Today, there’s hardly an aspect of our life that isn’t being upended by the tons of information available on the hundreds of millions of sites crowding the Internet, not to mention its ability to keep us in constant touch with each other via electronic mail. “If the automobile and aerospace technology had exploded at the same pace as computer and information technology,” says Microsoft, “a new car would cost about $ 2 and go 600 miles on a small quantity of gas. And you could buy a Boeing 747 for the cost of a pizza.”
Probably the biggest payoff, however, is the billions of dollars the Internet is saving companies in producing goods and serving for the needs of their customers. Nothing like it has been seen since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when power-driven machines began producing more in a day than men could turn out in nearly a year. “We view the growth of the Internet and e-commerce as a global trend,” says Merrill Lynch, “along the lines of printing press, the telephone, the computer, and electricity.”
You would be hard pressed to name something that isn’t available on the Internet. Consider: books, health care, movie tickets, construction materials, baby clothes, stocks, cattle feed, music, electronics, antiques, tools, real estate, toys, autographs of famous people, wine and airline tickets. And even after you’ve moved on to your final resting place, there’s no reason those you love can’t keep in touch. A company called FinalThoughts.com offers a place for you to store “afterlife e-mails” you can send to Heaven with the help of a “guardian angel”.
Kids today are so computer literate that it in fact ensures the United States will remain the unchallenged leader in cyberspace for the foreseeable(能預(yù)測的) future. Nearly all children in families with incomes of more than $75,000 a year have home computers, according to a study by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Youngsters from ages 2 to 17 at all income levels have computers, with 52% of those connected to the Internet. Most kids use computers to play games (some for 30 hours or more a week), and many teenage girls think nothing of rushing home from school to have e-mail chats with friends they have just left.
What’s clear is that, whether we like it or not, the Internet is an ever growing part of our lives and there is no turning back. “The Internet is just 20% invented,” says cyber pioneer Jake Winebaum. “The last 80% is happening now.”
小題1:What can we learn from the Microsoft’s remark?
A．Today’s cars and airplanes are extremely overpriced.
B．Information technology is developing at an amazing speed.
C．Information technology has reached the point where improvement is difficult.
D．There’s more competition in information technology industry than in car industry.
小題2:According to the author, the biggest benefit of the Internet is that___.
A．it saves companies huge amounts of moneyB．it speeds up profit making
C．it brings people incredible convenienceD．it provides easy access to information
小題3:The author gives the example of FinalThoughts.com to make the point that____.
A．there are some genius ideas on the InternetB．a(chǎn)lmost anything is available on the Internet
C．people can find good bargains on the InternetD．some websites provide novel services to increase hits
小題4:What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?
A．There is a link between income and computer ownership.
B．Many American children don’t put computers to good use.
C．Studies show that boys are more computer literate than girls.
D．The U.S. will stay ahead in the information technology in years.
小題5:Which sentence has the phrase that possesses the same meaning as the one underlined in the fifth paragraph?
A．Some can tell you that he has changed their lives, while others think nothing of him.
B．Think nothing of it. It was my pleasure.
C．He thinks nothing of staying up all night in the Café bar.
D．He thinks nothing of the pain in his back for the moment.
小題6:What is the message the author intends to convey?
A．The Internet is going to get firm hold of our lives some day.
B．The Internet is going to influence our lives even more greatly.
C．We should have a positive attitude towards the changes the Internet brings.
D．Children should be well prepared for the challenges in the information age.

