I often write about the bad state of television these days, but recently my mom told me about a story she saw on 60 Minutes that was inspiring, educational, and entertaining for the whole family. I went to the show’s website to see for myself. My mom was right. At a time when even Barbara Walters says she’s really bored with celebrities interviews, this one will not disappoint.
It’s the story of Derek Paravicini, a 30-year-old who was born three months early, physically disabled (he can’t button his own shirt), blind, and severely autistic(自閉的).
Yet, through total luck and coincidence, his family discovered that Derek had a remarkable musical talent when he was three.
Derek can hear any musical composition one time and play it perfectly on the piano.
That’s right. He only has to hear it once.
Even more unbelievable, his brain, like a computer, can keep many songs that he can immediately repeat when asked. But his talent isn’t limited to just learning things by heart. Derek is a true musical genius and artist who plays beautifully in a wide range of styles and can make his own music.
With his talent, Derek has raised millions of dollars putting on charity concerts. He also donates his time to senior centers where he acts as a human jukebox (自動唱機) machine, taking requests from senior citizens who haven’t heard their favorite songs for decades.
As it turns out, Derek loves people and his extraordinary talent has been the key to unlocking his personality and social development.
If you want to inspire your family, pop some popcorn and sit everyone down to watch this excellent piece of journalism. If your kids are like mine, it will cause a great family discussion about the definition of “disability” and the extraordinary ability of the human brain and spirit. It may even give you the perfect answer the next time your child says he or she “can’t” do something. Now that’s priceless.
Who says there’s nothing good on TV?
小題1: From the first paragraph, we know that 60 minutes is a TV program on      .
A．interviewing celebrities
B．interviewing the disabled
C．the latest news round the world
D．stating the positive influence of TV
小題2: How does Derek help the elderly?
A．By buying them a jukebox machine.
B．By building senior centers for them.
C．By singing the old songs they ask for.
D．By playing the piano to raise money for them.
小題3: In the opinion of the author, Derek can     .
A．a(chǎn)ttract the whole family to watch TV together
B．cause family members to help the disabled
C．help kids understand the ability of their brains
D．encourage kids to accept challenges in life
小題4:The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to     .
A．prove that there is something good on TV
B．introduce a disabled but gifted musician
C．call on people to show more love to the disabled
D．express personal admiration for Derek Paravicini
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

In the early 1800’s, a boy named John lived in an orphanage (孤兒院) with several other children. Every day was   31   working and Christmas was the one day of the year   32   the children did not work and received a gift — an orange. The children valued it so much that they kept it for weeks, and even   33   — smelling it, touching it and loving it. Usually they tried to kept it for so   34   that it often went bad before they ate it.
This year John knew he would soon be   35   enough to leave. He would save the orange until his birthday in July. If he preserved it   36  , he might be able to eat it on his birthday. 
Christmas day finally came. The children were so   37   as they entered the dining hall. In his excitement, John knocked over something, causing a big   38  . Immediately the master shouted, “John, leave the hall and there will be no orange for you.” John’s heart   39  . He turned and ran back to the cold room so that the children wouldn’t see his tears. 
Then he heard the door open and the children entered. Little Elizabeth with a   40   on her face held out her small hands. “Here John,” she said, “this is for you.” As John   41   his head, he saw a big juicy orange all peeled (剝皮) and quartered ……. Each child had sacrificed (舍棄) their own orange by   42   a quarter and had created a big, beautiful orange for him. 
John never forgot the sharing, love and personal sacrifice his friends had shown him that Christmas day.   43   that day, after he became rich, every year he   44   send oranges all over the world to children everywhere. His   45  was that no child would ever spend Christmas without a special Christmas fruit! 
小題1:
A．forcedB．passedC．takenD．spent
小題2:
A．a(chǎn)sB．whenC．whileD．which
小題3:
A．monthsB．daysC．yearsD．seasons
小題4:
A．muchB．soonC．longD．far
小題5:
A．oldB．strongC．tallD．experienced
小題6:
A．seriouslyB．softlyC．secretlyD．carefully
小題7:
A．nervousB．excitedC．pleasantD．eager
小題8:
A．cryB．disappointmentC．surpriseD．noise
小題9:
A．jumpedB．stoppedC．brokeD．settled
小題10:
A．lookB．tearsC．comfortD．smile
小題11:.
A．shookB．liftedC．putD．turned
小題12:
A．sharingB．breakingC．eatingD．taking
小題13:
A．In return forB．In case ofC．In memory ofD．In search of
小題14:
A．mustB．wouldC．mightD．should
小題15:
A．desireB．ideaC．meaningD．thinking

