High school dropouts(輟學(xué)者)earn an average of $ 9,000 less per year than graduates. Now a new study dispels a common belief why they quit. It’s much more basic than flunking out(不及格).
Society tends to think of high school dropouts as kids who just can’t cut it. They are lazy,and perhaps not too bright.So researchers were surprised when they asked more than 450 kids who quit school about why they left.
“The vast majority actually had passing grades and they were confident that they could have graduated from high school.” John Bridgeland, the executive researcher said. About 1 million teens leave school each year. Only about half of African-American and Hispanic(美籍西班牙的)student will receive a diploma(證書),and actually all dropouts come to regret their decision. So, if failing grades don’t explain why these kids quit, what does? Again,John Bridgeland:"The most dependable finding was that they were bored.” “They found classes uninteresting; they weren’t inspired or motivated. They didn’t see any direct connection between what they were learning in the classroom to their own lives, or to their career aspirations.”
The study found that most teens who do drop out wait until they turn sixteen, which happens to be the age at which most states allow students to quit. In the US,only one state,New Mexico,has a law requiring teenagers to stay in high school until they graduate. Only four states: California, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, plus the District of Columbia, require school attendance until age 18, no exceptions, another researcher,says raising the compulsory(義務(wù)的)attendance age may be one way to keep more kids in school.
 “As these dropouts look back,they realize they’ve made a mistake. And anything that sort of gives these people an extra push to stick it out and it through to the end, is probably helpful measure.”
New Hampshire may be the next state to raise its school attendance age to 18. But critics say that forcing the students unwilling to continue their studies to stay in school misses the point-the need for reform. It's been called for to reinvent high school education to make it more challenging and relevant, and to ensure that kids who do stick it out receive a diploma that actually means something.  
小題1:Most high school students drop out of' school because__.
A.they have failing gradesB.they take no interest in classes
C.they are discriminated againstD.they are lazy and not intelligent
小題2:Acceding to the passage,which state has a law requiring school attendance until they graduate?
A.New HampshireB.UtahC.New MexicoD.The District of Columbia
小題3:The underlined words “stick it out” probably means“__”.
A.complete schoolingB.solve the problem
C.love having classesD.believe in themselves
小題4:From the passage,we can infer the following EXCEPT that_.
A.the grades of most dropouts at school were acceptable
B.a(chǎn)bout 500, 000 high school dropouts are black and Spanish
C.classes don't appeal to dropouts
D.on average dropouts cannot get good jobs

小題1:B
小題2:C
小題3:A
小題4:B

小題1:第三段中“They found classes uninteresting;…”說明學(xué)生輟學(xué)的原因是“課堂沒有興趣,學(xué)生覺著乏味。
小題2:從倒數(shù)第三段第一句可知答案。
小題3:略
小題4:從全文得知大多數(shù)輟學(xué)者對(duì)課堂不感興趣、每個(gè)年級(jí)都有輟學(xué)者、輟學(xué)者就業(yè)難。所以不能做出B項(xiàng)的推測(cè)。
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

A recent study conducted by the Pine Street Foundation showed that a dog’s nose may have the ability to detect cancer. A dog’s nose, which was the “medical device” used as part of the research, is believed to be among the world’s most powerful olfactory(嗅覺的) sensors. The study was conducted with 169 subjects 55 of which had been diagnosed as having lung cancer, 31 have breast cancer and 83 control subjects——people without cancer. During the study, five professionally trained scent dogs were used to distinguish between the breath samples of cancer patients and those who were healthy. With an average of 90% accuracy, the research was deemed a success.
The Pine Street Foundation conducted its research on the belief that cancer cells give off a different type of metabolic(新陳代謝) waste product than normal cells. According to the study, the difference is so great that it can be detected by a dog’s sense of smell, including both early and late stages of the disease.
In the conclusion of the study the Pine Street Foundation said that even ordinary dogs may be trained to identify the presence of cancer with only a breath sample. The organization also said that dogs can recognize the disease with astonishing amount accuracy and, finally, that the dog’s detection was not hindered(妨礙) by the presence of age, smoking or stage of cancer.
The Pine Street Foundation plans to continue their research and is currently seeking funding to launch new studies.
小題1:If we want to add several different detecting examples to the passage, we should write them
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A.between paragraph 1 and paragraph 2B.between paragraph 2 and paragraph 3
C.between paragraph 3 and paragraph 4D.before paragraph 1 or after paragraph 4
小題2:The best title for this passage might be ______.
A.Dogs may smell cancerB.Why dogs can smell cancer
C.A Study on dogs’ special abilityD.A study on breast cancer
小題3:Dogs can smell cancer because ____________.
A.they can detect faster than manB.their sense of smell is very sensitive
C.dogs metabolize the food slowlyD.patients give off bad smell
小題4:People can know from the passage _________.
A.a(chǎn)ll dogs can be used to smell cancer
B.it’s not easy to find out cancer in the early stage
C.most of the research experiments are successful
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

