科目： 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
It is generally believed that we are getting cleaned when we step under a shower. We are, but we’re also giving a home to lots of tiny little creatures we didn’t even know about. A showerhead carries thousands of bacteria called Mycobacterium．These can cause problems like coughs and tiredness, and a general feeling of poorliness (身體不舒服). When you turn on the water, the bacteria go from the showerhead onto and into your body.
This is a finding of Norman R. Pace and his team at the University of Colorado, in the US. The scientists investigated bacteria in all kinds of human environment, including showers．Pace's team looked at 45 showerheads in nine American cities. They discovered that 30 percent of them had large amounts of flying Mycobacterium.
But Pace said that they pose few threats to the health．Only those with a weak immune system might need to worry．He told the New York Times that the bacteria are not as unpleasant as might be thought．He said that having a shower is no more dangerous than anything else we do in the morning．
But for those who feel sick about the idea of all those microorganisms (微生物), he had some advice. Let the water run for 30 seconds before getting into the shower. Why? The number of bacteria is smaller than that when the water is just turned on. If that seems like a waste of water, he added that you could also change your showerhead every few months.
However, Pace had good news too. He has also been testing the air in US subways. Apart from iron particles (粒子), which are ground off the track by the wheels of trains, subway air is fresh. The reason is that a train’s movement pumps fresh outdoor air into the tunnels.
Pace explained that he wanted to understand the natural microbial environments of public places. This kind of knowledge might help discover the microbes to be used in a bioterrorist (生物恐怖分子) attack.
【小題1】From the finding of Norman R. Pace, after taking a shower, we might cough or feel tired because .
| A．it’s easy to get a cold when taking a bath |
| B．the showerhead carries many bacteria causing illness |
| C．we don’t get cleaned while showering |
| D．we don’t get a weak immune system |
| A．Hot water could kill most of bacteria in showerheads. |
| B．Of 45 showerheads surveyed in nine cities, 30 carried large amounts of Mycobacterium. |
| C．Changing showerheads is the only way to avoid microorganisms. |
| D．Shower water contains much less bacteria after being left to run for 30 seconds. |
| A．having a shower in the morning is more dangerous than at other time |
| B．the bacteria always threat people’s health |
| C．there is no reason to fear microorganisms for people with strong immune system |
| D．it is better to do some exercise in the morning than have a shower |
| A．cause | B．a(chǎn)void | C．describe | D．promise |
| A．The train’s movement. | B．Iron particles． |
| C．Train wheels. | D．Air conditioners on the trains． |
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科目： 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy．After all，you probably sing or whistle when you are happy．
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy．However，they sing most of the time for a very different reason．Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory
Do you know what a“territory”is? A territory is an area that an animal，usually the male，claims(聲稱)as its own．Only he and his family are welcome there．No other families of the same species(物種)are welcome．Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome．If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you，you might shout．Probably this would be enough to frighten him away．
If so，you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him．A bird does the same thing．But he expects an outsider almost any time，especially at nesting(筑巢) season．So he is screaming all the time，whether he can see an outsider or not . This screaming is what we call a bird’s song，and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away．
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs．
You can see that birds have a language all their own．Most of it has something to do with attracting mates and setting up territories．
【小題1】Some scientists believe that most of the time birds’singing is actually ．
| A．a(chǎn) way of warning | B．a(chǎn)n expression of happiness |
| C．a(chǎn)n expression of anger | D．a(chǎn) way of greeting |
| A．A place where families of other species are not accepted． |
| B．An area which a bird considers to be its own． |
| C．An area for which birds fight against each other． |
| D．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its Voice． |
| A．Because they want to invite more friends |
| B．Because they want to find outsiders around． |
| C．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away． |
| D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears． |
| A．By comparing birds with human beings． |
| B．By reporting experiment results． |
| C．By describing birds’ daily fife． |
| D．By telling a bird's story． |
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科目： 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
October 15th is the Global Handwashing Day. Activities are planned in more than 20 countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap. For example, donors（捐贈(zèng)者） will give 150,000 bars of soap to schools in Ethiopia.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands every day, but very few use soap at so-called important moments. These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
Global Handwashing Day is the idea of the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap. Partners include the United Nations Children’s Fund, American government agencies, the World Bank and soap makers Unlever and Procter and Gamble. The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germ(細(xì)菌). They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub（揉搓） it into all areas, including under the fingernails（指甲）. Rub for at least twenty seconds. Then rinse well under running water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth or wave them in the air.
