Pop stars today enjoy what once only belonged to the royalty(皇室)．Wherever they go，people turn out in their thousands to greet them.The crowds go wild trying to catch a brief glimpse of their smiling，colorfully dressed idols.The stars are transported in their chauffeur driven Rolls Royces，private helicopters or executive aeroplanes.They are surrounded by a permanent entourage(隨從)of managers，press agents and bodyguards.Photographs of them appear regularly in the press and all their comings and goings are reported，for，like royalty，pop stars are news.If they enjoy many of the privileges of royalty，they certainly share many of the inconveniences as well.It is dangerous for them to make unscheduled appearances in public.They must be constantly shielded from the adoring crowds who idolize them.They are no longer private individuals，but public property.The financial rewards they receive for this sacrifice cannot be calculated，for their rates of pay are great.

And why not？Society has always rewarded its top entertainers lavishly.The great days of Hollywood have become legendary：famous stars enjoyed fame，wealth and adulation(奉承)on an all time scale.By today's standards，the excesses of Hollywood do not seem quite so spectacular.A single gramopphone record nowadays may earn much more in royalties than the films of the past ever did.The competition for the title“Top of the Pops”is fierce，but the rewards are truly huge.
It is only right that the stars should be paid in this way.Don't the top men in industry earn enormous salaries for the service they perform to their companies and their countries？Pop stars earn vast sums in foreign currency—often more than large industrial companies—and the taxman can only be grateful for their massive annual contributions to the exchequer(國庫)．So who would begrudge them their rewards?
It's all very well for people in boring jobs to complain about the successes and rewards of others.People who make envious remarks should remember that the most famous stars represent only the tip of the iceberg.For every famous star，there are hundreds of others struggling to earn a living.A man working in a steady job and looking forward to a pension at the end of it has no right to expect very high rewards.He has chosen security and peace of mind，so there will always be a limit to what he can earn.But a map who attempts to become a star is taking enormous risks.He knows at the outset that only a handful of competitors ever get to the very top.He knows that years of concentrated effort may be rewarded with complete failure.But he knows，too，that the rewards for success are very high indeed：they are the payback for the huge risks involved and once he makes it，he will certainly earn them.That's the essence of private enterprise.
小題1:The author develops the passage mainly by ________.
A．comparing different ideas
B．giving explanations
C．inferring
D．listing typical examples
小題2:The underlined word “begrudge” in the third pararaph is closest in meaning to ________.
A．be jealous ofB．be satisfied with
C．be anxious aboutD．be crazy about
小題3:According to the passage，which of the following can match the view of the author?
A．He who laughs last laughs best.
B．If you venture nothing，you will gain nothing.
C．He who makes no mistakes makes nothing.
D．Success belongs to the persevering.
小題4:Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．People are blind in idolizing stars.
B．There is fierce competition in becoming pop stars.
C．The government taxes pop stars very little.
D．Pop stars' life is more luxurious than that of royalty.

小題1:B
小題2:A
小題3:B
小題4:B

明星的生活總是令人羨慕不已。他們的生活中有光鮮的一面：不菲的收入，以豪華汽車和私人飛機代步，一言一行都成為人們關(guān)注的焦點……然而，我們也應看到，他們活得很累，他們?yōu)槌晒λ冻龅钠D辛和代價是一般人難以想象的。
小題1:解析　篇章結(jié)構(gòu)題。本文主要通過解釋向讀者闡明道理。
答案　B
小題2:解析　詞義猜測題。結(jié)合上下文的語境判斷本句意：誰會對他們所得到的感到妒忌、不滿呢？接下來作者講了一般人從事枯燥但穩(wěn)定的工作，所以這里意思是：從事穩(wěn)定工作的人會妒忌這些明星。
答案　A
小題3:解析　推理判斷題。根據(jù)最后一段可知，想成為明星就要冒更大的風險，然而一旦成功，回報也是豐厚的，那些選擇了穩(wěn)定工作的人是沒有權(quán)利期待高額回報的。“If you venture nothing，you will gain nothing.”意為：不入虎穴，焉得虎子，即要成功就要冒險。
答案　B
小題4:解析　細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章最后一段的“He knows at the outset that only a handful of competitors ever get to the very top.”以及第二段的最后一句可知答案。
答案　B
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Urbanization
(2013·高考北京卷)Until relatively recently，the vast majority of human beings lived and died without ever seeing a city.The first city was probably founded no more than 5,500 years ago.__ 小題1:__In fact，nearly everyone lived on farms or in tiny rural (鄉(xiāng)村的) villages.It was not until the 20th century that Great Britain became the first urban society in history—a society in which the majority of people live in cities and do not farm for a living.
