When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored (發(fā)起) “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
56. Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Charles’ parents supported him and performed together with him.
B. Charles was found and hired by the famous showman.
C. Charles put lots of advertisements to arouse interest.
D. Charles’ success was largely due to Mr. Barnum’s help.
57. Tom would dance on a wooden plate held by an eight-foot-tall person probably because ______________.
A. the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom was dancing
B. it made Tom look taller
C. the eight–foot–tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted
D. the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller
58. The underlined words “talk of the town” in the second paragraph from the bottom means ______________.
A. it was in the newspaper                       B. people spread bad rumors about it
C. it was the most popular topic                    D. it was discussed in a city meeting
59. What does the author think about Tom’s wedding?
A. It helped people cheer up in a dark time.              B. People gave it too much of their attention.
C. It was funny and ridiculous.                         D. Tom and Lavinia were stupid.
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Stop thinking that you are too old to learn how to play the piano! You are able to learn the piano or any other instrument at any age. As long as you want to learn the piano, you can. When you decide to learn the piano, think about what you want out of it. Do you want to learn a specific piece of music, or are you more interested in learning techniques and the chord structures behind it? There are no limits, and you will get as much out of it as what you are willing to put into it.
Adults have the ability to learn a musical instrument, although they usually have less time. So no matter what your age, whether you are ten or one hundred and ten, you can learn the piano well. So what are you waiting for? Start learning today! Here are some ways to learn the piano, each with its own advantages.
１．．．．
This allows you personal, face-to-face lessons — usually on a weekly basis where they are able to teach you and correct you. This is a great way to learn the piano, but you are limited in the contact hours you have with your teacher which may slow your learning.
２．．．．
This would have to be the hardest way because you are just working by yourself and you can never be sure if you have understood the books correctly.
３．．．．
These are quite new to the market. They are video or DVD lessons that you can work through at your own pace. The advantage here is that you have the teacher so you know if you are doing it right, and you can work at your own pace — as quickly or as slowly as you like.
1. What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To tell us why we need to learn to play the piano.
B. To tell us never to lose hope at any age.
C. To encourage us to learn the piano and to give some suggestions.
D. To tell us that nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it.
2. Match each of the following titles with each point.
a. Internet and Video Courses.   
b. Hire a Piano Teacher.
c. Teach Yourself with Books.   
A. 1-a 2-c 3-b         B. 1-b 2-c 3-a
C. 1-b 2-a 3-c         D. 1-c 2-b 3-a
3. According to the author, we know that ______.
A. people who are too old can’t learn the piano
B. kids learn much faster than adults
C. learning by oneself, one may misunderstand the books
D. learning with a teacher is the best way
4. Which of the following old sayings sums up the main idea of the first two paragraphs?
A. Every coin has two sides. 
B. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
C. Let’s cross the bridge when we come to it.
D. You are never too old to learn.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Texting is a great way to communicate and teenagers are doing just that. New research shows that on average, teens are sending 2,000 text messages a month, and doctors say it’s causing injuries.
13-year-old Bailey Baker keeps using her thumbs, sending text messages to her friends again and again. The past March may have been her best month ever, texting 8,000 times. Now, she says she’s feeling the pain. “Just mainly back and neck problems and thumb numbness,” she says.
Baylor-Garland Dr. Jane Sadler is seeing more and more teens who simply text until it hurts. She says parents, including Bailey’s mom, have no idea how much their kids are texting. “I was thinking she was texting about 25 texts a day,” says Lisa Baker. “Wrong! We’ve uncovered a problem.” It didn’t take Dr. Sadler long to find the problem. She gave Bailey the once-over and learnt that Bailey had developed Texting Teen Tendinitis(肌腱炎)
“A lot of them report pain in their thumbs, back and neck,” says Dr. Sadler. “When we look into it and examine a little bit further, we see texting is the main cause of the problem.” Dr. Sadler says back pain is caused by poor posture while texting. Bailey often texts for up to 2 hours a day; that’s a lot of wear and tear on the thumbs which over time, can break down. Dr. Sadler tells over-texting teens to look into the future. “What I tell them is ‘Hey, you might be normal now, but when you are 40 or 50, you can get arthritis (關(guān)節(jié)炎).’”
Dr. Sadler recommends limiting texting to 50 a day, and keeping good posture. Dr. Sadler also says touch screens are easier on the thumbs than keyboards and hand exercises are great to build up those muscles, making it easier to text.
1. How many text messages did Bailey Baker send a day on average last month?
A. Less than 226.   B. About 230.        C. About 267.        D. More than 300.
2. Because of texting, Bailey Baker suffers from the following problems EXCEPT ______.
A. back pain          B. neck pain          C. headache           D. thumb numbness
3. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. She gave Bailey Baker a quick examination.
B. She solved Bailey Baker’s problem at once.
C. She gave Bailey Baker a piece of advice.
D. She let Bailey Baker send a text message again.
4. What can we conclude from Paragraph 4?
A. Teenagers won’t get hurt if they stop texting right now.
B. Poor posture while texting is the main cause of injuries.
C. Thumbs won’t ache if teens text for no more than 2 hours a day.
D. Over-texting may have a bad effect on people in the long run.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


