What is it that makes people laugh? More than two thousand years ago the ancient Greek philosopher (哲學家) Aristotle defined (定義) jokes as the pleasure that results from a feeling of triumph by showing we’re better than someone else in a certain way. According to Aristotle and many other philosophers，all jokes depend mainly on showing inferiority in another person or group of persons — that is，putting it clearly，on showing that they are worse off than ourselves. Jokes raise our good opinion of ourselves at someone else’s expense.
Showing how much better than other people we are is only one reason we like jokes. Someone may also use a joke to express their anger or their cruelty （殘酷）or any other kind of action that is not acceptable to us. We feel free to laugh when we hear about someone sliding on a banana skin. The joke lets us express those attitudes which are usually unacceptable to society. This is probably the reason why some of the jokes，especially those involving cruelty，are so popular with certain people.
Besides，all jokes depend on our enjoyment of laughing at something that is strange and out of place because it’s different from things which are happening around it. The same situation can be either sad or pleasant，depending entirely on how strange and out of place it is. If a girl in a bathing suit falls into a swimming pool，we don’t laugh because nothing unusual has happened. But if a man in a smart suit falls in，the situation is at once unusual in a pleasant way and we laugh. A good joke-teller will always try to build up a situation in which one thing is expected until something unexpected suddenly happens，and so we laugh.
小題1:The underlined word “inferiority” (in Paragraph 1) means ______.
A．someone that is better than someone else
B．something that is better than something else
C．someone that is as good as someone else
D．something that is not as good as something else
小題2:According to Aristotle, all jokes depend mainly on ______.
A．resulting in a sense of success
B．showing inferiority in another person or group
C．having a good opinion of other people
D．making people laugh unexpectedly
小題3:What’s the main idea of Paragraph 2?
A．To express those attitudes usually unacceptable to society is one of the reasons we like jokes.
B．When people are angry, they would like to hear jokes.
C．People who like jokes are usually cruel.
D．Showing we are better than other people is the only one reason we like jokes.
小題4:What will a good joke-teller always try to do? 
A．Make an unexpected thing happen in an expected situation
B．Make different things happen at the same time.
C．Make a sad situation into a pleasant one.
D．Make people laugh at something unusual and out of place.

