I was 11 years old when I asked my mom for pi...

I was 11 years old when I asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were in the economic decline. She said a polite “no”.

That didn’t stop me. I Googled the measurements for a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and stuck it on my desk. I would click notes on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one-keeping the sound they made on the computer in my head. I spent six months playing without touching a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was serious, she borrowed money and bought me 10 lessons.

I still remember the first one. I was struck by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons. Once I started secondary school, we couldn’t afford lessons again. I passed grade three, then grade five, practicing only on my piece of paper.

One evening, when I was about 13, my mom said she had a surprise for me; it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more borrowed money. It was the first time I’d played for her. She was in shock.

My school didn’t offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. But I had to pass a difficult test. Some of the questions involved an evaluation of the composer or when some piece was written. I felt overwhelmed. To my amazement, I was offered a place.

At Purcell, I spent two years working as hard as I could. I performed to raise money and saved enough to buy my first piano.

When I left Purcell, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. I am now at the Guildhall School in London. I feel proud: it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and I’m at one of the world’s leading music schools.

The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano-what we call mental practice. The paper piano helped arouse my curiosity about how music works, the building blocks that form the pieces.

1.Why did the author’s mom buy him lessons at last?

A.She was shocked by his first performance.

B.She had no doubt of his talent for piano.

C.She realized he meant what he said.

D.She suddenly made a fortune.

2.Which of the following can best describe the author?

A.Honest. B.Determined.

C.Humorous. D.Optimistic.

3.The underlined word “irony” in the last paragraph shows that the author felt　 .

A.surprised B.proud

C.satisfied D.disappointed

4.What’s the author’s main purpose of writing this article?

A.To introduce the method of mental practice.

B.To share how he convinced his mom to buy a piano.

C.To describe how costly it is to learn an instrument.

D.To encourage people to stick to their dreams.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I was 11 years old when asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were in the fallout of the recession(经济衰退). She said a polite "no".

That didn't stop me. I Googled the measurements for a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and stuck it on my desk. I would click notes on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one - keeping the sound they made on the computer in my head. I spent six months playing without touching a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was serious, she borrowed money and bought me 10 lessons.

I still remember the first one. I was struck by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons. Once I started secondary school, we couldn't afford lessons again. I passed grade three, then grade five, practicing only on my piece of paper.

One evening, When I was about 13, my mom said she had a surprise for me; it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more borrowed money. It was the first time I'd played for her. She was in shock.

My school didn't offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. The tryouts(选拔) were difficult. Some of the questions involved an estimation (评价) of the composer(作曲家) or when it was written. I felt overwhelmed. To my amazement I was offered a place.

At Purcell, I spent two years working as hard as I could. I performed to raise money and saved enough to buy my first piano.

When I left Purcell, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. I am now at the Guildhall School in London. I feel proud: it's been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and I'm at one of the world's leading music schools.

The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano: What we call mental practice. The paper piano helped spark my curiosity about how music works, the building blocks that form the pieces.

1.Why did the author's mom buy him lessons at last?

A.She suddenly made a fortune.

B.She realized he meant what he said,

C.She had no doubt of his talent for piano.

D.She was shocked by his first performance.

2.Which of the following can best describe the author?

A.Honest. B.Humorous.

C.Determined. D.Rebellious.

3.The word “irony” in the last paragraph shows that the author was 　　　 .

A.surprised B.proud

C.satisfied D.curious

4.What's the author's main purpose of writing this article?

A.To introduce the method of mental practice.

B.To encourage people to stick to their dreams.

C.To describe how costly it is to learn an instrument.

D.To share how he convinced his mom to buy a piano.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I was 11 years old when I asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were badly off in the recession (经济衰退). She said a_______“no”.

That didn’t stop me. I Googled the_______for a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and ________it on my desk. I would click _______on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one – keeping the_______we they made on the computer in my _______. I spend six months playing without______a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was_______, she got into debt to buy me ten lessons.

In the first lesson I was_______by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons.________we couldn’t afford lessons again. I________grade three, then grade five,_______only on my piece of paper. When I was about 13, my mom said she had a_______for me: it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more______money.

