Well before the 15th century, an Anglo-Saxon custom required that a prospective bridegroom break some highly valued personal belonging. Half of the broken token was held by the father of the bride and the other half by the groom. A wealthy man was expected to split a piece of gold or silver.
The earliest engagement rings were also used as wedding rings, serving to seal an act of sale which transformed ownership of a daughter from father to husband. Such rings were usually of solid gold to prove the groom’s worth.
For Roman Catholics, the engagement ring became a required statement of Nuptial intent（結(jié)婚意向）, as decreed by Pope Nicholas I in 860 A.D. The engagement ring was to be of valued metal, preferably gold, which for the husband-to-be represented a financial sacrifice.
Signifying enduring love, and chosen for its durability, the diamond was chosen for the engagement ring. The diamond’s fire is also associated with “l(fā)ove’s clear flame,” given by Medieval Italians because of their belief that the diamond was created from the flames of love.
The Venetians were the first to discover that the diamond is one of the hardest, most enduring substances in nature, and fine cutting and polishing releases the brilliance. Rarity and cost limited their rapid proliferation（急增） throughout Europe but their intrinsic（內(nèi)在的） appeal guaranteed them a future. By the 17th century, the diamond ring had become the most sought after statement of European engagement.　　
1. Who kept the two halves of the engagement rings before marriage?
A. The bride’s father and the bridegroom’s mother.
B. The bride’s mother and the bridegroom.
C. The bride and the bridegroom.
D. The bridegroom and the bride’s father,
2. What’s TRUE about the early Anglo-Saxon custom before the 15th century ?
A. A will-be bridegroom should beat all his valuable belongings.
B. Every will-be bride should split a piece of gold.
C. The engagement rings were also used to prove the groom’s worth.
D. A rich bride should break one of her most valuable personal belongs.
3. Pope Nicholas made the engagement ring a required statement of nuptial intent ______.
A. in the 15th century           B. over 1,000 years ago
C .in the 1860s                D. by the 17th century
4. What kind of engagement ring has been the most popular one in Europe ?
A. Rings made of gold         B. Rings made of silver
C. Rings made of diamond       D. Rings made of an unknown substance in nature.

小題1:D
小題2:C
小題3:B
小題4:C
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


In Britain arrangements for inviting and entertaining guests at a wedding are usually the responsibility of the bride's family．In most cases it is mainly friends and relations of both families who are invited but when bride's father is a businessman of some kind, the  wedding reception may provide a useful occasion for establishing social connections with clients or customers and other people whose goodwill may be of advantage to him．it is, however, the bride's mother who has the job of sending out the formal printed invitation cards．
In the case of a church wedding, the vicar of each parish(教區(qū)) in which the bride and bridegroom live is normally informed about a month in advance of the ceremony so that an announcement of the coming wedding can be made in church on each of three Sundays before it takes place．Anyone who may know of an existing marriage of either partner is ordered to give information, though this means of avoiding bigamy must have been more effective in the days when people attend the religious service and the bride usually wears the traditional long white dress and veil, while her bridesmaids, who are children, wear long dresses in attractive colors．This may also happen in the case of a civil wedding in a register office but is probably less usual．
The reception which follows may be held in a restaurant, a local hall or, when there are few guests, in the bride’s own home．Refreshments are provided, a special iced wedding-cake is cut(usually to the accompaniment of speeches)and distributed to the guests, toasts are drunk and dancing may follow．At some point in the celebrations, the bride goes off to change into everyday clothes and then leaves the party with her husband to go on their honeymoon, the journey they will make together, often in romantic surrounding abroad．
小題1:It is the bride's parents who normally have to________．
A．make all the arrangements for the wedding
B．provide hospitality for the people attending
C．decide who shall be invited
D．pay all expenses involved
小題2:What possible difference is suggested between a church and a civil wedding?
A．Civil weddings are less commonly followed by a reception．
B．It is less usual for guests to attend the civil wedding formalities．
C．Guests at civil weddings are less formally dressed．
D．There could be less attention paid at the latter to convention and picturesque effect．
小題3:The reception normally takes place in the bride’s home if________．
A．this is a large one．
B．there is enough room to entertain the people invited．
C．the parents cannot afford to hire a hall．
D．there is to be no party afterwards．
小題4:The couple leave for their honeymoon________．
A．a(chǎn)fter the church or register office ceremony
B．immediately after the cake has been cut and the speeches made
C．a(chǎn)t the end of the reception
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Many people seem to think that science fiction is typified by the Bug-eyed Monster, embodying every feature that most people find unpleasant. This is unfortunate because it degrades a worthwhile literary endeavor. Instead, the basic interest of science fiction lies in the relation between man and his technology and between man and the universe. Science fiction is a literature of change and a literature of the future, and the aspects of human life that it considers make it well worth reading and studying for no other literary form does quite the same things. What is science fiction? To begin, the following definition should be helpful: science fiction is a literary subgenre which postulates(以…為前提) a change (for human beings) from conditions as we know them and follows the implications of these changes to a conclusion.?
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D can be called science fiction because it places people in an environment different from the one we know?
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B it cannot be made into a dramatic presentation?
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D it has its limits?
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B Toward a Definition of Science Fiction?
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Until a relatively short time ago, traveling abroad was limited to rich tourists and wealthy businesspeople. Flying abroad was not common for the average person. In time, however, plane travel became safer, more convenient, and less expensive. As a result, people of different backgrounds now fly to distant places for pleasure and businesspeople fly to one country for a breakfast or lunch conference, and then fly to another country for a dinner meeting.
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空