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

Recently, an Internet game has become a new fashion among young office workers and students. People can “farm” on a piece of “l(fā)and” and “grow”, “sell” or even “steal” “vegetables”, “flowers” and “fruits” on the Net. They earn some e-money and buy more “seeds”, “pets” and even “houses”.
Joyce interviewed some young people. Here are their opinions.
Harold: I don’t quite understand why they are so mad about the childish game. Maybe they are just not confident enough to face the real world.
Allan: I enjoy putting some “bugs” (小蟲子) in my friends’’ gardens and we’ve become closer because of the game. Having fun together is the most exciting thing about it.
Laura: You know, people in the city are longing for the life in the countryside. It reduces my work pressure in the office; besides, it gives me the exciting feeling of being a “thief”.
Ivy: Well, it’s just a waste of time. Teenagers playing the game spend so many hours on it that they cannot pay more attention to their study.
小題1:By playing the game, people can ______.
A．make a lot of moneyB．make many friends
C．have great funD．better their life
小題2: The people “steal” someone else’s “vegetables” to ______.
A．live a more comfortable life
B．show their confidence in the reality
C．earn e-money to develop their own "farm"
D．enjoy the feelings of being children
小題3: Among the people interviewed, ______ doesn’t like the game at all.
A．LauraB．HaroldC．JoyceD．Allan
小題4: What can you learn about Laura from the passage?
A．She is a college student.B．She lives in a village.
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

An idea that started in Seattle’s public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.
In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (發(fā)起）the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hongkong.
In Chicago, the mayor(市長）appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighbourhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.
The only problem arose in New York , where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity(一致）can be achieved .Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point ,putting all their energy
And passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.
Ultimately, as Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process, or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.
小題1:What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?
A．To invite authors to guide readers.
B．To encourage people to read and share.
C．To involve people in community service.
D．To promote the friendship between cities.
小題2:Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the project?
A．They had little interest in reading.
B．They were too busy to read a book.
C．They came from many different backgrounds
D．T hey lacked support from the local government
小題3:According to the passage, where would the project be more easily carried out?
A．In large communities with little sense of unity
B．In large cities where libraries are far from home
C．In medium-sized cities with a diverse population
D．In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached
小題4: The underlined words “shared a word” in Paragraph 5 probably mean     
A．exchanged ideas with each other
B．discussed the meaning of a word
C．gained life experience
D．used the same language
小題5: According to Nancy, the degree of students of the project is judged by________
A．the careful selection of a proper book
B．the growing popularity of the writers
C．the number of people who benefit from reading.
D．the number of books that each person reads.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When I was an official of a school in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our board, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly’s son, Jim, had great difficulty in school. He was classified as the educationally handicapped and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents knew his difficulties, but they always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother submitted this letter to the newspaper.
“Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known that the last time I had talked to him would be the last time. If I had only known that, I would have said to him, ‘Jim, I love you and I’m always so proud of you.’ I would have taken the time to count the many blessings he had brought to the lives of the people who loved him. I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile, his laughter, and his genuine love to other people.
“When I put all the good things on the scale and try to balance them with all the irritating (惱人的) things such as the radio that was always too loud, the haircut that wasn’t to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc., I find that the irritations really don’t amount to much.
“I won’t get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear as if it may be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the morning of the day when he died. He called me to say, ‘Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. You have to go to work now. Bye.’ That day, he gave me something to treasure forever. ”
If there is any purpose at all for Jim’s death, maybe it is to make others appreciate life more and to tell people, especially family members, that they should take the time to let each other know just how much they care. You may never have another chance. Do it today!
小題1:Who was Jim?
A．The child of the Tyners’.B．The writer’s relative.
C．The president of a school board.D．An official of a school.
小題2: What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “the educationally handicapped”?
A．The learning difficulty.B．The physical problems.
C．The psychological problems.D．The communication difficulty.
小題3:According to the writer, which of the following about Jim is TRUE？
A．He was always sad about his school marks.
B．His parents always scolded him about his bad school marks.
C．His study needed more attention from his parents and teachers.
D．He was killed in a car accident.
小題4:The purpose of Polly’s letter is to                .
A．memorize her son
B．teach parents to appreciate their children
C．teach children how to be good boys
D．give some advice on how to deal with children’s problems

