Jones worked so hard that made the sparks fly from his hammer．The son of Mr．Smith, a rich neighbor, used to come to see the blacksmith and he would enjoy himself watching how the tradesman worked．"Why don't you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks?" said the blacksmith．"Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you." The lazy boy began to see what he could do．But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.

Old Mr. Smith died and the son on account of the war lost all his goods．He had to leave home and was forced to take up residence in another country．It so happened that in this village there were numerous shoemakers who were spending a lot of money to buy tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers' shoes.

Young Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that he had learned the art of making tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers．He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in his workshop．The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer．"How funny it seems," he used to say, "even making tacks can bring a fortune．My trade is more useful to me than were all my former riches."

1．From Paragraph 1 we can refer that _______

  A．Jones was a blacksmith from another country

  B．Old Smith wanted his son to learn skill from Jones

  C．Young Smith was too lazy to learn to make shoe tacks

  D．Young Smith was good at making shoe tacks by accident

2．The reason why young Smith was forced to leave his home town is that ______

  A．he was lazy and wasted all the money from his father

  B．the price of shoe tacks in another country was high

  C．his father died and left nothing for him

  D．there was a terrible which broke his peace

3．We can learn from the last paragraph that Young Smith _______

  A．made a living in the village by selling bread

  B．worked in the workshop as a shoemakers

  C．was good at making soldier shoes

  D．lived a better life in the village than before 

4．Which of the following well-known sayings can best tell the main idea of the passage?

  A．Knowledge is no burden.

  B．Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

  C．You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

  D．Time lost cannot be recalled.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2013屆四川省射洪縣射洪中學(xué)高三高考模擬英語(yǔ)卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

I want to talk about the economy．Not "the economy" we hear about endlessly in the news each day and in politicians' speeches．I want to talk about the real economy, the one we live in day by day．
Most people aren't particularly interested in "the economy"．"Share prices are flying high; interest rates are soaring;  the Dow Jones Index closed sixty-three points down on 8472．35．" We hear this and subconsciously switch off．
Notice that "the economy" is not the same as the economy, "The economy" is what men in suits play with to make vast personal wealth．The economy is where the rest of us live on a daily basis, earning our living, paying our taxes, and purchasing the necessities of life．
We are supposed to be benefiting from all the advantages of a well-off society．So why do we feel tired and stressed? We have no time for anything other than work, which is ridiculous given the number of labor-saving devices in our lives．Our towns become more and more crowded．We poison our air and seas, and our food is full of chemicals．There's something wrong here．If times were truly good, then you may think we'd all feel optimistic about the future．Yet the majority of us are deeply worried．More than 90 percent of us think we are too concerned about ourselves and not concerned enough about future generations．
The term "economic expansion" suggests something desirable, but expansion simply means spending more money．More spending doesn't mean that life is getting better．We all know it often means the opposite - greed, crime, poverty, pollution．More spending merely feeds our whole economic system, which is based on production and consumption．Unless money keeps circulating,  the economy breaks down．If we don't keep consuming,  the whole system goes into stalemate（僵局）．
How do we break the cycle and make some changes? We need to become far more aware of the results of our actions．We buy clothes that are made in sweat shops by virtual slaves in poor parts of the world．We create mountains of waste．We demand cheap food,  mindless of the fact that it totally lacks taste and is produced using chemicals that poison the land．
The consumption culture makes us unaware of the effect of our own behavior．Our main problem is not that we don't know what to do about it．It is gathering the desire to do it．
【小題1】According to the author, which one belongs to the real economy?

A．The Dow Jones Index．
B．Increases in interest rates
C．Skyrocketing share prices
D．Shopping in a supermarket
【小題2】It can be concluded from Paragraph 4 that        ．
A．people are benefiting from a well-off society
B．the future generation is a big concern for most people
C．people still feel much pressure despite labor-saving devices
D．the majority of people are optimistic about the future
【小題3】What is true about economic expansion?
A．It guarantees a better life for us．
B．It may lead to some social problems．
C．It will stop the circulation of money．
D．It has only brought desirable effects．
【小題4】The author writes the passage mainly to       ．
A．call on us to change our behavior
B．suggest a solution for over-consumption
C．make a distinction between two economies
D．inform us of the effects of economic expansion

