After 21 years of marriage，my wife wanted me to take another woman，my widowed mother, out to dinner and a movie．Due to the  31  of my work and my three children，I visited her only  32  ．That night I called inviting her to go out．Though a bit   33 ，she accepted it happily．
That Friday after work，I drove over to  34  her up．On reaching her house，I noticed that she seemed to be nervous about our 35 ．Wearing the dress she had worn to    36   her last wedding anniversary，she smiled like an angel．
We went to a  37  that，although not elegant，was very comfortable．After we sat down，I    38  my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me．A smile was on her lips．“I used to have to   39  the menu when you were smal1，”she said．“Then it’s time you relaxed and let me return the   40  ，”I responded．During the dinner，we had such a   41  conversation-all about each other’s life—that we 42 the movie．When back home, she said, “Pity we didn’t see the film．Yet I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me   43  you．” I agreed．
A few days later，Mother died of a massive heart attack．It   44  so suddenly that I had no  45  to do anything for her．some time later，I   46  an envelope of a copy of a restaurant receipt from where mother and I had   47  ．An attached note said，“I paid this   48   in advance．I wasn‘t sure whether I could be there；but nevertheless，I paid for two—one for you and the other for your wife．You’ll never know   49   that night meant for me．I love you, son．”
At that moment．I understood the importance of giving our loved ones the time they   50   because these things can never be put off till “some other time”．
小題1:
A．hopesB．plansC．demandsD．promises
小題2:
A．occasionallyB．frequentlyC．casuallyD．immediately
小題3:
A．depressedB．embarrassedC．surprisedD．discouraged
小題4:
A．putB．callC．cheerD．pick
小題5:
A．tripB．dateC．filmD．ride
小題6:
A．congratulateB．celebrateC．a(chǎn)nnounceD．welcome
小題7:
A．cinemaB．restaurantC．hotelD．theatre
小題8:
A．focusedB．cleanedC．1iftedD．opened
小題9:
A．readB．printC．writeD．hand
小題10:
A．taskB．effortC．prizeD．favor
小題11:
A．complexB．urgentC．humorousD．pleasant
小題12:
A．discussedB．a(chǎn)rrangedC．missedD．delayed
小題13:
A．inviteB．informC．noticeD．remember
小題14:
A．a(chǎn)ppearedB．happenedC．seemedD．proved
小題15:
A．courageB．beliefC．chanceD．permission
小題16:
A．receivedB．deliveredC．postedD．rejected
小題17:
A．1ivedB．dinedC．workedD．rested
小題18:
A．menuB．billC．1etterD．ticket
小題19:
A．whoB．howC．whyD．what
小題20:
A．trustB．moveC．deserveD．share

