In Britain, in a population of 60 million, there are 13 million grandparents, many of whom live alone a long way from their grandchildren.The loneliness of these older people has become an issue that schools are trying to teach children about .
On a popular teacher’s website, there is a classroom activity to help make children aware of the implications of the different generations of the same family living far from each other. It’s a story about Mrs. Eiderdown, an elderly lady whose grandchildren have moved to Australia with their parents. She lives alone and rarely sees her family .
First of all, the children speculate about Mrs. Eiderdown’s life.  What does she have for breakfast ? what does she do all day ?how does she feel about her life ?
One day, Mrs. Eiderdown decides that she wants a pet to keep her company and puts an advertisement in a local shop window. Then she waits at home to see if anyone will answer her advertisement .
A tall thin man rings her doorbell. he is holding a cardboard box. Mrs. Eiderdown chats with the man for ten minutes before she realizes that she hasn’t looked in-side the box to see what the pet is. She can hear a his-sing sound. The children guess what is in the box(a snake). Mrs. Eiderdown thanks the man but says she doesn’t think the snake is a good idea .
The next time the doorbell rings, there’s a lady on the doorstep, also carrying a cardboard box.In the bottom of the box, Mrs. Eiderdown sees something black and hairy with eight legs. Again ,the children say what they  think it is (a spider). Mrs. Eiderdown thanks the lady for her kindness but says that a spider is not the sort of pet she has in mind.
At last, the little girl next door brings her a dog .Mrs. Eiderdown’s life improves a lot because of the dog. more importantly, of course, the little girl, whose own granny lives a long way away, starts to visit Mrs.Eiderdown more often. This interactive classroom idea has led to a greater awareness among children about the possible loneliness of older people who live quite near them .
小題1:what’s the main idea of the passage?
A．children get to know about the trouble of the elderly
B．neighbors help select pets for Mrs. Eiderdown
C．society helps the lonely people in the UK
D．school send pets to the lonely elderly
小題2:what does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph mean ?
A．they talk about how she feels about being old
B．they try to experience her loneliness
C．they try to imagine how she lives
D．they write about her life story
小題3:what can we infer from the passage ?
A．the little girl often visits her own granny
B．the people who offer pets are lady’s neighbors
C．the farther the elderly live ,the lonelier they feel
D．the little girl begins to care more about Mrs. Eiderdown
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

  In the more and more competitive scrvice industry , it is no longer enough to promise customrr satisfaction. Today , customer “delighi” is what companies are trying to achieve in or order to keep and increase market share.
It is accepted in the marketing industry , and confirmed by a number of researches, that customers receiving good service will promote business by telling up to 12 other people : those treated badly will tell their tales of woe to up to 20 people, 80 percent of people who feel their complaints are handled fairly will stay loyal
New llenges for customer care have come when peoplecan obtain  goods and services through  telephone call centers and the Intemet. For example , many companies now have to invest(投資)a lot of money in information technology and staff training in order to cope with the “phone rage”—caused by delays in answering calls ,being cut off in mid-conversation or left waiting for long periods.
“Many people do not like talking to machines ,”says Dr . Storey Senior Lecturer in Marketng at City University Business School. “Banks, for example, encourage staff at call centers to use customer data to establish instant and good relationship with them .The aim is to make the customet feel they know you and that you can trest— the sort of comfortable feelings people have during face-to-face chats with their local branch manager.”
Recommended ways of creating customer delight include: under-promising and over-delivering  (saying that a repair will be camed out within five hours ,but getting it done within two );replacing a faulty product immediately : throwing in a gift voucher(購物禮卷)as an unexpected “thank you” to regntlar customers ;and always returning calls ,even when they are complaints.
Aiming for customer delight is all very well , but if services do not reach the high level promised , disappointment or worse will be the result . This can be eased by offering an aplogy and an explanation of why the service did not meet usual standards with empathy (for example,“I know how you must feel”) , and possible solutions (replacement , compensation or whatever faimess suggests best meets the case).
