“If you talk to the plants, they will grow faster and the effect is even better if you’re a woman.” Researchers at Royal Horticultural Society carried out an experient to find that the voice of a woman gardener makes plants grow faster.
The experiment lasted a month and by the end of the study scientists managed to discover that tomato plants grew up two inches taller when women gardeners talked to them instead of male.
Sarah Darwin was the one making the plants registered the best growth. Her voice was the most “inspiring” for plants than those of nine other gardeners when reading a passage from The Origin of Species. The great-great-granddaughter of the famous botanist(植物學(xué)家) Charles Darwin found that her plant grew about two inches taller than the plant of the best male gardener.
Colin Crosbie, Garden Superintendent at RHS, said that the finding cannot yet be explained. He assumes that women have a greater range of pitch（音高） and tone（音調(diào)） which might have a certain effect on the sound waves that reach the plant. “Sound waves are an environmental effect just like rain or light ,”said Mr Grosbie.
The study began in April at RHS Garden Wisley in Survey. Scientists started with open auditions(聽力) for the people who were asked to record passages from John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer's Night Dream and Darwin's The Origin of Species.
Afterwards researchers selected a number of different voices and played them to 10 tomato plants during a period of a month. Each plant had headphones（耳機(jī)） connected to it. Through the headphones the sound waves could hit the plants. It was discovered that plants that “l(fā)istened” to female voices on average grew taller by an inch in comparison to plants that heard male voices.
Miss Darwin said, “I think it is an honor to have a voice that can make tomatoes grow, and especially fitting because for a number of years I have been studying wild tomatoes from the Galapagos Island at the Natural History Museum in London.”
小題1:What does the passage talk about?
A．Plants enjoy men’s voices than women’s.
B．A botanical experiment in a museum.
C．Voice’s influence on plant growing.
D．Strange phenomenon（現(xiàn)象） at Royal Horticultural Society.
小題2:What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 4 mean?
A．Plants need sound as well as rain and light.
B．Sound is basic for the plant to grow.
C．Sound has a good effect as rain or light does.
D．Plants can’t live without sound, rain or light.
小題3:Sarah Darwin is most likely a (an)_____.
A．botanistB．gardenerC．a(chǎn)stronomerD．environmentalist
小題4:What can we learn from the passage?
A．The experiment ended in May.
B．Scientist can explain the findings clearly.
C．Plants enjoy listening to the passages from masterpieces.
D．The findings are of great importance to human beings.

小題1:C
小題2:C
小題3:A
小題4:A
文章講述了一個(gè)有趣的發(fā)現(xiàn)，聲音能讓植物的長得更好。
小題1:主旨大意題。通讀全文可知文章是關(guān)于聲音對植物生長的影響。
小題2:猜測詞義題。本句話的句意就是聲音和雨點(diǎn)光線對植物都有影響。
小題3:推理題。根據(jù)文章第三段內(nèi)容可知Sarah Darwin是達(dá)爾文的后裔，恰好又是利用她的聲音做實(shí)驗(yàn)，她最可能是一位植物學(xué)家。
小題4:推理題。根據(jù)第五段第一行The study began in April以及第二段第一行The experiment lasted a month可知A正確，
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The koala, one of Australia’s most treasured creatures, is in trouble.

