Did you know that the first documented use of OMG(oh my god)was in 1917, or that LOL was once a common term meaning little old ladies in 1960? That's what the world learned when OMG, LOL, and FYI (for your information) were added to the Oxford English Dictionary last week. This dictionary is considered by many to be the reference book that defines the English language.
Words added to the Oxford English Dictionary are truly considered new members of the language. People invent new words all the time, but only a few become popular enough to get defined in dictionaries.
Typed online or in text messages, LOL, FYI, and OMG are initialisms,_which can be said aloud letter by letter, like LOL, which now stands for Laugh Out Loud.Faster to type than the full phrases, initialisms like these have been used online since the 1990s. But these three online terms are now spoken outside the Internet too, making them different from other online lingo( 行話). Dictionary editors decided the words are used so commonly that they had to be defined this year.
Another important addition to the dictionary this year was ?， as in “I ? NY.” This is the first graphic (圖形的 ) symbol ever defined in the Oxford English Dictionary.The editors added ? as a verb under the definition of “heart”， meaning “to love”．
Some slang words — informal language used more commonly in speech than in writing — were also added, like wassup, a shortened way to say “What's up”. Even words that have been in use for many years like biker and happy camper were finally added to the dictionary.
The Oxford English Dictionary now defines more than 600,000 words.That adds up to more than 21,730 pages! Guinness World Records calls it the longest dictionary in the world.The Oxford English Dictionary is known for recording words of all kinds—popular, outdated, and even foreign words used by English speakers throughout the language's long history.
【小題1】The text is mainly about that ________.

A．expressions like LOL and FYI have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary
B．English words change their meaning as time goes by
C．English language is becoming more and more difficult to learn
D．the Oxford English Dictionary breaks the Guinness World Record
【小題2】Which of the following is NOT included in the facts that the Oxford English Dictionary has been updated?
A．Some online terms are added to it.
B．A graphic symbol is first introduced into it.
C．Some slang words are collected in it.
D．Some old words are left out.
【小題3】What does the underlined word “initialisms” refer to?
A．Words having foreign origins.
B．Words made from the first letters of several words in a phrase.
C．Uncommon words frequently appearing on the Internet.
D．Official words used in formal documents with capital letters.
【小題4】Before any new word is added to the Oxford English Dictionary, it must be ________.
A．spread widely across the Internet
B．used commonly by the dictionary editors
C．used commonly in either spoken or written language
D．a(chǎn) short word


【小題1】A
【小題2】D
【小題3】B
【小題4】C

解析

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

Development of a widely accepted chronology for the arrival of humans has been equally difficult, and it was only with the development of optically stimulated luminescence dating that a human presence in Australia was confirmed at 53,000 to 60,000 years ago. Older dates for a human presence in Australia have now been shown to be erroneous .
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Genyornis was a ponderous bird, around 80 to 100 kg in weight, about twice as heavy as the living emu and cassowary. It was an inhabitant of Australia?s inland plains and some coastal regions, but its legs were relatively short and thick, suggestion that it was a slower runner than the emu. Proponents of human?caused extinction suggest that it is just such characteristics that made the megafauna vulnerable to human hunting.
A new school of thought has recently established itself in the extinction debate. It advocates the idea that a combination of human impact and climate change was responsible for the extinction of the world?s megafauna. The new Genyornis data also weaken that argument, for the following reason. Fifty thousand years ago, Australia was experiencing mild cooling; 11,000 to 12,000 years ago, the Americas were experiencing rapid warming. These disparate climatic conditions, all coincident with megafaunal extinction, suggest that whatever was happening with climate, it was bad for the big animals. Under these conditions, the hybrid model becomes indistinguishable from the human?caused extinction model for the influence of climate becomes extremely weak, and only the arrival of humans is important in predicting extinction.
【小題1】 The last word “megafauna” in Paragraph 2 most probably means
A  birds.  B  plants.
C  big animals.  D  small animals.
【小題2】 Genyornis was vulnerable to human hunting because it was
A  a delicacy.  B  very weak.
C  very small in size.  D  clumsy.
【小題3】  How many models have been put forward for the extinction of Genyoris?
A  One.  B  Two.
C  Three.  D  Four.
【小題4】 That Australia experienced mild cooling and the Americas rapid warming suggests that
A  the climatic conditions were unfit for Genyornis to live.
B  Genyornis were highly adaptable to different climatic conditions.
C  The two climatic conditions were both bad for Genyornis.
D  The climatic conditions had nothing to do with the extinction of Genyoris.
【小題5】 The selection is mainly about
A  the debate over the time of the human presence in Australia.
B  the relationship between the human presence and magafaunal extinction.
C  the relationship between human activities and climatic changes.
D  the debate over factors causing megafaunal extinction.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

