When people think about British music, for the most part they think about the 60s or 70s with the likes of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones or more modern artists like Adele or Ed Sheeran. However, stuck between these two ages was, in my opinion, British music’s best period. The 90s were an optimistic time for Britain and indeed Europe, with the economy recovering from the lows of the 80s and the Cold War ending.
One of the defining features of 90s music was the birth of “Britpop”. This was a style of pop music that aimed to promote “Britishness” and commonly featured electric guitars, drums and male singers. Britpop was the style used by world-famous bands such as Oasis, Blur, Pulp and Suede who became known as “The Big Four”. The summer of 1995 was dominated by the “Battle of Britpop” which was between Blur and Oasis for the number one spot. Eventually, Blur won the battle and Oasis settled for second.
However, the 90s weren’t only for the boys, with major female groups also finding fame, the most well-known of which were “the Spice Girls” who were extremely popular in Britain and around the world. Once again they promoted “Britishness” and had catchy melodies and lyrics, but they also started the “Girl Power” movement which helped empower girls and women worldwide. It isn’t too far to assume that without their music, many female singers and artists who we love today would not have had the confidence to pursue their dream.
British music may have had many great times, however the 90s are often overlooked. Although I was not alive to enjoy the music properly, the 90s had a huge impact on British culture that can be felt today and I feel that the decade should get the recognition it deserves!
1.What can we infer from the first paragraph?
A.The Cold War came to an end in the 80s.
B.Britain’s economy began to pick up in the 90s.
C.The Beatles represented the best British music.
D.Adele is better than Ed Sheeran in modern music.
2.What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
A.Britpop. B.Britishness.
C.The Big Four. D.Battle of Britpop.
3.What’s the most important influence of “the Spice Girls” according to the text?
A.Promoting “Britishness”. B.Empowering girls and women.
C.Creating catchy melodies. D.Finding fame for female groups.
4.The writer thinks the impact of the 90s music on British culture is ________.
A.underestimated B.well-recognized
C.fairly evaluated D.reasonably doubted
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
For a single woman, yards are a strange thing. You don’t know whether to buy a lawn mower(割草机)or hire someone to mow it. I did the latter, over many years.
There was one exception. In my early 30s,I lived in a cottage near my father, who had a tractor. He lived around the corner on an old country lane, now fully developed. But at the time, it was with sweet relief, having just returned from city life, that I drove his borrowed tractor down the lane in the late afternoon, mowed my land, and then drove it back in the evening light, gazing(注视)up at the stars as they came out.
Soon the routine became impossible with traffic in the developing area. I needed someone to do my yard work.
Vardman was a devoted young boy. He sang at the top of his lungs as he mowed. His work was a joy. But Vardman grew up. After his graduation from high school, which I attended, and his leaving for college, I was without.
So here I was with two African men who brought not only knowledge but a deep love of working the land. There was a peace about the work they did. The perfection was noticeable everywhere, with every border in place, the unnecessary brush cleared out. The rhythm in their work, the rhythm of their work—it was poetry to watch.
Later I moved to North Carolina. I found myself in another small house with a beautiful but wasted yard. A strange mountain man gave me a wonderful price and began what has become an exercise in grace, gratitude and being simple.
Over the few years I have lived here, he has slowly, patiently, lovingly turned a long-neglected place into a quiet beauty. Quiet, modest, sincere, he uses only natural products on the lawn and flower beds. After the growing season ends, he collects his final paycheck and disappears into the mountains. A quiet man is teaching me patience and how it brings beauty back.
1.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The development of traffic in the city.
B.The tiredness of mowing down the lanes.
C.The poor living areas in the countryside.
D.The joy of returning home after mowing.
2.How did the writer find Vardman?
A.He devoted himself to the job.
B.He was glad to be a mower forever.
C.He wasted the working time by singing.
D.He earned money for his college education.
3.Why did the writer mention the poetry in the fifth paragraph?
A.To prove the good job of African mowers,
B.To show her love for African poems,
C.To praise the mowers through writing poems.
D.To describe the images of mowers in poems.
4.What did the quiet man teach the writer?
A.Gratitude is a reward for kindness.
B.Money is endless for people to earn.
C.Simple life is worth more paycheck.
D.Beauty comes from working patiently.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
As the summer holiday has begun, four famous "Made in China” movies of different types will be on show on the big screen.
Wolf Warriors Ⅱ
To military fans that prefer films rich in thrill and tension, Wolf Warriors Ⅱ might be a must-see this summer.
