閱讀理解

　　Farmers grow cocoa trees in the shady areas of rainforests near the Earth's equator．These trees can be difficult to grow．They require an exact amount of water, warmth, soil and protection．After about five years, cocoa trees start producing large fruits called pods．The seeds inside these pods are harvested to make chocolate．

　　Today we travel around the world exploring the history of chocolate．Its story begins with a plant whose scientific name, The obroma cocoa, means “food of the gods”．People have been enjoying the rich flavor of chocolate, a product made from this plant．

　　Most people know that chocolate is made from cocoa and that the origins of chocolate can be traced back to Central and South America．For centuries, the natives there regarded cocoa as a gift from the gods．But how did chocolate go from being the food of the gods to being the food of love?

　　Historians believe the Maya of Central America first learned to farm cocoa plants around two thousand years ago．The Maya took the cocoa trees from the rainforests and grew them in their gardens．They cooked the cocoa seeds, and then crushed them into a soft substance．They used the cocoa bean as the main part in a dark, bitter drink that we would call “chocolate”．They believed that chocolate had mystical characteristics－ but cocoa also had commercial(商業(yè)的)value．In fact, cocoa beans were used as a form of currency that was worth its weight in gold!

　　The explorer Christopher Columbus brought cocoa seeds to Spain after his trip to Central America in 1502．But the Spanish explorer Conquistador Hernando Cortez was the first European explorer to realize cocoa's commercial possibilities．When he arrived in the New World in 1519, he soon established his own cocoa factory．In 1529, Cortez returned to Spain and introduced chocolate－ as a drink mixed with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon－to European society．

　　The wealthy people of Spain first enjoyed a sweetened type of the chocolate drink．Later, the popularity of the drink spread throughout Europe．The English, Dutch and French began to plant cocoa trees in their own countries．Chocolate remained a drink that only wealthy people could afford to drink until the eighteenth century．During the period known as the Industrial Revolution, new technologies helped make chocolate less costly to produce．

　　It caught on－especially with the noble people, who enjoyed hot chocolate as an aphrodisiac(a kind of medicine)．As its popularity spread, people found new ways to make and use chocolate．These days, chocolate is enjoyed as both a tasty treat and a romantic gift everywhere．

(1)

According to historians, cacao trees were first planted in ________．

[　　]

A．

South America

B．

Central America

C．

Spain．

D．

Africa

(2)

Cocoa trees are difficult to grow because they require these EXCEPT ________．

[　　]

A．

protection

B．

warmth

C．

soil of good quality

D．

plenty of fertilizer

(3)

According to the passage, which one is NOT RIGHT? ________．

[　　]

A．

Christopher Columbus brought cacao seeds to Central America．

B．

The wealthy people of Spain first didn't enjoy a chocolate drink．

C．

Chocolate is made from the branches of coco trees．

D．

At first only wealthy people could afford to drink chocolate．

(4)

Which is the right order of the events according to when they happened?

①The English, Dutch and French began to plant cocoa trees in their own colonies．

②Christopher Columbus brought cocoa seeds to Spain．

③Cortez set up his own cocoa plantation．

④Cortez introduced chocolate to European society．

[　　]

A．

②③④①

B．

②③①④

C．

②④③①

D．

③②④①

(5)

Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．

History of chocolate, as rich as its taste．

B．

Chocolate, food of the gods．

C．

Value of chocolate, as costly as gold．

D．

Chocolate, food of love．

答案：1．B;2．D;3．D;4．A;5．A;
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：053

閱讀理解:閱讀下列短文, 從所給的四個選項中, 選出最佳答案。 

    Animals seem to have the sense to eat when they are hungry and　　 they do not eat more than their bodies need. It has been demonstrated　　 (證實) that rats will, when given a choice over a period of time,　　 prefer water with vitamins (維生素) to water without vitamins, even　　 though there is no difference in taste or smell between the two water　　 bottles. When a fragrant flavor (香味) was added to the　　 vitamin—enriched liquid, the rats did seem to develop a taste for it　　 and kept drinking it, even after the vitamins were switched (轉(zhuǎn)) to　　 the clear water. In time, however, they broke the habit and went back　　 to where the necessary vitamins were.

　　

　　    In an experiment, babies of 6 to 12 months old were placed in a　　 cafeteria (自助食堂) with a wide selection of baby food before them.　　 They were given whatever food they pointed to or appeared interested　　 in. We are told that at first they showed some unusual eating　　 patterns, but over a period of time they managed to select a well　　 balanced diet (飲食).

