Many years ago in a small German town, a Jewish businessman had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the businessman’s beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.
The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender’s wife and he would forgo her father’s debt. If she picked the white pebble, she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.
They were standing on a pebble-strewn path. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. The sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag. No doubt she was caught in a dilemma.
What would you have done if you were the girl? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1.The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2.The girl should know that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3.The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral (橫向的)and logical thinking.
Read on…
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles. “Oh, how clumsy of me!” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.” Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.
【小題1】The underlined word “forgo” in paragraph 2 may mean ________.

A．pay off B．run out C．take over D．give up
【小題2】Which of the following indicates lateral thinking?
A．The girl refused to take a pebble and fled at once.
B．The girl exposed the cheat and found another way.
C．The girl picked one pebbles and made it disappear.
D．The girl picked a black pebble and accepted the result.
【小題3】It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A．The girl dropped the pebble onto the path on purpose
B．The girl dropped the pebble onto the path by accident
C．The girl didn’t know there were two black pebbles in the bag
D．The girl replaced a black pebble in the bag
【小題4】What lesson can we learn from the story?
A．Keeping calm when facing a difficult situation.
B．Thinking about a complicated problem in another way.
C．Thinking twice before making a final choice.
D．Coming up with a clever answer is easy.


【小題1】D
【小題2】C
【小題3】A
【小題4】B

解析試題分析：故事講述了這樣一件事：有位猶太商人不幸欠了放債人一大筆金錢。債主對商人貌美的女兒垂涎三尺，想取其為妻。于是讓商人在兩難選擇中進(jìn)行選擇。債主意為勝券在握，哪知道商人的女兒用她的智慧解決這個(gè)兩難的問題。故事告訴我們這樣的寓意： 最復(fù)雜的問題亦有解決辦法。 這只是我們沒有嘗試去思考。 一個(gè)人的想法就是一種創(chuàng)意。
【小題1】D詞義猜測題�！癐f she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender’s wife and he
would forgo her father’s debt.”該句的意思是根據(jù)債主的游戲規(guī)則“如果她挑選的是黑色鵝卵石，她將成
為她的丈夫”那么“他將      她父親的債務(wù)�！彼酝茢酁椤胺艞�(give up)”。
【小題2】C推理判斷題�！發(fā)ateral thinking”是“從多方面考慮即橫向思維”的意思。根據(jù)第四段分析的三
種可能“1.女孩應(yīng)該拒絕選取鵝花石；2.女孩應(yīng)該知道袋子中都是黑色鵝卵石而揭露債主進(jìn)行欺詐；3.女
孩應(yīng)該選擇黑色卵石犧牲自己以拯救他父親的債務(wù)和監(jiān)禁�！笨梢耘懦鼳BD三個(gè)選項(xiàng)，因?yàn)樗鼈兌疾皇?br />橫向思維而是傳統(tǒng)邏輯思維的產(chǎn)物(三種做法都將導(dǎo)致“女孩必須嫁給債主的”的后果)。或根據(jù)最后一段
的敘述推斷答案C正確。
【小題3】A推理判斷題。從最后一段“Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.(還沒看，一個(gè)沒拿穩(wěn)就掉落到鋪滿鵝卵石的路上，它立刻掉進(jìn)所有鵝卵石中不見了)”說明她這樣做即把鵝卵石掉下來是“故意的”。
【小題4】B推理判斷題。女孩利用債主的心理用“反證法”擊敗了債主，可見“換個(gè)角度來思考復(fù)雜的問題”就有可能“柳暗花明又一村”使問題迎刃而解。故B項(xiàng)正確。
考點(diǎn)：故事類閱讀理解

