Feeling blue about world ? “Cheer up.” Says science writer Matt Ridley.”The world has never been a better place to live in, and it will keep on getting better both for humans and got nature.”
Ridley calls himself a tat ional optimist—tactical .because he’s carefully weighed the evidence optimistic .because that   offence shows human progress to be both unavoidable and good .And this is what he’s set out to prone from unique point of view in his most recent book. The Rant anal Opting  .He views mankind as grand enterprise that .on the whole .has done little but progress for 100.000 years. He backed his finding with hard gathered though years of research.
Here’s how he explains his views.
Shopping fuels invention
It is reported that there are more than ten billion different producers for sale in London alone. Even allowing for the many people who still live in poverty .our own generation has access to more nutritious food .more convenient transport .bigger houses, better ears .and of course, more pounds and dollars than any who lived before us .This will continue as long as we there things to make other things, This more we specialize and exchange, the better off we’ll be.
2) Brilliant advances
One reason we are richer, healthier, taller, cleverer, longer-lived and freer than ener before is that the four most basie human needs -food, clothing, fuel and shelter- have grown a lot cheaper. Take one example. In 1800 a candle providing one hour’s light cost six hours’ work. In the 1880s the same light from an oil lamp took 15 minutes’ work to pay for. In 1950 it was eight seconds. Today it’s half second.
3) Let’s not kill ourselves for climate change
Mitigating(減輕) climate change could prove just as damaging to human welface as climate change itself. A child that dies from indoor smoke in a village, where the use of fassil-fuel(化石燃料) electrieity is forhidden by well meaming members of green polucal movements trying to save the world, is just as great a tragedy as a child that mes in a flood caused by climate change. If chmaic change proves to be xxxx, but cutting carbon canses realparn, we may well find that we have stopped a nose bleed by putting a tournquet(止血帶) around our necks.
小題1:What is the theme of Ridley’s most recent book?
A．Weakness of human nature.
B．Concern about climate change.
C．Importance of practical thinking.
D．Optimism about human progress.
小題2:How does Ridley look at shopping?
A．It encourages the creation of things.
B．It results in shortage of goods.
C．It demands more fossil fuels.
D．It causes a poverry problem.
小題3:The candle and lamp example is used to show that     .
A．oil lamps give off more light than candles
B．shortening working time brings about a happier life.
C．a(chǎn)dvanced technology helps to produce better candles.
D．increased production rate leads to lower cost of goods.
小題4:What does the last sentence of the passage imply?
A．Cutting carbon is necessary in spite of the huge cost.
B．Overreaction to cliamate change may be dangerous.
C．People’s health is closely related to climate change.
D．Careless medical treatment may cause great pain.

小題1:D
小題2:A
小題3:D
小題4:B

小題1:

小題2:

小題3:

小題4:
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：完形填空

Many families in the United States observe National Grandparents Day on the first Sunday of September after America’s Labor Day. People often  36   their parents on this day.
Many people  37  the day through a lot of activities such as gift-giving and card giving. Some children  38  their grandparents to school for a day where they take special lessons. Some students  39  storytelling activities that relate to their grandparents, as well as picture or music competitions where children use a story about their grandparents in their  40 .
About four million greeting cards are  41  within the United States each year on National Grandparents Day. This day is also a  42  for people to appreciate and express their  43  to their grandparents through  44  actions such as making a phone call and inviting their grandparents for dinner. People living in nursing homes may  45  a visit from their grandchildren.
National Grandparents Day has more than one  46 . Some people consider it to have been first proposed by Michael Goldgar in the 1970s after he visited his aunt in an Atlanta nursing home. Others  47  Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade to have been the main  48  of National Grandparents Day. Throughout the 1970s McQuade worked hard to  49  people about the important contributions senior citizens made and the contributions that they would be willing to make  50  asked. She also urged(強(qiáng)烈要求) people to take good care of a grandparent, not for one day a year and not for material giving,  51  for a lifetime of experience.
National Grandparents Day was  52  signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. Marian McQuade received a phone call from the White House to  53  her of this event. Many people believe that National Grandparents Day was inspired by her  54 . A presidential proclamation(聲明) on September 6, 1979 made this day  55 .
小題1:
A．supportB．praiseC．rewardD．honor
小題2:
A．beginB．holdC．celebrateD．remember
小題3:
A．inviteB．exposeC．forceD．remind
小題4:
A．make the use ofB．take part inC．take upD．build up
小題5:
A．diariesB．plansC．reportsD．a(chǎn)rtworks
小題6:
A．signedB．sentC．carriedD．brought
小題7:
A．chanceB．luckC．conditionD．possibility
小題8:
A．satisfactionB．interestC．loveD．a(chǎn)greement
小題9:
A．quickB．carefulC．difficultD．kind
小題10:
A．createB．receiveC．presentD．realize
小題11:
A．causeB．originC．backgroundD．beginning
小題12:A make     B. expect   C. consider     D. allow
小題13:
A．driverB．ownerC．researcherD．inventor
小題14:
A．warnB．educateC．interviewD．a(chǎn)sk
小題15:
A．ifB．thoughC．soD．until
小題16:
A．sinceB．butC．evenD．unless
小題17:
A．finallyB．recentlyC．nearlyD．generally
小題18:
A．ridB．persuadeC．clearD．inform
小題19:
A．energyB．goalsC．bravery D．efforts
小題20:
A．reliableB．changeableC．officialD．beautiful

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：完形填空

In 1971, readers around the world were astonished by some photographs which appeared in newspapers. Hidden deep in the rainforests of an island in the Philippines, was an ethnic (種族的)  36 called the Tasaday. Not until that moment did anyone have any   37   of these people. They didn’t have an agricultural economy; they hunted animals and   38  fruit from the plants in the rainforest. They carried tools made of stone, lived in   39  and wore clothes made of leaves. Unknown until 1971, they   40  became world famous. After that, there were TV   41 and books about them; people said their simple lives showed that human beings could be good and kind if they were not  42 by modern life. Then after 1974 the region was closed by the government and the world   43  about them.
In 1986, a Swiss journalist, Oswald Iten, decided to visit the Tasaday. The journey   44  thick rainforests and across rivers was hard and dangerous. Mr. Iten was   45  killed by the soldiers, villagers and businessmen who wanted to take the wood from the rainforest. Finally, Mr. Iten   46  and found the caves of the Tasaday   47 . The people were living in nearby huts and they were all   48  jeans and T-shirts, not leaves. He thought that perhaps they were not an ethnic minority   49  .
When he   50  to Switzerland, Mr. Iten wrote about the Tasaday people in the newspapers. He said he thought that they were just ordinary farmers, poor, but not   51  from anyone else. He believed that in 1971, the government told “the Tasaday” to   52  they were native people from thousands of years ago, so that tourists---and money---would start   53  into the region.
One group of experts said that they really were people who had no   54  with modern life before 1971; another group said they were just   55  the part. So who are these people, really? Perhaps we’ll never really be sure.
小題1:
A．manB．groupC．chiefD．tradition[
小題2:
A．knowledgeB．impressionC．doubtD．fear
小題3:
A．grewB．enjoyedC．collectedD．stored
小題4:
A．hutsB．housesC．a(chǎn)partmentsD．caves
小題5:
A．certainlyB．suddenlyC．a(chǎn)bsolutelyD．privately
小題6:
A．a(chǎn)dvertisementsB．servicesC．stationsD．programs
小題7:
A．refusedB．separatedC．spoiltD．conquered
小題8:
A．forgotB．knewC．talkedD．thought
小題9:
A．a(chǎn)roundB．throughC．overD．a(chǎn)long
小題10:
A．onceB．a(chǎn)lmostC．oftenD．even
小題11:
A．a(chǎn)rrivedB．leftC．hidD．began
小題12:
A．dirtyB．valuelessC．a(chǎn)ccessibleD．empty
小題13:
A．makingB．sellingC．wearingD．designing
小題14:
A．in allB．a(chǎn)t allC．a(chǎn)fter allD．a(chǎn)bove all
小題15:
A．returnedB．wentC．traveledD．drove
小題16: A. absent             B. secure               C. different           D. free
小題17:
A．a(chǎn)greeB．pretendC．a(chǎn)dmitD．consider
小題18:
A．lookingB．fallingC．turningD．pouring
小題19:
A．contactB．competitionC．a(chǎn)greementD．patience
小題20:
A．learningB．formingC．a(chǎn)ctingD．missing