My school didn’t offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young_______. The tryouts (选拔) were________. Some of the questions involved a judgment on the composer (作曲家) or when it was written. I felt stuck. To my amazement I was offered a_____. There, I worked as hard as I could to improve my performance and save enough money to buy my _______piano.

I feel proud: it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and now I’m at one of the world’s leading music schools. However, the irony is that I________doing a lot of my practice away from the piano: what we call________practice. The paper piano helped spark my curiosity about how music works, the building blocks that form the pieces.

1.A.determined B.polite C.flat D.strong

2.A.measurements B.colors C.design D.principle

3.A.laid B.stuck C.threw D.folded

4.A.links B.tunes C.notes D.buttons

5.A.noise B.video C.image D.sound

6.A.voice B.hand C.head D.ear

7.A.touching B.seeing C.buying D.hearing

8.A.patient B.serious C.interested D.optimistic

9.A.terrified B.confused C.annoyed D.struck

10.A.Lately B.Meanwhile C.Sometimes D.Afterwards

11.A.passed B.missed C.organized D.quit

12.A.operating B.focusing C.practicing D.experimenting

13.A.prize B.surprise C.secret D.chance

14.A.borrowed B.hidden C.earned D.pocketed

15.A.students B.programmers C.musicians D.performers

16.A.difficult B.various C.common D.formal

17.A.job B.mark C.class D.place

18.A.best B.favorite C.first D.new

19.A.set about B.keep on C.turn to D.jump at

20.A.junior B.casual C.regular D.mental

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I was 11 years old when I asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were badly off in the recession (经济衰退). She said a ______ “no”.

That didn’t stop me. I Googled the ______ for a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and ______ it on my desk. I would click ______ on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one—keeping the ______ they made on the computer in my ______. I spend six months playing without ______ a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was ______, she got into debt to buy me ten lessons.

In the first lesson I was ______ by how real the sound of the piano was. I set my grade one after eight lessons. ______ we couldn’t afford lessons again. I ______ grade three, then grade five, ______ only on my piece of paper. When I was about 13, my mom said she had a ______ for me: it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more ______ money.

My school didn’t offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young ______. The tryouts (选拔) were ______. Some of the questions involved a judgment on the composer or when it was written. I felt stuck. To my amazement I was offered a ______. There, I worked as hard as I could to improve my performance and save enough money to buy my _____ piano.

I feel proud: it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and now I’m at one of the world’s leading music schools. However, the irony（讽刺） is that I ______ doing a lot of my practice away from the piano: what we call ______ practice. The paper piano helped spark my curiosity about how music works, the building blocks that form the pieces.

1.A.grateful B.polite C.distant D.reliable

2.A.measurements B.colors C.system D.principle

3.A.laid B.stuck C.wrapped D.folded

4.A.links B.tunes C.notes D.symbols

5.A.noise B.video C.image D.sound

6.A.gesture B.sight C.head D.chest

7.A.touching B.seeing C.buying D.hearing

8.A.cautious B.serious C.entertained D.optimistic

9.A.occupied B.confused C.addicted D.struck

10.A.Lately B.Meanwhile C.Instantly D.Afterwards

11.A.passed B.missed C.organized D.quit

12.A.operating B.focusing C.practicing D.experimenting

13.A.credit B.surprise C.reward D.chance

14.A.borrowed B.hidden C.earned D.raised

15.A.students B.artists C.musicians D.performers

16.A.tough B.various C.common D.formal

17.A.post B.mark C.class D.place

18.A.delicate B.favorite C.first D.new

19.A.set about B.keep on C.turn to D.jump at

20.A.junior B.casual C.regular D.mental

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I still remember I was 11 years old when I asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were in the fallout of the recession (经济衰退). She said a polite “no”.

That didn’t stop me. I Googled the measurements for a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and stuck it on my desk. I would click notes on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one - keeping the sound they made on the computer in my head. I spent six months playing without touching a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was serious, she borrowed money and bought me 10 lessons.

I still remember the first one. I was struck by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons. Once I started secondary school, we couldn’t afford lessons again. I passed grade three, then grade five, practicing only on my piece of paper.

One evening, when I was about 13, my mom said she had a surprise for me; it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more borrowed money. It was the first time I’d played for her. She was in shock.

