The American expression“shoo-in”means someone or something that seems sure to win a race or competition．
Before a big football game，supporters of e ach team are certain to argue about which side will win．
Sometimes，however, one team appears so much stronger than the others that everyone agrees it will win．The stronger team is a shoo-in．There is no way that it can lose．
The expression shoo-in comes from horse racing．It comes from the word “shoo''．That’s not the shoe we wear on our foot．It's another word，S-H-O-O．“To shoo”is an expression hundreds of years old that means to urge a person or animal to move in a desired direction．
Many years ago，dishonest riders sometimes agreed secretly to control their horses so that one chosen horse would win the race．All but one of the riders would hold back thei horses．The chosen rider would shoo his horse ahead of the others，and win the race.
The other riders would secretly bet large amounts of money that the chosen horse would win．
The public soon learned about such races．They began to call the winner of such a race a“shoo-in"．
These days，people use shoo-in to describe any athlete or competitor that seems certain to win，even without cheating．American runner Edw in Moses won more than one hundred races before he ran the hurdles race in the nineteen-eighty-four Olympic Games．Everyone said Moses was a shoo-in and that he could not lose．And they were right．He won the gold medal．
36．One of the dishonest riders was sure to win the race because
A．the other riders had agreed to fail in the race
B．he used to be best at riding
C．the public had confidence in him
D．he could control his horse easily
37．The reason why American runner Edwin Moses was regarded as a“shoo-in”is
A．owing to his honest character
B．due to his great effort shown in more than one hundred races
C．that he won over l00 competitions before the l984 Olympic Games
D．that the old meaning of“shoo-in''had changed
38．Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A．“Shoo-in'’originated in the word“shoo'’．
B．The public did not know they were being cheated．
C．Some riders bet a lot of money on the chosen horse．
D．US runner Moses deserved a shoo-in．
39．The main idea of the passage is that“shoo-in’’
A．is used to admire a person who seems to be sure to win a race
B．is a word used to describe a dishonest person
C．is used for any athlete or competitor that seems too clever to be cheated
D．is used for anyone or anything that is certain of winning a game
40．This passage can best be titled
A．Be Sure to Win B．Shoo-in，a Sure Winner
C．Winner in a Competition D．The Birth of Shoo-in
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
(衡阳市八中2008届高三模拟试题B篇)
Skipping classes, particularly big lectures where an absence is likely to go undetected, is a tradition among college undergraduates.
These days, however, some professors say they’re seeing more absenteeism, as students make the most of new technologies as learning aids.
Americ Azevedo taught an “ Introduction to Computers ” at the University of California, Berkeley, US last semester. By visiting the course’s website, the 200 enrolled students could download audio recordings or watch digital videos of the lectures, as well as read the instructor’s detailed lecture notes.
But there was one big problem: So many of the undergraduates relied on the technology that at times only 20 or so actually showed up for class.
Doug Suda, 19, a student in Azevedo’s class last semester, said he skipped about three-quarter of the lectures. It’s largely because he was busy with an off-campus job and was taking the course to fulfill a business major requirement.
At the end of the term, Suda prepared hurriedly for the final exam by watching videos of about 15 lectures over three days.
“ If I hadn’t that… I would probably fail the class,” said Suda, who instead received a B-plus.
Despite the concerns about absenteeism, schools are increasingly experimenting with ways to let students watch or listen to lectures on their computers or digital music players, like ipods. Last month, Harvard Medical School began “ Podcasting ”lectures. Students can download them into digital musical players, and study while they, say, go for a walk.
As many academics accept the electronic innovation, others are pushing back. To encourage attendance, they are applying low-tech tactics, like giving more surprising quizzes or cutting back their online offerings.
Lee Chanian, a UCLA economics professor, says “ too much technology leads to passive learning environment and encourage more absenteeism”. He now puts fewer lecture materials online, and provides extensive notes only for the most complicated topics.
60.The word “ absenteeism ” in the 2nd paragraph most probably means .
A. attending classes B. having classes
C. giving classes D. skipping classes
61.At times only 20 or so undergraduates showed up for Americ Azevedo’s class because .
A. so many undergraduates relied on digital learning aids
B. so many undergraduates have off-campus jobs.
C. his lectures were boring D. the exam was easy to pass
62.According to the passage, to encourage attendance, some academics are applying the following lower-tech tactics EXCEPT .
A. giving more surprise quizzes
B. putting fewer lecture materials online
C. providing extensive notes only for the most complicated topics
D. cutting off their online offerings
63.What could be the best title for this passage?
A. Lectures fight digital learning aids to up class numbers
B. Lectures apply digital learning aids to up class numbers
C. Lectures fight lower-tech tactics to up class numbers
D. Schools are encouraging more absenteeism
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Erik Weihenmayer was born with an eye disorder. As a child his eyesight became worse and then, at the age of 13, he lost his sight completely. However, he did not lose his determination to lead a full and active life.
Erik became an adventurer. He took up parachuting, wrestling and scuba diving. He competed in long-distance biking, marathons and skiing. His favorite sport, though, is mountaineering.
As a young man, Erik started to climb mountains. He reached the summit of Mount McKinley in 1995 and then climbed the dangerous 1000-metre rock wall of EI Capitan. Two years later, while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya with his girlfriend, they stopped for a time at 13,000 feet above sea level－in order to get married. In 1999, he climbed Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South Americ a. And then, on May 25, 2001, at the age of 33, Erik successfully completed the greatest mountaineering challenge of all. He climbed Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.
Erik invented his own method for climbing mountains. He carries two long poles: one to lean on and the other to test the way ahead of him. The climber in front of him wears a bell to guide him. Erik is a good team member. He does his share of the job, such as setting up tents and building snow walls.
Although he could not enjoy the view, Erik felt the excitement of being on the summit of Everest. He hopes that his success will change how people think about the blind. “When people think about a blind person or blindness, now they will think about a person standing on top of the world.”
1．When was Erik born?
A．In 1968. B．In 1995. C．In 1967. D．In 1969.
2．What was unusual about his wedding?
A．He got married on the summit of Mount McKinley.
B．He got married when climbing Mount Everest.
C．.His wedding was held after he prepared a lot.
D．His wedding was held at 13,000 feet above sea level.
3．What is Erik’s special method for climbing a mountain?
A．He takes his girlfriend with him.
B．He does his share of the jobs.
C．He uses two long poles to help himself.
D．He keeps a good team around him.
4．Which of the following shows the right order of what happened?
a．He topped Mount McKinley.
b．He became blind.
c．He challenged Mount Everest.
d．He reached the peak of Kilimanjaro.
e. He climbed the rock wall of EI Capitan.
A．b, e, d, c, a B．b, a, e, d, c C．a, b, e, d, c D．b, d, a, c, d
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