Sometimes life gets a little dull. What used to be fun and different becomes boring. That is the time to look for something new. It is the time for a big idea to get your mind off everyday life. So why not search for extraterrestrial (地球外的) intelligence? Or even better, why not get your computer to do it for you?
Over two million people have joined the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence（SETI）project. Based in California, the SETI project analyzes information taken from a giant radio telescope based in South America. Its task is to look for signals from outer space that might prove that life exists on other planets.
Processing this information is far too big a job for one computer. So the SETI project workers divide the work among volunteers who visit their website. Each computer gets some information to work out from the SETI network through the Internet. This process is often known as “meta-computing”.
It is a wonderful thought. You are sleeping, eating a meal or going out with friends. All this time, your computer is searching the stars for signs that might show something is out there trying to get in touch. Volunteers are proud of being involved in the SETI project. It shows that they understand the potential (潛能) of computing. They know that it is more than just a way of working or playing games.
Meta-computing may also be creating intelligence as well as looking for it. This idea is based on the theory that human intelligence is created by the way in which different parts of the brain communicate with each other. As the saying goes, “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” People who join the SETI project sometimes wonder whether their computer will become part of a huge network that has learned to think for itself.
小題1:According to the writer, meta-computing may be creating intelligence    .
A．because human beings are intelligentB．because a computer works as the brain does
C．because of a network of many computersD．because of the number of computers
小題2: Which of the following shows the order in which the SETI network works?
A．Radio telescope→SETI website→Volunteers’ computer→SETI base
B．Radio telescope→SETI base→SETI website→Volunteers’ computer
C．SETI base→SETI website→Volunteers’ computers→Radio telescope
D．SETI base→Radio telescope→SETI website→Volunteers’ computers
小題3: The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to _____ .
A．extra-terrestrial intelligenceB．human intelligence
C．the SETI projectD．meta-computing
小題4:The passage mainly tells us about _____.      
A．a(chǎn) new way to work on the computer
B．a(chǎn) new way to work and play games
C．a(chǎn) new way to search for life outside the earth
D．a(chǎn) new way to make computers learn to think for itself

小題1:C
小題1:B
小題1:A
小題1:C
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Most American students go to traditional public schools. There are about 88,000 public schools all over the US. Some students attend about 3000 independent public schools called charter schools.
Charter schools are self-governing. Private companies operate some charter schools. They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools. They receive tax money just as other public schools do. Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning. These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate.
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools. Local, state or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach. Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them. Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools.
The Bush Administration strongly supports charter schools as a way to re-organize public schools that are failing to educate students. But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools. One teachers’ union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools.
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government’s delay in releasing the results of the study, which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse on math and reading tests than students in regular public schools.
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools. Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand improved student progress.
小題1:If a private company wants to operate a charter school, it must                    .
A．try new methods of teachingB．prove its management ability
C．obey the local and state lawsD．get the government’s permission
小題2:Charter schools are independent because                       .
A．they make greater progressB．their class size is smaller
C．they enjoy more freedomD．they oppose traditional ways
小題3:What’s the government’s attitude toward charter schools?
A．Doubtful.B．Supportive.C．Subjective.D．Optimistic.
小題4:What can we learn from the text?
A．More students choose to attend charter schools.
B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools.
C．Students in charter schools are well educated.
D．People have different opinions about charter schools.
小題5:It can be inferred from the text that                       .
