I became a magician by accident. When I was n...

I became a magician by accident. When I was nine years old, I learned how to make a coin disappear. I’d read The Lord of the Rings and ventured into the adult section of the library to search for a book of spells—nine being that curious age at which you’re old enough to work through more than 1,200 pages of fantasy literature but young enough to still hold out hope that you might find a book of real, actual magic in the library. The book I found instead taught basic sleight-of-hand technique, and I dedicated the next months to practice.

At first the magic wasn’t any good. At first it wasn’t even magic; it was just a trick—a bad trick. I spent hours each day in the bathroom running through the secret moves in front of the mirror. I dropped the coin over and over, a thousand times in a day, and after two weeks of this my mom got a carpet from the hardware store and placed it under the mirror to muffle the sound of the coin falling again and again.

I had heard my dad work through passages of new music on the piano, so I knew how to practice—slowly, deliberately, going for precision rather than speed. One day I tried the illusion in the mirror and the coin vanished. It did not look like a magic trick. It looked like a miracle.

One of the lessons you learn very early on as a magician is that the most amazing part of a trick has nothing to do with the secret. The secret is simple and often dull: a hidden piece of tape, a small mirror, a duplicate playing card, diversion of the audience’s attention. In this case, the secret was a series of covert ( 暗 中 的 ) technique to hide the coin behind my hand in the act of opening it, a dance of the fingers that I learned so completely I didn’t even have to think. I would close my hand, then open it, and the coin would vanish not by skill but by real magic.

1.What book did the author intend to find in the library when he was nine years old?

A.A book teaching people how to make a coin disappear.

B.The second book of The Lord of the Rings.

C.A book on how to become a magician.

D.A book of real magic.

2.The underlined word “muffle” probably means ______.

A.clean B.punish

C.lower D.kill

3.What did the author learn from his dad playing the piano?

A.Without music, life　 is of no value. B.Practice makes perfect.

C.Great liars are also great magicians. D.No pains, no gains.

4.Which of the following is not mentioned as a magician trick?

A.Carrying out skillful hand moves.

B.Using real magic to create miracles.

C.Hiding some stage tools inside the coat.

D.Guiding the audience to focus on something unimportant.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It was 　　　　 Asimov was eleven years old 　　　　 his talent for writing became obvious.

A. that, when B. When, that

C. when, when　 D. when, which

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

It was when Asimov was eleven years old ________ his talent ________ writing became obvious.

A. when; for         B. that; on         C. that; for            D. /; on

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, "Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story" shown in late April.

Liz Murray, a 22.year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just l5 years old. The effect of that LOSS became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died,she decided to do something about it.

Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. ".What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society,'' she wrote in her book Breaking Night.

She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that "next to nothing could hold me down".

She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University. But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS."I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time."

Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is ''as simple as making a decision".

1.In which order did the following things happen to Liz?

a. Her mother died of AIDS.　　　　

b. She worked at a petrol station.

c. She got admitted into Harvard.　　

d. The movie about her life was put on.

e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.

A. b, a, e, c, d　　 B. a, b, c, e, d　　 C. e, d, b, a, c　　 D. b, e, a, d, c

2.The main idea of the passage is_______.

A. how Liz managed to enter Harvard University

B. what a hard time Liz had in her childhood

C. why Liz loved her parents so much

D. how Liz struggled to change her life

3.What actually made her go towards her goal?

A. Envy and encouragement.　　 B. Willpower and determination.

C. Decisions and understanding.　　 D. Love and respect for her parents.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship （奖学金） and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “ Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story ” , shown in late April.

Liz Murray, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted （吸毒） parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.

Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “ What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.

She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that “ next to nothing could hold me down ” . She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University . But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. “ I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time. ”

Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is “ as simple as making a decision ” .

1.In which order did the following things happen to Liz?

a. Her mother died of AIDS.

b. She worked at a petrol station.

c. She got admitted into Harvard.

d. The movie about her life was put on.

e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.

A．b, a, e, c, d         B．a, b, c, e, d         C．e, d, b, a, c         D．b, e, a, d, c

2.The main idea of the passage is ________.

A．how Liz managed to enter Harvard University

B．what a hard time Liz had in her childhood

C．why Liz loved her parents so much

D．how Liz struggled to change her life

3.What actually made her go towards her goal?

