A Battery’s Worst Nightmare(噩夢)
Portable electronics that can be carried about easily are only as good as their batteries and, let’s face it, batteries aren’t very good, especially when compared with, say, petrol, which packs 100 times a battery’s energy into an equal space. That’s why a large group of mechanical engineers (centered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but with partners at other universities and companies) are hard at work in an effort to replace batteries with a tiny engine that runs on fuel. Imagine a battery-free life!When the fuel runs out in your laptop or mobile phone, you just fill up and go.
The engine, about the size of a ten-cent coin, starts with a combustion chamber (燃燒室) that burns hydrogen (氫). Its tiny parts are etched onto silicon wafers (硅片) in the same manner that computer parts are imprinted onto integrated circuits (集成電路). The first engine is made up of five wafers. And since these wafers could be produced in much the same way as computer chips, they could probably be produced quite cheaply.
But the devil in all this nice detail is efficiency(效率). Tiny engine parts don’t always behave like their scaled-up parts of the first engine. Something between the parts can slow down the work, according to Columbia University professor Luc Frechette, one of the engine’s designers. Extreme heat from the combustion chamber is also a problem, often leaking to other parts of the engine.
The scientists’ goal is to create an engine that will operate 10 times better than batteries do. Frechette says that a complete system, with all parts in place and working, will be set up in the next couple of years, but commercial models aren’t available until at least the end of the next ten years. 
小題1:.
. According to the passage, the title suggests that ________.
A．batteries should be greatly improvedB．petrol will be used instead of batteries
C．the time of batteries will be gone foreverD．pollution caused by batteries must be prevented
小題2:.
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “devil” (In Paragraph 3)?
A．Problem.　B．Advantage.　C．Invention.　D．Technique.
小題3:.
What can we infer from the passage?
A．The new invention doesn’t need any fuel.
B．The new engine has been produced in quantity.
C．The new invention is much cheaper than the battery.
D．The new engine needs to be improved before it’s on sale.
小題4:.
. What is the main purpose of this passage?
A．To introduce a new invention to readers.B．To persuade readers not to use batteries.
C．To show us how the new invention works.D．To declare when the engine will be on sale.

小題1:.C
小題1:.A
小題1:.D
小題1:.A
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

A mother and daughter living in my community are two of the most unfriendly people I have ever come across in my life. They are totally separated, mixing with   36 . As they drive past   37  they keep their eyes looking away and make no sign of acceptance. The only fame they have is making a nuisance of themselves to the local police station by   38  music played too loud, dogs barking more than once a day and any other pretty   39  gripe (把柄).
On moving into this neighborhood, I was   40  of these two but decided I would make up my own mind. This proved quite a   41  to me as more than once either the mother or the daughter would knock on my door and blast (猛烈抨擊) me with some   42  or other.
I   43  answered politely and made sure I   44  as they went past my place and also made the effort now and then to make a kind remark about their garden or pets.
Time passed and in October, as part of the kindness rock give (送愛心石活動), Maureen and I   45  to place a kindness rock in their garden. Their   46  remained unchanged, however, and I continued to be as friendly as possible. During the Easter give, we decided once again to   47  these two unhappy ladies to our list and left a packet of cookies on their   48 . Imagine my   49  when two days later they   50  at my gate and jokingly said they are considering hanging their Christmas stockings on their gate, and they   51  me a bunch of flowers!
So, my fellow gifters , do not   52  on your random（隨意的） gifts of kindness. You may never know just what this   53  to others, nor how many broken or   54  hearted people you may just change with a simple act of   55 .
小題1:
A．nobodyB．someoneC．anyoneD．nothing
小題2:
A．ladiesB．neighborsC．friendsD．relatives
小題3:
A．composingB．requestingC．reportingD．explaining
小題4:
A．importantB．easyC．interesting D．little
小題5:
A．accusedB．warnedC．remindedD．convinced
小題6:
A．challengeB．jobC．taskD．matter
小題7:
A．jokesB．adviceC．explanationD．complaint
小題8:
A．seldomB．neverC．alwaysD．sometimes
小題9:
A．wavedB．staredC．noticedD．laughed
小題10:
A．startedB．continuedC．mentionedD．decided
小題11:
A．smileB．attitudeC．decisionD．anger
小題12:
A．addB．recommendC．reduced D．drove
小題13:
A．placeB．roofC．gateD．fence
小題14:
A．interestB．smileC．surpriseD．face
小題15:
A．whisperedB．stoppedC．shoutedD．wandered
小題16:
A．broughtB．wishedC．threwD．expected
小題17:
A．take inB．take upC．give inD．give up
小題18:
A．refersB．meansC．relatesD．contributes
小題19:
A．kindB．lightC．hardD．warm
小題20:
A．sorrowB．hopeC．imaginationD．kindness

