The works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth are “rocket-boosters” to the brain and better therapy than self-help books, researchers will say this week.
Scientists, psychologists and English academics at Liverpool University have found that reading the works of the Bard and other classical writers has a beneficial effect on the mind, catches the reader’s attention and cause moments of self-reflection.
Using scanners, they monitored the brain activity of volunteers as they read works by William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, T.S Eliot and others.
They then “translated” the texts into more “straightforward”, modern language and again monitored the readers’ brains as they read the words.
Scans showed that the more “challenging” prose （散文）and poetry set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the more pedestrian versions.
Scientists were able to study the brain activity as it responded to each word and record how it “l(fā)it up” as the readers encountered unusual words, surprising phrases or difficult sentence structure.
This “l(fā)ighting up” of the mind lasts longer than the initial electrical spark, shifting the brain to a higher gear, encouraging further reading.
The research also found that reading poetry, in particular, increases activity in the right hemisphere （半球）of the brain, an area concerned with “autobiographical memory”, helping the reader to reflect on and reappraise their own experiences in light of what they have read. The academics said this meant the classics were more useful than self-help books.
Philip Davis, an English professor who has worked on the study with the university’s magnetic resonance centre, will tell a conference this week: “Serious literature acts like a rocket-booster to the brain.
"The research shows the power of literature to shift mental pathways, to create new thoughts, shapes and connections in the young and the elderly alike.”
小題1:How do classics such as Shakespeare and Wordsworth benefit the readers?
A．They set off far less electrical activity in the brain.
B．They light up the mind shorter than the initial electrical spark.
C．They shift physical pathways in the young and the elderly.
D．They draw readers’ attention and help make self-examination.
小題2:Why does the author mention” They then” translated”… modern language“？
A．To prove that classics are more useful than ordinary versions.
B．To show self-help books act like rocket-boosters to the brain.
C．To tell serious literature sets off far less electrical activity.
D．To make known ordinary versions set off more electrical activity
小題3:What can we conclude according to the researchers?
A．Self-help books are more valuable than classics.
B．Serious literature lights up the mind shorter than ordinary versions.
C．The right hemisphere of the brain is related to autobiographical memory.
D．Literature has a beneficial effect only on the mind of the young.
小題4:Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A．Ordinary Versions Create New Thoughts
B．Modern Language Increases the Brain
C．Classics Help lmprove the Brain Activity
D．Self-help Books, Rocket-boosters

小題1:D
小題2:A
小題3:C
小題4:C

試題分析：本文介紹了最新研究的成果，作者引述了一些人的觀點和研究成果來證明經(jīng)典的文學(xué)對提高大腦的活動非常有益。
小題1:細節(jié)題。從文章reading the works of the Bard and other classical writers has a beneficial effect on the mind, catches the reader’s attention and cause moments of self-reflection. 可知，讀這些經(jīng)典著作有助于自我的反省，故選D
小題2:細節(jié)題。從文章Scans showed that the more “challenging” prose （散文）and poetry set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the more pedestrian versions.可知作者之所以提到以上的話是為了給我們說明經(jīng)典的書要比普通的書要更加有用，故選A
小題3:推斷題。從文章The research also found that reading poetry, in particular, increases activity in the right hemisphere （半球）of the brain, an area concerned with “autobiographical memory”,可知，大腦的右半球與自傳式記憶有關(guān)，故選C
小題4:主旨題。從第一段The works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth are “rocket-boosters” to the brain and better therapy than self-help books, researchers will say this week.及最后一段可知，本文的標題應(yīng)該為經(jīng)典的東西能夠提高大腦的活動，故選C
點評：本文文脈清晰，句意中生詞有一定的難度。說明文是歷年高考很常見的文體，對于科技類的說明文比較難。本文中，把握好一個中心即作者對讀經(jīng)典著作的好處進行了對比介紹。同時，此類文章中推斷題要理解作者寫作的意圖，方可作答。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger , but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving(鋪砌) a road can lead to less useable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.
Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(短缺). Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs.
Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too In the United States , a family of four can use 1. 5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number.
You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher (洗碗機)only when it is full 。Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.
小題1:Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?
A．Using river water.B．Throwing batteries away.
C．Paving parking lots.D．Throwing rubbish into lakes.
小題2:What can be inferred from the text?
A．All water shortages are due to human behavior.
B．It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs.
C．There is much we can do to reduce family size.
D．The average family in America makes proper use of water.
小題3:The last paragraph is intended to             .
A．show us how to fix leaks at home
B．tell us how to run a dishwasher
C．prove what drinking glass is best for us
D．suggest what we do to save water at home
小題4:The text is mainly about          .
A．Why paving roads reduces our water
B．how much we depend on water to live
C．why droughts occur more in dry climates
D．how human activity affects our water supply