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Since we are social beings，the quality of our lives depends in a large measure on our interpersonal relationships．One strength of the human condition is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful(有壓力的)conditions．Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties．Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems．People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties．Studies over types of illnesses，from depression to heart disease，show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness，and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely．
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways．First，friends，relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us．Our self-respect is stengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties．Second，other people often provide us with informational support．They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them．Third．we typically find social companionship supportive．Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting(轉(zhuǎn)移注意力)us f rom our worries and troubles．Finally，other people may give us instrumental support--money aid，material resources，and needed services--that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems．
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A．gets rid ofB．makes up ofC．takes place ofD．lessens the effect of
小題2:The researches show that people’s physical and mental health_____.
A．depends on their ability to deal with daily werries and troubles
B．is related to their courage for dealing with major life changes
C．lies in the social medical care systems which support them
D．has much to do with the amount of support they get from others
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A．informational supportB．social companionship
C．the strengthening of self-respectD．instrumental support
小題4:Why are interpersonal relationships important?
A．They can cure types of illnesses．B．They can deal with life changes．
C．they can smooth away daily problems．D．They can make people live more easily．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The Coalition for the Homeless is an organization that seeks to address the needs of the homeless population in the United States．It is a network of offices, some of which provide food and houses for the homeless population．a(chǎn)nd some of which fight for the passing of laws that would give every American the right to a place to call home．According to the Coalition’s studies, of over two hundred million people living in the United States, up to three million are homeless—and the number is still growing since the late 1970s, fast rising house prices, large cuts in government supported housing programs, and economic recession have made it impossible for many Americans to meet housing costs．Sadly, this has resulted in a number of persons being forced to leave their homes and or unable to find new affordable homes．According to another research．families with children appear to be the fastest-growing part of the homeless population, making up 39% of it．The old idea of a homeless person, that of the single man who gets drunk all the time, is no longer true．A much larger part of the population now finds itself homeless．Even worse, once a person becomes homeless, he often finds it impossible to find a job, since most employers require anyone who wants a job from them to provide a home address on a job application
小題1:The word “address” in the first line probably means         ．
A．talk aboutB．deal with C．fight forD．write to
小題2:How many people are homeless in the U．S．a(chǎn)ccording to the Coalition studies?
A．39% of the population．B．200 million people．
C．About 3 million people．D．About one-fifth of the population．
小題3:Homeless people often have difficulty finding a job because________．
A．they have no home addresses
B．they mostly have a drinking problem
C．they aren't supported by government programs
D．they often don't have enough work experience
小題4:What is the main cause of the rising number of the homeless in the U．S．?
A．The passing of new housing laws．B．The fast growth of family size．
C．The slow construction of houses．D．The ever-rising price of housing．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn't matter where you live--in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village--the chances are that you' ll be disturbed by jet planes, radios, oil - powered engines, etc. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they' re working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be a very frightening experience for a human being. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓). The noise level in some discos is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(專心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really influences their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise which doesn't change too much(music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.
小題1:According to this passage, the noise pollution         .
A．has become the worst in the countrysideB．has become better in big cities
C．has spread from cities to villagesD．has been controlled in modern cities
小題2:Some people have their hearing harmed        .
A．while listening to pop musicB．in complete silence
C．when speaking loudlyD．while watching TV
小題3:Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating on something is        .
A．a(chǎn)ll kinds of noiseB．changes in the level of noise
C．background noiseD．popular music