小題1:C
小題2:A
小題3:C
小題4:D
小題5:B
小題6:B
小題7:B
小題8:C
小題9:A
小題10:D
小題11:D
小題12:C
小題13:A
小題14:B
小題15:C
小題16:A
小題17:B
小題18:B
小題19:D
小題20:C
文章通過(guò)一個(gè)故事告訴我們：要多與親人在一起，不要等到子欲養(yǎng)而親不待。
小題1:C 詞義辨析。A希望；B計(jì)劃；C要求，需要；D諾言。這里是指工作忙孩子多，沒(méi)有時(shí)間看望媽媽?zhuān)皇桥紶柕娜タ此?br />小題2:A 副詞辨析。解析同上。
小題3:C 上下文辨析。根據(jù)上文可知我偶爾去看媽媽?zhuān)赃@次她很驚訝我去看她。
小題4:D 動(dòng)詞短語(yǔ)。Pick sb up用車(chē)接某人。
小題5:B 名詞辨析。A旅行；B約會(huì)；日期；C電影；D汽車(chē)；這里是指媽媽對(duì)這次約會(huì)很緊張。
小題6:B 動(dòng)詞辨析。根據(jù)下文可知是指慶祝結(jié)婚周年紀(jì)念日。
小題7:B 上下文串聯(lián)。根據(jù)下文46空后的a restaurant receipt可知B正確。
小題8:C 上下文串聯(lián)。根據(jù)下文的saw Mom sitting可知我抬起眼睛看見(jiàn)媽媽。
小題9:A 動(dòng)詞辨析。A讀；B印刷，打�。籆寫(xiě)；D遞；這里是指把菜單讀出來(lái)。
小題10:D 名詞辨析。A任務(wù)；B努力；C獎(jiǎng)品；D幫助，愛(ài)好。這里是指輪到我來(lái)回報(bào)這個(gè)幫助。
小題11:D 上下文串聯(lián)。根據(jù)下文可知這頓飯吃的很愉快以至于都錯(cuò)過(guò)了看電影的時(shí)間。
小題12:C 動(dòng)詞辨析。解析同上。
小題13:A 動(dòng)詞辨析。A邀請(qǐng)；B通知；C注意；D記得；結(jié)合句意可知媽媽要求選詞由她邀請(qǐng)我。
小題14:B 動(dòng)詞辨析。根據(jù)句意可知是指媽媽的去世發(fā)生的如此突然以至于我沒(méi)有機(jī)會(huì)為她做事。
小題15:C 名詞辨析。解析同上。
小題16:A 動(dòng)詞辨析。A收到；B投遞；C郵寄；D拒絕。這里是指我收到了一個(gè)信封。
小題17:B 上下文串聯(lián)。這里是指我們一起吃飯的地方。
小題18:B 名詞辨析。A菜單；B賬單；C信件；D票；這里是指媽媽付了我們吃飯的賬單。
小題19:D 考察賓語(yǔ)從句.what引導(dǎo)賓語(yǔ)從句，并在句中作主語(yǔ)。
小題20:C 動(dòng)詞辨析。A信任；B移動(dòng)；C應(yīng)得；D分享；這里是指要把親人應(yīng)得的時(shí)間給他們。
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：完形填空

A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor.

The conversation soon turned into complaints about  36  in work and life. To offer his guests coffee, the 37 went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of  38  — porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some 39  , some expensive, some delicate — telling them to help themselves to the  40 .
When all the students  41  a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, "If you have 42  , all the nice-looking expensive cups have been taken up,  43 the plain and cheap ones. While it is  44  for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the  45 of your problems and stress. "
"Be assured that the cup itself adds no  46  to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even 47 what we drink. "
"What all of you really want is coffee,  48  the cup, but you 49  went for the best cups … And then you began  50 each other's cups. "
"Now consider  51 : Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain  52 , and the type of cup we have does not determine, nor  53 the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we 54 to enjoy the coffee. Fully appreciate the coffee, not the cups! Don't let the cups   55 you ... enjoy the coffee instead.
小題1:
A．stressB．progressC．conditionD．pride
小題2:
A．a(chǎn)dvisorB．professorC．monitorD．graduate
小題3:
A．glassesB．bowlsC．traysD．cups
小題4:
A．plain-lookingB．beautifulC．modernD．nice-looking
小題5:
A．potB．sugarC．milkD．coffee
小題6:
A．madeB．hadC．cookedD．served
小題7:
A．talkedB．discussedC．noticedD．decided
小題8:
A．leaving behindB．falling aboutC．leaving aboutD．falling behind
小題9:
A．strangeB．wonderfulC．normalD．important
小題10:
A．sourceB．purposeC．doubtD．result
小題11:
A．priceB．qualityC．sweetD．color
小題12:
A．provesB．tastesC．hidesD．steals
小題13:
A．more thanB．less thanC．other thanD．rather than
小題14:
A．consciouslyB．wiselyC．shylyD．carelessly
小題15:
A．showingB．eyeingC．exchangingD．praising
小題16:
A．itB．thatC．thisD．one
小題17:
A．jobsB．moneyC．positionD．life
小題18:
A．changeB．increaseC．discoverD．lower
小題19:
A．tryB．manageC．failD．plan
小題20:
A．envyB．driveC．supportD．a(chǎn)ssess