Airlines face some of the tourhest challenges over customer care . Fierce competition has convinced them that delighting passengers is an important marketing tool, while there is great potential for customer anger over delays caused by weather ,unclaimed luggage and technieal problems .
For British Airways staff , a winning telephone style is considercd vital in handling the large volume of calls about bookings and flight times . They are trained to answer quickly ,with their name , job title and a “we are here to help” attitude. The company has investod heavily in information technology to make sure that infomation is available instantly on scren.
British Airways also says its customer care policies are applied within the company and staff are
taught to regard each other as customers requiring the highest standards of service.
Customer care is obviously here to stay and it would be a foolish company that used slogans such as "we do as we please”. On the other  hand , the more customers are promised, the greater the risk of  disappointment.
小題1:
We can learn from Paragraph 2 that       .
A． complaining customers are hard to satisfy
B． unsatisfied customers receive better service
C． Satisfied customers catch more attention
D． well-treated customers promote business
小題2:
The writer mentions “phone rage”(Paragraph 3) to show that       .
A．customers often use phones to express their anger
B．people still prefer to buy goods online
C．customer care becomes more attention
D．customers rely on their phones to obtain services
小題3:
What does the writer recommend to create delight?
A．Calling customers regularlyB．Giving a “thank you” note.
C．Delivering a quicker serviceD．Promising more gifts.
小題4:
If a manager should show his empathy (Paragraph6), what would he  probably say?
A．“I know how upset you must be.”B．“I appreciate your understanding.”
C．“I’m sorry for the delay.”D．“I know it’s our fault.”
小題5:
Customer delight is important for airlines because      .
A．their telephone style remains anchanged
B．they are more likely to meet with complaints
C．the services cost them a lot of money
D．the policies can be applied to their staff
小題6:
Which of the following is conveyed in this article?
A．Face-to-face service creatcs comfortable feelings among customers.
B．Companies that promise more will naturally attract more customers.
C．A company should promise less but do more in a competitive market.
D．Customer delight is more important for airlines than for banks.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Being a mother is apparently not like it was in the good old days.
　　Today’s parents yearn for the golden age that their own mothers enjoyed in the 1970s and 1980s, researchers found. Mothers have less time to themselves and feel under greater pressure to handle work and family life than the previous generation. As a result, 88 per cent said they felt guilty about the lack of time they spent with their children.
The survey of 1,000 mothers also found that more than a third said they had less time to themselves than their mothers did – just three hours a week or 26 minutes a day. And 64 per cent said this was because they felt they ‘had’ to go out to work, while nearly a third (29 per cent) said they were under constant pressure to be the ‘perfect mother’, the report found.
Other findings showed social networking and parenting websites, as well as technology such as Skype, were important in providing help and support among female communities. Kate Fox, a member of the Social Issues Research Centre, which conducted the survey for Procter & Gamble, said: ‘With increasing pressure on mothers to work a “double shift” — to be the perfect mother as well as a wage-earner — support networks are more important than ever.
It comes as a separate report examining childcare in the leading industrialised nations found that working mothers in Britain spend just 81 minutes a day caring for their children as a ‘primary activity’. Mothers who stay at home, on the other hand, manage twice as much time – more than two and a half hours – looking after their offspring, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
　　Critics say the pressure on women to work long hours, and leave their offspring in the hands of nurseries or childminders, is putting the well-being of their children at risk.
　　The study also reveals that, despite the fact that more and more modern mothers go out to work, the burden of childcare still falls on them - even if their husband is not in work. A father who is not in work tends to spend just 63 minutes a day looking after his child - 18 minutes less than a mother who goes out to work. Working fathers spare less than three quarters of an hour with their children.
小題1:. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A．The good old days of mothers in the 1970s and 1980s.
B．The great sufferings of today’s children.
C．The statistics of working mothers and full-time mothers.
D．The big problems that today’s working mothers face.
小題2:. What does the underlined phrase “yearn for” probably means ___________.
