Walter Carr and his mother just moved from New Orleans, Louisiana to Birmingham, Alabama after losing their home in Hurricane Katrina.
W alter Carr, a college student in Alabama, walked 32 kilometers in the dark to get to his new job. Walter Carr’s car broke down the night before starting a new job at Bellhops, a furniture moving company. Carr was unable to find a ride. He left at midnight so that he could make it to the customer’s house by 8: 00 am the next morning.
Pelham police saw him walking along a highway at 4: 00 am and they took him to a restaurant for breakfast and then to a church where he could safely wait until 8: 00 am. The police then took Carr to the home of custormer Jenny Lamey. Lamey said that even though Carr had just walked the entire night, he refused her offer to rest and started working. Lamey thought he worked in a down -to- earth way. While he worked, he talked with the customer, telling her how much he liked her kitchen.
Lamey later wrote this on Facebook: “I just can’t tell you how touched I was by Walter and his journey. He is kind and cheerful and he has big dreams! He is hardworking and tough.” She then started a GoFundMe page to help Walter with money to get his car fixed. When the CEO of Bellhops, Luke Marklin, learned of Carr’s story, he drove from Tennessee to Alabama to give Walter his own Ford Escape.
W alter Carr’s story touched many others around the United States. Within a few days, people gave over $ 73, 000 to his GoF undMe page. Carr has decided to give a part of the donations to the Birmingham Education Foundation. And he has received more offers for jobs and scholarships for schools.
1.Walter Carr walked long to his new job because__________.
A.he couldn’t afford the bus fare B.he wanted to experience new life
C.he tried to avoid the traffc jam D.he valued his job very much
2.What does the underlined phrase “worked in a down - to - earth way” in paragraph 3 mean?
A.He was tired of the work. B.He was devoted to his work.
C.He was exhausted after work. D.He was skilled in his work.
3.Why did Jenny Lamey and Luke Marklin help Carr?
A.They were moved by his deeds. B.They showed sympathy for him.
C.They wanted to reward him. D.They used to gain help from him.
4.What can we learn from Carr’s story?
A.Success is a great thirst of job - hunters. B.Fame always comes first.
C.Jobs can be sought by donation. D.Struggle and kindness will pay off.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
London - Walking Tour
Hosted by the Cambridge Society of London
Join the Cambridge Society of London and learn more about the historic city of London.
Departing Time: Friday, 27 March 2020, 6. 00 pm GMT
Duration: 3 hours
Meeting point: At St Paul’s tube station in front of Cafe Nero
Open to: Alumni and guests
The City of London is where London began, almost 2, 000 years ago, as Roman Londinium. Today it is the financial“square mile”, home to the Bank of England and numerous banks and financial services companies.
This tour focuses on the City’s history and the legacy of that history in its unique govermance with its own Lord Mayor and Corporation. We will learn how these institutions evolved since the 12th century, their ancient traditions and their responsibilities today.
Of course, we will also include Roman remains, hidden City gardens, Victorian markets, historic pubs and find out what makes a cockney ( or true Londoner).
Booking information
1. Advanced reservations are required. If you would like to attend this event, please book online using the link below.
2. Numbers are limited to 20 people. Registered members can invite one guest.
Please note only members of the Cambridge Sociely of London (and their guests) may book tickets. If you are not currently a member and would like to become one, please visit www. camsoclon. org.
3. Price: £ 12. 50 for members, £ 13 for guests. (Insurance is a must. Each, £1.5)
1.What is special about London - Walking tour?
A.It helps to explore the history of London.
B.It offers an opportunity to visit financial companies.
C.It provides the service of booking online.
D.It allows one to invite one of his guests.
2.What are tourists required to do to go on the tour?
A.Arrive at St Paul’s tube station at 6.30 pm. B.Book tickets in advance.
C.Invite at least one guest. D.Apply to become a member.
3.How much should a member pay if he invites a friend?
A.£ 12.50. B.£ 13.
C.£ 25. 50. D.£ 28.5.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One spring day. once the flowers have begun to open, a bee will hover (盘旋)and zip through your yard and dive-bomb your picnic table. While you're thinking about avoiding an attack, that bee is focused on something else entirely: me.
A honeybee has about six weeks to live. Today, like most days, her task is to fly as many as three miles from home, stick her long, straw-like tongue into a hundred or so flowers. When the bee has had her fill, she'll fly home. There the bee will deposit what she has got into the mouth of one of her co-workers, who will relay it to another, and so on for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is ready to be placed into the comb. Then she and her 50.000 or so mates will hover in the dark all night every night, flapping their wings to create hot, breezy conditions to remove the water from the mixture. Several sunrises later, they will seal me off in a golden cell of beeswax. In her lifetime, our bee may visit 4.000 flowers, and yet will produce only one-twelfth of a tea spoon of me.