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Imagination and fantasy can play an important role in achieving the things we fear. Children know this very well. Fred Epstein, in his book If I Make It to Five, tells a story he heard from one of his friends about Tom, a four-year-old boy with a cancer in his back bone. He came through several operations and a lot of pain by mastering his imagination.
Tom loved to pretend, and he particularly loved to play superheroes. Dr. Epstein explained that it was actually a brilliant way for his young mind to handle the terrifying and painful life he led.
The day before his third trip to the operating room, Tom was terribly afraid. “Maybe I could go as Superman,” he whispered to his mom. Hearing this, the mother hesitated for a while. She had avoided buying the expensive costume (戲裝), but finally she agreed.
The next day Tom appeared as the powerful Superman, showing off through the hospital halls and coolly waving his hand to the people greeting him along the way. And Tom, with the strength of his fantasy, successfully made it through the operation.
The power of imagination need not be reserved for children only. We all have the power to use our fantasies to attempt things we never thought possible, to go through those things that seem impossible, and to achieve what we never believed we could. Just as Dr. Epstein puts it, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
It doesn’t mean that you should dress as a superhero for your next job interview. But, next time you are tested in a way that seems impossible, imagine what it would take to overcome it. Become the person you need to become to win over your challenge (挑戰(zhàn)) and do it in your mind first. So, let your imagination run wild, and dare to dream.
【小題1】What do we know about Tom?

A．He was seriously ill
B．He was a dishonest boy.
C．He was crazy about magic.
D．He was Dr. Epstein’s patient.
【小題2】What can be inferred about Tom’s mother?
A．She was a rich lady.
B．She wanted to get Tom through the pain.
C．She wanted Tom to be a superhero.
D．She refused Tom’s request.
【小題3】In the last paragraph, you are advised ______.
A．to go through some difficult tests
B．to wake up from your wild dreams
C．to become a powerful person in your mind
D．to wear expensive clothes for job interviews
【小題4】What is the purpose of the passage?
A．To tell us an interesting story.
B．To help us make right decisions.
C．To advise us to care about children.
D．To encourage us to use our imagination.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

In side their one-storey, metal-roofed house on Vancouver Island’s west coast，Janet Schwartz and her domesticated(馴養(yǎng)的) deer, Bimbo，are returning to their normal lives. The law—represented by men and women dressed in black uniforms and carrying guns — is no longer threatening to forcibly separate Schwartz and Bimbo，freeing the l0-year-old deer to the fates (命運(yùn)) of the surrounding rainforest and its hungry wolves and black bears．
“We love each other，”said Schwartz who turned 70 on Saturday. “she’ll come up to me and she’ll kiss me right on the lips，1ike a man kisses a woman’’
For four days last week，Schwartz’ life turned as rocky as the rough logging road that connected her life to the outside world. Conservation officers had arrived with orders to 1oose Bimbo. Schwartz was to1d she wasn’t allowed to touch Bimbo any more It seemed somebody had complained，said  Environment Minister Terry Lake earlier in the week, noting it’s illegal to keep wild animals as pets.
During those tense days，sleepless nights were made even more restless by nightmares，said Schwartz. There were news stories and Facebook pages which supported Schwartz and by Friday，the government had changed its mind. Schwartz could keep her pet with the help of a veterinarian and conservation officers.
“It makes me feel good，”said Schwartz of the announcement．“She is my life．a(chǎn)nd I’ve had her since the day she’s been born.”
The relationship began when a friend found the orphaned fawn (幼鹿) along a nearby logging road，more than a kilometer away from her current home，said Schwartz. The friend brought the fawn over because she knew Schwartz had raised a deer before.
Schwartz named the fawn Bimbo，based on a Gene Autry song that was playing inside her home at the time，and began feeding the animal goat’s milk.
Days turned into months and years, and now Bimbo’s a part of the family.
【小題1】According to Paragraph 1 , Janet Schwartz’s life is returning to normal because______.