　　

　　     So, in selecting food, rats and babies do seem to know and act on　　 what's best for them. Clearly, there is a kind of "body wisdom" which　　 humans soon lose. Most of us do not eat as wisely as we could. Many　　 of our food preferences are culturally determined and influenced (影　　 響) by long-established habits. Some people eat fox, dog and　　 blackbirds, while we eat cows and pigs. So what people eat and how　　 much they eat seems to be greatly influenced by what is going on　　 around them.　　

　　

(1)In the experiment on rats, a fragrant flavor was added to the　　 rat's drinking water to ________.

[　　]

A. encourage rats to drink it　　 　　

B. find out what kind of flavor rats prefer　　 　　

C. test whether rats know which drink is with fragrant flavor　　 　　

D. demonstrate that vitamins are tasteless　　 　　

(2)The expression "the habit" in the first paragraph refers to　　 drinking water which __________.　　　　　　　　　　

[　　]

A. has no smell　　 B. is tasteless

C. has vitamins　　 D. is flavored　　 　　

(3)As far as their eating habits are concerned, babies and rats　　 are similar (相似) because ___________.　　　　　　

　　

[　　]

A. both have the wisdom to choose a balanced diet　　 　　

B. both prefer flavored food and drink　　 　　

C. both have the same eating patterns　　 　　

D. both develop a taste for the same kinds of flavors　　 　　

(4)In the experiment mentioned in the second paragraph, babies　　 were _________.

A. given many choices of drinks　　 　　

B. provided with various kinds of baby food　　 　　

C. placed and fed in a cafeteria　　 　　

D. trained to select a balanced diet　　 　　

(5)According to the passage, adults' (成年人) eating habits differ　　 from those of babies because ____________.　　　　

　　

[　　]

A. adults know better than babies what kinds of food are good for their health　　 　　

B. adults usually cannot resist the temptation of various delicious foods　　 　　

C. adults' eating habits are closely related to the social and cultural customs　　 　　

D. adults have more choices of food than babies in eating patterns

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：053

閱讀理解：

閱讀 下列短文，從所給的四個選項中，選出最佳答案。

“We're more than half way now: it's only two miles farther to the inn (小客棧),” said the driver.

　“I'm glad of that!” answered the stranger. He wanted to say more but the east wind blew right down his throat whenever he tried to speak.

　“You don't feel the cold so much at twenty below zero out in the Western Country. There's none of the coldness,” he said, adding, “and wetness.”

　“You'll have a cold drive going back,” he said anxiously, and put up his hand for the twentieth time to see if his coat collar (衣領(lǐng)) was as close to the back of his neck as possible. He had wished a dozen times that he were in his warm old hunter's clothes which he had often worn in the worst of weather in the Northwest.

　“I shall not have to go back!” said the girl in a loud voice, with eager pleasantness. “I'm on my way home now. I drove over early just to meet you at the train. We had word that someone was coming to the inn.”

1． How far was the drive from the train to the inn?　　　

[　　]

A． One mile　　　　　　 B． Two miles

C． less than four miles　　　D． A little over four miles

2． The driver was ________.　　　

[　　]

A． an old man　　　　　　B． a stranger

C． a girl　　　　　　　 　D． from the Western Country

3． From the passage we know that the two speakers were facing _______.

[　　]

A． west　　　B． east　　　C． northwest　　　D． south

4． According to the stranger, in the west the winters are ________.　　　

[　　]

A． cold and relatively dry

B． cold and relatively wet

C． wet and relatively warm

D． warm and relatively dry

5． After leaving the stranger at the inn, the driver ________.　　　

[　　]

A． had to return to the railway station

B． was going home

C． was going to see the inn keeper

D． had to leave by train

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科目：高中英語 來源：河北省唐山一中2009屆高三上學(xué)期調(diào)研考試(一)英語試題 題型：050

閱讀理解

　　When Joe Bates was twelve years old, he lost interest in school．He stopped listening in his classes．Some of his teachers began to consider him a problem．

　　But a few of Joe’s teachers thought that Joe might have lost interest in schoolwork because he already understood it．They proposed that Joe try taking a university class in computer science．Joe did．He was the best student in the class．Later tests showed that his intelligence and knowledge were far greater than most children of his age．He entered university when he was thirteen, about four years earlier than most children．And by the time he was in his early twenties, Joe was teaching computer science at a university．

