Lately, Bolivia has outlawed (宣布……为非法) the use of animals in circus (马戏团) performances, and officials in the South American nation aren’t doing it in a silly way! They say all Bolivian circuses must stop using animals.
Some people welcome the law. They say animals should not be forced to work and that circus creatures are caged in tight spaces when they travel. However, other people say that many of the four legged performers are cared for by animal experts. Plus, they point out, circus animals entertain millions of fans.
Should animals perform in circuses? Student reporters Michael and Emily have done some work on the issue.
Yes, I think animals should be allowed in circus acts. Most circus trainers love and respect the animals they work with and treat them well. Certain rules and regulations also help to ensure that the animals are treated humanely, or with kindness. Millions of people love circus animals. They look forward to seeing elephants and tigers perform. Many of the animals are exotic (奇特的), so people might not get the chance to see them anywhere else. “Circus animals shouldn’t be banned,” says Parker, a sixth grader from Oregon City, “One of the main reasons people go to the circus is to see animals they don’t see every day and to see them do cool tricks.”
Animals should not perform in circuses. When animals are in circuses, they are forced to learn new behaviors in order to entertain humans. Those behaviors may go against their natural instincts (本性). For example, bears hibernate in the winter, but bears in a circus have to perform and can’t hibernate as their bodies tell them to. Also, circus animals have to travel all the time in cages. All that traveling may cause them to become confused or upset because their environment keeps changing. “When animals are removed from their habitat and held in cages ... it changes their behaviors,” points out Anne Northam, a teacher from Friendswood, Texas. “They are no longer selfsufficient (自给自足的).”
【小题1】Which of the following can be a reason why people support the law?
| A．Animals in circuses are given more respect and care. |
| B．Animals in circuses bring a lot of fun for people. |
| C．Animals in circuses can’t live their life naturally. |
| D．Animals in circuses are protected by many regulations. |
| A．She welcomes it. |
| B．She is against it. |
| C．She thinks it acceptable. |
| D．She thinks it useless. |
| A．Enjoy more fun in circuses |
| B．More respect and kindness to animals |
| C．Circuses in Bolivia Open or Closed |
| D．Animals belong in circuses Yes or No |
| A．sleep | B．look for food | C．move from one place to another | D．perform |
【小题1】C
【小题2】A
【小题3】D
【小题4】A
解析试题分析：文章大意：这是一篇新闻类短文阅读。Bolivia宣布马戏团使用动物违法，主要是为了保护动物，不让动物自然生长，不再成为人们赚钱的工具。
【小题1】C 细节题。由第二段的They say animals should not be forced to work and that circus creatures are caged in tight spaces when they travel.可知选C。
【小题2】A 推理题。根据最后一段Annie所说的话When animals are removed from their habitat and held in cages ... it changes their behaviors, They are no longer selfsufficient (自给自足的).推断选A。
【小题3】D 概括题。通读全文，都是在说明马戏团的动物问题，故选D。
【小题4】 A 词义题。根据文章最后一段in the winter, but bears in a circus have to perform and can’t hibernate as their bodies tell them to为答案。
考点：考查新闻类短文阅读
新课标阶梯阅读训练系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their Lives．It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society．I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem．
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees．To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose． But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may softer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs．
Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual．This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement．This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years．This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor．
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly．This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions．Furthermore, some institution should be created for senior daises, which can help provide a comfortable life for them．Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer．The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young．
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.
To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages．Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations．
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The problems faced by the old in society． |
| B．Why we should take responsibility for the old． |
| C．How we can improve the lives of the old． |
| D．Where the old can go to get their pensions． |
| A．Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire． |
| B．Increase savings levels of people during their working years． |
| C．Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old． |
| D．Make available pensions for those who have retired． |
| A．impossible | B．practical | C．useful | D．successful |
| A．Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money． |
| B．Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age． |
| C．Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people． |
| D．There is no single solution to the problems of the old． |
| A．To point out the need for government support for old people． |
| B．To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people． |
| C．To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem． |
| D．To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life． |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
PERTH—Search crews will send a submarine(潜航器)deep into the Indian Ocean on Monday for the first time to try to determine whether signals detected by sound-locating equipment are from the missing Malaysian plane's black boxes, the Australian head of the search said.
Angus Houst on said the crew on board the Ocean Shield will send the underwater vehicle sometime Monday evening. The Bluefin 21 submarine can create a sonar(声呐)map of the area to chartany wreckage(残骸)on the seafloor.
The move comes after crews picked up a series of underwater sounds over the past two weeks that were consistent with an aircraft's black boxes.
“We haven’t had a single detection in six days, and l guess it’s time to go under water,” said Houston.