第二部分閱讀理解（共20小題：每小題2分，滿分40分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項（A、B、C、 D和E）中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
Scott Langteau has this message for kids: Spend less time playing video games．
It’s a message that many a mom and dad have tried to impress upon many a youngster （and some not-so-youngsters） who spend perhaps a bit too much time with game controllers in hand．
But the 40-year-old Langteau isn’t a parent．He’s experienced at video games — one who played producer on three “Medal of Honor” games and co-founded his own game development company．
Langteau has just published a children’s book called “Sofa Boy,” which tells the story of a kid who spends too much time sitting on the couch with controller held in hand and the rather terrible consequences that follow．
It’s a fairy tale plucked straight from Langteau's own experiences as a lad with a fondness for video games and his own bouts with a bit of game addiction．But first, Langteau would like to make one thing clear: “I’m not saying that you shouldn’t play video games．I think video games are great, I think they do great things for kids．Instead, Langteau says his book is all about a little something called “moderation．（克制）”
_“It’s_about_being_well_rounded,” he says．“Just like with anything else, we all need to make sure that there’s a variety in what we do．”
Video gamers can be rather bad-tempered when it comes to accepting criticism about their favorite entertainment．And understandably so．After all, most people who go around talking about the dangers of playing video games tend to be outsiders — people who don’t play video games and certainly don’t understand that they can be a valuable and healthy form of entertainment．
But Langteau and “Sofa Boy” seem to be in a unique position to deliver a message of gaming moderation that the young game-savvy masses might actually listen to．After all, this is a
man who understands what it means to be a kid with a passion for games．His early experience has taught him a lesson．
1．Scott Langteau published “Sofa Boy” to_____________．
A．share his great skills on games                    
B．warn kids against game addiction
C．tell about his fairy tale as a kid             
D．deliver a message for games
2．We can learn from the passage that____________．
A．Langteau advises the young to play games within limits
B．Langteau advises the young not to play games
C．playing video games ruins the future of kids
D．playing video games is of no benefit to kids
3．By saying “It’s about being well rounded” Langteau thinks____________．20090506
A．games do great things for kids                
B．gamers are usually fat and round
C．games should be viewed from all sides        
D．gamers are to blame for their behaviors
4．What topic will be discussed in the following paragraph?
A．His idea to create “Sofa Boy”．
B．His great achievement in games as a kid．
C．His hard times to set up his game company．
D．His enthusiasm for games when he was a small boy．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Board, But Not Boring
Roll the Dice and Take a Chance on Something New…
Are you vacationed-out, tired of video-gaming, waterlogged by too many trips to the pool and ready to scream if you see one more “SpongeBob” rerun?
In other words, are you bored with summer?
We’ve got a suggestion: Kill that boredom with some great board boredom games. We went to game expert Lizzy Palmer of Barston’s Child’s Play in the District and ask for suggestions. All the games you see on this page are a ton of fun, she said, and there are sure to be at least one or two that you don’t already have.
Maptangle
Borderline Games
Ages 7 and older, 4 to 6 players, $24.95
This clever take on the classic game of Twister challenges your gymnastic and geographic skills at the same time. A huge floor map of the world serves as the game board. There are lots of geographic elements: countries, oceans,  rivers, deserts, even man-made landmarks. A deck of cards tells you where to put one foot, then the other. The round is over when someone falls.
Jungle Speed
Ages 7 and older, 2 to 8
players, $25.99
This is a fast-paced shape-recognition game. A wooden totem (圖騰柱) sits in the middle. Players flip (翻) over cards one at a time. When your card matches another, be the first to grab the totem so that you can give your card to the loser. But be careful: Some cards look the same but aren’t!
Enchanted Forest
Ravensburger Ages 6 and older, 2 to 6 players,
$24.99
A classic memory game. Take a winding path through the forest and check under the trees for
fairy-tale treasure. Remember what you saw so that when you need a particular treasure you can
go back to that tree to get it. Cool rule: You can split your dice (骰子) roll—for example, move five spaces in one direction and two in the other to land at the right tree.
Go fish for Wildlife Birdcage Press All ages, $9.95
Birdcage has several decks (副) of cards that are more like trading cards. You fish for sea creatures,  reptiles, wild animals. Each deck has instructions for several card games, and each card has great photos and fun facts. Great for a trip.
HedBanz Funrise Ages 6 and older, 2 to 6
players, $13.99
Put on a headband and slip in a card that shows an animal or thing. Everyone else can see it but you.Ask questions until you guess what it is—but do it before time runs out!
68. What’s the purpose of writing the article?  
A. To advertise several board games to attract potential consumers.
B. To introduce several board games for readers to pass the summer.
C. To try to persuade readers to give up video games and choose board games.
D. To make some suggestions on how to spend the long summer.
69. Suppose Doris, a mother with a six-year old boy, wants to buy some board games for her child. How many kinds of board games can she choose?
A. 2                     B. 3                              C. 4                              D. 5
70. Which of the following games will be the best choice for Mr Smith who wants to find an indoor game that can benefit both his daughter’s mind as well as her body?
A. Go Fish for Wildlife                                           B. Jungle Speed
C. Maptangle Borderline Games                       D. Hedbanz
71. Which of the following can match the games with their benefits to players?
(1) Enchanted Forest                                    a. to practice your quick response
(2) Maptangle Borderline Games    b. to practice your memory    
(3) Jungle Speed                                            c. to practice your geographic knowledge
(4) Go fish for Wildlife                         d. to increase the knowledge about animals
A. bacd                                 B. bcad                       C. cbad                       D. cdab

