Of the 7,000 languages spoken in the world today, linguists (語言學家) say, nearly half are likely to disappear this century. In fact, one falls out of use about every two weeks.
Some languages die out in an instant, at the death of the only surviving speaker. Others are lost gradually in bilingual (雙語的) cultures, as local tongues are edged out by the dominant (占主導地位的) language at school, in the marketplace and on television.
New research, supported by the National Geographic Society and the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages, has found the five regions where languages are disappearing most rapidly. They are northern Australia, central South America, North America's upper Pacific coastal zone, eastern Siberia, and Oklahoma and the southwestern United States.
K. David Harrison, an associate professor of linguistics at Swarthmore College, US, said that more than half the languages had no written form and were vulnerable to loss and being forgotten." Their loss leaves no dictionary, no text, or no record of the accumulated knowledge and history of a disappeared culture.
Harrison and other researchers started their rescue project last year. They have been trying to identify and record endangered languages. They interviewed and made recordings of the few remaining speakers of a language and collected basic word lists. The individual projects, some lasting three to four years, involve hundreds of hours of recording speech, developing grammar and preparing children's readers in the obscure (逐漸沒落的) language. The research has concentrated on preserving entire language families.
"These are probably languages that cannot be brought back, but at least we made records of them," said Gregory Anderson, director of the Living Tongues Institute, in Oregon, US.
小題1:What does the passage mainly tell us?          
A．Many languages are quickly disappearing.
B．Some languages are disappearing because they are hard to remember.
C．Chinese is one of the languages that are disappearing.
D．Thanks to some researchers, many endangered languages have been rescued.
小題2:What does the word vulnerable in the fourth paragraph mean?  
A．easy to remember.B．easy to forget.
C．likely to be damaged.D．likely to be protected.
小題3:Which of the following is true according to the fifth paragraph?  
A．Harrison and other researchers are trying to find out why some languages died out.
B．Harrison and other researchers tried to start a rescue project.
C．Harrison and other researchers have concentrated on preserving all the languages.
D．Harrison and other researchers have done some rescue work on the obscure languages.
小題4:One of the things that Harrison and other researchers did was         .   
A．to have more people speak the disappearing language
B．to make records of the disappearing language
C．to limit dominant languages
D．to publish a dictionary of the disappearing language
小題5:What do you think is the suggested reason for some languages disappearing?     
A．Local tongues are gradually edged out by the dominant language at school, in the marketplace and on television.
B．The number of people who speak the languages are small.
C．There are no dictionaries for the languages.
D．No one make records of the languages, so they gradually disappear.

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

YANGON -- Myanmar has officially accepted an offer of the United States to send humanitarian aid(人道主義援助) to the country’s cyclone(颶風;暴風)victims, state radio reported Friday in a night broadcast Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Thu gave the assurance Friday, saying that the country is receiving such relief aid from any country without limit at this time according to its policy(政策) of dealing with the disaster, the report said.
Kyaw Thu denied rumors about Myanmar’s turning down of such relief materials from Western countries but accept those from nations in good relations with Myanmar, saying that the country has never done so in this case.
Kyaw Thu said that well wishers abroad may make cash donation through Myanmar embassies（使館）stationed there, while those who like to donate relief goods may present at the Yangon International Airport and seaports.
According to the report, the US relief aid would arrive in Yangon in days.
A foreign ministry’s statement said earlier on Friday that at this moment, the international community can best help the victims by donating emergency provisions such as medical supplies, food, cloth, electricity generator, and materials for emergency shelter or with financial assistance," adding that "Myanmar will wholeheartedly welcome such course of action".
The government and the people of Myanmar are grateful to the friendly nations, the United Nations, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, private individuals and others for their sympathy and generosity." it said.
小題1:Which of the following is true?
A．The US relief aid was turned down at first and then accepted.
B．The US relief aid has been sent to the capital city of Myanmar.
C．There are rumors（謠言）that Myanmar has turned down the US relief aid.
D．Myanmar will wholeheartedly welcome such course of action but the US relief aid.
小題2:We Chinese may denote money to help the country’s cyclone victims through_____.
A．Myanmar embassies in Beijing.
B．the Yangon International Airport
C．the United Nations
D．the Yangon International seaports.
小題3: What is Myanmar’s policy toward the aids from abroad?
A．Myanmar prefers cash donation to relief goods.
B．Myanmar only receives emergency provisions such as medical supplies, food, cloth, electricity generator, etc.
C．Myanmar receives donation relief aid from any country without any limit.
D．Myanmar prefers relief goods to cash donation.
小題4:The title that best expresses the idea of the passage is _______.
A．How to help Myanmar.
B．Myanmar accepts US humanitarian aid officially.
C．Myanmar is receiving relief aid from any country without limit.
D．The government and the people of Myanmar are grateful.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

