Why do human beings still risk their lives under ground and doing one of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs in the world? It is an increasingly urgent question, given the recent mining accidents in Sago, W. Va and Huntington, Utah. A small group of engineers and robotics experts look forward to a day in the not-too-distant future when robots and other technology do most of the dangerous mining work. 
Robotic technology, in particular, holds much promise, McAteer says, especially when it comes to mapping mines and rescuing trapped miners --- the special operations of the mining industry.
One of the first mining robots was developed five years ago at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute. It was called Groundhog. It used lasers(激光器) to “see” in dark tunnels and map abandoned mines—some of the most dangerous work in the business. 
The latest design is called Cave Crawler. It’s a bit smaller than Groundhog，and even more advanced. It can take photos and videos and has more sensors that can detect the presence of dangerous gases. Incredibly，the robot has a real sense of logic. If it comes across an obstacle it gets momentarily confused. It has to think about what to do and where to go next. Sometimes it throws a fit just like a real person. 
The greatest problem, though, is cost. The money of the earliest research project was provided by the government, but that money had dried up, and it’s not clear where future money will come from. Partly for that reason, and partly because of advances in safety, mining is not nearly as dangerous as it was in the past. Since 1990, fatalities(致命性) have declined by 67% and injuries by 51% , according to the National Mining Association.
Some experts predict that robots in mines will serve much of the same function that they do in the automotive industry. The robots do the most boring and dangerous jobs，but won’t get rid of the need for human workers.
小題1:The latest robot is more advanced than Groundhog, mainly because ____.
A．it can map abandoned mines
B．it can see in the dark tunnels
C．it’s smaller than Groundhog
D．it has a real sense of logic
小題2:The underlined phrase “throws a fit” in paragraph 4 probably means“______”
A．gets angryB．gets sick
C．becomes hungryD．becomes cheerful
小題3:We can infer from the last paragraph that _____ .
A．robots in mines will serve much in the automotive industry
B．there will be no need for human workers in mines
C．the mine robots will have a very bright future
D．robots in mines only do some simple jobs now
小題4:We can infer from the text that ______.
A．the mining robots do most of the mining work at present
B．groundhog can discover the presence of dangerous gases
C．experts are trying to make robots help miners with dangerous work
D．robots cannot do dangerous work in dark areas
小題5:What can be the best title for the text?
A．Mining Accidents in America
B．Robots in Mines
C．Cave crawler, the Latest Robot
D．The Future of Robots

小題1:D
小題2:A
小題3:C
小題4:C
小題5:B

試題分析：文章介紹了一種新研發(fā)的機(jī)器人，和以前的Groundhog相比，它有真正的邏輯能力，最重要的是，它可以幫助礦工們做一些危險(xiǎn)的事情。
小題1:細(xì)節(jié)題：從文章第四段的句子：Incredibly，the robot has a real sense of logic.可知最新的機(jī)器人比Groundhog更先進(jìn),因?yàn)樗姓嬲倪壿嬆芰ΓxD
小題2:猜詞題：從第四段的句子：If it comes across an obstacle it gets momentarily confused.Sometimes it throws a fit just like a real person. 有時(shí)它會(huì)象真人一樣生氣，可知“throws a fit”意思是“生氣的”意思，選A
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)題：從最后一段的句子：Some experts predict that robots in mines will serve much of the same function that they do in the automotive industry.可知礦場(chǎng)機(jī)器人有更光明的未來(lái)，選C
小題4:推理題：從文章最后一段的句子：The robots do the most boring and dangerous jobs，but won’t get rid of the need for human workers.可知專家正在努力讓機(jī)器人幫助工人做危險(xiǎn)的工作，選C
小題5:標(biāo)題確定題：從文章第一段的句子：A small group of engineers and robotics experts look forward to a day in the not-too-distant future when robots and other technology do most of the dangerous mining work.可知這篇文章講的是研究人員正研究在礦場(chǎng)工作代替工人做危險(xiǎn)的工作的機(jī)器人，所以選B
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Scott Langteau has this message for kids：spend less time playing video games.