A．no one disturbs her life again
B．she can continue to keep the deer
C．she has married again
D．Bimbo has returned to the forest
【小題2】Why didn’t Schwartz want to loose the deer?
A．It was the only companion in her house
B．She wanted to study the lifestyle of the deer．
C．The deer had become part of her life．
D．She had a veterinarian to help her．
【小題3】 Conservation officers ordered Janet to loose Bimbo because              .
A．the deer was not properly taken care of
B．the deer brought harm to the neighborhood
C．it was against the law to keep the deer as a pet
D．the deer made too much noise
【小題4】 What made the government change its mind?
A．Schwartz’s love for the deer.
B．The threat to the deer in the wild.
C．The change of the law.
D．The influence from the press and the Web.
【小題5】What can we conclude from the text?
A．Bimbo will continue to stay with Schwartz.
B．Bimbo will be loosed to the wild.
C．A professional worker will take over Bimbo.
D．Bimbo will stay m a nearby Zoo.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

The centenary（百年）of the birth of William Faulkner, one of the great modern novelists, was celebrated in September 1997. Faulkner wrote about the southern states of the United States of America where he grew up, and where his family had an important part to play in the history of that region. His work became a touchstone for insights into the troubled issues of southern American identity, race relations, and the family interrelationships of the old time southern gentry(貴族).
Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi on September 25, 1897. Despite his interest in writing, he left Oxford High School, Mississippi, without graduating. After World War I, he entered the University of Mississippi as a special student, a right to study which was granted to retired soldiers, although Faulkner had only finished training with the Air Force in Canada, and not entered combat(戰(zhàn)斗).
Faulkner began to write poems, a verse play, short stories and finished his first novel Sartoris in 1928. His fiction was centered for 14 of the 19 novels published during his lifetime in a fictional region called Yoknapatawpha County. The name is said to come from the Indian Chickasaw word meaning split land.
In December 1950, Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. When he accepted it in Stockholm, his speech emphasized that he wished to continue writing, but in a positive way that affirmed the power of humanity to prevail over adverse circumstances. As he said in his speech, he still felt that, despite the threat of nuclear war then hanging over the world, the central concern of the writer should be “the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself”. He wanted the tensions and problems that he had cast the spotlight on in the southern states of America to be resolved by the life-affirming attitudes and action of his characters. Like playwright Tennessee Williams, Faulkner was a major voice who spoke for the troubled heart of the southern states of America. His achievement is all the more remarkable because, as a schoolboy, he was not only a frequent absentee but also reportedly failed to reach pass grades in English class. His collected short stories, novels, poems, and other writings form a legacy( 遺產(chǎn)) of literature which casts profound illumination(啟發(fā)) on the special culture of the South, a culture which developed from a history and social circumstances that were always unique.
From the focus on a fictional county, and by remaining true to his view of a close-knit but real society that reflected the greater world around him, Faulkner in the end fashioned a legend of the Deep South that is one of the major achievements of the 20th century literature.
【小題1】Which of the following statements about William Faulkner is NOT true？

A．William Faulkner’s work focuses on several troubled problems of southern America.
B．William Faulkner died one hundred years ago.
C．Although William Faulkner did not graduate from high school, he had great interests in writing.
D．William Faulkner once took part in the army when he was young.
【小題2】Why did William Faulkner write about the southern states of America?
A．They were the place where he grew up and his family took an important role in the history of that region.
B．His work became a touchstone.
C．He cared about the troubled issues of southern America.
D．He felt sympathy for the poor in southern America.
【小題3】Which of the following statements about Tennessee William is true?
A．Both Tennessee William and William Faulkner are playwrights.
B．Tennessee William was a major voice who spoke for the troubled people in southern America.
C．Like Faulkner, he once won Nobel Prize for literature.
D．Tennessee William had to pursue his writing career through difficult times.
【小題4】What was William Faulkner’s attitude toward the troubled issues of southern America?
A．He reflected them by writing and criticized them.
B．He intended to call on the troubled people to rebel.
C．The troubled issues of southern America just provided many elements for his novels.
D．He advocated resolving them in positive attitudes and actions.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choice in life.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors' code for preparing yourself to die.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. I was completely in despair. Later that evening, I had another examination and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I' m fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death. To tell the truth, no one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Your time is so limited that you shouldn't waste it repeating someone else's life. Don' t be trapped by dogma（教條）— which is living with the results of other people' s thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
【小題1】The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because ______.

