You know that pearls grow inside oysters(牡蠣), but would you ever think to look for diamonds inside an ostrich(鴕鳥)? Well, a hunter once shot an ostrich and discovered, to his great surprise, that the big bird had swallowed a bunch of diamonds. How could such a strange thing happen?
Like many other birds, the ostrich swallows small stones that stay inside its “gizzard”. The gizzard is a bird’s second stomach. It is where the food is ground up. The small stones help to grind up the food so it can be digested. The small stones do the chewing because birds don’t have teeth. In that case of the ostrich with the diamonds, the bird simply had expensive taste in rocks. It used the diamonds to digest its dinner.
Diamonds and stones aren’t all that an ostrich will swallow. If there are no stones around, it will eat just about anything. Sadly for ostriches in zoos, this can be a fatal habit. The tendency to swallow anything it sees has caused the death of many an ostrich. Cruel or careless people often throw things into the bird’s living space. They throw keys, coins, and even large objects such as horseshoes. The ostrich swallows them without hesitation. Coins can be the worst. Inside the ostrich they wear down to a razor-sharp edge. They will cut open the bird’s gizzard from the inside. When one young zoo ostrich died, 484 coins weighing more than eight pounds were found in its gizzard.
小題1:
Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A．Birds often eat strange and funny things.
B．Ostriches will swallow anything to help them digest food.
C．One ostrich died with 484 coins in its gizzard.
D．Ostriches are often hurt by cruel or careless people.
小題2:
The ostrich is not smart enough to ______.
A．digest its own foodB．eat only diamonds
C．a(chǎn)void eating harmful objectsD．escape from the zoo
小題3:
The sentence “the small stones do the chewing” makes rocks seem as though they were ______.
A．importantB．a(chǎn)live
C．dangerousD．uncomfortable
小題4:
he word “fatal” in the third paragraph is another word for “______”.
A．foolishB．carelessC．deadlyD．cruel