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A．The big local population.
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【小題2】The underlined part can probably be replaced by “________”．
A．it's quite similar to B．it's a long distance from
C．it's a loud shout fromD．it's totally different from
【小題3】What can we learn from the text?
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【小題4】What's the author's purpose in writing the text?
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B．To state the waste disposal problem in the Maldives.
C．To call on us to protect the environment.
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

Do you like shopping? Or does the thought of wandering round the shops fill you with terror? For some of us，shopping is an enjoyable way of spending our spare time and our money. For me．it's something I would rather avoid．Thank goodness for the Internet! It's more convenient to buy CDs，electrical items，even food，from the comfort of your sofa．But that’s not the only reason：price is an important factor．We can buy goods and services cheaper online. But sometimes the problem is knowing what to buy．This has led to a type of shopping called “showrooming”．
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【小題1】The two questions in Paragraph l are raised to       

A．introduce the topic B．give two examples
C．compare different opinions D．get answers from readers
【小題2】What does showrooming mean in the text?
A．Trying in shops and buying online．
B．Showing products in a room．
C．Buying something in a store．
D．Shopping on the Internet．
【小題3】According to Amy Cashman，which is not the reason for showrooming?
A．The lack of time． B．The comfort of the sofa．
C．The shortness of money． D．The security of the product．
【小題4】What can be inferred from Paragraph 4 ?
A．Online shops will disappear．
B．Free gifts will surely promote sales．
C．Shops need necessary changes．
D．Shops will be replaced by online shops．
【小題5】The author's attitude towards showrooming is         
A．critical B．neutral C．supportive D．casual

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A．willingly B．meanwhile C．especially D．eventually
【小題3】What’s the main purpose of Paragraph 3?
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D．To clarify the great challenges for brick-and-mortar bookstores.
【小題4】What do the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy have in common?
A．They are both intended for children.
B．They both show the author’s great talent.
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather.Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr.Johnson’s famous comment that“When two English meet，their first talk is of weather.”Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago，most commentators fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather­speak.
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【小題1】The author mentions Dr.Johnson’s comment to show that________.

A．most commentators agree with Dr.Johnson
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A．Bill Bryson has little knowledge of the weather
B．there is nothing special about the English weather
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D．English people talk about the weather for its uncertainty
【小題4】What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?
A．To explain what English weather­speak is about.
B．To analyse misconceptions about the English weather.
C．To find fault with both Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman.
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

A week ago, I had the great pleasure of reading an e-book, When Money Talks, Listen! by Rich Ezzo. It took only about an hour to read.
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【小題1】The author wrote this passage to _________.

A．strongly recommend an e-book
B．show the author’s attitude to money
C．introduce the general idea of an e-book
D．point out Rich Ezzo isn’t money hungry
【小題2】According to the passage, a Get Rich Quick type of publication _________.
A．is more popular than e-books
B．deals with how to make money
C．is what the author really cares for
D．is also an e-book written by Rich Ezzo
【小題3】Why didn’t the author write the review as soon as he finished reading the book?
A．Because he was not sure whether he did well.
B．Because he was too excited to write anything.
C．Because he had to wait for Rich Ezzo’s permission.
D．Because he wondered if it would have a long influence on him.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

It is one of the most annoying words in the English language and it seems there is no escaping it. The word “huh?” is in worldwide use, a study found.
Researchers discovered that languages spoken in countries from Ghana and Laos to Iceland and Italy all include “huh?”, or something that sounds very like it. They said that while the study may sound silly, the word is an absolutely necessary part of speech. Without it and similar words, it would be impossible to show that we haven’t heard or understood what had been said and this would lead to constant misunderstandings.
But while other words used in the same context, such as “sorry” or “what”, vary widely across languages, “huh?” remains unchanged.
The Dutch researchers carefully studied ten languages from around the world, including Siwu, which is spoken in Ghana, and an Australian Aboriginal language, as well as Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Mandarin Chinese.
They analysed tapes of recorded conversations for words that sounded like “huh?” and were used to request that whatever had just been said be repeated. All contained a version of “huh?”. The word was also found in another 21 languages. While there were subtle differences in each country, all sounded basically the same.
This is surprising because normally unrelated languages will use very different words to describe the same thing. For instance, the Japanese for “dog” is “inu”, while the French is “chien”. It is thought that languages around the world have developed their own version of “huh?” because the sound is quick and simple to form, as well as being easily understood.
The researchers, said that it might seem unimportant to carry out scientific research into a word like “huh?” but in fact this little word is an essential tool in human communication. They also have an answer for those who claim that “huh?” isn’t a word. They say that it qualifies because of the small differences in its pronunciation in different languages. It also can be considered a word because it’s something we learn to say, rather than a grunt or cry that we are born knowing how to make.
【小題1】 According to researchers, the word “huh?” is very important in speech because of ________.

