When Edgar Allan Poe, the 19th century American writer best known today for his horror stories, first introduced the world to his fictional detective C. Auguste Dupin, he hit on a winning formula.
Dupin was Sherlock Holmes before Sherlock Holmes, a genius detective who first appeared in the story of “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”. Though the roots of the detective story go as far back as Shakespeare, Poe's tales of rational crime-solving created a unique type. His stories mix crime with a detective narrative, inviting readers to try to solve the puzzle too.
The key figure in such a story, then, is the detective. Poe's detective, Dupin is a gentleman of leisure who keeps himself occupied by using “analysis” to help the real police solve crimes. The real police are, of course, absolutely incompetent, like Inspector Lestrade and Scotland Yard are to Holmes. Like Holmes, he smokes a pipe and is unnaturally smart and rational, a kind of superhero who uses powers of thinking to accomplish great tasks of crime-solving.
“The elements Poe invented, such as the socially-awkward genius detective, his 'ordinary' helper, the impossible crime, the incompetent police force, the locked room mystery, etc. , have become firmly fixed in most mystery novels of today,” says English professor Karen 'Tan.
Poe's formula appealed in the 19th century because detective stories promised that reasoning could hold the answer to every question. At the same time, with mysterious overtones, they appealed to 19th-century readers' addiction to the mystical.
The detective story, writes book critic William Mullins, was particularly appealing because it promised that “intellect will win out, the criminal will be caught by the rational detective, science will track down the evil-doer and allow honest people to sleep at night.” At the same time, MacIntyre writes. 19Ih-century anxieties about the Industrial Revolution and new ways of living supported the idea that evil was everywhere. These two instincts — “people's increasing faith in reason and mistrust of appearance”- are what made 19th century readers love detective stories, a love that endures today.
1.What do we learn about Poe's fictional detective stories?
A.They created a new style of detective story telling.
B.They eventually became Poe's most famous stories.
C.The main character was inspired by the Sherlock Holmes.
D.Dupin was the first detective to appear in a fictional story.
2.What is Dupin's major strength as a detective?
A.His experience. B.His determination.
C.His fearlessness. D.His intelligence
3.What can we infer about the Dupin and Sherlock Holmes stories?
A.They are both set in England. B.They get readers to think and find.
C.Both of the assistants are incompetent. D.Both of their detectives are very sociable.
4.What made detective stories popular according to William Mullins?
A.Readers' growing interest in the mysterious plot.
B.People’s concern about the increasing level of crime.
C.The public's confidence in the power of rational thought.
D.Economic insecurity resulting from the Industrial Revolution.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
When Edgar Allan Poe, the 19th century American writer best known today for his horror stories, first introduced the world to his fictional detective C. Auguste Dupin, he hit on a winning formula.
Dupin was Sherlock Holmes before Sherlock Holmes, a genius detective who first appeared in the story of “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”. Though the roots of the detective story go as far back as Shakespeare, Poe's tales of rational crime-solving created a unique type. His stories mix crime with a detective narrative, inviting readers to try to solve the puzzle too.
The key figure in such a story, then, is the detective. Poe's detective, Dupin is a gentleman of leisure who keeps himself occupied by using “analysis” to help the real police solve crimes. The real police are, of course, absolutely incompetent, like Inspector Lestrade and Scotland Yard are to Holmes. Like Holmes, he smokes a pipe and is unnaturally smart and rational, a kind of superhero who uses powers of thinking to accomplish great tasks of crime-solving.
“The elements Poe invented, such as the socially-awkward genius detective, his 'ordinary' helper, the impossible crime, the incompetent police force, the locked room mystery, etc. , have become firmly fixed in most mystery novels of today,” says English professor Karen 'Tan.
Poe's formula appealed in the 19th century because detective stories promised that reasoning could hold the answer to every question. At the same time, with mysterious overtones, they appealed to 19th-century readers' addiction to the mystical.