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

Blind imitation (模仿)is self-destruction.To those who do not recognize their unique worth. Imitation appears attractive: to those who know their strenghth. Imitation is unacceptable.
In the early stages of skill or character development, imitation is helpful. When I first learned to cook, I used recipes (菜譜) and turned out some tasty dishes. But soon I grew bored. Why follow someone else’s way of cooking when I could create my own? Imitating role models is like using training wheels on a child’s bicycle; they help you get going, but once you find your own balance, you fly faster and farther without relying on them.
In daily life, imitation can hurt us if we subconsciously (下意識地) hold poor role models. If, as a child, you observed people whose lives were bad, you may have accepted their fear and pain as normal and gone on to follow what they did. If you do not make strong choices for yourself, you will get the results of the weak choices of others.
In the field of entertainment, our culture glorifies celebrities. Those stars look great on screen. But when they step off screen, their personal lives may be disastrous. If you are going to follow someone, focus on their talent, not their bad character or unacceptable behaviors.
Blessed is the person willing to act on their sundden desire to create somrthing unique.Think of the movies,books,teachers,and friends that have affected you most deeply.They touched you because their creations were motivated by inspiration,not desperation.The world is changed not by those who do what has been done brfore them,but by those who do what has been done inside them.Creative people have an endless resource of ideas.The problem a creator faces  is  not running out of material;it is what to do with the material knocking at the door of imagination.
Syudy your role models,accept the gifts they have given,and leave behind what does not server.Then you can say,”I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors”tragedies and  tory ,and know that they are cheering on.
小題1:Imitation proves useful when you        .
A．know you are unique
B．lose the bslance of life
C．begin to learn something new
D．get tired of routine practice
小題2:To avoid the bad result of imitation, we should________.
A．forget daily fear and pain
B．choose the right example
C．a(chǎn)sk others for decisions
D．stay away from stars
小題3:Acording to the author. The world moves on because of those who are          .
A．desperate to intruence others with their knowledge
B．ready to turn their original ideas into reality
C．eager to discover what their ancestors did
D．willing to accept others’ideas
小題4:The trouble a creator faces is          .
A．the lack of strong motivation
B．the absence of practical ideas
C．how to search for more materials
D．how to use imagination creatively
小題5:What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A．To highlight the importance of creatively.
B．To criticize the characters of role models.
C．To compare imitation with creation.
D．To explain the meaning of success.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Researchers in Britain are driving the environmental movement to a new level. A team from the University of Warwick has built what it calls the world’s first completely environmentally friendly Formula Three racing car.
The car is made mainly of renewable materials, like plants and vegetables. The structure around the car is made from natural plant fibers and potatoes. The steering wheel(方向盤) is made from root vegetables like carrots. The engine uses bio-fuel made from vegetable oil and waste chocolate.
The new racing car is extremely fast. The car has a top speed of two hundred fifteen kilometers an hour. And it can go from zero to ninety-five kilometers an hour in just two and a half seconds. The racing car meets all of the Formula Three racing requirements except for its biodiesel(生物柴油) engine.
Automobile racing is one of the most widely watched sports in the world. But it is also considered one of the least friendly sports to the environment. Racing cars burn a lot of fuel, and create a lot of air pollution. In recent years, the racing industry has taken steps to protect the environment. More racing companies are now producing cars that use less energy. These cars produce less pollution than cars that depend on traditional fuel, like gasoline.
Last month, the new racing car was set to run in its first competitive race at the Formula Three Championship Final at Brands Hatch. It would have been the first biodiesel-powered car to race at Formula Three. Current Formula Three rules let only gasoline-powered car to compete. Officials needed permission from all of the Formula Three racers for the biodiesel-powered car to compete. They were unable to contact one of the drivers, so the new racing car didn’t appear in the event. In test runs, the new racing car was the fifth fastest among the Formula Three race cars. Supporters are hoping to have the fuel problem solved in time to compete in the next season.
小題1:. What’s the second paragraph mainly about?
A．What materials the new racing car is made of.
B．Why researchers built the new racing car.
C．The characteristics of the new racing car.
D．The process of the new racing car being designed.
小題2:.According to the passage, the _________ of the new racing car doesn’t meet the Formula Three racing
requirements.
A．speedB．a(chǎn)ppearanceC．weightD．engine
小題3:. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
A．the new racing car is the first environmentally friendly car
B．a(chǎn)utomobile racing could be forbidden in the near future
C．many people like to watch automobile racing
D．the new racing car will be allowed to compete in the next season of Formula Three racing
小題4:. In recent years, racing companies are producing cars that __________.
A．burn more fuelB．go more quickly
C．produce less pollutionD．cost less money
小題5:.Why didn’t the new racing car compete at the Formula Three Championship Final last month?
A．Because the new racing car still needs testing.
B．Because officials needed each racer’s permission but failed to contact one.
C．Because there’re some technical problems to be solved.
D．Because few drivers think it is fast enough.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Ants have a reputation for strength,organization and teamwork.But researchers have now discovered that a key secret to the success of ants is their ability to identify the importance of age in the work place.
A study of Gentral American leaf-cutter ants has shown that the younger and stronger members are give the toughest job of cutting therough the leaves they harvest.Their sharp youn teeth do this job effectively,but as they get older their teeth become relatively worn and blunt.
But rather than being retired or abandoned by the group,the ageing ants are given a new role more suyted to their physical abilities.They become carriers and teansport the leaves back to the kingdom where they are harvested for food.
The findings by researchers from the University of Oregon and the Oregong State University support previous research showin the survival of a leaf-cutter kingdom depends on the efficiency(效率）of is workers.
“Cuting leaves is hard work,”said Dr.Robert Schofield,who led the research team.“Much of the cutting is done with a V-shaped blade(刀片）between teeth on their jaws.This blade starts out as sharp as the sharpest razor blade that humans have developed.”But over rime the teeth become blunter and the cutting job slows down.The team estimated that,because of this age-related wear,a colony(蟻群)spent twice the energy cutting leaves than it would if all the ants had sharp blades.Its findings support the idea that wear and break can be significant problems for insects as well as largre animals.
Like humans,leaf-cuttre ant recognize that older members of the group can still make a worhwhile contribution to society.“This study shows an advantage of social living that we are familiar with,”said Dr.Schofield.
小題1:The younger and stronger ants do the toughest job because      .
A．they can teansport the leaves effectively
B．they have a sharp blade to cut leaves
C．other members are busy with other work
D．they can finish the job in a better organized way
小題2:The undrelined word“blunt”in the second paragraph can be replaced by      .
A．quite looseB．less sharp
C．quite fragileD．more dirty
小題3:What happens to the ants when they become old?
A．They no longer hve work to do.
B．They keep doing the same work.
C．They have to leave and live on themselves.
D．They are given a new worthwhile job.
小題4:It can be learned from the passage that       .
A．Dr.Schofield is the first to research leaf-cuttre ants
B．older ants are more powerful in carrying leaves
C．large animals can also suffer from some kind of wear
D．leaf-cutter ants are the most lever ants in the world
小題5:What can be the best title for the passage?
A．The key secret to the success of ants
B．The developed structure of ant colony
C．The most challenging job for leaf-cutter ants
D．No V-shaped blade,no success of ants

