For a 400-year-old art form, opera had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which were hard to understand in one of those romance languages you were supposed to learn in high school. And with tickets costing as much as $145 a performance, opera goers also had a certain appearance in people's mind: rich, well-dressed and old.
But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to keep opera alive and take it to a younger and not so wealthy audience.
Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to make the opera closer to common people. Because young people don't or won't come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such unusual places as parks, libraries and public schools.
The Houston Grand Opera's choice is the public library, where it performs “mobile operas” shortened versions(劇本) of child-friendly operas. This summer's production is Hansel ＆ Gretel. By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interested while keeping costs at a reasonable level. The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists' Training Program.
小題1: Which is the main idea of this passage？
A． Opera is famous for its long history.
B． Opera is only performed for rich people.
C． Opera companies are trying to keep opera alive.
D． Young people are not interested in opera.
小題2:The underlined phrase in the second paragraph means ______.
A． breaking up the old rulesB． changing the dresses
C． making the audience at easeD．a(chǎn)dvertising themselves
小題3:Opera companies prefer to perform short versions because ______ .
A． they can be performed in public libraries
B． short versions are easy to perform
C． it is hard to find long versions
D． they can make more people come to opera
小題4:The San Francisco Opera employs students in order to ______.
A． celebrate its 75th anniversaryB． reduce the cost
C． attract young peopleD． make Cinderella popular

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


Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students buy cars with large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.
Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, weather and the life of American people .Most of the radio programs are music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money .They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in many places .Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tape .Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer .Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music .It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music .This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music, about country life and love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
小題1:__ _ kinds of music are mentioned in this passage .
A. Two   B. Three    C   Four     D .Five
小題2:When pop singers ___ ___, they will become national stars.
A make much money                   B. make a CD or tape
C .are loved by all the young people   D. are wanted to sing on the radio
小題3:From the passage we know that country music is about the ___ ___.
A．common life of Americans B．country life of and love stories
C．life of workersD．school life of in America
小題4:Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A．a(chǎn)ll students in America like popular music .
B．students with cars in America don’t like to listen to music while driving
C．Adult drivers in America listen to music all the time while driving
D．Everyone in America wants to meet pop singers wherever they go.
小題5:What would be then best title for this passage ？
A．American music B．Pop music C．History of music D．Western music

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There are over one million superstitions(迷信), and most people believe at least one or two of　them.
Many people are superstitious about numbers. They think that there are lucky numbers and unlucky numbers.
The number 13 is often considered unlucky. In some parts of the world, buildings have no 13th floor and streets have no houses with the number 13. In Japan, "4" is considered unlucky because in Japanese the word "four" is pronounced the same as the word "death" .
Japanese never give gifts of four knives, four napkins, or four of anything.
What are the lucky numbers? Seven is a lucky number in many places, and "8" is considered a lucky number in Japan and China. In China, businesses often open on August 8, and many couples register to get married at eight past eight on August 8.
Superstitions about numbers are so widespread that some people--called numerologist--make a living by giving advice about numbers.
In 1937, when the Toyoda family of Japan wanted to form a car company, they asked a numerologist if "Toyoda" would be a good name for the company. The numerologist said it would not be. He explained that "Toyota" would be a better name for the company. The family took his advice. As a result, millions of people drive "Toyota" and not "Toyoda" .
There are many other kinds of superstitions. There are superstitions about eating, sleeping, sneezing and itching(抓癢). There are superstitions about animals and holidays and horseshoes.
There are even superstitions about superstitions. Those superstitions will tell people how to reverse bad luck.
When the Japanese bump heads, they immediately bump heads again. According to a Japanese superstition, the first-bump means their parents will die, but the second bump "erases" the first bump         
To reverse bad luck in general, people turn around three times, turn their pockets inside out, or put their hats on backwards.
In the United States, baseball players sometimes wear their caps backwards when their team is losing. It looks silly, but the baseball players do not mind if it helps them win the game.   
小題1:It can be inferred that superstitions about numbers are           .
A．popular neither in Japan nor in China
B．popular only in Japan and in China
C．popular both in Japan and in China
D．causing great troubles both in Japan and in China
小題2:The underlined word " reverse " means           .
A．change to bad luckB．cause to go in the opposite direction
C．change for the worseD．exchange
小題3:If a Japanese purposely bumps his head again after an accidental bump, we can be sure that     .  
A．he is madB．he is happyC．he is superstitiousD．he is very sad
小題4:The writer wrote this passage with the purpose of           .
A．persuading us to believe superstitions
B．showing us some facts of superstitions
C．showing us the magic power of number
D．showing us a numerologist