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2010年上海市晉元高級(jí)中學(xué)高三下學(xué)期第一次模擬考試（英語(yǔ) 題型：閱讀理解

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes---khaki pants and sports shirt---to the office. He hardly ever wears necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday.” “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing,” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productive. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
72. David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because_______.
A. he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt
B. he couldn’t stand a clean appearance
C. he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time
D. he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes
73. David Smith wears casual clothes now, because________.
A. they make him feel at ease when working
B. he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes
C. he looks handsome in casual clothes
D. he no longer works for any company
74. According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
A. Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code..
B. Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.
C. A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.
D. All the employers in the U.S are for casual office wear.
75. In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except ______.
A. saving employees’ money                   B. making employees more attractive
C. improving employees’ motivation         D. making employees happier

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2012屆安徽省宿州二中高三第四次檢測(cè)英語(yǔ)卷 題型：閱讀理解

If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of "early bilinguals" who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
"Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language," said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. "Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (靈活的),"he said. "You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas."
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. "Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world," explained the scientists.
【小題1】The main subject talked about in this passage is ______.

A．science on learning a second language
B．man’s ability of learning a second language
C．1anguage can help brain power
D．1anguage learning and maths study
【小題2】 In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to ______.
A．say language is also a kind of physical labor
B．prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language
C．to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language
D．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well
【小題3】We may know from the scientific findings that ______.
A．the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is
B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn't know a second language
C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people's brain
D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time
【小題4】The underlined word “bilingual'’ probably means ______.
A．a(chǎn) researcher on language learning
B．a(chǎn) person who is good at learning foreign languages
C．a(chǎn) person who can speak two languages
D．a(chǎn)n active language learner

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2011-2012學(xué)年湖南省華容縣高二上學(xué)期期末考試英語(yǔ)試題（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday. This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale（士氣）. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
【小題1】David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because __________.  

A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt
B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance
C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time
D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes
【小題2】David Smith wears casual clothes now, because __________.  
A．they make him feel at ease when working
B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes
C．he looks handsome in casual clothes
D．he no longer works for any company
【小題3】According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE? 
A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code.
B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.
C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.
D．All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear.
【小題4】According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?   
A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago.
B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s.
C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers.
D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people.
【小題5】In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except __________.    
A．saving employees’ money
B．making employees more attractive
C．improving employees’ motivation
D．making employees happier

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：0910學(xué)年廣東省湛江市高二上學(xué)期期末考試 題型：閱讀理解

 

Computer programmer David Jones earned $ 150,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank prepared to let him have a check card (信用卡). Instead, he has been told to wait another two years until he is 18.

He works for a small firm in Liverpool, where most young people of his age are finding jobs. David”s biggest headache is what to do with his money. Though he has high payment, he cannot drive a car, or get credit cards.(信用卡)

David got his job four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-Levels(普通成績(jī)) and working for a time in a computer shop. “I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs,” he said.

“I suppose $150,000 sounds a lot but I hope it will come to more than that this year.” He spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother $20 a week as he lives with his parents. But most of his spare time is spent working.

“Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school,” he said. “ But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway. I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement(退休) is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear.

11. why is David so different from other young people of his age?

A .He has got a job.                                      B. He lives at home with his parents

C .He does not get out much.                    D. He earns a high payment

12. David’s greatest problem is that _____.

A. he can’t be treated as an adult (grown-up) by the bank

B. he can’t make as many games as he wishes

C .he doesn’t know what to buy with the money

D. he is too young to drive a car

13. He was employed by the company because _____

A .he had worked in a computer shop

B. he had written some computer programs

C. he is clever and works hard at his lessons

D. he had learnt computer from books and magazines

14. He left school after taking six O-Levels because ____.

A. he was afraid of getting too old to start computing                     B. he didn’t enjoy school

C. he wanted to work with computers                                                  D. he wanted to earn a lot of money.

15. Why does David think he might retire early?

A. He thinks computer games might not always sell so well.

B. He wants to stop working when he is a millionaire.

C. One has to be young to write computer programs

D. He thinks his firm might close down.

 

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