第三節(jié)：完形填空（共20小題，每小題1.5分，滿分30分）
閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項。
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21. A. wet           B. rainy               C. dry                 D. icy
22. A. farms               B. regions              C. towns               D. villages
23. A. rise             B. appear                 C. move              D. raise
24. A. glass            B. shylight(天窗)     C. chimney       D. attic(頂樓)
25. A. by              B. over                    C. in                    D. through
26. A. ground        B. bottom                C. floor              D. surface
27. A. taken in      B. sent out                    C. admitted to     D. taken out
28. A. However     B. Yet                    C. Afterwards        D. Therefore
29. A. benefit               B. forbid                  C. raise             D. effect
30. A. leads to     B. gives off              C. results from      D. joins hands
31. A. as to           B. as for                         C. without         D. because of
32. A. Whether      B. Before                   C. If                   D. After
33. A. so             B. instead                    C. thus            D. but
34. A. natural      B. unusual              C. former                     D. ordinary
35. A. in                      B. on                         C. over                 D. at
36. A. input           B. activity              C. output           D. movement
37. A. downward        B. upward                    C. forward          D. onward
38. A. pressure    B. surface              C. climate         D. appearance
39. A. from         B. into                   C. in                   D. on
40. A. unbelievable B. dull                         C. variable         D. hidden

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Do people in your country hug in the street? In some countries, it is common for people to show affection(親密) in public places. In the United States, for example, we often see couples hold hands, hug and kiss on the street, in the park, in the restaurant and even on trains and buses. But in some other countries, people never show affection in public places because their customs don’t permit this, for example, in Korea and China. So, when Korean and Chinese people visit the United States, they sometimes feel very surprised when they see Americans hug and kiss on the street.
In some countries, friends show physical affection to each other. In some South American countries, female friends walk arm in arm when they walk along the street together. In Italy and Russia, male friends often kiss each other on both cheeks when they greet. In most countries, men don’t kiss or hug when they greet each other. They usually shake hands or pat each other on the back. People around the world are different in the amount, manner and situation in which they touch each other.
67. The main idea of this passage is ____.
A. the custom in Korea and China are exactly the same.
B. Koreans and Americans can never understand each other.
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A. they never hug or kiss
B. they themselves are polite
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69. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
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70. From the passage we can guess____.
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空


Ⅲ完型填空（共20小題，每小題1.5分，滿分30分）
閱讀下面短文，從短文后所給各題的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
Some people hate everything that is modern . They cannot   36   how anyone can really like modern music ; they find it hard to   37   the new fashions in clothing ; they think that all modern paintings are   38   ; and they seldom have a good   39   for the new buildings . Such people take their standards of perfection from the   40   . They are usually impatient with anyone who is   41   enough to   42   in new ways . It is ,   43   , true that many artists do not   44   and instead produce   45   that can only be considered as   46   . If the work of art is a painting , the artist’s failure concerns   47   alone , but if it is a building , his failure concerns   48   too.
This does sometimes happen ,   49   it is completely untrue to say , as some people do , that modern architecture (建筑) is    50   . We cannot   51   every modern building by the standards of the old times , though we   52   the buildings of the past . With better technique , the modern building are more   53   . The architect knows he should learn from the past ， yet  54   his greater resources of knowledge and materials , he will never follow the past . He is too   55   to do that .
36.A. imagine       B. stand         C. receive         D. enjoy
37.A. show         B. design       C. accept         D. make
38.A. beautiful     B. ugly         C. strange       D. common
39.A. idea          B. word             C. dream         D. project
40.A .foreigners     B. custom      C. nation       D. past
41.A. outstanding    B. foolish     C. brave        D. clever
42.A. experiment    B. plan        C. make        D. manage
43.A. as usual       B. in all        C. on average     D. of course
44.A. matter        B. publish      C. succeed        D. paint
45.A. experiences    B. works        C. presents             D. organizations
46.A. failures       B. fools        C. foreigners      D. views
47.A. the art        B. itself        C. himself        D. the painting
48.A. everybody      B. the place         C. the world     D. others
49.A. and          B. but         C. for          D. as
50.A. nothing      B. something     C. great              D. simple
51.A. design        B. judge       C. consider         D. think
52.A. dislike       B. realize      C. build        D. admire
53.A. advanced      B. beautiful     C. gifted        D. famous
54.A. by           B. on          C. at             D. with
55.A. bright         B. disappointed  C. proud        D. rich

