At present, animated (动画) films are popular with us. Most of them rely heavily on computer technology. But this magical world — where witches (魔法师) cast spells and castles float in the sky — is brought to life by hand, Nevertheless, Hayao Miyazaki is referred to as Japan’s Walt Disney and considered by many to be the world’s greatest living animator．
This month, the 72-year-old Miyazaki announced his retirement. The Japanese animator has directed 11 animated full-length films over the past four decades, including the Oscar-winning Spirited Away (《千与千寻》) and his latest release, The Wind Rises (《起风了》), which tells the life story of a man who designed Japanese World War II fighter planes．
Just as The Wind Rises shows, Miyazaki is well-known for his obsession with flight, especially human flight. Other attractive aspects of Miyazaki’s films include his themes of environmental protection and the horrors of war.
Miyazaki’s work is also famous for its lack of clearly defined good and evil characters. He sees the 21st century as a complex time when old standards need to be re-examined.
As a storyteller, he is an inventor of fairy tales full of mystery. In the Miyazakian universe, wizards (巫师) turn into birds of prey; young girls are transformed overnight into 90-year-old women; greedy parents are changed into pigs; and shooting stars become fire demons (恶魔).
People attribute Miyazaki’s success to his long pursuit of his hand-drawn technique, although in an interview with CNN he called himself an “extinct species” in the age of digital animation.
A recent television documentary on the making of The Wind Rises showed a disappointed Miyazaki throwing a pile of drawings into the trash. He is said to have redrawn thousands of frames of the much-praised Princess Mononoke (《幽灵公主》) when they did not meet his standards.
But his huge attention to detail has earned him the respect of the entire animated film world. Even John Lasseter — head of Pixar, the famous US computer animation studio — once called Miyazaki “one of the greatest filmmakers of our time”.
1.What can we know about Miyazaki’s film The Wind Rises?
A. It was put on a long time ago.
B. Miyaznki was once unsatisfied with some of the drawings.
C．It describes environmental protection.
D．It is an Oscar-winning film.
2.What does the underlined word “obsession” mean in paragraph 3?
A. Hatred. B. Enthusiasm. C. Envy. D. Sympathy.
3.What makes Miyazaki earn the respect of the entire animated film world?
A. His emphasis on detail.
B. His pursuit of the hand-drawn technique.
C. His dependence on computer technology.
D. His definition of good and evil characters.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Museum fans with limited time should consider a visit to Ueno Park where a variety of first class museums are concentrated closely together, including the impressive Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the National Science Museum and Ueno Zoo along with some smaller museums.
Museums in Tokyo are typically closed on one day of the week (usually Mondays) and during the New Year holidays (typically December 29 to January 4). If the regular weekly closing day falls on a national holiday, most museums will open on the holiday and close the next day instead.
Some museums have extended hours on certain days (typically Fridays), and some offer free entrance to selected exhibitions or on certain days of the month. Most museums allow entry until 30 minutes before closing time.
Tokyo National Museum
Hours: 9:30 to 17:00 (extended hours on some Fridays and weekends)
Closed: Mondays (or following day if Monday is a holiday), New Year holidays
Admission: 600 yen
As the oldest and largest museum in Japan, it is made up of five buildings, each like a separate museum in itself. They house the largest collection of national treasures and important cultural items in the country.
National Museum of Western Art
Hours: 9:30 to 17:30 (until 17:00 in winter, until 20:00 on Fridays)
Closed: Mondays (or following day if Monday is a holiday), Dec 28 to Jan 1
Admission: 420 yen, special exhibitions extra
This museum displays western art, primarily by European artists. There is no permanent gallery and the rotating (轮流的) exhibits are mostly from the museum’s collection. Admission is free on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month.
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Hours: 9:30 to 17:30 (until 20:00 on Fridays)
Closed: First and third Monday of each month, New Year holidays
Admission: Varies by exhibition
Reopened in April 2012, this museum displays all types of art in its six galleries. There is no permanent collection, but there are multiple temporary exhibitions by various art groups.
National Science Museum
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays)
Closed: Mondays (or following day if Monday is a holiday), Dec 28 to Jan 1
Admission: 600 yen
This museum covers both science and natural history with hands-on physics and robotics experiments and a 360 degree virtual theater relocated from the Aichi Expo.
1.Visitors are advised to go to Ueno Park mainly because ________.
A. there are many great museums there
B. it has one of the best parks in Japan
C. it is a landmark building in Tokyo
D. it is free of charge throughout the year
2.We can learn from the text that the Tokyo National Museum ________.
A. is the oldest and largest museum in Asia
B. has the largest collection of artwork in Japan
C. has a 360 degree virtual theater
D. is full of Japan’s national treasures
3.According to the text, you can visit the ________ for free on certain days.
