As an effect of the high fuel prices spent on bus transportation, some American schools are changing to a four-day week. That means longer days instead of the traditional Monday through Friday schedule.
Having been approved for three years and beginning in the fall, students in the Maccray school district in Minnesota will be in school from Tuesday to Friday. Each school day will be 65 minutes longer. Officials say the district expects to save about sixty-five thousand dollars a year in transportation costs.
In new Mexico, the first school district changed to a four-day week in 1974 because of the Arab oil boycott(抵制). Now, 17 out of 89 districts use it.
In Custer, South Dakota, students have been going to school four days a week since 1995. Superintendent(主管人)Tim Creal says the change has saved about one million dollars over just the past eight years. He sees other benefits, too. Students get more instructional time, and activities that used to take up class time are now held on non-school days. He says that in the future, the growth of online classes could make it possible to require even fewer days in school. High fuel prices are driving college students to take more online classes.
A four-day school week sounds like a great idea for students and teachers, but working parents may have to pay for child care for that fifth day.
1. According to Tim Creal, what makes it possible to have even fewer days in school?
A. The increasing number of private tutors.
B. The development of teaching methods.
C. The increase in the number of online classes.
D. The growth in the income of Americans.
2. It can be learned from the passage that______
A. students will be in school from Monday to Tuesday.
B. four-day week was first carried out in South Dakota.
C. Maccray will save one million dollars every year.
D. Minnesota state has approved the four-day week plan.
3. The passage is mainly about______
A. some school’s four-day week plan    B. districts using a four-day week.
C. how to save on transportation fees.   D. expense of school transportation.

小題1:C
小題2:D
小題3:A
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


The wedding took place in a Birmingham hotel.The bride and her father arrived in a new black American sports car.Her father looked nervous and uncomfortable in front of the cameras.The bride wore a silk wedding dress.She smiled nervously at the waiting photographers and went to a room on the first floor where she met her future husband for the very first time.Carla Germaine and Greg Cordell were the winners of a radio station's competition.The aim of the competition was to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other.Miss Germaine,23,is a model.Mr Cordell,27,is a TV salesman.They were among the two hundred people who entered for a peculiar “experiment”organized by BMRB radio in Birmingham,England.Greg and Carla were among eight finalists who were interviewed live on radio.They took a lie detector(測謊儀) test and the station also spoke to their friends and family about their personalities.The competition judges included an astrologer (占星家)who eclared that they were suited.
The couple celebrated their wedding with a wedding breakfast and a party for 100 guests in the evening,but not everyone shared their joy.Miss Germaine's mother looked anxious throughout the wedding and Mr Cordell's parents are reported to be less than delighted.
Organizations,including the marriage guidance service Relate,have criticized the marriage.As one person put it,“We have enough problems getting young people to take marriage seriously without this.Marriage should always be about love.”
The couple are now on a Caribbean honeymoon followed by journalists.Their other prizes include a year's free use of a wonderful apartment in the centre of Birmingham,and a car.But will it last?
1.How did the couple's parents react to the wedding?
A.The bride's mother shared their joy.
B.The bride's father felt uncomfortable about the wedding.
C.The bridegroom's parents were quite delighted.
D.The bridegroom's parents were not that joyful.
2.Some experts believe that  _______ .
A.marriage without the couple's meeting each other first ends up in divorce
B.young people nowadays are too careless about marriage
C.taking a lie detector test can not solve all the marriage problems
D.most young people take marriage seriously except this couple
3.One of the prizes for the couple is  _______ .
A.to spend their honeymoon wherever they like
B.to use an apartment free for some time
C.to have a wedding dress free
D.to own an American sports car
4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.Two Strangers and a Wedding
B.A Wedding Based on Love
C.A Short?Lived Marriage
D.A Well?Matched Couple