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：完形填空

閱讀下面短文，從短文后所給各題的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選出能填入相應(yīng)空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。   
On August 26, 1999, New York City was struck by a terrible rainstorm. The rain caused the streets to   16  and the subway system almost came to a stop.
Unfortunately, this happened during the morning   17  hour. Many people who were going to work were   18  to go home. Some battled to   19  a taxi or to get on a bus. Still others   20  the storm bravely, walking miles to get to work.
I happened to be one of the people on the way to work that morning. I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most   21  had stopped. After making my way through crowds of people, I finally found a subway line that was   22 . Unfortunately, there were so many people waiting to   23  the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the   24 . So I took the train going in the   25  direction, and then switched back to the downtown train. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the train   26  my stop. Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I finally got to my office, I was   27  through, exhausted and discouraged.
My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off. When it was 5:00 pm，I was ready to go home. I was about to   28  off my computer when I received an email from Garth, my Director:
I would like to thank all of you who made the   29  and eventually reported to work. It is always reassuring (令人欣慰的), at times like these, when employees so clearly show their attention and devotion to their   30 . Thank you.
小題1:.
A．breakB．floodC．sinkD．crash
小題2:.
A．rushB．workC．businessD．office
小題3:.
A．forcedB．refusedC．invitedD．gathered
小題4:.
A．orderB．payC．callD．search
小題5:.
A．showedB．foughtC．brokeD．faced
小題6:.
A．practiceB．routineC．processD．service
小題7:.
A．operatingB．a(chǎn)ctingC．turningD．rushing
小題8:.
A．checkB．getC．boardD．find
小題9:.
A．streetB．groundC．floorD．platform
小題10:.
A．differentB．oppositeC．changedD．right
小題11:.
A．pausedB．crossedC．reachedD．parked
小題12:. A. wet B. hungry   C. angry    D. cold
小題13:.
A．payB．getC．turnD．put
小題14:.
A．ruleB．effortC．promiseD．model
小題15:..
A．computersB．livesC．a(chǎn)ctionsD．jobs

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

DJs (disc jockeys) are the people who play and present music on the radio, or in nightclub. A VJ (video jockey) is a person who introduces music videos on television.
VJs were first seen on television in the early 1980s when MTV went on the air. As MTV caught on, and the audience for music videos expanded, a variety of other music video channels started broadcasting. In addition to rock music, there were channels for people who were into alternative kinds of music, such as country music, light rock, and R & B, and all of these channels needed VJs. By the 1990s, international music video channels like Channel V in Asia and VIVA in Europe had started.
The VJs for the new international stations had to be chosen carefully. Although some VJs did shows focused on small audiences and showed mostly local content, other VJs presented shows for international viewers. These VJs, and the material they presented, needed to be popular in several different cultures.
One successful international VJ in Asia is Asha Gill. She is from Malaysia, but parents and grandparents are from India, France, and England. She speaks three languages and has fans across Asia, from Japan to the United Arab Emirates.
Another VJ who has made a big hit in Asia is Lili. She is actually a computer-animated VJ on MTV Asia. An actress wearing special computer equipment makes Lili move like a puppet. The actress also talks for Lili, and her shows can be seen in five languages.
When asked what makes a good video jockey, many successful VJs have given similar answers. To be a good VJ you need to know a lot about music, you need to be funny, and you can’t be shy.
小題1:What is the reading mainly about?
A．how to become a VJB．the most popular VJ today
C．the differences between DJs and VJsD．some general information about VJs
小題2:What kind of music did the first VJ probably introduce?
A．classicalB．rhythm and blues C．rock and popD．country
小題3:What do Channel V and VIVA have in common?
A．They are both owned by MTV.
B．They are music video channels in Asia.
C．They do not use VJs to introduce the music.
D．They have viewers in more than one country.
小題4:Which is NOT true about Asha Gill?
A．She speaks more than one language.B．Her family were all born in Malaysia.
C．She’s popular in quite a lot of Asian countries.D．She is a successful VJ.
小題5: Which of the following does the passage NOT mention as being important for someone who wants to be a VJ?
A．speak many different languagesB．listen to a lot of music
C．talk easily with different peopleD．being able to make people laugh