A．Envy and encouragement.                 B．Willpower and determination.

C．Decisions and understanding.              D．Love and respect for her parents.

4.When she wrote “ What drove me to live on...I had only experienced a small part of the society ” , she meant that ________.

A．she had little experience of social life

B．she could hardly understand the society

C．she would do something for her own life

D．she needed to travel more around the world

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship （奖学金） and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “ Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story ” , shown in late April.

Liz Murray, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug-addicted （吸毒） parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.

Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “ What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society, ” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.

She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that “ next to nothing could hold me down ” . She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University . But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. “ I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time. ”

Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is “ as simple as making a decision ” .

1. In which order did the following things happen to Liz?

a. Her mother died of AIDS.

b. She worked at a petrol station.

c. She got admitted into Harvard.

d. The movie about her life was put on.

e. She had trouble finding a place to sleep.

A．b, a, e, c, d         B．a, b, c, e, d         C．e, d, b, a, c         D．b, e, a, d, c

2.The main idea of the passage is ________.

A．how Liz managed to enter Harvard University

B．what a hard time Liz had in her childhood

C．why Liz loved her parents so much

D．how Liz struggled to change her life

3.What actually made her go towards her goal?

A．Envy and encouragement.                 B．Willpower and determination.

C．Decisions and understanding.              D．Love and respect for her parents.

4.When she wrote “ What drove me to live on...I had only experienced a small part of the society ” , she meant that ________.

A．she had little experience of social life

B．she could hardly understand the society

C．she would do something for her own life

D．she needed to travel more around the world

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship and gain entry to Harvard University. And her amazing story has inspired a movie, “Homeless to Harvard：The Liz Murray Story” , shown in late April.

Liz Murray , a 22-- year-- old American girl, has been writing a real--life story of willpower and determination. Liz grew up in the shadow of two drug--addicted parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Liz was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Liz was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss became a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it.

Liz went back to school. She threw herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she lived on the streets. “What drove me to live on had something to do with understanding, My understanding was that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night.

She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that come easily to others, such as a safe living environment, to encourage herself that "next to nothing could hold me down". She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University. But Liz decided to leave her top university a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her father, who has also developed AIDS. "I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me all the time."

　Liz wants moviegoers to come away with the idea that changing your life is "as simple as making a decision".

1. The word “setback” in the first paragraph most probably means___________?

2.What’s the best title of the passage?

3.What actually made Liz throw herself into her studies ?

4. According to the passage, which is NOT true about Liz?

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

In the summer of 1885, nine-year-old Joseph Meister was very ill. He had been wounded by a sick dog that had rabies(狂犬病), a very dangerous disease. His parents were told that there was probably only one man who could save Joseph’s life——Louis Pasteur.

When Pasteur was a young boy in France, he spent many hours every day with the chemist (药剂师) who lived in his small town. At that time, the chemist had to make all the medicines himself. Young Louis enjoyed watching the chemist as he worked and helped those people who came to him each day.

As a school boy, Pasteur worked slowly and carefully. At first, his teachers thought that young Louis might be a slow learner. Through elementary school, high school, and college, Pasteur worked in the same thoughtful way. Then he became a college professor and a scientist , and he continued to work very carefully.

Pasteur was studying about the germs(细菌)that cause rabies when Joseph Meister became ill.In fact, Pasteur believed he had a medical treatment for rabies, but he had never given it to a person before. At first, Pasteur was afraid to treat Joseph, but the poor child was dying. Pasteur gave Joseph an inoculation(预防接种)every day for ten days. Slowly, the child became better.

During his lifetime, Pasteur studied germs and learned how they cause diseases in animals and people. He developed vaccinations(疫苗)that prevent many of these diseases. On September 28,1895, Louis Pasteur passed away, at the age of 72. The work of this great man has been of great help to modern medicine.

1.The story of Joseph Meister is given to __________.

A.express the author’s sadness

B.introduce the subject of the text

C.show some common diseases in 1885

D.warn children to stay away from dogs

2.According to the text, young Louis _________.