A. Tokyo National Museum
B. National Museum of Western Art
C. Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
D. National Science Museum
4.The passage is most likely taken from ________.
A. a tourist guide
B. a geographic report
C. a travel journal
D. a science textbook
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Women who own cats are more likely to have mental health problems and kill themselves because they can be infected by a common parasite(寄生虫) that can be caught from cat litter(猫砂), a study has found.
Researchers found women infected with the Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) parasite(刚地弓形虫), which is spread through contact with cat waste or eating undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables, are at increased risk of attempting suicide.
The study involved more than 45,000 women in Denmark. About a third of the world's population is infected with the parasite, which hides in cells in the brain and muscles, often without producing symptoms.
The infection, which is called toxoplasmosis(弓形虫病), has been linked to mental illness, such as schizophrenia(精神分裂症), and changes in behavior.
The study's senior author Doctor Teodor Postolache, an associate professor of psychiatry(精神病学) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the United States, said, "We can't say with certainty that T. gondii caused the women to try to kill themselves, but we did find a predictive association between the infection and suicide attempts later in life that deserves additional studies."
Doctor Albert Reece, vice president of medical affairs at the University of Maryland, said, "T. gondii infection is a major public health problem around the world, and many people don't realize they're infected. "
Dr Postolache is a leading expert on suicide neuroimmunology(神经免疫学). Suicide is a critically important mental health issue. About one million people commit suicide and another 10 million attempt suicide worldwide each year. We hope that this type of research will one day help us find ways to save many lives that now end too early in suicide."
Dr. Postolache's research team at the University of Maryland was the first to report a connection between T. gondii and suicidal behavior in 2009. He is cooperating with researchers in Denmark, Germany and Sweden to confirm and investigate the way leading to this association.
The T. gondii parasite thrives in the intestines(肠) of cats, and it is spread through their waste. All warm-blooded animals can become infected through contact with it. Humans can become infected by changing their infected cats' litter boxes, eating unwashed vegetables, drinking water from a polluted source, or by eating undercooked or raw meat.
Not washing kitchen knives after preparing raw meat before handling another food item also can lead to infection. Pregnant women can pass the parasite directly to their unborn babies and are advised not to change cat litter boxes to avoid possible infection.
Babies don't produce antibodies to T. gondii for three months after they are born, so the antibodies present in their blood represented infection in the mothers. The scientists studied Danish health patients to determine if any of these women later attempted suicide, including cases of violent suicide attempts which may have involved guns, sharp instruments and jumping from high places.
The study found that women infected with T. gondii were one and a half times more likely to attempt suicide compared to those who were not infected, and the risk seemed to rise with increasing levels of the T. gondii antibodies.
Dr Postolache noted limitations to the study, such as the inability to determine the cause of the suicidal behavior.
The findings were published online in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
1.The common way which is less likely to be infected with the disease is ________.
A. to eat unwashed meat or undercooked vegetables
B. to clean a place where a cat once lived for a time
C. to pass the infection to her unborn baby during a woman's pregnancy
D. to reuse kitchen tools which have been used to cut raw meat
2.What is the consequence if a woman is infected with the parasite in the passage?
A. Having a high fever.
B. Doing deliberate self-harm.
C. Keeping a depressed mood.
D. Becoming bad tempered.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Women have a higher risk to be infected by the parasite than men.
B. The result of the research may help the scientists to find ways to stop suicide in advance.
C. The scientists will continue their research into the possible connection.
D. The risk of being infected seems to rise with the decreasing levels of the antibodies.
4.Which of the following statements would probably be the best title of the passage?
A. Why are women more likely to commit suicide?
B. Women should keep away from cats
C. Ways found to deal with women's mental problems
D. Are women who own cats at a suicide risk?
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项
Selfie
Social media and the mobile web have given rise to a strange phenomenon called the selfie. It refers to a picture of yourself, usually shared on any social networking website.
1. Some selfies are extreme close-ups, and others show part of an arm held straight outward. A few of them even feature the subject standing in front of a bathroom mirror.
Everyone takes selfies, but the younger crowd seems to be especially involved in the trend. Young people are relatively heavier digital users. They are interested in staying connected to their friends. __2.__
There are also kinds of psychological factors driving people to take a selfie and upload it to a social networking site. 3. A quick and easy way to attract other's attention is to get “likes” and comments from friends. Secondly, it's human nature to show off your own great achievements. When you feel good about yourself or look good, it's far too easy to take out your phone and document it all through one or several selfies. 4. That's right. Sometimes people are bored at work, bored at school, bored at home and even bored on the toilet. Last but not least, social media is about being social! If that means uploading as many selfies as possible, then so be it. It's fun, and it's a cool way to sort of document your own life.
Finally, there are things to be mindful of when you're posting. It's easy to think you're sharing a photo with a few people. 5. So don't post anything online, selfie especially.
