Any mistake made in the printing of a stamp raises its value to stamp collectors. A mistake on one inexpensive postage stamp has made the stamp worth a million and a half times its original value.
The mistake was made more than a hundred years ago in the British colony of Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean. In 1847 an order for stamps was sent to a London printer — Mauritius was to become the fourth country in the world to issue stamps.
Before the order was filled and delivered, a ball was planned at Mauritius’ Government House, and stamps were needed to send out the invitations. A local printer was instructed to copy the design for the stamps. He accidentally inscribed the words “Post Office” instead of “Post Paid” on the several hundred stamps that he printed.
Today there are only twenty-six of these misprinted stamps left fourteen One Penny Orange-Reds and twelve Two Penny Blues. Because of the Two Penny Blue’s rareness and age, collectors have paid as much as ＄16 800 for it.
小題1:Over a century ago, Mauritius _______.
A．was an independent country
B．belonged to India
C．was one of the British colonies
D．was a small island in the Pacific Ocean
小題2:The mistake on the stamps was made _______.
A．in MauritiusB．a(chǎn)t Mauritius Government House
C．in a post officeD．in London
小題3:Stamp collectors have paid 16 800 for _______.
A．fourteen One Penny Orange-Reds
B．twelve Two Penny Blues
C．one One Penny Orange-Red
D．one Two Penny Blue

小題1:C
小題2:A
小題3:D

本文講述的是本來不值錢的郵票由于印刷錯(cuò)誤卻使其價(jià)值倍增。
小題1:C。事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第2段第1句… more than a hundred years ago in the British colony of Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean可知答案為C。
小題2:A。事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第2段第1句The mistake was made more than a hundred years ago in the British colony of Mauritius可知答案選A。
小題3:D。事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章最后一句Because of the Two Penny Blue’s rareness and age, collectors have paid as much as $16 800 for it 可知答案為D。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