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Why do so many Americans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society of Newspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organization is deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project.
Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want.
But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard patterns into which they plug each day’s events. In other words, there is a conventional story line in the newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news.
There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps explain why the "standard patterns" of the newsroom seem alien to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaires were sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus one large metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned at random and asked the same questions.
Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedes, and trade stocks, and they’re less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, or put down roots in a community.
Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and cultural elite, so their work tends to reflect the conventional values of this elite. The surprising distrust of the news media isn’t rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily clash of world views between reporters and their readers.
This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly a declining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whose attitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums and a credibility project dedicated to wondering why customers are annoyed and fleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class biases that so many former buyers are complaining about. If it did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on race and gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values, education, and class.
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?
A．needs of the readers all over the world
B．causes of the public disappointment about newspapers
C．origins of the declining newspaper industry
D．a(chǎn)ims of a journalism credibility project
小題2:The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be______.
A．quite trustworthyB．somewhat contradictory
C．very instructiveD．rather superficial(膚淺的)
小題3:The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writer lies in their _________.
A．working attitudeB．conventional lifestyle
C．world outlookD．educational background

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Olivia and Jack are the most popular names in Britain for babies born in 2008, according to a survey made by the website Bounty. Jack has been top for 14 years since it took over from Thomas.
Grace — made famous by the Hollywood star Grace Kelly — slipped back into third place behind Ruby, the name of singer Charlotte Church’s daughter.
Summer climbed 28 places from 44th to 16th. Ava — the name of singer Myleene Klass’s daughter — also leapt 15 places to 19th.
The troubles of the singer Amy Winehouse perhaps had an effect on the popularity of the name. It dropped three places to 23rd. Rebecca is also on the wane(變?nèi)?, ranking 48th. So is Courtney, which ranked 88th.
Theo, obviously inspired by England’s teenage football hero Theo Walcott, is among the biggest climbers in the boy’s list, rising from 70th to 58th.
An employee of Bounty said, “Baby names have witnessed the biggest changes over the last decade as parents are increasingly influenced by celebrities. The Bounty baby name poll also shows parents are continuing to be creative and inspirational about the names they choose for their children. Some parents want a name that’s totally unique, and names such as Zebedee, Selim and Zenon are now emerging and growing in popularity. Others are simply breaking with convention and becoming bolder in their choice of names.”
“While politicians’ names may be growing in popularity in America, British politicians don’t influence our choice of names in the UK. Traditional royal names continue to be supreme(最高的) in the boys’ top 100,” The employee said.
小題1:Which of the following girl names ranks the second?
A．Grace.B．Ruby.C．Kelly.D．Charlotte.
小題2:Baby names changed a lot mainly because of the influence of ______.
A．starsB．parentsC．mediaD．politicians
小題3:What kind of names covers the most in the top 100 boys’ names?
A．Unique names.B．Creative names.
C．Famous people’s names.D．Traditional royal names.
小題4:It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A．Thomas was the first in boy names in 1994
B．Summer ranked 28th in the girls’ list in 2007
C．Rebecca might be 50th in the girls’ list in 2007
D．Courtney climbed in the boy’s list in 2008 compared with 2007