My school didn’t offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. The tryouts were difficult. Some of the questions involved an estimation (评价) of the composer or when it was written. I felt overwhelmed. To my amazement I was offered a place.

At Purcell, I spent two years working as hard as I could. I performed to raise money and saved enough to buy my first piano.

When I left Purcell, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. I am now at the Guildhall School in London. I feel proud: it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and I’m at one of the world’s leading music schools.

The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano: what we call mental practice. The paper piano helped spark my curiosity about how music works, the building blocks that form the pieces.

1.Why did the author’s mom buy him lessons at last?

A.She suddenly made a fortune. B.She had no doubt of his talent for piano.

C.She realized he meant what he said. D.She was shocked by his first performance.

2.Which of the following can best describe the author?

A.honest and practical. B.determined and hardworking.

C.humorous and reliable. D.rebellious and pessimistic.

3.The word “irony” in the last paragraph shows that the author was _______.

A.surprised B.absurd

C.satisfied D.curious

4.What’s the author’s main purpose of writing this article?

A.To introduce the method of mental practice.

B.To share how he convinced his mom to buy a piano.

C.To encourage people to stick to their dreams.

D.To describe how costly it is to learn an instrument.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Music to My Ears

Robby was 10 for his first piano lesson in my class. Much as he tried, he ____ even the basic rhythm. However, he dutifully reviewed the pieces that I required.

Over the months he tried and tried while I ____ and encouraged him. At the end of each lesson he'd always say, "My mom's going to hear me play some day." ____ it seemed hopeless.

I only knew his mother from a ____as she waited in her aged car to pick him up. Then one day Robby stopped coming. I was secretly ____ that he stopped because of his lack of ability.

Weeks later I informed the students, including Robby, of the coming recital（独奏）. To my ____, Robby asked me if he could be included. I told him he really did not qualify because he had ____ out. He said his mom had been sick and unable to take him to lessons but he was still ____ .

“I've just got to play!" he ____. Something inside me let me allow him to.

Then came the recital night. The gym was ____ with parents. I put Robby up ____, thinking that I could save his poor performance through my “curtain closer（谢幕）.”

The recital went off smoothly. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair was ____. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?" I thought.

Robby pulled out the piano bench and began. I was not ____ for what I heard next. His fingers were ____ on the keys. Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people of his age. After he ended, everyone was ____ their feet in wild applause.

In ____ I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby. "I've never heard you play like that, Robby! How did you ____ it?"

Robby explained, "Well, Miss Hondorf…remember I told you my mom was sick? …____ she had cancer and passed away yesterday. She was born deaf, so tonight she could hear me play in heaven. I wanted to make it special."

There wasn’t a ____ eye in the house. That night I felt he was the teacher and I was the pupil, for it was he who taught me the meaning of perseverance and ____.

1.A. lacked                                B. had                             C. showed                           D. got

2.A. listened                     B. learned                   C. checked                         D. played

3.A. And                            B. But                           C. So                               D. Or

4.A. conversation          B. performance          C. distance                         D. picture

5.A. guilty                           B. sad                C. anxious                           D. glad

6.A. relief                          B. surprise              C. pleasure                D. satisfaction

7.A. stepped                          B. worn             C. run                              D. dropped

8.A. acting                                  B. performing    C. practicing                        D. recording

9.A. insisted                           B. suggested     C. complained                     D. threatened

10.A. lined                                 B. packed                    C. piled                                  D. filled

11.A. least                                  B. most               C. first                           D. last

12.A. messy                           B. cool           C. neat                               D. dull

13.A. eager                 B. concerned       C. prepared                        D. grateful

14.A. hesitating                         B. dancing                    C. touching                               D. crawling

15.A. over                                  B. under              C. in                                      D. on

16.A. chaos                           B. tears                C. silence                             D. return

17.A. find                          B. feel                           C. make                                D. like

18.A. Gradually          B. Suddenly                     C. Frequently                      D. Actually

19.A. dry                           B. curious                     C. bright                               D. wet

20.A. regret                           B. talent                       C. love                                  D. courage

高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Music to My Ears

Robby was 10 for his first piano lesson in my class. Much as he tried, he ____ even the basic rhythm. However, he dutifully reviewed the pieces that I required.

