   22 : All that falls into the wallet will be pure gold belonging to you; but every piece falling upon the ground  23 become dust, worth nothing. Are you clear?”
“I see. Now I’m ready. ” said the beggar with confidence.
“Then you should   24 ! It’s obvious that your wallet is a/an   25 one, so don’t load it too heavily,” said the Goddess Fortune. 
The excited beggar could hardly   26 to have gold. He quickly opened his wallet, and a   27  of yellow coins was poured into it. The wallet became heavier and heavier.
“Is that enough? Isn’t it cracking? Will your wallet strong enough for more?” warned the Goddess.
“Never  28 .It’s still strong enough now” replied the beggar firmly.
The wallet was filled with so many coins that the beggar’s hands began to   29 . “Ah, if only the golden stream would   30  forever! Just a little more,” said the beggar, “  31  just a handful or two.”
“There! It’s full. The wallet will   32 .” warned the Goddess again, but the beggar insisted, “ I know it will  33  a little more, just a little more.”
One more piece was added and the wallet split. The   34  fell upon the ground and became dust. The greedy beggar had now   35  but his broken wallet.
小題1:
A．in debtB．in ragsC．in dangerD．in trouble
小題2:
A．PickingB．GatheringC．WinningD．Holding
小題3:
A．clothesB．walletC．fortuneD．chance
小題4:
A．relaxedB．disappointedC．worriedD．satisfied
小題5:
A．a(chǎn)dmittedB．seizedC．realizedD．spotted
小題6:
A．helpB．forgiveC．praiseD．comfort
小題7:
A．occasionB．conditionC．situationD．suggestion
小題8:
A．shallB．wouldC．shouldD．might
小題9:
A．look downB．look afterC．look upD．look out
小題10:
A．smallB．wornC．emptyD．full
小題11:
A．standB．thinkC．breatheD．wait
小題12:
A．streamB．pieceC．pairD．variety
小題13:
A．a(chǎn)skB．requestC．insistD．fear
小題14:
A．spreadB．shakeC．looseD．close
小題15:
A．pourB．endC．dryD．freeze
小題16:
A．takeB．lendC．a(chǎn)ddD．send
小題17:
A．flowB．changeC．disappearD．burst
小題18:
A．a(chǎn)ttractB．holdC．includeD．permit
小題19:
A．presentB．foodC．treasureD．metal
小題20:
A．nothingB．a(chǎn)nythingC．everythingD．something

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Everybody hates rats(老鼠). But in the earthquake capitals of the world—Japan, Los Angeles, Turkey—rats will soon be man’s new best friends.
What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.
How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal(信號). This is sent to a small radio on its back and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. The rat has smelled that person.
Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornell University, New York, says, “Robots’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that. ” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity!
The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to, and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe. ” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will be happy to see a rat in a building, but only after an earthquake, of course.
小題1: In the world earthquake capitals, rats will become man’s best friends because they can ______.
A．take the place of man’s rescue jobs
B．find the position of people alive who are trapped in buildings
C．serve as food for people alive who are trapped in buildings
D．get into small spaces
小題2:From the third paragraph we know the rescuers can judge a person is alive by ______.
A．the noise made by the rat
B．the rat’s unusual behavior
C．the signal sent by the radio on the rat’s back
D．the smell given off by the person
小題3:In doing rescue jobs, ______.
A．rats smell better than dogs
B．dogs don’t need to be trained to smell people
C．robots’ sense of smell can be affected by other smells around
D．rats can see in the dark and they are smaller than robots
小題4:Rats have all the following advantages EXCEPT that ______.
A．they are more fantastic than other animals
B．they are less expensive to train than dogs
C．they don’t need electricity
D．they are small and can get into small places

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