A. There are lots of selfie styles.
B. The rise of selfies has become universal.
C. Social media, to some extent, is the driving force of their selfie activity.
D. The desire to take, post and get “likes” on selfies goes back to a biological behavior.
E. But the whole world of social media is public and every individual can get access to it.
F. There are also people who will take selfies because they have nothing else better to do.
G. The leading factor is that people want to get attention from as many people as possible.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，从文后所给各题的四个选项（A. B C D ）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Over the years, thanks to my life’s obstacles(障碍), I understood the meaning of faith and the strong will to survive. It was Hurricane Ike that made me fully __ the beauty of our strength and a human’s motivation to ____ .
Mom had a two-week____in summer. While we enjoyed our holiday in Southeast Texas, we didn’t realize the fact that Ike____cause months and likely years of “labor”. By September 7th, the “eyes of Texas” were watching Hurricane Ike more____, making the typical mad rush for last-minute hurricane____. Two days later, both oil and ice were in____demand.
In the early hours of September 11th, some neighbors were planning to____the storm in their homes,____others were making final preparations to get away. At first, we decided to stay. But that afternoon, the Houston-Galveston area would be on the more___side of the storm. Mom and I packed some of our most____ belongings in the car and____the East Texas town of Lufkin.
As Ike pushed farther inland, we____ power in Lufkin. On Sunday, our next-door neighbor told us via cell phone that our____ had remained well. Our hopes could not have been ___ . But a few hours later, the neighbors reported that our brick chimney had____ , and it was sitting on our living room, ____ a hole in the roof between two skylights (天窗).
We wouldn’t be allowed to return home ____ September 17th. I climbed upstairs, and looked toward the hole in the roof which showed a beautiful blue sky.
Without hesitation, I shouted, “Wow! A third skylight!”
My neighbors could not believe I was making jokes____ crying, but ___ is always good medicine. It was with that joke that I knew, given time, everything would be okay.
1.A. observe B. appreciate C. explore D. improve
2.A. work B. apologize C. recover D. change
3.A. vacation B. journey C. meeting D. schedule
4.A. must B. might C. should D. would
5.A. closely B. constantly C. warningly D. differently
6.A. adventure B. equipment C. supplies D. reports
7.A. basic B. high C. pure D. neat
8.A. get through B. put away C. test out D. suffer from
9.A. since B. when C. until D. while
10.A. dangerous B. abundant C. peaceful D. awesome
11.A. available B. concrete C. precious D. potential
12.A. set out B. headed for C. settled down D. watched out
13.A. provided B. reduced C. produced D. lost
14.A. garden B. house C. pool D. yard
15.A. clearer B. wilder C. lower D. higher
16.A. passed B. stood C. gone D. followed
17.A. leaving B. digging C. filling D. kicking
18.A. by B. before C. until D. after
19.A. in spite of B. instead of C. apart from D. in terms of
20.A. faith B. will C. strength D. laughter
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Irish, Japanese, Chinese scientists share the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. William Campbell, Staoshi Omura and Tu Youyou jointly won the prize__1.__their work against diseases, the award-giving body said on Monday.
Campbell___2.___(bear) in Ireland and Japanese Omura won half of the prize for discovering a new drug, ___3.__ has helped the battle against river blindness, as well as showing __4.__(power) effect against other diseases.
The Chinese scientist Tu Youyou also discovered artemisinin(青嵩素), a drug that has ___5.__(sharp) reduced the death rate for patients ____6.__(suffer) from malaria(疟疾). She is also the first Chinese citizen __7.__(win) the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The prize winning is __8.__honor for China’s science cause and traditional Chinese medicine.
“These two __9.___(discover) provide humankind with a new way to fight these diseases that affect hundreds of millions of people annually. The award for Tu Youyou is the result of major change in the way China performs scientific research. China __10.__(spend) a lot of money on such research over the past years,” a member of the Nobel committee said.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处，每处仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Every boy and every girl are eager for success. But what can we succeed in life? Here are my opinions:
First, we must be friendly and kindly. It allows us to make friends but survive wherever we are. Second, we must set a goal, which motivates us to pursue our dreams. Third, it’s better to believe in us. Only with self-confidence we realize our goals. Fourth, we should develop good characters, such as a strong will and diligence, because good qualities help us to hold on to our dreams since we get into the trouble.
As far as I’m concerning, success belongs to those who keep on trying. So let’s take actions now!
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你是红星中学高三学生李华，请给你的外教Mr. Black写一封邮件，邀请他参加你们学校举行的英语读书会(reading circle)活动，邮件的内容包括：
1. 介绍读书活动的相关信息（例如：时间、地点、活动目的、内容等）；
2. 说明你发出邀请的原因；
3. 询问对方的意向。
注意： 1. 词数不少于100词；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Mr. Black,
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析