“I had a test and didn’t want to do it, so I pretended to be ill”, says 13-year-old Mary. But Mary did not enjoy her day off. “It was boring. I wished I had gone to school.”
Mary’s story is not unusual in Britain. According to the latest government figures, pupil absences are rising, despite schools taking a hard line on truancy (逃學).
Dr Philip James from Cardiff University thinks she knows why: “As schools make more efforts to find and punish missing students, students find better ways to avoid being caught.”
For several years, James has researched teenager truancy and discovered that most truancy was “a response to factors within the school”. Students that skip school are not necessarily less advanced or less intelligent. They complained of teachers who failed to engage them, and of “boring” lessons. “Many of them really enjoy school and believe in education, but drop out when aspects of it are ineffective.” James says.
The views of students like Adam, who believes that skipping lessons has little impact on his schooling, are common. “I only take off for a lesson, or a couple of days. It doesn’t affect my education,” he told James.
James believes that schools need to address the question of why pupils want to leave in the first place. “Pupils need help from the start.” she says. “Schools need to look at the reasons for truancy rather than the number, so that instead of walking away from school, students have the skills and chances to talk through problems and make a change.”
小題1:What is one of the reasons that many students skip school according to James’ study?
A．They feel they have fallen behind in their studies.
B．They have no interest in school education.
C．They now have more interesting things to do.
D．They find some lessons and teachers uninteresting.
小題2:The underlined phrase “taking a hard line” (Paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to “________”.
A．experiencing a problem withB．having a strict attitude towards
C．finding it difficult to deal with D．having little success with
小題3:The writer used Adam’s comments (Paragraph 5) to show that ________.
A．school education needs improvement
B．good students also need a break from school
C．schools need to pay more attention to truancy
D．many students believe occasional truancy isn’t serious
小題4:What does Dr James suggest schools do about truancy?
A．Fire all their unqualified teachers.
B．Improve communication with students.
C．Develop better ways to discover truancy.
D．Introduce more serious punishments.

小題1:D
小題1:B
小題1:D
小題1:B
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

We have completed our first month of preschool. Matthew seems to 26  it. He is catching on to the routine quite nicely. I didn’t leave him there 27  much the first couple weeks. I am finding if I’m not there he behaves much better.
In this class a little German boy, who does not speak  28 ，cried all the time at first and now cries occasionally.
The Monday of the second week the little fellow just cried and cried. He was sitting  29  Matthew. I thought Matthew was going to start  30  and join in. I stood by and watched, ready for the rescue. Matthew kept turning around and  31  the boy. Then he reached his hand back and  32  him on the leg. He was comforting the boy! Later Matthew was playing with a  33  and the boy with blocks. Actually he was just standing by and crying. Matthew drove his truck over to the blocks,  34  it, picked up a few of the blocks and started handing them to  35 . They then together started 36  towers on the table and the little boy  37  crying．It seemed  38  Matthew knew what the little guy needed．Here was the little guy，who can’t speak English，and Matthew，who  39  playing together，like they were best  40 .
One of the days when I stayed，they were at lunch and Matthew was  41  at the table. I pulled up a chair to sit next to him．He smiled，then grabbed his book bag and took off running  42  the cafeteria．I took off after him．When we reached the wall he just giggled (咯咯笑)，turned around and looked at me． I bent  43  to blame him for leaving his seat and running. He suddenly  44  a big wet kiss right on my cheek and smiled at me．All I could do was to take his hand and  45  him back to his seat．Then I turned my back and couldn’t help laughing.
小題1:
A．escapeB．hateC．enjoyD．a(chǎn)void
小題2:
A．outB．inC．off D．a(chǎn)lone
小題3:
A．SpanishB．EnglishC．Chinese D．Japanese
小題4:
A．behindB．besideC．in front of D．far from
小題5:
A．over againB．a(chǎn)ny momentC．even harderD．loudly
小題6:
A．beatingB．shouting atC．1ooking at D．1earning from
小題7:
A．helpedB．hitC．held D．patted
小題8:
A．toyB．dollC．truck D．train
小題9:
A．parkedB．repairedC．brokeD．threw
小題10:
A．meB．the teacherC．himself D．the little boy
小題11:
A．a(chǎn)ddingB．climbingC．building D．putting
小題12:
A．continuedB．enjoyedC．began D．stopped
小題13:
A．whereB．a(chǎn)sC．whenD．a(chǎn)s if
小題14:
A．signsB．startsC．teaches D．1earns
小題15:
A．brothersB．childrenC．friends D．people
小題16:
A．standingB．runningC．sittingD．jumping
小題17:
A．a(chǎn)crossB．intoC．out of D．through
小題18:
A．upB．downC．in D．towards
小題19:
A．leftB．receivedC．shouted D．showed
小題20:
A．forceB．walk C．pushD．drive

