The relationship between humans and animals has always been complex. Some cultures have developed entire belief systems around favored animals. Even in cultures with less formal belief systems, connections between people and animals still lead to commonly accepted opinions about animals.
These belief systems usually develop around the animals that interact (互动) with humans most frequently. Therefore, it should not be surprising that so many stories surround the most common of animals: rats. Rats live side by side with humans all over the world and regularly interact with people. Human-rat coexistence may be common all around the world, but different cultures respond to that closeness in different ways.
In the United States and Europe, one typical attitude is that the rat is a pest. This could be due to the common belief that rats spread disease. Actually, they don’t, at least not directly, but many people don’t know that. The Pied Piper of Hamlin, a well-known children’s story, is one example of how rats have been described in Western literature: in that story, rats cause such a problem that a town has to hire a piper to call them all away.
In many Latin American countries, the rat is described in a very different way. The story of the tooth fairy (a fairy believed by children to leave money while they sleep in exchange for a tooth that has come out) is common all over the world, but in Latin America, the “fairy” is a rat! Rats do have very strong teeth, which could explain the association. Clearly, this shows another attitude toward rats that is much more positive.
Yet another attitude toward the rat can be seen in the Chinese Zodiac (生肖). The Rat is one of the animals of the Zodiac. Like the other zodiac animals, the Rat is neither entirely good nor entirely bad. It’s described as clever and friendly, but also tricky and not entirely honest. That may be the most accurate description of the rat so far. Whether you like rats or not, it’s hard to deny their reputation for cleverness.
As many people are discovering these days, rats can even make excellent pets, so long as you remember to close the cage carefully!
【小题1】What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．A trend of keeping rats as pets. |
| B．How different cultures look at rats. |
| C．How humans get along with animals. |
| D．Favored animals in different cultures. |
| A．unpleasant | B．honest | C．smart | D．unusual |
| A．the tooth fairy is lovely |
| B．rats look very frightening |
| C．rats are welcome in Latin American countries |
| D．the story of the tooth fairy is common all over the world |
| A．don’t spread disease |
| B．should be treated as pests |
| C．are fairly described in the Chinese Zodiac |
| D．are kept as pets by more and more people |
| A．travel guide | B．news report | C．nature magazine | D．history textbook |
【小题1】B
【小题2】A
【小题3】C
【小题4】C
【小题5】C
解析试题分析：什么动物和人亲近？和人打得交道越多，这种动物也就越受重视。比如老鼠，在不同的文化中，老鼠的形象和代表的意义也不相同。有的认为它们是害虫，有的视为祥瑞，有的养做宠物......你怎么看？
【小题1】推理判断题。文章主要讲述了不同的国家和地区的人们对待老鼠的不同态度。尤其根据Therefore后面的叙述可知选B。
【小题2】细节理解题。由“in that story, rats cause such a problem that a town has to hire a piper to call them all away.”可知，老鼠引起了大麻烦以至于人们不得不请来吹笛人驱逐老鼠。所以是 unpleasant 讨厌的；honest诚实的；smart时髦的；unusual经常的。故选A。
【小题3】细节理解题。由“ but in Latin America, the “fairy” is a rat! ”可知，老鼠是小精灵表明拉丁美洲的人们很欢迎老鼠。故选C。
【小题4】细节理解题。根据“Like the other zodiac animals, the Rat is neither entirely good nor entirely bad. It’s described as clever and friendly, but also tricky and not entirely honest. ”可知，老鼠在十二生肖中还是得到了公平的描述：不好也不坏，聪明友好，还有点滑。故选C。
【小题5】推理判断题。本文介绍了老鼠在不同国家地区和文化环境中的不同对待态度，因此应该摘自自然杂志。travel guide旅游手册； news report新闻报道； nature magazine自然杂志；history textbook历史教科书。故选C
考点：科普类阅读。
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
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.
It is called the United States Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement.Local leaders have agreed to follow the suggestions of the Kyoto Protocol in their communities.They have also agreed to urge state and federal governments to follow these suggestions.One goal is to reduce air pollution to the 1990 levels by 2012.
A “green” city might work on several kinds of environmental goals and programs.These include air quality，reducing electricity use, green building, public health, the reuse of materials, water quality and clean transportation.
The Natural Resources Defense Council works to protect the environment through action, law and science.One of its online projects is called Smarter Cities, which lists some cities that have made important environmental steps.
Washington，D.C.is also a leading city for green roofs，with over 92,000 square meters of green rooftops.The city also launched a program called “Skip the Bag，Save the River.”Stores charge people a fivecent tax for using plastic or paper shopping bags instead of reusable bags.Money from the tax will be used to clean up a local river.
New York City is using water as a renewable energy source.For several years, the city has experimented with water in the East River to create energy.Officials operating the program recently asked for permission to put into place 30 river turbine devices.