A．he had to rest at home
B．his disease couldn't be cured
C．his disease was not serious at all
D．he had to wait for the result of the test
【小題2】What does the author think of death?
A．He thinks it is impossible to avoid.
B．He thinks it is not the end of life.
C．He thinks it is nothing to be scared of.
D．He thinks it is the beginning of a new life.
【小題3】In the author's opinion, we should ______.
A．follow others' advice B．take no notice of diseases
C．take exercise and keep healthy D．have the courage to follow our heart
【小題4】What does the underlined word “encountered” in paragraph 2 mean?
A．came across B．dealt with C．survived D．supported

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 am. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak and elderly voice. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly towards the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It's nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you are such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It's not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I'm in no hurry,” she said. “I'm on my way to a hospice (臨終醫(yī)院). I don't have any family left. The doctor says I don't have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter (計(jì)價(jià)器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow down in front of a special building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said, “I'm tired. Let's go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked.
“Nothing.” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers.” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
【小題1】Why did the man help the old woman so much?

A．He wanted to get more money from the old woman.
B．He was out of patience with the woman and wanted to leave quicker.
C．The old woman asked him to help.
D．He hoped others could also treated his old mother as well as he did.
【小題2】The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to       .
A．show she was familiar with the city
B．see some places for the last time
C．let the driver earn more money
D．reach the destination on time
【小題3】According to the text, what would the old woman feel after the driver showed her around the city and gave her a warm hug?
A．Excited.B．Shocked.
C．Grateful.D．Upset.
【小題4】What can we learn from the story?
A．Giving is always a pleasure.
B．People should respect each other.
C．An act of kindness can bring people great joy.
D．People should learn to appreciate others' concern.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

The worker I hired to repair my house had just finished a difficult first day on the job. A broken wheel made him an hour late; his ladder (梯子) fell down when he was painting the roof and now his old truck wouldn' t start. With each problem he shouted angrily, more at himself than at his things. As I drove him home, the man didn't say a word.
I tried talking to the man to kill time. I managed to find out that he had come up from Blue Hills in Victoria with his family six months ago to find a job. This was his first job since moving here. I now knew why his price was lower than any other worker I could find in the local newspaper. He really needed the job. His clothes told me as much.
On arriving, much to my surprise, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked through his front garden he suddenly stopped at a small tree and placed his hands on it. Then, when he opened the door he completely changed. Instead of his troubled face, there was now a warm smile, hugs for his two children and a kiss for his wife.
The following day, I asked him about the tree.
"That's my trouble tree," he answered. "Work troubles aren't welcome at home with my wife and the children. So I hang them on that tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again. "
"And you know what else?" he said smiling,"The next morning I find that there aren't as many as I remember hanging up the night before. "
【小題1】Which of the following things did NOT happen to the worker?

A．His truck broke down. B．He was late for work.
C．He fell onto the roof. D．His ladder fell down.
【小題2】When did the worker first arrive in this town?
A．Today. B．Last night.
C．Six weeks ago. D．Six months ago.
【小題3】Where did the writer find the worker?
A．Through a newspaper. B．Beside the trouble tree.
C．In his old house. D．In Blue Hills, Victoria.
【小題4】Why did the worker touch the tree?
A．To get good luck, B．To leave his trouble outside.
C．To send good wishes to his family. D．To clean his hands.
【小題5】What can we learn from the passage?
A．Looking for a job can make trouble.
B．It is important to get to work on time.
C．Often our problems are worse than what we think.
D．A happy family can make many problems go away.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