小題1:D
小題1:B
小題1:A
小題1:A
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空


A.    introduction  B. company  C. accidentally   D. against    AB. sped 
AC. apparent    AD. between  BC. institutional  BD. context  CD. influenced
  Comparisons were drawn between the development of television in the 20th century and the spread of printing in the 15th and 16th centuries. Yet much had happened __47__. As was discussed before, it was not until the 19th century that the newspaper became the dominant pre-electronic medium, following in the wake of the pamphlet and the book and in the __48__ of the periodical. It was during the same time that the communications revolution __49__ up, beginning with transport, the railway, and leading on through the telegraph, the telephone, radio, and motion pictures into the 20th-century world of the motor car and the airplane. Not everyone sees that process in perspective. It is important to do so. It is generally recognized, however, that the __50__ of the computer in the early 20th century, followed by the invention of the integrated circuit during the 1960s, radically changed the process, although its impact on the media was not immediately __51__. As time went by, computers became smaller and more powerful, and they became “personal” too, as well as __52__, with display becoming sharper and storage capacity increasing. It was within the computer age that the term “information society” began to be widely used to describe the __53__ within which we now live. The communications revolution has __54__ both work and leisure and how we think and feel both about place and time, but there have been controversial views about its economic, political, social and cultural implications. “Benefits” have been weighed __55__ “harmful” outcomes. And generalizations have proved difficult.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Can you understand the beginning of this essay?
“My smmr hols wr CWOTT. B4, we usd 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & 3 kds FTF.”
The Scottish teacher who received it in class had no idea what the girl who wrote it meant. The essay was written in a form of English used in cell phone text messages. Text messages (also called SMS2) through cell phones became very popular in the late 1990s. At first, mobile phone companies thought that text messaging would be a good way to send messages to customers, but customers quickly began to use the text messaging service to send messages to each other. Teenagers in particular enjoyed using text messaging, and they began to create a new language for messages called texting.
A text message is limited to 160 characters, including letters, spaces, and numbers, so messages must be kept short. In addition, typing on the small keypad of a cell phone is difficult, so it’s common to make words shorter. In texting, a single letter or number can represent a word, like “r” for “are,”“u” for “you,” and “2” for “to.” Several letters can also represent a phrase, like “l(fā)ol” for “l(fā)aughing out loud.” Another characteristic of texting is the leaving out of letters in a word, like spelling “please” as “pls.”
Some parents and teachers worry that texting will make children bad spellers and bad writers. The student who wrote the essay at the top of this page said writing that way was more comfortable for her. (The essay said, “My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three kids face to face.”)
Not everyone agrees that texting is a bad thing. Some experts say languages always evolve, and this is just another way for English to change. Other people believe texting will disappear soon. New technology for voice messages may soon make text messages a thing of the past.
小題1:What is the writer’s opinion of text messaging?
A．It is fun and easy to do.
B．It is not bad for children.
C．It will make children bad writers.
D．The writer does not give an opinion.
小題2:Which characteristic of texting is NOT described in the passage?
A．Using phrases to represent essays
B．Using numbers to represent words
C．Using letters to represent phrases
D．Using letters to represent words
小題3:Which of the following was most probably the title of the student’s essay?
A．My Gr8 TchrB．CU in LAC．My GFD．My Smmr Hols
小題4:   Why do some people think that texting is bad?
A．It costs too much.B．It’s too difficult to type.
C．Children won’t learn to write correctly.D．It’s not comfortable.
小題5:Why aren’t some people worried about the effect of texting?
A．Not many people use texting.
B．Spelling in English is too difficult.
C．Children quickly become bored with texting.
D．Texting will disappear because of new technology.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Grandparents might be known for spoiling grandchildren, but a new study says they might also be helping the kids improve their social skills and behavior.
Spending time with grandma and grandpa especially appears to help children from single-parent, divorced/separated or stepfamily households, according to the report, published in the February Journal of Family Psychology.
"Grandparents are a positive force for all families but play a significant role in families undergoing difficulties," the study's lead author, Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz, of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said in an American Psychological Association news release. "They can reduce the negative influence of parents separating and be a resource for children who are going through these family changes."
In interviewing 11- to 16-year olds from England and Wales, Attar-Schwartz and her team found that the more conversations the youths had with a grandparent, including asking for advice or even money, the better they got along with their peers and the fewer problems they had, such as hyperactivity and disruptive behavior.
"This was found across all three family structures," she said. "But adolescents in single-parent households and stepfamilies benefited the most. The effect of their grandparents' involvement was stronger compared to children from two biological parent families."
The study did not look at children who lived solely with their grandparents, though.
The findings have great implications for people in the United States, the authors said, because American grandparents are increasingly sharing living space with their grandchildren. A 2004 U.S. Census Bureau survey found that more than 5 million households include a grandparent and a grandchild under 18, up 30 percent since 1990, according to background information in the news release.
小題1:It is generally believed that a grandmother __________ .
A．can help a child through hard times
B．can help kids develop social skills
C．can spoil a child
D．is a positive force for all families
小題2: According to the passage, grandparents will be of least benefit to a child __________ .
A．from two biological parent families
B．from a single—parent household
C．from a divorced household
D．from a stepfamily household
小題3:A child who asks his grandmother for money will __________ .
A．have difficulty in getting along with his peers
B．still get along well with his peers
C．be easier to be spoiled than his peers
D．not be popular with peers
小題4: We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________ .
A．there are more families in America undergoing difficulties
B．American parents are much busier than those from other countries
C．American grandparents are much better at bringing up their grandchildren
D．American kids like to share more living space with their grandparents
小題5: The passage implies that __________ .
A．children who live solely with their grandparents may benefit the most
B．grandparents are a source of comfort to children from families undergoing difficulties
C．grandparents play a more positive role than parents in children’s growth
D．a(chǎn)ll families should leave their children to be brought up by grandparents

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There are hundreds of things that your parents controlled for you when you were a child．And it’s a good thing, too — kids need this kind of protection and assistance, because they aren’t mature enough to take care of themselves and make careful decisions on their own．
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In most families, it’s this adjustment that can cause a lot of fighting between teens and parents．Teens get angry because they feel parents don’t respect them and aren’t giving them space to do what they like, and parents get angry because they aren’t used to not being in control or they disagree with the teens’ decisions．
It’s easy for feelings to get very hurt when there are conflicts like these．And more complicated issues can cause even bigger arguments, because your parents will always be intent on protecting you and keeping you safe, no matter how old you are．
The good news about fighting with your parents is that in many families the arguing will lessen as parents get more comfortable with the idea that their teens have a right to certain opinions．It can take several years for parents and teens to adjust to their new roles, though．In the meantime, concentrate on communicating with your parents as best you can．
Sometimes this can feel impossible — like they just don’t see your point of view and never will．But talking and expressing your opinions can help you gain more respect from your parents, and you may be able to reach a compromise that makes everyone happy．Keep in mind, too, that your parents were teens once and that in most cases, they can relate to what you’re going through．
小題1:Why do parents always want to control their children?
A．They are afraid to lose their children．
B．They want to protect their children．
C．They don’t believe the ability of their children．
D．They can’t accept their children are growing．
小題2:The author suggested that teenagers ________．
A．fight with their parents bravely for their rights
B．obey their parents without any doubt
C．communicate with their parents actively
D．persuade their parents in as many ways as possible
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A．most parents will give in while fighting with their children
B．the conflict between parents and teenagers can be solved
C．the only way for teens to get freedom is to leave home
D．only few parents do well in facing the growth of their children

