Move Earth—It’s Not Science Fiction

LONDON—Scientists have found an unusual way to  prevent our planet from overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets(彗星)in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.
This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of US National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet—effectively doubling its working life.
The plan put forward by Dr. Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams, needs carefully directing a comet or asteroid so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth.
“Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun, ”Laughlin said.
Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated.
In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The Sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so“seriously compromise” our biosphere(生物圈)—by cooking us.
That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth.
The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation(誤算)in orbit could fire it straight at Earth—with deadly consequences.
There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position, it is“most likely the Moon would be stripped away from Earth”. This would greatly change our planet’s climate.
小題1:What makes the scientists plan to move Earth?
A．A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth.
B．Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon.
C．Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive.
D．The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth.
小題2:If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of　　　years.
A．12 billion　B．6 billion
C．18 billion　D．24 billion
小題3:What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage?
A．The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the Moon.
B．Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death.
C．The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth.
D．Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened.
小題4:What does the underlined word“compromise”mean?
A．Provide. B．Benefit.
C．Share. D．Endanger.

小題1:C
小題2:A
小題3:A
小題4:D
科學家們找到了一種非同尋常的阻止地球過熱的方法。
小題1:選C。細節(jié)理解題。文章首句說科學家們找到了一種非同尋常的辦法防止地球過熱, 第六段又提供了解決地球變暖問題的理想辦法, 但科學家們真正關(guān)心的是更大的危險: 大約十億年以后太陽肯定會更炙熱, 以至于將人類化為灰燼。
小題2:選A。細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章第二段末句可知答案。注意關(guān)鍵詞語: another six billion years, doubling its working life。
小題3:選A。細節(jié)理解題。最后兩段分別指出該計劃可能帶來的兩大惡果: 一是萬一軌道計算出錯會使被控星體撞向地球, 二是地球脫離原軌道后很可能會失去月球, 從而導致氣候巨變。
小題4:選D。詞義猜測題。本題可用排除法排除不符合文意的答案。句意: 大約十億年以后太陽肯定會更加炙熱, 從而嚴重損害地球的生物圈——把人類化為灰燼!
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When times get tough，we all look for ways to cut back.When we're hungry，we eat at home instead of going out.We take buses instead of taxis.And we wear our old designer jeans just a few months longer.With college expenses at all?time highs，high school students are eager to do anything to cut the cost of a university education.

One cost?cutting proposal is to allow college students to get a bachelor's degree in three years instead of four.Educational institutions have been actively exploring ways to make the learning process more efficient.But there's a question：Would the quality of undergraduate(本科生)education suffer？ Few US universities have formally approved a “three?year degree”model.
I doubt that mainstream North American colleges will carry out a three?year curriculum(課程)any time soon.For one thing，most universities already allow highly qualified students to graduate early by testing out of certain classes and obtaining a number of college credits(學分)．In addition，at famous universities，the committee who determine which courses are required and which courses are electives are unlikely to suddenly “throw out”one quarter of the required credits.Professors will resist “diluting(稀釋)”the quality of the education they offer.
In my opinion，a quality four?year education is always superior to a quality three?year education.A college education requires sufficient time for a student to become skilled in their major and do coursework in fields outside their major.It is not a good idea to water down education，any more than it's not a good idea to water down medicine.If we want to help students find their way through university，we should help them understand early on what knowledge and skills they need to have upon graduation.We should allow students to test out of as many courses as possible.We should give them a chance to earn money as interns(實習生)in meaningful part?time jobs that relate to their university studies，such as the five?year co?op program at Northeastern University.
小題1:The first paragraph serves as a(n) ________.
A．explanationB．definition
C．introductionD．comment
小題2:In most US universities，________.
A．college students are offered the co?op program
B．electives' credits make up one quarter of the required credits
C．a(chǎn)ll students are required to finish four?year education before graduation
D．some excellent students can graduate ahead of time
小題3:We can infer that ________.
A．the author is a college professor
B．the author thinks the cost of a university education is too high for people to afford
C．the author considers the university education quality very important
D．the author pays special attention to the all?round development of college students
小題4:Which of the following can be the best title?
A．It's time to shorten the learning process
B．Best learning takes place over time
C．University education should be watered down
D．College education calls for reform