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

Chinese tennis is entering a golden time. In recent years there has been an explosion of __36__ female tennis players bursting onto the global scene. And this couldn’t have come at a _37_ time with the 2008 Beijing Olympics .
These young girls have ­_38__ strong will and talent. _39  the way is Li Na, who may have the _40_name in women’s tennis, but she has a big reputation. Li Na is China’s top ranked player and the first to have _41_into the world’s top 20.
After _42_ nearly six months of the season with a serious injury, the 25-year-old_ 43_ an impressive comeback by winning the Australian Women’s Hardcourt Tennis Championships.
In the world of professional tennis, Li’s refreshing sense of humor proved to be a hit both on and _44_ the court.
“My husband said he had a special gift for me _45_I won,” Li Na said after lifting the prize cup. “That’s _46__ I tried so hard today. I wanted a special gift.”
The Wuhan girl __47_ tennis at the age of eight after being discovered by a coach who had   _48_ her playing badminton. After years of hard training, Li Na turned __49_ in 1999 and has become one of the most successful Chinese tennis players.
With her solid groundstroke and aggressive mindset, she _50  the first Chinese tennis player to win a WTA Tour _51_. Then two years later, she was the first Chinese to make   __52_ into the last 16 of Wimbledon, which led to her being _53_ number 16 in the world last January.
Li is now looking forward to winning a _54_at the Olympics. “The Olympics are very important for us, ” she said. “I am more motivated after my recovery _55_ I feel my desire for the Olympics is bigger than ever before.”
小題1:.
A．pleasedB．talented C．excitedD．interested
小題2:.
A．good B．betterC．best D．well

20080801

 
20080505
 
小題3:.

A．much B．eitherC．bothD．some
小題4:.
A．KnowingB．LeadingC．ShowingD．Finding
小題5:.
A．biggestB．longestC．smallest D．shortest
小題6:.
A．brokenB．walkedC．droppedD．changed
小題7:.
A．playingB．wastingC．sparingD．missing
小題8:.
A．returned B．made C．kept D．brought
小題9:.
A．overB．offC．inD．around
小題10:.
A．unlessB．ifC．whetherD．that
小題11:.
A．whatB．howC．becauseD．why
小題12:.
A．went onB．met with C．took upD．set out
小題13:.
A．spottedB．heardC．mindedD．persuaded
小題14:.
A．competitorB．playerC．professional D．coach
小題15:.
A．foundB．becameC．gotD．helped
小題16:.
A．eventB．team C．projectD．race
小題17:.
A．oneB．this C．that D．it
小題18:.
A．praisedB．rankedC．received D．announced
小題19:.
A．rewardB．scoreC．gold D．prize
小題20:.
A．andB．orC．butD．while