From the earlier time it was well ___1___to the Peruvians that when a cut ___2____made in the thick skin of a ___3____tree, a white liquid like milk came ___4___. From this fluid (流動(dòng)的) a sticky ___5_____of rubber might be made. This rubber is ___6____and wax-like when warm so that it is ___7_____to give any form.
The Peruvians ___8____the discovery that it is very good for ___9____out water. Then in the early ___10____of the century they made overshoes to ___11___their feet dry. Then a certain Mr Mackintosh ___12_____coats of cloth which were ___13____with rubber. Today Mackintosh raincoats are still ___14_____after him.
But these first rubber shoes ___15______raincoats were unpleasantly soft and sticky in ___16___. They were also stiff and very ___17____in winter. They were like wax(蠟) although they ___18____a bit stronger.
But the rubber ___19___use today has been improved. It is ___20____sticky but soft and elastic(彈性的) and strong enough for any season.
1. A. talked               B. heard           C. seen               D. known
2. A. has                B. was             C. may               D. will
3. A. rubber              B. apple           C. orange                  D. oak
4. A. from                B. through         C. out                D. up
5. A. raincoat            B. shoes           C. border             D. mass
6. A. hard                     B. fast              C. stubborn            D. soft
7. A. important            B. impossible       C. possible             D. uncertain
8. A. made                B. found          C. wrote             D. neglected
9. A. finding             B. keeping         C. making             D. pouring
10. A. kind               B. part             C. sort                D. halves
11. A. clean              B. clear           C. keep              D. prevent
12. A. made              B. found          C. appeared           D. gave
13. A. full                B. like             C. lined              D. applied
14. A. looked            B. named         C. made             D. searched
15. A. or               B. and              C. with               D. but
16. A. today              B. summer              C. winter             D. rain
17. A. soft                B. sticky          C. elastic             D. cold
18. A. felt                     B. made           C. needed                  D. produced
19. A. Mr Mackintosh      B. the Peruvians       C. we                 D. is
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

The majority of astronauts from America have been men. At the start of the space programme there was strong resistance from some people against having women in space. However, some women were very keen to become astronauts and in the end they were successful. In 1978, NASA began the first training programme for women astronauts.
Judy Resnick and Christa McAuliffe were both astronauts and they were both women, but in many other ways they were very different. Both of them were on Flight STS-5L-L. Judy Resnick was born in 1949 and studied engineering at university and went on to obtain a PhD in 1977. She was a member of the first group of women selected for astronaut training in 1978, and in 1984, she became the second woman in space. During that flight, she helped to launch three new satellites and she carried out a programme of research. She was, in many ways, a professional astronaut whose whole life was devoted to space travel.
Christa McAuliffe was born in 1948 and she was an astronaut almost by accident. In 1984, NASA decided to find a teacher who could accompany astronauts into space. They hoped that she would be able to communicate with students from space and encourage every one of them to be interested in space travel. Christa was a secondary teacher in history and social studies. She was a gifted teacher and she was selected from over 11,000 applicants to go on flight STS-51-L. She was also a very good communicator and she immediately established a very good relationship with the news media(radio, television and newspapers). It was partly because of this that there was a great deal of interest and excitement about the flight. Thousands of students in schools and universities all around the country were looking forward to communicating with Christa in space. Millions of people were watching her flight with great interest. It is partly because of the excitement over McAuliffe's place in the flight that the disaster in 1986 had such an effect on people.
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A.Judy was against the idea of having women in space at first
B.Judy was the first woman selected for astronaut training
C.Judy helped to launch three new satellites at the age of 35
D.Judy carried out a programme during her second space travel
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A.she was popular with the news media
B.she expected to give history lessons in space
C.she was an excellent teacher and communicator
D.she made the students in space very excited
小題3:The reason why there was great interest in Flight STS-51-L is that ________.
A.both Christa and Judy got PhD degrees in the same year
B.a(chǎn) young secondary school teacher was on the flight
C.students were going to learn more about space travel
D.it was the first time for women to travel in space
小題4: What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Two AstronautsB.Flight STS-51-L
C.Travelling in SpaceD.The Training Programme