Over the months he tried and tried while I ____ and encouraged him. At the end of each lesson he'd always say, “My mom's going to hear me play some day.” ____ it seemed hopeless.

I only knew his mother from a ____ as she waited in her aged car to pick him up. Then one day Robby stopped coming. I was secretly ____ that he stopped because of his lack of ability.

Weeks later I informed the students, including Robby, of the coming recital(独奏). To my ____， Robby asked me if he could be included. I told him he really did not qualify because he had ____ out. He said his mom had been sick and unable to take him to lessons but he was still ____ .

“I've just got to play！” he ____. Something inside me let me allow him to.

Then came the recital night. The gym was ____ with parents. I put Robby up ____， thinking that I could save his poor performance through my “curtain closer(谢幕)．”

The recital went off smoothly. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair was ____. “Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night？” I thought.

Robby pulled out the piano bench and began. I was not ____ for what I heard next. His fingers were ____ on the keys. Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people of his age. After he ended, everyone was ____ their feet in wild applause.

In ____ I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby. “I've never heard you play like that, Robby! How did you ____ it？”

Robby explained, “Well, Miss Hondorf…remember I told you my mom was sick? …____ she had cancer and passed away yesterday. She was born deaf, so tonight she could hear me play in heaven. I wanted to make it special.”

There wasn't a ____ eye in the house. That night I felt he was the teacher and I was the pupil, for it was he who taught me the meaning of perseverance and ____.

1.A.lacked　     B．had

C．showed　     D．got

2.A.listened　     B．learned

C．checked　     D．played

3.A.And　     B．But

C．So　     D．Or

4.A.conversation　     B．performance

C．distance　     D．picture

5.A.guilty　     B．sad

C．anxious　     D．glad

6.A.relief　     B．surprise

C．pleasure　     D．satisfaction

7.A.stepped　     B．worn

C．run　     D．dropped

8.A.acting　     B．performing

C．practicing　     D．recording

9.A.insisted　     B．suggested

C．complained　     D．threatened

10.A.lined　     B．packed

C．piled　     D．covered

11.A.least　     B．most

C．first　     D．last

12.A.messy　     B．cool

C．neat　     D．dull

13.A.eager　     B．concerned

C．prepared　     D．grateful

14.A.hesitating　     B．dancing

C．touching　     D．crawling

15.A.over　     B．under

C．in　     D．on

16.A.chaos　     B．tears

C．silence　     D．return

17.A.find　     B．feel

C．make　     D．like

18.A.Gradually　     B．Suddenly

C．Frequently　     D．Actually

19.A.dry　     B．curious

C．bright　     D．wet

20.A.regret　     B．talent

C．love　     D．courage

高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

B

My 10-year-old nephew is timid. I was delighted when his mother, my sister, asked me to take him to the circus(马戏团). ＂Buy one bag of popcorn,＂ she ordered.

＂Is there anything we should avoid?＂

＂Yes, but you can’t avoid it. It’s the elephants’ parade around the ring.＂

David has read that the circus elephants are the most unhappy creatures in the universe. They’d rather be torn open by a lion than made fool of themselves before a crowd. So, when they started their act, David began to cry, ＂Those big, big tears …＂

So, eyes still dry, sharing popcorn, we watched simian(猴的) cast rush into the ring to a burst of cheers. Then we watched the individual acts — the monkey from the Bolshoi, the famous clown who climbed the tallest pole, hanging on by a finger and a knee. He raised laughter from the audience of children. If the clown slipped, the net would catch him, although no net can be trusted. It’s easy to fall wrong, and if so you can break your silly neck. I would keep that information from David, I promised my schoolteacher. I was the cool adult here.

At last elephants came and did their parade, each wearing a hat. My arm slipped around my beloved nephew.

＂Aunt Ella, they are so unhappy.＂

＂I believe they are. But some day this act will be outlawed.＂

＂Really?＂

＂Yes. The elephants will be returned to the grasslands in Africa and spend the rest of their lives eating green stuff, never having to grab a tail.＂ I put my arms around him and whispered in his ear, ＂I love you.＂

He did not sob(呜咽) but nestled closer to me.

The elephants were the last act of the first half of the show, and enduring their performance earned us another box of popcorn.