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Why should I teach my children history? That sounds like a stupid question to even ask．But, as I hear different home schooling teachers discuss history, I get the idea that there may be different reasons for teaching history．Let me briefly explain the three good reasons for studying history and two bad reasons for studying history．
The major reason I see for studying history is that we can learn from the past．I am convinced that the world would be a much better place if more people understood the successes and failures of the past and the things that made these successes and failures．However, as the unfortunately true statement goes "the one thing we seem to learn from history is that we don't seem to learn from history". Perhaps at least in teaching history, to my children I can do a small part in changing this．
A second major reason for studying history is that it is hard to understand the current political climate in the absence of an understanding of its historical context．We can’t even understand why we are and where we are without history, much less （更不必說） try to figure out where we are going or how we should get where we want to be．
I teach my children history, for one more reason．I purchased a set of historical audio （錄音機） tapes for our children．My seven-year-old son listened to them over and over．It was my hope that he would become inspired by the accomplishments of people like the Wright brothers to accomplish things by himself．I think that it is good that we celebrate the accomplishments of people like Martin Luther King Jr．if, in doing so, young people are called on to stand for the principles that he stood for and accomplish what he accomplished．I also think that by studying people like Adolph Hitler, people can learn to stand against the things that he stood for．
小題1:What message can we get from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 ?
A．Many people aren't clever enough to learn well from the past．
B．Many people fail to make good use of history and make the same mistakes．
C．Many people feel it hard to understand history．
D．Many people have no interest in studying history．
小題2:In Paragraph 3, the author shows that history is useful because _______________．
A．It makes the current political situation go smoothly
B．It helps us realize the importance of historical events
C．It helps us understand why things are the way they are
D．It helps people accept the present situation where they live
小題3:Some historical figures are mentioned in the last paragraph to show ______________．
A．People can be inspired to do good, while also learning to fight against evil
B．People may also learn from bad historical figures
C．More celebrations should be held to honor their achievements
D．Today’s people can also achieve what they achieved
小題4:What would be talked about in the following paragraph?
A．How to teach history effectively．
B．Some negative reasons for studying history．
C．How to get more people to study history．
D．Some bad historical figures．
小題5:The main purpose of this passage is to ____________．
A．inspire the parents to teach their children history
B．show the importance of history in politics
C．explain the reasons why children study history
D．introduce the writer' s own way of teaching history

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The food on the moon has come a long way from the freeze – dried bread to half – dried food. They have changed a lot in the past few years. And now US scientists want to grow vegetables in mini – greenhouses on the moon.
Scientists say they are looking forward to a time when people on the moon or even Mars will be able to eat green and fresh vegetables. Paragon Space Development Corporation has shown people what it called the first step toward growing flowers – and finally food – on the moon.
Paragon, which is a partner of NASA in experiments at the International Space Station, calls it a “Lunar Oasis (綠洲)”
This is a closed greenhouse placed in a metal box. It is designed to safely land a laboratory plant on the moon surface, and protect it while it grows.
The small greenhouse is to be sent up into space by Odyssey Moon Ltd, which takes part in the Google Lunar X Prize. This competition offers $ 20 million to any company which can send up, land and operate a lunar rover (月面車) on the moon surface.
Leaders of Paragon say future testing of the “Lunar Oasis” will be driven by Odyssey’s flight schedule, which will not happen until 2012 at the earliest.
When it is sent up, the greenhouse will have the seeds (種子) of cabbage inside it. Because they go from seed to flower in just 14 days, they can complete their life cycle in a lunar night.
“Growing plants on the Moon or Mars seems so far away, but it is important that we do this research now,” Paragon president Jane Poynter said. “It takes a long time to do a lot of research.”
小題1:What do we know about “Lunar Oasis” from the passage?
A．It is made of wood by scientists.
B．It is open for people who are on the Mars.
C．It can carry different kinds of plants to the moon.
D．It will protect plats to grow on the moon.
小題2:The seeds of cabbage are chosen because they         .
A．have beautiful followersB．can grow very quickly
C．can grow in the greenhouseD．can grow bigger than other seeds
小題3:According to the passage, Paragon Space Development Corporation      .
A．has produced food on the moonB．is in charge of NASA in experiments
C．takes part in the Google Lunar X PrizeD．may test “Lunar Oasis” in the future
小題4:What does Jane Poynter think of growing plants on other planets?
A．It is possible.B．It can be realized easily
C．It is impossible.D．It will come true very soon.
小題5:What would be the best title for the passage?
A．Exploring the Moon and the MarsB．Making Use of the Lunar Rover
C．Researching Fresh Food on the MoonD．Seeking the Living Things on the Moon

