At first glance,price-comparison websites are...

At first glance,price-comparison websites are an example of capitalism at its best.But it has caused fierce competition on price and eviscerated profits.Towers Watson,a consultancy,said that "unnecessary" price competition following the rise of comparison sites in Britain had cost insurers ￡1 billion a year.

Consumers should celebrate that;the firms' losses are their gains.But there is a catch.Comparison sites introduce a new layer of costs,including their own advertising campaigns.In theory,competition in the market for comparison sites ought to keep those costs down.But David Ronayne of Warwick University argues that consumers often lose out from comparison sites.They earn a commission for each shopper who uses them for consumption such as buying insurance.That referral（委托）cost is included in the price the consumer ends up paying.If the increased costs outweigh the saving the comparison enables,consumers end up worse off.

These worries are not just theoretical.In 2014,Britain's competition regulator found that many comparison sites were using their contracts with retailers（零售商）to ban them from offering lower prices elsewhere.That weakened rivals' incentive（对手的动机）to cut fees,because prices on their site could not fall.By keeping prices similar,the contracts also reduced the incentive for consumers to search on multiple sites,thus helping sites retain their users.

Weaker incentives to lower commissions mean weaker incentives to lower costs,too.That might explain why comparison websites advertise so heavily,and sometimes offer free gifts to those who use them.In a recent paper,Ben Edelman of Harvard Business School and Julian Wright of the National University of Singapore argue that when a site knows that the prices merchants provide through it will always be the lowest available,it increases investment in attracting customers,safe in the knowledge that the merchants and at last consumers will bear the cost.

Is there any way to ensure the market for price comparison is competitive?Asking consumers to check multiple websites defeats the point of using them.One solution is to have only one site,but regulate it as a public utility（功用）. Alternatively,the governments could run the site itself.But creating good search and comparison sites may be too hard for them.It is much better to acknowledge that consumers will always have to do some comparison themselves to "keep the system honest".

Websites that compare the comparison sites can help,although it is easy to see how they could fall prey to the same problems.Any firm with captive users（被动用户）,be it a comparison site a search engine,or a social-media platform,can charge a high price for access to the eyes of its customers.For all their innovation,Internet middlemen are not unlike supermarkets.Shoppers would never imagine that a single store had the lowest price for all the items they need.

1.According to the first two paragraphs,price-comparison websites______.

A.will offer smart consumers the best deals

B.will bring insurance firms increased profits

C.can help keep the costs of insurance firms down

D.may raise the price that consumers pay for their purchases

2.Current comparison sites tend to put most of their efforts in______.

A.lowering commissions B.contracting with retailers

C.attracting consumers D.cutting operating costs

3.According to the last two paragraphs,the author probably agrees that______.

A.it's desirable to have only one comparison site and have it run by the government

B.it's advisable that comparison sites with captive users charge a high price for its service

C.consumers should check multiple comparison sites before making a purchasing decision

D.websites that compare the comparison websites can help to build a competitive market

4.The passage mainly conveys the idea that comparison sites______.

A.create an effective channel for smart consumers

B.are competition's friends and enemies at the same time

C.offer win-win deals between consumers and retailers

D.have caused a new form of competition among retailers

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

D

The oddness of life in space never quite goes away. Here are some examples.

First consider something as simple as sleep. Its position presents its own challenges. The main question is whether you want your arms inside or outside the sleeping bag. If you leave your arms out, they float free in zero gravity, often giving a sleeping astronaut the look of a funny balled （芭蕾）dancer. “I’m an inside guy,” Mike Hopkins says, who returned from a six-month tour on the International Space Station. “I like to be wrapped up.”

On the station, the ordinary becomes strange. The exercise bike for the American astronauts has no handlebars. It also has no seat. With no gravity, it’s just as easy to pedal violently. You can watch a movie while you pedal by floating a microcomputer anywhere you want. But station residents have to be careful about staying in one place too long. Without gravity to help circulate air, the carbon dioxide you exhale (呼气) has a tendency to form an invisible （隐形的）cloud around you head. You can end up with what astronauts call a carbon-dioxide headache.

Leroy Chiao, 54, an American retired astronaut after four flights, describes what happens even before you float out of your seat,”Your inner ear thinks your’re falling . Meanwhile your eyes are telling you you’re standing straight. That can be annoying—that’s why some people feel sick.” Within a couple days —truly terrible days for some —astronauts’ brains learn to ignore the panicky signals from the inner ear, and space sickness disappears.

Space travel can be so delightful but at the same time invisibly dangerous. For instance, astronauts lose bone mass. That’s why exercise is considered so vital that National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) puts it right on the workday schedule. The focus on fitness is as much about science and the future as it is about keeping any individual astronauts return home, and, more importantly, how to maintain strength and fitness for the two and a half years or more that it would take to make a round-trip to Mars.

1.What is the major challenge to astronauts when they sleep in space?

A. Deciding on a proper sleep position

B. Choosing a comfortable sleeping bag

C. Seeking a way to fall asleep quickly

D. Finding a right time to go to sleep.

2.The astronauts will suffer from a carbon-dioxide headache when _____.