In 1971, readers around the world were astonished by some photographs which appeared in newspapers. Hidden deep in the rainforests of an island in the Philippines, was an ethnic (種族的)  36 called the Tasaday. Not until that moment did anyone have any   37   of these people. They didn’t have an agricultural economy; they hunted animals and   38  fruit from the plants in the rainforest. They carried tools made of stone, lived in   39  and wore clothes made of leaves. Unknown until 1971, they   40  became world famous. After that, there were TV   41 and books about them; people said their simple lives showed that human beings could be good and kind if they were not  42 by modern life. Then after 1974 the region was closed by the government and the world   43  about them.
In 1986, a Swiss journalist, Oswald Iten, decided to visit the Tasaday. The journey   44  thick rainforests and across rivers was hard and dangerous. Mr. Iten was   45  killed by the soldiers, villagers and businessmen who wanted to take the wood from the rainforest. Finally, Mr. Iten   46  and found the caves of the Tasaday   47 . The people were living in nearby huts and they were all   48  jeans and T-shirts, not leaves. He thought that perhaps they were not an ethnic minority   49  .
When he   50  to Switzerland, Mr. Iten wrote about the Tasaday people in the newspapers. He said he thought that they were just ordinary farmers, poor, but not   51  from anyone else. He believed that in 1971, the government told “the Tasaday” to   52  they were native people from thousands of years ago, so that tourists---and money---would start   53  into the region.
One group of experts said that they really were people who had no   54  with modern life before 1971; another group said they were just   55  the part. So who are these people, really? Perhaps we’ll never really be sure.
小題1:
A．manB．groupC．chiefD．tradition[
小題2:
A．knowledgeB．impressionC．doubtD．fear
小題3:
A．grewB．enjoyedC．collectedD．stored
小題4:
A．hutsB．housesC．a(chǎn)partmentsD．caves
小題5:
A．certainlyB．suddenlyC．a(chǎn)bsolutelyD．privately
小題6:
A．a(chǎn)dvertisementsB．servicesC．stationsD．programs
小題7:
A．refusedB．separatedC．spoiltD．conquered
小題8:
A．forgotB．knewC．talkedD．thought
小題9:
A．a(chǎn)roundB．throughC．overD．a(chǎn)long
小題10:
A．onceB．a(chǎn)lmostC．oftenD．even
小題11:
A．a(chǎn)rrivedB．leftC．hidD．began
小題12:
A．dirtyB．valuelessC．a(chǎn)ccessibleD．empty
小題13:
A．makingB．sellingC．wearingD．designing
小題14:
A．in allB．a(chǎn)t allC．a(chǎn)fter allD．a(chǎn)bove all
小題15:
A．returnedB．wentC．traveledD．drove
小題16: A. absent             B. secure               C. different           D. free
小題17:
A．a(chǎn)greeB．pretendC．a(chǎn)dmitD．consider
小題18:
A．lookingB．fallingC．turningD．pouring
小題19:
A．contactB．competitionC．a(chǎn)greementD．patience
小題20:
A．learningB．formingC．a(chǎn)ctingD．missing