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Early people had very little effect on the environment. They lived in caves in very small “clan” groups. They collected or killed only enough for the clan’s survival. Early clans were nomadic, which mean that they didn’t stay in one place. Instead, they moved around, following the animals that were their main food source and seeking areas where seasonal plants grew wild. Moving around seasonally helped to protect the environment. The land had time to recover and animals had time to breed (繁殖)before the clan returned for the next season..
As time went by, these small family clans joined with others to form larger groups for protection. Joining with other clans gave them more hunters and more women to help cut up the meat and share it between families. Eventually, people tamed(馴養(yǎng))wild animals such as dogs and horses. People settled around rivers and fertile plains to share responsibilities and duties. Then, people began to plant crops instead of moving to areas where the plants grew. This development changed the environment.
Traditional forms of work also changed. Some people were better at performing a particular task than other clan members, so then began to specialize in things they were good at doing. This also meant that they began to exchange their goods for things that others produced.
People began to communicate with distant tribes. Land was cleared for roads. Foreign plants and animals were transported to places where they had not existed before. Specialization also give people more free time. So art ,dance and music became important ways of expressing feelings and thoughts. This was how many great civilizations started.
Compared to the past, modern civilization has experienced many changes to become the highly developed society that exists today. Populations have increased rapidly. Forests have been cleared for farms. Inventions and technology have made work easier.
However, pollution and other serious problems have also resulted from human progress. As concerned citizens, it is up to us to learn from past mistakes and to help maintain and improve our environment.
小題1:Early tribes didn’t have much effect on animal population because_____
A .they kept animals for themselves         B they ate only vegetables
C they loved animals                     D they killed only enough for food
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A to hurt animals                         B to seek safety
C to share caves                         D to protect environment
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A early people moved to new places looking for new sources of food
B modern civilization began when people started to live together in big groups
C modern advancements are always good for the environment
D people began to exchange goods because they didn’t have enough money
小題4:It can be concluded from the passage that_____
A human progress has brought civilization to the society
B civilization has improved traditional forms of work
C early people understood environmental protection
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It's time to be water efficient!
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It is obvious that we cannot increase demands for water much more without detrimental(有害的) effects to the environment, society and the economy.
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We each share responsibility for the sustainable management of our water resources, which means using less water at home, in the workplace, at school, on holidays, on the farm, … everyone, everywhere, every time.
It's time to become water efficient! This involves reassessing our relationship with water, and learning to use it more sparingly. On the most basic level, it requires a behavioural(行動(dòng)的) change, and assigning a value to water that truly reflects its worth.
We can also unlock economic benefits of being water efficient. There are many real world examples given in the case studies on this site.
Everybody has a responsibility to save water, if future generations are to enjoy a similar standard of living to the one we enjoy now. In fact, many of the impacts associated with water use are likely to have an effect on our own lives!
www.savewater.com.au has been designed to help you respond to the challenge to become water efficient. It acts as a central repository for relevant information and further advice, so that you can actually achieve significant savings. It also showcases those companies with products that will assist you in your goal.
小題1:Can you infer where this passage is from?
A.newspaperB.TV programmeC.Radio broadcastD.Internet
小題2:What can we do to save water?
A.find more water resources
B.use less water everywhere, every time
C.realize the importance of saving water
D.unlock economic benefits of being water efficient
小題3:What is not the reason to save water?
A.There are more and more people in the world.
B.The water resources are limited.
C.Agriculture needs more water.
D.The water is very important for us.
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A.Water is very important for the human.
B.Everybody has a responsibility to save water.
C.It's time to be water efficient.
D.Let’s save water for our future generations.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