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

So long as teachers fail to distinguish between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”.
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also public activity. It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the quest（探索）for knowledge? Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children.”
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher fulfill them appropriately, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is eliminated. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of leaning to read by reading.
小題1:The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that ________.
A．it is one of the most difficult school courses
B．students spend endless hours in reading
C．reading tasks are assigned with little guidance
D．too much time is spent in teaching about reading
小題2:The teaching of reading will be successful if ________.
A．teachers can improve conditions at school for the students
B．teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading
C．teachers can devise the most efficient system for reading
D．teachers can make their teaching activities observable
小題3:The underlined word“ scrutiny” most probably means“________”.
A．inquiryB．observationC．controlD．suspicion
小題4:According to the passage, learning to read will no longer be a difficult task when ________.
A．children become highly motivated
B．teacher and learner roles are interchangeable
C．teaching helps children in the search for knowledge
D．reading enriches children’s experience
小題5:The main idea of the passage is that ________.
A．teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read
B．teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible
C．reading ability is something acquired rather than taught
D．reading is more complicated that generally believed

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Meet the “Tutor Kings and Queens”
“If you want to be a top tutor, it definitely helps if you are young and attractive. Students look at your appearance，” said Kelly Mok, 26, a “tutor queen” at King's Glory, one of Hong Kong's largest tutorial establishments.
Richard Eng from Beacon College, a former secondary school teacher, is often credited with being the first of Hong Kong's “star tutors”. “In school all the teachers look the same, there's no excitement，” he said.
The celebrity tutor phenomenon is a result of the huge growth in out­of­school tutoring in Asia. It is fuelled by highly pressured examination systems and ambitious parents wanting their children to secure places at top universities and high­status secondary schools.
In societies where success is_equated_with good exam results, parental anxiety converts into a “steady stream of revenue(收入)” for tutoring establishments, according to a study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB)．
The tutoring industry, or “shadow education” as the ADB calls it, has become very widespread in Asia, fed by the growth in universities and the rising proportion of school leavers aiming for university. Hong Kong University's professor Mark Bray, one of the authors of the ADB study, said a staggering 72% of final­year school students in Hong Kong now go to private tutors.
It's not just Hong Kong. Tutoring has “spread and intensified(強化) in Asia and become more commercialized，” said Professor Bray. In South Korea, 90% of primary school children attend such classes. In China, New Oriental Education and Technology has grown to become one of the largest tutoring schools in Asia with around 2.4 million students this year. In South Korea, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India, tutorial schools use star tutors to attract even more students.
小題1:According to Kelly Mok, tutors ________.
A．have a lot in common with school teachers
B．benefit much from their appearances
C．become more and more popular in the world
D．have much more pressure than in the past
小題2:Who is probably a “tutor king” in Hong Kong?
A．Kelly Mok.B．Richard Eng.
C．Mark Bray.D．Not mentioned.
小題3:What Professor Bray says in this passage means that ________.
A．the number of school leavers is increasing
B．tutoring may improve achievement for individual students
C．star tutors have attracted 2.4 million students
D．more and more students in Asia go to private tutors
小題4:The underlined part in Paragraph 4 is similar in meaning to ________.
A．is equal toB．leads to
C．results inD．is different from
小題5:Where is this passage probably taken from?
A．An English newspaper.B．A travel guide.
C．A fashion magazine.D．A physics book.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It's a fact that we all dream. Some dreams seem to last for hours, others only for seconds. Some of us have strange dreams, some have interesting dreams, and some of us have unpleasant dreams. Tests in the 1980s showed that these dreams occur within 90-minute cycles, each cycle made up of six stages. In the last stage people experience rapid eye movement, known as REM, and it is in this stage that dreaming takes place. Eighty percent of people who were woken during this sixth stage could easily remember their dreams. On the other hand, when during the first five stages (NREM), only seven percent could describe a dream.
However, of these same people woken during the first five stages, 74% were able to remember thinking activity, although they would not call it a dream. NerysDee, who has written about dreams in a book called "Your Dreams and What They Mean" says: "Perhaps during NREM sleep we are sorting out our outer mundane problems, but in REM sleep we are dealing with inside matters." She also makes the following statement about 90-minute cycle: It may also prove the reason why insomniacs who wake in the middle of the night find it impossible to get to sleep again for at least an hour and a half. In other words, until they have missed out one complete 90-minute sleep period.
小題1:Which of the following statements about dreams is TRUE?
A．Everyone dreams but very few can recall what they dream.
B．Some people have long dreams and others have very short ones.
C．People can only remember unpleasant dreams.
D．More than eighty percent of people can remember their dreams.
小題2:According to the tests in the 1980s, dreaming takes place­­______.
A．between each 90-minute cycle
B．a(chǎn)t any time during 90-minute cycles
C．during the first five stages of 90-minute cycles
D．in the last stage of 90-minute cycles
小題3:People woken during REM sleep can______.
A．hardly remember their dreams
B．easily remember their dreams
C．only remember their dreams
D．partly remember their thinking activity
小題4:"Insomniacs" are persons who______.
A．can always remember their dreams
B．have trouble getting into sleep at night
C．experience rapid eye movement
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