Affected by habitat (棲居地) loss and climate change, like many other uniquely Australian animals, koalas are being squeezed into smaller regions. But at present, it is a deadly disease, a somewhat silent killer that causes a further decline in the koala population, that is worrying many scientists about the fate of the koala.
The killer is Chlamydia, which has caused symptoms in up to 50 percent of the wild koalas, with probably even more infected (感染) but not showing symptoms. It has been particularly severe in Queensland, where nearly all koalas are infected. The disease causes many symptoms including eye infections, which can lead to blindness, making it difficult for them to find their primary food.
Treating Chlamydia in wild koalas is a challenge. There is no treatment available for it. Only a small percentage of the animals can be treated successfully and returned to the wild. Besides, there is no national plan in Australia to save the koala; it is up to each region to make management plans for its koala population.
The good news is that researchers are working to test a vaccine (疫苗) that would help prevent further spread. If all goes well, plans can be carried out to distribute the vaccine more widely. But it’s impossible to vaccinate (給注射疫苗)  all wild koalas.
Another possibility would be to make vaccine distribution a routine part of treatment for the thousands of koalas brought into care centers every year after they are injured by cars or dogs.
While it is a combination of problems that are affecting the wild koala population, many experts believe this vaccine would be an important step in helping koalas survive longer. It may be enough time to give researchers a chance to solve some of the other problems facing Austalia’s koalas.
小題1:Which isn’t considered the main cause of koala’s population decline?
A．A deadly disease.
B．Injuries from cars and dogs.
C．Climate change.
D．Habitat loss.
小題2:The third paragraph mainly tells us         .
A．the serious result Chlamydia has caused to the koala
B．Chlamydia affected the koala only in particular regions
C．the most serious symptom of Chlamydia is eye infections
D．Chlamydia can seriously affect koala’s primary food
小題3:We can learn from the text that the vaccine      .
A．would cure the killer Chlamydia quite effectively
B．would only be distributed in koala care centers
C．has already been put into practical use in Australia
D．cannot be distributed to all the infected koalas
小題4:It can be inferred from the text that        .
A．a(chǎn) national plan for saving koalas will be made soon in Australia
B．koala population is declining only in a few regions
C．researchers need enough time to solve the koala problems
D．experts have lost the best chance to save the infected koalas

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

Is it difficult for you to get up in the morning? Do you sometimes oversleep？ Are you often late for work or school? Yes? Then Hiroyuki Sugiyama of Japan has a (an)    1   bed for you. Hiroyuki's bed will get you up in the morning! Here is how it      2   .
The bed    3  an alarm clock. First, the alarm clock rings. You have a few minutes to wake up. Next, a tape recorder in the bed plays   4  music or other pleasant sounds. The tape recorder in Hiroyuki's bed plays a recording of his girlfriend. She whispers in a sweet  5 , "Wake up, darling, please." A few minutes later, a second recording   6  . The sound recording can be loud music or   7 sounds. Hiroyuki hears a recording of his boss shouts, "Wake up immediately,   8 you'll be late!"
If you don't get up  9 the second recording, you will be sorry! A mechanical "foot" is in the bed. The mechanical foot kicks you in the head. Then the bed waits a few  10 minutes. What! You're still in bed! Slowly the   11 of the bed rises higher and higher. The foot of the bed goes lower and lower.   12 the bed is vertical (垂直的). You slide off the bed and onto the floor. You are out of bed and     13 
Hiroyuki made his bed because he wanted to   14  a contest. He works for Honda Motor Company. Once every two years Honda has a contest for its 200,000 employees ---"All-Honda Idea Contest". The employees think of new ideas. If their ideas win, the employees win   15  . Hiroyuki Sugiyama won a lot of money for his bed.
小題1:
A．expensiveB．specialC．valuableD．comfortable
小題2:
A．worksB．runsC．happensD．moves
小題3:
A．is separated fromB．is made up ofC．is attached toD．is made into
小題4:
A．loudB．classicalC．popD．soft
小題5:
A．soundB．voiceC．noiseD．way
小題6:
A．sendsB．turnsC．playsD．a(chǎn)ppears
小題7:
A．pleasantB．interestingC．unpleasantD．funny
小題8:
A．a(chǎn)ndB．butC．soD．or
小題9:
A．a(chǎn)fterB．untilC．sinceD．before
小題10:
A．otherB．a(chǎn)notherC．moreD．one
小題11:
A．endB．middleC．bodyD．top
小題12:
A．HoweverB．FinallyC．ThereforeD．Otherwise
小題13:
A．a(chǎn)ngryB．workC．happyD．a(chǎn)wake
小題14:
A．winB．a(chǎn)chieveC．gainD．defeat
小題15:
A．praisesB．contentsC．prizesD．medals