The people of Portland, Oregon are among the top recyclers in the nation.People living there recycle over half of the waste they throw out.The city has also worked to provide green transportation by providing safe bike paths and free parking spaces where electric cars can get recharged.
In Oakland, California, you can ride on one of several public hydrogenpowered(氢气作燃料的) buses.These buses release zero pollution into the air.However，they cost about five times more than common buses.
【小题1】The United States Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement is aimed at________.
| A．reducing energy use |
| B．reducing air pollution |
| C．improving public health |
| D．reusing waste materials |
| A．To clean a local lake that has been polluted. |
| B．To get enough money for the green roof project. |
| C．To prevent shoppers from using reusable bags. |
| D．To collect money for an environmental project. |
| A．building green rooftops |
| B．making transportation clean |
| C．being good at recycling waste |
| D．using renewable energy source |
| A．its high cost | B．side effect |
| C．zero pollution | D．large space |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination and physical, cognitive (认知的), and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles. Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, and to resolve conflicts.
Ideally, much of play involves adults, but when play is controlled by adults, children acquiesce (顺从) to adult rules and concerns and lose some of the benefits play offers them, particularly in developing creativity, leadership, and group skills. In contrast to passive entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies. In fact, it has been suggested that encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to increase physical activity levels in children, which is one important strategy in the resolution of the obesity problem.
Children’s development is critically influenced by appropriate, affective relationships with loving and consistent caregivers as they relate to children through play. When parents observe their children in play or join with them in child-driven play, they are given a unique opportunity to see the world from their children’s vantage point as the child navigates a world perfectly created just to fit his or her needs. The interactions that occur through play tell children that parents are fully paying attention to them and help to build enduring relationships. Parents who have the opportunity to look at their children’s world learn to communicate more effectively with their children and are given another setting to offer guidance. Less verbal children may be able to express their views, giving their parents an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of their perspective. Quite simply, play offers parents a wonderful opportunity to engage fully with their children.
Play is essential to the academic environment. It ensures that the school setting attends to the social and emotional development of children as well as their cognitive development. It has been shown to help children adjust to the school setting and even to strengthen children’s learning willingness. Social-emotional learning is best integrated (融合) with academic learning; it is concerning if some of the forces that enhance children’s ability to learn are improved at the expense of others. Play and unscheduled time that allow for peer interactions are important components of social-emotional learning.
【小题1】Compared with undirected play, play which is controlled by adults ________.
| A．doesn’t benefit the children at all |
| B．doesn’t help develop leadership and group skills |
| C．makes children become more active |
| D．helps increase physical activity levels |
| A．play offers parents a good chance to establish good relationships with children |
| B．children’s development is greatly influenced by relationships with parents |
| C．play helps children better express their views |
| D．play offers parents a unique opportunity to see the world from a different perspective |
| A．play can’t help children become adapted to the school setting |
| B．play makes social-emotional learning and academic learning separated |
| C．play is beneficial to social-emotional learning as well as academic learning |
| D．it is necessary to strengthen children’s academic development at the expense of others |
| A．Undirected play can help children develop team spirit. |
| B．Play can improve children’s willingness to learn. |
| C．Play helps adults gain a better understanding of the children’s thoughts. |
| D．Adults shouldn’t be involved in children’s play. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed. For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”
【小题1】Which of the following is true of amusics?
| A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them. |
| B．They love places where they are likely to hear music. |
| C．They can easily tell two different songs apart. |
| D．Their situation is well understood by musicians. |
| A．dislikes listening to speeches | B．can hear anything nonmusical |
| C．has a hearing problem | D．lacks a complex hearing system |
| A．her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier |
| B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy |
| C．her problem could be easily explained |
| D．she were able to meet other amusics |
| A．Amusics’ strange behaviours. |
| B．Some people’s inability to enjoy music. |
| C．Musical talent and brain structure. |
| D．Identification and treatment of amusics. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
阅读下面短文，从各题A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Your brain isn’t a muscle, but you can treat it like one
Many people focus on physical fitness, but few know that brain fitness is also something you can work on. In fact, you can exercise your brain as often as you do to your arms or legs —and the results can be positive and empowering.
To improve your brain, you can’t simply repeat the same exercises over and over. Just as lifting a two—pound weight will stop challenging you, so will repetitive exercises such as crosswords or Sudoku. Once you master easy exercises, you must move on to harder ones in order to push your brain —like your muscles —to a new level. 
The science behind brain training
Scientists once believed that your mental abilities were fixed in adulthood. Since studies have shown just the opposite, millions of people around the world have adopted the new practice of brain training. The most popular of these brain training products is made by the San Francisco—based Lumosity. Lumosity's scientists with an experienced team of game designers have developed a fun，effective online brain training program that measures，tracks，and adapts to your progress，so you'll always be challenged.