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Tokyo is one of those places that you can love and hate at the same time. In Tokyo there are always too many people in the places where I want to go. Of course there are too many cars. The Japanese drive very fast, but in Tokyo they often spend a long time in traffic jams. Tokyo is not different from London, Paris and New York in that, it is different when one wants to walk.
At certain times of the day there are a lot of people on foot in London's Oxford Street. But the streets near the Ginze in Tokyo always have a lot of people on foot, and sometimes it is really difficult to walk. People are very polite; there are just too many of them.
The worst time to be in the street is at 11:30 at night. That is when the night-clubs are closing and every-body wants to go home. There are 35,000 night-clubs in Tokyo, and you do not often see one that is empty(空的).
During the day, most people travel to and from work by train. Tokyo people buy six million train tickets every day. At most stations, trains arrive every two or three minutes, but at certain hours there do not seem to be enough trains. Although they are usually crowded, Japanese trains are very good.  They always leave and arrive on time.
In Tokyo, I stood outside the station for five minutes. Three fire-engines raced past on the way to one of the many fires that Tokyo has every day. Tokyo has so many surprises that none of them can really surprise me now.
小題1: Tokyo is different from London in that ______________.
A．it has a larger populationB．there are more traffic jams
C．night clubs are sometimes emptyD．it is more difficult to go somewhere on foot
小題2:Fires break out___________ in Tokyo according to the writer.
A．not very oftenB．only several times a day
C．quite oftenD．very seldom
小題3:Which of the following is NOT true about Tokyo?
A．The streets become more crowded at 11:30 at night.
B．There are more trains than cars.
C．Fire-engines are very busy in the city.
D．Tokyo people are friendly.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer． But there is one question that has millions of correct answers． That question is “What’s your name?” Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct．
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People’s first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents． Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used． Some parents choose the name of a well-known person． A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones．
Some people give their children names that mean good things． Clara means “bright”; Beatrice means “one who gives happiness”; Donald means “world ruler”; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”．
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names． A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near a brook （小溪）; someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road． The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest．
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations． The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals． In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village． Some other occupational names are: Carter—a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter—a person who made pots and pans．
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village． The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture．
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities． When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with gray hair probably became John Gray． Or the John who was very tall could call himself John Tallman． John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer．
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name． English-speaking people added –s or –son． The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert． Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O． Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell．
小題1:Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?
A．Places where people lived．B．People’s characters．
C．Talents that people possessed．D．People’s occupations．
小題2:According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably _______．
A．owned or drove a cartB．made things with metals
C．made kitchen tools or containers．D．built houses and furniture．
小題3:Suppose an English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named ________．
A．Beatrice SmithB．Leonard Carter
C．George LongstreetD．Donald Greenwood

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Certain people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you’ve known them half your life. These people have something in common. And once you know what it is, we can try to do it ourselves.
How is it done? Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they will help you to put people at their ease, and make friends with them quickly.
First of all, good talkers have asked questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says, “At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It’s a common question, but it will get things going.” From there you can move on to other matters ----sometimes to really personal questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.
Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen for the answers. This point seems clear, but it isn’t. Your question should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively.
Real listening at least means some things. First it means not to change the subject of conversation. If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he is really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to the tone (語調(diào))of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then it’s time for you to change the subject.
Finally, good talkers know well how to deal with the occasion of parting. If you’re saying goodbye, you may give him a firm shakehand and say, “I’ve really enjoyed meeting you.” If you want to see that person again, don’t keep it a secret. Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they’ve known you half their lives.
小題1:You’ll like to stay with some people____.
A．who have something in common with you
B．when you get into real trouble
C．with whom you feel it easy to get along well
D．from whom you can get necessary and timely help
小題2:After asking somebody a question, you should____.
A．make it clear what is fit to ask next
B．wait quietly for his answers
C．go on to ask more questions
D．change the subject to another one
小題3:If you want to see that person again,____ when parting.
A．let him know what you feel
B．giving them a firm shakehand
C．a(chǎn)sking proper questions and being a good listener
D．keeping talking to others to them in the conversation