The Partnership for Handwashing says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend in washing hands. Soap also helps to break up the dirt that holds most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell. The Partnership for Handwashing also says washing with soap before eating or after using the toilet could save more lives than any vaccine(疫苗)or medicine. Hand washing could also prevent the spread of other diseases. When people get germs on their hands, they can infect（感染）themselves by touching their eyes, noses or mouths. Then they can infect others.
【小題1】What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Say no to washing hands in the wrong way. |
| B．Find out why washing hands carefully is so important. |
| C．Hand washing: so important----it gets a day of its own. |
| D．Want to live a longer life?-wash your hands. |
| A．to dry your hands | B．to wash away the soap |
| C．to rub your hands carefully | D．to clean your fingers |
| A．how to wash your hands correctly |
| B．why washing hand with soap is so important |
| C．the dangers of washing hands without soap |
| D．when we should especially wash our hands with soap |
| A．Medical care | B．Public service | C．Health report | D．Advertisement |
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科目： 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
One might expect that the evergrowing demands of the tourist trade would bring nothing but good for the countries that receive the holidaymakers. Indeed, a rosy picture is painted for the longterm future of the holiday industry. Every month sees the building of a new hotel somewhere. And every month another rockbound Pacific island is advertised as the ‘last paradise(天堂) on earth’．
However, the scale and speed of this growth seem set to destroy the very things tourists want to enjoy. In those countries where there was a rush to make quick money out of seaside holidays, overcrowded beaches and the concrete jungles of endless hotels have begun to lose their appeal.
Those countries with little experience of tourism can suffer most. In recent years, Nepal set out to attract foreign visitors to fund developments in health and education. Its forests, full of wildlife and rare flowers, were offered to tourists as one more untouched paradise. In fact, the nature all too soon felt the effects of thousands of holidaymakers traveling through the forest land. Ancient tracks became major routes for the walkers, with the consequent exploitation of precious trees and plants.
Not only can the environment of a country suffer from the sudden growth of tourism. The people as well rapidly feel its effects. Farmland makes way for hotels, roads and airports; the old way of life goes. The onetime farmer is now the servant of some multinational organization; he is no longer his own master. Once it was his back that bore the pain; now it is his smile that is exploited. No doubt he wonders whether he wasn't happier in his village working his own land.
Thankfully, the tourist industry is waking up to the responsibilities it has towards those countries that receive its customers. The protection of wildlife and the creation of national parks go hand in hand with tourist development and in fact obtain financial support from tourist companies. At the same time, tourists are being encouraged to respect not only the countryside they visit but also its people.
The way tourism is handled in the next ten years will decide its fate and that of the countries we all want to visit. Their needs and problems are more important than those of the tourist companies. Increased understanding in planning worldwide tourism can preserve the market for these companies. If not, in a few years' time the very things that attract tourists now may well have been destroyed.
【小題1】What does the author indicate in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?
| A．The Pacific island is a paradise. |
| B．The Pacific island is worth visiting. |
| C．The advertisement is not convincing. |
| D．The advertisement is not impressive. |
| A．its natural resources are untouched |
| B．its forests are exploited for farmland |
| C．it develops well in health and education |
| D．it suffers from the heavy flow of tourists |
| A．They are happy to work their own lands. |
| B．They have to please the tourists for a living. |
| C．They have to struggle for their independence. |
| D．They are proud of working in multinational organizations. |
| A．The number of tourists. |
| B．The improvement of services. |
| C．The promotion of new products. |
| D．The management of tourism. |
| A．optimistic | B．doubtful |
| C．objective | D．negative |
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科目： 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
What's going to happen in the future? Will robots take over our planet? Will computers become smarter than us? Not likely. But here are some things that scientists say are most likely to happen 10 to 30 years later from now, according to the BBC.