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

“Most experiences of absent-mindedness ,forgetting where you left something or wondering why you just entered a room , are caused by a simple lack of attention, ” says Schacter. “You’re supposed to remember something, but you haven’t encoded（編碼） it deeply.”
　Encoding, Schacter explains, is a special way of paying attention to an event that has a major impression on recalling it later. Failure to encode properly can create troublesome situations. If you　put your mobile phone in a pocket, for example, and don’t pay attention to what you did because you’re involved in a conversation, you’ll probably forget that the phone is in the jacket now hanging in your cupboard. “ Your memory itself isn’t failing you, ” says Schacter, “Rather, you didn’t give your memory system the information it needed.”  http://wx.jtyjy.com/
　Lack of interest can also lead to absent -mindedness. “A man who can recite sports statistics from 30 years ago, ” says Zelinski, “ may not remember to drop a letter in the mailbox.”Women have slightly better memories than men, possibly because they pay more attention to their environment, and memory depends on just that.
　　“Visual cues（ 視覺提示 ）can help prevent absent--mindedness, ”says Schacter, “But be sure the cue is clear and available. ”If you want to remember to take a medicine with lunch, put the pill bottle on the kitchen table—don’t leave it in the medicine box and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket.
　　Another common experience of absent - mindedness: walking into a room and wondering why you’re there. Most likely, you were thinking about something else. “Everyone does this from time to time, ”says Zelinski. “The best thing to do is to return to where you were before entering the room, and you’ll likely remember.”
小題1:The writer of the passage thinks that encoding properly is very important because ________.
A．it enables us to recall something from our memory
B．it slows down the process of losing our memory
C．it helps us understand our memory system better
D．it helps us to get back to where we were
小題2:One possible reason why women have a little better memories than men is that________.
A．they rely more on the environment
B．they have a wider range of interests
C．they have an unusual power of focusing their attention
D．they are more interested in what’s happening around them
小題3:Why can a note in the pocket hardly serve as a reminder? ________.
A．It will easily get lost
B．It is out of your sight
C．It’s not clear enough for you to read
D．It might get mixed up with other things
小題4:From the last paragraph we can learn that________.
A．repetition might help improve our memory
B．memory depends to a certain extent on the environment
C．we’d better return to where we were if we forget things
D．we should think about something else while doing one thing
小題5:The passage is mainly about ________.
A．the memory system of persons
B．a(chǎn) way of encoding and recalling
C．the causes of absent-mindedness
D．the impression of the environment on memory

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

it tastes just chicken
Away from home, eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full．It is a language all its own, and no words can say, "Glad to meet you ．．．glad to be doing business with you ．．．" quite like sharing a meal offered by your host．
Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say, "Thanks, but no thanks．" Acceptance of the food on your plate means acceptance of host, country, and company．So, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, swallow．Or, as one experienced traveler says, "Travel with a cast-iron stomach and eat everything everywhere．"
Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country's eating culture．What would Ataiericans think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie or sirloin? Our discomfort comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our umamiliarity with it．After all, an oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep's eye; and a first look at a lobster would remind almost anybody of a creature from a science fiction movie, not something you dip in butter and eat．By the way, in Saudi Arabia sheep's eyes are a famous dish and in parts of China it's bear's paw soup．
Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites．It helps, though, to slice any item very thin．This way, you minimize the taste and the reminder of where it came from．Or, " Swallow it quickly, " as one traveler recommends．"I still can't tell you what sheep's eyeballs taste like．" As for dealing with taste, the old line that "it tastes just like chicken" is often thankfully true．Even when the "it" is really rat or snake．
Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating．What's for dinner? Don't ask． Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus．Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is chicken in that soup．
小題1:The purpose of the article is to ____．
A．introduce unfamiliar food
B．share the writer's personal experiences
C．suggest ways to overcome a cultural barrier
D．a(chǎn)dvise on how to politely refuse to eat foreign food
小題2:According to the writer, people hesitate at strange food mainly due to ____．
A．the way it looksB．safety worries
C．lack of information about itD．the unfamiliar atmosphere
小題3:From the article we can infer that ____．
A．a(chǎn)n American may feel comfortable with sirloin
B．one should refuse strange food after a few bites
C．English-language menus are not always dependable
D．one needs a cast-iron stomach to travel in other cultures
小題4:One may say "It tastes just like chicken．" when ____．
A．showing respect for chicken-loving nations
B．greeting people with different dieting habits
C．evaluating chefs at an international food festival
D．getting someone to try a visually unpleasant meal

