閱讀理解
     Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and
researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather
than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked.
     Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup (基因構(gòu)成) as human beings.What drove our
ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The
wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival.Perhaps the best reason for exploring
space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible.
     Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding
areas can be identified and prepared for.Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the
danger.With knowledge, we can lessen its effects.
     Exploration also allows minerals and other potential (潛在的) resources to be found.Even if we have
no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later.Resources may be more than physical
possessions.Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration.The techniques may have
medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives.We have already benefited from
other spinoffs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in
communications systems.Even nonstick pans and mirrored sunglasses are byproducts (副產(chǎn)品) of
technological developments in the space industry!
      While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows
creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us.While
space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also
holds dangers.The danger exists, but knowledge can help human beings to survive.Without the ability to
reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
     While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow
us to live on other planets.It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have
adapted in the past and surely could in the future.

1. Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph 1?

A. To express his doubts.
B. To compare different ideas.
C. To introduce points for discussion.
D. To describe the conditions on Earth.

2. What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph 2?

A. Humans are natureborn to do so.
B. Humans have the tendency to fight.
C. Humans may find new sources of food.
D. Humans don't like to stay in the same place.

3. The underlined word "spinoffs" in Paragraph 4 probably refers to________.

A. survival chances  
B. potential resources
C. unexpected benefits  
D. physical possessions

4. What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?

A. Our genetic makeup.
B. Resources on the earth.
C. The adaptive ability of humans.
D. Byproducts in space exploration.
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科目：高中英語 來源：2012屆高三英語一輪復(fù)習(xí)精品同步練習(xí)(人教新課標(biāo))選修6　Unit 5　The power of nature 題型：050

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Why You Should Celebrate Your Mistakes

　　When you make a mistake, big or small, cherish(珍視)it like it’s the most precious thing in the world．Because in some ways, it is．

　　Most of us feel bad when we make mistakes, beat ourselves up about it, feel like failures, get mad at ourselves．

　　And that’s only natural：most of us have been taught from a young age that mistakes are bad, that we should try to avoid mistakes．We’ve been scolded when we make mistakes－at home, school and work．Maybe not always, but probably enough times to make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction．

　　Yet without mistakes, we could not learn or grow．If you think about it that way, mistakes should be cherished and celebrated for being one of the most amazing things in the world：they make learning possible；they make growth and improvement possible．

　　By trial and error－trying things, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes－we have figured out how to make electric light, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to fly．

　　Mistakes make walking possible for the smallest toddler, make speech possible, make works of genius possible．

　　Think about how we learn：we don’t just consume information about something and instantly know it or know how to do it．You don’t just read about painting, or writing, or computer programming, or baking, or playing the piano, and know how to do them right away．Instead, you get information about something, from reading or from another person or from observing usually．．．then you construct a model in your mind．．．then you test it out by trying it in the real world．．．then you make mistakes．．．then you revise the model based on the results of your real－world experimentation．．．a(chǎn)nd repeat, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, until you’ve pretty much learned how to do something．That’s how we learn as babies and toddlers, and how we learn as adults．Mistakes are how we learn to do something new－because if you succeed at something, it’s probably something you already knew how to do．You haven’t really grown much from that success－at most it’s the last step on your journey, not the whole journey．Most of the journey was made up of mistakes, if it’s a good journey．

　　So if you value learning, if you value growing and improving, then you should value mistakes．They are amazing things that make a world of brilliance possible．

(1)

Why do most of us feel bad about making mistakes?

[　　]

A．

Because mistakes make us suffer a lot．

B．

Because it’s a natural part in our life．

C．

Because we’ve been taught so from a young age．

D．

Because mistakes have ruined many people’s careers．

(2)

According to the passage, what is the right attitude to mistakes?