A．charter schools are part of the education system
B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students
C．the number of charter schools will be limited
D．charter schools are all privately financed

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Forty-two of the fifty American states offered some kind of public online learning this past school year．One state，Michigan，now requires all students to have an online learning experience before they finish high school．Even the idea of a school has changed since the rise ofthe Internet in the 1990s．
A new report from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University says eighteen states have full-time virtual schools．There are no buildings．All classes are online．
Florida started the first statewide public virtual school in the United States in 1997．Today，the Florida Virtual School offers more man ninety courses．56,000 students were enrolled as of December．Almost sixty percent were female．The school's website says each student was enrolled in an average of two classes．
Florida Virtual School has now opened the Florida Virtual Global School．Students in other countries pay for classes．Janet Heiking teaches an English class．She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana．Her students live as far away as Africa and Japan．She says they are taking her Advanced Placement class to prepare for attending an American college．They can earn college credits by passing the AP test．
So how good are virtual schools? Studies have shown mixed results, as a new report from Indiana University notes．For example, students at Florida Virtual School earned higher grades than those taking the same courses the traditional way．And they scored higher on a statewide
test．But virtual school students in Kansas and Colorado had lower test scores or performed at a lower level than traditional learners．Studies also find that virtual schools may not save much in operating costs．
Education experts say the mixed results suggest the need for more research to find the best ways to teach in virtual schools．A1so, they say schools of education need to train more teachers to work in both real and virtual classrooms．
小題1:A virtual school is one that___________．
A．is set up after the rise of the Internet
B．uses textbooks as a main teaching resource
C．uses computer-based resources and has no teachers
D．has online classes and no real classrooms
小題2:The first statewide public virtual school in the USA was started in ________ ．
A．FloridaB．IndianaC．MichiganD．Colorado
小題3:Florida Virtual School is open to ________．
A．students in Indiana
B．students only around the USA
C．students across the world
D．only foreign students
小題4:Foreign students take Advanced Placement classes for the eventual purpose of __________ ．
A．earning college credits
B．entering an American college
C．learning advanced science
D．passing the AP test
小題5:From the passage we learn that________．
A．the majority of virtual school students in Florida are male
B．a(chǎn)ll senior students m Michigan have an online learning experience
C．virtual schools are better than traditional schools
D．both real and virtual classrooms need more trained teachers

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The Internet will open up new vistas (前景), create the global village——you can make new friends all around the world. That, at least, is what it promised us. The difficulty is that it did not take the human mind into account. The reality is that we cannot keep relationships with more than a limited number of people. No matter how hard the Internet tries to put you in communication, its best efforts will be defeated by your mind.
The problem is twofold（雙重的）. First, there is a limit on the number of people we can hold in mind and have a meaningful relationship with. That number is about 150 and is set by the size of our brain. Second, the quality of your relationships depends on the amount of time you invest in then. We invest a lot in a small number of people and then distribute what’s left among as many others as we can. The problem is that if we invest little time in a person, our engagement with that person will decline until eventually it dies into “someone I once knew”.
This is not, of course, to say that the Internet doesn’t serve a socially valuable function. Of course it does. But the question is not that it allows you to increase the size of your social circle to include the rest of the world, but that you can keep your relationships with your existing friends going even though you have to move to the other side of the world.
In one sense, that’s a good thing. But it also has a disadvantage. If you continue to invest in your old friends even though you can no longer see them, then certainly you aren’t using your time to make new friends where you now live. And I suspect that probably isn’t the best use of your time. Meaningful relationships are about being able to communicate with each other, face to face. The Internet will slow down the rate with which relationships end, but it won’t stop that happening eventually.
小題1:The number of friends we can keep relationships with is decided by__________.
A．the InternetB．the time we haveC．the place we liveD．the mind
小題2:The underlined word “engagement” in the second paragraph probably means “__________”.
A．a(chǎn)ppointmentB．connectionC．interviewD．a(chǎn)greement
小題3:The author holds the view that___________.
A．the Internet helps to keep in touch with friends far away
B．the Internet determines the quality of social relationships
C．the Internet greatly increases the size of social circles
D．the Internet is of no value in social communication
小題4:What will the author encourage us to do?
A．To keep in touch with old friends when we have moved away.
B．To chat with friends often on the Internet.
C．To make more new friends face to face.
D．To stop using the Internet to make new friends.
小題5:What is the author’s attitude towards the use of the Internet to strengthen relationships?
A．He thinks it uselessB．He is hopeful of it.
C．He approves of it.D．He doubts it.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It is time for students to sell such things as chocolate bars and greeting cards to raise money for their school, class or club. It is inevitable that they will knock on your door and you will easily hand over your cash for overpriced items that you really do not want. That is okay, though, because there are many reasons why children should be allowed to raise money for their schools and clubs.
Fundraising（募集資金） is a great way to help children learn social skills. It is not easy to go up to a complete stranger and ask him for his money. They have to nicely ask for help, show the interested buyer what they have to offer and explain how it will help them in school. If someone refuses to buy an item, that child has to take the failure in stride(不特別費力地), and that is a learning lesson as well.
Students can learn how to deal with money by fundraising. Of course, it might seem safer for us to take charge of our children’s earnings from their fundraising before it is turned into the school. However, by making them keep track of it, count it, and make sure everyone pays the right amount, they are learning an important lesson. Dealing with money is important to know about when they are older.
Fundraising helps improve their schools. It is the children’s school. They have to learn there and grow there. Why not let them help in making it a better place?