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Everyone is at it, even my neighbors. I thought I might be the only person left in the world who hadn’t done an eBay deal. So, I decided to try my hand at online auction (網(wǎng)上拍賣).
Buying for beginners: Sign up on www. ebay. co. uk. Most items（e.g. tables, computers, and books）ready for auction will come with a picture and a short description; others may be marked with “ Buy It Now ” and have a fixed price. You can buy these right away.
If the item is being auctioned, you offer the highest price you are prepared to pay and eBay bids（出價(jià)）for you. The bid will be increased little by little until it goes beyond your highest bid, then you are emailed and asked if you would like to bid again. Auctions last up to 10 days and when they finish you get an email telling you whether you have won the item.
How to pay: Sellers decide how they would like to be paid and you need to check this before placing a bid as you might not want to post a check or postal orders. The easiest way is through PayPal, an online payment system that takes the money away from your credit card (信用卡).
Selling made simple: If you plan to sell on eBay, it helps to include a picture of the item. I followed my friends’ advice and put up the items I wanted to sell for a 10-day auction, starting on a Thursday. This way buyers had two weekends to bid.
The big things in life: It’s easy to post a small item, but furniture is a big part of eBay and this has to be collected or sent by delivery men. Check the ways of delivery before you bid.
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?
A．How to make payment online.
B．Ways of using delivery online.
C．Advantages of an online-auction system.
D．How to use an online-auction system.
小題2:After bidding for an item, a buyer __________.
A．will get what he wants in ten days
B．should make payment immediately
C．has chances to make higher bids
D．may check its picture and description
小題3:The easiest way of making payment mentioned in the passage is __________.
A．through an online payment system
B．through a local banking system
C．by sending the money to the seller
D．by paying the deliveryman directly

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Why don’t birds get lost on their long migratory (遷居的) flights? Scientists have puzzled over this question for many years. Now they’re beginning to fill in the blanks.
Not long ago, experiments showed that birds rely on the sun to guide them during daylight hours. But what about birds that fly mainly by night? Tests with artificial stars have proved conclusively that certain night-flying birds are able to follow the stars in their long-distance flights.
One such bird, a warbler(鳴禽) , had spent its lifetime in a cage and had never flown under a natural sky. Yet it showed an inborn ability to use the stars for guidance. The bird’s cage was placed under an artificial star-filled sky at migration time. The bird tried to fly in the same direction as that taken by his outdoor cousins. Any change in the direction of the make-be-live stars caused a change in the direction of his flight. Scientists think that warblers, when flying in daylight, use the sun for guidance. But the stars are apparently their main means of navigation (導(dǎo)航). What do they do when the stars are hidden by clouds? Apparently, they find their way by such landmarks as mountain ranges, coast lines, and river courses. But when it’s too dark to see these, the warblers circle helplessly, unable to get their direction.
小題1:The reasons why birds don’t get lost on migratory flights__________.
A．have been known to scientists for many years
B．a(chǎn)re known by everyone
C．have only recently been discovered
D．will probably remain a mystery
小題2:Warblers migrate__________.
A．from North America to South America
B．using what is apparently an inborn navigational ability
C．only once during their lifetime
D．when they are freed from their cages
小題3:When the stars are hidden by clouds, warblers find their way by__________ .
A．a(chǎn)n artificial starB．some landmarks
C．their inborn abilityD．A and B
小題4:This article is a good example of the way scientists__________ .
A．discover workable answers to universal questions by studying particular cases(特別案例)
B．jump to conclusions
C．find a law and then investigate（調(diào)查）
D．a(chǎn)re disappointed by the habits of animals