A. the y circle around on their bikes

B. they use microcomputers without a stop

C. they exercise in one place for a long time

D. they watch a movie while pedaling

3.Some astronauts feel sick on the station during the first few days because _____.

A. their senses stop working

B. they have to stand up straight

C. they float out of their seats unexpectedly

D. whether they are able to go back to the station

4.One of the NASA’s major concerns about astronauts is _____.

A. how much exercise they do on the station

B. how they can remain healthy for long in space

C. whether they can recover after returning home

D. whether they are able to go back to the station

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Want to choose an English novel to enjoy? Here are four popular books sold on the website of Amazon, with formats and editions of kindle, hardcover, or paperback.

1.What is the ASIN number of the book manly telling family stories?

A. B01N7L0WCA　　 B. B009XIXVU6

C. B000W4RFBQ　　 D. B00N6IRDGW

2.Who probably intended his or her book to encourage women to face challenges bravely?

A. Emily Walters　　 B. Khaled Hosseini

C. Sue Monk Kidd　　 D. L. J. Taylor

3.Which book might be the best choice if Lucy is interested in adventurous and romantic stories?

A. The Handsome Enemy　　 B. And the Mountains Echoed

C. The Invention of Wings　　 D. The Secret Life of Bees

4.What do we know about Just Dreams?

A. The heroine defends the government bravely in the case but is faced with danger.

B. This book is one of the series of A Thousand Splendid Suns.

C. The film adapted from the book is very successful.

D. It may be thrilling to read the book.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Want to choose an English novel to enjoy? Here are four popular books sold on the website of Amazon, with formats and editions of kindle, hardcover, or paperback.

1.What is the ASIN number of the book manly telling family stories?

A. B01N7L0WCA　　 B. B000W4RFBQ

C. B009XIXVU6　　 D. B00N6IRDGW

2.Who probably intended his or her book to encourage women to face challenges bravely?

A. Sue Monk Kidd　　 B. Khaled Hosseini

C. Emily Walters　　 D. L. J. Taylor

3.Which book might be the best choice if Lucy is interested in adventurous and romantic stories?

A. And the Mountains Echoed　　 B. The Handsome Enemy

C. The Invention of Wings　　 D. The Secret Life of Bees

4.What do we know about Just Dreams?

A. The heroine defends the government bravely in the case but is faced with danger.

B. This book is one of the series of A Thousand Splendid Suns.

C. The film adapted from the book is very successful.

D. It may be thrilling to read the book.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.

Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane（飓风）Hugo 10 years ago. Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building rules wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. Soon after Hugo, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced rules. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be able to withstand a Level 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.

At first sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern (灯笼)” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be misleading. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.

To further protect the house from hurricane damage. Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings－long, slim wood pieces anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also raise the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. ‘These waves come ashore at terrible speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.

Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially hidden by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs (裤腿) pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.

1.After the Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina’s shore line are required 　　　　 .

A. to be easily reinforced　　 B. to meet stricter building standards

C. to look smarter in design　　 D. to be designed in the shape of cubes

2.Why is the award-winning beach house strong and hurricane-proof?

A. It is in the shape of a shell.　　 B. It is made of redwood.

C. It is strengthened by steel rods.　　 D. It is built with timber and concrete.

3.What’s the purpose of Huff raising the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings?

A. To anchor stronger pilings deep in the sand.

B. To prevent water from rushing into the house.

C. To withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr.

D. To make the house look more hurricane-proof.

4.According the last paragraph, the main function of the shell is 　　　 .

A. to give the house a better appearance

B. to strengthen the pilings of the house

C. to protect the wooden frame of the house

D. to slow down the speed of the big waves

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institutes of Architects.

At first sight, the house on Sullvan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be cheating. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel bars to give it extra strength.

To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings – long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm attacks. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come on shore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.

Huff designed the timber pilings to be partly masked by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.

1.After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new ho uses built along South Carolina’s shore line are required________.

A．to be easily reinforced                          B．to look smarter in design

C．to meet stricter building standards         D．to be designed in the shape of cubes

2.The award-winning beach house is quite strong because________.

A．it is strengthened by steel bars               B．it is made of redwood

C．it is in the shape of a shell                    D．it is built with stone and concrete

3.Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to ________.

A．withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr

B．strike stronger pilings keep into the sand

C．break huge sea waves into smaller ones

D．prevent water from rushing into the house

4.The main function of the shell is.

A．to strengthen the pilings of the house

B．to give the house a better appearance

C．to protect the wooden frame of the house

D．to slow down the speed of the swelling water

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.

Located on the shore of Sullivan's Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.

Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina's shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn't strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo's wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan's Island should be able to resist a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.

At first sight, the house on Sullivan's Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble "a large party lantern" at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The house's wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.

To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings—long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings (桩) might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. "These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings," said Huff.

Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed by the house's ground-to-roof shell. " The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn't look like it's standing with its pant legs pulled up, " said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.