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A new report says sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected. American scientists say the ice is melting even faster than computer programs had estimated.
Scientists know that climate change has a major effect on the Arctic Ocean partly because sea ice is disappearing. They also know that areas of open seawater are expanding. Such areas are known to take in sunlight and increase temperatures. Scientists say this has helped to cause the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover.
For the study, the American scientists compared eighteen computer programs with observations made by satellites and other instruments. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change used the computer programs to prepare its 2007 estimates of climate change.
The computer programs gave estimates of the amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean in the month of September. September is when the Arctic has the least ice, after the warm, summer months. The computer estimates suggested an ice loss of two and a half percent for every ten-year period between 1953 and 2006.  
Newer studies of the Arctic have used information gathered by aircraft, satellites and ships. This information showed a loss of September ice cover of almost eight percent for every ten-year period between 1953 and last year. This means the ice is disappearing about thirty years faster than the computer programs estimated.
The scientists say the programs might not have recognized the full effect of increased carbon dioxide and other gases in Earth’s atmosphere. They say their study suggests the gases may have more of an effect than had been thought.
小題1:It is reported that sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected mainly because _________.
A．climate changeB．sea ice’s disappearance
C．seawater’s expansionD．the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover
小題2: How did the scientists draw the conclusion that sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting more quickly than expected?
A．The scientists have been observing the Arctic Ocean for many years.
B．The scientists have compared the computer programs with observation made by satellites and other instruments.
C．The scientists have figured out many numbers with the help of computer.
D．The scientists have found that the seawater take in sunlight and increase temperatures.
小題3:If the ice melts at the present speed, by the end of this century the ice loss in the Arctic Ocean will be _________ according to newer studies.
A．22.5%B．35%C．72%D．100%
小題4:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．The figures of the computer estimates are wrong.
B．Scientists study climate change through studying sea level.
C．Newer studies show gases may have more effect on sea ice in the Arctic Ocean.
D．The ice is melting even faster than satellites have estimated.
小題5:This report mainly warns human to _________.
A．prevent the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean from melting any more
B．pay more attention to the loss of the Arctic’s ice cover
C．take necessary steps to protect the environment of our earth
D．stop summer sea ice in the Arctic from disappearing so fast

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

INDLANAPOLIS—Doctors and health advocates （提倡者）have warned for years that American children are getting fatter. Now even some kids’ teddy bears are packing on the pounds.
But these heavy toys aim to combat（對(duì)抗）obesity, not add to it.
Researchers at Indiana State University in Terre Haute tried a small experiment to test the effects of having kids play with heavier toys. They found that 10 children aged 6 to 8 burned more calories and had higher heart and breathing rate when they moved 3-pound toy blocks instead of unweighted blocks.
So could adding a small weight to stuffed animals and other toys help kids get fit?
“This is not going to solve the obesity problem,” said John Ozmun, a professor who did the study with graduate student Lee Robbins. “But it has been possible to make a positive contribution.”
Some experts cautioned that children could hurt themselves by trying to lift too much too soon and said more activity is preferable to heavier toys. But all agreed that childhood obesity is a big problem.
Obesity rate has become three times over the past 40 years for children and adolescents, raising the risk of diabetes（糖尿�。゛nd other health problems. Federal health officials say more than a third of American children are overweight, and about 17 percent are considered obese（肥胖的）.
“Squeezing activity into daily routines can be a good way for children to get more exercise and shed unhealthy pounds,” said Aicia Moag-Stahlberg, who heads Action for Healthy Kids.
“By adding weights, you’re adding some intensity to the action,” she said.
Kara Tucker, youth development coordinator for the National institute for Fitness and Sport in Indianapolis, said active playing helps youngsters work out without realising it.
“Giant soccer is one of my favorites,” Tucker said. “If we told the kids, ‘Hey, you’re going to run up and down the court 20 times,’ they would completely be uninterested. Yet when we put a big soccer ball out there, they will just run forever. They’re having a great time.”
56．What does the passage mainly tell us?
A．American children are getting fatter.
B．New toys are needed for overweight children.
C．Heavier toys help children to combat the obesity problem.
D．Doubts about heavier toys for obese children.
57．What does John Ozmun think of the measure of using heavier toys?
A．It can solve the obesity problem.
B．It is of little use to the obesity problem.
C．It may be of some help to the obesity problem
D．It may hurt children.
58．Some experts think it would be better for obese kids to    .
A．play with light toys
B．play with less heavy toys
C．be on diet
D．have more activity
59．Which of the following is true about obese children in the US?
A．Obesity rate has risen by 30% over the past 40 years.
B．There are now three times as many obese children as 40 years ago.
C．One are fewer overweight children than obese children.
D．There are fewer overweight children than obese children.
60．What Tucker said in the last paragraph suggests that       .
A．he himself likes playing giant soccer balls best
B．he prefers kids to have active playing
C．kids have no interest in running
D．a(chǎn)n activity will not work if kids know the purpose of it