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Boxing is a fist fighting sport between two matched combatants (對手) wearing padded gloves. A boxer’s primary aim is to land as many blows as possible to the head and torso (軀干) of the opponent, using strength and speed to dominate the contest. One of the oldest sports still practiced, boxing dates back to thousands of years ago. Today the sport is popular in many parts of the world and encompasses (包括) both amateur and professional matches.
For most of the 20th century boxing attracted huge fan and media attention in the United States. Some boxing champions became legendary, larger-than-life figures, such as Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Muhammad Ali. Criticized to varying degrees throughout its history for its violent nature and high injury rate, boxing has somehow always managed to survive——and even thrive——as a sport.
Modern boxing regulations are based upon the 12 rules set out by British boxing officials in the mid-19th century. These rules became known as the Marquess of Queensberry Rules, named after the 8th Marquess of Queensberry, John Sholto Douglas, who sponsored and published them. In addition to in-the-ring rules, modern boxing also has specific regulations regarding eligibility for the fighters themselves.
The modern rules for professional and amateur boxing differ, but both types of contests are divided into time periods called rounds. In professional boxing, each round lasts three minutes; in amateur boxing, two minutes. A one-minute rest period between rounds is standard. Amateur contests consist of three rounds; professional contests may consist of up to 12 rounds. A bell is usually sounded by a timekeeper to begin and end each round.
A key step in making boxing safer and more respectable was the introduction of gloves, ending brutal bare-knuckle competition. Boxing gloves are heavily padded to soften the impact of the blow and to protect the hands of the boxer. As an added protection, the hands are taped before being placed in the gloves, which are essentially huge mittens. Professional gloves usually weigh between 170 and 226g; amateur gloves average 226 to 340g.
小題1:Which of the following is true according to the information in the passage?
A．Boxing is a violent sport with high injury rate.
B．People enjoy boxing because of its brutal nature.
C．Only professional players are allowed to attend boxing matches.
D．Boxing is a popular sport with a history of only 200 years.
小題2:Boxing has always managed to survive as a sport. In the author’s opinion, __________.
A．this is because many people can participate in this popular sport
B．this is because boxing is a sport which can bring good business
C．the reason for this cannot be fully explained
D．this is because there are many legendary boxers
小題3:Which of the following facts about boxing is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．The time set for a round.B．The weight of gloves.
C．The size of boxing rings.D．The signal to begin and end each round.
小題4:The author’s purpose in writing this passage is __________.
A．to give a general introduction to the sport of boxing
B．to advertise a band of boxing-related product
C．to discourage people from enjoying this violent sport
D．to get support for a sport with long tradition
小題5:Which of the following statements can best describe the sport of boxing as a whole?
A．It is a brutal and violent sport, with little popularity in modern times.
B．It is a traditional sport, with little room for improvement.
C．It is a controversial sport, which nevertheless enjoys great public support.
D．It is strictly professional sport with rigid and exclusive rules.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The Mother Goose Stories, so well known to children all over the word, are commonly said to have been written by a little old woman for her grandchildren. According to some people, she lived in Boston, and her real name was Elizabeth Vergoose. Her son-in-law, a printer named Thomas Fleet, was supposed to have published the famous stories and poems for small children in 1719. However, no copy of this book has ever been found, and most scholars doubt the truth of this story—and doubt, moreover, that Mother Goose was ever a real person. They point out that the name is a direct translation of the French “Mere I’ Oye.” In 1697 the Frenchman Charles Perrault published the first book in which this name was used. The collection contains eight tales, including “Sleeping Beauty,”“Cinderella,” and “Puss in Boots.” But Perrault did not originate these stories; they were already quite popular in his day, and he only collected them.
In 1729 there appeared an English translation of Perrault’s collection,Robert Samber’s Histories or Tales of Past times, Told by MotherGoose(London,1729), which introduced “Sleeping Beauty”, “Little Red-hood”, “Puss in Boots”,”Cinderella” and other Perrault’s tales to English-speaking audiences. These were fairy tales(童話)。 John Newbery published a book of English rhymes，Mother Goose’s Melody, or Sonnets for the Cradle( London, undated,1765), which switched the focus from fairy tale to nursery  rhymes, and in English this was until recently the primary meaning for Mother Goose.A book of poems for children entitled Mother Goose’s Melody was published in England in1781, and the name “Mother Goose” has been associated with children’s poetry ever since.
小題1:What is supposed to have happened in 1719?
A．Elizabeth Vergoose wrote the first Mother Goose Stories.
B．The Mother Goose Stories were translated into French.
C．Thomas Fleet published the Mother Goose Stories.
D．Charles Perrault published the first Mother Goose Stories.
小題2: Most scholars consider Mother Goose to be _________.
A．a(chǎn) real personB．a(chǎn) translation from French
C．a(chǎn) collection by Elizabeth VergooseD．a(chǎn) book written by a little old woman
小題3:When Perrault published the first book in 1679, _______.
A．no story of the book had been known to people
B．some stories of the book were already well known
C．few people were interested in the stories of the book
D．stories like “Sleeping Beauty” and “Cinderella” became popular
小題4:The name used in the first book published in 1679 is supposed to have been _______.
A．Mother GooseB．Charles PerraultC．Elizabeth VergooseD．Mere I’ Oye
小題5:When people talk about Mother Goose, they refer to,___________
A．a(chǎn) printer of BostonB．a(chǎn) kind of animal
C． children’s poetryD．the French “Mere L’oye