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There were two interesting pieces of news items in the paper a few years ago. One was about a man who received a bill from the telephone company for $ 2,000 a month for doing nothing.
　　The connection between the two news items is simple; computers-the best invention of the 20th century. The telephone bill came from a computer which made a terrifying mistake; that man’s bill was only $ 23.26. The other item was not as amusing. A man walked into the unguarded computer room of a large packaged food company and expertly programmed the computer to pay him $ 2,000 a month for raw meat which he “supplied ” to the company. Of course he never sent the meat, but he certainly received the money . The computer wrote out a bill, and even “signed ” it. It was only a random (隨便) check that uncovered the trick. It could be happening in thousands of other companies all over the world.
　　Computers are not the magical workers that some people say they are. They make mistakes, they’re sometimes slower than human beings and they’re easily fooled.
　　The US used to conscript (征兵) people with the help of a computer. The army sent out a card, which had to be filled in and sent back. It was easy to avoid being called up simply by spreading candle-wax(臘) on the card. The computer couldn’t read the card, and did nothing with it.
　　It’s in our everyday life that computers cause many problems. Let’s get back to using people instead of computers, before a mistake that we can’t put right.
小題1:In the first paragraph we can conclude ______.
A．the paper is telling a lieB．the first sentence is the topic sentence
C．the two news items made people surprised
D．if a man did nothing at all for the telephone company, he would still get $2,000 a month
小題2:The main idea of the second paragraph is _______.
A．the computers are magical workers
B．the computers can do anything as well as man
C．the computers can write out the bill and even sign it
D．the computers sometimes also make mistakes
小題3:Computers ______.
A．were used to conscript peopleB．a(chǎn)re usually faster than human beings
C．a(chǎn)re not so magical as people expect
D．were not easily controlled and always fooled human beings
小題4:The writer thinks _______.
A．we’d better use people instead of computers in our everyday life
B．we should not use computers because they always make mistakes
C．computers are widely used in our everyday life
D．if we want to work well, don’t use the computers

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In 1963,former Senator Gaylord Nelson began to worry about our planet (A senator is a person that the people of the United States have chosen to help make the laws.). Senator Nelson knew that our world was getting dirty and that many of our plants and animals were dying .He wondered why most people weren’t trying to solve these problems. He talked to other lawmakers and to the President. They decided that the President would go around the country and tell people about these concerns（關系重大之事）. He did, but still not enough people were working on the problem.
Then, in 1969, Senator Nelson had another idea. He decided to have a special day to teach everyone about the things that needed changing in our environment .He wrote letters to all of the colleges and put a special article in Scholastic Magazine to tell them about the special day he had planned (Most of the schools got this magazine) and he knew that kids would help him.
On April 22,1970, the first Earth Day was held .People all over the country made promises to help the environment. Everyone got involved and since then, Earth Day has spread all over the planet. People all over the world know that there are problems we need to work on and this is our special day to look at the planet and see what needs changing. Isn’t it great? One person had an idea and kept working until everyone began working together to solve it. See what happens when people care about our world?
小題1:The passage mainly talks about _________.
A．the importance of Earth Day
B．the person who planned the Earth Day
C．the history of Earth Day
D．the first Earth Day
小題2:Why did Senator Gaylord Nelson worry about our planet?_________
A．The world was getting dirty.
B．Many plants and animals were dying.
C．Few people cared about the earth.
D．All of the above.
小題3:From the text, we know that _________ helped him most .
A．the president B．the other lawmakers
C．the collegesD．the students
小題4:It took Nelson ______ years to get the people pay much attention to the earth.
A．10B．7C．6D．1