Directed by Wu Jing, who was also a martial(军事的) arts star, the film will he on show on July 28. The film also stars actor Wu Gang, who became popular because of a role in the hot TV drama In the Name of People in the spring of 2017.
Dahufa
Most people believe cartoon films are for children. Yet the film Dahufa is China’s first animated movie labeled “PG-13”.
The story is about a short martial arts master who was horn to safeguard the fictional Yiwei State. In the film, this little master goes to rescue the nation's crown prince in a town populated by peanut-headed humanoids(类人生物).
Tea Pets
3 D animated movie Tea Pets will say hello to young audiences on July 21. The film is director Gary Wang's new movie after the 2016 animation Little Door Gods.
Inspired by tea pets, elegant figures usually placed on tea dishes, the movie is also rooted in traditional Chinese culture and myths.
The Founding of an Army
Starring a group of young leading actors, the film is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Peopled Liberation Army. It is also the third work of the “Founding of New China” trilogy(三部曲). The movie will be played in the Chinese mainland on July 28 and in Hong Kong and Macao on August 3.
1.How might the audience feel while watching Wolf Warriors Ⅱ?
A.Interested B.Excited C.Confused D.Frightened.
2.Which movie will attract the kids who are interested in Chinese culture?
A.Wolf Warriors Ⅱ B.Dahufa
C.Tea Pets D.The Founding of an Army
3.What is the purpose of the film The Founding of an Army?
A.To rescue the nation's crown prince in a town.
B.To memorize traditional Chinese culture and myths.
C.To make an excellent movie for children around the world.
D.To celebrate the foundation of the People’s Liberation Army.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
I was in the middle of the Amazon (亚马逊) with my wife, who was there as a medical researcher. We flew on a small plane to a faraway village. We did not speak the local language, did not know the customs, and more often than not, did not entirely recognize the food. We could not have felt more foreign.
We were raised on books and computers, highways and cell phones, but now we were living in a village without running water or electricity It was easy for us to go to sleep at the end of the day feeling a little misunderstood.
Then one perfect Amazonian evening, with monkeys calling from beyond the village green, we played soccer. I am not good at soccer, but that evening it was wonderful. Everyone knew the rules. We all spoke the same language of passes and shots. We understood one another perfectly. As darkness came over the field and the match ended, the goal keeper, Juan, walked over to me and said in a matter-of-fact way, “In your home, do you have a moon too?” I was surprised.
After I explained to Juan that yes, we did have a moon and yes, it was very similar to his, I felt a sort of awe (敬畏) at the possibilities that existed in his world. In Juan’s world, each village could have its own moon. In Juan’s world. the unknown and undiscovered was vast and marvelous. Anything was possible.
In our society, we know that Earth has only one moon. We have looked at our planet from every angle and found all of the wildest things left to find. I can, from my computer at home, pull up satellite images of Juan’s village. There are no more continents and no more moons to search for, little left to discover. At least it seems that way.
Yet, as I thought about Juan’s question, I was not sure how much more we could really rule out. I am, in part, an ant biologist, so my thoughts turned to what we know about insect life and I knew that much in the world of insects remains unknown. How much, though? How ignorant (无知的) are we? The question of what we know and do not know constantly bothered me.
I began collecting newspaper articles about new species, new monkey, new spider…, and on and on they appear. My drawer quickly filled. I began a second drawer for more general discoveries: new cave system discovered with dozens of nameless species, four hundred species of bacteria found in the human stomach. The second drawer began to fill and as it did I wondered whether there were bigger discoveries out there, not just species, but life that depends on things thought to be useless, life even without DNA. I started a third drawer for these big discoveries. It fills more slowly, but all the same, it fills.
In looking into the stories of biological discovery, I also began to find something else, a collection of scientists, usually brilliant occasionally half-mad, who made the discoveries. Those scientists very often see the same things that other scientists see, but they pay more attention to them, and they focus on them to the point of exhaustion (穷尽), and at the risk of the ridicule of their peers. In looking for the stories of discovery, I found the stories of these people and how their lives changed our view of the world.
We are repeatedly willing to imagine we have found most of what is left to discover. We used to think that insects were the smallest organisms (生物), and that nothing lived deeper than six hundred meters. Yet, when something new turns up, more often than not, we do not even know its name.
1.How did the author feel on his arrival in the Amazon?
A.Out of place. B.Full of joy. C.Sleepy. D.Regretful.
2.What made that Amazonian evening wonderful?
A.He learned more about the local language.