The detective story, writes book critic William Mullins, was particularly appealing because it promised that “intellect will win out, the criminal will be caught by the rational detective, science will track down the evil-doer and allow honest people to sleep at night.” At the same time, MacIntyre writes. 19Ih-century anxieties about the Industrial Revolution and new ways of living supported the idea that evil was everywhere. These two instincts — “people's increasing faith in reason and mistrust of appearance”- are what made 19th century readers love detective stories, a love that endures today.
1.What do we learn about Poe's fictional detective stories?
A.They created a new style of detective story telling.
B.They eventually became Poe's most famous stories.
C.The main character was inspired by the Sherlock Holmes.
D.Dupin was the first detective to appear in a fictional story.
2.What is Dupin's major strength as a detective?
A.His experience. B.His determination.
C.His fearlessness. D.His intelligence
3.What can we infer about the Dupin and Sherlock Holmes stories?
A.They are both set in England. B.They get readers to think and find.
C.Both of the assistants are incompetent. D.Both of their detectives are very sociable.
4.What made detective stories popular according to William Mullins?
A.Readers' growing interest in the mysterious plot.
B.People’s concern about the increasing level of crime.
C.The public's confidence in the power of rational thought.
D.Economic insecurity resulting from the Industrial Revolution.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When I was eleven, my parents gave me the first book I ever owned—The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe. I distinctly remember opening it, reading the first lines of “The Cast of Amontillado,” and remarking to myself. “So this is what reading is!” My delight was unbounded. Little did I know at the time that I was at the beginning of a lifting journey.
So, if I read my first real book at 11, what was I reading before then? In a word, readers: relatively plotless, repetitive if well-intentioned attempts to teach child to recognize letters and their sounds and to build their vocabularies. Being a dutiful boy, I went through the motions and I learned what words were. But I had no idea what writing was until Poe. In Poe’s stories, the sentences were more complex and stylish than anything I had ever read before.
Poe, in short, was a star. My parents gave me that first book, but then I went off on my own. I liked science, which led me to discover Jules Verne, the Father of scene fiction and H G. Wells, well known for his novel The Time Machine. Other writers followed quickly one after another: Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke. But I didn’t limit myself to science fiction. Other titles that deeply impressed me early on, and which I have carried on my life’s journey, include The Yearling, Shane, Ivanhoe, Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Good Earth.
It went on from there. I became that kid who, long after his parents told him to turn the lights off, hid under the covers with a flashlight and a book, his greatest fear of being discovered and having his lighting taken away. I realize that my parents must have known I was defying (违背) them. But in their wisdom they pretended to be ignorant of it. And so I owe my star as a reader to my parents.
1.What did the author feel about The Tates of Edgar Allan Poe?
A. Attractive and interesting.
B. Complex and dull.
C. Distinct but difficult.
D. Plotless but easy.
2.From paragraph 3 we Can learn that the author ________.
A. liked reading tales best
B. enjoyed reading science fiction most
C. took no interest in realistic novels
D. liked reading freely and widely
3.What did the authors parents react to his reading by flashlight?
A. Told him to turn off the flashlight.
B. Took away his book.
C. Made allowance for him.
D. Scolded him at once.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. My Start as a Real Reader
B. The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe
C. When I Began to Like Reading Freely
D. Edgar Allan Poe Was My Favorite Star
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many people have heard stories of the California gold rush during the 19th century, when lots of people went there in search for gold. Panning (淘洗) for gold has a rich and interesting history. Nowadays some people continue to pan for gold in California. Although it cannot be regarded as a method for earning income, taking on gold-panning as a hobby can give you a feeling of being in the old west and get you out into nature.
The only tool that is required to pan for gold is a gold pan. You can use a regular old flat pan, but “officially” gold pans are quite cheap so you may as well buy one that is made for the task. Most sold pans come in either plastic or medal.
Once you have your pan you will want to start practicing your gold panning technique. Panning for gold works because gold is much heavier than most rocks. To pan for gold you add rock and dirt form the bottom of a stream to your pan and then gently let water flow through the pan. The lighter-weight rocks are slowly swept away while any gold will be left behind in the pan.
To start panning for gold, first you will need to find a good location. Try checking maps of your area and old history books to find location where there were gold mines in the past. Even though most of the gold have already been removed, there are likely to be small leftovers that you can find. Once you have found an area that looks promising, look for any small stream or river where you can try out panning for gold.