　　Joe’s story shows what can happen when a child’s unusual ability is recognized．Sadly, however, not all gifted children get this recognition．And educational experts say unusually gifted children may waste their abilities if they do not get help to develop them．

　　Studies show that almost twenty percent of students who fail to complete high school in the United States are gifted children．

　　This is because gifted children can have special problems as well as special abilities．Teachers may not recognize their abilities or may not know how to keep them interested．Or they may consider such students to be troublemakers or rebels．

　　Gifted children may feel lonely or different because they do not know other children who share their interests．

　　Educators say there are more than two million gifted children in the United States today．But they say fewer than half are taking part in special education programs designed for them．

　　One of the most successful programs is held every summer at John Hopkins University in the state of Maryland, where Joe Bates went to school．It started in 1980 when educators saw that there must be many children like Joe．

　　At first, only 100 children took part in it, and now more than 1,000 children between the ages of nine and sixteen are students in the summer program．

　　The John Hopkins program provides studies in math and science．It also has classes for children with unusual ability in language and writing．The children study the same subject every day for several weeks．It could be biology, or history, or English literature．In those few weeks, they learn as much as in a normal nine-month school year．

　　William Durden, the director says the program succeeds because it permits children to make progress more quickly than in a traditional program．And the children get to meet others like themselves．

(1)

Joe Bates stopped listening in his classes because ________．

[　　]

A．

he lost interest in school

B．

he hated those teachers who considered him a problem

C．

he had already understood what he was taught

D．

he wanted to take a university class

(2)

When a child’s unusual ability is recognized, ________．

[　　]

A．

he can do whatever he likes

B．

he will no longer be considered to be a troublemaker or rebel

C．

he may have more success than most children of his age

D．

he will certainly take part in a special education program

(3)

According to the passage, the most important thing is to ________．

[　　]

A．

recognize and develop gifted children’s unusual abilities

B．

design and support special education programs for gifted children

C．

help gifted children get to meet others who share their interests

D．

encourage gifted children instead of treating them as a problem when they lost interest in school

(4)

Quite a lot of gifted students fail to complete high school in the United States because ________．

[　　]

A．

they take part in traditional education programs

B．

their unusual abilities are not recognized

C．

their teachers don’t know how to keep them interested in schoolwork

D．

they have special problems as well as special abilities．

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科目：高中英語 來源：黑龍江哈爾濱九中2009屆高三上學(xué)期第五次月考英語試題 題型：050

閱讀理解

　　The age of wealthy youth is over．Today's under-thirties are the first generation for a century who can expect a lower living standard than their parents．

　　Research into the lifestyle and prospects of people born since 1970 shows that they arelikely to face a lifetime of longer working hours, lower job security and higher taxes than the previous generation．

　　When they leave work late in the evening they will be more likely to return to a smallrented flat than to a house of their own．When, eventually, they retire it will be on pensions(養(yǎng)老金)far lower in real terms than those of their immediate ancestors．

　　The findings are revealed in a study of the way the ageing of Britain's population isaffecting different generations．

　　Anthea Tinker, professor of social gerontology at King's College London, who carried out much of the work, said the growth of the proportion(比例)of people over 50 had reversed the traditional flow of wealth from older to younger generations．

　　“Today's older middle-aged and elderly are becoming the new winners,” she said．“Theymade relatively small contributions in tax but now makerelativelybigclaimsonthe welfare system．Generations born in the last three to four decades face the prospect of handing over more than a third of their lifetime's earnings to care for them”．

　　The growing number of older people, many living alone, has also increased demand forproperty and pushed up house prices．While previous generations found it easy to raise a mortgage(抵押), today's under-thirties have to live with their parents or rent．If they can afford to buy a home it is more likely to be a flat than a house．

　　Laura Lenox-Conyngham, 28, grew up in a large house and her mother did not need to work．Unlike her wealthy parents, she graduated with student and postgraduate loan debts of ￡13, 000．She now earns about ￡20,000 a year, preparing food to be photographed for magazines．Her home is a one-bedroom flat in central London and she rents the lounge sofa-bed to her brother．

　　“My father took pity and paid off my student debts,” she said．“But I still have no pensionand no chance of buying a property for at least a couple of years－and then it will be some-thing small in a bad area．My only hope is the traditional one of meeting a rich man．”

　　Tinkers research shows Lenox-Conyngham is representative of many young professionals, especially in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol．

(1)

By saying “the growth of the proportion of people over 50 had reversed the traditional

flow of wealth from older to younger generations”(Lines 23, Para．5), Anthea Tinker

really means that ________．

[　　]

A．

currently wealth flows from old generation to younger generation

B．

traditionally wealth flows from younger generation to old generation

C．

with the increasingly big population of over 50, the trend arises that wealth flows

from younger generation to old generation

D．

with more and more people of over 50, traditions have been reversed

(2)

Why are today's older middle-aged and elderly becoming the new winners?