A．its stable meaning in language development
B．its important function in communication
C．its simple and easy sound and spelling
D．its popularity in every language
【小題2】What is the natural response if you hear the lady you’re speaking to say “huh?”?
A．You should ask her to repeat what she says before that.
B．You should apologize to her for speaking in a low voice.
C．You should invite her to share her different views politely.
D．You should try to repeat what you’ve just said in a clearer way.
【小題3】The main method used in the research of “huh?” was ________.
A．interviewing language experts in universities
B．talking with people from ten different countries
C．a(chǎn)nalyzing the recorded conversations in different languages
D．comparing different words with the same meaning in different languages
【小題4】According to researchers, “huh?” should be considered a word rather than a sound because ________.
A．it is listed in most dictionaries
B．it is something humans learn to say
C．there is a clear and consistent spelling of the word
D．there is a big difference in the way it pronounces in different languages
【小題5】What is the purpose of the passage?
A．To inform readers about research on the worldwide used word “huh?”.
B．To argue that “huh?” is the most important word in every language.
C．To entertain readers by relating similar idioms in different languages.
D．To instruct readers of the differences of “huh?” in different languages.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

Across the planet there are millions of people who engage in some type of meditation, the practice of concentrating and clearing the mind to bring the body into a state of peace, at least a semi-regular basis. For some, particularly among practitioners of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, this is part and parcel of their religious practice.
For others, particularly in Western cultures, meditation tends to be a response to stress. With the world economy approaching meltdown and people worried about their job or their ability to keep their home, it’s a way for people to attain a state of peace of mind and well-being.
For those interested in taking up the practice, instruction in meditation for beginners can be found in literally thousands of sources.
One of the most popular styles of mediation in the West, with classes offered in most major cities, is called Transcendental Meditation. TM, as it is known among its practitioners, first came to worldwide attention when the Beatles began practicing it in 1967. For direct, guided, personal instruction in meditation for the beginner, TM may be the hallmark.
Part of the confusion about how to practice meditation effectively is due to the fact that there are literally hundreds of techniques championed by various groups and individuals. As a general principle, it might be said that all meditation techniques seek to have the practitioner attain a state of consciousness that is different to our ordinary state of awareness. They attempt to train people to clear their minds and achieve a sense of inner peace. It sounds simple enough, but of the huge number of people experiment with meditation, very few are able to maintain its practice over the long haul. In most cases, this is due to frustration over the inability to experience any dramatic, instantly recognizable effects.
This is quite a sad state of affairs, that so few these days are willing or equipped to persist in something that doesn’t provide immediate life-changing results. It reflects a culture in which demands for discipline and sustained effort are considered unnecessary or even unfair. It is no surprise therefore that many people abandon their efforts at meditation before they have a chance to bear fruit.
But for anyone who does decide to take up this worthwhile practice, please remember. You must clear your mind, relax and “take it as it comes”. Maintain the practice with a sense of discipline and devotion, and eventually benefits of inner peace and calm will be yours.
【小題1】The underlined part “part and parcel of” in paragraph 1 is nearest in meaning to ________.

A．closely associated with B．a(chǎn)n important element of
C．very different to D．usually sent from
【小題2】The goal of meditation is ________.
A．to develop a technique B．to practice a religion
C．to clear the mind D．to carry out an experiment
【小題3】What can we infer about meditation from the passage?
A．It has two main types.
B．Its benefits are not immediately obvious.
C．It is practiced by many famous artists.
D．Most people find it a very good way to relax.
【小題4】According to the writer, what has attracted many Western people to meditation practices in recent years?
A．Their improved understanding of foreign culture.
B．The need to fill in their growing free time.
C．Migration from countries in which meditation is traditional.
D．Increasing employment instability.
【小題5】Who is the probable audience for this article?
A．People interested in starting to learn meditation.
B．Experienced meditation practitioners.
C．Buddhists and Hindus.
D．People who are very religious.

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