Panning for gold requires patience and it may be a long time before you hit anything of value. However, it is an enjoyable hobby and provides a great opportunity to get outdoors, so don’t give up too quickly.
1.What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A. Where to pan for gold.
B. How gold-panning works.
C. What tools are needed.
D. A promising area for panning.
2.What is the author’s attitude toward modern gold-planning?
A. Opposed. B. Indifferent . C. Positive. D. Neutral .
3.In which part of a newspaper would you probably find this article?
A. Lifestyle. B. Health. C. Travel. D. Sports.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Important change took place in the lives of women in the 19th century. When men went out from their farms to cities to seek jobs in industry. Peasant women had to take over the sowing, growing,and harvesting of the fields as well as caring for cattle and their children. When women also moved to the cities in search of work, they found that it was increasingly. separated by sex and that employment opportunities for women were limited to the lower-paid jobs. Later in the century, women in industry gathered mainly in cloth-making factories, though some worked in mining or took similarly difficult and tiring jobs.
In the 1800s, service work also absorbed(吸纳) a great number of women who arrived in the cities from the country. Young women especially took jobs as servants in middle-class and upper-class homes; and as more and more men were drawn into industry, domestic service(家庭服务) because increasingly a female job. In the second half of the century, however, chances of other service work also opened up to women, from sales jobs in shops to teaching and nursing. These jobs came to be done mainly by women and low paid.
For thousands of years, when almost all work was done on the family farm or in the family firm(家庭作坊)，home and workplace had been the same, In these cases, women could do farm work or hand work, and perform home duties such as child care and preparation of meals at the same time, Along with the development of industry, the central workplace, however, such as the factory and the department store, separated home from work, Faced with the necessity for women to choose between home and workplace, Western society began to give particular attention to the role of women as homemakers with more energy than ever before.
1.We learn from the first paragraph that ________ had been done chiefly by men before they went to cities to seek jobs.
A. mining, teaching, and nursing
B. sewing clothes and mining
C. sowing, growing, and harvesting
D. caring for cattle and growing crops
2.Domestic service because a female job mainly because ________.
A. women took care of children.
B. women took jobs as servants
C. men were employed in industry
D. men seldom worked in shops
3.we know from the passage that in the 1800s___________.
A. more and more women began to work in domestic service
B. women mainly worked as servants, nurses, and miners
C. service and industrial jobs absorbed more women than men
D. women enjoyed working as sellers, teachers, and miners
4.This passage is about ________ in the 19th century.
A. service and industry B. female and male jobs
C. women and their work D. female jobs and the pay
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
I. M. Pei, one of the best-known architects of the 20th century, has died. He was 102. Born in China, Ieoh Ming Pei moved to the United States in 1935 to study architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
Pei’s works around the world include museums, government buildings, hotels, schools and other structures built with stone, steel and glass. One of his best-known and most disputed works was built 30 years ago. Pei created a new entrance for the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris. Pei first spent four months studying the museum and French history. He then drew plans for a 21-meter-tall steel and glass id, with three smaller pyramids nearby. It was a very futuristic style of work for the 12th-century building.
A French newspaper criticized Pei’s pyramids as “an annex to Disneyland”. An environmental group said they belonged in a desert. Others accused Pei of ruining one of the world’s greatest landmarks.
Pei said the Louvre was the most difficult job of his career. He argued that he had wanted to create a modern space that would not take away from the traditional part of the museum. He said the glass pyramids were based on the works of French landscape architect Le Notre. They honored French history.
The pyramids opened in the spring of 1989. Over the years that followed, the structure came to be loved by most, if not all, of its critics.
Other well-known Pei buildings include the John F. Kennedy Library in Dorchester, Massachusetts, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Dallas City Hall in Texas. Pei officially retired in 1990. However, he continued to work on projects—including museums in Luxembourg, Qatar and his ancestral home of Suzhou.
1.What is true about the entrance created by Pei for the Louvre Museum?
A.Pei spent four mouths drawing plans for it. B.There are four pyramids in total.