New crime prediction software should reduce not only the murder rate, but the rate of other crimes. Developed by Richard Berk, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the software has already used in Baltimore and Philadelphia to predict which individuals on probation(緩刑) or parole(假釋) are most likely to murder and to be murdered.
“When a person goes on probation or parole he is supervised(監(jiān)督) by an officer. The question is ‘what level of supervision is appropriate?’” said Berk. It used to be that parole officers used the person’s criminal record, and their judgment to make decisions.
“This research replaces those seat-of-the –pants calculations,” he said.
Technology helps determine level of supervision. On average there is one murder for every 100,000 people. Even among high-risk groups the murder rate is one in 100. Predicting such a rare event is very difficult, but advances in computer technology works.
Years ago, the researchers made a dataset of more than 60,000 various crimes. Using the software they developed, they found some much more likely to commit murder when paroled or probated. They could identify eight future murderers out of 100.
Berk’s software examines roughly two dozen variables(可變因素), from criminal record to geographic location. The type of crimes, and more importantly, the age at which that crime was committed, were two of the most predictive variables.
“People assume that if someone murdered then they will murder in the future,” said Berk. “ What really matters is what that person did as a young individual. Predicting future crimes sounds well. But we aren’t anywhere near being able to do that.”
“Berk’s scientific answer leaves policymakers with difficult questions. By labeling one group of people as high risk, and supervise them closely, there should be fewer murders, which the potential victims should be happy about. It also means that those high-risk individuals will be supervised more aggressively. For human rights advocates, that means punishing people who, most likely, will not commit a crime in the future,” said Bushway. “It comes down to a question of whether you would rather make these errors or those errors.”
小題1:The underlined words(in Para.3) probably mean___. 
A．calculations based on subjective opinions
B．calculations based on widespread voting
C．calculations made by advanced technology
D．calculations based on serious considering
小題2:For 650 people with crime records, how many potential murderers would the software find?
A．6.5.B．13.C．52.D．65.
小題3:From Para 7, we can infer that______.
A．the technology developed by Richard Berk will soon be widely used in the US
B．the technology would not be widely accepted in the short term
C．whether a person murders or not largely decided by his upbringing while young
D．if a person murdered when he was fifty, he is sure to murder again while on probation
小題4:Bushway’s attitude to the technology put forward by Richard Berk is ____.
A．positiveB．negativeC．objectiveD．indifferent
小題5:Which would be the best title for the passage?
A．Closely Supervise Potential Murders
B．Measures Taken to Prevent Criminal Behavior
C．Technology Revolutionizes Judges’ Way of Working
D．Software is Developed to Predict Criminal Behavior