GUATEMALA CITY（Reuters）---- A fish that lives in mangrove swamps（紅樹沼澤）across the Americas can live out of water for months at a time, similar to how animals adapted（適應(yīng)）to land millions of years ago, a new study shows.
The Mangrove Rivulus, a type of small killifish, lives in small pools of water in a certain type of empty nut or even old beer cans in the mangrove swamps of Belize, the United States and Brazil. When their living place dries up, they live on the land in logs（圓木）, said Scott Taylor, a researcher at the Brevard Endangered Lands Program in Florida .
The fish, whose scientific name is Rivulus marmoratus, can grow as large as three inches. They group together in logs and breathe air through their skin until they can find water again.
The new scientific discovery came after a trip to Belize.
“We kicked over a log and the fish just came crowding out,” Taylor told Reuters in neighboring Guatemala by telephone. He said he will make his study on the fish known to the public in an American magazine early next year.
In lab tests, Taylor said he found the fish can live up to 66 days out of water without eating.
Some other fish can live out of water for a short period of time. The walking catfish found in Southeast Asia can stay on land for hours at a time, while lungfish found in Australia, Africa and South America can live out of water, but only in an inactive state. But no other known fish can be out of water as long as the Mangrove Rivulus and remain active, according to Patricia Wright, a biologist at Canada’s University of Guelph.
Further studies of the fish may tell how animals changed over time.
“These animals live in conditions similar to those that existed millions of years ago, when animals began making the transition（過渡）form water onto land, ” Wright said.
小題1:The Mangrove Rivulus is a type of fish that ________.
A．likes eating nuts
B．prefers living in dry places
C．is the longest living fish on earth
D．can stay alive for two months out of water
小題2:Who will write up a report on mangrove Rivulus?
A．Patricia Wright.
B．Researchers in Guatemala.
C．Scientists from Belize.
D．Scott Taylor.
小題3:According to the text, lungfish can __________.
A．breathe through its skin
B．move freely on dry land
C．remain alive out of water
D．be as active on land as in water
小題4:What can we say about the discovery of Mangrove Rivulus?
A．It was made quite by accident.
B．It was based on a lab test of sea life.
C．It was supported by an American magazine.
D．It was helped by Patricia Wright.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhua) —U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed on Saturday at the White House that China can have confidence in the American economy.
“Not just the Chinese government, but every investor can have absolute confidence in the soundness of investments in the United States,” Obama said.
“There is a reason why even in the midst of this economic downfall you have seen actual increases in investment flows here in the U. S.,”he said.
Obama also noted the U. S. will push for stricter regulation of the financial industry “front and center” at the upcoming Group of 20 Summit (峰會(huì)) in London ,ending an argument between the Europe and the United States over whether more focus should be placed on financial regulatory reform.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier Friady he is “a little bit worried ”about the safety of Chinese assets (財(cái)產(chǎn)) in the United States ,urging the U. S. government to ensure the security of those assets.
China has invested its huge foreign exchangereserves (外匯儲(chǔ)備) in low-risk but low-yield assets ,such as U. S.government bonds (政府債券) ,to play it safe . According to the U.S. Treasury, China held 681.9 billion U.S. dollars  worth of U.S. government bonds as of November.
“China is indeed the largest creditor of the United States, which is the world’ s biggest economy .We are extremely interested in developments in the U. S. economy.”said Wen, adding that he is expecting the effect of the measures taken by the U.S.government to counter the global financial crisis.
Asked to react to Wen’ s concern, Lawrence Summers, director of the U.S. National Economic Council, noted on Friday that the U.S. will be sound steward (管家)of the money it invests.
“This is a commitment that the president has made very clear—we need to be sound stewards of the money we invest.”said Summers in a speech at the Brookings Institution, a leading think tank in the united states.
小題1:Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A．Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed his worry about the huge fund to the United States.
B．Obama claimed that China can have confidence in the American economy.
C．Obama said that the U. S. would be “sound stewards of the money we invest.”
D．The U. S. will push for stricter regulation of the financial industry.
小題2:It can most likely be inferred from the passage that          .
A．the U. S. is now having great difficulty improving the economy.
B．China will have confidence in Obama forever according to Wen’s speech
C．China held 681.9 billion U.S. dollars worth of U.S.government bonds as of November
D．China will do its best to help the U.S. overcome the global financial crisis.
小題3: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier Friday he is “a little bit worried”, because       .
A．he doesn’t have confidence in America’ s economy at all
B．China lent a huge fund to the United States
C．he is concerned about the security of China’s assets in the U. S.
D．the U.S. refused to ensure the security of China’s assets
小題4:The underlined word “soundness” in the second paragraph can be replaced by “      ”
A．loudnessB．safetyC．richnessD．friendship