[　　]

A．

We should try to avoid making mistakes．

B．

We should owe great inventions mainly to mistakes．

C．

We should treat mistakes as good chances to learn．

D．

We should make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction．

(3)

The underlined word “toddler” in Paragraph 6 probably means __________．

[　　]

A．

a small child learning to walk

B．

a kindergarten child learning to draw

C．

a primary pupil learning to read

D．

a school teenager learning to write

(4)

We can learn from the passage that __________．

[　　]

A．

most of us can really grow from success

B．

growing and improving are based on mistakes

C．

we learn to make mistakes by trial and error

D．

we read about something and know how to do it right away

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科目：高中英語 來源：江蘇省儀征中學(xué)2011－2012學(xué)年高二上學(xué)期期中考試英語試題 題型：050

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Why I Don't Spare “Spare Change”

　　“Poor but honest．” “The deserving(值得幫助的)poor．” These words always come to my mind when I think of “the poor．” But I also think of people who, perhaps through alcohol or drugs, have ruined not only their own lives but also the lives of others in order to give way to their own pleasure．Perhaps alcoholism and drug addiction really are “diseases,” as many people say, but my own feeling——based, of course, not on any serious study——is that most alcoholics and drug addicts belong to the “undeserving poor．” And that is largely why I don't give spare change to beggars．

　　But surely among the street people there are also some who can rightly be called “deserving．” Deserving what?My spare change?Or simply the government's assistance?It happens that I have been brought up to believe that it is proper to make contributions to charity, but if I give some change to a beggar, am I making a contribution to charity and thereby helping someone, or, am I perhaps simply encouraging someone not to get help?Or, maybe even worse, am I supporting a cheat?

　　If one believes in the value of private charity, one can either give to needy people or to charitable organizations．In giving to a beggar one may indeed be helping a person who badly needs help, but one cannot be certain that one is giving to a needy person．In giving to an organization, on the other hand, one can feel that one's money is likely to be used wisely．True, facing a beggar one may feel that this particular unfortunate person needs help at this moment——a cup of coffee or a sandwich——and the need will not be met unless I put my hand in my pocket right now．But I have come to think that the beggars whom I meet can get along without my spare change, and indeed perhaps they are actually better off for not having money to buy alcohol or drugs．

　　I know nothing about these beggars, but it's my impression that they simply prefer begging to working．I am not generalizing about street people．I am talking about the people whom I actually meet．That's why I do not give “spare change,” and I don't think I will in the future．

(1)

What does the author think of beggars who take drugs?

[　　]

A．

They should be given a check-up．

B．

They really need money to live．

C．

They have no pleasure in life．

D．

They are not worth helping．

(2)

Why doesn't the author give money to street people?

[　　]

A．

He doesn't think they need help．

B．

He doesn't have enough money to give．

C．

He is not convinced they will use it rightly．

D．

He believes they can get help from the government．

(3)

In the second paragraph, the author presents his idea by ________．

[　　]

A．

asking questions for people to think about

B．

giving examples to support his argument

C．

raising questions and answering them

D．

expressing his opinions directly

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科目：高中英語 來源：湖北省武漢市武昌區(qū)2012屆高三5月調(diào)研考試英語試題 題型：050

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Why Rent Textbooks?

　　Renting textbooks is a relatively new idea for everyone．Back in the old days, the idea of renting one never existed since the books are affordable or readily available in libraries．But the time has changed and with the changes in educational system and various economic challenges happening across the globe, the price of textbooks increased．

　　Given such fact, textbook renting is now a new fashion among college students．Research was made to find out if renting helps one save money and time rather than buying new textbooks and realized that it really is．Let's examine carefully further and see why renting books is a cost-effective way to still get to have your textbooks without shelling too much money from your pocket．

　　Gives value for your money

　　You don't have to buy all of your textbooks．Those non-major subjects, are better acquired through renting．It saves one money and helps you give out the money you save on some other personal possessions you need in college．

　　Renting textbooks allows you to save at least 50％ off the standard retail(零售)price for each item．You can tell, with a little research, that renting is a lot cheaper compared to buying used books aside from looking way better than the former．

　　Saves time

　　You can save a great deal of time when renting a textbook．Instead of browsing your way for hours trying to look for better deals online, you can simply go to a popular book renting marketplace online and just order away．There is literally no need to skimming for hours and see where you can find a great deal．Often, the rental company gives you prepaid postage slip just to get you going and do the same when you decide to return the book．

　　This process not only saves you time, it also saves other resources like gas if you decide to go to the nearest bookstore to buy books or spend hours using electricity just to find a good deal．