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Remind children that bad things don’t last. It may sound simple, but the message is extremely important. “Children often don’t have the experience to know that when something bad happens—they lose an important game or their best friends lets them down—it’s not the end of the world,” explains Nancy Leffert, a senior research scientist with the Research Institute, an American adolescents’(青少年) and children’s research group. “They think their bad feelings will last for ever， or that one failure will ruin everything.”
Unfortunately, that kind of thinking discourages motivation(動機(jī)).“If a child believes that the cause of her upset is lasting, or that nothing she does will make a difference, it decreases her ability to keep on trying,” says Dorothy Rich, president of the Mega Skills Education Center of the Home and School Institute, based in Washington. Any time you can help your child see that a situation is not lasting, that a result can be changed, or that one opinion does not reflect reality, you give her reason to hope.
Case in point: “When my daughter Kathy was eight，art was one of her favorite subjects，”says Beth，a mother of two. “Then she got an art teacher who gave a great deal of praise to one student and barely noticed the rest．Kathy was ready to give up until I explained to her，‘Never stop doing your best just because one person doesn’t give you praise.’” Beth had to repeat the advice often，and finally her daughter got the message．“Kathy is twelve now, and art is still one of her strongest subjects.”
62. According to the passage we know many children_____.
A. know how to face a failure
B. try their best to avoid a situation of failure
C. don’t want to stay in bad feelings for ever
D. tend to take a failure as the end of the world
63. Which of the following can a parent say to his children to show that one’s opinion does not reflect reality?
A. “If you call your friend and apologize，he won’t stay mad at you.”
B.　“That may be what your teacher thinks, but I see it differently.”
C.　“You have lost today, but you can try again tomorrow.”
D.　“Go ahead. Don’t care what other people think.”
64. It can be inferred from the passage that_____.
A. teachers’ praise is very important to students
B. good teachers can give students useful advice
C. teachers should not praise their students in class
D. good teachers can find each student’s favorite subject
65. The best title of the passage is_____.
A. Help Children Promote Problem Solving Ability
B. Tell Children Not to Let Failure Ruin Them
C. Set Reasonable Hopes for Your Children
D. Teach Your Children to Be Happy

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空


第二節(jié) 補(bǔ)全對話。根據(jù)對話內(nèi)容，從對話后的選項中選出最佳選項，并將其答案標(biāo)號填入題后的空白處。選項中有兩項為多余選項。
—Now, tell me about the man who stole your neighbour’s car. What did he look like?
—Well, sir. He was tall…
—  61 
—Oh, yes, and he was younger than you—only about thirty, I’d say.
—Well! And what colour was his hair?
—It was brown, and short…it was similar to yours, actually.
—  62  
—No, he was clean-shaven.
—OK. Now have a look at these photos—can you see him?
—  63  
—But that’s Frankie Farnham—he’s got a beard, and he’s very short!
—Hm, well…
—  64 
—Yes, the strongest thing was that he appeared to be a gentleman—he was wearing a suit…not like a thief at all.
—Hm, like this photo?
—Yes, that’s him!
—That’s Bill Mahony: he’s in prison! Are you sure you saw the thief?
—  65 
A．No, I can’t.
B．Taller than me?
C．How tall was he?
D．Did he have a beard?
E.Well, er, it was very dark…
F.Oh, yes, he looked exactly like this one here.
G.Do you remember anything else about the man?