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars, and say they could be protecting life from the planet’s terrible environment.
The first caves appear as seven mysterious black dots （點） on the pictures which were sent back by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. Each as large as a football field, they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface.
“If there is life on Mars, there is a good chance that you’d find it in caves,” said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed the features (特征) while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program.
Jonathan Clarke, a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia, yesterday described the discovery as exciting.
One photo taken at night by an infrared imager(紅外線成像器) showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air may be flowing out.
“I said: ‘Wow, that’s a cave’” Dr. Clarke said excitedly. “People have been looking for these for a long time; now we have found them.”
He agreed such caves could be perfect places to search for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked(充滿輻射的), dry surface.
“Tiny drops of water could collect inside,” he said. “If there are gases coming out, they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria (細菌). A cave is also a protection from radiation; the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation.”
The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lava flows(管狀巖漿流) spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining to flow out, forming caves.
小題1: What does the passage mainly talk about?
A．How the caves were formed on Mars.
B．How NASA sent the pictures back to earth
C．Caves on Mars may be full of hot air or a sign（跡象）of life.
D．Scientists have completely recognized the surface of Mars.
小題2: We can learn from the passage that __________.
A．water has already been found on Mars
B．the scientists found all the caves at night
C．it is certain that there is life in these caves
D．the surface of Mars is bitterly cold, radiation-soaked and dry
小題3: According to the passage, Dr. Clarke was so excited because ________.
A．such caves could provide energy for life
B．they had finally found the caves on Mars
C．such caves would be perfect places to search for life
D．There would be life on Mars.
小題4: Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include_________.
A．lava and energyB．water and radiation from space
C．gases and lavaD．water and protection from radiation
小題5: what does the underlined word “ the planet” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A．the MarsB．the earthC．the cavesD．radiation

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There are two types of twins; identical and non-identical twins. Identical twins are formed from a single egg in mother’s body which divides to from two separate babies. Identical twins look the same, and are often dressed by their parents in clothes of the same colors. It is often difficult to tell identical twins from each other, even when they are standing side by side. Non-identical twins come into being when the mother produces two separated eggs a the same time, both of which grow to form babies. In this case the twins look like normal brothers and sisters and are easy to tell one from the other.
　　In the 1970s and 1980s a scientist did some research into twins. He invited many pairs of identical twins to university and asked them to take part in a week of tests. He was particularly interested in adopted (收養(yǎng)) twins who had been separated at birth. He would give the twins different kinds of tests to study their speed of thinking, their speech, their memory, the ways they saw and heard different things, and so on. Time and time again he found separated twins who preferred clothes of the same color, used the same kind of shaving soap, wore the same shaped square glasses and the same colored socks.
　　There is a third type of twins, but it is a very unusual one. Twins which are joined together at birth are known in western countries as Siamese twins.
小題1:It is difficult to tell identical twins apart because _______.
A．they are dressed in the same clothesB．they are dressed in the same color
C．they are very alikeD．they are standing side by side
小題2:If the twins are easy to tell from each other, they are ______.
A．very probably non-identical twinsB．surely identical twins
C．surely identical twinsD．a(chǎn)lways a brother and a sister
小題3:Which of the following is NOT true according to this passage?
A．In the 1970s and 1980s a scientist did some research into the two main types of twins.
B．In the week of tests, he tested their speed of thinking, their speech, their memory and some other things.
C．There were twins who had been separated from each other as soon as they were born.
D．Very often, separated twins were found to choose things of the same kind, the same shape and the same color.
小題4:This passage mainly tells us _______.
A．the main types of twinsB．what has been found out about twins
C．how twins are formedD．how a scientist studied twins