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

They once seemed more at home on the busy streets of Asia like Delhi, Calcutta and Bangkok but cycle powered rickshaws (人力車) can now be seen taking people across town in many European cities. Many people believe that rickshaws are a good way of experiencing a city close-up, while also cutting down on traffic jams and pollution. In Berlin, one of the first cities to introduce this new model of transport, more than 200 bike-taxis go along at 15km per hour, past many tourist attractions and city parks.
“It is completely environmentally friendly; we have new models with an engine to help the driver up the hills but they use renewable energy.” said a spokesman for VELOTAXI, the leading rickshaw company which has carried a quarter of a million people this year.
While the city still has 7,000 motor-taxis, rickshaw company officials say their taxis’ green ideas, speed and safety make them more than just a tourist attraction. While now increasingly out of fashion in Delhi, Berlin people have eagerly accepted the new fleet since their launch in 1997.
“It’s better than a taxi, better than a bus, better than the train,” said ULF Lehman, 36, as he leapt out of a rickshaw near the world famous Brandenburg gate. “ It feels so free.”
“This is something out of the ordinary, you feel you are on holiday in Bangkok instead of Berlin,” said another traveler.
In Amsterdam, driver Peter Jancso said people like to be driven around in his bright yellow rickshaw and pretend to be a queen in a golden carriage. "I like my passengers to feel important," he said as he dropped off another passenger. Another visitor noted how cheap it was compared with a normal taxi.
Although increasingly popular in Europe, it is the opposite in India, where hand-pulled rickshaws are considered inhuman and a symbol of India's backward past.
Nearly 500 bike-rickshaws are running in London and are not required to pay the city's road tax but things may change as other taxi drivers complain of unfair treatment.
小題1:Where are rickshaws becoming more popular?
A．Delhi, Berlin, Paris.B．Amsterdam, Bangkok, Delhi.
C．Athens, London, Berlin.D．Berlin, Amsterdam, London.
小題2:Why are rickshaws no longer as widely used in India as in the past?
A．They are a reminder of a bad period in India's history.
B．They have been banned because they are inefficient.
C．The streets of India are too crowded for them to move through easily.
D．Indians now prefer to travel by car because they are richer.
小題3:What does the underlined sentence "This is something out of the ordinary, you feel you are on holiday in
Bangkok instead of Berlin" suggest?
A．The passenger didn't like taking a rickshaw as it reminded him of Bangkok.
B．The passenger enjoyed being on holiday in Berlin more than in Bangkok.
C．The passenger was impressed when taking a rickshaw and considered it unusual.
D．The passenger disapproved of rickshaws because they were not original to Berlin.
小題4:What is the author's attitude towards rickshaws?
A．He gives no personal opinion.
B．He believes they will be of no use.
C．He thinks they will reduce pollution.
D．He thinks they are old-fashioned.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It is true that shyness can be a disadvantage socially for those who suffer from it seriously. I mean real shyness, not somebody who is simply quiet. Quiet people could be shy, but on the other hand, they may just be observing because they are unsure of you or others in your company. They may be capable of being extrovert (性格外向的) and sociable, but on some particular occasions, they are quiet.
I have learnt from my experience that those who observe and listen more and talk less can gain a position of strength. This means that even a very shy person, the type who is reluctant to talk in company (在交際場合) , especially new company, can become a strong person in just about anything they choose. Remember, knowledge is power, and a shy introvert (性格內(nèi)向的人) is in a better position to gain knowledge than an extrovert. Introverted people can give great attention to learning, and as good listeners they can take in an enormous amount from others. Over time, people can come to respect them far more than the extrovert who speaks a lot. Usually about themselves.
What does it take , then for a very shy person to be that successful person they have always wanted to be ? They may only need one more thing to push themselves on their way. They need to dare themselves to take the leap; and when they do , they will probably find all the knowledge they have gained over the years will help them on their way to the top in their chosen field.
小題1:
What does the first paragraph mainly want to tell us?
A．A person who is quiet may not be shy.
B．A shy person may not be a calm one.
C．Quiet people are usually doubtful.
D．Shyness is sometimes a bad feature.
小題2:
The underlined word “reluctant” in paragraph 2 probably means ______.
A．lazyB．carefulC．eagerD．unwilling
小題3:
According to the author, introverted people can be successful because they usually ___________.
A．have a strong willB．talk less and show off less
C．learn more than extrovertsD．have a good attitude to learning
小題4:
It can be learned from the last paragraph that “one more thing” probably refers to __________.
A．energyB．courageC．quietnessD．knowledge

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