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read. To have read Gulliver’s Travels is to have had the experience of listening to Jonathan Swift, of learning about man’s cruelty to man. To read Huckleberry Finn is to feel what it is like to drift (漂流) down the Mississippi River on a raft . To have read Byron is to have suffered his rebellions with him and to have enjoyed his nose—thumbing at (對……的蔑視) society. To have read Native Son is to know how it feels to be frustrated in the particular way in which Blacks in Chicago are frustrated. This is effective communication. It enables us to feel how others felt about life, even if they lived thousands of miles away and centuries age. It is not true that “We have only one life to live.” If we read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.
小題1:The sentence “People who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read” suggests that ______.
A．reading stimulates（激發(fā)）a desire to travelB．reading broadens a person’s experience
C．people who read much live longerD．people who read are more relaxed
小題2:The author implies that good literature ______.
A．must deal with social problemsB．must teach a lesson
C．is varied in subject and in contentD．is always exciting and heart--warming
小題3: According to the author, reading good literature ______.
A．produces new incomeB．is quite useless
C．satisfies the curiousD．opens new worlds to us
小題4:The underlined word effective in this passage means ______.
A．a(chǎn)ctualB．strikingC．existingD．having an effect

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony (和睦) that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered “l(fā)ittle of childhood but its pain”. In fact, he inherited (繼承) excellent taste in art from his family—both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama (戲劇) and poetry.
Yeats had strong faith in coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at the beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would who probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet Auden wrote, among others, the following liners:
Earth, receive an honored guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie
Emptied of its poetry.
小題1:Which of the following can describe Yeats’s family?
A．It filled Yeats’s childhood with laughter.
B．It was shocked by Yeats’s choice.
C．It was a typically wealthy family.
D．It had an artistic atmosphere.
小題2:According to the passage, what do we know about Yeats’s life?
A．Yeats founded the first Irish theater.
B．Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry.
C．Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s.
D．Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize.
小題3:What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden’s lines?
A．Envy.B．Sympathy.
C．Emptiness.D．Admiration.
小題4:What is the passage mainly about?
A．Yeats’ literary achievements.
B．Yeats’ historical influence.
C．Yeats’ artistic ambition.
D．Yeats’ national honor.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Sandstorms hit northwestern China's Gansu Province and North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on the first day this year. According to Sun Landong， a meteorologist with the Lanzhou Meteorology Observatory，visibility was less than 100 meters in Minqin， a Gansu county near Inner Mongolia， because of sand. When visibility drops to less than 1 kilometer，it is called a sandstorm. The sandstorm in Minqin blew up dust in neighboring towns， such as Baiyin， Wuwei， Jinchang and Lanzhou， the capital city of Gansu Province. Dust-laden winds also swept into Beijing. Brought by northwesterly blowing at more than 20 meters per second，dust first reached the capital's suburbs at 7 a. m，downtown areas at 9 a. m. The winds，which died down during the night，brought the temperature down to as low as 80C below zero and many flights put off their planned time from the city's airport.
It is quite rare for sandstorms，which are frequent between March and June，to happen in winter，when the earth is frozen. The sandstorms in Gansu and Inner Mongolia do not necessarily mean there will be more of them in the spring than last year，when they were serious，but Beijing is taking it very seriously. It is reported that Beijing will spend 6 billion yuan ( US 725 million) in preventing sandstorms in the capital and has already set up a spe­cial team to make sure what causes them.
小題1: What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Sandstorms took place in Gansu.
B．Sandstorms happened on the first day of the new year.
C．Sandstorms are very serious，compared to last year.
D．Experts are trying their best to determine the cause of the sandstorm formed this year.
小題2:Suppose the dust was 300 kilometers away from Beijing， it would reach Beijing about
hours later if it travels at a speed of 20 meters per second?
A．4. 2 B．1. 5 C．2. 0 D．2. 5
小題3:Why did sandstorms begin in the winter this year?
A．Because there was little snow this season.
B．Because a lot of trees have been cut down.
C．Because people took few measures to control them.
D．It is not mentioned in the passage.
小題4: Which of the following doesn't belong to the bad effect the sandstorms have done in Bei­jing?
A．The temperature fell. B．Flights put off their time to take off.
C．The air is dirty. D．People had three days off.
小題5:The author wrote the passage to        .
A．tell us the environments are becoming worse and worse
B．explain what measures people have taken to control sandstorms
C．make people realize the need to protect the environment.
D．call on us to do what we can to save the earth

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