Promising studies on the effects of brain training
In a 2013 Stanford study，a treatment group of 21 breast cancer survivors used 12 weeks of Lumosity training to work on processing speed，mental flexibility，and working memory tasks. On average，those who trained improved on tests of these abilities，compared to a group that did not train with Lumosity.
There is even some evidence suggesting that Lumosity may be beneficial to normal，healthy adults. In a 2011 study by Lumosity and San Francisco State University researchers. 13 people who trained over 5 weeks improved working memory scores by 10％and attention scores by 20％.
Brain training is designed to meet real-life needs
The design of brain training is targeted at real-life benefits instead of improving game scores. Better attention，for example，can mean greater focus in the classroom or at an important business meeting. With improved processing speed，you might react and adapt faster to the demands of a busy life. And a better memory could mean stronger，longer relationships with the people closest to you.
【小题1】We can learn from the passage that _________.
| A．brain training speeds up the recovery of breast cancer |
| B．your brain is like a muscle because it gives you power |
| C．people's mental abilities can't develop after they grow up |
| D．Lumosity can measure，track and suit your level as you improve |
| A．Better attention. | B．A better memory. |
| C．Better writing skills. | D．Higher processing speed. |
| A．People should care more about physical health instead of mental health. |
| B．Brain training has been proved effective through scientific researches. |
| C．A bad memory is the only reason for weak relationships with people. |
| D．Playing online games is the best way of brain training. |
| A．Brain Training Makes a Difference | B．Train Your Brain like a Muscle |
| C．Lumosity，Your Best Choice | D．How to Train Your Brain |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Siri. The intelligent assistant that helps you get things done. All you have to do is ask. 
Now you can use your voice to use your iPhone 4S. Just talk to Siri as you would to a person: “Do I need an umbrella?” or “Where’s the closest ATM?” Siri not only understands what you say, it knows what you mean. It figures out the right apps to use to find the right answer. Then, just like a personal assistant, it answers you. Siri makes phone calls, sends messages, schedules meetings, sets reminders, and more. How much more? Just ask, and Siri tells you that, too.
Dual-core A5 chip: the most powerful iPhone ever. 
Two cores in the A5 chip provide up to two times more power and up to seven times faster graphics. And you’ll feel the effects. iPhone 4S is quick and responsive, which makes all the difference when you’re launching apps, surfing the web, gaming, an doing just about everything. And no matter what you’re doing, you can keep on doing it. Because the A5 chip is so power-efficient, iPhone 4S has outstanding battery life.
FaceTime. It’s even better face-to-face.
FaceTime of iPhone 4S lets you hear a voice and see the face that goes with it—iPhone to iPhone, iPad 2, iPod touch, or Mac over Wi-Fi. So no matter where they are, no matter where you are, you’ll always be there. Making a FaceTime call is just as easy as making a phone call. And it’s even easier with Siri. Just tell Siri “FaceTime with Mom” and you show up, smile and wave hello. You’ll never miss a big event, an important meeting or a good laugh. And who wouldn’t be happy to see your face?
【小题1】The passage is mainly about __________.
| A．how to use iPhone 4S | B．some models of iPhone 4S |
| C．some special uses of iPhone 4S | D．how to understand some pictures |
| A．It can take photos. | B．It can make videos. |
| C．It can write messages. | D．It can answer questions. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．It can be used together with Siri. |
| B．It allows you to see the other person’s face. |
| C．It allows you to hear the other person’s voice. |
| D．It can only be used between iPhone and iPhone. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Having a child may improve a woman’s memory, a new study suggests.
In the study, women who were new mothers scored better on tests of visuospatial memory – the ability to understand and remember information about their surroundings—compared with women who didn’t have children.
The findings contradicts the old belief that women develop“baby brain" or a decline in memory and cognitive(认知的) function, after they have kids, said study researcher Melissa Santiago, a doctoral student at Carlos Albizu University in Miami. “You don’t have to feel that because you have kids, your memory isn’t the same," Santiago said.
The study was small, and the findings will have to be tested in larger groups of people, Santiago said.
Previous studies on the topic have had mixed results—some showed motherhood hurts cognition, and others showed the opposite. Studies on rats show those with pups have better memory than those without offspring.
Santiago analyzed information from 35 first-time mothers whose children were ages 10 to 24 months, and 35 women who had never been pregnant. Both groups scored similarly on intelligence tests. The average age of mothers was 29 and the average age of never-pregnant women was 27.
To test visuospatial memory, the women were shown a paper containing six symbols for 10 seconds, and then asked to draw what they remembered. This task was repeated several times. The first time women were shown the paper, both groups remembered about the same amount. But on the second and third pass, mothers performed better than those without children, indicating that the mothers collected more information each time than the other women.