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts more intelligent. They will help shoppers find paper cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill.
The touch-screen devices are on show at the Food Marketing Institute’s exhibition here this week, “These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker,” said Michael Alexander, manager of Springboard Retail Networks Inc., which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge.
Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July. A similar device, IBM’s “Shopping Buddy”, has recently been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts.
Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf.
“The whole model is driven by advertisers’ need to get in front of shoppers,” said Alexander. “They’re not watching 30-second TV ads anymore.”
People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card to start a system（系統(tǒng)）that will organize the trip around the store. If you’re looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen showing where you are and where you can find them.
The device also keeps a record of what you buy. When you’re finished, the device figures out your bill. Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.
The new computerized shopping assistants don’t come cheap. The Buddy devices will cost the average store about $ 160, 000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $ 500 for each device.
小題1:The underlined word “they”（paragraph 1）refers to ____________.
A．supermarketsB．shop assistants
C．shopping cartsD．shop managers
小題2:We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________.
A．intelligent shopping carts cost a large sum of money
B．the Concierge is cheaper than the Buddy devices
C．shop assistants with computer knowledge are well paid
D．a(chǎn)verage stores prefer the Concierge to the Buddy devices
小題3:What might be the most suitable title for the text?
A．New age for supermarkets
B．Concierge and Shopping Buddy
C．New computers make shopping carts smarter
D．Touch-screen devices make shopping enjoyable

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In summer, millions of people will head for the beach．And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way．Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity．
“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples （波紋） in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”
When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine （渦輪） ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator （發(fā)電機） ．
The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．
The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．
With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”
In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!
小題1:Which of the following is NOT true?
A．Wave power doesn’t cost too much money．
B．Wave energy is so clean that it doesn’t create the same amount of pollution as other energy sources．
C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic．
D．Wave power may affect marine animals．
小題2:We can infer from the passage that ______．
A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy
B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world
C．wave power is not quite perfect for creating energy around the world
D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution
小題3:The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．
A．regretsB．a(chǎn)dventuresC．disadvantagesD．difficulties
小題4:What can be the best title for the passage? 
A．How to Get Electricity by WavesB．The advantages of Wave Energy
C．Can Waves Make Electricity?D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Social networking isn't only for the under 40s. More than 25 percent of Americans 50 years and older stay connected using sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, according to new research.
"The latest data tells us that more and more social networking is becoming a part of everyday life for Americans 50 plus," said Kevin Donnellan, the chief communications officer at AARP, which released the report.
Nearly a quarter of older Americans are on Facebook and 73 percent said they use it to stay in touch with relatives, but not just their children and grandchildren. "They are using the Internet to keep up with the world and the people who are important to them," said Jean Koppen, the author of the report. She added that older adults are also on Facebook to stay connected, not only with their family, but with their friends and peers. Almost 50 percent of older adults were introduced to the social networking sites by a family member, mainly a child or grandchild. "Just under one-fifth of adults aged 50 and older say they do not use the Internet," according to the report.
The findings are based on a telephone survey of 1,863 adults. In addition to keeping up on Facebook and Twitter older adults are also aware of the latest technology. Eighty-three percent had heard about the Apple iPad and 11 percent intended to buy one.
小題1:What’s the main idea of the passage?             
A.       Social networking isn’t for the under 40s in the U.S.A.
B.       American old people’s way of life is quite fashionable.
C.       The Internet is also popular among the American over 50s.
D.       Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are hot websites in America.
小題2:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?    
A．Nearly 2000 adults took part in the survey on line.
B．The over 50s were introduced to the Internet by the young.
C．About 20% of adults aged 50 and older don’t like the Internet.
D．Many Americans 50 plus stay connected using the Internet.
小題3:What’s the underlined sentence used for?    
E.                   It’s used as a reason for the popularity of the Apple iPad in America.
F.                   It’s used as an example of the older adults’ awareness of the latest technology.
G.                  It’s used as a suggestion to the readers who are interested in the IT products.
H.                  It’s used as a choice for the Americans intending to use Social networking.
小題4:Where can we most probably read this passage?    
I.                     In an experiment introduction.
J.                    In a computer magazine.
K.                  In a product advertisement.
In a news report

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