C.It’s in a style of the 12th century. D.It took 30 years to complete the work.
2.What can we infer from Pei’s words in Paragraph 4?
A.The glass pyramids were originally designed by Le Notre.
B.The glass pyramids were based on the French landscape.
C.The glass pyramids were in harmony with the Louvre.
D.The glass pyramids reflected both French and Chinese style.
3.What were most people’s attitudes towards Pei’s pyramids years after its opening?
A.Indifferent. B.Puzzled.
C.Critical. D.Favorable.
4.What do we know about Pei according to the passage?
A.He was hardworking, optimistic and easygoing.
B.He spread Chinese traditional architecture to the world.
C.He created many great works both in China and other countries.
D.He was the most outstanding architect of the 20th century.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
If Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is today one of the best-known and most popular figures of 20th-century Mexican art, it is undoubtedly because of her personality and the originality of a body of works. Her work is, above all, the expression of a life — a tragic and stormy life, one that challenged all traditions.
The mere mention of her name excites enthusiasm and admiration, but her work is rarely exhibited, and has not been shown in France for fifteen years. The selection to go on show at the Musée de l’Orangerie includes major works by the artist, with masterpieces from the Museo Dolores Olmedo.
The life and work of Frida Kahlo cannot be separated from those of her companion Diego Rivera (1886-1957). Together they became figures of legend(传奇), and both have a place in the pantheon of 20th-century Mexican artists. Famous for his large wall paintings, Rivera’s easel paintings, drawings and prints, which form a large part of his artistic production, are less well-known to the public in Europe. The exhibition aims to trace his artistic career from the early Cubist images, revealing his links with the Paris artists whose works are a key element in the Orangerie collections, to the paintings that established him as the founder of the 20th-century school of Mexican art. His travels throughout Europe influenced his vision and his skills without ever distancing him from his roots, thus confirming his place in history as the founder of the nationalist school.
The exhibition devoted to the legendary couple Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo presents their works together, as if to confirm the impossibility of their divorce that was in fact finalised but reconsidered after just one year apart. It also gives us a better view of their respective artistic worlds, so different and yet so complementary(互补的), through the deep-rooted attachment they shared to their country.
1.Which of the following best describes Frida Kahlo’s work?
A. World-famous but unusual. B. Practical and popular.
C. Creative and realistic. D. Authentic but ordinary.
2.What does the underlined word "pantheon" in the third paragraph refer to?
A. Character. B. Community. C. School. D. Society.
3.What can we infer about Rivera from the passage?
A. Rivera broke up with Kahlo finally. B. Rivera’s works are popular in Europe.
C. Rivera’s works are the focus of the exhibition. D. Rivera had his works rooted in his motherland.
4.Why does the author write the passage?
A. To praise the celebrities. B. To introduce two famous artists.
C. To make an announcement. D. To encourage people to learn art.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式
In the 17th century, dentists did their best 1. (make) false teeth. The problem, however, was not making the teeth, 2. was keeping them in place. They had to tie each tooth to the one on either side of it. Only rich people could afford false teeth, 3. were usually made of gold or silver. As more and more people wanted new teeth, poor people 4. (sell)their teeth to the rich so that they could buy food and clothing. During the next 200 years, many changes were made to false teeth although some of these were not really improvements. Towards the end of the 19th century, for example, cheap elastic teeth were introduced. But they caught fire very 5. (easy), and a number of men were badly burned when their teeth caught fire while they were smoking 6. (cigarette ). Nowadays, false teeth 7. (be) so well made and look so real that it is often 8. (possible)to tell from a person’s appearance whether or not they have them. And in 9. near future, very few people will have them by 10. (add) certain things to the water we drink, we have been able to keep our teeth so healthy that most people will never need false teeth.
高三英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers fried to conquer(征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921. The British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland. In the north, is part of the united kingdom. The republic of Ireland. In the south. Is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes ,was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of bunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work , forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly, Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”, Since independence, Ireland has revived(复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different are as have different styles of old Irish song which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.
1.what does the author tell us in paragraph 1 ?