1．Digital money
We used to pay with cash for everything we bought. Now when we swipe(刷) our bus pass or use a credit card to shop online, money is spent without us even seeing it. In fact, we are already using one type of digital money.
You have to admit that using a card is much easier than searching your pockets for change. It is also safer than carrying a lot of cash.
When ATM cards were first introduced, they were not accepted everywhere. But now it's hard to live without them. People in Sweden completely stopped using cash last year, according to the Associated Press, and the US might be next.
2．Bionic(能力超人的)eye
It's no longer something only in a scifi movie. People who are blind may have a chance to get their sight back—by wearing bionic eyes.
A blind eye can no longer sense light, but a bionic eye can use a camera to “see” the environment and send data directly to the brain.
Although the bionic eye that's out now only allows patients to see lights and unclear shapes, a highresolution(高清晰度的) version could be just a few years away.
3．Selfdriving cars
Everything is going automatic these days—washing machines, ticket selling machines and even cars. Unlike a human driver, a selfdriving car won't get distracted by a phone call, the radio or something outside the window. Sensors and cameras on the car would allow it to stick strictly to the rules of the road and keep a safe distance from other cars. This would greatly reduce the number of road accidents. You could even take a nap while the car drives itself.
Many vehicle companies are now planning selfdriving cars. “By 2040, driverless vehicles will be widely accepted and possibly be the dominant vehicles on the road，” said Jeffrey Miller, professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, US, in Wired magazine.
【小題1】The underlined word “distracted” in the article is closest in meaning to “________”．
| A．directed | B．discouraged |
| C．a(chǎn)ttacked | D．disturbed |
| A．optimistic | B．pessimistic |
| C．doubtful | D．cautious |
| A．Learning Kit | B．Campus Trends |
| C．Entertainment | D．Technology |
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科目： 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution has just published a report on new materials and has looked at the case of nanotechnology（納米技術(shù)）, which describes the science of the very small. Nanotechnology covers those man-made materials or objects that are about a thousand times smaller than the microtechnology（微電子技術(shù)）we use, such as the silicon chips of computers.
Nanotechnology gets its name from the nanometer, which is a billionth of a meter. There are about 600 consumer products already on the market that use nanotechnology. Nanomedicine is also being developed to fight cancer and other fatal diseases.
The Royal Commission found no evidence of harm to health or the environment from nanomaterials, but this “absence of evidence” is not being taken as “evidence of absence”. In other words, just because there are no apparent problems, this is not to say that here is no risk now or in the future. The commission is concerned about the pace at which we are inventing and adopting new nanomaterials, which could result in future problems that we are ill-equipped to understand or even find with current testing methods.
One of the problems about nanotechnology is that when we make something very small out of a well known material, we may actually change the functionality of that material even if the chemical composition remains the same. Indeed, it is not the particle（顆粒）size that should concern us, but its functionality. Take gold, for example, which is a famously inert (惰性) substance, and valuable because of it. It doesn’t rust or corrode because it doesn’t interact with water or oxygen. However, a particle of gold that is between 2 and 5 nanometers in diameter becomes highly reactive. This is not due to a change in chemical composition, but because of a change in the physical size of the gold particles. How can a change in size result in a change of function? One reason is to do with surface area. Nanoparticles have relatively a much bigger surface area. It is like comparing the surface area of a basketball with the total surface area of many pea-sized balls with the same weight of the single basketball. The pea-sized balls have a surface area many hundreds, indeed thousands of times bigger than the basketball, and this allows them to interact more easily with the environment. It is this increased interactivity that changes their functionality—and makes them potentially more dangerous to health or the environment.