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：完形填空

Mother’s Day was coming，but John had been visiting customers．He was now in a small town just outside a flower shop and he knew what to do．
He went into the shop and saw a young man  26  the clerk to sell him some roses for six dollars，but the clerk just explained that roses were  27 ．
The clerk looked up at John， 28  her head．Something inside of John was  29  by the boy’s voice．John had been  30  in his business，and he looked at the clerk and  31 mouthed that he would pay for the roses．
The clerk looked at the young man and told him to get the roses for six dollars．The young man almost jumped into the  32  and ran from the store with the  33 ．It was worth the extra dollars just to see that kind of  34 ．
John ordered his own flowers and made sure that the  35  would include a note telling his mother how much he loved her．He drove away from the shop，feeling very  36 ．He caught a light about two blocks away．As he  37  at the light，he saw the young boy walking down the sidewalk．He watched him cross the street and enter a park through two huge gates．Suddenly，he  38  that it wasn’t a park but a cemetery(公墓)．
The light  39 ，and John slowly crossed the intersection．He  40  and on an impulse(沖動(dòng))got out and began to fclllow the boy．The young man stopped by a small monument and went to his  41 ．He began to cry after he carefully  42  the roses on the grave．He stared at the little boy’s heaving(起伏的) body and listened to his crying．
John turned with  43 ，and walked back to his car．He drove  44  to the shop and told the clerk he would  45  the flowers personally．He wanted to tell his mother one more time just how much he loved her．
小題1:
A．beggingB．orderingC．forcing D．urging
小題2:
A．cheapB．beautifulC．expensive D．special
小題3:
A．shakingB．wavingC．nodding D．holding
小題4:
A．recalledB．touchedC．hurt D．lightened
小題5:
A．influencedB．ruinedC．buried D．blessed
小題6:
A．loudlyB．silentlyC．gently D．calmly
小題7:
A．riverB．a(chǎn)ir C．lake D．hole
小題8:
A．moneyB．flowers C．basket D．cards
小題9:
A．surpriseB．horrorC．excitement D．sadness
小題10:
A．deliveryB．messageC．transportationD．transfer
小題11:
A．relaxedB．disappointedC．good D．sorry
小題12:
A．sangB．waitedC．looked D．stood
小題13:
A．rememberedB．foundC．discovered D．realized
小題14:
A．flashedB．changedC．disappearedD．shone
小題15:
A．drove backB．pulled overC．broke down D．burst out
小題16:
A．a(chǎn)rmsB．palmsC．feet D．knees
小題17:
A．laidB．decoratedC．set D．grew
小題18:
A．laughterB．a(chǎn)ngerC．tears D．a(chǎn)stonishment
小題19:
A．slowlyB．quicklyC．carefully D．excitedly
小題20:
A．bringB．fetchC．take D．catch

