It is one of the greatest mysteries of nature. In case you haven’t noticed, all living things follow very definite, individual rhythms, all as regular as a clock, but what makes them regular?
Though many scientists maintain that these rhythms are the result of some outside force like gravity or radiation or both, the results of most scientific researches agree with other scientists who believe that each living thing has its own built-in biological “time clock.”
Take the mystery of migration for example. Scientists can’t really explain why many species of birds migrate in the autumn even though the temperature is still summery. The birds just seem to snub the comfortable weather that they are having. When a certain time comes, they travel south by the thousand. In spring time, they migrate northwards when though there probably is snow still covering the ground when they finally arrive. Something said “go”, and they did.
Animals that hibernate are obeying individual time clock, too. When their clock indicates the time to take a winter’s nap, they do, and nothing can stop them. At a certain time in the spring, they wake up and come out regardless of the weather outside.
Plants appear to have yearly rhythms, such as the sprouting(发芽)of seeds, and they also have daily rhythms. Notice sometimes that plants raise their leaves in daylight and lower them at night.
If you live along the California coast, you can easily observe a demonstration of this mysterious clock functioning regularly. There, from February to September, the highest tides occur exactly every fourteen and four-fifths days, and during these high tides, but at no other time, small silvery fish called grunions surf-ride a wave to the beach. There the female deposits her eggs in the sand and the male, fertilize them; then both hitch a wave-ride back to the sea. Exactly fourteen and four-fifths days later, never before or after, the tiny eggs hatch, and the high tide carries the new habits out to sea.
1.According to the passage, the mysterious rhythms result from ________.
A.the influence of gravity on living species
B.the effect of radiation on living species
C.the influence of a mysterious outer force on living species
D.the internal mechanism inside the living species
2.The underlined word “snub” in the third paragraph probably means ________.
A.fight B.ignore
C.symbolize D.criticize
3.Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A.Hibernating animals are obeying an internal time clock.
B.The positioning of the leaves of some plants is due to the daily rhythms.
C.The internal clock functioning is demonstrated in the reproducing habits of grunions.
D.The yearly hibernation is more because of the weather influence than the biological functioning.
4.The passage is mainly about ________.
A.the rhythms of life B.the reasons of mysterious hibermation
C.strange behaviors of species D.the timing for different events in the world of species
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
It is one of the greatest mysteries of nature. In case you haven’t noticed, all living things follow very definite, individual rhythms, all as regular as a clock, but what makes them regular?
Though many scientists maintain that these rhythms are the result of some outside force like gravity or radiation or both, the results of most scientific researches agree with other scientists who believe that each living thing has its own built-in biological “time clock.”
Take the mystery of migration for example. Scientists can’t really explain why many species of birds migrate in the autumn even though the temperature is still summery. The birds just seem to snub the comfortable weather that they are having. When a certain time comes, they travel south by the thousand. In spring time, they migrate northwards when though there probably is snow still covering the ground when they finally arrive. Something said “go”, and they did.
Animals that hibernate are obeying individual time clock, too. When their clock indicates the time to take a winter’s nap, they do, and nothing can stop them. At a certain time in the spring, they wake up and come out regardless of the weather outside.
Plants appear to have yearly rhythms, such as the sprouting(发芽)of seeds, and they also have daily rhythms. Notice sometimes that plants raise their leaves in daylight and lower them at night.
If you live along the California coast, you can easily observe a demonstration of this mysterious clock functioning regularly. There, from February to September, the highest tides occur exactly every fourteen and four-fifths days, and during these high tides, but at no other time, small silvery fish called grunions surf-ride a wave to the beach. There the female deposits her eggs in the sand and the male, fertilize them; then both hitch a wave-ride back to the sea. Exactly fourteen and four-fifths days later, never before or after, the tiny eggs hatch, and the high tide carries the new habits out to sea.
1.According to the passage, the mysterious rhythms result from ________.
A.the influence of gravity on living species
B.the effect of radiation on living species
C.the influence of a mysterious outer force on living species
D.the internal mechanism inside the living species
2.The underlined word “snub” in the third paragraph probably means ________.
A.fight B.ignore
C.symbolize D.criticize
3.Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A.Hibernating animals are obeying an internal time clock.
B.The positioning of the leaves of some plants is due to the daily rhythms.
C.The internal clock functioning is demonstrated in the reproducing habits of grunions.
D.The yearly hibernation is more because of the weather influence than the biological functioning.
4.The passage is mainly about ________.
A.the rhythms of life B.the reasons of mysterious hibermation
C.strange behaviors of species D.the timing for different events in the world of species
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In old times, man considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries(神秘事物)of nature. In fact a single flash of lightning 1. 6 kilometers long has enough electricity to light one million lamps.