[　　]

A．

Because they made relatively small contributions in tax, but younger generation will possibly hand over more than a third of their lifetime's earnings for the care of them．

B．

Because they contributed a lot in tax and now can claim much on the welfare system．

C．

Because they made small contributions, but now can make money easily．

D．

Because they outnumber(在數(shù)量上超過)younger generation and enjoy more privileges in the present society．

(3)

Which factor pushed up house prices?

[　　]

A．

Many young men, who live alone, have increased demand for houses．

B．

Many young men need to rent more houses．

C．

It is easy to apply for a mortgage for young generation．

D．

The number of older people, many of whom live alone, becomes bigger and bigger．

(4)

We can conclude from the passage that ________．

[　　]

A．

today's under-thirties are leading a miserable life in Britain

B．

Laura Lenox-Conyngham's attitude to work and life represents that of many young professionals in Britain

C．

life can get harder for under-thirties in Britain

D．

elders enjoy extremely high living standard in Britain

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科目：高中英語 來源：廣東省普寧市城東中學(xué)2010屆高三第二次月考英語試題 題型：050

閱讀理解

　　So far, scientists have named about 1.8 million living species(物種), and that’s just a small part of what probably exists on Earth．With so many plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms covering the planet, it can be tough to figure out what type of spider is crawling up your leg or what kind of bird just flew by．

　　A soon-to-be-launched Website might help．An international team of researchers has announced the creation of a Web－based Encyclopedia of Life(EOL)．The project aims to catalogue every species on Earth in a single, easy-to-use reference guide．

　　To get the encyclopedia started, the creators will use information from scientific databases that already exist．And eventually, in special sections of the site, nonscientists with specialized knowledge will join．Gardeners, for example, will be able to record the dates that their flowers first bloom each year．Bird-watchers will be able to input which birds they’ve seen and where．The technology for this kind of tool has only recently become available．

　　As the EOL develops, you might find it useful for school projects．The site will have special pages for kids who are studying ecosystems in their neighborhoods．To make sure the encyclopedia is accurate, scientists will review much of the information added to it．People who visit the site will be able to choose to skip pages that haven’t been reviewed．

　　Another convenient characteristic of the EOL is that you’ll be able to pick the level of detail you see to match your interests, age, and current knowledge．If you wanted to learn about polar bears for a science class report, for example, you could use the“novice”setting to get basic information about the animals．On the“expert”setting, on the other hand．you could get much more detailed information about the history, literature, and exploration of polar bears．

　　It now takes years for scientists to collect all the data they need to describe and analyze species．The creators of the Encyclopedia of Life hope that their new tool will speed that process．

　　Keep an eye on www.eol.org．Pages will begin to go up sometime next year, and you might find them useful for your school reports．The EOL team might have the basics for all 1.8 million entries online as early as 2017．Someday, you might add your own notes．

(1)

What is implied in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?

[　　]

A．

No one can become an expert on spiders and birds．

B．

So many spiders have crawled up your leg

C．

There are far more than 1.8 million living species．

D．

Scientists have named a lot of living species

(2)

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

[　　]

A．

You can find information of all living species online in 2017．

B．

Nonscientists will be able to add their own notes to the website．

C．

The kids preparing school reports can not have access to the informat’0 n’

D．

You are not free to choose the amount of detailed information．

(3)

What does the underlined word“novice”probably mean in Paragraph 5?

[　　]

A．

Beginner．

B．

Specialist．

C．

Scientist．

D．

Pupil．

(4)

Who are the intended readers of this passage?

[　　]

A．

Students．

B．

Researchers．

C．

Bird watchers or Gardeners．

D．

People in general

(5)

What is the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．

Exploring Polar Bears

B．

Visit Our Website Now

C．

How to Do School Projects

D．

E-book of Life．

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