“Analysis of the four signals has reduced the search area on the ocean floor. The experts have therefore determined that the Australian Defense Vessel Ocean Shield will stop searching with the Towed Pinger Locator(拖曳声波定位仪)later today and use the underwater vehicle Bluefin 21 as soon as possible," he said at a news conference in Perth.
But Houston warned the switch to the submarine will not automatically "result in the detection of the aircraft wreckage. It may not.”
He said the submarine will take 24 hours to do each task, including two hours to dive, 16 hours to search the bottom, then two more hours hack up and four hours to download data.
Recovering the plane's flight data and cockpit(飞行员座舱)voice recorders is necessary For investigators to try to figure out what happened to Flight 370, which disappeared on March 8.
Houston said the search using the submarine will be a slaw and painstaking process.
The submarine takes six times longer to cover the same area as the pinger locator,and will need about six weeks to two months to examine the present underwater zone. The signals are also coming from 4,500 meters (15,000 feet) below the surface, which is the deepest the submarine can dive.
【小题1】The submarine will be sent deep into the Indian Ocean on Monday to _____ .
| A．create a sonar trap of the area |
| B．pick up underwater sounds |
| C．see if the signals detected are from the target black boxes |
| D．reduce the search area on the ocean floor |
| A．will download data of the black boxes |
| B．can find the aircraft wreckage within 24 hours |
| C．will recover the plane's flight data and voice recorder |
| D．can dive to a depth of no more than 4,500 meters |
| A．the switch of the submarine may not function properly |
| B．the Ocean Shield will switch to submarine when it is necessary |
| C．the submarine will detect the wreckage of the plane automatically |
| D．the detection of the wreckage can't be guaranteed by using the submarine |
| A．the underwater sounds were consistent with an aircraft's black boxes |
| B．the submarine travels slowly and the ocean is deep |
| C．they haven't had a single detection in six days |
| D．Ocean Shield stops searching wine the towed pinger locator |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The world’s oldest person, Ms. Baines, died. She celebrated her 115th birthday with congratulations from Barack Obama, President of the United States. Over her life she lived through the terms of 21 US presidents.
Gertrude Baines passed away(去世) peacefully in her sleep at the Western Convalescent Hospital in Los Angeles, where she had lived for her last ten years. Emma Camanag , the hospital’s leader ，said she was a respectable lady. "It is really an honor for the hospital to take care of her over the last 10 years and we will greatly miss her. It is just like we have lost a relative（亲戚）," said Emma.
Ms. Baines, who was born in Shellman, Georgia, in 1894, had no living relatives. She grew up in the southern US during difficult times. During that time, African American people were required to use separate, often poor, public services. She married young and later divorced (离婚). Her only child, a daughter, was born in 1909 and died of a terrible disease at the age of 18. Ms. Baines worked as a maid (女佣) in Ohio before moving to Los Angeles where she lived on her own until she was well over 100.
She once told an interviewer（记者）, "As for the secrets of long life, I do not have any disappointments（失望） in my own life."
She gained some fame when she voted for Mr. Obama in the US presidential election（总统大选）, saying she supported him "because he’s for the colored people". It was only the second time in her life she had voted, the first time being for John F. Kennedy.
Ms. Baines became the world’s oldest person in January. Japanese woman, Kama Chien, 114, has now taken over the title.
【小题1】It was an honor for the hospital to take care of Ms. Baines because ________.
| A．she was a respectable lady |
| B．she was a relative of the hospital’s leader |
| C．she lived in the hospital for years |
| D．she voted for Mr. Obama in the election |
| A．was very popular in the hospital |
| B．did even better than John F. Kennedy |
| C．did good things for African Americans |
| D．congratulated her on her birthday |
| A．Ms. Baines used to serve others in Ohio. |
| B．Ms. Baines died in a hospital in Los Angeles. |
| C．Ms. Baines and her husband had only one child. |
| D．Ms. Baines liked to live alone. |
| A．the world’s oldest person, Ms. Baines |
| B．why Ms. Baines voted for Mr. Obama |
| C．how Ms. Baines lived for so long |
| D．Ms. Baines and President Obama |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Thousands of puffins(海鹦) live in Maine and on islands in the Gulf of Maine. But the puffins may be in danger. Last summer, the percentage of laid eggs that successfully produced baby puffins took a dive. Scientists also found a decline in the average body weight of the adult and baby puffins on Machias Seal Island, home to the area’s largest colony. Over the winter, dozens of the seabirds from the region were found dead, likely from starvation.
What’s causing the puffin trouble? Scientists think it may be a shortage of food. With ocean temperatures rising, fish populations have moved around. Normally, puffins’ primary food source is herring, a type of fish. A lack of herring in the area could be causing the problem.
Butterfish from the south have become more abundant in the Gulf of Maine and could be a new food source for birds. But Steve Kress says butterfish may be too big and round for baby puffins to swallow.