People think that writing short stories is easy because they are short. But in fact they are hard to write well. There are only a few writers of good short stories and the American writer O. Henry is one of them.
His real name was William Sydney Porter and he grew up in North Carolina. He was not very successful at school but he loved reading. When he was about twenty years old he left North Carolina and moved to Texas. He thought there would be more opportunities for work there. At first he worked on a newspaper but as this did not provide enough money he changed his job. He decided to work in a bank. All went well until some money went missing. William was believed to have stolen it and was sent to prison. Although this was a horrible experience it helped in one way because he realized that he could write well. William began writing short stories and O. Henry  was born! When he left prison he began writing as a career and published many of his stories. They were mostly about the people that he met or he knew in New York and they had interesting or surprising endings. People enjoyed reading them. His life, however, was not a happy one. He drank too much and died in 1910 in New York but he left behind stories that are still read and enjoyed by millions of people.
【小題1】In which order did O. Henry do the following things?
a. Lived in New York.                   b. Worked in a bank.
c. Travelled to Texas.             d. Was put in prison.
e. Had a newspaper job.             f. Learned to write stories.

A．e, c, f, b, d, a B．c, e, b, d, f, a
C．e, b, d, c, a, f D．c, b, e, d, a, f
【小題2】People enjoyed reading O. Henry’s stories because          .
A．they had surprise endings
B．they were easy to understand
C．they showed his love for the poor
D．they were about New York City
【小題3】O. Henry went to prison because          .
A．people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper
B．he broke the law by using violence
C．he wanted to write stories about prisoners
D．people thought he had taken money that was not his
【小題4】What do we know about O. Henry before he began writing?
A．He was well-educated. B．He was not serious about his work.
C．He was devoted to the poor. D．He loved reading.
【小題5】Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?
A．His life inside the prison.
B．The newspaper articles he wrote.
C．The city and people of New York.
D．His exciting early life as a boy.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Nursing at Beth Israel Hospital produces the best patient care. If we are to solve the nursing shortage. hospital administration and doctors everywhere would do well to follow Beth Israel's example .
At Beth Israel each patient is assigned to a primary nurse who visits at length with the patient and constructs a full-scale health account that covers everything from his medical history  to his emotional state. Then she writes a care plan centered on the patient's illness but which also  includes everything else that is necessary.
The primary nurse stays with the patient through his hospitalization. keeping track with his progress and seeking further advice from his doctor. If a patient at Beth Israel is not responding  to treatment. it is not uncommon for his nurse to propose another approach to his doctor. What  the doctor at Beth Israel has in the primary nurse is a true colleague.
Nursing at Beth Israel also involves a decentralized (分散的) nursing administration; every  unit is a self-contained organization. There are nurse-managers instead of head nurses; in addition  to their medical duties they do all their own hiring and dismissing, employee advising, and they make salary recommendations. Each unit's nurses decide among themselves who will work what  shifts and when.
Beth Israel's nurse-in-chief ranks as an equal with other vice presidents of the hospital. She  is also a member of the Medical Executive Committee. which in most hospitals includes only  doctors.
【小題1】Which of the following best characterizes the main feature of the nursing system at Beth    Israel Hospital?

A．The doctor gets more active professional support from the primary nurse.
B．Each patient is taken care of by a primary nurse day and night.
C．The primary nurse writes care plans for every patient.
D．The primary nurse keeps records of the patient's health conditions every day.
【小題2】It can be inferred from the passage that_____.
A．compared with other hospitals, nurses at Beth Israel Hospital are more patient
B．in most hospitals, patient care is inadequate from the professional point of view
C．in most hospital, nurses get low salaries
D．compared with other hospitals, nurses have to work longer hours at Beth Israel Hospital
【小題3】A primary nurse can propose a different approach of treatment when
A．the present one is refused by the patient
B．the patient complains about the present one
C．the present one proves to be ineffective
D．the patient is found unwilling to cooperate
【小題4】The main difference between a nurse-manager and a head nurse is that the former
A．is a member of the Medical Executive Committee of the hospital
B．has to arrange the work shifts of the unit's nurses
C．can make decisions concerning the medical treatment of a patient
D．has full responsibility in the administration of the unit's nurses
【小題5】The author's attitude towards the nurse system at Beth Israel Hospital is___
A．negative B．neutral C．critical D．positive

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