It’s a message that many a mom and dad have tried to impress upon many a youngster (and some not­so­youngsters) who spend perhaps a bit too much time with game controllers in hand.
But the 40­year­old Langteau isn’t a parent.He’s a veteran (老手) of the video game industry—one who played producer on three “Medal of Honor” games and cofounded his own game development company.
Langteau has just published a children’s books called Sofa Boy，which tells the story of a kid who spends too much time sitting on the couch with controller clutched in hand and the rather terrible consequences that follow.
It’s a fairy tale plucked straight from Langteau’s own experiences as a lad with a fondness for video games and his own bouts with a bit of game addiction.But first，Langteau would like to make one thing clear，“I’m not saying that you shouldn’t play video games.I think video games are great.I think they do great things for kids.”Instead，Langteau says his book is all about a little something called moderation (克制)．
“It’s about being well rounded，” he says.“Just like with anything else，we all need to make sure that there’s a variety in what we do.”
Video gamers can be rather bad­tempered when it comes to accepting criticism about their favorite entertainment.And understandably so.After all，most people who go around talking about the dangers of playing video games tend to be outsiders—people who don’t play video games and certainly don’t understand that they can be a valuable and healthy form of entertainment.
But Langteau and Sofa Boy seem to be in a  unique position to deliver a message of gaming moderation that the young game masses might actually listen to.After all，this is a man who understands what it means to be a kid with a passion for games.His early experience has taught him a lesson.
小題1:Scott Langteau published Sofa Boy to________.
A．share his great skills on games
B．warn kids against game addiction
C．tell about his fairy tale as a kid
D．deliver a message for video games
小題2:Which of the following is TRUE about Sofa Boy?
A．The book implies the writer’s own story.
B．The book describes a veteran of games.
C．The boy in the book wins a medal in games.
D．The boy in the book is not a video game addict.
小題3:We can learn from the passage that________.
A．Langteau advises the young to play games within limits
B．Langteau advises the young not to play games
C．playing video games ruins the future of kids
D．playing video games doesn’t benefit kids
小題4:By saying “It’s about being well rounded，...” (in Para.6)，Langteau means________.
A．games do great good to kids
B．gamers are usually fat and round
C．games should be viewed from all sides
D．gamers are to blame for their behaviors

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Coffee is a powerful beverage．On a personal level，it helps keep US awake and active．On a much broader level，it has helped shape our history and continues to shape our culture．
Coffee didn’t take off until the l400s when people figured out they could roast its seeds．By the l500s，the drink had spread to coffeehouses across the Arab world．Within another l50 years，it took Europe by storm．
“It actually had a major impact on the rise of business，” historian Mark Pendergrast says．Coffeehouses became a spot not just to enjoy a cup but to exchange ideas．The insurer Lloyd’s of London was founded hundreds of years ago in one of London’s 2,000 coffeehouses．Literature，newspapers and even the works of great composers like Bach and Beethoven were also spawned(涌現(xiàn))in coffeehouses．
It is often said that after the Boston Tea Party of l773，when American colonists attacked British tea ships and threw boxes of tea into the harbor，Americans universally switched over to drinking coffee．In a letter John Adams wrote to his wife，Abigail，the Founding Father claims his love of tea but says he will have to learn to embrace coffee instead，because drinking tea had become a symbol of not loving the country．
For all the upsides coffee has brought the modern world，it also led to its fair share of downsides，too．Europeans carried coffee with them as they colonized various parts of the world，and this frequently meant they enslaved people in order to grow it．In Brazil — where slavery was legal until l888 — coffee plantations would use slash-and-burn agriculture，tearing down rain forests and planting coffee trees．Once the soil had been exhausted，growers would move on to another place．
And yet，coffee，as Pendergrast says，”had a very good impact in many ways on our civilization，even though it was，for a long time，grown by slaves．”
小題1:Why did people enjoy going to coffeehouses?
A．Because it was a fashion to drink coffee．
B．Because coffeehouses provided a better flavor．
C．Because they could stay awake and active there．
D．Because they could exchange ideas there．
小題2:What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?