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

BEIJING, Nov. 25, 2005（Reuters）— China’s home-grown human bird flu vaccine① is at least a year away from hitting the market but tests on humans have been approved by the government, head of the research drug company said on Friday.
Development of the vaccine started last year after bird flu outbreaks in Thailand and Vietnam and animal trials have already been completed, said Yin Wei-dong, managing director of Sinovac Biotech.
“It is not a virus that is spreading from human to human，so we are very optimistic②,” Yin told Reuters in an interview.
The deadly H5N1 made its first known jump to humans in Hong Kong in 1997, killing six people. The virus appeared again in late 2003 and is known to have infected 130 people in several parts of Asia, killing 68 of them.
“It is not decided yet when the human trials will begin. We just got approval on November 22 by the State Food and Drug Administration,” Yin said.
Oregon, Nov. 26, 2005（AP）— The deadly strain of bird flu that appeared in Asia and has already spread to other parts of the world has not affected the Oregon poultry③ industry or consumers, according to Oregon State University researchers.
There are many strains of bird flu that do not usually infect humans. But one strain, called H5N1, has jumped from chickens to humans and is blamed for more than 60 deaths in Asia.
International disease control experts are worried about a worldwide outbreak of bird flu, raising concerns such as whether it is safe to eat poultry.
But Oregon State University researchers say there is no proof that the virus can jump to humans by eating cooked poultry products.
“Consumers needn’t be overly concerned about bird flu,” said Jim Hermes, OSU Extension Service poultry specialist. But he urged consumers to follow standard food safety practices in preparing poultry —including washing hands while preparing food, and proper cooking of poultry meat and eggs.
He noted that a 2003 outbreak of bird virus caused much damage to commercial poultry operations in California but did not get into Oregon because of industry safeguards.
Notes:
vaccine  n. 疫苗
optimistic  adj. 樂觀的
poultry  n. 家禽
Choose the best answers according to the above:
小題1: Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the first news report?
A．Human trials have already started but not yet successful.
B．Bird flu killed 68 Asian people in its second outbreak.
C．The bird flu virus is not one that spreads from human to human.
D．The government has agreed to have the vaccine tried on humans.
小題2:What does the first news report mainly talk about?
A．The new outbreak of the bird flu.
B．How the development of the bird flu vaccine is going on.
C．How many people died of bird flu.
D．What measures the government has taken to stop the spreading of bird flu.
小題3:What does the underlined word “strains” probably mean?
A．signs.B．symbols.C．kinds.D．diseases.
小題4:What can we know from the second news report?
A．Because of the safety guards, Oregon poultry industry didn’t suffer any loss in the 2003 outbreak of bird flu.
B．People in Oregon are not concerned about bird flu.
C．People will develop bird flu even if they eat well-cooked poultry products.
D．H5N1 has caused more than 60 deaths worldwide.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

YANGON -- Myanmar has officially accepted an offer of the United States to send humanitarian aid(人道主義援助) to the country's cyclone(颶風(fēng);暴風(fēng))victims, state radio reported Friday in a night broadcast Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Thu gave the assurance Friday, saying that the country is receiving such relief aid from any country without limit at this time according to its policy(政策) of dealing with the disaster, the report said.
Kyaw Thu denied rumors about Myanmar's turning down of such relief materials from Western countries but accept those from nations in good relations with Myanmar, saying that the country has never done so in this case.
Kyaw Thu said that well wishers abroad may make cash donation（捐贈(zèng)）through Myanmar embassies（使館）stationed there, while those who like to donate relief goods may present at the Yangon International Airport and seaports.
According to the report, the US relief aid would arrive in Yangon in days.
A foreign ministry's statement said earlier on Friday that at this moment, the international community can best help the victims by donating emergency provisions such as medical supplies, food, cloth, electricity generator, and materials for emergency shelter or with financial assistance," adding that "Myanmar will wholeheartedly welcome such course of action".
The government and the people of Myanmar are grateful to the friendly nations, the United Nations, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, private individuals and others for their sympathy and generosity." it said.
小題1:Which of the following is true?
A．The US relief aid was turned down at first and then accepted.
B．The US relief aid has been sent to the capital city of Myanmar.
C．There are rumors（謠言）that Myanmar has turned down the US relief aid.
D．Myanmar will wholeheartedly welcome such course of action but the US relief aid.
小題2:We Chinese may denote money to help the country's cyclone victims（受害者） through_____.
A．Myanmar embassies in Beijing.
B．the Yangon International Airport
C．the United Nations
D．the Yangon International seaports.
小題3:What can the international community（組織）best help the victims in Myanmar?
A．medical suppliesB．financial assistance
C．electricity generatorD．a(chǎn)ll of the above.
小題4:What is Myanmar’s policy toward the aids from abroad?
A．Myanmar prefers cash donation to relief goods.
B．Myanmar only receives emergency provisions such as medical supplies, food, cloth, electricity generator, etc.
C．Myanmar receives donation relief aid from any country without any limit.
D．Myanmar prefers relief goods to cash donation.
小題5:The title that best expresses the idea of the passage is _______.
A．How to help Myanmar.
B．Myanmar accepts US humanitarian aid officially.
C．Myanmar is receiving relief aid from any country without limit.
D．The government and the people of Myanmar are grateful.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