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Submission Guidelines
Before sending us a manuscript（稿件）, look through recent issues（刊物）of the Post to get an idea of the range and style of articles we publish. You will discover that our focus has broadened to include well-researched, timely and informative articles on finance, home improvement, travel, humor, and many other fields.
The Post’s goal is to remain unique, with content that provides additional understandings on the ever-evolving American scene.
In addition to feature-length（專(zhuān)題長(zhǎng)度的）articles, the Post buys anecdotes, cartoons, and photos. Payment ranges from $25 to $400.
Our nonfiction needs include how-to, useful articles on gardening, pet care and training, financial planning, and subjects of interest to a 45-plus, home-loving readership. For nonfiction articles, indicate any special qualifications you have for writing about the subject, especially scientific material. Include one or two published pieces with your article. We prefer typed articles between 1000 and 2000 words in length. We encourage you to send both printed and online versions.
We also welcome new fiction. A light, humorous touch is appreciated. We are always in need of straight humor articles. Make us laugh , and we’ll buy it.
Feature articles average about 1000 to 2000 words. We like positive, fresh angles to Post articles, and we ask that they be thoroughly researched.
We normally respond to article submissions within six weeks. You are free to submit the article elsewhere at the same time.
Please submit all articles to Features Editor, The Saturday Evening Post, 1100 Waterway Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202, (317)634-1100.
小題1:
Before sending a manuscript to the Post, a contributor is advised to       .
A．get a better understanding of American issues
B．find out the range of the articles in the post
C．increase his knowledge in many fields
D．broaden his research focus
小題2:
to submit nonfiction articles，a contributor must_____.
A．provide his special qualification
B．be a regular reader of the post
C．produce printed version
D．be over 45 year old
小題3:
from the passage we can learn that the post
A．a(chǎn)llows article submission within six weeks
B．favor science articles within 2，000 words
C．have a huge demand for humorous works
D．prefers nonfiction to fiction article

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There are many festivals in Argentina during the year. Therefore, you can enjoy the different interesting festivals when traveling there. First of all, we should talk about the Tango(探戈舞) Festival in Argentina, which is held in the capital of this country — Buenos Aires, from February to March. You ought to know that Argentina is the home of tango, so Argentineans admire this dance very much. Even if you cannot dance perfectly, you should join the people and try to perform this dance.
The next festival in Argentina is Open Polo(馬球) Tournament. You should go to Palermo to see this festival in Argentina. This festival is held every year and is the most important polo tournament in Argentina. This kind of sport is considered the most important in Argentina. Attending this festival in Argentina, you will be able to communicate with different people, admire the fascinating competition between the teams of different countries, such as Argentina, England, Australia, as well as the US. This festival in Argentina is usually held between November and December every year. So don’t miss the opportunity if you travel to Argentina at this time.
The other festival in Argentina is the Semana Musical Llao Llao. This is a festival of classical music. The festival was created in 1993 and is held at the Llao Llao Hotel, near Bariloche. The festival is held yearly in October. So if you admire this kind of music, you should travel to Argentina in October. There are also many carnivals in October. There are also many carnivals in Argentina in summer. Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about festivals in Argentina into just one article. We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye-catching.
小題1:.
What would be the best title for the passage?
A．Travel to ArgentinaB．Entertainments in Argentina
C．Festivals in ArgentinaD．A brief introduction to Argentina
小題2:.
From the passage, we know that the Tango Festival   .
A．is organized by the governmentB．is held in summer
C．welcomes everyone to take part inD．holds parties for different dances
小題3:.
Which of the following is a sport festival?
A．The Semana Musical Llao Llao.B．Open Polo Tournament.
C．The Tango Festival.D．Argentina Carnivals.
小題4:.
If Tom wants to enjoy a classical music event in Argentina, he should visit   .
A．Buenos Aires in springB．Palermo in April
C．Bariloche in OctoberD．Palermo in winter