Britain was only the beginning. 小題2:__The process of urbanization—the migration (遷徙) of people from the countryside to the city—was the result of modernization，which has rapidly transformed how people live and where they live.
In 1990，fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas.Today，over 82% of Americans live in cities.Only about 2% live on farms.__ 小題3:__
Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized.Even in advanced agricultural societies，it took about ninety­five people on farms to feed five people in cities._ 小題4:_Until modern times，those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite(精英) and the servants，laborers and professionals who served them.Cities survived by taxing farmers and were limited in size by the amount of surplus food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city.
Over the past two centuries，the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country. 小題5:_Today，instead of needing ninety­five farmers to feed five city people，one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred non­farmers.
A．That kept cities very small.
B．The rest live in small towns.
C．The effects of urban living on people should be considered.
D．Soon many other industrial nations became urban societies.
E．But even 200 years ago，only a few people could live in cities.
F．Modernization drew people to the cities and made farmers more productive.
G．Modern cities have destroyed social relations and the health of human beings.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table，I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation．At one point the woman asked，“So，how have you been?" And the boy -who could not have been more than seven or eight years old-replied．“Frankly, I've been feeling a little depressed lately．"
This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing．As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were “depressed”，that is，in low spirits，until we were in high school．
Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years．Children don't seem childlike anymore．Children speak more like adults，dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to．
Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different．Childhood as it once was no longer exists．Why?
Human development is depended not only on born biological states，but also on patterns of gaining social knowledge．Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new social posifions．Children have always been taught adult secrets，but slowly and in stages；traditionally,we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders．
In the last 30 years，however, a secret-revelation(揭示)machine has been equipped in 98 percent of American homes．It is called television．Television passes information to all viewers allke，whether they are children or adults．Unable to resist the temptation(誘惑)，many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging，more attractive moving pictures．
Communication through print，as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information which children will gain．Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials．
小題1:According to the author, feeling depressed is      ．
A．a(chǎn) sure sign of a mental problem in a child
B．a(chǎn) mental state present in all humans, including children
C．something that cannot be avoided in children’s mental development
D．something hardly to be expected in a young child
小題2:Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world     ．
A．through connection with society
B．gradually and under guidance
C．naturally without being taught
D．through watching television
小題3:According to the author’that today’s children seem adultlike results from   ．
A．the widespread influence of television
B．the poor arrangement of teaching content
C．the fast pace of human scientific development
D．the rising standard of living
小題4:What does the anthor think of communication through print for children?
A．It enables children to gain more social information．
B．It develops children’s interest in reading and writing．
C．It helps chlldren to read and write well
D．It can control what children are to learn．
小題5:What does the author think of the change in today’s children?
A．He feels their adultlike behavior is so funny．
B．He thinks the change worthy of note．
C．He considers it a rapid development．
D．He seems to be upset about it．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Japanese couples，too busy for a normal social life，are increasingly turning to actors to play their friends on the most important days of their lives．
Several agencies have sprung up (涌現(xiàn)) offering actors to attend weddings or even funerals．The first guest-for-hire company was established about nine years ago and around 10 now send out dozens of pretend friends to family events．
Agencies such as Hagemashi Tai —— which means “I want to cheer you up” —— charge around ￡100 for each “guest”．Other services such as giving a speech in praise of a bride or the groom cost extra．
The appearance of the small fake friends industry has been linked to social and economic changes in Japan．With lifetime employment (終身雇傭制) a thing of the past，couples feel uncomfortable about inviting work colleagues to their wedding．Increasingly busy and stressed out，many Japanese surround themselves with only a very small circle of friends．
When they marry，however，they are under pressure to match the number of their new partner’s wedding guests．Office Agents，the largest provider of pretend friends，makes sure that its employees have done their homework and know all about the bride or groom before the wedding．
Hiroshi Mizutani，the company’s founder，said the fake friends he provides must look happy，be well dressed and look like people with good jobs．
小題1:Why did fake friends industry come into being in Japan?