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

完形填空（共20小題；每小題1分，滿分20分）
閱讀下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后從36～55各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C、D）中，選出能填入相應空白處的最佳選項。
This was an unforgettable and wonderful experience．It happened about three years ago and it has had a  21 effect on me．I would like to show respect here for the two men I do not know  22  but whose actions gave a new  23 to the words — kind and generous.
I was walking down a busy street on a cold, windy day in early  24 , A homeless man, probably about 60 and without wearing any shoes , was  25 for change on a street corner.
A BMW car  26 on the other side of the street and an executive（主管）who was perfectly dressed stepped out of the car．He was probably about  27 years old．He was wearing a blue business suit with a deep red silk tie．He walked  28 across the street and over to the homeless man．Without saying anything, he first gave him a lot of  29 and then he sat down and took off his leather gloves（ 手套）, beautiful black leather shoes and his black dress socks．Then he   30 them to the homeless man．The homeless man took them and stared with a/an  31 mouth.
As he drove off, I couldn’t   32 thinking that it was probably the first time he had  33 the pedal（ 踏板）of that top-brand BMW car with a   34  foot! I stood there and the looks of   35 appeared on my face and the homeless man’s.
Two men of about the same age  36 very different lives had met and the one who was  37 in materials had offered  38 than his shoes．He had left this BMW car and   39 down from his high position．He lifted up the other man when he offered respect,   40 and real generosity.
小題1:
A．strongB．badC．lightD．slow
小題2:
A．officiallyB．personallyC．similarlyD．generally
小題3:
A．benefitB．a(chǎn)ttitudeC．meaningD．a(chǎn)ward
小題4:
A．springB．summerC．a(chǎn)utumnD．winter
小題5:
A．searchingB．makingC．blamingD．begging
小題6:
A．called upB．broke upC．pulled upD．sped up
小題7:
A．40B．50C．60D．70
小題8:
A．directlyB．usuallyC．unwillinglyD．fluently
小題9:
A．moneyB．waterC．sandD．oil
小題10:
A．postedB．handedC．kickedD．threw
小題11:
A．closedB．fullC．openD．empty
小題12:
A．standB．delayC．forgetD．help
小題13:
A．bendedB．cutC．repairedD．pressed
小題14:
A．relaxedB．largeC．bareD．single
小題15:
A．excitementB．a(chǎn)stonishmentC．sadnessD．pride
小題16:
A．butB．orC．a(chǎn)ndD．before
小題17:
A．successfulB．carefulC．usefulD．helpful
小題18:
A．ratherB．moreC．otherD．better
小題19:
A．brokenB．fellC．steppedD．rolled
小題20:
A．surpriseB．disappointmentC．a(chǎn)nxietyD．kindness