B.They had a nice conversation with each other.
C.They understood each other while playing.
D.He won the soccer game with the goal keeper.
3.Why was the author surprised at Juan’s question about the moon?
A.The question was too straightforward.
B.Juan knew so little about the world.
C.The author didn’t know how to answer.
D.The author didn’t think Juan was sincere.
4.What was the author’s initial purpose of collecting newspaper articles?
A.To sort out what we have known.
B.To deepen his research into Amazonians.
C.To improve his reputation as a biologist.
D.To learn more about local cultures.
5.How did those brilliant scientists make great discoveries?
A.They shifted their viewpoints frequently.
B.They followed other scientists closely.
C.They often criticized their fellow scientists.
D.They conducted in-depth and close studies.
6.What could be the most suitable title for the passage?
A.The Possible and the Impossible .
B.The Known and the Unknown .
C.The Civilized and the Uncivilized .
D.The Ignorant and the Intelligent.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
For those who can stomach it, working out before breakfast may be more beneficial for health than eating first, according to a study of meal timing and physical activity.
Athletes and scientists have long known that meal timing affects performance. However, far less has been known about how meal timing and exercise might affect general health.
To find out, British scientists conducted a study. They first found 10 overweight and inactive but otherwise healthy young men, whose lifestyles are, for better and worse, representative of those of most of us. They tested the men’s fitness and resting metabolic (新陈代谢的) rates and took samples (样品) of their blood and fat tissue.
Then, on two separate morning visits to the scientists’ lab, each man walked for an hour at an average speed that, in theory should allow his body to rely mainly on fat for fuel. Before one of these workouts, the men skipped breakfast, meaning that they exercised on a completely empty stomach after a long overnight fast (禁食). On the other occasion, they ate a rich morning meal about two hours before they started walking.
Just before and an hour after each workout, the scientists took additional samples of the men’s blood and fat tissue.
Then they compared the samples. There were considerable differences. Most obviously, the men displayed lower blood sugar levels at the start of their workouts when they had skipped breakfast than when they had eaten. As a result, they burned more fat during walks on an empty stomach than when they had eaten first. On the other hand, they burned slightly more calories (卡路里), on average, during the workout after breakfast than after fasting.
But it was the effects deep within the fat cells that may have been the most significant, the researchers found. Multiple genes behaved differently, depending on whether someone had eaten or not before walking. Many of these genes produce proteins (蛋白质) that can improve blood sugar regulation and insulin (胰岛素) levels throughout the body and so are associated with improved metabolic health. These genes were much more active when the men had fasted before exercise than when they had breakfasted.
The implication of these results is that to gain the greatest health benefits from exercise, it may be wise to skip eating first.
1.The underlined expression “stomach it” in Paragraph 1 most probably means “______”.
A.digest the meal easily B.manage without breakfast
C.decide wisely what to eat D.eat whatever is offered
2.Why were the 10 people chosen for the experiment?
A.Their lifestyles were typical of ordinary people.
B.Their lack of exercise led to overweight.
C.They could walk at an average speed.
D.They had slow metabolic rates.
3.What happened to those who ate breakfast before exercise?
A.They successfully lost weight. B.They consumed a bit more calories.
C.They burned more fat on average. D.They displayed higher insulin levels.
4.What could be learned from the research?
A.A workout after breakfast improves gene performances.
B.Too much workout often slows metabolic rates.
C.Lifestyle is not as important as morning exercise.
D.Physical exercise before breakfast is better for health.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Some important dates in China’s fighting Covid-19 before May 7,2020 | |
Jan 20, 2020~ Feb 20,2020 | Jan 23: Wuhan declared temporary outbound (向外的) traffic restrictions. Jan 24: National medical teams began to be sent to Hubei and wuhan. Jan 27: The Central Steering (指导) Group arrived in Wuhan. Feb 18: The daily number of newly cured and discharged (出院) patients exceeded that of the newly confirmed cases. |
Feb 21, 2020~ Mar 17,2020 | Feb 21: Most provinces and equivalent administrative units started to lower their public health emergency response level. Feb 24: The WHO-China Joint Mission on Covid-19 held a press conference in Beijing. Mar 11-17: The epidemic (流行病) peak had passed in China as a whole. |
Mar 18,2020 ~Apr 28,2020 | Apr1: Chinese customs began NAT (核酸检测) on inbound arrivals at all points of entry. Apr 8: Wuhan lifted outbound traffic restrictions. Apr 26: The last Covid-19 patient in Wuhan was discharged from hospital. |
Apr 29, 2020~ May 7,2020 | Apr 30: The public health emergency response was lowered to Level 2 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. May 7: The State Council released Guidelines on Conducting Covid-19 Prevention and Control on an Ongoing Basis. |
1.What happened between January 20 and February 20?