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

With the Tesla Roadster and other plug­in (插入式) electric vehicles hitting the road，demand is growing for accessible refueling points to recharge them. Carbon Day Automotive, a Chicago­based company，has now demonstrated a solar­powered recharging point, known as the Solar Plug­In Station，which lets motorists easily charge their cars using electricity that has been produced without any environmental damage.
The Solar Plug­In Station has gone on show in Chicago as part of the city’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. According to Carbon Day Automotive，the Solar Plug­In Station on show in Chicago is part of the vital infrastructure(基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施) required for electric vehicles in Chicago and was the focus of a recent visit by the International Olympic Committee.
These solar­powered electricity points will be used daily to fuel the city’s electric vehicles with power from the sun. By producing the electricity from pollution­free solar cell, the CO2 emissions are reduced to zero.
“Solar energy and electric vehicles are a partnership that is one more step to reducing our dependence on foreign oil,” says Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies.Coulomb Technologies recently developed the components (部件) required for individual recharging stations，marketed as ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations.Carbon Day Automotive is the Midwest distributor for the ChargePoint stations. The Solar Plug­In Station consists of giant solar panels (電池板) that shade the tiny ChargePoint Networked Charging Station.The solar panel is connected to an underground battery pack，ready for everyday refueling.
“Without these stations it would be like driving around in a traditional car without the availability of gas stations，” says Scott Emalfarb，CEO at Carbon Day.“The day of true plug­in electric vehicles will be here sooner than most people realize and the world needs to be ready to accommodate them.”
小題1:The Solar Plug­In Station is used as part of the bid to host the Olympics mainly because ________.
A．it’s environmentally friendly
B．it makes up for the lack of electricity
C．it’s a new idea and attracts people’s attention
D．it brings convenience to electric vehicle users
小題2:We can learn from the passage that ________.
A．to recharge the electric vehicles takes a long time
B．the Solar Plug­In Station will come into use in 2016
C．the Solar Plug­In Station has gone on show internationally
D．Chicago is promoting the use of electric vehicles
小題3:According to the passage，how many of the following statements are TRUE?
a. Tesla Roadster is a kind of plug­in electric vehicle.
b. The Solar Plug­In Station uses solar power to charge all of the cars.
c. Chicago is a city，which is rich in oil.
d. The Solar Plug­In Station consists of underground battery packs.
e. Scott Emalfarb is optimistic about the future of plug­in electric vehicles.
A．2.B．3.C．4.D．5.
小題4:The passage implies that when the Solar Plug­In Station becomes popular，________.
A．more visitors will come to Chicago
B．the citizens of Chicago will be able to go to work faster
C．more space for electric vehicles will be needed
D．the cost of electric vehicles will be lower than traditional cars
小題5:What would be the best title for the passage?
A．Chicago Will Soon Be Full of Electric Vehicles
B．Chicago Calls on People to Buy Electric Vehicles
C．Chicago Fights for Its Bid to Host the 2016 Olympics
D．Chicago Shows Its Solar­powered Recharging Stations

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

“If you talk to the plants, they will grow faster and the effect is even better if you’re a woman.” Researchers at Royal Horticultural Society carried out an experiment to find that the voice of a woman gardener makes plants grow faster.
The experiment lasted a month and by the end of the study scientists managed to discover that tomato plants grew up two inches taller when women gardeners talked to them instead of male.
Sarah Darwin was the one making the plants the best growth. Her voice was the most “inspiring” for plants than those of nine other gardeners when reading a passage from The Origin of Species. The great-great-granddaughter of the famous botanist （植物學(xué)家）Charles Darwin found that her plant grew about two inches taller than the plant of the best male gardener.
Colin Crosbie, Garden Superintendent at RHS, said that the finding cannot yet be explained.He says that women have a greater range of pitch and tone（音高和音色）which might have a certain effect on the sound waves that reach the plant. “Sound waves are an environmental effect just like rain or light ,”said Mr Grosbie.
The study began in April at RHS Garden Wisley in Survey. Scientists started with open auditions(聽力) for the people who were asked to record passages from John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer's Night Dream and Darwin's The Origin of Species.
Afterwards researchers selected a number of different voices and played them to 10 tomato plants during a period of a month. Each plant had headphones connected to it. Through the headphones the sound waves could hit the plants. It was discovered that plants that “l(fā)istened” to female voices grew taller by an inch in comparison to plants that heard male voices.
小題1:What does the passage talk about?
A．Plants enjoy men’s voices than women’s.
B．A science experiment in a museum.
C．Voice’s influence on plant growing.
D．Strange findings at Royal Horticultural Society.
小題2:What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 4 mean?
A．Plants need sound as well as rain and light.
B．Sound is basic for the plant to grow.
C．Sound has a good effect as rain or light does.
D．Plants can’t live without sound, rain or light.
小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A．The experiment ended in May.
B．Scientist can explain the findings clearly.
C．Plants enjoy listening to the passages from famous works.
D．The findings are of great importance to human beings.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There are two methods by which hydrogen (氫) can be used to power cars. The first way is to use hydrogen to drive the engine, in much the same way as many cars use gas. The second method is to use the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen in a battery, making the car a kind of electric one.
The dream of producing hydrogen in the car while driving along by electrolyzing（電解）water is a long way off, so we are still at the period of batteries and filling the tank with hydrogen gas. This is the difficulty for potential car users and producers. There are only sixteen hydrogen filling stations in Los Angeles and none in 99% of other cities worldwide.
Indeed, some of the big name automobile producers have pulled out of the race to put the first practical hydrogen car on the streets. Ford and GM have announced that they are pulling out in America and so has Renault in France.
However, the Japanese companies are pressing on. In fact, Honda introduced its first hydrogen fuel cell car in 1999. They are now producing second generation hydrogen car known as the FCX Clarity. Guess where they are available for sale? In only one city because of its filling stations.
Honda thinks that they could go into full-scale production of the FCX Clarity by 2020 if the world is prepared for them by then.
Then there are hydrogen-powered buses in several European cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg and Madrid. Lotus, the makers of London taxis, have announced that they propose to manufacture hydrogen-powered taxis in time for the London Olympics.
So, the hydrogen vehicle is out there and the numbers will be growing fairly soon. The buses go back to their bus station, where an electrolyzing machine changes water into fuel for them to fill up on and the same will be the case for many of London’s taxis.
Unfortunately, getting fuel is not the only difficulty for the average motorist, a number of these vehicles cost about $300,000 each.
小題1:According to the text, hydrogen-powered buses ________.
A．can easily be filled up with gas.
B．a(chǎn)re likely to sell well in the future.
C．a(chǎn)re mainly used in the United States
D．won’t be used in the London Olympics
小題2:What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 5 refer to?
A．Japanese companiesB．Hydrogen buses
C．The FCX ClarityD．Filling stations
小題3:Where are hydrogen cars currently available for sale?
A．In BarcelonaB．In HamburgC．In LondonD．In Los Angeles
小題4:We can learn from the text that ________.
A．there are sixty hydrogen filling stations all over the world
B．hydrogen vehicles fueled by water will be very expensive
C．Honda will mass-produce the FCX Clarity by 2012
D．Honda produced its first hydrogen car in 1989