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

A snake handler who cheated death after being badly bitten by a snake is now teaching Australians how to   36 in the case．Neville-Burns has been bitten twelve times during his long work with snakes, and uses all his   37  to give lectures to people at risk of meeting a snake  38 .
Australia is home to most of the world's most deadly snakes．So Neville  39 the people how to deal with such close unexpected meetings．．He sets up an enclosed area, and one by one, brings out four snakes so people can know the   40 of each snake．First out of the bag is a Red Black Snake．He  41  put his finger on it．That's  42  the entire forefinger on his right hand was  43 after he was bitten．But that wasn't his  44 experience．-When he was 18? a Brown Snake he had been holding by the tail  45 and bit him in the face．He was rushed to 46  and he was saved from death．
He says a Cobra Snake is perhaps very  47 but not the most venomous（有毒的）． A black Manba Snake, one of the most   48  , is the longest venomous snake in the world．A Brown Snake is the final 49 at Neville's show．It is one of the most common snakes in Australia, and is the second most venomous in the world．Several times during the  50 it bits the bag; which Neville  51 in front of it．
Neville's advice is to stay   52 if a snake is nearby, as most will only   53 if they feel threatened．He tells people to be  54 but not to pick one 'up by the tail．He then does exactly that as part of his show．He also says he   55 believes in the old saying "once bitten, twice shy"．
小題1:.．
A．surviveB．moveC．trainD．meet
小題2:.
A．moneyB．conditionC．experienceD．time
小題3:.．
A．luckilyB．unexpectedlyC．attentivelyD．finally
小題4:.．
A．asksB．persuadesC．teachesD．permits
小題5:.．
A．skillsB．characteristicsC．weightD．length
小題6:.．
A．needn'tB．shouldn'tC．daren'tD．wouldn't
小題7:.．
A．howB．whetherC．whenD．because
小題8:.．
A．cut offB．got downC．put awayD．handed out
小題9:.．
A．bestB．greatestC．worstD．happiest
小題10:.．
A．turnedB．smeltC．wokeD．fled
小題11:.．
A．officeB．hospitalC．schoolD．house
小題12:.．
A．safeB．puzzledC．gentleD．dangerous
小題13:.．
A．deadlyB．friendlyC．carefulD．ashamed
小題14:.．
A．visitorB．guestC．listenerD．cook
小題15:.．
A．reportB．showC．conversationD．week
小題16:.．
A．ownsB．carriesC．wavesD．needs
小題17:.．
A．noisyB．excitedC．warmD．still
小題18:.．
A．disappearB．attackC．fleeD．play
小題19:.．
A．braveB．kindC．distantD．good
小題20:.
A．usuallyB．alwaysC．neverD．sometimes

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

Recently, I experienced a wonderful lesson in how little things still mean a lot. My home is on the Big Island of Hawaii. About a month ago, when I   36  my car and was about to drive off, I
  37  at the roadside. A piece of paper   38  my eye. I picked it up and read it   39 . Instantly, I was grateful that I had done that.
The form turned out to be a receipt from the State Motor Vehicle Division, documenting the owners’   40  of their Vehicle’s Registration fees. Quickly, I put myself in their shoes and  __41 : no one would throw this away, especially   42  it was current. I also looked over the form for contact or any personal   43 , perhaps a license tag or telephone number. But that seemed __44 . The form had been blown by the wind, so   45  would I find the owners? Had it been lying there for a few minutes or a week? So I checked the date and   46  the names of the owners , who must  47  in our town. I believed that the best and easiest step to take was to put the form in a（n）  48  addressed to the couple and mail it by post. Further, I imagined that if I had posted the receipt to a wrong   49  , how frantic（慌亂的）I’d be. But it was much   __50_  to attempt to return it than to leave them angry, upset , etc. over the   51  , so I did as I thought. My hunch（預感） was right. On the weekend, a happy couple   52  my house and brought me a big gift. They said they had panicked（恐慌）and   53  the receipt madly everywhere before giving up. Without it they would have to   54  another 8,000. It felt great to know I’d helped someone avoid a major trouble by doing   55  that at first glance seemed minor.
小題1:
A．foundB．startedC．boughtD．parked
小題2:.
A．lay downB．flew downC．glanced downD．jumped down
小題3:.
A．caughtB．blockedC．keptD．covered
小題4:.
A．suddenlyB．gladlyC．formallyD．carefully
小題5:.
A．applicationB．paymentC．permissionD．achievement
小題6:
A．decidedB．plannedC．calculatedD．thought
小題7:
A．ifB．becauseC．whenD．though
小題8:
A．opinionsB．newsC．dataD．matters
小題9:.
A．possibleB．importantC．usefulD．unlikely
小題10:
A．whyB．howC．whatD．which
小題11:
A．notedB．recalledC．calledD．changed
小題12:.
A．waitB．liveC．stopD．study
小題13:.
A．bagB．pocketC．envelopeD．dustbin
小題14:
A．placeB．countryC．wayD．station
小題15:.
A．sadderB．betterC．worseD．faster
小題16:
A．luckB．painC．mistakeD．loss
小題17:.
A．called atB．toured aroundC．ran towardsD．returned to
小題18:
A．took awayB．searched forC．looked atD．asked about
小題19:
A．earnB．save C．borrowD．spend
小題20:.
A．anythingB．nothingC．somethingD．everything