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

完形填空（共20小題，每小題1.5分；滿分30分）
閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從36—55各題所給的四個選項中，選出一個最佳答案。
When I walked into the living-room, my 12-year-old son looked ___36_at me and said “I love you”. I didn’t know what to say. ___37____ several seconds I stood there and ____38___ down at him. My first thought was that he must need__39____ while doing his homework___40 ___ he was trying to prepare me for some __41_____.
“___42____,” he said, “My teacher said we should tell our parents that we love them and see what they say. It’s an experiment.”
The next day I __43____ his teacher at my office to find out more about this “____44___ ” and how the other parents had responded (反應).
“__45_____, most of the fathers did the same as you ,” the teacher explained, “Feeling___46___ is an important part of___47____ . It’s something all human beings___48___. What I’m trying to tell the children is that it’s too ___49____ that we don’t express those feelings. A boy should be __50__ to tell his dad that he loves him.”
The teacher, a middle-aged man, understands how dilficult it is for ___51___ of us to say the things that would be good for us to say.
When my son came to me ___52____ , I held on to him for an extra second. And just___53___ he pulled away, I said in my deepest, most manly__54_____, “Hey, I love you.”
I didn’t know if  saying that would make___55___of us healthier, but we did feel pretty better.
小題1:
A．down
B．a(chǎn)way
C．out
D．up
小題2:
A．After
B．For
C．In
D．On
小題3:
A．glanced
B．got
C．stared
D．knocked
小題4:
A．surprises
B．time
C．help
D．paper
小題5:
A．or
B．but
C．when
D．while
小題6:
A．money
B．news
C．test
D．explanation
小題7:
A．Anything
B．Nothing
C．Important
D．Interesting
小題8:
A．a(chǎn)dvised
B．told
C．called
D．visited
小題9:
A．trick
B．exercise
C．notice
D．experiment
小題10:
A．Basically
B．Fortunately
C．Usually
D．Frequently
小題11:
A．loved
B．helpful
C．interested
D．trusted
小題12:
A．body
B．work
C．study
D．Health
小題13:
A．a(chǎn)gree
B．understand
C．know
D．require
小題14:
A．bad
B．good
C．easy
D．hard
小題15:
A．funny
B．a(chǎn)fraid
C．pleased
D．a(chǎn)ble
小題16:
A．both
B．neither
C．some
D．none
小題17:
A．next evening
B．next morning
C．that evening
D．that morning
小題18:
A．before
B．a(chǎn)fter
C．because
D．a(chǎn)s
小題19:
A．sound
B．voice
C．whisper
D．courage
小題20:
A．neither
B．either
C．most
D．few
 

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

完形填空（共20小題；每小題2分，滿分30分 ）
The car， running along the well-lit road， now sank in darkness. I broke the _____36_____ on purpose， ______37_____ that the driver was too tired to drive. ’’When do you go back home in the evening？“9 o’clock after this _____38_____.”Then when do you come out in the morning？“I _____39______ another question.”9 o’clock， too——just as if I worked at an office.” His ____40____ surprised me， because every time I ride a taxi， what I _____41____ from the driver are only complaints that they have to work from morning till night， it’s hard to earn money， they’re often _____42____ by the police， or that their leaders are seated lazy， ____43____ the fruits. But this driver told me，”I find it ____44____ to be a section chief as I was before. I like driving just for _____45_____. Its fortunate that I hardly drive ____46____ a passenger. So I earn two or three thousand Yuan a month with ease. Yes， I never _____47_____ an empty taxi. If it goes southward， I go northward. If it goes along a _____48_____， I turn into a narrow street…”
　　His words showed his ______49_____ with his life and the pride he _____50_____ in his job. Such feelings are so rare among people nowadays as oxygen in high _____51_____. As an ancient saying goes，”Neither joy in material _____52_____ nor grieve over personal setbacks.” How many people nowadays can show high ideals by _____53_____ living and go far with a calm mind？ I couldn’t help feeling _____54_____ when finding such a state of mind in a stranger on a cold _____55_____.
小題1:
A．window B．stillness C．silenceD．quietness
小題2:
A．on conditionB．for fear C．in belief D．in order
小題3:
A．nightB．trip C．cycle D．process
小題4:
A．threw out B．gave away C．made upD．led to
小題5:
A．character B．confidence C．explanationD．easiness
小題6:
A．sufferB．requestC．benefitD．hear
小題7:
A．detected B．orderedC．fined D．seized
小題8:
A．keeping B．tastingC．enjoying D．choosing
小題9:
A．exciting B．disappointingC．tiringD．a(chǎn)mazing
小題10:
A．freedom B．pleasure C．hobby D．company
小題11:
A．without B．with C．behind D．beside
小題12:
A．follow B．a(chǎn)dmire C．envy D．meet
小題13:
A．routeB．path C．railwayD．highway
小題14:
A．intelligenceB．satisfactionC．competition D．honesty
小題15:
A．made B．held C．caught D．took
小題16:
A．buildingsB．mountains C．standard D．heaven
小題17:
A．gainsB．concerns C．supports D．loss
小題18:
A．special B．happy C．simple D．original
小題19:
A．a(chǎn)ngryB．contentC．dangerous D．curious
小題20:
A．morning B．night C．moment D．season