【小題1】Why does the writer mention microtechnology in the first paragraph?
| A．to introduce the topic of nanotechnology |
| B．to help us better understand nanotechnology |
| C．to help us know more about microtechnology |
| D．to compare microtechnology with nanotechnology |
| A．gold is valuable because it is an inert substance |
| B．a(chǎn)n inert substance like gold doesn’t interact with water or oxygen |
| C．the function of gold is steady because it is an inert substance |
| D．the function of gold changes when made into something very small |
| A．expand surface area →increase interactivity → change functionality→cause possible dangers |
| B．expand surface area → change functionality → increase interactivity →cause possible dangers |
| C．increase interactivity → expand surface area → change functionality→cause possible dangers |
| D．increase interactivity → change functionality → expand surface area→cause possible dangers |
| A．the introduction of nanotechnology and its wide use |
| B．the present use of nanotechnology and its future |
| C．the potential danger nanotechnology may bring us |
| D．the proposal to stop nanotechnology due to the potential danger |
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科目： 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Special trees that grow faster, fight pollution, produce better wood, and even sense chemical attacks are being planted by scientists in the US．
When 40 per cent of Hawaii's US$14 million-a-year papaya （木瓜）industry was destroyed by a virus five years ago, work began on creating genetically engineered（轉(zhuǎn)基因的）trees．
Researchers successfully introduced seeds that were designed to resist the virus．Since then, more and more people have been testing genetically engineered trees．Some researchers put special bacteria into trees to help them grow faster and produce better wood．Others are trying to create trees that can clean polluted soil．Meanwhile fruit farmers are looking for trees that are strong enough to resist worms, and paper companies want trees that produce more wood and therefore more paper．
The Pentagon （五角大樓） even gave the researchers US$500,000 this year after they developed a pine tree that changes its colours if it senses a chemical attack．So far, the poplar, eucalyptus （楊樹與桉樹）, apple and coffee trees are among those being engineered．All this can be done today because we have a better understanding of tree genomes （基因組）．
However, some people fear that the genetically engineered trees will cause dangerous results．They are worried that the new trees will breed with natural species and change the balance of the forest environment．
“It could be destructive,” said Jim Diamond, an environmentalist. “Trees are what is left of our natural environment and home to many endangered species.”
But researchers insist that science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers．They hope to answer the critics by stopping the new trees from breeding, so their effect on the environment can be controlled．
【小題1】Which kind of tree is not the ones that scientists are planting in the US?
| A．Trees that worms can't hurt． |
| B．Genetically engineered trees． |
| C．Trees that can resist wind better． |
| D．Trees that can protect themselves at a chemical attack． |
| A．Tree genomes are mapped out so scientists know how to improve trees． |
| B．Great numbers of trees have been lost due to attacks by viruses． |
| C．Researchers successfully introduced seeds designed to resist the virus． |
| D．They think science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers． |
| A．Papaya． | B．Pine． | C．Apple． | D．Poplar． |
| A．these trees can destroy the balance of nature |
| B．everything except trees has been genetically engineered |
| C．trees are home to many endangered species |
| D．these trees may affect normal trees |
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科目： 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
A device that stops drivers from falling asleep at the wheel is about to undergo(接受) testing at Department of Transport laboratories and could go on sale within 12 months.
The system, called driver Alert, aims to reduce deadly road accidents by 20%--40% that are caused by tiredness. Airline pilots can also use it to reduce the 30% of all pilot-error accidents that are related to fatigue（疲勞）.
Driver Alert is based on a computerized wristband. The device, worn by drivers or pilots gives out a sound about every four minutes during a car journey. After each sound the driver must respond by squeezing the steering wheel(方向盤). A sensor in the wristband detects this pressing action and measures the time between the sound and the driver’s response.
Tiredness is directly related to a driver’s response time. Usually, a watchful driver would take about 400 milliseconds to respond, but once that falls to more than 500 milliseconds, it suggests that the driver is getting sleepy.
In such cases the device gives out more regular and louder sounds, showing that the driver should open a window or stop for a rest. If the driver’s response continues to slow down, the sounds become more frequent until a nonstop alarm warns that the driver must stop as soon as possible.
The device has been delivered to the department’s laboratories for testing. If these tests, scheduled for six months’ time, are successful, the makers will bring the product to market within about a year.