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Family Vs Technology
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In another case, the increase in working mothers helped create a market for labor-saving kitchen equipment. “The time that women have to shop every day for food is no longer available so there is a need to have a refrigerator for food storage,” says Dr. Silva. “The need to cook that food more easily and quickly, means you have developments in cooking technology like the microwave oven(微波爐). The microwave oven already existed because it was developed for the navy during World War Two but it wasn’t used in ordinary families until the early 1980s.
“Technologies for housework were as important as those for work itself,” she says, “So washing machines, refrigerators and microwave ovens are terribly important. We couldn’t imagine what life would be like if we didn’t have them.” Technological changes in the kitchen have played an important role in the changes of family behavior, creating a new social focus in the home.
“With advanced technology, you can feed the family in an easier manner. People can do housework with less difficulty. But that doesn’t mean that family practices are not important — it’s just a different way of doing things.”
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A．Worried.B．Optimistic(樂觀的).
C．Puzzled.D．Uncertain.
小題2:What causes advances in technology according to Dr. Silva?
A．People’s love for nature.
B．Great changes in people’s way of life.
C．People’s desire to change the world.
D．The wonderful imagination in inventing things.
小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A．The microwave oven was first used by working mothers.
B．People cook less because of modern kitchen equipment.
C．Technology has little effect on the changes of family behavior.
D．People need less skill to do housework due to advanced technology.

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Eco City Farms are becoming more popular in cities and towns around the Unites States.
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Over the past two years, the farm has attracted volunteers form the community like Marcy Clark. She schools her four children at home. On a recent day she brought them to Eco City Farms for a lesson, her son Alston Clark thinks his experience is very valuable. “I like coming out here,” he says, “You know, you connect with the earth, where your food comes from. You appreciate the food a little bit more.”
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“I like eating the vegetables” say five-year-old Owen Moss.
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A．Eco City Farms save a lot of energy.
B．Eco City Farms are influencing community life.
C．Eco City Farms helps the working-class live better.
D．Eco City Farms are gaining popularity.
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C．Surprised.D．Doubtful.
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A．shopping centers
B．car repair shops
C．fast-food restaurants
D．working-class community
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You can’t hide a natural disaster from children, so how do we prepare them for it? First of all, you should explain to them that acts of nature aren’t necessarily disasters but can become one. These may include floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, wild fires, and earthquakes. The way to prepare children for these disasters is to educate them about what each type is and then make it fun by making them “Disaster Masters” or whatever title you can think of.
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B．tips for preparing children for a natural disaster
C．the importance of educating children about natural disasters
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B．why there are natural disasters
C．how to use a disaster emergency kit
D．how to teach others about emergency preparations
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C．can cry if they are frightened
D．should help other children despite the danger
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The next day, the volunteers woke up with the sound-smell connection. They breathed deeply when hearing one tone and cut their breaths short when hearing the other, which must have been unusual for them. Imagine walking down the street and taking a deep breath upon hearing a particular sound!
小題1:In the study, the volunteers were taught _______. 
A．to become active during sleep
B．to tell the difference between smell
C．to learn new words and scientific facts
D．to make sound-smell connections
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C．They woke up at once.D．They took a short breath.
小題3: When the volunteers woke up the next day, they_______.
A．learned how to play to musical tones
B．forgot what happened during their sleep
C．continued with the sound-smell connection
D．changed their reaction when hearing.
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B．our brain can actually learn something new during the sleep.
C．the volunteers will always hear similar sounds in the street.
D．our brain can tell the difference between smells during the sleep.
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A．A short sleep can improve our memory and sharpen our thinking.
B．Arzi and her coworkers didn’t try to teach the sleeping volunteer some simple information.
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

People do not analyse every problem they meet. Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they had a  36  problem. They often accept the opinion or ideas of other people. Other times they begin to act without   37 ; they try to find a solution by trial and error. However, when all of these methods  38  , the person with a problem has to start analysing. There are six  39  in analysing a problem.
  40 , the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam’s bicycle is broken, and he cannot ride it to class as he usually does. Sam must   41  that there is a problem with his bicycle.
Next the person must  42  the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must know why it does not work. For example, he must  43  the parts that are wrong.
Now the person must look for  44  that will make the problem clearer and lead to   45  solutions. For example, suppose Sam  46  that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the brakes.  47 , he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about brakes, talk to his friends at the bike shop, or look at his brakes carefully.
After  48  the problem, the person should have several suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an example  49, his suggestions might be: tighten or loosen the brakes; buy new brakes and change the old ones.
In the end, one  50  seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the  51  idea comes quite  52  because the thinker suddenly sees something in a  53  way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees there is a piece of chewing gum stuck to a brake. He immediately hits on the solution to his problem: he must  54  the brake.
Finally the solution is  55 . Sam does it and finds his bicycle works perfectly. In short he has solved the problem.
小題1:
A．seriousB．usualC．similarD．common
小題2:
A．practiceB．thinkingC．understanding D．help
小題3:
A．failB．workC．changeD．develop
小題4:
A．waysB．conditionsC．stagesD．orders
小題5:
A．FirstB．UsuallyC．In generalD．Most importantly
小題6:
A．explainB．proveC．showD．see
小題7:
A．judgeB．findC．describeD．face
小題8:
A．checkB．determineC．correctD．recover
小題9:
A．a(chǎn)nswersB．skillsC．explanationD．information
小題10:
A．possibleB．exactC．realD．special
小題11:
A．hopesB．a(chǎn)rguesC．decidesD．suggests
小題12:
A．In other wordsB．Once in a whileC．First of allD．At this time
小題13:
A．discussingB．settling downC．comparing withD．studying
小題14:
A．secondlyB．a(chǎn)gainC．a(chǎn)lsoD．a(chǎn)lone
小題15:
A．suggestionB．conclusionC．decisionD．discovery
小題16:
A．nextB．clearC．finalD．new
小題17:
A．unexpectedly B．lateC．clearlyD．often
小題18:
A．simpleB．differentC．quickD．sudden
小題19:
A．cleanB．separateC．loosenD．remove
小題20:
A．recorded B．completedC．testedD．a(chǎn)ccepted