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

As I began to feel completely sick of the cold North American winter, spring break finally arrived! What made me even more excited was that we were going to Florida to enjoy the warm weather!
Just imagine wearing T-shirts or a swimsuit under the hot Florida sun!
Before the vacation started, we had a little episode(插曲) at the airport. The alarm sounded when my host mom and me were walking through the security check. We were taken away to have further checks, but when they finally told us that we could go, we felt relieved and amused. It was just because of the decorations(裝飾品) on my pants and the tinfoil(錫紙) around my host mom’s chewing gum! —Just as a reminder, no overly fashionable pants or tinfoil on a plane!
Of course, I had a lot of first experiences during this special vacation. Since eight of us were living in a house, we had to share bedrooms, I, fortunately or unfortunately, had to share a room with my 4-year-old host sister. She is tiny compared to me, but she took up about two thirds of the bed. Moreover, because I was not used to sleeping in the same room with others, I was afraid of waking her up and hardly slept at all.
Luckily, except for that, everything went really well. My host family were really warm hearted, and they wanted me to try everything new. With their “persuasion”, I was “forced” to go kayaking(劃皮艇), which turned out to be really fun. We went through some canals and I saw manatees(海牛) and dolphins with my own eyes for the very first time!
When we finally landed in Wisconsin again, everyone looked tanned and full of energy!
小題1: What happened to the author and her host mom at the airport?
A．They lost their passports.
B．Their luggage was overweight.
C．They quarreled with the other passengers.
D．The decorations and tinfoil brought them trouble.
小題2: What does the underlined word “they” in Para 3 most probably refer to?
A．The author and her host family people.
B．People in charge of security at the airport.
C．People sharing the same house with the author.
D．The author’s host mom and the host sister.
小題3: We can learn from the first paragraph that the author   .
A．hated going to FloridaB．had no sense of weather
C．disliked the cold winterD．didn’t like living in North America
小題4:From the passage, we can infer that   .
A．the author thought little of her host family
B．the author didn’t like her 4-year-old host sister
C．the security check at the airport was very strict
D．the author didn’t get along well with her host family

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me. I was told it would mean a great deal to him, so I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy (肌萎縮癥). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we had finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Dick,
My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday that I would go to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will never get to do that. However, I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
Matthew
小題1:The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that_______.
A．the boy never complained about how unlucky he was to have this disease
B．the boy never complained about not being able to go to school
C．the boy never complained why the author had never come to see him before
D．the boy never complained about not gettig a medal
小題2:From the passage we learn that ________.
A．Matthew was an athlete
B．Matthew was an optimistic and determined boy
C．The author used to have the same disease as Matthew had
D．Matthew became a champion before he died
小題3:Matthew didn’t accepted the author’s medal because           .
A．he thought it was too expensive
B．he was sure that he could win one in the future
C．he thought it was of no use to him as he would die soon
D．he would not be pitied by others
小題4: What would be the best title for this passage?
A．A sick boy.B．A special friend.
C．A real champion.D．A famous athlete.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When my first wartime Christmas came, I was in basic training in New Jersey and not sure if I would make it home for the holiday. Only on the afternoon of December 23 was the list of men who would have the three-day holiday posted. I was one of the lucky soldiers. It was Christmas Eve when I arrived home, and a little snow had fallen. Mother opened the front door. I could see beyond her, into the corner of the living room where the tree had always stood. There were lights, colors, and ornaments (飾品) shining against the green of a pine.
"Where did it come from?" I asked.
"I asked the Gates boy to cut it," my mother said. "I wouldn't have had one just for myself, but when in great need... such a rush! He just brought it in this afternoon."
The pine reached to the proper height, almost to the ceiling, and the Tree Top Crystal（水晶）Star was in its place. A few green branches reached out a little awkwardly（難看）at the side, I thought, and there was a bit of bare trunk showing in the middle. But the tree filled the room with warm light and the whole house with the pleasant smell of Christmas.
"It's not like the one you used to find," my mother went on. "Yours were always in good shape. I suppose the Gates boy didn't know where to look for a better one. But I couldn't be fussy(挑剔的)."
"Don't worry," I told her. "It's perfect."
It wasn't, of course, but at the moment I realized something for the first time: All Christmas trees are perfect.
1. What did his mother's Christmas tree look like?    