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Money, jewels and important documents are not the only valuable placed in banks these days. Some mothers store their breast milk in banks.
There’re ten breast banks set up across the United States, where mothers can donate their extra milk for other women’s babies. Experts say breast milk is the best food for babies. The World Health Organization says it is the only food babies should get during the first six months of life, in most cases. Breast milk is especially important for babies born too early. Sometimes these premature babies must stay in the hospital for many weeks.
James Cameron is a doctor who treats newborns at Lutheran Children’s Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He says breast milk is almost like medicine. Doctor James Cameron said, “The fact is that there are so many different proteins and specialized sugars in the breast milk that the mom’s able to make that help provide immunity. It’s very important for the health of the newborn.”
There are several reasons some mothers may not be able to breastfeed. Some are not able to produce enough milk. Others might be taking medicines or have medical problems that prevent the process.
Lucy Baur lives near Fort Wayne. She fed her milk to both her children and always had more milk than they needed. She wanted to donate to the Indiana Mothers Milk Bank in Indianapolis. But freezing and shipping milk can be costly. Then, a donor station opened near her home.
Milk donations in the United States work like this: Donors must be willing to provide almost three liters of breast milk. They freeze the milk and take it to the station. There, employees warm the milk and mix it with other mothers’ milk. Then, the milk is heated to kill bacteria. After that, the technicians test samples of all the milk to make sure it is safe and healthful. The milk is re-frozen and sent to the main milk bank. The milk bank transports the milk to hospitals to feed premature or sick babies. Donors are tested for diseases before any milk is accepted. They are not permitted to smoke tobacco, use illegal drugs or drink too much alcohol.
小題1:The purpose of setting up breast milk banks is to_____.
A．store extra fresh milk for school children
B．provide milk to children who go hungry
C．help mothers donate milk to other babies
D．offer free breast milk to premature babies
小題2:The breast milk is important for newborns because_____.
A．it protects them from any possible disease
B．it contains rich nutrients that they need
C．it is the only food that babies can eat
D．it benefits them as the best medicine
小題3:The underlined word “they” in the last paragraph refers to____.
A．milk bank employeesB．milk bank doctors
C．milk bank nursesD．breast milk donors
小題4:Which of the following shows the process of milk donations in the USA?
a. The mixed breast milk is heated to kill bacteria.
b. Breast milk is donated by mothers, frozen by them and sent to the stations.
c. The breast milk samples are tested for safety reason.
d. Different donors’ breast milk is warmed and mixed together by the station.
e. The milk is frozen again and sent to the main milk bank.
A．bdaceB．bcdeaC．badecD．cbaed

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

I still clearly remember that day. I was on the side of the road for close to four hours with my big Jeep. I put signs in the windows that said, “NEED A JACK（千斤頂）”.
Right as I was about to give up, a truck stopped and a man got off. He sized up the situation and went back to take a jack. After about two hours, we finished the job with sweats. We were both dirty. His wife produced a large water jug for us to wash our hands in.
I tried to put $20 in the man’s hand, but he wouldn’t take it, so instead I went up and gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. I thanked them up one side and down the other. I asked the little girl, their daughter, where they lived, thinking maybe I’d send them a gift. She said they lived in Mexico. They were in Oregon now so Mommy and Daddy could pick cherries for the next few weeks. After that, they were going to pick peaches, and then go back home.
After I said my goodbyes and started walking back to the Jeep, the girl called out and asked if I’d had lunch. When I told her no, she ran up and handed me a tamale（玉米粽子）. I thanked them again and walked back to my car. When I opened the tamale, what did I find inside? My $20 bill! I ran to the van and the guy rolled down his window. He saw the $20 in my hand, started shaking his head smiling, and with what looked like great concentration said in English: “Today you, tomorrow me.” Then he rolled up his window and drove away, with his daughter waving to me from the back.
This family, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took a couple of hours to help a stranger while others passed by quietly.
Since then I’ve helped many people like the Mexican family. I didn’t accept money. But every time I was able to help, I felt as if I was putting something in the bank.
小題1:From the passage we know that __________.
A．the Mexican man couldn’t speak English
B．the author’s car broke down on the road
C．the Mexican family came to Oregon for a visit
D．$20 was a small amount for the Mexican family
小題2:Why did the author give the money quietly to the man’s wife?
A．Because the man had refused to accept it.
B．Because the man’s wife needn’t wash her hands.
C．Because the author thought the Mexican family was poor.
D．Because the author thought the man’s wife would take it.
小題3:The Mexican man helped the author because he tended to think that ___________.
A．it was completely wrong for others to pass by quietly
B．it was quite easy to help the author mend the jeep
C．it was possible that everyone might get into trouble
D．the author was a polite stranger and deserved the help
小題4:Which of the following is TRUE about the author?
A．He hated those who didn’t offer help.
B．He would send a present to the family soon.
C．He wondered why they didn’t take the money.
D．He considered helping others as saving money in the bank.
小題5:What can we infer from the passage?
A．The Mexican family lived a richer life than the author.
B．The Mexican family did seasonal work in Oregon each year.
C．The author was inspired to help others by the Mexican family.
D．What made the writer moved was the tamale given by the girl.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