NEWS BRIEF
●Prime Minister Tony Blair new allegations(指控) on Thursday that he misled Parliament and the public in making the case for the war in Iraq after he disclosed his chief legal adviser’s written opinion raising questions about the legality(合法) of the war.
●U.S. Forest Service officials are reminding people to stay off Forest Service roads that are closed. The fine for disobeying the rule of road closures is a maximum of ＄5,000 fine and/ or six months in prison. Those who enter the area and cause road damage may also be required to pay for repairs.
●In a second study presented at the meeting, scientists from the UK and Denmark showed that even a few days of high temperatures can severely reduce production of crops such as wheat,  soybeans, rice and groundnuts, if it occurs when the plants are flowering.
●A bomb exploded in Thailand’s mainly Muslin south on Sunday, killing two policemen and wounding three others, a day after Thailand’s queen condemned those behind a 15-month wave of violence(暴力).
●Mechanicsburg 3, West York 1: Ken Stamper and Rusty Bowman had seven kills each, and Ryan Warfield had six to lead the Wildcats past the Bulldogs, 25-11, 25-15, 15-25, 25-23, in a non-league match.
小題1:The news brief covers _____________.     
A．war, law, violence, culture and agriculture
B．sports, war, violence, politics and climate
C．politics, culture, violence, climate and sports
D．violence, sports, politics, law and agriculture
小題2:From the news brief, we can learn that ____________.
A．the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats by 3-1 in a non-league match
B．Forest Service roads are closed for repairs before they are opened again
C．quite a few violent accidents happened in Tailand before the latest one
D．the British people think the decision made by Blair about the war is of legaliry
小題3:According to the U.S. Forest Service officials, those who enter the area and damage the closed roads __________.
A．shall have to pay a $ 5,000 fine for the repairs to them
B．shall be fined or put in prison, and may pay for the repairs
C．shall be fined $ 5,000 and kept in prison for six months
D．shall pay a fine and repair the roads as a punishment
小題4:The study of the scientists from the UK and Denmark is about ____________.
A．the importance of climate and the growth of crops
B．the damage caused by high temperatures to some crops
C．the relationship between crops flowering and high temperatures
D．the effect of high temperatures on the production of some crops

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Intellectual property (IP) is a product of the mind that has commercial value. The concept dates back to 1623 when the first patent law to protect IP sights was passed. IP rights protect the artist from having his/her creative ideas copied by another. For example, if somebody generated an idea for a novel, that idea is protected by IP rights. If someone else wishes to represent the idea or develop it further, he/ she must consult the original artists, who will normally be rewarded financially for its use. Back in the 17th century, IP rights were primarily carried out to protect newly developed manufacturing processes against stealing. But today, intellectual property rights, are also enjoyed by those who creative music, art and literature.
In recent years, IP rights have been the focus of a great deal of discussion because of a technology which looks set to weaken them altogether; the Internet. Many years ago, if you wanted a recording of a song, you would have to purchase it from a music store; if a novel, form a book store. In those days, IP rights were easily protected since it was very difficult to obtain intellectual property without paying for it. However, a lot of IP, including songs, films, books and artwork, can be downloaded today free of charge using the Internet. This practice has now taken the world by storm, dramatically affecting the way in which we view IP rights.
小題1:According to the writer, in the beginning, If rights were mainly of use to ______.
A．those creating music, art and literatureB．novelists
C．engineers and inventorsD．those not receiving financial reward for their work
小題2:What do we know about the internet according to the passage?
A．It makes IP rights harder to protect.B．It sells songs and films.
C．It does not affect the way we understand IP rights.D．It prevents the production of artwork.
小題3:According to paragraph 2, what has “taken the world by storm”?
A．Intellectual property rights.B．The Internet.
C．Free downloadingD．The large number of songs, films and books.
小題4:A possible title for this passage could be ______.
A．A History of IP RightsB．Ways to Protect Your IP Rights.
C．The Present and the Future Of IPD．IP Rights and Our Attitudes