Fundraising allows for more life experiences for the child. The raised money is used towards things like parties, trips, or for the music club to go to see a Broadway play. The children receive the rewards for their hard work at raising the money. Without fundraising, these field trips and special school memories would be missed.
In a word, fundraising helps children a lot in many ways.
小題1:The underlined word “inevitable” in the first paragraph means “_______”.
A．不可能的B．不恰當?shù)?/td>C．不可避免的D．不現(xiàn)實的
小題2:One of the important indications that children are grown up is that __________.
A．children can deal with money
B．children learn to care for others
C．children make a date with friends of the other sex
D．children like to make up
小題3:The author thinks that fundraising _______.
A．a(chǎn)dds to the family’s burdenB．wastes the learning time
C．helps to develop the children’s characterD．builds up the children’s bodies
小題4:Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
CP: Central point   P: Point      Sp: Sub-point（次要點）     C: Conclusion

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Work your brain!
Between 2 and 3 pounds of wonder，it controls everything we say，do or think，who we are and what we care about. The way we walk or laugh or figure out things. What we like and the talents we possess. How we see and talk and run and jump and process our food.
The brain uses 20 percent of our body's oxygen and 20 percent of its blood. Somewhere within its protein，fat, 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion nerve cells，it helps us remember where we put our gym shoes. Change our temperature so we don't die because of the heat or cold. Speed us up or slow us down. Help us choose between orange juice or orange­flavored drinks.
Its intricacies(復雜性)are stunning，far beyond anything most of us can imagine. To keep this work of art as polished(有光澤的) as possible we need to eat right，exercise and keep mentally stimulated(刺激)．
Good nutrition helps brain cells communicate with each other. Exercise stimulates a hormone(荷爾蒙)in our brain that improves memory. Mental stimulation keeps you sharp even as you age.
“It's very important that we tell people to be physically active and mentally active，” said neurologist Malcolm Stewart.
“People cannot stop aging，but you're able to reduce the damage；you're able to keep the function up.”
Following are Dr.Stewart's advice for improving brain health：
Nutrition
Avoid fast food. Follow the old adage(格言，諺語)：For breakfast，eat like a king；for lunch，like a queen；for supper，like a beggar.
Exercise
Do a combination of stretching aerobic and muscle­strengthening every day.
Mental games
Try to have a sense of hope about the future. Do puzzles. Listen to music. Reach out to others to make their lives better.
小題1:The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to ______.
A．inform us how the brain works
B．give us advice on how to keep the brain healthy
C．tell us that the brain plays an important role in our lives
D．show how special the brain is to us
小題2:The word “stunning” in Paragraph 5 means ______.
A．interesting 　B．strangeC．significant　D．a(chǎn)mazing
小題3:According to the text，more exercise ______.
A．keeps our mind sharp 　　
B．helps improve our memory
C．gives our brain a rest 　　
D．is good for brain cells communicating with each other
小題4:In order to keep brain healthy，we should avoid ______.
A．eating a good lunch B．doing puzzles
C．eating a large supper D．taking aerobic exercise

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Along the rivet banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco there lives a bird that swims before it can fly, flies like a fat chicken，eats green 1eaves has the stomach of a cow and has claws(爪)on its wings when young. They build their homes about 4.6m above the river，an important feature(特征)for the safety of the young．It is called the hoatzin．
In appearance，the birds of both sexes look very much alike with brown on the back and cream and red on the underside．The head is small，with a large set of feathers on the top，bright
eyes, and blue skin．Its nearest relatives are the common birds cuckoos．Its most striking feature，though，is only found in the young．
Baby hoatzins have a claw on the 1eading edge of each wing and another at the end of each wing tip．Using these four claws, together with the beak(喙)，they can climb about in the bushes,
looking very much like primitive birds must have done．When the young hoatzins have 1earned to fly，they lose their claws．
During the drier months between December and  March hoatzins fly about the forest in groups of 20 to 30 birds，but in April，when the rainy season begins，they collect together in smaller living units of two to seven birds for producing purposes.
小題1:What is the text mainly about?
A．Hoatzins in dry and rainy seasons．
B．The relatives and enemies of hoatzins．
C．Primitive birds and hoatzins of the Amazon．
D．The appearance and living habits of hoatzins．
小題2:Young hoatzins are different from their parents in that——
A．they look like young cuckoos
B．they have claws on the wings
C．they eat a lot like a cow
D．they live on rivet banks
小題3:What can we infer about primitive birds from the text?
A．They had claws to help them climb．
B．They could fly long distances．
C．They had four wings like hoatzins．
D．They had a head with long feathers on the top
小題4:Why do hoatzins collect together in smaller groups when the rainy season comes?