A．hateB．missC．a(chǎn)bandonD．control
小題3: Which of the following problems is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．Today’s mothers have less time left for their children and themselves.
B．The working mothers can hardly strike the balance between work and family.
C．Most of the mothers can not control their husbands nowadays.
D．Modern fathers do not spend enough time with their children.
小題4: From para. 4, we can infer that ___________.
A．working mothers can seek help on line
B．Skype is a very famous expert in studying social issues
C．working mothers’ double shift is to be a wife and a mother
D．Kate Fox has opened a website offering help to working mothers
小題5:. What critics say means that _____________.
A．it is wise for working mothers to put their kids in nurseries or childminders
B．too much time in nurseries or childminders is bad for kids’ mental and physical health
C．nurseries or childminders are dangerous places for children
D．children do not like nurseries or childminders at all

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When coal is burned in a boiler, two kinds of ash by-products are produced: a heavy bottom ash and a fine-as-powder fly ash. About 10 to 15 percent of the coal by-product is bottom ash which is used like sand on streets and highways covered with ice, and also on highways as paving material.
It is the fly ash, however, that is receiving much attention. Once considered a waste, fly ash is now regarded as a natural resource in the United States. It can be placed in some lower places, where it is compacted and covered with soil, for the seeds of various grasses and plants to be placed in the soil to make the land productive.
Fly ash may be added to concrete to build roads and other kinds of buildings, taking the place of the cement up to 20 percent. As a by-product of burned coal, fly ash requires no extra energy to be produced, while cement production requires great amounts of energy.
Besides, the technology is able to take out some useful minerals from the fly ash, which is still a very expensive process today. But the time may come when it is cheaper to take out these products from ash than to mine new supplies.
小題1: The bottom ash can be put on icy streets________.
A．in order to rebuild themB． in order to make them colourful
C．so that people can walk on themD．so that cars can run faster
小題2:The fly ash_______ bottom ash.
A．has the same use asB． is more expensive than
C．has more uses thanD．is much cheaper than
小題3:The fly ash can be used to________.
A．grow various plantsB． take the place of soil
C．cover productive landD．make more productive land
小題4: Which of the following is right?
A．To produce fly ash, some extra coal is to be burned.
B． Fly ash is made while producing cement.
C．It takes less energy to produce fly ash than cement.
D．Fly ash is a costless by-product.
小題5:The word “mine” in the last sentence of the passage means_______.
A．to buy things from other countries
B． to search for useful materials in the mountains
C．to dig deeply into the ground to get useful materials
D．to take out certain materials from other things

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射)so that they won't carry disease. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people's houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a feeding place for birds in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be that their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely, but pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.
小題1: The passage mainly talks about____ .
A．how to keep disease from petsB．pets in Canada
C．how to take good care of petsD．life of the old in Canada
小題2:They give their pets injections before keeping them at their houses because ____.
A．the pets are sickB．the pets are wild
C．they want to stop them from getting sickD．they want them to sleep on the way home
小題3:In Canada, children leave their parents when they grow up because ____.
A．they don't love their parents any moreB．they can only find jobs far from their parents
C．their parents’ houses are too smallD．they wouldn't depend on their parents any more
小題4: Which of the following is TRUE？
A．People buy animal food only at the animal food stores.B．Pets eat better than people.
C．Almost every family has a birdcage in his house.D．Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

People say that a mother’s love knows no boundaries (邊界). This is true when it comes to my mother. She has given up many things so that my sisters and I could live a better life.
My mother comes from a large family and her parents died when she was quite young. She dropped out of school when she was fifteen because no one could afford to pay her studies. At the age of 19, she married my father and when they had my sisters and I, they moved to the United States so that we could have a better life. My parents did not know English but somehow they communicated with other people. My mother stayed at home and raised us while my father was working. There were so many dangerous incidents that happened where we lived that my mother finally decided that we all moved to Texas when I was seven.
My mother has worked so hard to give us everything. She always tells us that all she wants is for us to be happy.