Puffins spend most of their lives at sea. They come ashore to breed each spring and return to the ocean in August. The chicks swim to sea about 40 days after hatching. Puffin populations stretch across the North Atlantic, from Maine to northern Russia.
Maine’s puffin population has been at risk in the past. In the 1800s, they were hunted for their food, eggs and feathers. By 1901, only one pair of puffins remained in the state. Thanks to the help of local lighthouse keepers and seabird restoration programs, the state’s puffin population has been restored to more than 2,000 birds.
Scientists aren’t sure what will happen to the Gulf of Maine’s puffins. The birds may move further north. Kress says he hopes the Gulf population will sustain itself and then he continued. “You never know what climate change will bring,” Kress said. “Historically fish could move out and more southerly fish could move in, and puffins may adapt to the new fish. Only they will know how the story will unfold.”
【小题1】The underlined phrase “took a dive” means _______.
| A．increased | B．arose | C．reduced | D．changed |
| A．a lack of herring | B．environmental pollution |
| C．the increase of birds | D．the huge size of butterfish |
| A．Maine’s puffin once nearly became extinct |
| B．Maine’s puffins’ eggs were of high prices |
| C．baby puffins grew up quickly |
| D．the number of Maine’s puffins is worrying |
| A．climate change matters little |
| B．there is cause for concern |
| C．the new fish won’t harm puffins |
| D．puffins may move to the south |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By asking questions |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
All it took was a slice of Xinjiang cake to spark heated debates online over China's policy on ethnic minorities (少数民族) .
Since Monday, qiegao (cut cake) has been a trending topic on Sina Weibo, China’s main Twitter-like microblogging service.
The cake was a reference to Xinjiang’s famed nut cake, sometimes known by its old Turkic name baklava, a popular pastry across Central Asia and the Middle East. In Xinjiang, they are sold by Uygur vendors on tricycles who are known to charge dubious prices depending on the time and season.
The ethnic flare-up started after the Yueyang police from Hunan province posted a message on their official Weibo account. It reported a dispute in Pingjiang county over an overpriced piece of nut cake between a Xinjiang Uygur vendor and a villager named "Ling".
Villager Ling got into a fight with a Uygur due to a misunderstanding. The verbal dispute eventually escalated into a fight and then a mass fight. As a result, two people were injured and Xinjiang nut cakes worth about 160,000 yuan (US$25,000) were destroyed. The total damage was worth 200,000 yuan which included a broken motorcycle and injuries to people. Local police have detained Ling. The 16 Uygur sellers were dully compensated and sent back to Xinjiang.
"Yueyang police incident" quickly became one of the most popular topics on Weibo. Yueyang police removed the post shortly after. As of Tuesday night, the topic was still amassing more than 66,000 hits.
The incident is just one of many similar cases of ethnic tensions across China, notably in Xinjiang province, where deeply entrenched social and racial frictions between the dominant ethnic Han Chinese and minority Uygur Muslims occasionally spark violence. Many Uygurs living in major Chinese cities are viewed by locals as thieves, crooks and even terrorists.
【小题1】Which of the following is true?
| A．The dispute is between a Xinjiang Uygur vendor and a policeman. |
| B．Nut cake is a popular pastry across East Asia and the Middle East. |
| C．The prices of Baklava will change according to the time and season. |
| D．The demand of the 16 Uygur sellers were refused and they were sent back to Xinjiang. |
| A．160,000 yuan | B．200,000 yuan | C．40,000yuan | D．We don’t know |
| A．World's most expensive baklava |
| B．Ethnic tensions across China |
| C．Pay attention to the Uygurs |
| D．Misunderstanding caused a fight |
| A．Yueyang police are afraid of the Xinjiang Uygur vendor |
| B．It’s not the only ethnic tension across China, |
| C．Many Uygurs living in major Chinese cities are viewed by locals as thieves, crooks and even terrorists. |
| D．Villager Ling got into a fight with a Uygur due to a misunderstanding. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
It was reported last week that developers could take photos from Apple mobile and Google Android devices without the phone owners knowing that the images were being taken. In Apple’s case, developers can also obtain the location information for each photo.
Senator(参议员) Charles Schumer said in a telephone interview that his office had spoken with officials at both Apple and Google on Monday.
“We asked them if they could find a way on their own to prevent Apple from having access to private information,” Mr. Schumer said. “They were friendly and open to the idea that this ought to be changed.”
On Sunday, Mr. Schumer said that he planned to send a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking the agency to investigate Apple and Google after the privacy concerns came to light. Claudia Bourne Farrell, an F.T.C. spokeswoman, said the agency had received the letter but she could not comment further.
“It worries people to think that one’s personal photos, address book, and who knows what else can be obtained and even posted online without permission,” Mr. Schumer wrote in his letter to the F.T.C. “If the technology exists to open the door to this kind of privacy invasion, then surely technology exists to close it, and that’s exactly what must happen.”