The average American consumes nearly a pound and a half of me every year, in tea, on toast, and beyond. If I do say so myself, I am a timeless treasure. Literally—I never go bad.
Unfortunately, my good health is not guaranteed. The problem lies in the growth of industrial agriculture and the use of pest control chemicals, as well as changes in weather patterns, all of which reduce the number of flowers bees have to visit. I'd appreciate your letting your own garden grow just a little wild. My future depends on all of us fostering spring and summers wild flowers, thus helping the bees, who give so much—to you, to me—without ever asking for anything in return.
1.What does "me" refer to in the passage?
A.The flower. B.The bee.
C.Water. D.Honey.
2.What is the 2nd paragraph mainly about?
A.Bees' special talent. B.Bees’ hard work.
C.Bees' living environment. D.Bees' social behavior.
3.Which one of the following is true according to the passage?
A.A bee will always prioritize attacking picnic lovers.
B.Before "me" is sealed off in beeswax, the drying process can take a few nights.
C.The lifework of a bee satisfies the average demand of an American consumer annually.
D.Bees are more likely to visit those deliberately pest-controlled gardens.
4.What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To appeal for help for honeybees.
B.To talk about the history of a treasure.
C.To put forward techniques for gardeners.
D.To argue against the control of chemicals.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The fact that over 1.24 million people lose their lives each year in road accidents is a horrifying statistic that could soon be prevented. It should be of no surprise to understand that the autonomous vehicle industry is predicted to be worth $2.6 trillion a year within 15 years.
What's the future of personal transportation? Well, you'll likely be spending a lot less time behind the wheel, for one. The rise of self-driving cars means that some scenes out of science-fiction flicks(电影)(think Total Recall or I, Robot)are now reality—and even more will be available soon.
Cars today already include many semi-autonomous features, like assisted parking and self-braking systems. And completely autonomous vehicles—able to operate without human control—are rapidly becoming more of a reality. You're probably familiar with Google's version, which has made headlines with its Google Chauffeur software, which the company hopes to bring to market by 2020.
The pros of autonomous cars are many. "The sensors in a self-driving car are always observing, are not affected by the state of the driver(sleepy, angry, etc.), and can scan in multiple directions simultaneously(同时地)," says Dr. Dominique Freckmann, an automotive engineering manager at TE Connectivity, "Autonomous driving is a key aspect of the industry's drive toward safer roadways."
"Recent NHTSA research shows that approximately 94 percent of accidents are caused by human error," adds Alan Amici, a vice president of automotive engineering at TE. "Cars with advanced safety features and eventually, self-driving cars, can significantly reduce the number of collisions. The impact of this innovation can be far-reaching, including reduced demand on emergency response systems and reduced auto insurance and health care costs."
1.What is the author's attitude towards the autonomous vehicle industry?
A.Positive. B.Disapproving.
C.Uncaring. D.Doubtful.
2.Why is Google Chauffeur software given as an example here?
A.Because people believe Google will sell it in 2020.
B.Because it is the most famous software of the company.
C.Because people are all familiar with the famous software.
D.Because it shows completely autonomous vehicles will be true.
3.Which is the main reason why Alan Amici favors self-driving?
A.Self-driving will cost less than now.
B.People will easily save a lot of time.
C.Self-driving will be safer than now.
D.People will rely more on auto insurance.
4.What is the author's purpose of writing the text?
A.To show his adoration of self-driving cars.
B.To predict the future of personal transportation.
C.To prevent so many road accidents caused by driving.
D.To introduce the benefits of autonomous vehicle industry.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Fifteen stores have been permanently barred from using Alibaba's online shopping platform for selling fake(伪劣的)or substandard surgical masks during the pneumonia outbreak caused by a novel coronavirus(冠状病毒), the e-commerce giant said on Wednesday.
Five of the 15 online shops barred by Tuesday had been referred to public security bureaus(公安局)for further investigation, Alibaba said in a statement.
"We'll continue efforts to fight people making or selling fake goods related to epidemic(流行的)prevention and control on our platform and give them hard punishments, "it said, adding it had zero tolerance for such sellers.
Those engaging in price gouging(哄抬)or false advertising would also be punished more heavily, and the company said it would regularly disclose the names of problematic shops and the punishments they received.