One day last summer, watching the boys and girls trying to catch butterflies I remembered something happened when I was young．When I was a boy of 12 in South Carolina, something happened to me that cured me forever of wanting to put any wild creature in a cage.
We lived on the edge of a wood, and every evening at dusk the mockingbirds would come and rest in the trees and sing. No musician can sing more beautiful than the birds. I decided that I would catch a young bird and keep it in a cage and in that way would have my own private musician.
I finally succeeded in catching one and put it in a cage. At first, the bird flied about the cage, but eventually it settled down in its new home. I felt very pleased with myself and looked forward to some beautiful singing from my tiny musician.
I had left the cage out, and on the second day my new pet’s mother flew to the cage with food in her mouth. The baby bird ate everything she brought to it. I was pleased to see this. Certainly the mother knew better than I how to feed her baby.
The following morning when I went to see how my bird was doing, I discovered it on the floor of the cage, dead. I was shocked! What had happened! I had taken good care of my little bird.
Arthur Wayne, the famous ornithologist, happened to be visiting my father at the time, hearing me crying over the death of my bird, explained what had occurred. “A mother mockingbird, finding her young in a cage, will sometimes bring it poison berries. She thinks it better for her young to die than to live in cage.”
Never since then have I caught any living creature and put it in a cage. All living creatures have a right to live free.
小題1:Why did the writer catch a mockingbird when he was a boy of 12?
A．He had just got a new cage.
B．He liked its beautiful feather.
C．He wanted a pet for a companion.
D．He wanted it to sing for him.
小題2:The mockingbird died because it ______.
A．drank the poisonous water by mistake
B．was frightened to death
C．refused to eat anything
D．a(chǎn)te the poisonous food its mother gave it
小題3:An ornithologist probably means ______.
A．a(chǎn) religious personB．a(chǎn) kind person
C．a(chǎn)n expert in birdsD．a(chǎn) schoolmaster
小題4:What is the most important lesson the writer learned from the incident?
A．Freedom is very valuable to all living things.
B．All birds put in a cage won’t live long.
C．You should keep the birds from their mother.
D．Be careful about food you give to baby birds.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：完形填空