The American scientist, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to suggest that lightning is in fact electricity formed between the earth and clouds high above. It happened in 1752. In the same year, he also built the first lightning rod(避雷针)to protect buildings from being struck by lightnings.
Modern science has discovered that lightning is very strong and powerful. A lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travels at a speed of 30 million meters per second. Scientists have the opinion that there are about 2, 000 million flashes of lightning per year. In the United States alone, it kills almost one person per day. The safest place to be in during an electrical storm is a closed car. Outside, one should go close to low ground for cover and not stop under a tree. Also one should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house people should keep away from open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.
1.From this passage we know lightning is_______ .
A. one of the great mysteries of nature
B. electricity high above the earth
C. a kind of light
D. the sound from the clouds
2.In the US _______.
A. every person can see lightning every day
B. at least one person is killed by lightning every day
C. there are about 6 million flashes of lightning per year
D. about one person per day dies from lightning
3.During a lightning storm, it would be best if you _______.
A. stand under a tree B. go outside C. stay in a closed car D. stop near windows
4.A lightning rod can _______.
A. prevent accidents caused by lightning
B. stop lightning
C. protect buildings from being washed away
D. delay the coming of lightning
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries of nature. Some ancient people believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons of the gods.
In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the earth. A single flash of lightning 1.6 kilometres long has enough electricity to light one million light bulbs .
The American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752. In the same year he also built the first lightning rod (避雷针). This device protects buildings from being damaged by lightning.
Modern science has discovered that one stroke of lightning has a voltage (电压) of more than 15 million volts (伏特). A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travel at a speed of 30 million meters per second.
Scientists judge that there are about 2,000 million flashes of lightning per year. Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year. In the United States alone it kills an average of one person every day.
The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car. Outside, one should go to low ground and not get under tress. Also on,e should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house, people should avoid open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.
With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry.
1.People once thought lightning came from ________.
A.the gods | B.the earth |
C.the sky | D.nature |
2.According to the passage what do you think all buildings need?
A.Metal fences. | B.Machines. |
C.Electricity. | D.Lightning rods |
3.Lightning can travel ________.
A.as quickly as water | B.not so quickly as electricity |
C.at very high speed | D.at very low speed |
4.Which of the following is NOT true?
A.In the U.S about one person per day dies from lightning. |
B.Swimming during a thunder storm is a good idea. |
C.The Empire State Building frequently gets hit by lightning. |
D.A closed car is the best place to be during an electrical storm. |
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries of nature. Some ancient peoples believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons of the gods.
In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the earth. A single flash of lightning 1.6 kilometres long has enough electricity to light one million light bulbs.
The American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752. In the same year he also built the first lightning rod (避雷针). This device protects buildings from being damaged by lightning.
Modern science has discovered that one stroke of lightning has a voltage (电压) of more than 15 million volts. A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travel at a speed of 30 million meters per second.
Scientists judge that there are about 2,000 million flashes of lightning per year. Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year. In the United States alone it kills an average of one person every day.
The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car. Outside, one should go to low ground and not get under a tree. Also, one should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house, people should avoid open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.
With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry.
1.People once thought lightning came from ________.
A. the sky B. the gods
C. the earth D. nature
2.According to the passage what do you think all buildings need?
A. Metal fences. B. Electricity.
C. lightning rods. D. Machines.
3.Lightning can travel ________.
A. as quickly as water
B. not so quickly as electricity
C. at very low speed
D. at very high speed
4.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. In the U.S. about 360 people die from lightning in a year.
B. The Empire State Building frequently gets hit by lightning.
C. Swimming during a thunder storm is a good idea.
D. A closed car is the best place to be during an electrical storm.
5.Lightning is probably ______ to man.
A. useful B. kind C. useless D. Friendly
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries of nature. Some ancient peoples believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons of the gods.
In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the earth. A single flash of lightning 1.6 kilometres long has enough electricity to light one million light bulbs.
The American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752. In the same year he also built the first lightning rod (避雷针). This device protects buildings from being damaged by lightning.
Modern science has discovered that one stroke of lightning has a voltage (电压) of more than 15 million volts. A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travel at a speed of 30 million meters per second.
Scientists judge that there are about 2,000 million flashes of lightning per year. Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year. In the United States alone it kills an average of one person every day.
The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car. Outside, one should go to low ground and not get under a tree. Also, one should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house, people should avoid open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.
With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry.
1.People once thought lightning came from ________.
A. the sky B. the gods
C. the earth D. nature
2.According to the passage what do you think all buildings need?
A. Metal fences. B. Electricity.
C. lightning rods. D. Machines.
3.Lightning can travel ________.
A. as quickly as water
B. not so quickly as electricity
C. at very low speed
D. at very high speed
4.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. In the U.S. about 360 people die from lightning in a year.