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Contrary to many people believe, highly intelligent children are not necessarily certain to achieve academic success. In fact, so-called gifted students may fail to do well because they are unusually smart. Ensuring that a gifted child reaches his or her potential requires an understanding of what can go wrong and how to satisfy the unusual learning requirements of extremely bright young people.
One common problem gifted kids face is that they, and those around them, place too much importance on being smart. Such an emphasis can encourage a belief that bright people do not have to work hard to do well. Although smart kids may not need to work hard in the lower grades, when the work is easy, they may struggle and perform poorly when the work gets harder because they do not make the effort to learn. If the academic achievement of highly intelligent children remains below average for an extended period, many teachers will fail to recognize their potential. As a result, such students may not get the encouragement they need, further depressing their desire to learn. They may fall far behind in their schoolwork and even develop behavior problems.
IQ is just one element among many in the recipe for success—Children develop well or struggle in school for a host of reasons apart from IQ. These include motivation and persistence, social competence, and the support of family, educators and friends.
Because highly gifted children solve the most varied thought problems faster and more thoroughly than those with more average talents do, they need additional intellectual stimulation while they wait for the rest of the kids to learn the basics. Two central approaches are used to satisfy the educational needs of such children: acceleration and enrichment. Acceleration means studying material that is part of the standard subjects for older students. Enrichment involves learning information that falls outside the usual subjects.
A child might skip one or more grades as a way of accelerating in school. But being with older children for the entire school day—and perhaps for grade-based extracurricular activities such as sports—can make a child feel inferior in every filed outside of academics. One very bright fourth-grader who had skipped two grades remained far ahead of his classmates intellectually, but as his classmates reached adolescence, his social and other shortcomings became painfully apparent. While acceleration is not an option, or not a good one, enrichment can be. After all, school is not a race but an adventure in learning. As such, the goal is not finishing first but absorbing as much knowledge as possible in the time assigned. Thus, providing opportunities for a child to study topics outside the regular subjects can be at least as valuable as pushing him or her through the required material faster.
小題1:What is the basic reason for the low academic achievement of highly intelligent children?
A．Teachers’ failure to recognize their potential.
B．Too much emphasis on being intelligent.
C．Studying topics outside the regular subjects.
D．Lack of encouragement from teachers.
小題2:According to the passage, which of the following belongs to enrichment activities for talented children?
A．Skipping one of more grades and studying together with older children.
B．Learning the same material in the standard subjects for older students.
C．Learning information that is not included in the regular subjects.
D．Learning how to read with fluency even in their pre-school days.
小題3:Which of the following statements do you think is true about the writer?
A．He is in favor of enrichment rather than acceleration.
B．He is in favor of acceleration rather than enrichment.
C．He speaks highly of both enrichment and acceleration.
D．He thinks neither enrichment nor acceleration is a good choice.
小題4: In this article, the writer wants to ______.
A．point out the weaknesses of acceleration for gifted children
B．compare acceleration with enrichment for gifted children
C．stress the importance of enrichment for gifted children
D．discuss how to bring out gifted children’s potential

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

With alarming regularity, we read about oil tankers having accidents near land and the terrible consequences of the oil spills（泄露） on people, nature, and the environment．
Millions of dollars have been used in developing special chemicals to help dismiss the spills and to clean up the animals, beaches, and land spoiled by the oil．Unfortunately, when many of these chemicals are used, more damage is caused to the environment, especially to lives in the sea．
Of all of today’s environmental disasters, an oil spill may actually be one of the least serious．Although oil is poisonous, it is a natural material．In the end, it breaks down naturally．There are, of course, long-term effects, but it is usually more serious in the short term．
Nature by itself works better than chemical materials, but when there is a spill we demand that governments act immediately with as much hi-tech knowledge as possible．In 1967 the tanker Torrey Canyon sank off the Sicily Isles near the coast of England and spilled 120,000 tones of oil into the ocean．If you go there today, you will find it hard to see any sign that it ever happened．
Governments seem to accept the risk of transporting millions of tons of oil by ship every day so that we can fill up our cars and drive around and cause even more environmental damage．Interestingly, the biggest companies in the world produce cars, and the next biggest supply the gasoline to make them run!
We should be thinking more about reducing our dependency on oil．Governments should be encouraging research into new technologies, such as cars run by solar power（太陽能）, electricity, hydrogen, and so on．Much of this research has, in the past, been held back by the oil, gas, and coal．
If the world’s millions of cars were 10% more efficient（高效的）— and the industry could easily produce cars at least twice as efficient — we would need many fewer tankers crossing the oceans each year．If this happened, the risks of oil spills would be reduced, and the air we breathe would be cleaner and fresher, too．
小題1:What is the passage mainly talking about?
A．Oil tanker accidents．B．Oil spills pollution．
C．What oil pollution is．D．How to reduce oil pollution．
小題2:How does the author support the idea that oil spills are not as serious as people believe?
A．By giving a description．B．By making an argument．
C．By giving an example．D．By drawing a diagram．
小題3:What does the underlined word “risk” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A．Transportation depending more on oil．
B．Poisonous oil breaking down naturally．
C．Millions of tons of oil spilling into the sea．
D．More environmental damage being caused．
小題4:Which suggestion is made for reducing oil tank accidents according to the passage?
A．We should develop new technologies to cut oil use
B．Tankers should not be allowed to sail near the coastlines．
C．We should build safer oil tankers in the near future．
D．Countries should build more oil pipelines under the sea．

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