December 24 arrived along with a heavy snow. It was my first Christmas Eve without my mother, and the day’s usual  36  had disappeared.
The telephone rang. I  37  it and went to my bedroom to bury the continuous 38 , knowing it must be my friend Rebecca calling. How could I be  39 ? I wanted to be left  40 .
My heart felt as  41  as the falling snow.  42  can I stop missing my mother?
I  43  the window. Seeing Rebecca’s car parked out front, I went back to my bed and drew the covers over my head.
“Lucy!” she shouted. “I know you’re in there. Answer the door!”
“Leave me alone!” I  44  back. I heard paper rustling(沙沙作響) as she slid  45  under the door.
“Merry Christmas, ” she called out.
Not answering the  46  made me even 47. It wasn’t fair to my best friend. Her father and sister  48  in a car accident when she was eight years old.  49 , her mother had to return to  50 , and Rebecca was left to look after herself.
When she left, I carried the small package, sat down and  51  it. Inside was a golden pen and a journal. When I opened the journal’s front cover, out fell a bookmark with a(n)   52  written on it:
Dear Lucy,  
My words won’t heal（治愈）the 53  . But your own words can.
Love,
Rebecca
As I stared at the journal’s blank pages, a single tear fell on the page which quickly absorbed it.
That night, I  54  the phone and dialed her number.
“Looks like the snow is melting(融化), ” I said. “Spring was just ___55____the corner.”
小題1:
A．excitementB．disappointmentC．frightD．pity
小題2:
A．a(chǎn)nsweredB．coveredC．pickedD．ignored
小題3:
A．pleasureB．puzzledC．sadnessD．interest
小題4:
A．regretfulB．joyfulC．comfortableD．careful
小題5:
A．a(chǎn)liveB．a(chǎn)ctiveC．a(chǎn)loneD．crazy
小題6:
A．lightB．whiteC．heavyD．clear
小題7:
A．WhyB．WhereC．WhetherD．How
小題8:
A．looked throughB．looked intoC．looked outD．looked up
小題9:
A．broughtB．shoutedC．tookD．turned
小題10:
A．a(chǎn)nythingB．somethingC．everythingD．nothing
小題11:
A．phoneB．questionC．letterD．door
小題12:
A．more helpfulB．more attractiveC．worseD．better
小題13:
A．survivedB．escapedC．livedD．died
小題14:
A．As a wholeB．As a resultC．In allD．In general
小題15:
A．workB．washC．repairD．learn
小題16:
A．closedB．foldedC．openedD．painted
小題17:
A．a(chǎn)rticleB．poemC．noticeD．message
小題18:
A．failureB．pain C．wishD．shame
小題19:
A．picked upB．picked outC．pushed backD．put away
小題20:
A．a(chǎn)roundB．overC．onD．a(chǎn)t

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Normally when I pop in to see my parents, my mum bursts out of the house with a big smile. Not today. "Your brother," she says, "he's showered twice this afternoon. Does he know how much it costs to run this house?" Are we limiting water now? I didn't think the recession(蕭條) had got that bad. My poor brother is a boomerang kid. Like 60 percent of guys immediately after university, he's back at home. Graduating ￡15,000 in debt and faced with unpaid internships(實(shí)習(xí)期) or low wages thanks to the flooding of the market with graduates, a lot of twenty some things simply don't have the necessary income or parental support to live independently.
Three years after getting their degree, most graduates are still not earning above the average salary. They have a near 50 percent tax burden, thanks to student loan repayments and council tax on top of income tax and national insurance. Unless you have parents who can afford to finance what is effectively a second home for them, returning to the parental nest is often the only affordable option.
The boomerang effect is becoming even more pronounced thanks to the recession. One in four of those losing their job during the downturn is under 25. Only 13 percent of final-year students have jobs. Home is the only place many are going: 111,000 16-29 year olds moved back home in 2008, five times the average of previous years.
Boomeranging is bad news. It poses serious problems for parents' finances. They've already supported their children through university, topping up loans with handouts, averaging ￡12,300 in total, to keep twenty somethings afloat. Now their retirement savings are being eaten away by continuously dependent children.
It’s bad for the returning kids too. Ambitious young people will be left frustrated, seeing their university peers from more wealthy backgrounds excel only because parents' money was there to support them through the initial period of poverty wages. Those living in rural areas are further disadvantaged by lack of access to cities where most new jobs are located. Half of all young people now feel they will not achieve their goals. Research by the Prince's Trust reveals that one-quarter of all 16-25 year olds are regularly down or depressed. And depression does not help self-motivation, the very trait needed to seek out job opportunities.
小題1:In paragraph 1, the mother’s criticizing her son for showering too often shows _________.
A．the price of water has increased
B．she thinks her son is selfish
C．her son is an economic burden
D．she wants to have a shower herself
小題2:What is the boomerang mentioned in the passage?
A．A person earning low income.
B．A person who has heavy tax burden.
C．A youth who cannot get parental support.
D．A youth returning to parents after graduation.
小題3:According to the passage, which of the following does NOT contribute to the tax bill of most young graduates?
A．National insurance. B．Income tax.
C．Council income. D．Student loans.
小題4:Who is comparatively most affected by the recession according to the passage?
A．Those who haven’t completed their university studies.
B．Those who are supported through by their parents.
C．Those who can have access to the urban facilities.
D．Those who were born into the well-off families.
小題5:Which is the best title of the passage?
A．Global Recession
B．Boomerang Kids
C．Unemployment Rate
D．Falling Incomes