“All the moves are not only to shoulder more responsibility for protecting consumers' interests, but also to show our utmost respect to online sellers who obey the laws and participate in the fight to prevent and control the epidemic,” it said.
Promising to let those engaging in improper or illegal behavior during the epidemic period go broke, with "no space to live in Alibaba", the company also called on other e-commerce platforms to shut their doors to such problematic sellers, and suggested government departments should add them to a dishonesty blacklist.
1.What does the underlined word "barred" most probably mean?
A.Encouraged. B.Banned.
C.Chosen. D.Forgiven.
2.Why are the five online shops invested by public security bureaus?
A.Because they might avoid further investigation.
B.Because they might have no licenses to sell medical articles.
C.Because they might make or purchase surgical masks illegally.
D.Because they might sell surgical masks on other e-commerce platforms.
3.What does Alibaba expose the names of those shops and their punishments for?
A.Advertising Alibaba's online shopping platform.
B.Getting more money from public security bureaus.
C.Punishing buyers who buy fake or substandard goods.
D.Protecting consumers' and online sellers' proper interest.
4.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A.Alibaba's zero tolerance for bad dealers.
B.Government's punishment for dishonesty.
C.Support from other e-commerce platforms.
D.Improper or illegal business behavior of sellers.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
“Jewel wings fly around like little helicopters until they see preys (猎物), usually smaller flying insects,” said Bellido, a biologist at the University of Minnesota. “Then they dash at their meals in a burst of speed.”
You might mistake jewel wings for their cousins, dragonflies. New research shows that these two insects share something more significant than their appearance, however. In a paper published in Current Biology, Dr. Bellido and the dragonfly colleagues reveal that the neural (神经的) systems behind jewel wings’ vision are shared with dragonflies, with whom they have a common ancestor that lived before dinosaurs. But over the centuries, this brain wiring has adapted itself in different ways in each creature, enabling sharply different hunting strategies.
Jewel wings’ behavior involves attacking what’s directly in front of them, the team found. But recordings made in the lab by Dr. Gonzalez and her colleagues confirmed that dragonflies rise up in a straight line to seize unsuspecting insects from below. Researchers are particularly interested in the neurons (神经元) that send visual information to the wings.
To look closer at the neurons linking vision and flight, the researchers equipped jewel wings with sensors and showed them a video of a moving dot, comparing it with earlier dragonfly research. When a neuron fired, a popping sound filled the researchers’ ears, allowing them to tell exactly which movements-left, right, up, down or some combination-each neuron responded to. Jewel wings best see what’s right in front of them, they found, while dragonflies’ clearest vision is just above them.
The team was interested to find that while jewel wings’ neurons didn’t always respond like those in dragonflies, the number of neurons and organization were similar. That suggests that the system that conveys this information from the eyes to the wing muscles did not evolve recently, but has roots that are millions of years older than the oldest dinosaurs. And that ancient common ancestor likely had already developed remarkable speed in both vision and flight. Then, in the following years, the system has evolved to suit individual insect species.
This shared neural system may be more than 250 million years old, but it is also flexible enough to transform itself to meet the needs of a variety of creatures in different eras and environments, the findings suggest.
1.Jewel wings usually catch their meals ________ them.
A.on the right of B.on the left of
C.straight ahead of D.at the back of
2.What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A.What actions jewel wings take to catch preys.
B.How jewel wings ‘neurons respond to vision.
C.When jewel wings start to hunt for their preys.
D.Where researchers did the research into jewel wings.
3.What can we learn about dragonflies and jewel wings from the passage?
A.The two insects possess similar neural systems.
B.Jewel wings’ vision is sharper than dragonflies’.
C.Dragonflies ‘brain wiring is the same with jewel wings’.
D.The oldest dinosaurs react as rapidly as the two insects.
4.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To analyse the habits of two similar insects.
B.To tell the difference between dragonflies and jewel wings.
C.To assess the effects of different insects ‘hunting strategies.
D.To present the result of a study on two insects neural systems.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Infectious diseases and associated deaths have reduced, but they remain a significant threat throughout the world. Infectious diseases outbreaks and the fear and panic that accompany them present various economic risks.
First, there are costs to the health system, both public and private, of medical treatment of the infected and of outbreak control. Concern over the spread of a relatively contained outbreak can lead to decreased trade. Travel and tourism to regions affected by outbreaks are also likely to decline. Some long-running outbreaks, such as HIV, prevent foreign direct investment.