B. The Empire State Building frequently gets hit by lightning.
C. Swimming during a thunder storm is a good idea.
D. A closed car is the best place to be during an electrical storm.
5.Lightning is probably ______ to man.
A. useful B. kind C. useless D. Friendly
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Machu Picchu is an unusual site in Peru and one of the most mysterious wonders of the world. Built at almost 10,000 feet on the top of an Andean mountain, the Incas built hundreds of structures made of stone. A large number of Machu Picchu’s surrounding structures date back to the early 13th century, but it was considered a chief sacred site far before then. The Inca people changed the large site into a very small but wonderful city, completely self-sufficient and hidden from below. Agricultural terraces (梯田) surrounded the entire city, fed by natural spring water, supporting the entire population.
Inca Trail
The trail is one of the most famous in the world and regarded as one of the best. It covers only 26 miles, combining cloud forest, green mountain scenery, forest, and plenty of tunnels, paving stones, and ruins. The four-day hike begins slowly but quickly changes into a difficult journey suitable for those in excellent shape. The trail winds through the Andes, leading alongside and through ruins. Though independent hiking was once permitted, now it must be done with a guide.
Funerary Rock
It is believed that the Funerary Rock at Machu Picchu was used as a place to prepare Inca nobles for preservation, or mummifying (做成木乃伊), a common habit among the tribe. Nobles would be laid out to be mummified by the hot sun and freezing cold nights after their organs were removed. The rock is also famous as a spot from which a view of the city is afforded.
Temple of the Sun
Within the city’s castle, deep within Machu Picchu, is the Temple of the Sun, accessed only by the Emperor and
Inca priests. It means the Inca’s advanced knowledge of religion, weather, and nature, showing the great extent
Incas went to adapt to and learn about nature. Still unbroken, the temple was built to honor the god Inti, who is exactly the sun. The temple was effectively protected. It was also a very important scientific center, built in half-moon shape with openings facing north and east. The windows’ shadows in the center of the temple helped see the start of winter solstice (至日), showing farming season.
1.What do we know about the Inca Trail?
A. The scene is very beautiful along the trail.
B. One person alone is permitted to hike on the trail.
C. Only healthy people can do the four-day hike trail.
D. The trail covers a distance of 80 miles in all.
2.Temple of the Sun suggests that .
A. Incas had a good knowledge of math
B. Incas are rich in farming experiences
C. Inca had a desire to go to the moon
D. Incas adapted and learned about nature
3.What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Inca Trail B. Funerary Rock
C. Machu Picchu D. Temple of the Sun
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One of the greatest sources of unhappiness, in my experience, is the difficulty we have in accepting things as they are.
When we see something we don’t like, we wish it could be different. We cry out for something better. That may be human nature,or perhaps it’s something ingrained(根深蒂固的) in our culture. The root of the unhappiness isn’t necessarily that we want things to be different.However, it’s that we decided we didn’t like it in the first place. We’ve judged it as bad,rather than saying, “It's not bad or good, and it just is it.”
In one of my books, I said, “You should expect people to mess up and expect things to go differently than you planned”. Some readers said it's too sorrowful to expect things to go wrong.However, it’s only negative if you see it as negative and judge it as bad. Instead,you could accept it as the way the world works and try to understand why that is.
This can be applied to whatever you do:how other people act at work,how politics works and how depressing the news media can be.Accept these things as they are,and try to understand why they’re that way. _It_ will save you a lot of sadness,because you’ll no longer say, “Oh, I wish bad things didn’t happen!’’
Does it mean you can never change things? Not at all. But change things not because you can’t accept things as they are, but because you enjoy the process of changing, learning and growing.
Can we make this world a better place? You can say that you’ll continue to try to do things to help others, to grow as a person, to make a difference in this world. That’s the correct path you choose to take,because you enjoy that path. Therefore, when you find yourself judging and wishing for difference, try a different approach: accept, and understand. It might lead to some interesting results.
1.The author believes that we feel unhappy maybe because ___________.
A. it is our natural emotion in the life
B. culture asks us to be different from others
C. everyone has their own opinions on things
D. we dislike something in the beginning
2. In Paragraph 4,the underlined word "it" refers to ____________.
A. acting well at work and in politics
B. feeling depressed for the news media
C. accepting and understanding what has happened
D. saying something negative when bad things come
3.In the last paragraph,you are advised _____________.
A. to help others and make a difference
B. to enjoy what you have to do in the work
C. to judge yourself and make a wish for you
D. to try a new way when making the world better
4.What is the main theme of the passage?
A. Expecting things to be different gives us hope.
B. Accepting can make our life happier and better.
C. Traditional culture becomes root of unhappiness.
D. Judging good or bad is important for our world.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Life is difficult.
This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend (超越) it. Once we truly know that life is difficult — once we truly understand and accept it — then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.