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Research advances over the past decade have told us that, with a little work, we humans can clone just about anything we want, from frogs to monkeys and probably even ourselves!
So, we can clone things, but why would we want to?
Of all the reasons, cloning for medical purposes has the most potential to benefit large numbers of people. How might cloning be used in medicine?
1. Cloning animal models of disease
Much of what researchers learn about human disease comes from studying animal models such as mice. Often, animal models are genetically engineered to carry disease-causing mutations(變異) in their genes. Creating these transgenic（轉(zhuǎn)基因的） animals is a time-intensive process that requires trial-and-error and several generations of breeding（培育）. Cloning technologies might reduce the time needed to make a transgenic animal model, and the result would be a population of genetically identical animals for study.
2．Cloning stem cells(干細胞) for the treatment of diseases
Stem cells are the body's building blocks, responsible for developing and repairing the body throughout life. As a result, they might be used to repair damaged or diseased organs and tissues. Researchers are currently looking up cloning as a way to create certain human stem cells for the research of diseases.
3. Cloning farm animals for drug production
Farm animals such as cows, sheep and goats are currently being genetically engineered to produce drugs or proteins that are useful in medicine. Just like creating animal models of disease, cloning might be a faster way to produce large herds of genetically engineered animals.
小題1:From Purpose One, we can infer that      .
A．most transgenic animals are clone
B．most animals carry engineered genes
C．most transgenic animal models are not cloned
D．most animals carry disease-causing mutations in their genes
小題2:It can be learned from Purpose Two that cloning technologies can be mainly use do    .
A．create damaged or diseased organs and tissues
B．clone genetically defined human stem cells
C．develop and maintain the body
D．repair the body throughout life
小題3:According to Purpose Three, cloning technologies can be mainly used to      .
A．speed up the producing of genetically engineered animals
B．produce drugs or proteins that are useful in medicine
C．raise genetically engineered cows, sheep and goats
D．produce large herds of animals for human beings

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea; clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫學家)，encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
小題1:The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because        .
A．they lived healthily in a dirty environment.
B．they thought bath houses were to dirty to stay in
C．they believed disease could be spread in public baths
D．they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease
小題2:Which of the following best describes Henry IV’s attitude to bathing?
A．Afraid.B．Curious.
C．Approving.D．Uninterested.
小題3:How does the passage mainly develop?
A．By providing examples.
B．By making comparisons.
C．By following the order of time.
D．By following the order of importance.
小題4:What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A．To stress the role of dirt.
B．To introduce the history of dirt.
C．To call attention to the danger of dirt.
D．To present the change of views on dirt.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Every pet owner loves his pet .There is no argument here.
But when we asked our readers whether they would clone their beloved animals , the responses were split(分裂) almost down the middle . Of the 228 readers who answered it ,108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion .
Clearly, from readers’ response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and eventual (最終的)sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people’s widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure (步驟)
Most of the readers who favored the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close copy of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope that clone could truly recreate a pet; many simply did not wish to go against the natural law of life and death.
Both sides expressed equal love for their animals. More of them owned “the best dog/cat in the world”. They thought of their pets as their “best friend” or “a member of the family”. They told moving stories of pets’ heroism, intelligence and selfless devotion.
No wonder the loss is so disturbing---and the cloning so attractive. “People become very close to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies,” says Gary Kowalski, author of goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. “For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away…It’s understandable. Death is always painful. It’s difficult to deal with. It’s hard to accept.”
But would cloning reduce the blow? This question seems to be at the heart of this problem.
小題1:
As far as the cloning of pets is concerned, a recent survey shows that, of all pet owners,     .
A．a(chǎn) lot more of them are for itB．a(chǎn) lot more of them are against it
C．very few of them are willing to tell their opinions
．		D．a(chǎn)bout half of them are for it and the other half against it
小題2:
The expression “eventual sadness of owning a pet.” (in paragraph 3) refers to       .
A．the death of one’s pet
B．the final ownership of a pet
C．the troubles one has to deal with in keeping a pet
D．the dangers involved in the cloning of a pet
小題3:
In spite of their differences on the problem of cloning, it seems that     .
A．a(chǎn)ll pet owners love their pets very much
B．a(chǎn)ll pet owners try to go against the natural law of life and death
C．people who support cloning love their pets more
D．people who dislike cloning love their pets more
小題4:
From what Gary Kowalski says, we can know that he     .
A．has never thought about the problem of cloning
B．thinks it hard to accept the idea of cloning pets
C．is in favor of the idea of cloning pets
D．is all against the cloning of pets

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