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A town in Oxfordshire has become the first in the UK to have biomethane(生物甲烷)gas from human waste piped to their homes for gas central heating and cooking．
Up to 200 families in Didcot now receive the gas via the national gas power system. Head of energy and technology at British Gas，Martin Orrill，said customers wouldn’t notice any difference as the gas is purified to the highest standard and has no smell．The gas is produced at a sewage(污物) treatment works in Didcot．
The entire process takes only less than three weeks, with the sewage being collected and sent first to settlement tanks．The solid waste material is then fed into digesters, where anaerobic bacteria(厭氧菌)digest the sewage，with the aid of enzymes(酶)to speed up the process．The digestion process produces methane，which can be burned to drive machines(甲烷)to produce electricity，or can be purified and fed into the gas network and piped to homes and businesses. British Gas says supplying the gas rather than electricity is far more efficient since around two-thirds of the energy is lost in producing electricity.
Partners in the Didcot project，British Gas，Scotia Gas Network，and Thames Water，all hope to expand the process to other towns，and other companies such as Ecotricity and United Utilities have also announced biomethane projects being planned．One of these projects in Manchester could be supplying 500 homes with biomethane by mid next year. Another British Gas project in Suffolk will provide gas from digestion of brewery(啤酒廠(chǎng))waste to around 235 families．
The Didcot project cost￡25 million and was influenced by promises of government aids aimed at encouraging companies to develop renewable technologies．An EU directive means the UK must ensure at least 15 percent of its energy is from renewable sources by 2020．
The UK produces about 1.73 million tons of sewage annually．If all sewage treatment works in the UK were fitted with the technology，they could supply gas for up to 350, 000 families.
小題1:.  Which of the following is TRUE of the biomethane gas?
A．it’s mainly made from rotting plantsB．It’s an environmentally friendly gas
C．Its production process is too longD．It’s easily recognized by customers
小題2:.  What is the function of the enzymes?   
A．To digest the solid waste materialB．To help get rid of anaerobic bacteria
C．To help purify the biomethane．D．To speed up the digestion process．
小題3:.  According to the passage，the biomethane gas had better be used        .
A．a(chǎn)s the power for vehiclesB．for heating and cooking
C．to produce electricityD．to drive a variety of machines
小題4:.  The last three paragraphs mainly show that        .
A．the UK government supports the biomethane projects
B．the biomethane projects are very costly
C．the biomethane projects still face many barriers
D．the biomethane projects are promising
小題5:. . What should the text belong to?
A．Computer scienceB．EngineeringC．EnergyD．Business

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony (和睦) that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered “l(fā)ittle of childhood but its pain”. In fact, he inherited (繼承) excellent taste in art from his family—both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama (戲劇) and poetry.
Yeats had strong faith in coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at the beginning. He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would who probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet Auden wrote, among others, the following liners:
Earth, receive an honored guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie
Emptied of its poetry.
小題1:Which of the following can describe Yeats’s family?
A．It filled Yeats’s childhood with laughter.
B．It was shocked by Yeats’s choice.
C．It was a typically wealthy family.
D．It had an artistic atmosphere.
小題2:According to the passage, what do we know about Yeats’s life?
A．Yeats founded the first Irish theater.
B．Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry.
C．Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s.
D．Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize.
小題3:What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden’s lines?
A．Envy.B．Sympathy.
C．Emptiness.D．Admiration.
小題4:What is the passage mainly about?
A．Yeats’ literary achievements.
B．Yeats’ historical influence.
C．Yeats’ artistic ambition.
D．Yeats’ national honor.

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