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Bill Javis took over our village news-agency at a time of life when most of us only want to relax. He just thought he would like something but not too much to do, and the news-agency was ready-made. The business produced little enough for him, but Bill was a man who only wanted the simplicity (簡單)and order (秩序) and regularity (規(guī)律) of the job. He had been a long-serving sailor, and all his life had done everything by the clock.
Every day he opened his shop at six a.m. to catch the early trade (買賣); the papers arrived on his door-step before that. Many of Bill’s customers were city workers, and the shop was convenient for the station（郵局）. Business was tailing off by 10 o’clock, so at eleven sharp Bill closed for lunch. It was hard luck on anybody who wanted a paper or magazine in the afternoon, for most likely Bill would be down on the river bank, fishing, and his nearest competitor was five kilometers away. Sometime in the afternoon, the evening paper landed on the doormat, and at 4 o’clock Bill reopened. The evening rush lasted till seven, and it was worthwhile.
He lived in a flat above the shop, alone. Except in the very bad weather, you always knew where to find him in the afternoon, as I have said. Once, on a sunny afternoon, I walked home along the river bank from a shopping trip to the village. By my watch it was three minutes past four, so I was astonished to see Bill sitting there on his little chair with a line in the water. He had had no luck, I could see, but he was making no effort to move.
“What’s wrong, Bill?” I called out from the path.
For answer, he put a hand in his jacket and took out a big, golden object. For a moment I had no idea what it could be, and then it suddenly went off with a noise like a fire engine. Stopping the bell, Bill held the thing up and called back, “Ten to four, you see, and this is dead right.” I had never known anyone carrying a brass alarm clock (鬧表) round with him before.
小題1:Bill opened the shop so early in the day because _______．
A．he liked to do as much as possible before he went to work
B．the shop had to be open when the morning papers came
C．he was never sure of the time
D．it was then that he did a lot of business
小題2:You might say “hard luck” to someone who _______．
A．has just heard some very good news
B．is less fortunate than he or she ought to be
C．puts great effort into whatever he or she tries
D．fails through his or her own fault entirely
小題3:On that sunny afternoon, the writer was surprised when he saw Bill because _______．
A．he thought it was late for Bill to be still fishing
B．he thought Bill was ill, since he was not moving at all
C．Bill had not caught anything, and that seemed strange
D．Bill stayed in his flat
小題4:From the information given in the passage, who or what do you think was wrong?
A．The bell was; it must have gone off at the wrong time.
B．Bill was; he had dropped off to sleep.
C．The writer’s watch was fast.
D．Bill’s clock was wrong; it was very old.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Do you ever wonder how some things came about? For instance, who figured out that there was something worth eating inside a banana peel? Or how astonishing do you have to be to discover that an artichoke has edible parts? Well, we may not know how either of those foods was discovered, but we do know how potato chips were invented.
Potato chips originated in New England as one man’s variation on the French-fried potatoes, and their production was the result not of a sudden inspiration of cooking invention but of a fit of annoyance.
It was the summer of 1853 and Commodore Vanderbilt, a wealthy railroad magnate, was vacationing at a hotel named Moon Lake Lodge in New York. On the restaurant menu were French-fried potatoes, prepared in the thick-cut French style that was popularized in France in the 1700s and enjoyed by Thomas Jefferson as ambassador to that country.
At dinner one night, Vanderbilt complained that his French-fried potatoes were cut too thick and sent them back to the kitchen. Offended by his snobbyguest, chef George Crum decided he would give Mr. Vanderbilt exactly what he asked for! He decided to annoy the guest by producing French fries too thin and crisp. The chef angrily gathered up some potatoes and sliced them paper-thin. He threw the slices into hot oil to fry, drained and salted them and then personally served the new dish to Mr. Vanderbilt.
Surprised to see the chef in the dining room, the other diners fell into silence and everyone held their breath, waiting for Vanderbilt’s reaction.
Vanderbilt immediately popped a crisp potato slice into his mouth and the loud “Crunch” broke the silence. He continued to crunch away, delighted with his new dish. The plan backfired. Vanderbilt was interested in the browned, paper-thin potatoes. Clapping a surprised Chef Crum on the back, Vanderbilt praised him on the impressive potatoes. And other diners requested Crum’s potato chips, which began to appear on the menu as “Saratoga Chips”, a house specialty. Soon they were packaged and sold, first locally, then throughout the New England area. Crum eventually opened his own restaurant, featuring chips. At that time, potatoes were peeled and sliced by hand. It was the invention of the mechanical potato peeler in the 1920s that paved the way for potato chips to rise quickly from a small specialty item to a top-selling snack food.
小題1:.
The author wrote the first paragraph to         .
A．tell us how potato chips were invented
B．introduce the topic dealt with in the passage
C．give examples of how some things came about
D．explain why we do know how those foods were discovered
小題2:.
. According to the passage, chef George Crum         .
A．invented potato chips by accident
B．opened his own restaurant, featuring potatoes
C．served the new dish to Mr. Vanderbilt in private
D．helped promote potato chips to a top-selling snack
小題3:.
. The production of potato chips was the result of         .
A．Mr. Vanderbilt’s praise for the new dish
B．Thomas Jefferson’s appreciation of the French Fries
C．George Crum’s anger at Mr. Vanderbilt
D．the invention of the mechanical potato peeler
小題4:.
The underlined word “backfired” in the 6th paragraph probably means           .
A．developed in a successful wayB．made a big difference
C．happened in a particular wayD．had an opposite result