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

My father is a smart man. He spent many years of his life listening to people’s arguments, first as assistant district lawyer and then as a judge. My dad knows rubbish rhetoric when he hears it.
One of his favorite phrases is: “If you don’t have anything smart to say, then don’t say it at all.” Yet, for all of his legal training and life experience, he can’t help but keep talking about the Mega Millions jackpot.
We all know the odds(幾率)of winning the jackpot this evening with one ticket are extraordinarily low ... 1 in 175, 711, 536, to be exact. Still, people go out and buy hundreds of tickets with the hopes of becoming wealthier beyond their dreams. Why? There are two possible explanations for this “irrationality”(不理智).
One idea is that the way we calculate odds in our heads has nothing to do with mathematical odds in the traditional sense. We don’t go to the mathematical odds table and say, “Well, this would be a terrible investment. I think I’m better off putting my money in the bank!” Rather, it has everything with the ability to picture an event happening.
My father, for instance, watches the news every night and sees people winning the lottery(彩票). Therefore, he thinks the chance of him winning the lottery is much higher than they actually are.
The second thought is that the expected effect of playing cannot be represented merely by the odds. My father and, I’m sure, others get a thrill from the mere idea of winning. He loves imagining what it would be like to actually win and losing doesn’t really affect him. Sure, he’s disappointed, but it’s “better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” When you combine the utility of thinking you can win with the utility of actually winning (no matter how small the chance of that occurring), it’s worth it for many people to spend the one dollar on a ticket.
My analysis is that both factors are at play in taking a chance on the lottery. My father and others really do underestimate the odds of winning, but the thrill of participation is not denied by a realistic assessment of the odds. Still, I would probably put my finger on the scale for the first explanation.
All told, a review of the odds of other events happening confirms that there just aren’t many events that occur with less frequency than your winning the Mega Millions jackpot. Look at the graph below, you may understand some:

In many ways, it’s like the lottery, something that features often on television and about which people fantasize, but that rarely happens.
So, when you watch, along with my Pa, to see if your lucky number is drawn this evening, keep in mind three things: that your number almost certainly won’t come up; that you are still going to have fun; and that, finally, a lot of other things are more likely to happen—but getting eaten by a shark isn’t one of them.
小題1:It can be learned from the article that ________.
A．the Mega Millions jackpot is the last lottery to win in the world
B．a(chǎn) judge in that country can’t talk about lottery because it is illegal
C．the writer doesn’t buy lottery, for he never hopes to become rich
D．In spite of little possibility, a lot of people spend money on lottery
小題2:The function of the graph is to ________.
A．show chances that those things take place are fewer
B．support the writer’s arguments on the lottery tickets
C．indicate no one can win the Mega Millions jackpot
D．say shark attack death will seldom happen this year
小題3:Which of the following do you think the writer would probably agree with?
A．If one has mathematical odds, he can win the prize more easily.
B．Only those who have irrationality buy hundreds of lottery tickets.
C．The Mega Millions jackpot is very popular in the writer’s country.
D．Winning lottery is a shortcut to achieve the dream of being rich.
小題4:The underlined phrase “at play” in the 7th paragraph most probably means ________.
A．effectiveB．ridiculousC．contradictoryD．a(chǎn)stonishing
小題5:What do you think is the best title?
A．The Popular Mega Millions JackpotB．Lottery is Merely a Trick
C．Mega Million is Like a Shark AttackD．Be rich, Buy Lottery Soon

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