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When I spent Christmas away from home in Europe for the first time, I was only 14 and it was absolutely horrific. I am now married and live in the US. So there is little possibility for me to go home for Christmas. Now I am able to get through Christmas with some moments of joy:
First, you are advised to search you area for stores that carry items from your home country or town. Buy food, candles and some other things that mean something to you.
Hold on to the traditions from your home that you think are important even if other people think they are stupid. But keep in mind to be open for new traditions from wherever you might be, because those traditions are as important to those people around you as yours are to you. For me that includes celebrating Christmas on the 24th.
Call, write Christmas cards, buy gifts and mail them to loved ones, just as if you were there. If you try to pretend as if the holiday doesn’t exist, you are just going to make it worse.
Introduce your traditions to your loved ones, especially your kids. It will only enrich their celebration of the holiday to have some unique traditions in their home. Little by little it will become their tradition and it’s fun for them to try something new.
Find clubs, churches or organizations that are from your home country. Chances are that they will have some celebration with some of your traditions which you can join in.
Food is one of the most important factors in any kind of tradition. Find the recipe of that cake your grandmother used and make it your tradition to bake that particular cake.
Call up your parents and get them to send you some of your favorite childhood ornaments (裝飾品) for your tree.
Embrace new traditions, talk to your family about which ones you want to make your own and stick with them.
If you are far away from home, Christmas can never be the same as you experienced it before, but it is important to remember these traditions while appreciating the new ones. Keep an open mind and find a compromise between old and new traditons.
小題1:The author spent his 14th Christmas ___________.
A．unpleasantly in the USB．joyfully in the US
C．unpleasantly in EuropeD．joyfully in Europe
小題2:Why does the author advise people to hunt in some special stores?
A．Because people can buy some discounted goods there.
B．Because people can feel less homesick there.
C．Because it’s an old Christmas tradition.
D．Because they offer goods from the hometown of the people.
小題3:Which of the following statements does the author agree with?
A．It’s great for children to have some unique traditions.
B．People should join in all kinds of clubs to celebrate Christmas.
C．People should give up traditions which are stupid in other people’s eyes.
D．It is popular to celebrate Christmas on the 24th around the world.
小題4:The author suggests giving a call to parents on Christmas mainly to __________.
A．express love to themB．follow the tradition
C．a(chǎn)sk for some ornamentsD．set an example for children

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

People smile at times. However, the meaning of a smile in different cultures may be different. Depending on different cultures, smiling can express joy and amusement, but it can also show embarrassment.
People in the United States smile a lot. Every one smiles at each other in order to show they are open and friendly. However，in China, smiling is not only an expression of happiness, but also a way to avoid being embarrassed. Chinese people like smiling when they are embarrassed in order to avoid embarrassment. Smiling is a kind of good will but not sneer（嘲笑）. For example: When a child falls off from a bike, the adults in China may smile, which is a kind of gentle encouragement and not a kind of impolite laugh.
When a person from the United States might blush（臉紅）with embarrassment or become offensive(冒犯的), a Chinese might blush with smile. To avoid serious misunderstanding, people who engage in intercultural communication should be able to understand the meaning of smiling properly.
小題1: We can use smile to express all of the following feelings except _________,
A．joy and happinessB．a(chǎn)musementC．embarrassmentD．fear
小題2: People often smile at each other in the United States because _________.
A．they are very happy
B．they want to show they are friendly
C．they want to hide their true feelings
D．they want to avoid embarrassment
小題3: In China, seeing a child falls off a bike, an adult will smile in order to _______.
A．laugh at him
B．a(chǎn)void his own embarrassment
C．a(chǎn)void embarrassment and encourage the boy
D．show his politeness
小題4: What is mainly talked about in the passage?  
A．People smile at times.
B．Smiling can express different feelings depending on different cultures.
C．Americans are more open and friendly than Chinese people.
D．The Chinese people often hide their true feelings.

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