The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad(一時(shí)的風(fēng)尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” —and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer —which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet —adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear —popular in the US and UK—that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”.
A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes(前綴) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came to use..
Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College. London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines.” Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability(輕便),” adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared.
(   ) 小題1:. People use iPlayer to        .
A．listen to musicB．make a call
C．watch TV programs onlineD．read newspapers
(   ) 小題2:. We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is aimed at         .
A．young readersB．old readersC．fashionable womenD．engineers
(   ) 小題3:. The underlined word “ambiguous” means         .
A．popularB．uncertainC．definiteD．unique
(   )小題4:. Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are         .
A．portableB．environmentally friendlyC．a(chǎn)dvancedD．recyclable
(   ) 小題5:.. The writer suggests that         .
A．“i” products are often of a high quality
B．the popularity of “i” products may not last long
C．the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products
D．iTeddy is a live bear

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

There were red faces at one of Britain’s biggest banks recently. They had accepted a telephone order to buy ￡100,000 worth of shares from a 15-year-old schoolboy (they thought he was 21). The shares fell in value and the schoolboy was unable to pay up. The bank lost ￡20,000 on the deal which it cannot get back, because, for one thing, the young boy does not have the money, for another, being under 18, he is not legally liable for his debts. If the shares had risen in value by the same amount that they fell, he would have pocketed ￡20,000 profit. It certainly is better than delivering the morning newspaper. In another case, a boy of 14 found, in his grandmother’s house, a suitcase full of foreign banknotes. But they were now not used in their country of origin or anywhere else. This young boy headed straight to the nearest bank with his pockets filled with notes. The cashiers did not realize the country in question had reduced the value of its currency by 90%. They exchanged the notes at their face value at the current exchange rate. In three days, before he was found out, he took ￡200,000 from nine different banks. Amazingly, he had already spent more than half of this before the police caught up with him. Because he is also under 18 the banks have kissed goodbye to a lot of money, and several cashiers have lost their jobs.
Should we admire these youngsters for being enterprising and showing initiative or condemn them for their dishonesty? Maybe they had managed for years with tiny amounts of pocket money that they got from tight-fisted parents. Maybe they had done Saturday jobs for peanuts. It is hardly surprising, given the expensive things that young people want to buy, such as fashionable running shoes and computer games, if they sometimes think up more imaginative ways of making money than delivering newspapers. These youngsters saw the chance to make a lot of money and took it.
Another recent story which should give us food for thought is the case of the man who paid his six-year-old daughter￡300 a week pocket money. He then charged her for the food she ate a few coins for her piggy bank（存錢灌）“She will soon learn the value of money, ” he said. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has to be paid for and the sooner she learns that the better.” At the other extreme there are fond parents who provide free bed and board for their grown-up children, While even the most hard-hearted parents might hesitate to throw their children out on the streets, we all know of people in their twenties who still shamelessly live off their parents. Surely there comes a time when everyone has to leave the parental nest, look after themselves and pay their own way in life. But when is it?
小題1:.
Recently one of Britain’s biggest banks _____.
A．bought a lot of shares for a customer and brought him a great loss
B．lost money as its young customer had no money to pay his debts
C．lost much money because the shares they bought fell in value
D．received a telephone order to buy shares for a 21-year-old boy
小題2:.
. The author’s attitude to the example of the two boys who cheated the banks is _____.
A．objectiveB．subjectiveC．questioningD．negative
小題3:.
The man paid his daughter ￡300 a week pocket money and then required her to pay for her living expenses because _____.
A．he wanted her to know making money was not easy
B．he wanted to save money for her future education
C．he thought it useful for family members to bear life hardships together
D．he wanted her to learn the value of money
小題4:.
It can be concluded from the passage that the author believes that _____.
A．children should leave the parental nest as soon as possible
B．grown-up children should live on their own
C．children should be taught not to cheat others
D．parents should give more pocket money to their children