【题文1】 Why did the author’s sister ask her to buy a bag of popcorn?

A. To show a new fashion.

B. To use it to help David kill time.

C. To use it to help improve David’s attention.

D. To use it to distract David’s attention to his fear.

【题文2】 What does the author use ＂clown＂ in Paragraph 5 to refer to?

A. The circus monkey.　　　　　 B. The circus worker.

C. The circus audience.　　　　　 D. The amusing actor.

【题文3】 How did the author feel when watching the monkey acting?

A. She was touched by its acting.　　　　 B. She was afraid of her nephew’s fear.

C. She regretted taking David to watch it.　　　 D. She was worried about the monkey’s safety.

【题文4】What will the following paragraph be about?

A. How the author comforted her nephew.　　　 B. What the second half of the show was like.

C. What lesson the author got from the show.　　 D. How much popcorn was needed in the play.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

One evening last summer, when I asked my 14 year old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me．"What’s a colander(漏勺)?" he asked．

I could only blame myself．In the family, nobody else’s hands went in the sauce except my own．But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn’t prepared Ray for．

As parents, while we focus on our sons’ confidence and character, we perhaps don’t always consider that we are also raising someone’s future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers．I wanted to know that I’d raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, "What’s for dinner?" So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course．I was delighted to find that he didn’t say no．For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine．One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting．Then he rolled out the piecrust (馅饼皮) and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven．

I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother—he tried to beg not to have sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive— but it couldn’t be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping．"I appreciate what you do as a mom," he told me one day．Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there’s nothing masculine (男子气概的) about being helpless．

Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family．That’s what I call a man．I’m glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter in-law．

1.Why was the author shocked at her son’s response?

A．Because he was not well behaved．

B．Because he refused to help with dinner．

C．Because he didn’t know the common kitchen tools．

D．Because he was very curious about kitchen tools．

2.In the author’s opinion, some parents pay little attention to _______．

A．building up children’s confidence

B．telling kids what is right and wrong

C．preparing children for their future life

D．making children live a hard life

3.After learning to do housework, Ray _______．

A．fell in love with sewing

B．did other work in the house

C．began to be more hardworking

D．acknowledged his mother’s efforts

4.We can infer from the text that Ray _______．

A．made great progress in cooking．

B．always thought housework interesting．

C．preferred sewing to cooking．

D．was unwilling to learn cooking at first．

5.What would the author like to convey in the text?

A．Useful education for boys

B．The importance of housework

C．Boys should be involved in housework．

D. Cooking and sewing make boys masculine．

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

One evening last summer, when I asked my 14 year old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me．"What’s a colander(漏勺)?" he asked．

I could only blame myself．In the family, nobody else’s hands went in the sauce except my own．But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn’t prepared Ray for．

As parents, while we focus on our sons’ confidence and character, we perhaps don’t always consider that we are also raising someone’s future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers．I wanted to know that I’d raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, "What’s for dinner?" So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course．I was delighted to find that he didn’t say no．For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine．One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting．Then he rolled out the piecrust (馅饼皮) and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven．

I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother—he tried to beg not to have sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive— but it couldn’t be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping．"I appreciate what you do as a mom," he told me one day．Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there’s nothing masculine (男子气概的) about being helpless．

Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family．That’s what I call a man．I’m glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter in-law．

1.Why was the author shocked at her son’s response?

A．Because he was not well behaved．

B．Because he refused to help with dinner．

C．Because he didn’t know the common kitchen tools．

D．Because he was very curious about kitchen tools．

2.In the author’s opinion, some parents pay little attention to _______．

A．building up children’s confidence

B．telling kids what is right and wrong

C．preparing children for their future life

D．making children live a hard life

3.After learning to do housework, Ray _______．

A．fell in love with sewing

B．did other work in the house

C．began to be more hardworking

D．acknowledged his mother’s efforts

4.We can infer from the text that Ray _______．

A．made great progress in cooking．

B．always thought housework interesting．

C．preferred sewing to cooking．

D．was unwilling to learn cooking at first．

5.What would the author like to convey in the text?

A．Useful education for boys

B．The importance of housework

C．Boys should be involved in housework．

D. Cooking and sewing make boys masculine．

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析