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

One Sunday a few of us decided to take advantage of the first sunny day we’d have for ages to take a trip down to the coast to visit the penguins again. Last time I went down there was a couple of months ago and it was a dull cold day. Sunday couldn’t have been more different — clear skies and sunshine made it feel like summer, although it was still -25°C.
Six of us drove to the coast. It was the first time we’d been off the base on our own without our field assistant, so it had a slightly different feeling — more like a few friends going to the seaside than an Antarctic field trip! When we reached Windy Creek, we luckily caught sight of quite a few small flying seabirds, which are seldom seen there.
Once on the sea ice we found that some of the more curious penguins had wandered over from the main group to come and check us out. We’d been told that then they were nursing their chicks (剛孵出的幼雛) and they would be more careful and nervous than last time, but that didn’t seem to be the case. We walked across to the main group which were stretched for a couple of miles along the coast. We sat down for some sandwiches and soon found ourselves surrounded by many curious observers. Without any attackers on land, they were very brave and came within a meter of us to pose (擺姿勢) for photos.
Before heading back, we spent a few hours on the sea ice watching the penguins and their chicks, which had grown dramatically (明顯地) since our last visit. It was such a nice day.
小題1:
When did the trip most probably happen?
A．On a dull Sunday.B．On a warm Sunday.
C．On a summer Sunday.D．On a winter Sunday.
小題2:
It can be inferred from the second paragraph that the six people _____.
A．felt a little nervous
B．felt a little excited
C．were left all by themselves on their Antarctic base
D．got bored with staying with their field assistant
小題3:
What does the writer mean by saying “but that didn’t seem to be the case”?
A．They were told a lie.
B．A wrong decision was made.
C．The truth was the opposite.
D．They didn’t believe what they were told.
小題4:
The six people did the following during the trip EXCEPT _____.
A．feed the penguins
B．take pictures of the penguins
C．enjoy watching flying seabirds
D．watch the young penguins

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Why is setting goals important? Because goals can help you do, be, and experience everything you want in life. Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen.
Successful people imagine how their life should be and set lots of goals. By setting goals you are taking control of your life. It’s like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of it this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind (her goal) which can be found on a map. She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns. The other driver has no goal or destination or map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drives aimlessly around, never getting anywhere, just using up gas. Which driver do you want to be?
Winners in life set foals and follow through on them. They decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident. Goals aren’t difficult to set---and they aren’t difficult to reach. It’s up to you to find out what your goals really are. You are the one who must decide what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.
Research tells us that when we write a goal down we are more likely to achieve it. Written goals can be reviewed regularly, and have more power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular way, you are able to make yourself continuously aware of situations that will bring you nearer to your goals.
小題1:.
The article is written to throw light on ______.
A．the importance of setting goalsB．the way of setting goals
C．the winners of competitionsD．the goals in life
小題2:.
The example of two drivers is adopted in order to ______.
A．compare the difference of goalsB．explain the traffic rules
C．help readers understand the importance of goalsD．tell the function of a map
小題3:.
The main idea of the fourth paragraph is that ______.
A．it’s better to write a goal downB．written goals can’t be forgotten easily
C．try to make yourself aware of your goalsD．written goals can be reviewed regularly

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