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Starving polar bears are eating one another in the Arctic. Flowers are blooming too soon and die. The ice caps are melting so fast that rising water levels will threaten coastal towns along Florida within several decades. These are just a few examples of the terrible consequences of climate change supported by a new analysis in Nature.
In the past three decades, average global temperatures have risen about 0. 6°C and are projected to jump by about 1. 7°C by the end of the century, says Cynthia Rosenzweig, who leads the Climate Impacts Group at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University in New York. “We’ve already seen that a relatively low amount of warming,” she says, “can lead to a broad range of changes. ”
The unnatural warming caused by man-made greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide produced by cars and coal-powered plants, brings trouble for entire ecosystems. In North America alone, scientists have identified 89 species of plants, such as the American holly that have flowered earlier in the spring. In Spain, apple trees bloom 35 days ahead of schedule in response to the higher temperatures. Other wildlife, like the insects that use certain plants for food and the birds that feed on the insects, must then move forward their seasonal stirrings(萌動(dòng)) and mating（交配） patterns to survive.
To try to follow this time shift, some birds such as robins, the classic symbol of winter’s thaw(解凍時(shí)期), are returning to Colorado from their migrations some two weeks earlier than in years past. All these changes can throw a food chain in disorder. Some bird species that arrive before the insects reappear may starve to death.
“Around the world, plants and animals are waking up to an earlier alarm clock than they used to,” says Terry Root, a biologist from Stanford University.  
小題1:The underlined word “projected”(in Paragraph 2) probably means “____”.
A．forcedB．presentedC．indicatedD．predicted
小題2:According to the third paragraph, as a result of climate change ____ .
A．the warm weather wakes animals up earlier
B．certain trees bloom a season ahead of time
C．the birds need to change patterns of living
D．the American holly will flower in late spring
小題3:What can we know about robins according to the passage?
A．Farmers depend on them to tell the time.
B．They used to come back when spring came.
C．They used to predict the change of weather.
D．They usually migrate when seasons change.
小題4:What would be the best title for the passage?
A．Man is to blame for global warming
B．Great changes take place on Earth
C．Bird migration and climate change
D．Global warming changing nature’s clock

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Happy birthday
The China Nation Opera (CNO)will give a concert to celebrate its 50th birthday.
Different generations of CNO vocalists(歌手), like Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei, will present the concert which will feature both songs from famous Chinese operas like “The White-haired GM “and “The Hundredth Bride”, as well as, arias (詠嘆調(diào)) of such Western opera classics as “Madame Butterfly”, “La Traviata” and “Rigoletto”.
Time/date : 7:30 pm, September 7, 8
Location : Tianqiao Theatre
Tel : 6551-4787, 8315-6170
Tickets : 60—50 yuan (US $7.2-60.2)
Folk music
A concert will be held to feature some recently-composed traditional Chinese music works.
The concert, given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre, will include such pieces as “Memory of Childhood”, “Memorial Ceremony for God” and “Wine Song”.
Time/date : 7:30 pm, September 13
Location: Concert hall at the National Library of China
Tel: 6848-5462, 6841-9220
Tickets : 30-200 yuan (US $ 3.6—24.1)
Moon music
A concert of traditional Chinese music will be given on the eve of the Moon Festival which falls on September 21st this year.
The concert will feature a number of famous pieces centered on this theme of the moon, such as “Moonlight”, “Spring Night on a Moonlit River” and “Lofty Mountain and Flowing River.”
A number of established traditional Chinese music performers, like Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, will play solos（獨(dú)奏）as well as collaborate（合奏）with the folk music orchestra.
Time/ date: 7:30 pm, September 21st
Location: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities
Tel: 6606-8888, 6606-9999
1. If you want to buy tickets for listening to the music “Memory of Childhood”, you will dial       .
 
A. 6551-4787
B. 6848-5462
C. 8315-6170
D. 6606-9999
2. “Madame Butterfly” is       .      
 
A. a Chinese opera
B. a song
C. a piece of music
D. a Western opera
3. The passage will most probably appear in the column “      ”of a newspaper.   
 
A. Animals
B. People
C. Entertainment
D. Sports

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


三．閱讀理解（共20小題；每小題2分，滿分40分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng);并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
In front of 60,000 fans, the former Olympic and world champion, Liu Xiang got his third National Games gold medal in the final of the men’s 110 meters hurdles at the Olympic Sports Center in Ji Nan, Shandong province．
Before winning this game, Liu joined in the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix meet(上海國際田徑黃金大獎(jiǎng)賽) in September, 2009 and won the second place in men’s 110 meters hurdles with a very slight loss to his solid rival–American athlete, Terrence Trammell．That was the first time that he had shown up on the track and in public after his 13 month’s lay–off．So, this game on October 25, in 11th Chinese National Games was very critical for him to handle．After crossing the finishing line, Liu said, “The most important thing was to finish the race safely and smoothly．The result is not very good but the effort was not bad．”
With the final result of 13.34 seconds, Liu became the first Chinese hurdler to win a National Games title three times．“I’m feeling very good now,” Liu said．“I started to compete at the National Games at the age of 18 and now I’m 26．I hope I can run at the Games again in four years’ time because, for all Chinese athletes, is a dream and it is also my starting point．I would just like to thank all the people who have supported me and all the spectators who cheered for me here．”
It is hard for most of Liu’s fans to forget the heartbroken moment at Bird’s Nest last year at the Beijing Olympics because of the foot injury．Thirteen months later, however, the strong-minded man thrilled the home crowd with the strong comeback and would gain another take–off in his career．“I never thought of coming back when I got injured and I felt my future was in doubt,”Liu said, “But now I have seen there is still a future．”
1．When will the 12th Chinese National Games be held?
A．2012                 B．2013                C．2014               D．2015
2．Which of the following statement is TRUE?
A．Liu Xiang was very confident after he knew his foot was badly injured．
B．Liu Xiang beat Terrence Trammell in the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix meet．
C．Liu Xiang had won three gold medals in the National Games before October 25, 2009．
D．Liu Xiang couldn’t have won this gold medal without his strong will and people’s support．
3．What’s the best title for the article?
A．A Legend–Liu Xiang                         B．Liu Xiang Is Back
C．Champion of The National Games            D．Never Give Up