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Relax. He is the same little boy you loved yesterday. I smiled trying to hold back the tears. “No, he isn’t. Yesterday I dreamed he would be an astronaut. Today I am hoping he will learn to talk.”
It was like some sort of cosmic joke. I could still recall the day that determined my fate. It was October in Ottawa and the summer breezes had given way to the autumn rainfall of leaves. The snow would begin soon. The crispness (清爽) of coming frost was in the air. My casually mentioning Wyatt’s behavior to Dr. Martin aroused his worries. He started asking me questions about Wyatt’s activities speech pattern and emotions. I still see clearly in my mind the cleanness of the room and all its belongings when the doctor turned to me and said, “He almost sounds autistic (自閉) .”
I couldn’t face that picture in my mind. I had to run to get away from this all too painful place that was reminding me of what was to be my child’s life-being strange.
I could not remember how many times I told myself, “This is normal. He is a little boy who is not talking yet,” when my asking questions met with his blank-eyed response in a restaurant; how many times I would tell myself, “He loves to play on his own for hours at a time and he never gets into trouble,” when Wyatt was playing games that no one else could imagine, let alone join in while other boys in the park were playing together or in small groups played around a sand pail(桶) or toy truck. My life was changing direction. So was Wyatt’s.
I started to hide Wyatt from my friends and neighbor especially from a good friend. It was too painful to let others know about my boy acting strange.
It was a Thursday afternoon and I found one half of a great pair of kitchen scissors was missing. They were unbelievably sharp and could be taken apart so they could be washed or the blades (刀片) sharpened. I knew Wyatt had taken the missing blade.
“Wyatt,” I began as patiently as I could, “Do you see this?” I held up the blade. “Do you know what this is?”
Wyatt put a bunch of Fruit Loops in his mouth. No response.
“Wyatt!” I forced eye contact with him. “Where are the other scissors? See these.” I showed him the half pair.
He smiled big. Ate Fruit Loops. Turned the TV on and off. Still no response.
I didn’t know what to do. It was really hard. “Wyatt,” I tried once more, “Mommy wants these scissors. Can you go get them for Mommy? It will make Mommy so happy if you bring me the scissors.”
“Watch Spongebob.” Wyatt asked as he slid down from his kitchen stool and ran off, leaving me shaking my head and wondering in exactly which way this situation was going to end badly.
Five minutes later, I turned my head to see Wyatt coming downstairs, his favorite doll in one hand, the missing half pair of kitchen scissors in the other. I immediately ran over and took it from him.
“Wyatt!” I hugged him. “Thank you for bringing me the scissors! Good job! You did it! These scissors need to stay in the kitchen. These are Mommy’s scissors!”
Wyatt laughed, looked at me straight in the eye and said, “Mommy so happy!”
I came close to tears. A realization dawned on me that he was the best gift I had ever gotten even though he was not as normal as other children. And why did I hide him from others as if he were some dark and terrible secret. No! He was my pride. It was a long, hard battle to get him to this point, expressing his wants and needs without turning to violence in embarrassment. With love and patience I have found the beautiful, happy boy who would teach me more about life.
And that is the solution.
小題1:From the first part of the story we can get to know that the son’s problem was _______ to the mother.
A．a(chǎn) heavy blowB．a(chǎn) white lie
C．a(chǎn)n unforgettable lessonD．a(chǎn) ridiculous experience
小題2:Why could the mother recall the day so clearly when the doctor told her his son’s illness?
A．the questions the doctor asked puzzled her.
B．the cleanness of the doctor’s room stuck her
C．His son’s illness was beyond her wildest expectation.
D．The sudden change of weather left her a deep impression.
小題3:According to the passage, which of the following indicates that Wyatt is not normal?
A．He never gets into trouble
B．He responds with blank eyes.
C．He plays with others for hours.
D．He likes watching TV programmes.
小題4:Wyatt brought the missing half of the scissors back to his mother because ____________.
A．his mother forced him to do that
B．he could get his favorite doll in reward
C．he intended to delight his mother
D．he realized that the sharp blade would cause danger
小題5:What seems to be the solution at the end of the passage?
A．Never hiding Wyatt from normal kids.
B．Turning to violence in disappointment occasionally.
C．Making Wyatt a kind and joyful boy with great care.
D．Helping Wyatt learn to talk and become an astronaut.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Eyesight problems are common among all ages and if they are left untreated, they can cause serious headaches or other problems. The good news is that most eyesight problems can easily be sorted out by wearing glasses.
Regular eye tests are important for everyone. Children and teenagers, under the age of 16 and up to the age of 19 for those full-time education, have the right to have eye tests for free in Britain. As the eye test is free, there’s no excuse for not having a regular eye test. Doctors suggest that it’s better to have an eye test about once a year.
Wearing glasses isn’t always regarded as all that cool and teens who suddenly need to wear glasses may find it difficult to accept. If they’ve grown up wearing glasses, then they may be more used to it. However, if your eyes are in poor health, not wearing glasses can put even more pressure on your eyes and could make them even worse.
Thankfully, the days of little choice of glasses frames (框架) for teenagers are gone and there’s now a wide selection of frames. If a teen does need to wear glasses, then it’s good to let him or her choose the type, as he or she will be able to choose something he or she feels comfortable. Don’t forget to be guided by the experts on glasses too.
小題1: According to the text, teens in the UK ______.
A．have few eyesight problems
B．can design their own glasses
C．change their glasses very often
D．can check their eyes without paying
小題2:How often do doctors suggest teens to have an eye test?
A．Once a month.B．Once every six months.
C．Once a year.D．Twice a year.
小題3:It can be learned from the text that teens ______.
A．find it difficult to buy comfortable glasses
B．prefer to wear cool glasses at an early age
C．a(chǎn)re advised to wear glasses if their eyesight is poor
D．think they are much cooler when wearing glasses
小題4:In the past, teens who wanted to buy glasses ______.
A．were unable to find the right glasses
B．only had a few styles to choose from
C．could not find an expert to ask for advice
D．were worried about the quality of glasses

