No budget for your vacation? Try home exchanges ---- swapping houses with strangers. Agree to use each other’s cars, and you can save dollars on car rentals (租賃費(fèi)), too.
Home exchanges are not new. At least one group, Intervac, has been facilitating such an arrangement since 1953. But trading online is gaining popularity these days, with several sites in operation, including Home Exchanges. Founded in 1992, with some 28,000 listings, this company bills itself as the world’s largest home exchange club, reporting that membership has increased 30% this year.
The annual fee is usually less than US$100. Members can access thousands of listings for apartments, villas, suburban homes and farms around the world. Initial contact is made via e-mail, with subsequent communication usually by phone. Before a match is made, potential swappers tend to discuss a lot.
However, the concept may sound risky to some people. What about theft? Damage? These are reasonable causes for concern, but equally unlikely. As one swapper puts it, “Nobody is going to fly across the ocean or drive 600 miles to come steal your TV. Besides, at the same time they’re staying in your home, you are staying in their home.”
Exchange sites recommend that swappers discuss such matters ahead of time. They may fill out an agreement spelling out who shoulders which responsibilities if a problem arises. It does not matter if the agreement would hold up in court, but it does give the exchangers a little satisfaction.
Generally, the biggest complaint among home exchangers has to do with different standards of cleanliness. Swappers are supposed to make sure their home is in order before they depart, but one person’s idea of “clean” may be more forgiving than another’s. Some owners say if they come back to a less-than-sparkling kitchen, it may be inconvenient but would not sour them on future exchanges.
小題1:What is the second paragraph mainly about? 
A．How to exchange homes.
B．The biggest home exchange agency Intervac.
C．The fact that home exchanges are not new.
D．A contrast between Intervac and Home Exchanges.
小題2:How do home exchangers normally begin their communication?
A．By phone.B．Via a matchmaker.
C．By e-mail.D．Via a face-to-face meeting.
小題3:What is recommended in the passage to deal with the concerns about theft and damage?
A．One can file a lawsuit in court.
B．Both parties can trade online.
C．One can damage the home of the other party in return.
D．Both parties can sign an agreement beforehand.

小題1:C
小題2:C
小題3:D

試題分析：文章大意：文章論述了假期時(shí)人們?yōu)榱藴p少開支，相互簽訂協(xié)議交換房子住的事。
小題1:C主旨大意題。第二段主要講述了“交換房子住”這種現(xiàn)象是如何越來越流行的。故C正確。
小題2:C細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由文章第三段第三句Initial contact is made via e-mail,  with subsequent communication usually by phone可知。故C正確。
小題3:D細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由文章第五段前兩句. . . swappers discuss such matters ahead of time. They may fill out an agreement. . . 可知。故D正確。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

As the old saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But Venezuela, whose beauty queens have won Miss Universe and Miss World over six times, doesn’t leave it to chance. In Venezuela, girls as young as four can be found attending beauty schools, where they can learn a range of skills from how to walk to the correct way to hold a wine glass.
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A．moments B．possibilities C．situations D．ways
小題2:
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B．She showed in her Facebook that she was still not dating anyone.
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D．He saw the name of her ex-boyfriend on his news feed.
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Expanding and diversifying（使多樣化）energy sources by using more natural gas could lead to lower fuel prices and to greater energy security. We've taken some of the steps to get started, but we need your help to get the rest of the way.
小題1:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Gas played a major part in the 20th century.
B．Natural gas facilities are far from satisfactory.
C．Gas reserves are widely spread around the world.
D．Necessary facilities are ready to bring gas to market.
小題2: The underlined word "one"（in Paragraph 2）refers to _____________.
A．a(chǎn) gas supply sideB．a(chǎn) business environment
C．a(chǎn) gas consuming nationD．a(chǎn) policy for gas development
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A．change the rules of the game
B．open markets in their backyards
C．build pretty facilities along the coast
D．have long-term policies for gas supply
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A．warn people of the lack of power and fuel
B．discuss the importance of oil and natural gas
C．call for better use and development of natural gas
D．instruct people how to make use of energy sources
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B．where energy sources are concentrated
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

“Have a nice day!” may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Maxie says “Have a nice day” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.
“Have a nice day. Next!” This version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words come out in the same tone(腔調(diào))with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say. “Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day.”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and all the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.
小題1: How does the author understand Maxie’s words?
A．Maxie shows her anxiety to the author.
B．Maxie really wishes the author a good day.
C．Maxie encourages the author to stay happy.
D．Maxie really worries about the author’s security.
小題2: What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
A．The salesgirl is rude.
B．The salesgirl is bored.
C．The salesgirl cares about me.
D．The salesgirl says the words as a routine.
小題3:By saying “Have a nice day,” a stranger may 　　　. 
A．try to be polite to youB．express respect to you
C．give his blessing to youD．share his pleasure with you
小題4:According to the last paragraph, people say “Have a nice day” 　　　. 
A．sincerelyB．a(chǎn)s thanks
C．a(chǎn)s a habitD．encouragingly
小題5: What is the best title of the passage?
A．Have a Nice Day — a Social Custom
B．Have a Nice Day — a Pleasant Gesture
C．Have a Nice Day — a Heart-warming Greeting
D．Have a Nice Day — a Polite Ending of a Conversation

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