A．Because of social and economic changes．
B．Because of lifetime employment．
C．Because of normal social life．
D．Because of work pressure．．
小題2:Pretend friends will be present on the following occasions except __________ ．
A．weddingsB．funerals
C．workD．family gathering
小題3:The agents make sure that fake friends __________ ．
A．have done their housework
B．have good jobs
C．must look happy and be well dressed
D．feel uncomfortable
小題4:What is the main idea of this passage?
A．Japanese couples are under pressure to get married．
B．The first guest-for-hire company in Japan started．
C．Japanese couples’ social life is boring．
D．Japanese couples rely on fake friends．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Whether you’re eating at a fancy restaurant or dining in someone’s home, proper table manners are likely to help you make a good impression. According to a US expert, Emily Post, “All rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness.”
While Henry Hitchings of the Los Angeles Times admits that good manners can reduce social conflict, he points out that mostly their purpose is protective – they turn our natural warrior-like selves into more elegant ones.
So where did table manners come from?
In medieval England, a writer named Petrus Alfonsi took the lead to urge people not to speak with their mouths full. And King David I of Scotland also proposed that any of his people who learned to eat more neatly be given a tax deduction (減除).
Disappointingly, that idea never caught on. It was during the Renaissance, when there were real technical developments, opinions of correct behavior changed for good. “None of these was more significant than the introduction of the table fork,” wrote Hitchings. “Gradually, as forks became popular, they brought the new way of eating, making it possible, for instance, to consume berries without making one’s fingers dirty.”
Forks were introduced to Britain in 1608 and 25 years later, the first table fork reached America. Yet while most of the essentials (基本要素) are the same on both sides of the Atlantic, there are a few clear differences between what’s normal in the US and what holds true in the UK. For example, in the US, when food needs cutting with a knife, people generally cut a bite, then lay aside the knife and switch the fork to their right hand. Then they pick up one bite at a time. By contrast, Britons keep the fork in the left hand and don’t lay the knife down.
Though globalization has developed a new, simpler international standard of table manners, some people still stick with the American cut-and-switch method.The Los Angeles Times noted, “They are hanging on to a form of behavior that favors manners above efficiency.”
小題1:What does the story mainly talk about?
A．The importance of proper table manners .
B．The development of table manners in Western countries.
C．Some unwritten rules of table manners in the US and UK.
D．Differences between American and British table manners.
小題2: The underlined phrase “caught on” in the passage probably means ______.
A．worked in practice B．became popular
C．drew attention D．had a positive effect
小題3:Which of the following events influenced people’s table manners most according to the article?
A．The introduction of forks.
B．The tax deduction policy.
C．The rise of the Renaissance.
D．Petrus Alfonsi’s efforts in promoting table manners.
小題4:What can we conclude from the article?
A．British and American table manners are completely different from each other.
B．American people pay more attention to their table manners than British people do.
C．With globalization, the American cut-and-switch method has been abandoned in the US.
D．British people’s way of using a knife and fork may be more efficient than American people’s.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

Beware of those who use the truth to cheat. When someone tells you something that is       , but leaves out important information that should be         , he can create a false impression.
For example, someone might say, “I just          a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and          it for one hundred dollars!”
This guy’s a winner,        ? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought two hundred           , and only one was a winner. He’s really a big          !
He didn’t say anything that was         , but he deliberately left out some important      . That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically         , but they are just as not         .