A.The Central Steering Group arrived in Wuhan.
B.The WHO-China Joint Mission on Covid-19 held a press conference.
C.The last Covid-19 patient in Wuhan was discharged from hospital.
D.Beijing lowered its emergency response level.
2.From which date were private cars allowed to go out of Wuhan?
A.January 23. B.March 11. C.April 8. D.May 7.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One of the best uses of technology is to make life easier.
A new product from Microsoft Corporation can do just that for people who have trouble seeing. They may be blind or visually impaired. The product, an app, is currently available for free for Apple’s iPhone and iPad. The app is called Seeing AI. “AI” is short for artificial intelligence, a term for computers with an ability to think and learn like human beings.
Seeing AI uses both a camera and artificial intelligence to identify places, objects and people. The app then announces what the camera sees so users will know what is in front of them.
People can also use Seeing AI to learn words in English. With the app open, you can point your iPhone or iPad at any object and it will say what the object is. With Seeing AI, users can hear a description of not just objects, but other people. It can even tell you about their emotions. It will not just say that someone is smiling. The app will say that the person is happy. Or surprised. Or angry. People can use the app when going to a store or supermarket. It can read product bar codes so users will know whether a can is filled with fruit or dog food. Microsoft says Seeing AI will soon be able to identify banknotes so people know whether they are holding a bill that is worth $100 or $1.
At restaurants, diners can use the new app to hear a list of drinks and other menu offerings. It can recognize both food choices and prices. People can use the app to read signs and get directions, although Microsoft warns against using it for navigation(导航) purposes.
One of the more interesting tools of Seeing AI is its ability to read documents. The app can read documents aloud and even help a user position them on the center of the electronic device.
The app is currently available in just the US, Canada, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore---however, Microsoft says that the app will be available in other countries and districts soon.
1.Who is Seeing AI intended for?
A.people working at the restaurant
B.people having visual disabilities
C.people buying goods in the supermarket
D.people having difficulty in learning languages
2.Microsoft warns users not to use Seeing AI for___________.
A.describing a person B.navigating
C.reading documents D.reading product bar codes
3.What can we infer about Seeing AI?
A.It was developed by Apple B.It can be used on computers.
C.It identifies things only by the camera. D.It makes blind people’s life easier.
4.What will happen to Seeing AI?
A.It will soon be available on Android.
B.It will replace people’s eyes.
C.It will have more new functions
D.It will only be used in European countries.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Zoos have traditionally been built in a certain way: Animals on the inside, humans on the outside, peering in. This separation is good in theory—humans and animals need to be protected from one another—but terrible in practice, as animals end up living in an environment far from a natural habitat. A new plan for a Zoo in Denmark wants to reverse those roles, giving animals more freedom in captivity while effectively placing humans inside protective barriers.
Called Zootopia, the conceptual design has the goal of turning the safari(野外观兽旅行)style zoo into a place where animals determine interaction—not humans. “Try to imagine if you asked the animals what they would like. What would they decide?” says the director of the project. “They want their nature back, so to speak, and we are going to try to create that”.
In Zootopia, animals will wander free around the perimeter while humans observe, hidden away from view in underground passageways and naturalistic architecture structures. Visitors can watch lions through an underground enclosure disguised as a hill. They'll peek out at giraffes through windowed houses built into the side of a hilly plains. Outside of the main circular entrance, there will be no traditional buildings. “We want to take away human influence,” said Zootopia's designers.
The main challenge, of course, is to design the zoo in a way that the enclosure is still there but it's not visible. The two-phase plan, which will cost around $200 million, is still in the improving and approval phase; it'll be at least five years until we see any work finished on the park, and it's likely to take upwards of 10 years before it opens. Can the animals wait that long?
1.Why does a zoo in Denmark plan to create Zootopia?
A.to protect animals from humans.
B.to provide animals with a natural habitat.
C.to provide humans with more freedom in the zoo.
D.to protect humans and give animals enough freedom.
2.Different from traditional zoos, in Zootopia .
A.animals enjoy full freedom. B.there will be no conventional buildings.
C.humans watch animals without being noticed. D.humans can interact with animals at their will.
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.It’s tricky to design the enclosure.
B.Zootopia is now under construction.
