Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew (腱). And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency.
Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch (縫合) in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection. ,科Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.
American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe’s machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines.
Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle(腳踏板) to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer’s hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical, it could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer company became one of the first American multinationals.
However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement（侵犯）. Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties（版稅）. In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention.
小題1:Barthelemy Thimonnier’s garment factory was burned down because _____________.
A．people did not know how to put out the fire
B．Elias Howe thought Thimonnier had stolen his invention
C．the sewing machines was couldn’t work finally
D．workers who feared the loss of their jobs to a machine set fire
小題2:Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?  
A．Singer is an American inventor and manufacturer.
B．The Singer sewing company became more practical.
C．The foot treadle helped to make the sewer’s hands free.
D．Singer made improvements to the design of sewing machines.
小題3:Why did the court force Isaac Singer to pay Elisa Howe a lifetime of royalties?
A．Because the judge was against Singer for his surly attitude.
B．Because Howe had already patented the lockstitch used by Singer.
C．Because Singer had borrowed money from Howe and never repaid it.
D．Because Singer and Howe had both invented the same machine.
小題4:Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A．A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
B．The Case between Howe and Singer
C．Patent Laws on the Sewing Machine
D．The Early History of the Sewing Machine

小題1:D
小題2:B
小題3:B
小題4:D

試題分析：文章介紹了縫紉機的萌芽和早期發(fā)展歷程。以前都是手工操作，后來，不斷有人對縫紉機的發(fā)展做出了貢獻。
小題1:細節(jié)題：根據(jù)第三段“he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.”可知，一些工人放火燒服裝廠是害怕因為機器的發(fā)明而丟掉工作。故選D。
小題2:細節(jié)題：根據(jù)第五段第一句“Isaac Singer, another American inventor...”可知，A、D正確；根據(jù)“This improvement left the sewer’s hands free”可知，C正確；根據(jù)“the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical”可知，B項錯誤；故選B。
小題3:根據(jù)最后一段的第一句“Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented”可知，Singer侵犯了Howe的專利，故選B。
小題4:考查主旨大意。文章介紹了縫紉機的早期發(fā)展歷史，A、B、C太片面。故選D。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The United States is not part of the Kyoto Protocol.But since 2005 more than 1,000 mayors across the country have agreed to sign their own version of the protocol.
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In Oakland, California, you can ride on one of several public hydrogen­powered(氫氣作燃料的) buses.These buses release zero pollution into the air.However，they cost about five times more than common buses.
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A．reducing energy use
B．reducing air pollution
C．improving public health
D．reusing waste materials
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B．making transportation clean
C．being good at recycling waste
D．using renewable energy source
小題4:Which of the following cities encourage citizens to use bicycles?
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C．Portland.　  D．Oakland.
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

These days it’s cheaper to throw that broken DVD player, cell-phone or TV out and buy a new one. This “ replace-rather-than-repair” mentality is polluting the planet with electronic waste. According to the UN Environment Program, we are throwing away an estimated 50 million metric tonnes of electronics waste    (e-waste) per year. But this is not ordinary garbage. Our electronics leak harmful heavy metals — such as mercury and arsenic — along with equally poisonous chemicals that end up in our soil and eventually our water.
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? Electronic Recycling  Association (Canada) (ERA) collects old    computers for donation to libraries and other organizations across Canada.
? eBay’s Rethink Initiative pairs up consumers with businesses that refurbish (再磨光)old computers for donation.
? TechSoup has a thorough   listing of resources for those who would  like   to donate or recycle hardware，buy recycled hardware or find a refurbisher.
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B．there is a good example in the world for recycling
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A．The UN Environment Program.
B．Consumers who buy electronics.
C．President and founder of Redemtech.
D．Guiyu city in Southeastern China.
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

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C．The climate there was warmer and wetter．
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C．It helps redwood trees absorb water in the air．
D．It makes redwood trees more beautiful and appealing．
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B．They are properly watered and catered to．
C．They are more resistant to fire damage than other trees．
D．They produce many young trees to maintain their life cycle．
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C．By inserting holes into old trees．D．By surrounding a mature tree．