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What is a good education? The question is far from being answered. Once more, colleges and universities are changing their programs: they drop "fun courses" and restart some of the traditional subjects neglected (忽視) since the 1960s. Many great schools are again requiring the students to take a number of classes in English, history, literature, the social sciences, philosophy, the natural sciences, and art if they want to get a degree. Meanwhile, the experts are trying to describe the good education of our time. Obviously the purely vocational training once favored is not enough. But neither is the gentleman's education of the nineteenth century. Educational programs must meet the demands of a modern world where men and women have to work and to deal with big problems.
What, then, is a good education of this century? Some educators suggest that it should include foreign languages and the study of foreign cultures; a mastery of English, including the ability to write and speak well, because communications have become all-important in the modern world, and also because "a person who doesn't speak and write clearly doesn't reason clearly either"; some knowledge of the social sciences (sociology, psychology) that deal with human relations and human problems; some basic knowledge of modern science, which would enable future voters to be better informed about current problems like nuclear. Finally, many educators insist that all college graduates should be familiar with computers and modern information system since the educated professionals of tomorrow will have to understand their machines. Is that all? "No, of course not." answer the educators. "We have not mentioned the two great building blocks of education: history and literature!"
小題1:The best title for this passage might be _______.
A．EducationB．A Mastery of English
C．A Good EducationD．Something About Study
小題2:The underlined word "drop" in the first paragraph means _______.
A．desertB．dislikeC．declineD．neglect
小題3:The author thinks that the question about what a good education is _______.
A．has been answered fairly well
B．hasn't been put forward yet
C．has been dealt with successfully
D．has not been answered satisfactorily
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A．to read fastB．to write and speak well
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A new study shows one of the largest glaciers(冰川) in Greenland is becoming smaller and speeding to the sea faster than scientists expected. If it continues, Greenland itself could become much smaller during this century and global seas could rise as much as 3 feet.
The rates of change that we’re noticing are much higher than expected. If these rates continue, it is not likely that Greenland could shrink by several tens of percent this century. However, it’s not known how quickly this coastal response of the Greenland ice sheet melting will have an effect on the vast inland ice.
Greenland is the world’s largest island, covering area more than three times the size of Texas. Some 81 percent of it is covered by ice, and there are many glaciers. Glaciers are like slow-moving rivers of ice. Where a glacier meets the sea, its weight keeps it firmly resting on the bottom. A glacier’s front is the point where the water is deep enough that the glacier floats.
Since the 1970s, the front of Helheim stayed in the same place. Then it began melting rapidly, moving back 4.5 miles from 2001 through this past summer. It has also grown thinner, from top to bottom, by more than 130 feet since 2001. And over these past years, its trip to the sea has sped up from about 70 feet per day to nearly 110.
The melting is driven by a warmer climate. Temperatures in Greenland have risen more than five degrees Fahrenheit(華氏溫度) in the last ten years. Since most of Greenland’s ice is on land, seas will rise as the ice melts. If all Greenland’s ice sheet melted, oceans would be 15-20 feet higher. Nobody expects that to happen any time soon.
小題1:What can we know about the glaciers according to the passage?
A．Glaciers only lie in Greenland.
B．Water in glaciers is more than sea water.
C．Glaciers sometimes float on the water.
D．Glaciers can increase the water level of lakes.
小題2:According to the passage, we know that Greenland ___________.
A．belongs to Canada
B．is the largest island in North America
C．is all covered with glaciers
D．is sinking under the sea level
小題3:Which of the following may be the result of the disappearing of Greenland glaciers?
A．The climate of the world will be warmer.
B．The glaciers in other areas will be bigger.
C．It will be easy for explorers to visit the island.
D．Some coastal cities may be under the sea.

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