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The dog that gave us the most trouble was a beagle (獵兔犬) named Murphy．As far as I’m concerned, the first thing he did wrong was to turn into a beagle．I had seen him bounding around on the other side of a pet-shop window, and I went in and asked the man, “How much is that adorable fox terrier (小獵狗) in the window?” Did he say “That adorable fox terrier is a beagle”? No, he said, “Ten dollars, lady.” Now, I don’t mean to say one word against beagles．They have rights just like other people．But it is a bit of a shock when you bring home a small ball of fluff (絨毛) in a shoebox, and three weeks later it’s as long as the sofa．
Murphy was the first dog I ever trained personally, and I was delighted at the enthusiasm with which he took to the newspaper．It was some time later that we discovered, to our horror, that—like so many dogs—he had grasped the letter but not the spirit of the thing．Until the very end of his days he felt a real sense of duty whenever he saw a newspaper—any newspaper—and it didn’t matter where it was．I can’t bring myself to go into the details, except to mention that we were finally forced to keep all the papers in the bottom of the icebox．
He had another habit that used to leave us open to a certain amount of criticism from our friends．He never climbed up on beds or chairs or sofas．But he always sat on top of the piano．In the beginning we used to try to pull him off．But after a few noisy fights in which he knocked a picture off the wall, scratched the piano, and smashed a lamp, we just gave in—only to discover that he hopped up and down as skillfully as a ballet dancer．
Nowadays if I go anywhere, I just ask if they have a dog．If they do, I say, “Maybe I’d better keep away from it—I have bad allergy.” This sometimes annoys the host．But it works．It really works.
56．The writer uses a hyperbole (夸張) in Paragraph 1 to suggest that the dog grew  _____________.
A．surprisingly lovable B．comfortable in the house
C．too fierce to tolerate D．larger than expected
57．Which sentence shows the author’s inability to train Murphy?
A．I had seen him bounding around on the other side of a pet-shop window.
B．We were finally forced to keep all the papers in the bottom of the icebox.
C．He never climbed up on beds or chairs.
D．Nowadays if I go anywhere, I just ask if they have a dog．
58．What can you infer from the second paragraph?
A．The writer tried to train Murphy to fetch newspapers but in vain.
B．Like other dogs, Murphy hated newspapers.
C．Murphy learned to help the writer clean the papers.
D．Murphy liked fetching letters rather than newspapers.
59．Which can be the best title of the passage?
A．Murphy—My Favorite Dog    B．Murphy—An Adorable Dog
C．Murphy Gave Me Trouble      D．Murphy Turned Into A Beagle

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


While I was waiting outside my wife’s office building for her to get out of work, I saw a beggar coming my way from across the parking lot.
“I hope he doesn’t ask me for any money,” I thought.
He didn’t.He came and sat in front of the bus stop, but he didn’t look like he could have enough money to ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke. “That’s a pretty car,” he said, pointing to my car. He was ragged (衣衫襤褸), but he had an air of dignity(尊嚴(yán)) about himself.
I gave him a smile and continued cleaning my car.
He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected asking for money never came. As the silence between us widened, it seemed that a voice inside me said, “Ask him if he needs any help.”
“Do you need any help?” I asked.
He answered in three simple but meaningful words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women, and we expect it from those of higher learning and achievements. I expected nothing but a dirty hand from him, but he said three words that shook me.
“Don’t we all?” he said.
I was feeling high, successful and important above a beggar in the street, until those three words hit me like a shot.
Don’t we all?
I needed help. Maybe not for a bus fare or for a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only for a bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have achieved, you need help, too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help.
53. The story happened _________.
A. outside an office building    B. in front of a store
C. near a post office            D. on a bus
54. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A. The writer was waiting for his wife to get out of work.
B. He thought the beggar would ask him for money.
C. The beggar kept silent and didn’t ask him for money.
D. The writer was shocked by the three simple words.
55. “I was feeling high, successful and important above a beggar in the street.”means__________.
A. I thought I was better in any way than the beggar
B. I felt the beggar is as good in some ways as I am
C. I felt I liked the beggar very much
D. I thought U should respect the beggar
56. The best title of the passage is _________.
A. The Story of a Beggar              B. Everyone Needs Help
C. Life as a beggar                   D. A kind behavior

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