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Baby girls make their way directly for dolls as soon as they can crawl, while boys will head for cars, a study has shown. The findings, the first to show differences in very young babies, suggest there is a biological basis to their preferences.
Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90 babies aged 9 months to 36 months. The babies were allowed to choose from seven toys. Some were typically boys’ toys ---- a car, a digger, a ball and a blue teddy. The rest were girls’ toys: a pink teddy, a doll and a cooking set. They were placed a meter away from the toys；and could pick whichever toy they liked their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded.
Of the youngest children (9 to 14 months), girls spent significantly longer playing with the doll than boys, and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did. Among the two and three-year-olds, girls spent 50 percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched it. The boys spent almost 90 percent of their time playing with cars, which the girls barely touched. There was no link between the parents’ view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or girls, and the children’s choice.
Dr Brenda Todd said, “Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization. Boys may be given ‘toys that go’ while girls get toys they can care for, which may help shape their preference. But these findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys. There could be a biological basis for their choices. Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer: moving objects, probably through hunting instincts（本能）, while girls prefer warmer colors such as pink, the colour of a newborn baby.”                                
小題1:Baby boys and girls have different toy preferences probably because ________.
A．baby boys are much more active
B．baby girls like bright colours more
C．their parents treat them differently
D．there is a natural difference between them
小題2:Both baby boys and baby girls like to play with ________ according to the study.
A．a(chǎn) ballB．a(chǎn) teddyC．a(chǎn) carD．a(chǎn) doll
小題3:What can we infer from Paragraph 3?
A．Nine-month-old baby boys don’t play with dolls at all.
B．Two-year-old baby girls sometimes play with cars and balls.
C．The older the babies are, the more obvious their preference is.
D．Parents should teach their babies to share each other’s toys.
小題4:What conclusion did Dr. Brenda Todd draw from the results of the study?
A．Adults purposely influence their babies’ preference.
B．Babies’ preference isn’t affected by social surroundings.
C．Baby boys preferring to moving toys will be good at hunting.
D．Baby girls preferring warmer colors will be warm-hearted.

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