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


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While viewing the negative images, women showed stronger and broader activity in the left thalamus（神經(jīng)床）．This is an area which passes sense information to the pain and pleasure centres of the brain．Men showed more activity in an area of the brain called the left insula（腦島）, which plays a key role in controlling natural functions, including breath, heart rate and digestion．Generally, activity in this area tells the body to either run away from danger, or meet it head on - the so-called "fight or flight response"．
While viewing positive images, women showed stronger activity in an area of the brain associated with memory．With men, the stronger activity was recorded in an area associated with visual processing．Dr Urbanik believes these differences suggest women may analyze positive stimuli（刺激）in a broader social context and associate positive images with a particular memory．
For instance, viewing a picture of a smiling child might remind memories of a woman's own child at this age．On the contrary, male responses tend to be less emotional．
1．The research shows that men response differently to__________compared with women．
A．different images    B．ordinary life 
C．different activities        D．medical scan
2．According to the passage, when faced with danger, ____________．
A．women react more slowly than men       B．women usually try to avoid it 
C．men usually have no reaction         D．men react to it more directly
3．What is discussed in the 4 th paragraph?         ．
A．Men and women’s different memories   B．The different responses to the children
C．Different reactions to positive stimuli    D．Negative results of the visual processing
3．The passage mainly develops______．
A．by inferring                   B．by comparing  
C．by listing examples       D．by giving explanations

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it kept the America from being discovered by the people of Europe.
Many wrong ideas about the Atlantic made early sailors unwilling to sail far out into it. One idea was that it reached out to “the edge of the world” . Sailors were afraid that they might sail off the earth. Another idea was that at the equator(赤道) the ocean would be boiling hot.
The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the Pacific, but it is still very large. It is more than 4,000 miles (6,000 km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at its narrowest it is about 2,00 miles (3,200 km) wide.
Two things make the Atlantic Ocean rather unusual. For so large an ocean it has few islands. Also, it is the world’s saltiest ocean.
There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is. But suppose no more rain fell into it and no more water was brought to it by rivers, it would take the ocean about more than 4,000 years to dry up. On the average, the water is a little more than two miles (3.2km) deep, but in some places it is much deeper. The deepest spot is near Puerto Rico. This “deep” measures 30,246 feet---almost six miles (9.6km).
One of the longest mountain ranges of the world rises from the floor of the Atlantic. This mountain range runs north and south down the middle of the ocean. The tops of a few of the mountains reach up above the sea and make islands.
Several hundred miles eastward from Florida there is a part of the ocean called the Sargasso Sea. Here the water is quiet, for there is little wind. In the days of sailing vessels(船) the crew were afraid they would be becalmed (can’t move) here. Sometimes they were.
Today the Atlantic is a great highway. It is, however, not always a smooth and safe one. Storms sweep across it and pile up great waves. Icebergs float down from the far North across the paths of ships.
We now have such fast ways of traveling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller. Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days. Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!
61. What caused people to be unwilling to explore the Atlantic?
A. There were no ships big enough to get across the Ocean.
B. Sailors were afraid of being lost in the Ocean.
C. The Atlantic Ocean was very unusual because it has few islands and the saltiest water.
D. Many incorrect ideas such as “the edge of the world”, “the equator with boiling hot water” made people think the Ocean was full of danger.
62. What is the main idea of the fifth paragraph?
A. How deep the water is.        
B. How to measure the water in the Atlantic.
C. How much water the ocean holds.             
D. How rain affects the Ocean water.
63. What does the underlined word “highway” mean?
A. High road      B. Broad way      C. Fast road           D. Main water way
64. Why does the writer think “this big ocean seems to have grown smaller”?
A. The water in the ocean is becoming less.
B. We have more and more advanced traveling tools now
C. The distance between the ocean and us is shorter.
D. The steamship has a higher speed.

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