　　User Friendly

　　Aside from being able to save money and time, renting textbooks brings convenience to all users．Imagine trying to scan the virtual bookshelf and checking on comments of previous users and figuring out which ones got bad comments and which had great ones．It could be fun at first but if you are short of time, the process can become annoying．

　　If you rent books, you will only be needing the book's ISBN number and find it right away．No more time-wasting site search．Type in the ISBN number, order the book, and wait for it to get shipped to your home．

(1)

The reason why people haven't the habit of renting textbooks in the old days is that ________．

[　　]

A．

the educational system has not changed by now

B．

people can afford books or get books easily in libraries

C．

different economic challenges happen across the world

D．

the price of textbooks is much higher than that of nowadays

(2)

The underlined word “shelling” in paragraph 2 means “ ________ ”．

[　　]

A．

saving

B．

spending

C．

removing

D．

wasting

(3)

The following statements are the reasons why textbook renting is now a new fashion among college students EXCEPT ________．

[　　]

A．

One can save a great deal of time in browsing for better deals online

B．

It brings convenience to all the users apart from saving money and time

C．

The process saves other resources if you don't go to the nearest bookstore

D．

It saves one money and helps him spend money on what he need most in college

(4)

The passage mainly tells us that ________．

[　　]

A．

renting textbooks allows you to save a lot of money

B．

renting a textbook can also save you a great deal of time

C．

textbook renting was a relatively new fashion among college students

D．

textbook renting is a money-saving, fun, and, convenient way for college students

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科目：高中英語 來源：同步題 題型：閱讀理解

閱讀理解

      Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides.Following the rules...planning your
next move...acting as a team member...these are all"game"ideas that you will come across throughout
your life.
     Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as ropejumping and hideandseek.
Such games are entertaining and fun.But perhaps more importantly, they_translate_life_into_ exciting_
dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives,
such as taking turns and cooperating (合作).
      Many children's games have a practical side.Children around the world play games that prepare them
for work they will do as grownups.For instance,some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones,
which sharpens the handeye coordination(協(xié)調(diào)) needed in hunting.
     Many sports encourage national or local pride.The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games,
bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition.People who watch the
event wave flags,knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned
it.For countries experiencing natural disasters or war,an Olympic win can mean so much.
     Sports are also an event that unites people.Soccer is the most popular sport in the world.People on
all continents play it-some for fun and some for a living.Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player,has
discovered a way to spread hope through soccer.He created a foundation to provide poor children with
not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
      Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed,
and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.

1. Through playing hideandseek, children are expected to learn to________.

A. be a team leader
B. obey the basic rules
C. act as a grownup
D. predict possible danger

2. The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can________.

A. describe life in an exciting way
B. turn reallife experiences into a play
C. make learning life skills more interesting
D. change people's views of sporting events

3. According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?

A. It inspires people's deep love for the country.
B. It proves the exceptional skills of the winners.
C. It helps the country out of natural disasters.
D. It earns the winners fame and fortune.

4. Iribarne's goal of forming the foundation is to________.

A. bring fun to poor kids
B. provide soccer balls for children
C. give poor kids a chance for a better life
D. appeal to soccer players to help poor kids

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科目：高中英語 來源：安徽省模擬題 題型：閱讀理解

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     Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
     Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how
the grizzly bear (灰熊) and mountain lion can cross the road.
     "Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads," the Federal Highway Administration reports. In
fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
     "Ecopassages " may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over
and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,"
said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The
answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an
ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage.
     Builders of ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and
around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders (火蜥蜴) and grizzly
bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
     The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might
see an animal overpass!
1. The writer uses the example of "ocelots" to show that _______.
A. wild animals have become more dangerous
B. the driving conditions have improved greatly
C. the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work
D. an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents
2. From the news story, we know an ecopassage is ________.
A. an underground path for cars              
B. a fence built for the safety of the area
C. a bridge for animals to get over a river      
D. a path for animals to cross the road
3. When the writer says that animals seem "to be catching on", he means ________.
A. animals begin to realize the dangers on the road  
B. animals begin to learn to use ecopassages
C. animals are crossing the road in groups        
D. animals are increasing in number
4. The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because ________.
A. wild animals may attack cars              
B. wild animals may block the road
C. they may see wild animals in the park      
D. they may see wild animals on ecopassages

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