Later, the women were shown a variety of different symbols, and asked to remember which ones were presented on the earlier task. Mothers did not make a mistake in this task—they remembered every symbol correctly—but those without children made one or two errors, Santiago said.
【小题1】 How did Santiago lead to the findings?
| A．By observation. | B．By comparison. |
| C．By analyzing intelligence tests. | D．By asking women questions. |
| A．The study received little attention. |
| B．The study has just started. |
| C．The study was carried out among a small group of people. |
| D．A small group of researchers were involved in the study. |
| A．Ways to test visuospatial memory. |
| B．Why having kids improves memory. |
| C．How young mothers are different from never-pregnant women. |
| D．The negative effects that worries of women without children have. |
| A．may cause a heated discussion among parents |
| B．may cause an increase in the birth rate |
| C．are tested by previous similar studies |
| D．are encouraging news for mothers |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Among all the fast growing science and technology, the research of human genes, or biological engineering as people call it, is drawing more and more attention now. Sometimes it is a hot topic discussed by people.
The greatest thing that gene technology can do is to cure serious diseases that doctors at present can almost do nothing with, such as cancer and heart disease. Every year, millions of people are murdered by these two killers. And to date, doctors have not found an effective way to cure them. But if the gene technology is applied, not only these two diseases can be cured completely, bringing happiness and more living days to the patients, but also the great amount of money people spend on curing their diseases can be saved, therefore it benefits the economy as well. In addition, human life span(寿命) can be prolonged. www.zxxk.com
Gene technology can help people to give birth to healthy and clever children. Some families, with the English imperial family being a good example, have hereditary(遗传的) diseases. This means their children will for sure have the family disease, which is a great trouble for these families. In the past, doctors could do nothing about hereditary diseases. But gene technology can solve this problem perfectly. The scientist just need to find the wrong gene and correct it, and a healthy child will be born.
Some people are worrying that the gene research can be used to manufacture human beings in large quantities. In the past few years, scientists have succeeded in cloning a sheep, therefore these people predict that human babies would soon be cloned. But I believe cloned babies will not come out in large quantities, for most couples in the world can have babies in very normal way. Of course, the government must take care to control gene technology.
【小题1】What does “these two killers” in the second paragraph refer to?
| A．Gene technology and another treatment of the two diseases. |
| B．The two murderers who killed the cloned baby. |
| C．The two diseases of cancer and heart disease. |
| D．Hereditary diseases and cancer. |
| A．How gene technology can be applied in the field of treating hereditary diseases. |
| B．Gene technology can be used to clone human babies. |
| C．Gene technology can help people to give birth to a baby. |
| D．Gene technology can help the English imperial family out. |
| A．Using gene technology, people with hereditary diseases can have more living days. |
| B．Using gene technology, the scientist finds the wrong gene and corrects it. |
| C．Using gene technology, human babies can be cloned. |
| D．Doctors can cure cancer and heart disease with the help of gene technology. |
| A．Expressing the writer’s idea that gene technology will benefit people. |
| B．Telling people the disadvantages of gene technology. |
| C．Telling the readers that gene technology will not benefit people. |
| D．Explaining that gene technology will also do harm to the humanity. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
All too often, a choice that seems sustainable(可持续的)turns out on closer examination to be problematic. Probably the best example is the rush to produce ethanol(乙醇) for fuel from corn. Corn is a renewable resource —you can harvest it and grow more, almost limitlessly. So replacing gas with corn ethanol seems like a great idea.
One might get a bit more energy out of the ethanol than that used to make it, which could still make ethanol more sustainable than gas generally, but that’s not the end of the problem. Using corn to make ethanol means less corn is left to feed animals and people, which drives up the cost of food. That result leads to turning the fallow land –including, in some cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil—into farmland, which in turn gives off lots of carbon dioxide (CO) into the air. Finally, over many years, the energy benefit from burning ethanol would make up for the forest loss. But by then, climate change would have progressed so far that it might not help.
You cannot really declare any practice “sustainable” until you have done a complete life-cycle analysis of its environmental(环境的) costs. Even then, technology and public keep developing, and that development can lead to unforeseen and undesired results. The admirable goal of living sustainably requires plenty of thought on an ongoing basis.
【小题1】What might directly cause the loss of the forest according to the text?
| A．The growing demand for energy to make ethanol |
| B．The increasing carbon dioxide in the air |
| C．The greater need for farmland |
| D．The big change in weather. |
| A．the energy benefit | B．the forest loss |
| C．climate change | D．burning ethanol |
| A．impractical | B．acceptable | C．admirable | D．useless |
| A．Technology | B．Sustainability |
| C．Ethanol energy | D．Environmental protection |
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