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

To switch or not to switch, that is the question．Google’s announcement of its Nexus One smartphone（智能手機(jī)） happened over a week ago and I’m still receiving lots of e-mails from readers asking the same question: Should they give up their iPhone for the Nexus One?
Some people with iPhones, disappointed by American Telephone&Telegraph’s inadequate service and the high monthly cost, are wondering if they have really got something to replace it．Does the Nexus One offer the functions that Apple has led them to expect?
I’m on the fence myself, even though I never thought I’d be interested in anything but the iPhone．From my experience using the Nexus One, and from talking to people who have made the change, it’s not necessarily about the differences between the iPhone and the Nexus One．The phones are extremely similar in design and general feel．Instead, the decision can be made based on the software（軟件） services you use on your desktop．
My friend Chad Dickerson received a pre-launch Nexus One from Google three weeks ago．He said Google’s phone feels connected to certain services on the Web in a way the iPhone doesn’t．“Compared to the iPhone, the Google phone feels like it’s part of the Internet to me,” he said．“If you live in a Google world, you have that world in your pocket in a way that’s cleaner and more connected than the iPhone．”
Personally, the phones work perfectly with their own software, but both of them don’t make an effort to play well with other services．
小題1:Why are some iPhone users expecting a new type of phone?
A．Because their old ones are out of date．
B．Because they accept Google’s announcement．
C．Because of the limited service and high cost．
D．Because of the terrible software they can use．．
小題2:What’s the author’s attitude towards the new phones in the third paragraph?
A．NegativeB．NeutralC．IndifferentD．Positive
小題3:In Chad Dickerson’s opinion, the Nexus One is ________ the iPhone．
A．better thanB．worse thanC．a(chǎn)s good asD．a(chǎn)s bad as
小題4:The best title of the passage might be ________．
A．Apple’s New Smartphone
B．Torn Between Two Phones
C．Good Services Matter
D．Google’s New Smartphone

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In a moment of personal crisis, how much help can you expect from a New York taxi driver? I began studying this question and found the answers interesting.
One morning I got into three different taxis and announced, “Well, it’s my first day back in New York in seven years. I’ve been in prison.” Not a single driver replied, so I tried again. “Yeah, I shot a man in Reno.” I explained, hoping the driver would ask me why, but nobody asked. The only response came from a Ghanaian driver, “Reno? That is in Nevada?”
Taxi drivers were uniformly sympathetic when I said I’d just been fired. “This is America,” a Haitian driver said. “One door is closed. Another is open.” He argued against my plan to burn down my boss’s house. A Pakistani driver even turned down a chance to profit from my loss of hope; he refused to take me to the middle of George Washington Bridge—a $20 trip. “Why you want to go there? Go home and relax. Don’t worry. Take a new job.”
One very hot weekday in July, while wearing a red ski mask and holding a stuffed pillowcase with the word “BANK” on it, I tried calling a taxi five times outside different banks. The driver picked me up every time. My ride with a Haitian driver was typical of the superb assistance I received.
“Let’s go across the park.” I said. “I just robbed the bank there. I got $25,000.”
“$25,000?” He asked.
“Yeah, you think it was wrong to take it?”
“No, man. I work 8 hours and I don’t make almost $70. If I can do that, I do it too.”
As we approached 86th and Lexington, I pointed to the Chemical Bank.
“Hey, there’s another bank,” I said, “Could you wait here a minute while I go inside?”
“No, I can’t wait. Pay me now.” His reluctance may have something to do with money—taxi drivers think the rate for waiting time is too low—but I think he wanted me to learn that even a bank robber can’t expect unconditional support.
小題1:. From the Ghanaian driver’s response, we can infer that ____.
A．he was indifferent to the killingB．he was afraid of the author
C．he looked down upon the authorD．he thought the author was crazy
小題2:. Why did the Pakistani driver refuse to take the author to the middle of the George Washington Bridge?
A．Because he was able to help the author to find a new job.
B．Because he wanted to go home and relax.
C．Because it was far away from his home.
D．Because he thought that the author would commit suicide.
小題3:.What is the author’s interpretation of the driver’s reluctance “to wait outside the Chemical bank”?
A．The driver thought that the rate for waiting time was too low.
B．The driver thought it wrong to support a taxi rider unconditionally.
C．The driver was frightened and wanted to leave him as soon as possible.
D．The driver did not want to help a suspect to escape from a bank robbery.
小題4:. Which of the following statements is true about New York taxi drivers?
A．They are ready to help you do whatever you want to.
B．they often refuse to pick up those who would kill themselves.
C．They are sympathetic with those who are out of work.
D．They work only for money.
小題5:. The passage mainly discusses ____.
A．how to please taxi drivers.
B．how to deal with taxi drivers
C．the attitudes of taxi drivers towards riders in personal trouble
D．the attitudes of taxi drivers towards troublesome taxi riders

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the United States or Australia. They also want their children to take extra-course activities where they will learn a musical instrument or ballet or other classes which will give them a head start in life. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is , the better it is. So the parents will spend an unreasonable amount of money on education . Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.
However, what most parents fail to see is that the best early education they can give their children is usually very cheap.
Parents can see that their children’s skills vary, skilled in some areas while poor in others. What most parents fail to realize though, is that today’s children lack (缺乏) self-respect and self-confidence.
The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but parents aren’t teaching them the most important skills they need to be confident , happy and clever.
Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing housework.
Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in life. Cooking demands patience and time. It’s an enjoyable but difficult experiment. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually to finish his job successfully. His result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and a lot of self-confidence.
Some old machines , such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your children to play with will make him curious (好奇) and arouse his interest He will spend hours looking at them, trying to fix them; your child might become an engineer when he grows up. These activities aren’t merely teaching a child to read a book , but rather to think, to use his mind. And that is more important.
小題1:.
Parents in China, according to this passage,_________.
A. are too strict with their children        
B. are too rich to educate their children
C have some problems in educating their children correctly
D. are too poor to educate their children
小題2:.
Generally speaking, children’s skills_______.
A．come from their parents
B．have nothing to do with their education
C．may be different
D．have something to do with their marks in the exams
小題3:.
The writer of this passage doesn’t seem to be satisfied with_______.
A．the parents’ idea of educating their children
B．the education system
C．children’s skills
D．children’s hobbies
小題4:.
. Doing some cooking at home helps children_________.
A．learn how to serve their parents
B．learn how to become strong and fat
C．benefit from it and prepare themselves for the future
D．make their parents believe that they are clever