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Amika Singh：“Based on the results of our study，we can conclude that being physically active is beneficial for academic performance. There are，first，Physiological explanations，like more blood flow, and so more oxygen to the brain．Being physically active means there are more hormones(荷爾蒙)produced like endorphins(內啡肽)．And endorphins make your stress level lower and  your mood improved, which means you also perform better.”
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小題1:The passage mainly tells us that ＿＿＿＿
A．a(chǎn) research on physical education has been done by the researchers
B．there exists a possibility that physical activity leads to higher grades
C．the amount or kind of activity directly affects academic level
D．the research shows that the children aged 6 to 1 8 don't do sports
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C．They have found many high-quality studies to prove the research．
D．The educators in the research think studies，not exercise，mean much to students．
小題3:The underlined sentence in Paragraph 7 probably means ＿＿＿＿.
A．good marks result from high-quality study
B．findings probably vary in different areas
C．physical activity will spread all over the world
D．a(chǎn)cademic performance depends on the surroundings
小題4:What's the purpose of writing the passage?
A．To call our attention to the sports at school．
B．To introduce all types of physical activities．
C．To represent the academic performance．
D．To improve students' health ．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When Hurricane Phailin hit India in late 2013, it became the largest storm to strike the subcontinent in over a decade. The storm affected more than 12 million people in India and neighboring countries, and damaged or destroyed many houses. However, good news is that cleverly-designed beach house created by architect Ray Huff can survive such strong winds and storm waves.
Located on the shore of an Indian island, Huff’s award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane Phailin.
Huff pointed out that many houses built along shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement(執(zhí)行) of building codes wasn’t strict. After Phailin’s attack, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house should be able to stand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.
At first sight, Huff's house looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be misleading. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced(加固) with long steel rods to give it extra strength.
To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on pilings---long columns of wood anchored(固定) deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also balance the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore at great speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.
Huff designed the wooden pilings to be partially hidden by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs pulled up,” said Huff. In case of a storm wave, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.
小題1:After Hurricane Phailin, new houses built along shore line are required_____.
A．to be easily reinforced
B．to look smarter in design
C．to meet stricter building standards
D．to be designed in the shape of cubes
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A．it is made of redwood
B．it is in the shape of a shell
C．it is strengthened by steel rods
D．it is built with wood and stones
小題3:Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on wooden pilings in order to _____.
A．support the weight of the house
B．a(chǎn)llow the waves to run through the house
C．a(chǎn)nchor stronger pilings deep in the sand
D．prevent water from rushing into the house
小題4:The main function of the shell is_____.
A．to give the house a better appearance
B．to strengthen the pilings of the house
C．to protect the wooden frame of the house
D．to slow down the speed of the swelling water

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Many people don't realize the importance of music education in the schools today．A new study showed, however, music education is extremely important．
In college, music education is one of the largest programs．Teachers have to learn general education materials and techniques． They must learn to play every instrument; they must learn music history and music theory; they must learn instrument repair and teaching methods; they must learn conducting and so much more．At the same time, much of our culture and tradition is absorbed in music．
Music plays a very important role in our education．
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Students learn a lot about languages through music．Many songs are written in other languages, including ancient ones．Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about． A song is likely to be a famous short work set to music; so students are exposed to that very often while singing．
Students learn a huge amount of cooperation （協(xié)作）of body parts through music, so parts of the body can work better together．Students must use motor（肌肉運動的）skills in order to play an instrument．Singers and wind（管樂器）players must learn breath control and be in good shape to play．
Students learn about art． Some famous pieces were written about important pieces of art, and students learn about the artists and styles as they're playing the music．
Music education also brings higher thinking to our children．It allows them to think about complex patterns．Students have to be aware of what every other musician does at every time．In that way, it develops cooperation, as well．They tend to develop more ability for learning．
As one can see, music is very important to education．
小題1:According to the passage, learning music in college will be quite         ．
A．easyB．stressfulC．a(chǎn)ttractiveD．useless
小題2:As to the benefits from music, which of the following is NOT included in the passage?
A．Calculation．B．Language study．
C．Relaxation．D．Cooperation of body parts．
小題3:The underlined word "that" in Para．5 refers to“            "．
A．the musicB．the language
C．the cultureD．the work
小題4:What can we know from the passage?
A．Science and music are extreme poles．
B．Only the wisest person can learn music well．
C．Music is good to our all-round development．
D．All of us know the importance of music clearly．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.
Recite and repeat in conversation
When you hear a person’s name, repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips .You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.
Ask the other person to recite and repeat
You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone, ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.
Admit you don’t know
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say, “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again？”
Use association
Link each person you meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example, you could make a mental note: “Vicki Cheng-tall，black hair”. To reinforce your association, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering everyone. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early
Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That’s fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others-an automatic review for you.
小題1:If you can’t remember someone’s name, you may________
A．tell them the truthB．tell them a white lie
C．a(chǎn)sk him for pityD．a(chǎn)sk others to help you
小題2:The underlined word “reinforce” mostly means “______”.
A．getB．simplifyC．strengthenD．collect
小題3:When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember______
A．a(chǎn)ll their namesB．a(chǎn) couple of names first
C．just their last namesD．a(chǎn)s many names as possible
小題4:What does the text mainly tell us?
A．How to recite and repeat namesB．Importance of attending parties
C．How to make use of associationsD．Tips on an important social skill

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