1.After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina's shore line should ________.

A. be easily reinforced

B. look smarter in design

C. satisfy higher building standards

D. be designed in the shape of cubes

2.Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to ________.

A. withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr

B. make stronger pilings deep in the sand

C. break huge sea waves into smaller ones

D. prevent water from rushing into the house

3.The main function of the shell is ________.

A. to strengthen the pilings of the house

B. to give the house a better appearance

C. to protect the wooden frame of the house

D. to slow down the speed of the swelling water

4.It can be inferred from the passage that the shell should be ________.

A. fancy-looking                        B. water-proof

C. easily breakable                        D. extremely strong

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Satellites(卫星) are an important part of our ordinary lives．For example, the information for weather forecasts is sent by satellite．Some satellites have cameras which take photographs of the Earth to show how clouds are moving．Satellites are also used to connect our international phone calls．

Computer connections of the World Wide Web and Internet also use satellites. Many of our TV programs come to us through satellites．Airplane pilots also sometimes use a satellite to help them find their exact location．

We use satellites to send television pictures from one part of the world to another．They are usually 35，880 kilometers above the equator（赤道）．Sometimes we can see a satellite in the sky and it seems to stay in the same place．This is because it is moving around the world at 11，000 kilometers an hour—exactly the same speed that the earth rotates．A satellite must orbit the Earth with its antennae(天线)facing the earth．Sometimes, it moves away from its orbit（轨道），So there are little rockets on it which are used to put the satellite back in the right position．This usually happens about every five or six days．

Space is not empty! Every week, more and more satellites are sent into space to orbit the Earth．A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years．Satellites which are broken are sometimes repaired by astronauts or sometimes brought back to Earth to be repaired．Often，very old or broken satellites are left in space to orbit the Earth for a very long time．This is very serious because some satellites use nuclear power and they can crash（撞）into each other．

1.Which of the following is NOT done by satellites according to the passage?

A.Sending information for weather forecast．

B.Taking photographs of the Earth．

C.Sending TV pictures．

D.Providing food for airplane pilots．

2.What’s the speed the earth rotates at?

A.35,880 kilometers per hour．

B.335,880 kilometers per hour．

C.11,000 kilometers per hour．

D.110,000 kilometers per hour

3.Why does the satellite move around the world at the same speed as the Earth rotates?

A.In order to take photographs．

B.In order to stay in a certain position in the orbit．

C.In order to move away from its orbit．

D.In order to send television pictures．

4.What does the underlined word “This” in the 3rd paragraph refer to?

A.A satellite．

B.A little rocket．

C.A satellite seems to stay in the same place in the sky．

D.The satellite puts the rockets in the right position．

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It might be hard at first glance to see what things like toothbrushes, tires, cigarettes, and shoes have in common. But look closer and you’ll find that, like so many objects in our daily lives, they’re often made to a greater or lesser degree of the magic stuff (东西): plastic.

That stuff is now a planetary problem. Sometimes, because the plastic is mixed with other materials — including other plastics, such as in shoes — it’s difficult or impossible to recycle. In many places, recycling or burying in a landfill isn’t an option, not to mention all the waste that ends up in rivers and oceans. And so, more often than not, after a short useful life, plastic objects enter what’s likely to be a centuries-long afterlife as rubbish.

They’re thrown into rivers and washed into the sea. They break down into tiny bits called micro plastics. Sea animals big and small eat those pieces. Some pieces get mixed in with sea salt and we wind up eating them, with uncertain effects. We breathe in even smaller pieces called nano plastics: Scientists recently discovered them on remote mountaintops and even in the Arctic, where they are carried by winds and mixed with rain and snow.

The magic stuff has now become the stuff of nightmares.

Increasingly the challenge is to have the former without the latter. “Reduce, reuse, and recycle” has been the environmentalists’ answer for half a century. Businesses that sell plastic products or packaging, however, have little motivation to encourage reducing or reusing, and recycling — once thought a cure-all — can be complex and expensive. But with plastic pollution now a global problem, the stakes (风险) are raised, and so is public awareness.

Plastic waste has started to worry us. Business owners are creating new options for avoiding it. The point is not to demonize（妖魔化）things that were invented for good reason and with good intentions; the point is to find a way to have our plastic and not eat it too.

1.Which of the following can best describe plastic in our life according to Paragraph 1?

A.Old-fashioned B.Widely-used

C.Harmful D.Useless

2.What can we infer about the solution to plastic pollution in the last 50 years?

A.It hasn’t worked properly.

B.It has been totally ignored.

C.It hasn’t gained support from the public.

D.It has encouraged the businesses to recycle.

3.Which of the following will the author agree with to solve plastic problem?

A.A ban on plastic production.

B.A law punishing plastic littering.

C.An alternative material replacing plastic.

D.A new method of using without pollution.

4.Where is the text most likely from?

A.A magazine. B.A guidebook.

C.A novel. D.A diary.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In my opinion, parents and teachers are supposed to set an example of good behavior to children _____ they are role models to them.

A. although     B. even if              C. unless       D. as

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析