A．American colonists made great profits by trading in coffee．
B．Tea was regarded as a symbol of loving one’s country．
C．Coffee became very popular after the incident in Boston．
D．John Adams was the Founding Father of the Tea Party．
小題3:In the fifth paragraph．the writer points out that __________ .
A．Coffee plantation was closely connected with slavery
B．coffee plantation led to outdated agriculture in Brazil
C．slavery in Brazil had been against the law until l888
D．slavery was responsible for the damage to rainforests
小題4:What is mainly talked about in this passage?
A．Some interesting stories about coffee culture．
B．Important Roles that coffee played in history．
C．How coffee became the most popular beverage．
D．How coffee affected America’s independence．

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Boredom and Creativity
Most of us think of being bored at work as a negative experience, but a new study suggests it can have positive results including an increase in creativity because it gives us time to daydream.
That is the finding of Dr. Sandi Mann from the University of Central Lancashire. Dr. Mann conducted two studies. In the first experiment, 40 people were asked to carry out a boring task. They were told to copy numbers out of a telephone directory for 15 minutes. After that they were asked to complete another task. A pair of cups were given to each of them. Everyone tried to come up with different uses of the cups, and was given a chance to display their creativity. Meanwhile, another group of 40 people were just asked to come up with uses for the cups without doing any boring tasks before. It turned out that the 40 people who had first copied out the telephone numbers were more creative than the control group(對(duì)照組).
To see if daydreaming was a factor in this effect, a second boring task was introduced that allowed even more daydreaming than the boring writing task. This second study saw 30 people copying out the numbers as before, but also included a second group of 30 reading rather than writing them.
Again the researchers found that the people in the control group were least creative, but the people who had just read the names were more creative than those who had to write them out. This suggests that more passive boring activities, like reading or perhaps attending meetings, can lead to more creativity. Compared with reading, writing reduced the scope（范圍） for daydreaming. As a result, it reduces the  effects of boredom on creativity.
Dr. Mann says: “Boredom at work has always been seen as something to be avoided, but perhaps we should accept it in order to promote our creativity. What we want to do next is to see what the practical implications of this finding are. Do people who are bored at work become more creative in other areas of their work -- or do they go home and write novels?”  
小題1:Who proved to be the most creative in the two studies?
A．The people who attended meetings.
B．The people who did the reading task.
C．The people who invented uses for cups.
D．The people who copied telephone numbers.
小題2:The studies conducted by Dr. Mann indicate that creativity results from _______.
A．creative tasks
B．controlled activities
C．the range of daydreaming
D．reading and writing ability
小題3:What is Dr. Mann’s attitude towards boredom at work?
A．Positive.
B．Skeptical.
C．Subjective.
D．Disapproving.
小題4:What will Dr. Mann probably continue to research in their study?
A．The real causes of creativity.
B．The actual use of boredom.
C．The practical reasons of boredom.
D．The writing ability improved by boredom.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Students who date in middle school have significantly worse study skills. They are four times more likely to drop out of school and report twice as much alcohol and tobacco use as their single classmates, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
"Romantic relationships are a trademark of adolescence, but very few studies have examined how adolescents differ in the development of these relationships," said Pamela Orpinas, study author and professor in the College of Public Health and head of the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior.
Orpinas followed a group of 624 students over a seven-year period from 6th to 12th grade.
Each year, the group of students completed a survey indicating whether they had dated and reported the frequency of different behaviors, including the use of drugs and alcohol. Their teachers completed questionnaires about the students’ academic efforts. He found some students never or hardly ever reported dating from middle to high school, and these students had consistently the best study skills according to their teachers. Other students dated infrequently in middle school but increased the frequency of dating in high school.
"At all points in time, teachers rated the students who reported the lowest frequency of dating as having the best study skills and the students with the highest dating as having the worst study skills,” according to the journal article. Study skills refer to behaviors that lead to academic success such as doing work for extra credit being well organized, finishing homework, working hard and reading assigned chapters.