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


MOSCOW, Sept. 4 (Xinhuanet)--- At least 335 people including 155 children, were killed in the three---day hostage crisis (人質(zhì)危機(jī)) in a southern Russian school, Russia’s Deputy Prosecutor General Sergei Fridinsky said on Saturday.
“We are still identifying the bodies. We have recovered 322 bodies, and 155 of them are children,” Fridinsky was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.
The prosecutor said the death toll would probably grow as the clean-up operation is continuing at the site, but it will not rise considerably.
Emergency workers pulled the bodies out of the school on Saturday, after Russian special forces rescued more than 400 children and adults hostages in a special operation that has suppressed (平定)the hostage -taking standoff by Friday night.
Valery Andreyev, regional chief of the Federal Security Service (FSS), said Friday that over 30 armed militants took part in the hostage-taking crisis and Russian troops captured three of them alive on Friday, according to the Interfax news agency.
He said people of Russian origin and foreign nationals were among the killed hostage-takers. Earlier official information showed that ten Arab militants were killed in Friday’s raid (突襲).
Andreyev said a large amount of explosives (爆炸物)and mines planted by hostage-takers in the school have been found.
Rusian Presidnet Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit early Saturday to the southern Russian town of Beslan where commandos (突擊隊(duì)) stormed the school to end the hostage crisis. He accused the attackers of trying to spark an racial conflict that would engulf (卷入)Russia’s troubled Caucasus Mountains region.
63. It can be inferred that the Russian hostage crisis began on ________.
A. Wednesday    B. Monday     C. Friday            D. Saturday
64. The passage suggests that the terrorists _________.
A. hadn’t got any preparation before the attack
B. had informed the government to attack the school
C. had made a sudden attack to the school without any preparation
D. had prepared for the attack in advance
65. The underlined word “spark” in the last paragraph refers to _______.
A. speak out                B. lead to   C. start                       D. make
66. The last sentence of the passage indirectly states _______.
A. the purpose of the attackers’ taking over the   hostage
B. the fighting between attackers and special forces was very fierce
C. Russian President was very sad about the hostage
D. there were many attackers in Caucasus Mountains region

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


第二部分：閱讀理解（共20小題; 每小題2分,滿分40分）
Around six weeks ago, Kaileen came running into the house, just getting off the bus from school. She was all excited about a story about homeless pets because of Hurricane (颶風(fēng)) Katrina and all that was going on to help them. She said that this information came from her animal newspaper (your KIND News). Kaileen has a great love and compassion (同情心) for animals, so her excitement did not surprise me. Her next ideas, however, did. She said that we should go around right then to our neighbors and collect all their change to send to the animal shelters (保護(hù)所).
I thought this was a school project, but in fact, it was not. This was what Kaileen wanted to do on her own! Well, it warmed me all over. To see your child so willing to help others just lets you feel that maybe you had done something right in raising (養(yǎng)育) her.
Anyway, I told her to make a card and send it out to our neighbors first. With the help of her older brother, Kaileen soon made a lovely card that asked our neighbors to help these pets by giving their spare change. She gave them a few days and a date she would come by to pick up any donations (捐贈(zèng)). 
Well, I had to go out and buy a donation box. Kaileen collected $279.50!!! I just thought you would like to know how KIND News had touched a little one’s heart and given her the idea to show her compassion for animals. Thank you — we really enjoy your paper.
36. The passage is probably taken from ______. 
A. a report about a warm-hearted girl
B. an advertisement for an animal shelter 
C. a thank-you letter to a newspaper
D. a donation program for homeless pets 
37. What was the author’s feeling about Kaileen’s idea? 
A. Pleased and excited. 
B. Surprised and moved.
C. Tired and sad.                         
D. Worried and angry.
38. From the passage we learn that KIND News ______.
A. collects donations for homeless people 
B. sets up many shelters for homeless animals 
C. tells children how to keep pets healthy 
D. encourages children to help homeless pets 
39. We can infer that the passage is written by Kaileen’s ______.
A. parent          B. teacher         C. brother      D. neighbor

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