A. how the Irish fought against the English.
B. how Ireland gained independence.
C. how English rulers tried to conquer Ireland.
D. how two ”Irelands” came into being.
2.we learn from the text that in Ireland____________.
A. food shortages in the 1840s led to a decline in population
B. people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside
C. it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker
D. different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments
3.the last paragraph is mainly about____________.
A. the Irish character
B. Irish culture
C. Irish musical instruments
D. a famous Irish writer
4.what can be the best title for the text?
A. Life in Ireland B. A very difficult history
C. Ireland, past and present D. the independence of Ireland
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
In the 19th century, an Arab physician known as Zuhr Ibn conducted some animal research to assess the surgical procedures that could be applicable in humans. Since then, animal testing has been considered to be the most efficient way to develop new drugs. New medical treatments and drugs are tested in animals first to determine their effectiveness or safety levels before they are finally tested on humans. However, it remains controversial whether it is morally right or wrong to use animals for medical or commercial experiments.
Use of animals for medical purposes is seen to be necessary by many scientists. Researchers usually begin their trials using rats. If the tests are successful, further tests are done on monkeys before using human beings. For testing, such tiered(分层的) rounds are important because it reduces the level of error and any negative side effects. Some argue that animal testing has contributed to many life-saving cures and treatments and there is no adequate alternative to testing on a living, whole-body system. Moreover, there are regulations for animal testing that limit the misuse of animals during research, which serves as evidence that animals are well taken care of and treated well instead of being intentionally harmed.
However, some other experts and animal welfare groups have opposed such practice, terming it as inhumane(不人道的) and claiming it should be banned. According to Humane Society International, animals used in experiments are commonly subjected to force feeding, radiation exposure, operations to deliberately cause damage and frightening situations to create depression and anxiety. They also hold the view that animals are very different from human beings and therefore make poor test subjects. Drugs that pass animal tests are not necessarily safe. Animal tests on the arthritis(关节炎) drug Vioxx showed that it would have a protective effect on the hearts of mice, yet the drug went on to cause more than 27,000 heart attacks before being pulled from the market.
It’s safe to say that using animals for tests will continue to be debated in many years to come. Despite the benefits of animal testing, some of the animal welfare organizations’ concerns need to be addressed with adequate regulations to ensure that animals are treated humanely.
1.Why is animal testing considered necessary?
A.Because rats are more similar to humans than monkeys.
B.Because other testing alternatives may not replace the need for animals.
C.Because animal testing can spare humans any side effect.
D.Because animal testing has been in practice since the 19th century.
2.What suffering do animals go through during experiments?
A.Eating poisonous food.
B.Being killed deliberately.
C.Breathing in polluted air.
D.Having unnecessary operations.
3.What does the example Vioxx in paragraph 3 tell us?
A.Arthritis is hard to cure.
B.Some drugs need to be withdrawn from the market.
C.Animals can not necessarily produce accurate results.
D.A drug should be tested many more times before its release.
4.What action will the author probably agree with?
A.Experts try hard to determine whether animal tests are harmful.
B.The authorities issue a new law to guarantee animal rights during research.
C.Scientists reduce the number of animals used in research.
D.Relevant organizations show more concern about the animals’ welfare.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
British families started going on holiday to the seaside around the middle of the 19th century. The 1. （invent）of the railways made this possible. The first holidaymakers 2. (be) quite rich and went for their health and education. The seaside was a place to cure people of illness. And doctors recommended bathing in the sea and drinking sea water. At that time ordinary working people had very little time off work. 3. , in 1871, the government introduced for “Bank Holidays”, that is national holidays. This allowed people 4. (have) a day or two out now and then, 5. gave them a taste for leisure and seaside. At first, they went on a day trip, taking advantage 6. special trip tickets on the railways. By the 1880s, 7. (rise) incomes meant that many ordinary workers and their families could have holiday ant the seaside. Welfare was reduced and cheap hotels 8. (build) for them. Holidaymakers enjoy 9. (sit) on the beach, bathing in the sea and eating ice cream. Cheap entertainment was on offer and holidaymakers went to have fun. Today 10. English seaside remains popular with more than 18 million holidays taken there each year.
高三英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析