Most do not fully see this truth. Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that difficulties represent a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or else upon their families, their class, or even their nation.
What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their nature, cause us sadness, or loneliness or regret or anger or fear. These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy.
Yet, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure. When we desire to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said, those things that hurt, instruct. It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems.
1.The writer probably used just one short sentence in the first paragraph to ________.
A.save space B.persuade readers C.make readers laugh D.get readers’ attention
2.According to the passage, we give school children difficult problems to solve in order to________.
A.encourage them to learn B.teach them to fear the pain of solving the problem
C.help them learn to deal with pain D.teach them how to respect for problems
3.From the passage, it can be inferred that _________.
A.everybody has problems
B.we become stronger by meeting and solving the problems of life
C.life is difficult because our problems bring us pain
D.people like to complain about their problems
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is one of the world's greatest art museums. Millions of people have entered its doors to see paintings by the world's fine artists. But if these priceless masterpieces are to be preserved, the Gallery must protect them carefully. The Gallery's 135-man guard force has successfully prevented them from being stolen, but protecting the paintings from nature is a greater problem.
In past times, the owners of paintings did not protect them from damaging changes in humidity (湿度) and temperature. As a result, the life of these paintings were shortened. In the National Gallery, however, humidity and temperature are carefully controlled. The building is air-conditioned in summer and heated in winter. The air-conditioning and heating system are so important to the life of the painting that the Gallery has two of each system. If one should fail, the extra one can take over.
Light is another enemy of paintings. Ultraviolet rays (紫外线) in light cause paintings to fade (褪色). Long ago, paintings often hung in dark churches and palaces. A coat of varnish (清漆) was a protection from the weak light. But when museums took over the care of many paintings, they were often hung in brighter light than before. Soon they were in danger of fading. The damaging effects of light were increased when the museums removed the varnish coating, yellowed with age.
To protect its paintings, the National Gallery put a special kind of glass in its skylights. This glass allows visible lights to enter the building but it keeps out harmful ultraviolet rays. The Gallery has also developed new and better varnishes which help to keep paintings from fading. Thanks to these new precautions, many of the world's greatest paintings are being well protected for future generations to enjoy.
1.The text mainly tells us about ______.
A.the guard force in the National Gallery
B.protecting great paintings from nature
C.priceless paintings of past times
D.the air-conditioning and heating systems in the National Gallery
2.The underlined word "precautions" in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.decorations
B.problems
C.suggestions
D.applications
3.From the text we can infer that_______.
A.great artists painted in dark churches and palaces
B.you can touch these paintings while you are in the National Gallery
C.the care of the world's greatest paintings is both a big responsibility and a great challenge
D.the guard force in the Gallery has not done a good job
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Roald Dahl is one of the greatest storytellers the world has ever known. He was born in Llandaff in Wales on 13 September 1916. Roald’s dream was to go to exciting foreign places, and he got the chance when he got a job with the Shell Company supplying oil in East Africa. When the Second World War broke out, he became a fighter pilot and he almost died when he crashed his plane in the desert. Afterwards he was sent home and given a new job in the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. There, he started writing speeches and war stories, and his first pieces of writing were published.
Have you heard of any of these stories?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie is a young boy from a poor family and, like most children, he loves chocolate. Charlie buys Wonka chocolate bars hoping to find a golden ticket inside because whoever finds a golden ticket is invited to visit the Wonka chocolate factory. However, there are some wonderfully strange things inside the factory!
The BFG
The BFG is the Big Friendly Giant and he brings sweet dreams to children while they are sleeping. One night he is seen by a girl called Sophie, and he kidnaps(绑架) her and carries her away to his homeland because he is scared she’ll tell the world about his existence. He is actually friendly, but the other giants are not. They want to eat people. Sophie decides to get someone to help: the Queen!
Matilda
Matilda is a genius(天才) and she loves books, but her parents don’t understand her intelligence and are cruel to her. Matilda’s brainpower is discovered by her teacher, Miss Honey, who helps her to develop her intellect. But Miss Honey is also being mistreated by the cruel head teacher, so Matilda tries to find a way to help her…
Boy: Tales of Childhood
This book is told like a story, but it’s not a novel. It’s an autobiography (自传) of Roald Dahl’s childhood and school experiences. In it he describes his experiences with the dead mouse, horrible teachers, summer holidays to Norway and getting the job with Shell.
1.What did Roald do right before working in the British Embassy?
A. He wrote stories and speeches. B. He traveled in foreign countries.
C. He worked for a famous oil company. D. He served as a member of the air force.
2.To know about Roald’s personal experiences, which story should you read?
A. Matilda. B. Boy: Tales of Childhood.
C. The BFG. D. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
3.What do the four stories have in common?
A. They are amusing. B. They are about kids.
C. They are works of fiction. D. They are based on true stories.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析