C.There is a long way to go before Zootopia operates.
D.Zootopia arouses people’s concern about animals.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.the future of Zootopia B.the development of Zootopia
C.the fall of traditional zoos D.the concept of a cage-free zoo
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
I once met a well-known botanist at a dinner party. I had never talked with a botanist before, and I found him very interesting. I sat there absorbed and listened while he spoke of unusual plants and his experiments (he even told me astonishing facts about the simple potato). I had a small indoor garden of my own—and he was good enough to tell me how to solve some of my problems.
As I said, we were at a dinner party. There must have been a dozen other guests, but I broke an important rule of politeness. I ignored everyone else and talked for hours to the botanist.
Midnight came. I said good night to everyone and departed. The botanist then turned to our host and said many nice things about me, including that I was a “most interesting conversationalist”.
An interesting conversationalist? I had said hardly anything at all. I couldn’t have said anything if I had wanted to without changing the subject, for I didn’t know any more about plants than I knew about sharks.
But I had done this one thing; I had listened carefully. I listened because I was really interested. And he felt it. Naturally that pleased him. That kind of listening is one of the best ways to show respect to others, and it makes them feel great too. “Few human beings,” wrote Jack Woodford in Strangers in Love, “can resist the sweet effect of rapt attention.” I went even further than that. I was “sincere in my admiration and generous in my praise”. I told him that I had been hugely entertained and instructed. I told him I wished I had his knowledge. I told him that I should love to wander the fields with him. What’s more, it was all true.
And so I had him thinking of me as a good conversationalist when, in reality, I had only been a good listener and had encouraged him to talk.
1.From Paragraph 1, we can learn that the writer__________.
A.was deeply moved by the botanist’s talk
B.was amazed by what he was hearing
C.was not in a comfortable situation
D.behaved politely and properly
2.Which of the following does the writer describe as a rule of politeness at dinner parties?
A.Avoiding discussions about politics and religion.
B.Listening carefully to what another guest says.
C.Arriving and leaving at the appropriate time.
D.Giving attention to all those in attendance.
3.The underlined expression “rapt attention” in Paragraph 4 is closest in the meaning to__________.
A.full understanding B.strong interest
C.great uncertainty D.little curiosity
4.According to the writer, which of the following is an important characteristic of a good conversationalist?
A.Listening attentively and encouraging the other side to continue.
B.Encouraging the other side by sharing his/her own opinions.
C.Promising a future meeting for more communication.
D.Expressing respect by nodding his/her head.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Costa Book Awards consistently pick winners that are both of the moment and subsequently endure. It's our pleasure to confirm this year’s Category Winners.
First Novel Award Winner
Book: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Author: Gail Honeyman
Eleanor is 31 years old; work finishes on a Friday and begins again on a Monday. Between, her only company will be two bottles of vodka and her own solitary, unique wit (机智). It is contentment, of a kind, but an unexpected shared experience suddenly opens the door to possibility. Challenging reader expectations with a living, breathing character, Gail Honeyman’s debut (初次登台、开张)is a funny and moving diamond.
Biography Award Winner
Book: In the Days of Rain
Author: Rebecca Stott
The Exclusive Brethren were a closed community who believed the world is ruled by Satan. Into this is born Rebecca. Her father had been an influential Brethren Minister. As her father lay dying, he begged her to help him write the memoir. He wanted to tell the story of their family who for generations had all been members of a fundamentalist Christian sect.
Poetry Award Winner
Book: Inside the Wave
Author: Helen Dunmore
To be alive is to be inside the wave, always travelling until it breaks and is gone. These poems are concerned with the borderline between the living and the dead — the underworld and the human living world – and the acutely intense being of both.
Children's Award Winner
Book: The Explorer
Author: Katherine Rundell, Hannah Horn
Four children survive their aircraft plunging into the Amazon jungle, but for Fred and his friends it’s only the beginning of a cruel battle for survival. Brimming with adventure and a real command of character and incident, Rundell has few peers in superb children's fiction.
1.What kind of life does Eleanor lead?
A.boring and lonely. B.funny and touching.
C.exciting and complex. D.ordinary and happy.
2.Why did Rebecca Stott write In the Days of Rain?
A.To introduce beliefs of the Exclusive Brethren.
B.To help her father fulfill his last wish.
C.To share the life of fundamentalist Christians.
D.To pass on her family traditions.
3.For a young adventurous soul, which book seems more appealing?
A.Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine B.In the Days of Rain
C.Inside the Wave D.The Explorer
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析