A.was once badly hurt by a dog

B.was very interested in medicine

C.made a living by working for a chemist

D.had been thought of by his teachers

3.We can learn from Paragraph 3 that Louis Pasteur __________.

A.was always patient B.was clever but proud

C.was a slow learner D.was a humorous professor

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A.Germs and diseases

B.Rabies: a terrible disease

C.The earliest chemist in France

D.Louis Pasteur: a great scientist

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In the summer of 1885, nine-year-old Joseph Meister was very ill. He had been wounded by a sick dog that had rabies(狂犬病), a very dangerous disease. His parents were told that there was probably only one man who could save Joseph’s life——Louis Pasteur.

When Pasteur was a young boy in France, he spent many hours every day with the chemist (药剂师) who lived in his small town. At that time, the chemist had to make all the medicines himself. Young Louis enjoyed watching the chemist as he worked and helped those people who came to him each day.

As a school boy, Pasteur worked slowly and carefully. At first, his teachers thought that young Louis might be a slow learner. Through elementary school, high school, and college, Pasteur worked in the same thoughtful way. Then he became a college professor and a scientist , and he continued to work very carefully.

Pasteur was studying about the germs(细菌)that cause rabies when Joseph Meister became ill.In fact, Pasteur believed he had a medical treatment for rabies, but he had never given it to a person before. At first, Pasteur was afraid to treat Joseph, but the poor child was dying. Pasteur gave Joseph an inoculation(预防接种)every day for ten days. Slowly, the child became better.

During his lifetime, Pasteur studied germs and learned how they cause diseases in animals and people. He developed vaccinations(疫苗)that prevent many of these diseases. On September 28,1895, Louis Pasteur passed away, at the age of 72. The work of this great man has been of great help to modern medicine.

1.The story of Joseph Meister is given to __________.

A．express the author’s sadness

B．introduce the subject of the text

C．show some common diseases in 1885

D．warn children to stay away from dogs

2.According to the text, young Louis _________.

A．was once badly hurt by a dog

B．was very interested in medicine

C．made a living by working for a chemist

D．had been thought of by his teachers

3.We can learn from Paragraph 3 that Louis Pasteur __________.

A．was always patient　　　 B．was clever but proud

C．was a slow learner　　　 D．was a humorous professor

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A．Germs and diseases

B．Rabies: a terrible disease

C．The earliest chemist in France

D．Louis Pasteur: a great scientist

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A nine-year-old kid was sitting at his desk when suddenly there was a puddle (some water or liquid) between his feet and the front of his trousers was wet. He thought his heart was going to stop because he couldn’t possibly imagine how this had happened. It had never happened before, and he knew that when the boys found out he would never hear the end of it. When the girls found out, they would never speak to him again as long as he lived.

He prayed this prayer, “Dear God, I need help now! Five minutes from now I’m dead meat! ” He looked up from his prayer and here came the teacher with a look in her eyes that said he had been discovered. As the teacher was walking toward him, a classmate named Susie was carrying a goldfish bowl full of water. Susie tripped （绊倒） in front of the teacher and dumped （倒） the bowl of water in the boy’s lap. The boy pretended to be angry, but all the while he was saying to himself, “Thank you. God! ”

Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy was the object of sympathy（同情）. The teacher rushed him downstairs and gave him gym shorts to put on while his trousers dried out. All the other children were on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy was wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his had been transferred （转移） to someone else—Susie. She tried to help, but they told her to get out.

When school was over, the boy walked over to Susie and whispered, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Susie whispered back, “I wet my trousers once, too!”

1.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 means ________.

A. the boys would never play with him

B. the boys would treat him as usual

C. he would hardly hear any praise from the boys

D. he would be laughed at by the boys endlessly

2.After Susie dumped water in his lap, the boy was in a state of _________.

A. excitement　　 B. relief　　 C. anxiety　　 D. anger

3.What did the other kids do after the incident?

A. They offered him dry clothes.

B. They laughed at the boy rudely.

C. They helped the boy do the cleaning.

D. They urged the boy to get out angrily.

4.Why did Susie dump water in the boy’s lap?

A. The boy asked her to do so.

B. She just did it by accident.

C. The teacher tripped her on purpose.

D. She knew the boy’s embarrassment.（尴尬）

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析