Untrustworthy candidates in           campaigns often use this strategy. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and        three million jobs. Then she          another term. One of her opponents runs an advertisement       , “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true.         , an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of        million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s         the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the         . An advertisement might boast (吹噓), “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples.” It          to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation.
This kind of cheat happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
小題1:
A．false B．trueC．interestingD．boring
小題2:
A．includedB．containedC．involvedD．referred
小題3:
A．lostB．foundC．donatedD．won
小題4:
A．swappedB．tookC．turnedD．made
小題5:
A．rightB．wellC．reallyD．though
小題6:
A．booksB．papersC．tickets D．balls
小題7:
A．winnerB．loserC．fighterD．thinker
小題8:
A．trueB．realC．doubtfulD．false
小題9:
A．detailsB．informationC．mistakesD．errors
小題10:
A．storiesB．truthC．factsD．lies
小題11:
A．pleasantB．excitingC．honestD．clever
小題12:
A．politicalB．commercialC．personalD．public
小題13:
A．stoppedB．foundC．a(chǎn)voidedD．gained
小題14:
A．seeks B．getsC．a(chǎn)chievesD．searches
小題15:
A．writingB．readingC．saying D．speaking
小題16:
A．OtherwiseB．However C．In factD．This way
小題17:
A．oneB．two C．threeD．four
小題18:
A．forB．toC．a(chǎn)gainst D．in
小題19:
A．wordsB．factsC．dataD．truth
小題20:
A．fails B．triesC．managesD．plans

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

We can begin our discussion of “population as a global issue” with what most person mean when they discuss “ the population problem”: too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute. It was quite right to employ a similar matter that linked demographic(人口統(tǒng)計學）growth to “ a long, thin power fuse that burns steadily from time to time until it finally reaches the limit, and explodes”.
To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at the 8,000 years of demographic history. We find that population have been really stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, where infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could exceed their birth rates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.
This pattern is important to know. Not only does it put the current problems of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high rate of death.
Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8000B.C. till approximately 1650 A.D. And a period of rapid growth since 1650. In the first period of some 9,600 years, the population increased form some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2020 there will be 8 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000B.C. and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons was being added annually to the world’s population each year. At present, this number is added very six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually.
小題1:According to the passage, “population as a global issue” ____.
A．is quite unlike the population problem and thus doesn’t need our concern
B．focuses on tracking down the reason of rapid population growth
C．deals with the same problem aroused by the population problem
D．will manage the population growth problem from global perspectives
小題2:It can be inferred from the example of a power fuse that _____.
A．too much population will one day lead to the doom of human beings
B．the trend of population growth will keep unsteady until the destruction of Earth
C．demographic growth will follow a certain pattern of ups and downs
D．it is likely in the near future that population will reduce gradually
小題3:What leads to a stable growth of population for most of human history?
A．Species competitionB．Low fertilityC．Tribal fightsD．High rate of death
小題4:The reason for a rapid growth of population lies in the fact that ______.
A．people are permitted to have more children
B．people can live better than before
C．newborn babies die less than before
D．we have found the secret of longevity
小題5:How many people are born every six hours at present, according to the author?
A．Eighty million.B．Eight thousand
C．Fifty thousandD．Five million

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Online grocery shopping was counted as the next great innovation to make our lives easier. In China more than 3,000 websites offer the service, but none have turned a profit.
Xiang Nian has had a hard day at the office but at least she can skip the trip to the grocery store. A text message on her phone lets her know the order she placed earlier in the day has been delivered to a locker outside her apartment.
"It’s really convenient for an office worker like me. My fresh products are waiting for me when I get home and can start cooking. No need to go to the supermarket any more," Xiang says.
One of the largest online supermarkets in Wuhan is Just-easy Fresh Produce. Over the past 3 years, the company has developed its online retail grocery business by guaranteeing fresh produce and an innovative delivery system. They've installed thousands of lockers in communitieshttp:// / around downtown Wuhan.