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

From the time I was seven, I had a dream of becoming a member of the Students Union. I always     my school leaders for taking responsibility for all of us. So I dreamed of being a leader.
Years flew by, and soon I was able to take part in the elections(選舉),      I would win. But the reality proved that I hadn't had a chance. I wasn't pretty. Girls in the school hardly knew me. I just did not have what it     to win a school election. I was     .
As I cried in my room that evening, I suddenly took a deep breath and decided I wouldn't stop dreaming. I decided that I would     for elections again in my final year at school—and I would      the election.
I recognized that my     had a lot of things in their favor. What were in    favor? I had good grades, and I was friendly and helpful. And my biggest    was the faith I had. I would not allow my plain appearance to hold me     from my heading forward. That evening, I      my election plans a whole year ahead of time.
I realized that girls would have to get to know me and recognize that I had the ability to     them. I loved making friends and I liked being helpful,       I decided that perhaps I could use these qualities to win. In order to learn how to give a great election    , I also attended a course on effective public speaking.
The day after the election, when the headmaster announced I won the second highest number of votes, the students    . That joy on the faces of all my friends showed me that my victory was    theirs.
Suddenly, I realized that I had    much more than I had dreamed of. I had made many new friends and had helped people along the way. I had won the     and love of my schoolmates and they     me as somebody who would stand by them. I was able to put a smile on their faces and     their day.
小題1:
A．a(chǎn)dmiredB．rememberedC．praisedD．believed
小題2:
A．hopingB．planningC．pretendingD．judging
小題3:
A．offeredB．providedC．meantD．took
小題4:
A．concernedB．upsetC．surprisedD．a(chǎn)ngry
小題5:
A．payB．speakC．enterD．wait
小題6:
A．beatB．winC．defeatD．earn
小題7:
A．competitorsB．classmatesC．enemiesD．schoolmates
小題8:
A．their B．your C．our D．my
小題9:
A．problemB．strengthC．worryD．dream
小題10:
A．inB．upC．outD．back
小題11:
A．beganB．discussedC．a(chǎn)nnouncedD．challenged
小題12:
A．considerB．a(chǎn)ccompanyC．representD．support
小題13:
A．butB．a(chǎn)ndC．soD．or
小題14:
A．researchB．speechC．meetingD．promise
小題15:
A．noddedB．gatheredC．cheeredD．cried
小題16:
A．onlyB．stillC．a(chǎn)lmostD．a(chǎn)lso
小題17:
A．a(chǎn)chievedB．a(chǎn)voidedC．devotedD．developed
小題18:
A．a(chǎn)nnouncementB．recognitionC．communicationD．excitement
小題19:
A．considerB．speakC．tellD．say
小題20:
A．enlargeB．wishC．brighten D．experience

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