Mr. Schumer said if Apple and Google could not come to an agreement to fix the problem, then he would be forced to take the issue further.
He said other companies had been willing to work with his office to fix issues. “I’m optimistic that we can get this changed without any regulation,” he said. “If it’s not changed, then we’ll turn to the F.T.C., and if that doesn’t work then we’ll consider legal approach.”
The F.T.C. has warned companies to try to be more vigilant(警醒的) in their efforts to protect consumers when it comes to privacy.
【小题1】The senators spoke with officials at both Apple and Google___________.
| A．to urge them not to invade consumers’ privacy |
| B．to discuss whether it is illegal to have access to private information |
| C．to stop them from developing the technology of taking photos |
| D．to keep them from obtaining the location information for each photo |
| A．Privacy invasion from Apple has existed for a long time. |
| B．Mr. Schumer takes the privacy concerns caused by Apple and Google seriously. |
| C．Privacy invasion from Google has existed for a long time. |
| D．Apple and Google have decided to make a change. |
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a travel brochure. |
| C．In a science report. | D．In a textbook. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Somali pirates(海盗) robbed three Thai fishing ships with 77 sailors on board nearly l，200 Miles off the Somali coast，the farthest-off-shore attack to date，an officer said Tuesday.
Pirates have gone farther south and east in answer to increased patrols(巡逻)by warships off the Somali shore. The robbing of the three ships Sunday was about 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the international force，said a spokesman．
The spokesman said the attack so far out at sea was a clear sign that the international patrols against pirates were having a “marked effect on pirate activity in the area”.
“Once they start attacking that far out，you’re not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia,” said an officer，Roger Middleton. “Once you’re that far out，it's just the Indian Ocean，and it means you’re looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia，from Asia to South Africa.”
"This is the farthest robbing to date. They are now operating near the Maldives and India,” said another officer.
The three ships--the MV Prantalay 11，12，and l 4—had 77 members on board in total．All of them are Thai, the spokesman said. Before the Sunday robbing，pirates held l l ships and 228 sailors.
Pirates have increased attacks over the past year in hopes。f catching more dollar payments. Because of increased patrols and defenses on board ships，the success rate(率)has gone down，though the number of successful attacks has stayed the same year over year.
【小题1】 The pirate attack reported in the text happened .
| A．far out in the Indian Ocean |
| B．in the normal patrol area |
| C．near the Somali, coast |
| D．in the south of Africa |
| A．More goods on board are lost. |
| B．Pirate attacks happen in a larger area now. |
| C．The number of attacks has stayed the same these years. |
| D．Pirate attacks are as serious as before along the Somali coast. |
| A．The patrols are of little effect. |
| B．The patrols are more difficult. |
| C．More patrols are quite necessary even in Asia. |
| D．The patrols only drive the pirates to other areas. |
| A．228. | B．77. | C．383. | D．305. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Having a teenager at home can be a real headache. Many teenagers smoke, drink and even fight. They often do something dangerous.
Earlier studies have shown that teenagers are more likely (可能) to make irrational decisions than people from any other age group, including children and adults. Is it that teenagers are too young to tell right from wrong? Not really. So what’s the reason?
According to Laurence, a teacher from a US university, the reason is that teenagers care a lot about how their peers (同龄人) view them—that is “peer influence”.
As children enter their teenage years, they spend more time with their friends and classmates, and also they care more about what they think of them. This makes teenagers make decisions without thinking about the costs.
In a test, a group of teenagers were asked to play a video driving game. When they played with their friends watching around them, they took more chances and drove more carelessly because that would increase their possibility of winning. But when they played alone, they drove more safely.
Why do peers have such a big influence on teens’ behavior?
As Laurence sees it, a teenager’s brain is like a car with a good accelerator (油门) but a weak brake (刹车). The “accelerator” is fully developed by teenage years while the “brake” is still not fully developed. When teenagers are watched by their peers, they usually push hard on the accelerator. With their weak brake, it is likely that they are going to end up in an accident.
But the good news is that a violent (暴力的)teenager doesn’t necessarily become a violent adult. About two-thirds to three-quarters of violent youth grow out of it. “They get more self-controlled.”
【小题1】What does the underlined word “irrational” in the 2nd paragraph mean?
| A．Quick. | B．Crazy. | C．Careful. | D．Correct. |
| A．They like difficult tasks. |
| B．They don’t care about costs. |
| C．They are too young to tell right from wrong. |
| D．They care a lot about what their peers think of them. |
| A．By comparing it with how a car works. |
| B．By comparing it with an accident. |
| C．By showing research findings. |
| D．By giving examples. |
| A．use more self-control |
| B．perform better than when they are alone |
| C．become more careful about what they do |
| D．care about winning without thinking about danger |
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