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It’s generally believed that people act the way they do because of their personalities and attitudes. They recycle their garbage because they care about the environment. They pay $5 for a caramel brulee latte because they like expensive coffee drinks.
It’s undeniable that behavior comes from our inner dispositions（性情）, but in many instances we also draw inferences about who we are, as suggested by the social psychologist Daryl Bern, by observing our own behavior. We can be strangers to ourselves. If we knew our own minds, why should we need to guess what our preferences are from our behavior? If our minds were an open book, we would know exactly how much we care about the environment or like lattes. Actually, we often need to look to our behavior to figure out who we are.
Moreover, we don’t just use our behavior to learn about our particular types of character --- we infer characters that weren’t there before. Our behavior is often shaped by little pressures around us, which we fail to recognize. Maybe we recycle because our wives and neighbors would disapprove if we didn’t. Maybe we buy lattes in order to impress the people around us. We should not mistakenly believe that we always behave as a result of some inner disposition.
Whatever pressures there can be or inferences one can make, people become what they do, though it may not be in compliance（符合）with their true desires. Therefore, we should all bear in mind Kurt Vonnegut’s advice: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
小題1:According to the passage, personalities and attitudes are commonly believed to _______.
A．determine one’s behaviorB．reflect one’s taste
C．influence one’s surroundingsD．result from one’s habits
小題2:Which of the following would Daryl Bern most probably agree with?
A．The return of a wallet can indicate one’s honesty.
B．A kind person will offer his seat to the old.
C．One recycles plastics to protect the environment.
D．One buys latte out of love of coffee.
小題3:What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in the passage?
A．We fail to realize our inner dispositions.
B．We can be influenced by outside pressures.
C．Our behavior is the result of our true desires.
D．Our characters can shape our social relationships.
小題4:What does the author mainly discusses in the passage?
A．Personalities and attitudes.B．Preferences and habits.
C．Behavior and personalities.D．Attitudes and preferences.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


B
London: It's well known that Charles Darwin's famous theory of evolution (進(jìn)化) annoyed many people because it was against the Biblical view of creation. But few know that it also created problems for Darwin at home with his deeply religious wife, Emma.
"Darwin held back the publication of On the Origin of Species to avoid offending (觸怒) his wife," says Ruth Padel, the naturalist's great－great－granddaughter. "Emma told him that he seemed to be putting God further and further off", Padel says in her north London home. "But they talked it through, and Emma once said, ‘Don’t change any of your ideas for fear of hurting, me.’ ”
As the world celebrates the 200th birthday of the man who changed scientific thought forever and the 150th anniversary of his book today, even his opponents admitted he was a giant figure.
Though opposition to his theory, continues, it is the elegant explanation of how species evolutes through natural selection that makes his 200th birthday such a major event.
More than 300 celebrations have been planned in Britain alone, where Darwin's face graces (使增光) the 10－pound bill along with that of Queen Elizabeth II.
Shrewsbury, the central England town where Darwin was born and raised, is holding a month-long festival for its most famous son. Down House, his former home near London, will hold a permanent exhibition recreating some of his most famous experiments.
Many more events have been planned all over the world.
What would he be doing if he were alive today? Padel thinks he would properly be studying DNA and the immune system.
45．The main purpose of the author is______.
A．to say something about Darwin and his wife
B．to introduce Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution
C．to sing high praise for the book On the Origin of Species
D．to report some celebrations of Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of his books
46．Which of the statements is NOT true based on the passage?
A．Everyone agrees with Darwin now.
B．Darwin was brought up in Shrewsbury.
C．Emma was not really fond of his theory.
D．Darwin was very interested in living things.
47．The underlined phrase "held back" in the second paragraph probably means______.
A．prevented from                                                         B．kept a secret
C．cared about                                                                 D．put off
48．It can be inferred that the passage is most probably______.
A．a(chǎn) scientific report                                                     B．a(chǎn) news report
C．a(chǎn)n English composition                                           D．a(chǎn) text

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