【小題1】How should a driver respond to the sounds from Driver Alert?
| A．By sounding a warning. |
| B．By touching the wristband. |
| C．By checking the driving time. |
| D．By pressing the steering wheel. |
| A．a(chǎn)bout 400 milliseconds | B．below 500 milliseconds |
| C．over 500 milliseconds | D．a(chǎn)bout 4 minutes |
| A．moves more regularly |
| B．stops working properly |
| C．opens the window for the driver |
| D．sounds more frequently and loudly |
| A．a(chǎn)ims to reduce tiredness-related accidents |
| B．has gone through testing at laboratories |
| C．a(chǎn)ims to prevent drivers from sleeping |
| D．has been on sale for 12 months |
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科目： 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Way back in 1662，John Evelyn，a brilliant Englishman known for his detailed diaries，wrote about disastrous effects of coal-burning on the city of London .In it,he described an infernal scene of smog．a(chǎn)ir filled with “Columns and Clouds of Smoke’’given out by small industries and residences that burned coal for fuel．
I found the description in the 2003 book When Smoke Ran like Water，by epidemiologist(流行病學(xué)家)and environmental advocator(倡導(dǎo)者)Devra Davis．In it,Davis looks back at several historic pollution events and their disastrous effect on human human health-and at how these phenomena were often Ignored or even actively covered up by then people in charge at that time.
As Davis points out，John Evelyn was ahead of his time when writing about how London’s polluted air affected the well-being of its residents．It wasn’t until nearly 300 years later,after what became well-known as the Great Smog of 1952，that the government began to address the problem in a systematic way．
For four days．Between December 5th“and 9th“，due to all accident of the weather pattern，the city was buried in a heavy fog .People were still burning coal for fuel，and low-grade coal at that time， because 0f wartime condition．A temperature inversion(轉(zhuǎn)向)trapped the smoke from the city’s fires， creating a black cloud in which people could barely find their way down the most familiar streets
Some tried to protect themselves，but most people simply went about their business. But l952’s fog was far worse than any other in memory．In the same week of the previous year, 1852 people had died in London；inl952，that number was 4703 And the deaths didn’t stop when the weather changed and the fog lifted．Davis and her colleagues analyzed data from the next several months and found that about 13000 more people died between December and March than one would have predicted from historical averages Many of them died of pneumonia(肺炎)．The government，she writes．Tried to blame a bad flu season．Her detailed analysis found that explanation simply did
not pan out．
Davis writes that even today in this country ,we still have not completely absorbed the lessons of similar events．Sixty years the killer fog lifted in London，people are dying preventable deaths and suffering life．changing illnesses，simply because they must breathe the air of the cities where they live
【小題1】The passage is written to
| A．warn people of the danger from air pollution |
| B．introduce London’s Great Smog of l952 |
| C．blame the government for the smog |
| D．explain the reasons for air pollution |
| A．imaginary | B．a(chǎn)dventurous | C．unbelievable | D．a(chǎn)nnoying |
| A．people burned wood for fuel |
| B．a(chǎn) forest fire created a black cloud over the city |
| C．the government ignored the smog |
| D．most people went abouttheirbusine00 |
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科目： 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Most people know that awkward feeling when you walk into an elevator with other people and try not to make eye contact(接觸). But a new research suggests it may be down to a subconscious power struggle being played out as you make your way up and down.
A study found that people decide where they stand based on a micro social status，established within seconds of entering the lift.
Rebekah Rousi．a(chǎn) Ph. D．student in cognitive(認(rèn)知)science，conducted an ethnographic(人種論)
Study of elevator behaviour in two of the tallest office buildings in Adelaide，Australia.As part of her research，she took a total of 30 lift rides in the two buildings，and discovered .There was an established order to where people tended to stand
In a blog she writes that more senior men seemed to direct themselves towards the back of the elevator She said：“In front of them were younger men，and in front of them were women of aII ages.”She also notice there
was a difference in where people directed their gaze(注視)half way through the ride．“Men watched the monitors，looked in the side mirrors(in one building)to see themseIves．And in the door mirrors(of the other building)to also watch others Women would watch the monitors and avoid eye contact with other users(unless in conversation)and the mirrors，”she writes．
She concluded it could be that people who are shyer stand toward the front，where they can’t see other passengers，whereas confident people stand in the back，where they have a view of everyone else.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about
A. elevator riding manners
B communication in the elevator
C. elevator riders’ standing positions
D. micro social status in the elevator
【小題2】The underlined word“it”in the first paragraph probably refers to“ ”
| A．a(chǎn)n elevator | B．the new research | C．eye contact | D．social status |
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