"We get an average of 8,000 orders per day. That's the most in China, I'm proud of it. We have placed over 20 thousand lockers in more than half of the communities in Wuhan and we plan to expand to all of them. Many e-commerce giants, like Taobao, are talking about cooperation with us," Jie Xiaofeng, manager of Wuhan Just-easy Agricultural Science & Technology Co., says.
While Just-easy may have thousands of customers, a staff of almost 300 and 40 delivery trucks, it's still operating in the red.
"There are over 3,000 companies selling fresh products online in China. But none is making a profit. It will take them at least 3 years before they make a profit. The major challenge is the cost of delivery. But they do have many advantages. The price of their goods is lower than the supermarkets," professor He Dehua at Huazhong Agricultural University, says.
A number of China's e-commerce giants are making moves into online grocery sales, with Taobao opening an online platform it calls "Cainiao". And traditional retailers(零售店) including Wal-Mart and Carrefour are also looking to start selling their produce online.
Many big B2C e-commerce players usually take fresh farm produce as the last category to add to their offerings. But now more and more large businesses have set their eyes on the industry. They want to prove the fresh food market is definitely suited to online sales.
小題1:What is the main idea of the passage?
A．The online grocery shopping is making our life easier.
B．Just-easy Fresh Produce is a pioneer of the online retail grocery business.
C．Conventional retailers are facing challenges.
D．None of the online grocery supermarkets has made a profit.
小題2:The underlined part “it's still operating in the red” probably means _______.
A．the present situation of the company makes them angry
B．the company is not making a profit
C．the company is very popular with customers
D．the staff of the company are aggressive
小題3:What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A．The fresh food market is definitely suited to online sales.
B．Fresh farm produce is the last category that people will buy online.
C．Online grocery sales have drawn the attention of e-commerce giants.
D．Traditional retailers choose to sell their produce on Cainiao.
小題4:What’s the author’s attitude towards online grocery shopping?
A．Pessimistic.B．Indifferent.C．Objective.D．Supportive.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Cause and effect is one way to explain things that happen around us. Many things happen because something caused or influenced them to happen. Sometimes it is hard to look at a cause and find out what causes the effect. It may help you to start with the effect and use your reasoning(推理的) skills. Think about all the things you know that could be reasons for the effect you can see.
For example, you may see someone putting on a heavy jacket. This is the effect. To look for a cause, think to yourself, “What would make someone put on a heavy jacket?” Maybe the person works in the penguin pen(企鵝圈養(yǎng)地) at a Sea World. Maybe the person is going to visit an ice skating rink where the air is kept very cold. All of these things could be a cause for putting on a heavy jacket.
Now, think about a second example. The effect is a boy named Abi has to go to the head teacher’s office. What are the possible causes? Maybe he bullied(欺負)another student. Maybe he is just being picked up early. Maybe he is being given a prize!
Here is another example for you to think about its cause and effect. Cait, 13, was trying to fall asleep when her 8-year-old brother,Doug, came into her room. He looked around a bit, but seemed really out of it. Then Doug went back into the hallway and stood there looking straight up at the hall light for quite a while. Little brothers can be very strange, this was really much too strange. Cait didn’t know what to do. Just then, Cait’s father appeared and explained that Doug was sleepwalking. What’s the cause and effect, could you tell?
小題1:According to the second paragraph, which of the following is an effect?
A．Someone will go outside into cold weather.
B．Someone works in the penguin pen.
C．Someone puts on a heavy jacket.
D．Someone will go to visit an ice skating rink.
小題2:Abi has to go to the head teacher’s office. Which of the following isn’t the possible  cause?
A．He bullied another student.B．He is going shopping.
C．He is being picked up early.D．He is being given a prize.
小題3: What was Doug doing when his sister Cait tried to fall asleep?
A．He was going outside B．He was reading a story.
C．He was leep walking.D．He was looking for his dad.
小題4:Which of the following is cause and effect?
A．Tony got up and had a glass of water.
B．We came home and found him sleeping.
C．The ball was lost and a window was broken.
D．Tim was late again and his teacher got angry.
小題5:What is the best title for the text?
A．Truth and liesB．Work and sleep
C．Cause and effectD．Life and dreams

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