The economic risks are large. It is estimated that the expected yearly cost of infectious diseases is at roughly $500 billion. Even when the health impact of an outbreak is relatively limited, its economic consequences can quickly become expanded. Liberia, for example, saw GDP growth decline 8 percentages from 2013 to 2014 during the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
The risk is complex, but policymakers have tools in response.
Investing in improved health care, supply of clean water, and better health systems can reduce the frequency of human contact with viruses. Investment in reliable disease monitoring in both human and animal populations is also critical. Within formal global watch systems, instead of discouraging reporting possible outbreaks, it may be beneficial to develop incentives for reporting suspected cases, as countries may reasonably fear the effects of such reporting on trade, tourism, and other economic outcomes. Informal monitoring systems, social media for example, which collect information from official reports, media reports, online discussions, and eyewitness observations, can also help national health systems and international responders get ahead of the outbreak news during the early stages. Cooperations for monitoring infectious diseases readiness at the national level provide information national governments can use to react timely to their outbreaks.
There is a significant market failure when it comes to vaccines (疫苗) against individual low-probability viruses that collectively are likely to cause panic. Given the low probability that any single vaccine of this type will be needed, high Research and Development (R&D) costs, and delayed returns, medical companies hesitate to invest in their development. However, responsible international corporations such as CFPI can overcome this market failure. Its goals include advancing candidate vaccines against specific low-probability, high-severity viruses through proof of concept to enable rapid clinical testing in the event of outbreaks. It also aims to fund development of institutional and technical platforms to speed R&D in response to outbreaks for which there are no vaccines.
Undoubtedly, humans and infectious viruses will coexist. However, we can take effective measures to manage the risk of the diseases. Joint action now at the local, national, and multinational levels can go a long way toward protecting our collective well-being in the future.
1.What does the underlined word ''incentives'' in Paragraph 5 probably mean?
A.Habits. B.Opinions.
C.Arguments. D.Rewards.
2.CFPI is a special company which
A.is able to predict the trend of the market
B.develops vaccines against infectious viruses
C.makes huge profits by selling general medicine
D.employs staff who graduate from famous universities
3.What does the passage imply?
A.More importance should be attached to health care systems.
B.All-level cooperations are required to handle infectious diseases.
C.It will not be long before mankind thoroughly defeats the viruses.
D.Technologies hold the key to the settlement of medical problems.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Health Risks and Research of Infectious Diseases
B.Global Cooperation and Spread of Infectious Diseases
C.Economic Impact and Solutions of Infectious Diseases
D.Medical Service and Development of Infectious Diseases
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Autumn Peltier is a youth environmentalist who has inspired thousands of students to walk out of class and demand action on climate change.
When Autumn Peltier was just 8 years old, she attended a ceremony at a reservation where she saw a sign warning that the water was poisonous. Growing up on a freshwater island in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory in Canada, Peltier says she had never experienced poisonous water. The memory of that sign stayed with her.
Two years later, at the age of 10, Peltier is fighting for water conservation and water rights for everybody. She says she was inspired by her great aunt, Josephine Mandamin, a well-known activist who walked the shores of all five Great Lakes to raise awareness for water conservation.
When she was 12 in 2015, Peltier met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, telling him she was unhappy with his policies on debating pipeline projects. Trudeau promised her he would preserve the water. Since 2015, 87 long-term water advisories in Canada have been lifted; 56 water advisories remain.
At middle school, Peltier joined an environmental group at her school and later co-founded the Canadian Youth Water Strike-a Canadian branch of the international movement to conserve water.
Last year, Peltier spoke at the UN about the importance of water conservation and water access, explaining the fundamental role water plays in her culture.
“Many people don’t think water is alive or has a spirit. My people believe this to be true. . . . We believe our water is precious because we are born of water.”
After the speech at the UN, Peltier is joined by a group of teenagers who share similar thoughts. Her friends include Greta Thunberg, a Swedish girl who drew the world attention through the talk at World Economic Forum at Davos, Bruno Rodriguez, an Argentinian boy who joined in the UN Climate Summit, and Mari Copeny, an American girl who is dedicated to the cause of saving water. Peltier and her friends believe that together they can make a big difference.
Undoubtedly, Peltier’s many years of hard work has paid off. She has greatly raised people’s awareness of water conservation and taught people to take specific actions to conserve water.
That’s an impressive list of accomplishments for anyone, let alone a middle schooler.
1.How did Peltier feel about the poisonous water when she was 8?
A.Shocked. B.Interested. C.Excited. D.Bored.