As the saying goes, “You don’t appreciate (意識到) something until it’s gone.” Well, I finally had a chance to experience it. My mother went to Mexico this winter because she needed to have an operation. It was the first time in my life that my mother was not there to hold and comfort me. Those two weeks when she was away made me realize how much I love her. All she has done for me is incredible (難以置信的). When I suffer she suffers with me. I have to show her how much I care about her. She means the world to me.
小題1:Which is the RIGHT order of the following events?
a. My mother married my father.
b. My mother went to Mexico to have an operation.
c. We all moved to Texas.
d. My mother dropped out of school.
e. They moved to the United States.
f. My mother’s parents died when she was young.
A．a(chǎn), b, f, c, d, eB．d, e, a, c, f, bC．f, d, a, b, e, cD．f, d, a, e, c, b
小題2:What does the underlined word “it” refer to in the fourth paragraph?
A．My mother’s experience.B．My mother’s care for me.
C．The meaning of the saying.D．My mother’s love.
小題3:The writer didn’t realize that he loves his mother very much until ______.
A．they moved to TexasB．his mother told them all she wanted was for them to be happy
C．his mother left home for an operationD．his mother died
小題4:According to the passage, we can infer that the writer writes the passage in a(n) ______ mood.
A．a(chǎn)ffectionate (摯愛的)B．humorousC．serious D．bitter

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Mother’s Day is usually celebrated on the second Sunday of May every year. Do you know that a mom deserves a special gift this year for Mother’s Day? Sure, flowers can always brighten Mother’s Day and a dinner out is always appreciated. However, doesn’t she deserve something more personal or something that lasts longer than an evening?
I’m talking about the gift of fitness. Improved fitness is a gift that is invaluable to everyone. When you give a woman the gift of fitness, you are helping her open her door to better health. I can’t think of a more thoughtful gift that shows the recipient （接受者）how much you care about their well-being. By giving the gift of fitness you are providing them with unlimited health benefits. Besides, it’s a gift that you can truly feel proud to give.
Of course, we all know that exercising can help people stay slim and fit. But, do you also know about all the other great benefits of exercising? Daily physical activities reduce stress and help you sleep better. Fitness has been linked to reducing the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression. Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent osteoporosis （骨質(zhì)疏松）. Not to mention that exercising also improves self-esteem, increases energy and helps you be able to do continuous work for longer.
All moms would find these benefits extremely great. If they are like most of us, they have probably even mentioned how they would like to drop a few pounds or just get in better shape. In fact, experts say that about 62% of Americans are currently on a diet. By giving the gift of fitness, you are helping provide your mom with extra motivation. She may be more motivated to actually get fit because she doesn’t want to feel guilty about ignoring such a thoughtful gift.
小題1: The first paragraph is likely to tell us that ________.
A．we should give a special gift to our mom for Mother’s Day
B．we should invite our mom to a dinner for Mother’s Day
C．it’s good to send flowers to moms for Mother’s Day
D．moms aren’t worth special gifts for Mother’s Day
小題2: The underlined word “invaluable”（in paragraph 2） means ________.
A．pricelessB．worthlessC．uselessD．helpless
小題3: According to this passage, the gift of fitness will ________.
A．make moms feel prouder
B．let moms free from illnesses
C．keep moms having a healthy diet
D．encourage moms to do more exercise
小題4: Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A．Better Pay Attention to Your Mother’s Health
B．Give the Gift of Fitness This Mother’s Day
C．Moms Like to Accept the Gift of Fitness
D．Help Your Mother Keep a Good Shape

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

While IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tells you how smart you are. EQ (Emotional Quotient) tells you how well you use your smartness. Professor Salovery, the psychologist who created the term, EQ, says that it is IQ that gets you hired but it is EQ that gets you promoted.
Supported by his research, he suggested that when predicting future successes, a person’s brainpower, as measured by IQ tests, might actually matter less than a person’s character, or EQ. Professor Salovery may be correct. For example, have you ever wondered why some of the best and smartest students in your class end up failing exams? Perhaps it is because of their EQ. People often make the mistake of thinking that EQ is the opposite of IQ. It is not. Although it is hoped that people have both high EQs and IQs, there is little doubt that those with low EQs have a hard time surviving in life.