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Most young people enjoy some forms of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling, or swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. It may be a game of some forms—football, basketball, hockey, golf or tennis. It may be mountaineering.
Those who have a passion of climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks in high mountains? This astonishment is caused, probably, by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure.
Mountaineering is a sport and not a game. There are no man-made rules, as others, as there are for such games as golf and football. There are, of course, rules of different kinds which would be dangerous to ignore, but it is this freedom from man-made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to many people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods.
If we compare mountaineering with other more familiar sports we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a “team game”. We should be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no “ matches” between “teams” of climbers, but when climbers are on a rock face linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obviously teamwork.
The mountain climber knows that he may have to fight forces that are stronger and more powerful than man. He has to fight the forces of nature. His sport requires high mental and physical qualities.
A mountain climber continues to improve in skill year by year. A skier is probably past his best by the age of thirty. But it is not unusual for men of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in the Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they perhaps climb with more skills and less waste of effort, and they certainly experience equal enjoyment.
小題1: What sports are popular among people in winter in the passage?
A．Soccer and golf.B．Skiing and skating.
C．Cycling and hockey.D．Mountaineering.
小題2: The underlined word “passion” in Paragraph 2 could best be replaced by ______.
A. strong emotion               B. good way  
小題3:Mountaineering is a sport, not a game because_______.
A．it has man-made rules
B．it is too dangerous for climbers
C．it can’t bring people joy or leisure
D．it is free for climbers to use their own methods
小題4: We know from the passage that _______.
A．mountaineering has no appeal for people
B．physical quality is more important than mental one for climbers
C．a(chǎn) mountain climber passes his best by the age of thirty
D．it is possible for an old man of fifty or sixty to climb the Alps
小題5: What is the best title for the passage?
A．Sports in winterB．Team work in climbing
C．MountaineeringD．The quality for mountaineering

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Ideal for anyone who wants a good time, the Gold Coast is packed with enough fun for everyone in Australia．It's impossible to be bored on the Gold Coast．Below are the attractions;
Dream World
This is a fun place for everyone, whether you are a family with young kids, older kids, or out with your mates．This theme park is actually a series of parks, made up of such places as preschooler heaven Wiggles World and such attractions as Big Brother for inner reality TV fans．Dream World also owns the theme park White Water World．It is possible to buy tickets from Dream World that covers several different parks．
Sea World
Get up close and personal with dolphins, sharks and polar bears．This theme park also offers the right mixture of shows, exhibits, animal fights and thrill rides such as roller coaster．This is a must-see for your Gold Coast adventure．
Warner Bros Movie World
This theme park has the best combination of fast-paced entertainment．Visitors can have fun living as though they're in the movies．Kids will see all their cartoon favourites on parade and in shows．Bigger kids and grown-ups can pretend they're on real movie sets with their favourite action heroes, and then put themselves into some serious action．
How to get there梇ou can easily travel to the Gold Coast by plane．Fly straight into Gold Coast International Airport, or to Brisbane and then catch the '"airtrain" service to the Gold Coast．All of the major airlines have daily flights, some with several per day depending on your departure city．If you want to save money, you can get there by train．
Accommodation—Want something truly unusual? Consider staying in the world's largest residential tower （塔式住宅） and enjoy beautiful views．The accommodation choices on the Gold Coast are just as varied and interesting as the activities, so whether you are a single, couple, family, friends, a large or small group, you will find options perfect for you at TakeABreak．corn．a(chǎn)n．
小題1:From the passage, we know _____．
A．visitors can go t．o the Gold Goast only by air
B．the Gold Coast is famous for its golden beach
C．it is difficult for a family to find a right place to stay
D．the theme park "Sea World" will attract animal lovers
小題2:Which is NOT included in the theme parks?
A．Children can see their favorite cartoons．
B．Visitors have opportunities to take roller coasters．
C．Some famous movie actors often act with visitors．
D．Visitors can share the joy from animals．
小題3:This passage is mainly ______．
A．to describe the theme parks in Australia
B．to draw more visitors to go to the Gold Goast
C．to tell some exciting shows, adventures, etc．
D．to introduce how to get to the Gold Coast