"Dating a classmate may have the same emotional complications of dating a co-worker," Orpinas said, "When the couple break up, they have to continue to see each other in class and perhaps witness the ex-partner dating someone else. It is reasonable to think this could be linked to depression and divert attention from studying.”
“Dating should not be considered a ceremony of growth in middle school,” Orpinas concluded.
小題1:According to the passage, students who date in middle school may_____
A．have poorer academic performances
B．be more likely to hurl others
C．enjoy better school lives
D．a(chǎn)re less likely to use alcohol and tobacco
小題2:When doing his study, Orpinas_____.
A．followed a group of students of 6th and 12th grade
B．completed a survey and a report each year
C．completed questionnaires about the students’ academic efforts
D．found that the students’ study skills have connection with their frequency of dating
小題3:Study skills may include the following behaviors and qualities Except_____
A．being diligentB．being well organized
C． being kind and helpfulD．finishing assigned schoolwork
小題4:What can possibly happen to the school couples after they break up?
A．They don’t want to see each other any longer.
B．Their attention to studying will be affected.
C．They will miss their ex-partners sometimes
D．They will think it reasonable to get depressed.
小題5:Orpinas’ attitude towards dating in middle school is_____
A．supportive B．positiveC．negativeD．indifferent

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：完形填空

A wave of recent research has pointed to the risks of over praising a child. And it seems that how to draw a line between too little praise and too much has become a high-pressure _  _act for parents.
Self-esteem (自尊)  serves as a kind of tool to measure how much children feel valued and accepted by     . This sensitivity to others'      develops because of humans' need for social acceptance, which is considered to be      to survival. As early as age 8, children's self-esteem tends to rise and fall in response to feedbacks about      peers see them as likable or attractive.     , it can also be beneficial for kids to feel bad about themselves occasionally, if they behave in selfish, mean or hurtful ways that might      their ability to maintain relationships or hold a job in the future.
In the past, many parents and educators believed that high self-esteem      happiness and success, and kids could gain self-esteem simply by getting      and awards from their parents, teachers and people around. But recently researchers have found self-esteem doesn't  _   these desired results. Instead, if parents praise their kids     , their self-esteem becomes focused on being very smart and being the best and being perfect. Building too much self-esteem of the children can not go as planned, making them feel      later on when they hit setbacks (挫折).
According to some experts, it can actually be good for kids to have      self-esteem, at least once in a while. And praise can be      if it disregards the world outside the home. Children who have a      understanding of how they are seen by others tend to get recovered more readily      disappointment, depression or the like. The best path is a      road, helping children develop a positive but      view of themselves in relation to others by praising them for the      they invest and behaviors they are able to sustain, like "It's      that you're working so hard on your homework. "
小題1:
A．balancingB．crashingC．forcingD．embarrassing
小題2:
A．themselvesB．parentsC．othersD．teachers
小題3:
A．viewsB．enviesC．favorsD．blames
小題4:
A．irrelevantB．similarC．importantD．sensitive
小題5:
A．whenB．whetherC．howD．where
小題6:
A．IndeedB．OtherwiseC．ThereforeD．However
小題7:
A．improveB．damageC．changeD．develop
小題8:
A．promisedB．delayedC．purchasedD．ruined
小題9:
A．supportB．helpC．challengeD．praise
小題10:
A．settle downB．work outC．give awayD．bring about
小題11:
A．rarelyB．carefullyC．constantlyD．casually
小題12:
A．worseB．strongerC．betterD．madder
小題13:
A．highB．muchC．lowD．little
小題14:
A．powerfulB．harmfulC．gratefulD．stressful
小題15:
A．practicalB．limitedC．basicD．perfect
小題16:
A．withB．toC．a(chǎn)boutD．from
小題17:
A．straightB．smoothC．middleD．rough
小題18:
A．generalB．realisticC．differentD．negative
小題19:
A．talentB．timeC．moneyD．effort
小題20:
A．necessaryB．a(chǎn)wesomeC．worthlessD．a(chǎn)wful

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The world's largest solar thermal plant(太陽(yáng)熱能發(fā)電站)is set to begin producing power in the United States by the end of the year. Wind and energy from the sun are generally considered clean, unlike energy from coal-burning power stations. However, environmentalists now worry that too much solar power development could harm the local environment.