2. From the passage we can infer (推斷) that ________ .
A. all the soldiers had the three-day holiday      
B. the writer could not go home for Christmas
C. the writer spent his first Christmas during the war
D. not all the soldiers went home for Christmas during the war
3. From the passage, we can conclude that ________ .
A. his mother didn't like Christmas trees  
B. the writer didn't like the tree cut by someone else
C. the writer used to cut very beautiful Christmas trees
D. his mother didn't want to have a Christmas tree during wartime
4. The best title for this passage would be ________ .
A. The Perfect Christmas Tree              
B. How to Choose a Christmas Tree
C. How Soldiers Spent Their Christmas      
D. A Christmas with an Ugly Christmas Tree
5. What does the writer mean by saying "All Christmas trees are perfect"?
A. Nothing is as perfect as Christmas.         
B. Once at home, everything is so nice.
C. During the war, trees are hard to find.     
D. All Christmas trees are the most beautiful.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

I am a person who does not like to wait．I don' t like lines, being put on hold when making a phone call, arriving at an appointment to find that my companion will be delayed and of course, I don * t like waiting rooms．
However, I realize that my agony(痛苦） will not be good for me, as an increasingly, crowded world can only mean one thing—more waiting．
Owing to this, I have taken a measure and decided to turn my disappointment to productive ends．In short, I am looking for what I call "waiting in line books"．
These are books that contain material designed for being read in shortened words, so there is no extended story line to lose track of．Another requirement is that they be small enough to slip neatly into my back pocket．
The other day I went to the supermarket．Convinced that the rain would keep most people away, I was surprised to see that the place was crowded with shoppers．Every checkout was open—and jammed! But I could take out my pocket book and go to work．
The more the world demands that I wait, the more I learn from my waiting library．Look at these titles: One Hundred Things Every American Should Know; The Poetry of Robert Frost; Living Thoughts of Leading Thinkers; Still More Toasts．I have learned interesting and enriching things and much knowledge from these books．
On a recent visit to the general store, I placed my order at the counter along with six or seven other people．The one female employee seemed to have her hands full as she rushed about．"Just be patient," she said to me．
No problem．I quietly opened my dictionary of prose （散文） and poetical quotations． Perhaps the other customers regarded me as a bookish, lonely soul．But little did they realize that I was enjoying the company of Shakespeare, Thoreau, Homer and Ben Johnson．
小題1:According to the passage, the world ______．
A．needs to produce many materials to useB．is becoming more and more crowded
C．loses tracks of story line increasinglyD．is crowded with shoppers everywhere
小題2:How did the author overcome his agony of waiting?
A．By reading books designed to be read in shortened words．
B．By arriving early for an appointment．
C．By taking measures to produce some books for readers．
D．By keeping most people away from the supermarket for some reasons．
小題3:Which of the following can't be carried in the author's pocket?
A．One Hundred Things Every American Should Know
B．The Poetry of Robert Frost
C．Living Thoughts of Leading Thinkers
D．Homer and Ben Johnson
小題4:Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A．The author succeeded in changing his agony into fun．
B．The author was a bookish and lonely soul.
C．Six or seven employees in the store were busy in rushing about．
D．There were fewer customers in the supermarket on rainy days．

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