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

One often hears that children should arrive at school “ready to learn.” For most children, the acquisition of reading and math skills starts in the first grade. In states where kindergarten is compulsory, it begins even earlier.
Many parents, teachers, and politicians maintain that preschool is the best way to prepare children to learn. There is no real consensus, however, about how this preparation should be achieved.
For some, early childhood education relates to the development of the whole child. They think that preschool should encourage exploration and discovery. Group activities teach positive social behaviors such as sharing, kindness, and patience. Time spent alone encourages independence. Learning letters and counting is important only for children who show an interest in them. Advocates of this approach stress that each child is unique and should learn at his or her own pace.
Other people refer to research showing that children are ready to absorb basic academic concepts by age 3 or 4. They claim that early introduction to letters and numbers lays the foundation for later academic excellence. Since the 1980s, many people have stressed the value of preschool and point to the success of programs -such as Head Start - that target low-income children.
Is there proof that an academic curriculum in preschool will lead to academic success? Studies have not been conclusive. In the short term, evidence suggests that middle-class children who attend preschool are ahead of their peers in maths and language skills as well as in social skills, when they enter school. However, the same studies show that the gap narrows considerably by the time children reach age 8.
Children living in poverty are a different matter. Those enrolled in programs such as Head Start seem to do better than impoverished children who do not attend a preschool. For instance, youngsters in one group enrolled in the program, tracked until the age of 21, earned higher scores on intelligence tests, were more likely to graduate from high school, and demonstrated more interest in higher education.
The idea of public preschool raises many issues. Providing Head Start for all children would be a financial burden on communities that already struggle to fund current school programs. Also, where would a sufficient number of teachers trained in early childhood development be found?
小題1:
Advocates of the development of the whole child believe school readiness is______ .
A．showing eagerness in exploration and discovery
B．learning basic skills, such as knowing letters and counting
C．showing great interest in basic academic concepts
D．demonstration of intellectual , social and emotional skills
小題2:
According to the passage, Head Start is most probably______ .
A．a(chǎn) preschool program that supports disabled children
B．a(chǎn) program that helps impoverished children attend a school
C．a(chǎn)n organization that aims to improve current school programs
D．a(chǎn) program that helps design the academic curriculum in preschool
小題3:
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Preschool benefits middle-class children more than poor children.
B．Most children start school with similar language and social skills.
C．Providing Head Start for all children has encountered great difficulties.
D．All children are ready to absorb basic academic concepts by age 3 or 4.
小題4:
Which of the following may best summarize the main idea of the passage?
A．An academic curriculum in preschool will lead to academic success.
B．Preshool is helpful, despite the disagreement about what it should offer.
C．Children enrolled in preschool demonstrate more interest in learning.
D．Preschool education shouldn't be a financial burden on communities.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There is that great idea that in an information and knowledge based economy, the most important thing for companies is attracting and holding outstanding talented guys．Obviously I will not say that is not important, but in my opinion a successful and groundbreaking company cannot be built just from the collection of high talented people, as a great sports team can't be constructed only by the collection of great players．
It is more important to build teams of people that achieve the goals according to the company's organizational vision．It is necessary to create organizations where everybody （with outstanding talent or not） can develop their best personal capabilities and that these capacities are addressed to achieve the corporate goals and mission．The company efforts must be addressed to design an organizational system that produces and uses talent from everyone in the company．
Trying to get the best from our people through corporate team building policies, establishing a concrete corporate culture and values, making our company a place where people want to work because it is a good place to stay and develop their capacities, is the best way to compete in the knowledge economy．That will keep us out of the obligation to constantly seek for the "best players" and entering in the retribution auctions（拍賣）．
We have to take into account that, nowadays, the real talented and creative people, like to work or engage themselves in projects where they can develop their capacities, they can be involved in the organizational goals and vision, and where they are treated with respect and dignity．Definitively, they want to be happy doing their jobs．And we have to build organizations where they can find that．
小題1:
．The underlined word that in Paragraph 1 refers to ________．
A．information and knowledgeB．the great idea
C．the collection of talented peopleD．a(chǎn)ttracting and holding talented people
小題2:
．In the author’s opinion, a good company should consist of ________．
A．only outstanding peopleB．both talented and common people
C．only common peopleD．more talented people than common people
小題3:
The most important thing a successful company should do is ________．
A．constantly seek for talented people
B．employ people with different abilities
C．make the company a place where employees are glad to devote themselves to work
D．make the company a place where employees can get the best pay and great respect
小題4:
According to Paragraph 3, the company can get the best from its employees in the following ways EXCEPT ________．
A．making corporate team building rules
B．forming corporate culture and values
C．encouraging them to develop their abilities
D．competing in the knowledge economy

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