While students in Hainan are quite used to clear skies, Beijing teenagers are not so lucky. As another warm winter approaches, the city can expect the normal clouds of smoke caused by air pollution.
But things could start to get better soon. The government is co-operating with a US-based environmental protection agency to update existing buses and trucks with clean fuel technology. The new technology could reduce air pollutants in existing diesel vehicles (柴油機(jī)) by 40 per cent. The programme will begin by testing buses in Beijing to see if the technology can be applied to them.
“We encourage the development of public transportation. But at the same time we need to reduce pollution from them,” said an official.
Efforts are being made to improve the capital’s environment with tighter controls on emissions (排放). Some heavily polluting factories and construction sites, such as those owned by the steel giant Shougang Group, have been asked to cut production in November and December or be closed.
Beijing was the third polluted city in the world at the end of last century, according to the UN. But thanks to recent measures, the capital has made some progress. Last year 224 clear days were rated as having good air quality. In 1998 the air quality index (指數(shù)) gave just 100 days as good.
“I am glad to see an improvement,” said a Senior 1 boy living in the northwest of Beijing. “Compared to other places, the air quality of Beijing is still worrying though. I hate the pollution. Once I was riding my bike in the morning when I almost had a traffic accident because I couldn’t see a car only metres away from me in frog.”
In early October, the skies were covered by such a thick fog that a display show by the visiting French air force was called off.
Rapid development, industry, traffic fumes (煙) and sandstorms from the desert all contribute to the city’s bad air.
小題1:The passage is mainly about ________?
A.a(chǎn) programme to improve Beijing’s air quality
B.progress made in Beijing’s air quality
C.Beijing’s air pollution
D.the difference between Hainan and Beijing
小題2:Which of the following is not the measure taken or to be taken to improve Beijing’s air?
A.Clean fuel technology will be used in public transportation.
B.Some factories have been asked to cut production.
C.Some construction sites have been told to be closed.
D.A display show of airplanes has been called off.
小題3:We can infer from the passage that, with the aim of being an ecological (生態(tài)的) city by the 2008 Olympics, ________.
A.far more still needs to be done
B.nothing else needs to be done
C.a(chǎn)ll traffic has to be closed
D.the development of the city has to be slowed down
小題4:Which is not correct according to the passage?
A.Beijing’s air quality is getting worse and worse.
B.Development, industry, traffic fumes and sandstorms are all the causes of bad air quality.
C.Clouds of smoke in the sky is the common feature in the winter of Beijing.
D.The government is making every effort to stop air pollution.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Learning English is one of the few things I have been doing consistently over the past 16 years. Like most Chinese students, I started learning English because it was a compulsory (必修的) course in my middle school. More importantly, English was a central subject for the college entrance exam.
At that time , studying English was not a pleasant experience for me . There was no fun in the process of learning . The focus of our English education was getting a good mark in exams . And nobody told me that the real meaning of studying mother language was communication.
When I became a university student , I spent nearly half of my time on English . In fact , more than 90 percent of the job offer ads in Shanghai list “ proficiency (精通) as a main requirement.
How did I improve my English ? People told me that TOEFL was very helpful and useful. As a result, I took a TOEFL training course and studied like mad. After six months’ preparation, I took part in the exam and got a high score . Later on , I had a chance to further my study in Britain . I soon discovered that all of my past English learning had been futile (沒用的) . When I first went shopping in a local supermarket , I really could not understand what the cashier was saying at all.
It was then that I realized I had totally missed the point . Instead of just passing exams , the main function of learning English or any other language is communication . What is more , lanuage does not exist independent of culture. Hence , mechanical memorization helps very little in communication. That’s why I was still unable to freely express myself after learning English for many years . By no means am I talented in any foreign language . I am still learing English . Why ?
First and foremost , my job requires me to use English everyday . Secondly , English helps me to have access to more information . Thirdly , as a bookworm , English gives me a chance to dive into the huge pool of inspiring English books . Last but not least , it is such a great experience to write in another language . Indeed , English has become part of my life .
小題1:How did the writer find English when he was a student?
A.He was interested in it .
B.He studied it because it was compulsory course.
C.He thought it funny to study English.
D.He often recited something when he studied English.
小題2:What is the purpose of studying English according to the writer’s idea ?
A.To get high marks in exams.
B.To prove that Englsih is very important.
C.Studying Eglish well can ehlp you get a good job.
D.To use English for communication with others.
小題3:According to the text , how is my English ?
A.I am good at English.
B.I can speak Englsih like natives.
C.I can master it but I can’t use it correctly.
D.I continued to study Englsih.
小題4:How can we master Englsih well ?
A.We need more mechanical memorization.
B.We should read and recite more books.
C.We should study Englsih as well as its culture and use it more .
D.We can study hard in classrooms and houses and get high marks in exams .

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

So long as teachers fail to distinguish (differ) between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”.
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to plan cleverly the most efficient(有效的) system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also a public activity: It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to understand the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the long search for knowledge? Smith has one principle rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children.”
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher and learner fulfill them properly, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is got rid of. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the chance to solve the problem of learning to read by learning.
小題1:The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that_______. 
A.too much time is spent in teaching about reading
B.reading tasks are given with little guidance
C.it is one of the most difficult school courses
D.students spend limited hours in reading
小題2: The teaching of reading will be successful if _______. 
A.teachers can make their teaching activities observable
B.teachers can teach their students how to read
C.teachers can improve conditions at school for the students
D.teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading
小題3:The word “scrutiny” (Paragraph 3) most probably means “_______”.
A.unbelief B.control C.inquiry D.observation
小題4:The main idea of the passage is that_______.
A.reading is more complicated than believable
B.reading ability is something gained rather than taught
C.teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible
D.teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read

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