A California company — BrightSource Energy is building a huge solar power plant in the Mojave desert, about 60 kilometers southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The plant is known as the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. Joe Desmond works for the company. "This is actually one of the highest concentrations of sunlight in the world, out here in Ivanpah." explained Desmond. BrightSource Energy will deploy 170,000 specially de­signed mirrors to direct solar energy towards boilers on top of three power towers. The steam produced in the boilers will drive turbine (渦輪) to make electricity. Joe Desmond says the steam can reach temperatures of more than 260 degrees Celsius. "We can store the sun's thermal energy in the form of molten salt, so we can produce electricity even when the sun goes down. There is a lot of interest in concentrating solar power around the globe in environmnents where you have lots of sun, such as China, South Africa, the Mid­dle East, North Africa, explained Desmond.
Environmentalists generally support the idea of solar power, however, many are concerned about the effect of power plants on sensitive environment. Lisa Belenky is a lawyer with the Center for Biological Diversity, a private group. She says environmentalists are specifically worried about the effect of the Ivanpah Solar Project on the sensitive plant and animal life in that part of Mojave desert. "Even though the desert seems big, when you start cutting it up, it can really affect how the species and the animals and the plants are able to survive in the long run,"said Lisa Belenky. BrightSource Energy has already spent more than $ 50 million to move endangered desert tortoises away from the power plant. but Lisa Belenky says this is not the answer. "We should be reusing areas that have a1ready been disturbed, like old mining sites, for example...either on homes, on businesses, parking lots." said Belenky.
There have also been reports of birds dying at the Ivanpah Plant and others like it.
Some birds die after colliding with solar equipment which the animals mistake for water. Other birds were killed or suffered burns after flying through the intense heat at the solar thermal plant. As solar projects increase, environmentalists and developers are considering what to do to reduce bird death.
小題1:Why is the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System being built in the desert?
A．Because the temperature is extremely high in the desert.
B．Because there is no life in the desert.
C．Because there is much salt in the desert.
D．Because sunlight is highly focused in the desert.
小題2:Why can the plant make electricity at night?
A．Because the sun's thermal energy can be stored in the form of steam.
B．Because the sun's thermal energy can be stored in the form of molten salt.
C．Because the sun'ss thermal energy can be stored through mirrors
D．Because the sun's thermal energy can be stored in the boilers.
小題3:According to Lisa Belenky, in order to reduce the effect,_____.
A. we should move all the plants and animals away from the solar plant
B. we should guide the bird not to hit the solar plant
C we should build the solar plant in disturbed areas
D. we should build the solar plant in the desert
小題4:The author’s attitude towards the solar projects is _____.
A．supportiveB．critical C．indifferentD．cautious

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

One Monday morning, Paul and his classmates were in science laboratory for their practical chemistry lesson. The students were going to work in pairs to do an experiment. Before they began, the teacher gave them this description of the different stages of the experiment.
Stage 1: Prepare the equipment: a test tube, a crucible, a Bunsen burner and tongs.
Stage 2: Weigh 5 grams of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and put it in a crucible.
Stage 3: Heat 10 ml of hydrochloric acid (鹽酸) in a test tube.
Stage 4: Pour the warm acid onto the baking soda and continue to heat the mixture.
Result: The acid reacts with the bicarbonate（碳酸氫鹽）to form water, carbon dioxide gas and salt. The hotter the mixture, the quicker the reaction. Continue to heat the mixture until the water evaporates, leaving the salt in the crucible.
Paul and his partner followed the instructions and set up their equipment. Paul went to the cupboard to get a bottle of hydrochloric acid. He found that there was only one bottle in the cupboard so he took that. There was no label on the bottle and Paul didn’t check with the teacher if it was the right solution.