A．To find more food．
B．To protect themselves better
C．To keep themselves warm．
D．To produce their young．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Sometimes children do not do what their parents tell them to do. When this happens, a parent tries to help the child to do the right thing. When this does not work, the parent usually punishes the child.
There are many things that a parent can do. One thing that people have done is to spank (打屁股) the child. When a parent spanks a child, they will use their hand or a hard object to strike them on their bottom. This is meant to show the child that they have done something wrong.
One parent remembers being spanked when he was a child. His parents used a wooden spoon. When he spanked his own children with his hand, he saw that he put a red mark on his child’s leg. He never did that again.
One problem with spanking is that it teaches the child to hit someone when they do not like what the other person is doing. Another problem with spanking is that the parent is usually angry and can hit the child too hard. Sometimes parents will use spanking for everything and not try other ways to get the child to do the right thing.
Many parents are not sure of what to do instead of spanking. Some people think that their religion tells them that spanking is okay. Some think that the law lets them do it. The courts (法院) say that parents have the right to teach their children how to behave.
Other things should be tried before a parent decides to spank a child. Telling the child exactly what is wanted from them can be one thing. Giving a child more than one choice is another thing that can be tried. Getting down to the child’s level and taking a more child-friendly approach (方法) can help as well.
小題1:According to the passage, when children do something wrong, one thing that parents usually do to punish them is to ________.
A．strike them on the bottomB．try to help them do the right thing
C．teach them what to doD．take them to court
小題2: Which of the following is NOT the problem caused by spanking?
A．It teaches the child to hit others when they offend（使人不快） him or her.
B．The parent may get angry and hit the child too hard.
C．Sometimes parents may use spanking for everything.
D．It makes parents try other ways to make the child do right.
小題3:Which of the following can best describe the writer’s attitude towards spanking?
A．favorableB．indifferentC．interestedD．unfavorable
小題4:From this passage, we can conclude that ________.
A．Good children always do the right thing.
B．Parents should try their best to avoid spanking their children.
C．Parents have no choice but to spank their children when they do something wrong.
D．Children can have more than one choice to avoid being spanked.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It happened one morning 20 years ago. A British scientist Alec Jeffrey came across DNA fingerprinting: He identified the patterns of genetic material that are unique to almost every individual. His discovery changed everything from the way we do criminal investigations to the way we decide family law. But the professor of genetics at the University of Leicester, UK, is still surprised, and a bit worried, by the power of the technology he released upon the world.
The patterns within DNA are unique to each individual, except identical twins, who share the same pattern. The ability to identify these patterns has been used to convict(證明…有罪) murderers and to clear people who are wrongly accused. It is also used to identify the victims of war and settle disputes over who is the father of a child.
Jeffrey said he and his colleagues made the discovery by accident while tracking genetic variations(變異). But, within six months of the discovery, genetic fingerprinting had been used in an immigration case, to prove that an African boy really was his parents’ son.·In 1986, it was used for the first time in a British criminal case: It cleared one suspect after being accused of two murders and helped convict another man.
DNA testing is now very common. In Britain, a national criminal database established in 1995 now contains 2.5 million DNA samples. The U.S. and Canada are developing similar systems. But there are fears about the stored DNA samples and how they could be used to harm a person’s privacy. That includes a person’s medical history, racial origin or psychological profile. “There is the long-term risk that people can get into these samples and start getting additional information about a person’s paternity(父子關系) or risk of disease,” Jeffrey said.
DNA testing is not an unfailing proof of identity. Still, it is considered a reasonably reliable system for determining the things it is used for. Jeffrey estimates the probability of two individuals’ DNA profiles matching in the most commonly used tests at one in a billion.
小題1:According to the text, DNA testing can NOT be used in _______ .
A．doing criminal investigationsB．deciding faraily law
C．clearmg wrongly accused people D．telling twins apart
小題2:DNA samples are not popular with all the people because _______ .
A．the government in Britain establishes a criminal database
B．the US and Canada develop similar systems
C．DNA samples can be used to harm a person’s privacy
D．DNA testing is too expensive and dangerous now
小題3:Where will you most probably find this article?
A．In a guidebook. B．In a storybook.
C．In a science fiction. D．In a scientific magazine.
小題4:Which is the best title for the passage?
A．Discovery of DNA testing by JefferyB．Practice of DNA testing in court
C．DNA testing in the present situationD．Benefits and side effects of DNA testing

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