2.Who influenced Peltier to start water conservation?
A.UN officials. B.Trudeau. C.Mandamin. D.Thunberg.
3.What does Peltier expect to do in the future?
A.To make more friends. B.To protect more water.
C.To attend more summits. D.To organize more strikes.
4.What can we learn from Autumn Peltier’s story?
A.World leaders can contribute to success.
B.Environment is Canadians’major concern.
C.Fame comes from attending great summits.
D.Achievements result from continuous effort.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Who can be volunteering?
A Ugandan NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) was formed by members of a rural community in South-west Uganda in 2007. They developed a local school for children aging from 3 to 15 from poor families, and started community based projects that will equip the young villagers with the skills and knowledge to face a safer and brighter future.
The project itself is well integrated into the community and those undertaking volunteering work are always given a warm welcome, especially by the local children who love spending time with volunteers from all ages and backgrounds.
Volunteering at Uganda Lodge is suitable for families, gap year teenagers, seniors etc.
For medical students we can offer you official medical elective course scores with no additional fees charged. Staying at Uganda Lodge could also count for the residential section of the Gold Award and Queens Scout Awards.
What can I do?
You need to speak English. Even if you are not a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teacher (although useful!), you can go into the classrooms and make a meaningful difference. Experienced teachers can take over a whole class if they wish, after consulting with the teacher on content.
We now have over 500 students in the Ruhanga Development School and they are in urgent need of teachers. English conversation is needed for the older children in particular, also showing picture books etc. or simply talking to babies helps inspire their mental and physical growth.
Children at our kindergartens and primary schools do love help from our volunteers to learn new rhymes and songs, talk about pictures in books or get inspirations with craftwork and painting.
Find out more about our programme:
Website: ugandalodge.com
Email: ann@ugandalodge.com
1.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To praise volunteers. B.To raise money.
C.To seek help. D.To introduce a school.
2.After the programme, optional course credits can be awarded to
A.medicine-major students B.education-major students
C.IT-major students D.English-major students
3.Who is most wanted at present according to the passage?
A.An American lady who cares about international sports events.
B.A British college student who loves to communicate with kids.
C.An Australian teenager who enjoys reading English books silently.
D.A Canadian white collar manager who does well in performing art.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
People may set an alarm on the phone or clock that sounds like this: beep beep beep. That hard, unpleasant sound may be making it harder to shake off the sleepy feeling in the morning known as grogginess. So, is there a better way to wake up? A recent study says yes. The answer is music.
The study, carried out by researchers in Australia, involved 50 people. The researchers found that people who wake up to musical alarms reported feeling more awake and alert. Stuart McFarlane, a lead writer of the study stated, "We are very surprised by these findings as one might expect a harsh beeping sound to be more successful," at waking up a person.
Sleep inertia is another term for grogginess. It means a person has a heavy feeling when waking up, and has trouble getting moving again after sleeping. McFarlane said people need to better understand sleep inertia's harmful effects on human performance later in the day.
Not everyone will experience the full effect. But for those who do, "care should be taken" when performing duties that require a top performance within this period, he said. This includes "dangerous tasks like driving or riding our bikes" shortly after waking up. The same is true for people who work in dangerous situations shortly after they wake, including firefighters and pilots.
So, what makes musical alarms better for waking up? The researchers think the music may be more successful in reducing sleep inertia because it has several tones, compared to the single tone of a "beeping" alarm. McFarlane said that the changes over time between the music tones may help increase a person's attention when waking from sleep.
And is there a kind of music that is best to wake up to? There may be, McFarlane said. "We could suggest alarm sounds that are tune full and easy to hum or sing along with. The current sounds I have been using include 'Close to me' by the Cure and 'Borderline' by Madonna."
No matter how you wake up, experts say, the amount of sleep you get also matters — a lot.
1.Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A.What is grogginess? B.Why are musical alarms better?
C.Which music is the best? D.How can we overcome grogginess?
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Sleep inertia is another cause for grogginess.
B.How long a person sleeps is of great importance.
C.The 'beeping' alarm is not effective mainly because of its noisy tone.
D.It is dangerous for everyone to drive or ride bicycles shortly after waking up.
3.The paragraph following this passage is likely to focus on .
A.examples of good musical alarms
B.more findings of the application of music
C.explanations about why music is more helpful
D.suggestions on how to sleep well and feel fresh each morning
4.In which section of a magazine may you find the passage?
A.Health. B.Fiction.
C.Technology. D.Entertainment
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析