He measured the liquid and poured it into a test tube. Using tongs to hold the test tube, he heated it over the Bunsen burner. That’s when things started to go wrong. The liquid in the test tube was not hydrochloric acid. When it was heated, it formed a thick cloud of white gas. Soon the room was full of this strong smelling white gas.
All the students started coughing and their eyes hurt. The teacher immediately opened the windows and ordered the students to leave the laboratory at once. She realized that the liquid was a crylamide (丙烯酰胺) and that it is poisonous.
Fortunately, nobody was injured in the incident. However, it taught the students and the teacher a good lesson.
小題1:What lesson did the incident teach the students and the teacher?
A．Never have a bottle without a label in the chemistry lab!
B．Obey your teacher’s instructions in the Chemistry lab.
C．A crylamide can’t take the place of hydrochloric acid.
D．Finding something unusual happened, you have to leave the laboratory at once.
小題2:What substance were the students making in the experiment?
A．WaterB．Carbon dioxide gasC．SaltD．Poisonous gas
小題3:Why did Paul make the mistake?
A．He went to the cupboard to get the bottle by himself.
B．He found that there was only one bottle in the cupboard so he took that.
C．There was no label on the bottle.
D．Paul didn’t check with the teacher that it was the right solution.
小題4:Why did the teacher send the students out of the classroom?
A．Becausethe room was full of this strong smelling white gas.
B．Because all the students started coughing and their eyes hurt.
C．Becausethe liquid was a crylamide and that it is poisonous.
D．Because someone was injured in the incident.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The Internet can provide a wealth of educational resources for small children, if you know where to look. This article will offer some educational websites to small children. You may need to assist your children in navigating(導(dǎo)航) the pages until they understand where their favorite activities are.
Enchanted Learning
Enchanted learning is a great website for children, and I know several teachers who rely on it for materials for their classrooms. Most of the information is free, but for $20.00 per year, you can purchase a membership that allows you to have access to the site without the advertising. The pages here are great. There are colored pages and worksheets for toddlers(學(xué)步兒童) and school-age children. They focus on learning language, science, animals, geography, astronomy, explorers, music, art and nursery rhymes.
Starfall
Starfall is another good educational website for small children. Teachers often use this website in classrooms. It emphasizes reading skills for early learners. The website is aimed at first grade level learners, but it has tools that can help all children from pre-K to second grade. The website has reading activities, worksheets to download, and a store where you can purchase educational materials for your children.
Sesame Street Workshop
Kids love Sesame Street, and it is always educational. This is one of the funniest websites online for children because it is very well animated and has great sound effects. The website has games and stories for small kids, and they can create letters at the post office and mail them to their favorite characters.
Sprout Online
Sprout has features on its television network, which are just for children. There are games, colored pages, recipes, music, videos, sign language activities and exercise videos for children. There are also online activities based on Sprout television shows. These include Roary the Race Car, the Wiggles, the Mighty Jungle and many others.
These are just a few of many educational websites for children. Small children love to use computers, so help them find some websites that contain fun and learning at the same time.
小題1:What’s the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
A．To introduce some educational websites to parents for their kids.
B．To let parents distinguish between good and bad websites.
C．To attract the readers to download some useful information.
D．To enrich young children’s spare time with some Internet games.
小題2:What’s the difference between people who have memberships and those who don’t?
A．With a membership, you can get the information for free.
B．You can download materials you want for free with a membership.
C．With a membership, you can have access to the site without the ads.
D．You can look through more pages with a membership.
小題3:If you want to buy educational materials for your children, you should choose _________ .
A．Enchanted Learning. B．Starfall
C．Sesame Street Workshop.D．Sprout Online.
小題4:Why does the Sesame Street Workshop have more fun than others?
A．Because it has games and stories for young kids．
B．Because children can mail letters to their favorite characters.
C．Because it is always educational, and children love it..
D．Because it has great sound effects and animation.
小題5:It can be learnt from the passage that ______ .
A．Enchanted Learning has reading activities and worksheets to download.
B．Starfall is designed for learners from pre-K to second grade
C．the Wiggles and the MightyJungle are not based on television shows.
D．websites that involve joy and learning are beneficial to kids.

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