For a long time, researchers discussed if a person’s IQ could be raised. The geneticists said no, while the social scientists said yes. Furthermore, the social scientists said that it was possible to improve a person’s EQ, particularly in terms of “people skills”, such as understanding and communication.
Recently, a professor released the findings of a study on senior high school students. When some normal students were introduced to some disabled students, they found that afterwards they were more willing to help people in difficulties. At the same time, there was a marked change in the disabled students’ attitudes. They became more positive about their disabilities and were more eager to try new things. People with high EQs often have positive attitudes towards life and are open to different ideas, so they tend to be more creative in their thinking. Please remember that having a high IQ is helpful but having a high EQ might even be more helpful.
小題1: The second paragraph tells us that                .
A．people who have a high IQ always have a high EQ
B．EQ is the opposite of IQ
C．people who have a low EQ tend to have a hard life
D．people who have a high EQ always have a high IQ
小題2:What did the professor find from his study of normal students being introduced to some disabled
children?
A．Students with disabilities were not open in trying new things.
B．There was no change in the normal students.
C．The disabled students became more positive and more eager to try new things.
D．The disabled students were more willing to help others.
小題3: Which of the following is the writer’s attitude toward EQ and IQ?
A．IQ is more helpful to people than EQ.
B．IQ can be raised by understanding and communication.
C．EQ can get people hired.
D．A high EQ is of great benefit in getting people promoted.
小題4:Which of the following would be the best title of this passage?
A．A person’s brainpower.B．IQ, EQ and success.
C．IQ and a person’s character.D．A person’s IQ and EQ.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The Global Heritage Fund organization recently released a list of cultural treasures in the developing world that are in danger of disappearing. These“On the Verge” places face many threats. They included war, development pressures, stealing and misuse by visitors. The Global Heritage Fund says these places are important because they are records of our human civilization. And the group says countries can learn to use these treasures to help support responsible development in the future.
One such place is the town of Lamu. Lamu was once a very important trading center in East Africa. This ancient city became part of the United Nations Heritage list in 2001. But it still faces threats. For example, a modern port might be built nearby.
Other endangered places include Ani, a city in Turkey, the town of Maluti in India, the ancient city of Ninevah in northern Iraq, the Sans-Souci palace in Haiti, and the former capital of Ayutthaya in Thailand.
The Global Heritage Fund is nonprofit organization based in California. The group says it only focuses on developing countries which often have few resources to protect places of cultural importance. And, other major cultural organizations often pay more attention to protecting places in the developed world. For example, the fund points out the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has forty-five World Heritage places in Italy. UNESCO has forty-two in Spain. But Peru, famous for its ancient Incan buildings, has only nine World Heritage places. Guatemala has only three.
The Global Heritage Fund says its new report tries to place a value on cultural places so that they can also be considered as economic resources. It estimates that by 2025 these places of cultural importance could produce one hundred billion dollars a year in income for developing countries.
小題1: The underlined part “On the Verge” in Paragraph 1 is used to show the places are _____.
A．popularB．famous
C．endangeredD．dangerous
小題2: The town of Lamu faces danger from ________.
A．development pressuresB．stealing
C．misuse by visitorsD．a(chǎn) war
小題3: We can know that The Global Heritage Fund organization mainly _____.
A．protects places of cultural importance in developing countries
B．protects places of cultural importance in developed countries
C．provide resources to protect cultural places in every country
D．helps people know the importance of protecting cultural treasures
小題4: Which of the following countries has the fewest World Heritage places?
A．ItalyB．Guatemala
C．PeruD．Spain
小題5: According to The Global Heritage Fund organization, saving the places of cultural
importance_______.
A．has attracted a lot of attention worldwide
B．will start to benefit developing countries in 2015
C．is mainly to increase income of developing countries
D．can help developing countries make money out of them

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